Another daily TPM Featured Book: The Mediterranean: And the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, vol. II.

Yes, yes, yes it's a mouthful. And, actually, also a handful at well over 600 pages. And that's just volume two. Don't even get me started on volume one, which -- for reasons we don't have to get into now -- is much less accessible than volume two.

This recommendation isn't necessarily for the casual reader. But if you love losing yourself in a distant part of the past, this one may be for you, one of the crowning works of Fernand Braudel, unquestionably one of the most acclaimed historians of the 20th century. A truly fascinating work of history in the grand style, a joy to read, and, well, as erudite as all get-out.