If you must read history, do it right and read Sarah Vowell. Or even better, get her book in audio. Sarah Vowell's voice at first comes off like that of a nonplussed gum-smacking valley girl, forced to do something serious for the first time in her life. As you listen, though, you will start to notice that she's one smart cookie, and her voice is merely the perfect one to deliver her lines. Thrown in a sprinkling of guest voices, including John Hodgman and John Oliver, and history comes to life in the way we all secretly hope it had been
It would be unfair to characterize Vowell's books as historical standup comedy, or observational humor about events no one alive today observed, or a collection of witty barbs aimed at the cast and crew of American history. Really, you should come for the history, and stay for these things and more. Although you could maybe learn as much from other history books, Vowell will make you think, and make you happy to think, and more likely to remember.
The Wordy Shipmates tells the story of the first Europeans to settle in what's now the United States, with ample looks at their sometimes unsavory motivations and actions. The book gets at the heart of the America we think was invented at this time, and how many current shortcomings to living up to this ideal are really not much worse than before, as the ideal of course never existed.
One main reason to be interested in these stories is that politicians and others today want us to go back to this utopian past and live up to the lofty standards of our founders, when in fact there was no such utopia, nor particularly worthy standards.
I would say I can't recommend The Wordy Shipmates any more highly, but I can't quite because you should go out and listen to her previous book, Assassination Vacation, first. After that you should immediately pop this one in.
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