What would you guys recommend as essential books on history? General history books would be nice...

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Don't read Zizek

The Story of Civilization - Will and Ariel Durant
The Histories - Herodotus

Come back once you've read those.

Anyone interested in Late Antiquity or Early Medieval Period should read Edward Gibbon. Though always remember that his scholarship is outdated.

Still a major work.

well if you give us topics you're interested in we can help

Pic related for military stuff

Thomas Kahn,Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Salt:A history

All of Edward Rutherfords books but
Paris and New York.

Well I'm not really sure. I'm interested in European history primarily, which is very broad. I'm interested in the crusades and of course the roman empire and early American history. I'm not really sure where to go from there.

in that case, check out these annotated bibliographies. there's dozens of articles pasted here, including ones on subjects you're interested in:
Crusades
pastebin.com/7h8fASgv
Late Antiquity (aka late roman empire)
pastebin.com/vBP1U1rg
roman empire
pastebin.com/ibgv0LH6
political thought of the american founders
pastebin.com/uWy56vWT
american war of independence
pastebin.com/6Kr4duAn

if you want I can post pics of bibliographies on republican rome and the american revolution (different article from revolutionary war)

as for european history, there is no single article that deals with it all, but you can patch together a good reading list by browsing the rest of the articles here:
pastebin.com/u/jonstond2/1

Nice. Thank you.

Idk how well Veeky Forums likes a Peoples history, but I was forced to read it in one of my AP classes last year and I found it really interesting in some chapters.

Zinn takes a bit of a liberal standpoint on most things, but all in all it offers a different perspective on US history that I enjoyed disecting

Jared diamond - Guns, Germs, and Steel

EP Thompson's Making

I recommend this god-tier book if you want to learn about greek (and a little nordic) mythology, an easy read and highly interesting.

Pic related is about 450 pages and really cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about Russian history, as most books tend to just individually cover: Ivan the Terrible, the troubles (between Rurik and Romanov dynasties), Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander I (Napoleonic wars), the reformation age, Tsar Nicholas II, Russian revolution and Soviets. This book strings them all together so you can feel the changes over time, linking events together as a whole, and even smatters it with culture (writers, musicians of the Golden age).

It does it's best with the earlier Kievan Rus' days since there are so few sources available, I.e the "primary chronicle". I find that time quite fascinating though.

It's about the history of debt, credit and money.

seconding these two. i would also include sacred texts of major religions

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I appreciate the recommendations guys. Thanks.

This, also The Guns of August, and The 15 Decisive Battles of the World

G. K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man.

>not including EMJ's Degenerate Moderns

If you are an American or are interested in American history, you have to read this.

Zinn is trash, he uses fucking David Irving as a source on dresden

Jesus you lot are cunts.