Best history books

386 of the world's most popular books — descriptions, covers, and classic quotes.

History titles on this shelf are chosen for the story and the pattern — how people handled power, crisis, and ordinary life before us. They reward readers who want context more than trivia.

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The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs book cover

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Jane Jacobs

Sophia's War by Avi book cover

Sophia's War

Avi

The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon book cover

The Wretched of the Earth

Frantz Fanon

The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer book cover

The Sins of the Father

Jeffrey Archer

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen book cover

Lies My Teacher Told Me

James W. Loewen

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei book cover

They Called Us Enemy

George Takei

1602 by Neil Gaiman book cover

1602

Neil Gaiman

Command and Control by Eric Schlosser book cover

Command and Control

Eric Schlosser

The Library Book by Susan Orlean book cover

The Library Book

Susan Orlean

El infinito en un junco by Irene Vallejo book cover

El infinito en un junco

Irene Vallejo

Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose book cover

Band of Brothers

Stephen E. Ambrose

La conquête du pain by Peter Kropotkin book cover

La conquête du pain

Peter Kropotkin

A Night Divided

A Night Divided

Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean book cover

The Disappearing Spoon

Sam Kean

The Poems of Emily Dickinson Volume II by Emily Dickinson book cover

The Poems of Emily Dickinson Volume II

Emily Dickinson

Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson book cover

Three cups of tea

Greg Mortenson

Orthodoxy by Gilbert Keith Chesterton book cover

Orthodoxy

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell book cover

Gone With the Wind

Margaret Mitchell

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick book cover

In the Heart of the Sea

Nathaniel Philbrick

Behind the beautiful forevers by Katherine Boo book cover

Behind the beautiful forevers

Katherine Boo

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Complete and Unabridged by Edward Gibbon book cover

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Complete and Unabridged

Edward Gibbon

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn book cover

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

Julia Quinn

1493 by Charles C. Mann book cover

1493

Charles C. Mann

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud book cover

The Ring of Solomon

Jonathan Stroud

Behold a Pale Horse by William Cooper book cover

Behold a Pale Horse

William Cooper

The Black Count by Tom Reiss book cover

The Black Count

Tom Reiss

Nachfolge

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

India From Curzon to Nehru and After by Durga Das book cover

India From Curzon to Nehru and After

Durga Das

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck book cover

The Good Earth

Pearl S. Buck

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge book cover

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race

Reni Eddo-Lodge

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver book cover

A Poetry Handbook

Mary Oliver

We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families by Philip Gourevitch book cover

We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families

Philip Gourevitch

My inventions by Nikola Tesla book cover

My inventions

Nikola Tesla

Exploding the Phone by Phil Lapsley book cover

Exploding the Phone

Phil Lapsley

Orientalism by Edward W. Said book cover

Orientalism

Edward W. Said

COD; A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FISH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Mark Kurlansky book cover

COD; A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FISH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

Mark Kurlansky

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein book cover

Code Name Verity

Elizabeth Wein

The blue castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery book cover

The blue castle

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman book cover

Misquoting Jesus

Bart D. Ehrman

1000 Chairs by Charlotte Fiell book cover

1000 Chairs

Charlotte Fiell

Hiroshima by John Hersey book cover

Hiroshima

John Hersey

Stalingrad by Antony Beevor book cover

Stalingrad

Antony Beevor

The Anarchy by William Dalrymple book cover

The Anarchy

William Dalrymple

Le capital au XXIe siècle by Thomas Piketty book cover

Le capital au XXIe siècle

Thomas Piketty

A little history of the world by E. H. Gombrich book cover

A little history of the world

E. H. Gombrich

Random Winds by Belva Plain book cover

Random Winds

Belva Plain

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff book cover

The Tao of Pooh

Benjamin Hoff

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham book cover

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch

Jean Lee Latham