Ta-Nehisi Coates's Book Recommendations

"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."

"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."

"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."

"[The author understood history] does not exist to comfort us."

"Another book of poetry that taught me what the form was. [The author] has a beautiful sense of rhythm."

"Basically the finest essay I've ever read."

"What a strange and beautiful book. The story of a postbellum American newspaper editor investigating the undead."

"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."

"I'm a sucker for efficiency. This book gets so much out of what is, ultimately, a rather slim story. I adore it."

"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."