[DebSchiff]

Originally posted by alilaw:
Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor. I'm at work, so can't really go into lengths as to why it's so amazing, but it is.

Alilaw = Mark Corrigan?

Seriously though, I've got it, but I've never got around to reading it. I clearly should.

[retired_princesspouty]

Originally posted by AndyPolack:
Ha! Do libraries still exist?

You can reserve stuff online for books in the entire county - which is very, very handy to the cheapskate would-be historian! \o/

At least you can in Hants...

[retired_jabda]

Originally posted by Retro:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Uber Emperor bar none if you forget about the last few years of his reign

The same could be said of Edward tbh... last few years weren't very glorious. </BLOCKQUOTE>

He didn't lose Palestine, Syria and most of Egypt to the Arabs though. Even if he was sick in the last few years and his generals didn't do so good.

[retired_princesspouty]

Originally posted by finneys13:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by Retro:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Uber Emperor bar none if you forget about the last few years of his reign

The same could be said of Edward tbh... last few years weren't very glorious. </BLOCKQUOTE>

He didn't lose Palestine, Syria and most of Egypt to the Arabs though. Even if he was sick in the last few years and his generals didn't do so good. </BLOCKQUOTE>
No he lost a lot his gains (not directly - he was already old, sick and possibly slightly unstable by then). So more than a couple of parallels.

Still - he was ffffffbbbbbb whatever.

[retired_jabda]

Heraclius crushed the Persians though, ending that war that had gone on since the Romans had turned up in those parts. Also reformed the Empire, brought Greek in as the official language, deposed an useless Emperor, etc.

Second son will be called Basil, after both Basil I and II.

[retired_princesspouty]

I think I'm on safer ground calling my son Edward than you are calling yours Heraclius!

I was going to spell it Ædward though! \o/

[retired_jabda]

Just wait for the mother to be find out that little Basil's middle name is going to be 'Bulgar-Slayer'. :cool:

[retired_ecmoore]

Originally posted by Retro:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by AndyPolack:
Obviously some English history wouldn't go amiss. I want to see if Edward will make me hard downstairs as it seems to for Retro.

I'm going to name my firstborn son after him - and I'm not joking either. I've already got clearance from the missus! </BLOCKQUOTE>

does she know the reasoning behind "i want to call our son edward", "ok dear"

[retired_kevh16]

A fairly good book I'm reading at the moment is Generals by Mark Urban.

Basically he picks 10 generals who he things had the biggest impact on Britain (starting with Monck in the civil war).

Maybe slightly biased towards the 20th century but he still gives a very good, compact look into the lives of several very interesting people leaving you with a bibliography to go and research them further.

Also have Simon Schama's 'A history of Britain' waiting for me when I finish my degree.

[retired_prettygirl9156]

David Stevenson - 1914-1918
Anthony Beevor - The Spanish Civil War
Laurence Rees - Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution

Three good recommendations