Gosh, Barb, so many. . .
Three of my favorites are:
Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror: the Calamitous 14th Century," which is an engaging story of another trying period in human history, including the Black Death and the Great Schism in the Catholic Church. It puts our current travails into perspective. Tuchman won the National Book Award for this one.
Another great one is Daniel Boorstin's "The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself," which focuses on the Age of Exploration, and in doing so addresses the invention of time, Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe, and other interesting stuff. Boorstin is a former Librarian of Congress, writes engagingly, and knows his material.
You said you aren't much for modern politics, but I will tell you that the single best book about modern China is Jung Chang's "Mao: The Unknown Story." She was, among other things, a former Red Guard who had unparalleled access to people close to Mao who were present and close to him from before the Long March, through the Cultural Revolution, and up through Mao's death. This book thoroughly debunks the Mao myth and describes in detail how the megalomanical strivings of one man forever changed China and impacted the rest of the world in such a profound way. It caused a major scandal when it was released, and was instantly banned on the Mainland, although it is sold in Hong Kong. Jung Chang married a Brit named John Halliday and become the first person from China to earn a Ph.D. at a British university. She also wrote a wonderful book called "Wild Swans," which tells the story of the emergence of modern China through the eyes of her grandmother, her mother, and herself. This one won the 1993 British Book of the Year award, and is moving beyond belief. She writes from the heart.
Have a great vacation.
Bullseye
