November is the month for fireworks.
This year, it was much easier to remember, remember the fifth of November, thanks to the BBC’s drama Gunpowder, telling the tale of Guy Fawkes, Robert Catesby, other assorted plotters and axe-happy agents of the king.
There are many, many books about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, ranging from novelisations to painstaking historic accounts.
History provides a rich vein of reading material, as we all know. It is sometimes also worth remembering that, certainly in the days before rolling news networks, the majority of accounts were regaled and written down from the point of view of the victor of any conflict covered.
More recently, of course, it can be fascinating to see different perspectives on an historic event about which we are already well informed.
One of the most famous history books about is, arguably, now part of history itself.
Edward Gibbon’s The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was originally published in six volumes from 1776-1789.
It strained for objectivity and became the benchmark for quality historical accounts that followed. The good news is there are abridged versions available!
Echoing the title style and also highly regarded is The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, by William Shirer, was published to acclaim in 1960 - when memories of the Second World War were still vivid.
More recent opinion has been divided, however, with the writer’s theories and attitudes questioned.
Perhaps the starkest account of that period was a first-hand.
The Diary of Anne Frank remains a gripping, moving, inspiring and heart-breaking account of what it was like hiding from the Nazis during the war.
Fans of the book and film The English Patient will know of Herodotus, as his book Histories was the only possession of the eponymous character.
It was written in 440BC in classical Greek and acts as a record of Africa, Asia and Greece in his time.
A slightly easier read, but still informative, and possibly a little more fun, is the Horrible Histories series of books by Terry Deary and Peter Hepplewhite recognise just what it is children want to know about history.
Whether it’s Ruthless Romans, Vile Victorians or the Measly Middle Ages, you can rest assured you will learn about everything from brutal murder to dubious toilet habits.
But, who knows, maybe a Horrible Histories book is just the first step reading six volumes of Gibbon’s masterpiece?
The Family Library is next to the children’s playground in Westmoreland Road, Douglas. It operates as a charity and also runs the Mobile Family Library and a Schools Service. To find out more about the services available, check out the Family Library page on Facebook or visit www.familylibrary.im or call the library on 640650.
by the Family Library
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