how about 10 & 11 for the history ask meme? :)
10. Favorite historical novel
oh man, that’s a really hard question. nearly all historical novels i’ve read were really quite good (except for philippa gregory…), so to pick a favourite is really hard. i’ll have to go with two:
Der Spiegel der Königin (translated: The Queen’s Mirror) by Nina Blazon
Stockholm, 1647. The Swedish throne is held by young Queen Kristina. When visiting episcopal town Uppsala, 15-year-old maid Elin Asenban catches her eye. Without hesitation, the Queen takes the rebellious girl with her to the castle Tre Kronor… (directly translated from the author’s site: http://www.ninablazon.de/index.php?thema=200)
This book was one of my favourites growing up (I read it at 13-14). Granted, it’s a book for adolescents, but it has so much heart, it’s well-written and the protagonist is extremely likeable, while definitely imperfect. (and even for decidedly unromantic 13-year-old me who laughed at the end of Titanic, i remember it having a truly swoon-worthy love story.) i don’t remember it well enough to be able to say anything about historical accuracy, but i remember it fondly.
The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell
The novel […] tells the story of how Arthur became warlord of Great Britain despite illegitimacy to the throne. After being banished to Armorica by his father High King Uther, Arthur returns to protect the new king, his nephew the baby Mordred. However, he once more is put in a precarious position when, on the cusp of a united peaceful Britain, Arthur runs out on his engagement to an enemy nation’s princess. His decision to marry Guinevere instead plunges the island into war with everyone baying for his blood. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Winter_King]
It’s also been a couple of years that i’ve read this book (i’ve embarassingly bad at reading actual books recently) and i still haven’t read the sequels, but it was extremely interesting and i’ll definitely re-read it in the future. bernard cornwell is a master when it comes to research and historical authenticity (and accuracy when possible in an arthurian novel); his style is very engaging and fits a novel like this very well, blending personal details with historical (or possibly-historical) events. the novel is told from the perspective of a by-stander, the warrior Derfel, whose life intertwines with those of several important arthurian characters.
all in all, i feel like it’s a unique take on the arthurian legend, blending history and myth very well, and it’s definitely on my re-read-one-day-shelf.
11. Favorite nonfiction history book
this is not even a question for me:
The Devil’s Workshop: A Memoir of the Nazi Counterfeiting Operation by Adolf Burger
(http://www.amazon.com/DEVILS-WORKSHOP-Memoir-Counterfeiting-Operation/dp/1848325231/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1447596987&sr=8-3&keywords=the+devil%27s+workshop - in english
http://www.amazon.de/Teufels-Werkstatt-Adolf-Burger/dp/393804523X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447597024&sr=8-1&keywords=des+teufels+werkstatt - in german)
maybe my impression of this book is heavily influenced by the fact that i first came across it during a presentation of Adolf Burger himself in our school when i was only 12. it probably is. it left a deep, deep mark in my consciousness.
the memoir is enriched with many photos, illustrating not only the nazi concentration camp policy/strategy in general by telling the story of a jewish slovak Holocaust survivor, Mr Burger, up until his liberation in 1945, but what makes this book stand out in my eyes is that it tells a not commonly known part of history: Mr Burger later was forced to work as a member of a team of money counterfeiters for the nazis. as a result, it’s both a horrifying depiction of a pretty universal concentration camp reality and tells about a very specific part of history that is often ignored or forgotten.
10/10 would recommend. it’s horrifying, but it’s worth it.
(the oscar-winning 2007 German film Die Fälscher/The Counterfeiters is based on Mr Burger’s book.)
