I was unable to finish my history minor before graduating with a BA in costume design this last May. I took history to aid in my costume design (knowing the history of clothing is a must) because knowing what was happening in the world at that time was usually tightly tied to what people wore.
However, I still have the history bug and would like to continue my education on my own. Mainly, I'm interested in war time history (anywhere and any time). Does anyone have some good suggestions?
I've read half a dozen books about WWI and another couple about the Russian revolution. I'm not sure if any can help you understand the clothing of the era any better, but if you're just looking for some general recommendations, maybe I can help. The best "all encompassing" type of book I've come across on WWI is John Keegan's The First World War. The most interesting from a geopolitical perspective is David Fromkin's Europe's Last Summer. The latter is more interesting, because Fromkin attempts to explain how the system of honor and expectations of the nobility of old Europe came together to make war when none needed to be made. It's as much a psychological investigation of von Moltke (the chief of the German general staff) as it is a book about war. Fantastic read, and it will also have a great bibliography so that you can explore further. My reading about the Russian revolution was sparked by my interest in WWI. If you have a lot of time and dedication, Richard Pipes' The Russian Revolution is an absolutely fantastic, but expansive text. It covers all the political strife in Russia from at least the mid-nineteenth century that came to a head in 1917, and extends through the Red Terror. I've just begun The Gulag Archipelago, but I'm not into it enough to make a rec one way or the other.
Thank you! This is a great start for me! I'm following The Great War on youtube which discusses what happened this week 100 years ago in the war. Its fascinating and has referenced John Keegan before. Before I graduated, I tried to get into a Russian history class, starting with the beginning of the Russian Empire in the 1700s. Sadly, I was unable to get in and that's been an itch I haven't been able to scratch yet! Thank you for your suggestions!