Hello – curious if folks could weigh in. My male cousin likes history & historical fiction.
Trying to decide between these two as a gift. Any recommendations one way or another?
1- SPQR – a history of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
In SPQR, Mary Beard offers a fast-paced, myth-busting history of Rome’s first millennium, tracing its rise from a tiny village to a global superpower. Rather than just listing dates, she explores how Romans thought about themselves, their citizenship, and their evolving identity, ending the narrative at the point where Roman identity was extended to every free inhabitant of the empire. It’s a brilliant look at why Rome still matters today.
2- The Wager: a fable of shipwreck, mutiny & murder by David Grann
In The Wager, David Grann delivers a gripping true story of an 18th-century British warship that wrecked off the coast of Patagonia. The narrative follows the starving survivors who made it back to safety, only to tell wildly different stories that sparked a high-stakes court martial involving accusations of mutiny and murder. It’s a fascinating psychological study of how people twist the truth to survive both the elements and the law.
by B0rnstupid