Historical source material

[randomling]

I'm in need of source material for two different time periods... but, considering my needs, I'll probably need different types of source material.

1) 1960s New York
I've got some great ideas for a GURPS game to be set in Greenwich Village (and other parts) in the Summer of Love, but I know nothing about what life was like there and then. I know some about the history of the time but that's about it.

2) Renaissance Europe
This is much more generic in a way, because I'm intending to steal ideas for my (fantasy, but not terribly high-magic) campaign setting. Much as I love the medieval-type setting, I wanted to advance the technology a little... a post-printing-press society.

Does anyone know of good web sites, books or other places to start looking? I'm going to Google, but I'm not sure what keywords to use for this so I'm liable to come up with useless material...

Anyone help?

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Well, this applies mostly to rennaissance Italy (Florence primarily), but I would suggest you read the book "Brunelleschi's Dome".

Not only is it a compelling read, it offers real insight into the working of a rennaissance city, it's government and it's people. It also talks at length about guilds, workers, methods of construction, tools and inventions.

It also does a bangup job of, in a short background section, describing Rome as an absolutely fantastic example of an ancient city ripe for plundering by explorers/adventurers.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Patrick Y.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Try, as an example of the innumerable useful resources on the "1000 non RPG websites for gamers" thread: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1x.html for the Renaissance.



For 1960's Greewich Village (these are all Amazon.com links, but most of this should be available at or attainable by a llibrary:

General History:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_7/103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=books

Cultural studies:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_1_35/103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_4/103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=books

Novels and literature produced in the village at the time, or concerning the time and place:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_1_15/103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_1_24/103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=books

Music
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_1_12/103-5802621-9199021?v=glance&s=books