Download AP World History Summer Reading

AP World History Summer Reading Happy summer! To keep your brains fit, you have a summer reading assignment with three parts. The first to read the final chapter of “This Fleeting World” and answer the questions below, and then read two other books of your choice – one fiction and one non-­‐fiction. Required Reading Assignment Finish the third and last chapter of “This Fleeting World” (Our World, The Modern Era) and the following section on periodization. Based on your reading, answer the questions below in 2-­‐3 sentences each. Section 1: Major Features and Trends of the Modern Era (pp 59-­‐64) • Explain major reasons for increases in productivity and population in the modern era. Section 3: Industrial Revolution: 1750-­‐1914 (pp 68-­‐74) • How did the economic changes of the Industrial Revolution influence political, social, and cultural transformations in the modern era? Section 5: Contemporary Period: 1945-­‐Present (pp 83-­‐91) • Explain some of the factors leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. How was the Peoples’ Democratic Republic of China able to introduce market reforms successfully? Section 6: Modern Era in World History (pp 91-­‐93) • What are the most distinctive features of the modern era of world history? Periodization in World History (pp 97-­‐105) • What is periodization and why is it necessary? Christian discusses four systemic problems in the periodization of world history. What are the four problems and how are they interconnected? Choice Reading Assignment Choose one non-­‐fiction book and one fiction book/film, and complete the accompanying writing assignment. You may only substitute a film for the fiction reading choice. I know that this is your summer vacation and I do want you take some time to yourself – so, pick books that you can enjoy. There are many options given below, and preview the book before you commit! Check the VBFS library and your local library before you buy it; most of the books are available for check-­‐out at the VB Public Library. Many of these books and films deal with adult content, and some have sexual or violent scenes. Please be sure to clear all readings or films with your parents beforehand. I’ve also noted some of my favorites with ***…Happy reading! Non-­‐Fiction Assignment – Book Review Write a short review (2-­‐3 pages, double-­‐spaced, typed) that identifies the author’s thesis, and describes two arguments that the author presents to support his/her thesis. Based on the arguments that you present, do you agree or disagree with the author’s thesis? Why or why not? Finally, would you recommend the book? Did you like it? Why or why not? Your essay must have a thesis, introduction and conclusion, but there is no need to do any research for this paper. Please take your type writing the essay. It will be due the first Friday when school starts. Example book review thesis: “In his book The Landscape of History, John Lewis Gaddis argues that history today is studied using multiple disciplines, and that this more complex, systems approach, is more scientific and does give us a solid foundation for knowing the past. While I agree with Gaddis’ basic principle, I do not agree with him that this method is somehow more rigorous than other sciences, however, on the whole, the book is well-­‐written and worth the read for budding historians.”
Fiction Assignment – Book Review Write a short review (2-­‐3 pages, double-­‐spaced, typed) that identifies the author’s/director’s perspective or opinion, and describe two actual events or historical concepts in the book that demonstrate the author’s/director’s perspective/opinion. Based on the arguments that you present, do you agree or disagree with the author’s/director’s opinion? Why or why not? Finally, would you recommend the book? Did you like it? Why or why not? Your essay must have a thesis, introduction and conclusion, but there is no need to do any research for this paper. Please take your type writing the essay. It will be due the first Friday when school starts. Example book review thesis: “In his novel The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk takes a critical perspective on the navy hierarchy and the moral complexities of war, using examples from the Pacific Theatre in WWII, and accurately describing the caprices of a large bureaucracy. Wouk’s writing and plot are excellent, and his book does well to force the reader to consider the ethical problems of war and leadership, while not overwhelming the audience with high-­‐handed discussions; it is highly enjoyable.”
Non-­‐Fiction Books ***Children of the Sun, by Alfred Crosby; the story of human history from their perspective of energy use ***The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492, by Alfred Crosby; the results of the interaction between the Americans and Afroeurasia ***Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe 900-­‐1900, by Alfred Crosby; considers how “white Europeans” were able to displace so many native populations ***Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists and the Ecology of New England, by William Cronon; an exploration of the effects of European property ideas on the New England environment Sextants of Beijing: Global Currents in Chinese History, by Joanna Waley-­‐Cohen; a counter-­‐narrative the story of China as isolated from the rest of the world The Emperor’s Giraffe and Other Stories of Cultures in Contact, by Samuel M. Wilson; stories about small things having a big impact on history ***New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers: Tales of Parasites and People, by Robert S. Desowitz; stories about the interaction between biology and culture When Asia was the World: Traveling Merchants, Scholars, Warriors, and Monks Who Created the Riches of the “East”, by Stewart Gordon; collection of essays each from a different perspective Salt: A World History, by Mark Kurlansky; world history through the salt trade The World and a Very Small Place in Africa, by Donald Wright; how globalization impacts one African village The Human Web: A Bird’s-­‐Eye View of World History, by J.R. McNeill & William H. McNeill; world history by examining connections between civilizations Guns, Germs, & Steel, by Jared Diamond; how the Americas became dominated by Europe Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond; theories about the fall of civilizations A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah; true story of a boy soldier in Sierra Leone The World is Flat, by Tom Friedman; discusses the interconnections of the world due to technology ***Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang; story of 3 generations of women in China ***We Wish to Inform You that You Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, by Philip Gourevitch; tales of genocide in Rwanda, very moving ***Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi; a memoir in pictures about growing up in Tehran in the 1980s Peasant Wars of the Twentieth Century, by Eric Wolff; connections between Chinese, Russian and other revolutions ***Red China Blues, by Jan Wong; Canadian-­‐Chinese student at the end of the Cultural Revolution ***I Didn’t Do It For You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation, by Michela Wrong; recent history of Eritrea ***A Voyage Long and Strange: On the Trail of Vikings, Conquistadors, Lost Colonists and Other Adventurers in Early America, by Tony Horowitz; North America from 1492 to 1607 Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches: The Riddles of Culture, by Marvin Harris; stories of the connections between social/economic conditions and behavior ***In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez; four Dominican sisters struggle against Trjillo Pillars of Salt, by Fadia Faqir; Stories exchanged by two wives in a mental hospital whose experiences typify Jordanian experience during the British Mandate. When Rain Clouds Gather, by Bessie Head; Botsana in the 1960s during independence ***History of the World in Six Glasses, by Tom Standage; using 6 different beverages to tell the story of the world War of the Rats, by David Robbins; Stalingrad snipers during WWII Once We Were Warriors, by Alan Duff; the battle against poverty, racism, etc. in a Maori ghetto in New Zealand King Leopold’s Ghost, by Alan Hoch; account of the King of Belgium during the Scramble for Africa ***The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative, by Robert B. Marks; a fascinating take on modern world history ***1491, by Charles Mann; new research recreates the Americas before the arrival of Europeans ***1493, by Charles Mann; the impact of the Columbian Exchange Escape from Camp 14, by Blaine Harden; one man’s journey out of North Korea Dear Zari: The Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan, by Zarghuna Kargar; stories of the struggles of Afghan women Yokohama Yankee: My Family’s Five Generations as Outsiders in Japan, by Leslie Helm; a story of a Japanese-­‐American family over five generations ***The Little Red Guard: A Family Memior, by Wenguang Huang; three generations of a family reflect the dramatic transformations of 20th century China On An Irish Island, by Robert Kanigel; story of a remote Irish island where the Irish language and culture remained intact ***The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt; the discoveries of the Renaissance The Graves are Walking: The Great Famine and the Sage of the Irish People, by John Kelly; story of the Great Potato Famine On the Rez, by Ian Frazier; an account of the modern-­‐day American Indian experience A Little History of the World, by E.H. Gombrich; a children’s history of the world – this a very easy read, and I will expect a very in-­‐depth review at the AP level The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science, by Richard Holmes; history of the discoveries and inventions at the end of the 18th century Fiction Books ***Nation, by Terry Prachett; culture clash with a surprising ending ***The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver; fantastic story of a missionary and his family in Africa ***Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe; clash between modern and ancient in an Ibo village Leo Africanus, by Amin Maalouf; an imagined memoir exploring the meeting of the Islamic world and Christendom The Examination, by Malcolm Bosse; story of public office in Imperial China The Moghul, by Thomas Hoover; adventure in the Monsoon Marketplace The Incas: A Novel, by Daniel J. Peters; good story about the Incas All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque; novel from the perspective of a German soldier in WWI The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, by David Mitchell; a novel set in Japan at the beginning of the 1800s – it gives a great idea of Japan with only one Dutch merchant port Death and the King’s Horseman, by Wole Soyinka; a play based on real events in Nigeria in 1946 The Glassblowers, by Daphne Du Maurier; story of one family during the French Revolution ***The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas; a classic novel of royal intrigue in France ***Catch-­‐22, by Joseph Heller; farce set in Italy during WWII Of Love and Shadows, by Isabel Allende; Describes life under the Chilean dictator Pinochet The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory; intrigue in 16th century England ***The Ugly American, by Eugene Burdick and William J. Lederer; novel about American intervention in Southeast Asia The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak; set in WWII Slaughterhouse-­‐Five: A Novel, by Kurt Vonnegut; set in the bombed out German city of Dresden Galileo’s Daughter, by Dava Sobel; the story of Galileo and his discoveries So Long a Letter, by Mariama Ba; a widow’s letter during mourning after her husband’s death Tree of Red Stars, by Tessa Bridal; story of a young girl in Uruguay as it is taken over by a military dictatorship Judge Dee at Work: Eight Chinese Detective Stories, by Robert Van Gulik; classical Chinese detective stories In an Antique Land, by Amitav Ghosh; a history of Egypt as a travel tale The Glass Palace, by Amitav Ghosh; Burma during English invasion The Long Ships, by Frans G. Bengtsson; story of the fantastic world of the Vikings A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini; two women in Afghanistan My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk; Story about 16th century Istanbul and imperial illustrators The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck; story of a Chinese family before WWII The Twentieth Wife, by Indu Sundaresan; the story of the empress of the Mughal Empire ***The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas; a story of revenge during Napoleonic France The Dawning: A Novel, by Milkwa Bajic-­‐Poderegin; a family saga in southern Yugoslavia as it emerges from five centuries of enslavement under the Turkish and Austro-­‐Hungarian empires
Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade, by Assia Djebar; a story from Algeria from the perspective of a young girl stretching from the French to Liberation Island Beneath the Sea: A Novel, by Isabel Allende; tells the story of a slave at the time of the Haitian Revolution Morenga, by Uwe Timm; a novel about colonial power and tribal rebellion, set in German-­‐occupied Southwest Africa Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom, by Katerine Paterson; China during the Taiping Rebellion This Earth of Mankind, by Pramoedya Ananta Toer; the end of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia Barefoot General, Volume 2: The Day After, by Keiji Nakazawa & Art Spiegelman; a graphic novel set in Japan after the bombing Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler; man interrogated during the Soviet Union’s treason trials of the 1930s Black Mamba Boy, by Nadifa Mohamed; story of a boy’s wandering around East Africa in 1935
Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya; a young peasant woman from a village in India
Heart of Redness: A Novel, by Zakes Mda; shows some the conflicts facing traditional villages in South Africa and the struggle between “modernity” and “traditionalist” stemming back to the Xhosa Cattle Killing Movement. ***Heart of Darkness, by Josephy Conrad; an allegory of imperialism with a voyage up the Congo Films 13 Days (2000) Roger Donaldson; drama of the Cuban missile crisis 1911 (2011) Jackie Chan; the founding the Republic of China A Dry White Season (1989) Euzhan Palcy; story of apartheid in South Africa A Man for All Seasons (1966) Fred Zinnemann; the story of Thomas More Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) Werner Herzog; a ruthless conquistador in search of El Dorado Alexander Nevsky (1938) Sergei M. Eisenstein & Dmitri Vasilyev; the story of how a great Russian prince led an army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights
***Amadeus (1984) Milos Forman; the story of Mozart
Andanggaman (2000) Roger Gnoan M'Bala; story on the African slave trade Andrei Rublev (1966) Andrei Tarkovsky; The story of the 15th century Russian icon painter, Andrei Rublev
Ashani Sanket/Distant Thunder (1973) Satyajit Ray; life in an Indian village during WWII
The Battle of Algiers (1966) Gillo Pontecorvo; an account of the bloodiest revolution in modern history Blood Diamond (2006) Edward Zwick; A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond Bloody Sunday (2002) Paul Greengrass; the Irish civil rights protest march and riot Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008) Mark Herman; the story of the friendship between the son of a commandant at a concentration camp and a Jewish boy
Breaker Morant (1980) Bruce Beresford; three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.
***Casablanca (1942) Michael Curtiz; set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II, where an American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications ***Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) Mike Nichols; Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets
City of Life and Death (2009) Chuan Lu; Japanese occupation of Nanjing, the Chinese capital Conspiracy (2001) Frank Pierson; the Wannsee Conference where the Final Solution phase of the Holocaust was devised
Das Boot (1982) Wolfgang Petersen; the claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-­‐
boat Defiance (2008) Edward Zwick; Jewish brothers in Nazi-­‐occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters
Downfall (2004) Oliver Hirschbiegel; Traudl Junge, the last secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII ***Enemy at the Gates (2001) Jean-­‐Jacques Annaud; A Russian sniper and a German sniper play a game of cat-­‐and-­‐mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) Werner Herzog; based upon the true and mysterious story of Kaspar Hauser, a young man who suddenly appeared in Nuremberg in 1828, barely able to speak or walk, and bearing a strange note
Evita (1996) Alan Parker; musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-­‐picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón
The Four Feathers (2002) Shekhar Kapur; A British officer resigns his post in Sudan just before battle Gallipoli (1981) Peter Weir; two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I
***The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) Jamie Uys; comic allegory about a traveling Bushman who encounters modern civilization and its stranger aspects
***Goodbye Lenin (2003) Wolfgang Becker; a mother’s coma means she misses the fall of the Berlin Wall Himalaya (1999) Eric Valli; an aging chief's last stand, and the education of a young chief-­‐to-­‐be played against harsh nature in Nepal's Dolpo
***Hotel Rwanda (2004) Terry George; true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda
The Human Condition (1959) Masaki Kobayashi; trilogy of films about Japan during WWII Hunt for Red October (1990) John McTieran; in 1984, the USSR's best submarine captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the USA
Immortal Beloved (1994) Bernard Rose; The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven ***Iron Lady (2011) Phyllida Llyod; the story of Margaret Thatcher Judgement at Nuremberg (1961) Stanley Kramer; an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazi judges for war crimes Kagemusha (1990) Akira Kurosawa; a petty thief is hired as a samurai warlord's double, and when the warlord dies the thief takes his place
***The Killing Fields (1984) Roland Joffé; A photographer trapped in Cambodia during Pol Pot's bloody "Year Zero" cleansing campaign Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Ridley Scott; Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the crusades of the 12th century ***The King’s Speech (2010) Tom Hooper; the story of King George VI, his ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped him Kundun (1997) Martin Scorsese; Tibet's 14th Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems
***Lagaan (2001) Ashutosh Gowariker; the people of a small village in Victorian India stake their future on a game of cricket against their ruthless British rulers The Last Emperor (1987) Bernardo Bertolucci; the story of the final Emperor of China The Leopard (1963) Luchino Visconti; the Prince of Salina tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860's Sicily
The Lion in Winter (1968) Anthony Harvey; King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice Longitude (2000) Charles Sturridge; while 18th century Harrison builds the marine chronometer, 20th century Gould is obsessed with restoring it ***Madness of King George (1994) Nicholas Hytner; King George III's slide into insanity, and the back stabbing which results from his incapacitation Men with Guns (1997) John Sayles; a doctor’s visit to remote Latin American villages awakens him to the real life of those he sought to help Michael the Brave (1971) Sergio Nicolaescu; the famous prince who unified Romania, against the opposition of the Ottoman and Austrian Empires
Missing (1982) Costa-­‐Gavras; a writer disappears during the military coup in Chile, his wife and American businessman father try to find him
***The Mission (1986) Roland Joffé; Spanish Jesuits try to protect a South American Indian tribe from falling under the rule of pro-­‐slavery Portugal
Once Were Warriors (1994) Lee Tamahori; a family descended from Maori warriors is tormented by a violent father and social stigma The Opium War (1997) Jin Xie; British merchants dealing opium are to be executed because the opium is destroying the Chinese Empire
Out of Africa (1985) Syndey Pollack; in 20th century colonial Kenya, a Danish baroness/plantation owner has a love affair with a free-­‐sprited big-­‐game hunter
***The Painted Veil (2006) John Curran; a British medical doctor fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while dealing with a loveless wife ***The Pianist (2002) Roman Polanski; a Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II
Promised Land (2012) Gus Van Sant; a salesman for a natural gas company goes to a small town, where his corporation wants to tap into the available resources
***Rabbit-­‐Proof Fence (2002) Phillip Noyce; three Australian girls escape after being taken from their homes to be trained as servants and trek across the Outback
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Yimou Zhang; China in the 1920’s, a story of forced marriages Ran (1985) Akira Kurosawa; an Japanese elderly lord abdicates to his three sons, and the two corrupt ones turn against him
Rang De Basanti (2006) Rakeysh Omprkash Mehra; A young English woman comes to India to make a documentary about her grandfather's diary, which talks about Indian Independence The Red Baron (2008) Nikolai Müllershön; the story of the most feared German pilot in WWI
The Red Violin (1998) François Girard; a violin makes its way through three centuries over several owners and countries
***Searching for Sugar Man (2012) Malik Bendjelloul; documentary of a singer who’s songs were the soundtrack for the fight against South African apartheid
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965) Sergei Parajanov; in a Carpathian village, Ivan falls in love with Marichka, the daughter of his father's killer Stalingrad (1993) Joseph Vilsmaier; the brutal battle of Stalingrad through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion
Suez (1938) Allan Dwan; Ferdinand de Lessepsis sent as a junior diplomat to the Isthmus of Suez, and realizes it's just the place for a canal
Vatel (2000) Roland Joffé; in 1671, with war brewing with Holland, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly Viva Zapata! (1952) Elia Kazan; the story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz The Warlords (2007) Peter Chan, Wai Man Yip; the story of three blood brothers and their struggle, based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty story
Waterloo (1970) Sergey Bondarchuk; Napoleon Bonaparte and his army confront the British at the Battle of Waterloo
***Young Victoria (2009) Jean-­‐Marc Vallée; the story of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert
Z (1969) Costa-­‐Gavras; Following the murder of a prominent leftist, an investigator tries to uncover the truth while government officials attempt to cover up their roles Zulu (1964) Cy Endfield; Outnumbered British soldiers do battle with Zulu warriors at Rorke's Drift Zulu Dawn (1979) Douglas Hickox; the Battle of Isandlwana, where the British Army met its match against the Zulu nation