"Ancient/medieval book recommendations?" Topic

I pretty much only read non fiction history but recently I've had trouble finding something worthwhile. It seems like a lot of newer books are authored by people with the woke mind virus. When I'm reading about events hundreds or thousands of years ago I don't need to be lectured to about current politics. On Amazon or similar sites I look at 1,2 and 3 star reviews to see why a reviewer didn't like a particular book and frequently the reasons are the author is looking at and judging past cultures and people by modern standards and/or whining about social justice, climate change or some such thing, so I know to give the book a hard pass. So any recommendations?

Non fiction only?

Fiction. You might enjoy Bernard Cornwell. Nothing PC in his series. I enjoyed them.

The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Tales/Warrior Chronicles)
This series follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg in 9th-10th century Britain.

The Last Kingdom
The Pale Horseman
The Lords of the North
Sword Song
The Burning Land
Death of Kings
The Pagan Lord
The Empty Throne
Warriors of the Storm
The Flame Bearer
War of the Wolf
Sword of Kings
War Lord

I love the Last Kingdom (both the books and the TV series). It's one of those series that I was very sorry when it finally had to come to an end.

A Distant Mirror by B. Tuchman and Mary Stewart's Crystal Cave series.

Simon Scarrow series about Macro and Cato. Not all of the same quality but an easy read.
Vindolanda series by Adrian Goldsworthy.
Another vote for Last Kingdom series.

I understood you wanted non-fiction suggestions?

The last medieval book I enjoyed was Dan Jones' 'Henry V'.
I would also recommend:
1). Hugh Bicheno's 2 vol. work on the Wars of the Roses: 'Battle Royal' & 'Blood Royal'
2). Freedom's Sword by Peter Traquair

I'm afraid I don't read a lot of medieval history.

But the book that I recently read and really gripped me (and my son) is Batavia by Peter Fitzsimons, it is C.17th but I can't recommend it strongly enough.
Another, out of your period, recommendation would be 'Operation Kronstadt' by Harry Ferguson.

Same boat for me. I tried to read a highly praised work on the American Revolution and the author went on some lengthy diatribe about a (now deceased) radio commentator's opinion on Vietnam. I closed the book and returned it to the library. Garbage.

I tolerated another book because the author at least had an interesting premise examining the attitudes and motivations behind the AWI, but it too had strongly biased (and even absurd), unsupported claims. Good on some details I had not known, but wonky on interpretation of events. Not quite "woke" but treading close— just not close enough to make me set it aside.

I tend to enjoy older works, even though they've later proved inaccurate. Also, works on specific battles tend be a little less susceptible to politics in either direction, as the author is usually focusing on the military details and tactics rather than any political considerations.

For medieval:
The History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages by Sir Charles Oman. Generally very good, though some of his conclusions/observations are now considered inaccurate.

For ancient:
The original works— Xenophon, Thucydides, Herodotus, Livy, etc..
Alexander the Great by Robin Lane Fox is a modern work, and excellent.

And for fiction:

Easy. Read anything by Rosemary Sutcliff. Yes, her research was limited to what was known in her lifetime (mid-late 20th century), but still quite good, and her ability to capture the attitudes and cultures ranging from the Roman Empire to the Norman Conquest is exceptional. She also focuses on historical events or retellings of historical accounts and incidences.

Also Stephen Pressfield's The Gates of Fire, a novel presentation of the Battle of Thermopylae is a very good read. Fiction, but with dialog and details informed by ancient sources.

I second 35thOVI's recommendations! Excellent series.

David Nicolle's two medieval Warfare sourcebooks.
Peter Connolly Greece and Rome at War
Lazenby The First Punic War
Goldsworthy The Complete Roman Army
Chris Peers Warlords of China
Hamblin Warfare in the Ancient Near East
Yadin Warfare in Biblical lands (2 vols)
Any of the WRG 'Armies and Enemies' books
Heath Wargamers guide to the crusades

Yes Parz, I read Oman's books as part of courses in college. I thought they were good as well.

Griff Hosker is a prolific historical adventure author from the Dark Ages to WW2: link

Non-fiction? V D Hanson's work on Hoplite warfare

Fiction? Rosemay Sutcliff, Sword at Sunset; Graham Shelby, The Oath and the Sword.

Perhaps at the very end of the "medieval" period, but I greatly enjoyed 'The Winter King' by Thomas Penn. How Henry VII brought the nobles to heel through debt slavery. Great stuff, and very interesting about the transition from feudalism to a (relatively) modern state.

Not to be confused with the Arthurian novel of the same name.

Mary Beards various musings on Rome are also very entertaining, SPQR, Emperor of Rome etc.

I am the same in my reading for historical non fiction. A few of my favorites, oldies but goodies, John Morris's Age of Arthur (although Max Adams has some good newer books) and Normans in the South by John Julius Norwich. Simon Macdowall's books on the Franks, Goths and Vandals were good. All the WRG books are good but Duncan Head's Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars is probably the best reference book I keep going back to. Or the original source material like Thucydides or Ammianus Marcellinus. Keep meaning to do Polybius.

Simon Macdowall and Duncan Head are both on TMP sometimes too.