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Ta-Nehisi Coates Book Recommendations
Ta-Nehisi Coates is an American author and journalist.
(Read more on Wikipedia)10 Books Recommended
Battle Cry of Freedom
by James M. McPherson
"The definitive history of the Civil War. One of the greatest works of history I've ever read and arguably the best one volume history in existence." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
Also recommended by:
The Thirty Years War
by C. V. Wedgwood
"God, I love this book. It's the history of an utterly depressing war with no real nobility, that ultimately descends into cannibalism. Right up my alley." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
Neon Vernacular
by Yusef Komunyakaa
"Probably my favorite living poet. No on else taught me more about how important it was to think about how words make people feel. It's not enough for people to know something is true. They have to feel it's true." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
Postwar
A History of Europe Since 1945
by Tony Judt
"[The author understood history] does not exist to comfort us." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
The Country Between Us
by Carolyn Forche
"Another book of poetry that taught me what the form was. [The author] has a beautiful sense of rhythm." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin
"Basically the finest essay I've ever read." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
Also recommended by:
The Waterworks
by E.L. Doctorow
"What a strange and beautiful book. The story of a postbellum American newspaper editor investigating the undead." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
The Age of Innocence
by Edith Wharton
"Again, I like this book for its willingness to embrace the tragic. No happy endings. The book is a defense of elitism, something I guess I oppose. But I found it credible, here." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"I'm a sucker for efficiency. This book gets so much out of what is, ultimately, a rather slim story. I adore it." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
Also recommended by:
Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Daniel Pink, Ev Williams, Christopher Hitchens, Jim Carrey, Ryan Holiday
Sweet Soul Music
Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom
by Peter Guralnick
"History of soul music, told in profiles. I read this is as young man really trying to understand what journalism and history meant. Spent a lot of time meditating on Sam and Dave after this one." - Ta-Nehisi Coates (Source)
