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Guide Picks - Top 10 Essential Reference Books About the 20th Century
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Which books are must-haves for your reference shelf? These are some of my favorite books about the 20th century.
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1) 20th Century Day by Day
Amazing! A very detailed chronology of the twentieth century. "News" style stories from major events for every month of every year are included in this huge text. There is a historical note for almost every day of the century. Truly a fantastic resource and wonderful gift for any history buff.
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2) The American Century
by Harold Evans. Despite the title, this book focuses on the history of the 20th century around the world. It includes in-depth stories about important events and behind-the-scenes events that made the century what it was. A fascinating read and an essential reference. Liberally doused with photographs.
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3) What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century
Two hundred of the most important historic events of the 20th century. You'll be surprised to discover many events in this book. This is a great read and a great reference.
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4) The 365 Most Important Events of the Twentieth Century
by Paul Baldwin. Short vignettes in chronological order provide a well-rounded overview of the century. A quick yet thorough tour of the era from the first Picasso exhibition in Paris in 1900 to the Millennium "Bug."
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5) Timelines of the 20th Century: A Chronology of 7,500 Key Events, Discoveries, and People That Shaped Our Century
Seventy-five hundred events of the century are organized year-by-year into four categories - 1) politics and war, 2) science, technology, and medicine, 3) arts and literature, and 4) social, economic, and everyday life. The main drawback is that you're not provided with the date the event happened; however this is a very comprehensive tome.
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6) Guinness Book of the 20th Century
Although the Guinness Book of Records is fairly sensational, this book is an essential reference of the history of the century. It includes a year-by-year summary of important happenings in news article format and covers the social history of the century very well.
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7) The Twentieth Century: The History of the World, 1901 to 2000
J.M. Roberts impressively tackles the history of the twentieth century in this single, well-balanced volume. It's a must-read.
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8) A History of the Twentieth Century: Vol. 1
Noted historian Martin Gilbert's first volume in his series of three comprehensive texts on the history of the century. As with all of his books, Gilbert brings history to life. This series is one which all historians and history fans should own.
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9) The Twentieth Century: History With the Boring Parts Left Out
by David Wallechinsky. From the people who presented the People's Almanac, this almanac of the 20th century contains a plethora of articles, vignettes, lists, summaries, of anything and everything of the century. From summaries of each Olympic Games to the story behind the popular television show M*A*S*H, this book has it all. A one-stop reference for everything important, distinctive, or unusual about the 1900s.
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10) The Idiot's Guide to the 20th Century
A nice guide and reference to the most important events and information from the twentieth century. As with all Idiot's Guides, the book presents information in a very readable and interesting format for readers of all levels.
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