Introduction

This is a project in which I aim to read a history book for every country in the world. The book can be either a general history of the country or just focus on an aspect or aspects of that country (events, gender relations, culture phenomena etc etc) within a specific timeframe. I am doing this mainly so I can i. learn things ii. say I've done this and, as a distant iii., improve my quizzing performances. 

I expect that this is an impossible task, not least because i. the books don't exist (is there a readable standalone history of Palau? I doubt it) or are unavailable in English/otherwise inaccessible and ii. if I tick off 10 nations a year that's still 20 years of reading.

I really am primarily charting this here as a record for my own benefit. Nonetheless, if you know of an excellent work for a specific country please let me know via the accompanying Bluesky thread! An initial online search indicated that, inevitably, other people have attempted similar 'challenges' (not keen on that word, though project seems scarcely less self-aggrandising) on goodreads etc, which might also serve as guidance for sourcing material for some of the smaller nations. 

My feedback will not surpass 500 words and will focus on the strengths and shortcomings of the books, inevitably informed by my background as a lapsed historian. Joining letterboxd way too late in the game has made me realise that I tend to be a harsher critic than most, so apologies in advance to the authors of the titles who won't be reading. By definition, I do not profess to be an expert scholar on these national histories so my analyses of what specific case studies or material the book does not include or reference is generally going to be limited.

So: this is unachievable, and I'm necessarily hamstrung by my own limited knowledge. But it doesn't mean this can't be fun, so long as human history permits. 

Oh shit.