Ten best history books

At the Independent, Jamie Merrill named ten history books capable of "improv[ing] your general knowledge."

One title on the list:

Necropolis: London and Its Dead
by Catharine Arnold

From burial mounds to charnel houses, the capital's first crematorium to the black crepe and floral tributes of East End memorials, Catharine Arnold's account of death in London is by turns fascinating, stomach churning and poignant. She is especially good on the endlessly over-the-top Victorian funeral business.

Read about the other nine books on Merrill's list.

Check out Gordon Wood's 5 best books on American history.

--Marshal Zeringue