Does anyone have any good historical books written from a first hand account? I love reading people’s day to day lives during a historical time. Instead of “this army battled this army at this date.” I want to read “my brother was in the other unit, but I could see him in the trench to the east, when we were kids we stole bread, so now we’re on the other side of the world fighting for the Queen.” Something more personal, ya know?
by Chef115
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Empire of the Sun is a novel that draws on personal experience.
Also Lore Segal’s Other people’s houses. Louis Begley’s Wartime lies.
Pepys’ diaries. Everything from dallying with prostitutes, buying porn and his neighbor’s overflowing latrine to the plague coming to London and the Great Fire. Because it was written in code, Pepys didn’t hide his opinions about his superiors or gloss over his own bad behavior