Captivating HistoryReviews

Other than the name of one king and the human sacrifice I knew little of the Aztec culture. This was a good short introduction to the topic.

I came into this not knowing very much about Yoruba history, so I was hoping that this would get me started. I think it achieved that objective. However, it ended up not being as informative as I could have been. The book presented a lot of history about the Yoruba people but it was presented in rapid fashion with little historical perspective to bring the events into focus. Based on the title, I was anticipating both factual history and some insights into the Yoruba belief system but I didn't get as much information into Yoruba beliefs as I wanted.

I think this stands as a good introduction for someone like me who knew very little. From here, more specific information can be sought elsewhere.½

Concreta historia de España. Me gustó.

The book starts at the beginning when the country formed after the Ice Age and claimed by nomadic travellers, providing illustrations and photos to accompany the text. This is a compact history of the Netherlands, looking into the evolution of eras and the impact the history has on today. This includes the wars, the Church, the coast, and the Royals.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Hungary has been at the center of everything for a very long time. Originally settled by Magyars, with a unique language, it has quite a number of minority populations. It borders Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It was an important buffer for Europe from the ever-expanding Ottoman Empire, was occupied by the Nazis, and "liberated" by the Soviets. It barely touched on the revolution I found so interesting in Michener's Bridge at Andau. A good short overview of Hungarian history.½

I was looking for a well written short history on the Teutonic Knights and I found it.½

It was one of about 200 which are nothing more than overviews of a particular historical topic. If one does not know anything about the Puritans it might be a helpful book. I did not find it so because it dwelt mostly on King Henry VIII's split with Rome and then on the Salem Witch Trials; of which I have previously read extensively. There was also an historical error in that the "author" (s) used interchangeably Puritan and Separatists, but they are two distinct groups. 2.5* because of the historical error--no excuse! 102 pages½

A brief but highly informative work about Viking history and culture for kids, best for middle grades The book is well-organized, flows extremely well, and I love the chapter activities at the close of each section. This is the second book by Captivating History for Kids I've read and enjoyed and I look for to reading the rest. Keep up the good work

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A well-written introduction to Medieval Europe and its themes and contributions to the Western world that's a good option for young middle grade students and kids interested in history. It's age-appropriate, includes illustrations, and has an activity at the end of each chapter that is useful for getting students involved. Suggested as a complementary work.

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A brief but engaging history of early Christianity, roughly from the time of Jesus to the fall of the Roman Empire. This work introduces the different schools of thought and influences during this time period as well as important events (Council of Nicaea). Well-researched and a good book to start your exploration into the subject.

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A collection of two books that outline the history of the Caribbean area and the "Golden Age" of piracy, these works are informative and a good place for young adult readers to start research. I especially enjoyed the section of the piracy book that separates fact from fiction. Intro for history lovers.

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I thoroughly enjoy this series, so I was ecstatic when I saw a book about Iceland's history, since it's a subject matter not necessarily written about as often as other nations. A good introduction and jumping off place for further research. Great for history lovers and high school students, the writing flows well.

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I get that these are short primers and not intended as in-depth analyses but still, I found some of the writing astonishingly reductionist e.g., “Female infanticide was on the rise, as there were very few opportunities for women to become wage-earners”. At other times the writing resembled that of a high-school student struggling to meet the minimum word requirement of an assignment, e.g., “The equipment needed by the United States, who fought heavily in the war, was provided by the Japanese “Model J” corporation, which is a corporation whose employees are trained specifically for their jobs.” The book does give a good basic overview of the history of East Asia, but really… the writers could do better if they applied themselves more!

A page-turning brief history of Britain that is more like an overview for readers to begin their research. The writing flows well and the book covers a lot of info, but it's definitely worth it if you're unfamiliar with British history. A good choice for high school students.

Booksprout Review Copy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

4.5 Stars Overall, 4 Stars because I wanted more.
Wonderful collection of mini bios of The Apostles that's truly interesting and something you don't come across every day. Fascinating book that motivates the reader to investigate further. I only wish it was longer!

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My thanks to Captivating History for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love History. It can draw me out of a shell. With that being said, I can be such a snub, dismissing books because of title or publish. History of West Africa? Why can't be a solid survey of all of Africa. This short book IS a solid survey of West Africa.

Pre-dawn culture, the slave trade, Gold Coast, Diamond Coast, Kingdoms, rulers, Gold given in exchanged for just as valuable salt.

Learning of West Africa's history for the first time. An incredible book. A nice addition to my e-book library.

The Portugal I didn't know
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2022

I went to high school in Fall River, Massachusetts. Fall River and New Bedford are Portuguese (sp?) enclaves, and from the recent history of Portugal, dictated in this book, I can imagine several reasons for families to pickup and leave their roots for better pastures.

Seems that Portugal has a tumultuous history, and it's people suffered each time a new king took the seat of government. A lot of intrigue. Also the inquisition, earthquakes, the black plague. All shaping the country we have today.

Portugal also its good times, including two 'golden' ages. The most interesting thing was about the climate change in the 14th century and how it affect the entire continent of Europe.

This book also took a long time to read, but there was a lot to tell. I hope to visit Portugal and also visit the Azures Islands, both on my bucket list..

This book is an ARC.

A broad history of Russia.

Although this work won't teach you how to invest directly, it does offer beginners some historical markers to watch out for today based on some of the major investing events of the past. A solid book if you're looking for an entertaining read, especially for the subject of economic history. The author does a decent job of relating historical investing cycles to current events. Overall, satisfying enough to check out other works by the same writer.

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Very dry retelling of the Gilgamesh story, with all the literary and especially poetic quality ignored. I can’t otherwise label this guide as plainly ‘flat’ and 'uninspired'.

Washington was not so Perfect.

I love these Captivating History books, short, sweet and full of facts.

This one was thoroughly enjoyable. I knew nothing about this 7 year war and was glad to read up on it. It seems like George Washington was not as perfect as history books would tell. The English didn't seem to want to evict the French, and it seemed that their efforts were not very impressive.

I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it very much

Thanks to Captivating History for this ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

As a WWII history buff, I could say that I am very familiar with the WWII European theater, but not so much of the late 1800s. It was a good informative read for me, as to how Germany was formed of multiple German principalities, kingdoms, states and in the middle of Europe, when Prussia, with the Austrian Empire, Barvaria and Hanover. Of course, Prussia and Austrians were where the initial story of Germany started.

We see were the start of German history was modest enough. Prussia, Austria, the Great War and the disastrous Treaty of Versailles, the Wiemar republic, Hitler, anti-semitism and the rise of Nazi Germany.

It IS a great survey of the history of Germany through to present day. I did not find it boring, hopefully you will enjoy this book as much as I.

Looking for a short history of Argentina, I chose this 90-something page ebook. It’s very uneven. On the one hand he uses vague sentences to describe an event or place, so broad they could describe anywhere. On the other hand, he goes into such minute detail (ie, battles & troop movements) that you lose track of whatever it is he’s trying to explain. I would have liked something in between those extremes. This book didn’t deliver the goods.

This is a great book! It is well-written, especially for kids who are just learning about Ancient Greece. It is not written over their heads. They should get a good understanding and knowledge about it. The pictures are great, too. I would recommend this book for kids. It will help get them interested in history!

Until reading this book, I hadn’t realized how critical Vicksburg was to both sides of the civil war. In The Siege of Vicksburg, the author pointed to the essentiality of the Mississippi River to the supply chain of both armies. Vicksburg was located on a high bluff overlooking a narrow turn on the Mississippi River. From its vantage point, Vicksburg batteries could easily rain down cannon fire on navigating ships thus denying this supply corridor to the Federal army while its position positively facilitated the migration of confederate troop volunteers and supplies from the Mississippi River’s western bank states. Those much-needed Confederate resources were cut off after Vicksburg’s lost and moved the South’s war efforts from a peak resistance to an inevitable decline. Vicksburg’s loss was not the sole determinant in the war’s outcome, however. A concurrent loss in Gettysburg plus the loss of Jackson, Mississippi’s capital and railroad supply hub, deflated Southern zeal and contributed to the South’s imminent loss.

One surprise in this campaign is that the Federals paroled and released Confederate combatants after defeating them in Vicksburg and Jackson. Although the logic Ulises Grant gave for doing so was sound, the conditions of the parole were not well established resulting in many of these confederate soldiers going on to join the war effort in the eastern states. While enforcements made little difference in the final result, they did lead to more Northern soldier deaths in the Union’s following campaigns.

I read this history as an eBook but am convinced that my enjoyment and understanding of the troop movements by both sides would have been greatly enhanced by the printed maps and illustrations depicted in the printed book. Fortunately, at 66 pages, it was a quick read. I encourage others interested in The Siege of Vicksburg to read the book in print.

This eBook was provided to me as an advance review copy.