

A one-of-a-kind trove reveals what rural 19th-century American boyhood was like - samclemens
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2015/05/nelson_archive_at_amherst_a_one_of_a_kind_trove_reveals_what_rural_19th.single.html

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rkowalick
I always find stories about common people from the past to be some of my
favorite historical writing. While it's true that history is made by great
people and great events, most people are not great and reading about the
common people of the time is always fascinating.

Ones I have read and enjoyed are:

\- As The Romans Did by Jo-Ann Shelton. This book tries to paint a picture of
everyday life in the Roman Empire

\- History of Hadley by Sylvester Judd, Lucius Manlius Boltwood. Details the
history of a small town in Massachusetts.

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hammeringtime
Two of my favorite books growing up were _The Real Diary of a Real Boy_ and
_The Great Brain_. Both are accounts of a young boy growing up in 19th
century, small town America. The _Real Diary_ is about Exeter, NH in the
1840s. _The Great Brain_ is about Utah (and is much better written, I think
most Hacker News readers would benefit from giving this book to their child).
The books were penned after the fact, but were based on the author's boyhood
experiences. These books both painted a portrait of old-time life, and also
gave me a feeling of continuity with the past.

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mhb
I also enjoyed (as an adult) _Papa Married a Mormon_ which is John
Fitzgerald's (Great Brain author) semi-autobiographical first novel.

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Tiktaalik
Sounds a lot like my childhood. I also created my own imaginary world,
complete with elaborate drawings and fabricated back history. I was also a
voracious reader, remixing those stories into my own variants that fit in with
the made up world.

Makes you realize why Minecraft has become so popular among young boys. It's
an amazing tool to extend that creativity beyond maps on paper and into
something more.

