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Historical

Real people and pivotal moments come alive through meticulous research and compelling storytelling in these journeys through time. Whether following spies during the American Revolution or exploring the hidden lives of remarkable women, these books illuminate the fascinating truths and untold stories that shaped our world.

Historical Book Summaries

A Renegade History of the United States Summary
A Renegade History of the United States
by Thaddeus Russell 2010 400 pages
3.81
1.8K ratings
History
Politics
American History
Below Stairs Summary
Below Stairs
by Margaret Powell 1968 212 pages
3.58
14.2K ratings
Memoir
History
Biography
The Perfect Mile Summary
The Perfect Mile
Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It
by Neal Bascomb 2004 322 pages
4.22
9.9K ratings
Sports
History
Biography
The Viscount Who Loved Me Summary
The Viscount Who Loved Me
by Julia Quinn 2000 480 pages
3.99
458.3K ratings
Historical Romance
Historical Fiction
Historical
The Woman All Spies Fear Summary
The Woman All Spies Fear
Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life
by Amy Butler Greenfield 2021 328 pages
4.21
1.4K ratings
History
Biography
Historical
Bad Gays Summary
Bad Gays
A Homosexual History
by Huw Lemmey 2022 368 pages
3.56
5.0K ratings
History
Queer
LGBT
The Witch of Blackbird Pond Summary
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare 1958 256 pages
4.03
158.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Classics
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 Summary
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6
by Arnold J. Toynbee 1947 640 pages
4.10
519 ratings
History
Philosophy
World History
Lady Macbeth Summary
Lady Macbeth
by Ava Reid 2024 295 pages
3.47
20.1K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Retellings
Voyager Summary
Voyager
by Diana Gabaldon 1993 870 pages
4.39
323.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The New Penguin History of Canada Summary
The New Penguin History of Canada
by Robert Bothwell 2006 500 pages
3.58
376 ratings
History
Canada
Politics
The Widow of the South Summary
The Widow of the South
by Robert Hicks 2005 436 pages
3.78
18.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Civil War
Historical
Master & Commander Summary
Master & Commander
by Patrick O'Brian 1969 464 pages
4.07
61.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Adventure
Mexico Summary
Mexico
by James A. Michener 1992 672 pages
3.75
5.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Travel
Running Summary
Running
by Jean Echenoz 2008 128 pages
3.81
2.6K ratings
Sports
France
French Literature
Washington's Spies Summary
Washington's Spies
The Story of America's First Spy Ring
by Alexander Rose 2006 384 pages
3.82
6.0K ratings
History
American History
American Revolution
The Whistling Season Summary
The Whistling Season
by Ivan Doig 2006 345 pages
4.07
20.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Westerns
Iberia Summary
Iberia
by James A. Michener 1968 960 pages
3.71
3.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Travel
Spain
The Rape of Nanking Summary
The Rape of Nanking
The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II
by Iris Chang 1997 290 pages
4.24
49.4K ratings
History
China
War
Fires of Winter Summary
Fires of Winter
by Johanna Lindsey 1980 362 pages
3.96
16.3K ratings
Historical Romance
Romance
Historical
Circe / The Song of Achilles Summary
Circe / The Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller 2020
4.53
1.9K ratings
Greek Mythology
Fantasy
Mythology
Let Us Descend Summary
Let Us Descend
by Jesmyn Ward 2023 305 pages
3.69
36.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Magical Realism
Historical
The Lavender Garden Summary
The Lavender Garden
by Lucinda Riley 2012 403 pages
4.28
33.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
Misquoting Muhammad Summary
Misquoting Muhammad
The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy
by Jonathan A.C. Brown 2014 384 pages
4.35
1.1K ratings
Islam
Religion
History
A Thousand Times Before Summary
A Thousand Times Before
by Asha Thanki 2024 368 pages
3.63
2.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Queer
LGBT
Public Enemies Summary
Public Enemies
America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34
by Bryan Burrough 2004 640 pages
3.98
6.0K ratings
History
True Crime
Crime
Amity Summary
Amity
by Nathan Harris 2025 320 pages
4.31
133 ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Literary Fiction
Front Lines Summary
Front Lines
by Michael Grant 2016 548 pages
4.09
6.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
The Moon Sister Summary
The Moon Sister
by Lucinda Riley 2018 742 pages
4.24
83.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
A Resistance of Witches Summary
A Resistance of Witches
by Morgan Ryan 2025 416 pages
4.16
3.4K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Witches
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Summary
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty 2023 483 pages
4.26
68.6K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Pirates
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World Summary
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World
by Chris Stewart 2011 320 pages
3.97
1.9K ratings
History
Historical
Politics
The Fiery Cross Summary
The Fiery Cross
by Diana Gabaldon 2001 1443 pages
4.26
221.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
Sackett's Land Summary
Sackett's Land
by Louis L'Amour 1974 185 pages
4.16
14.0K ratings
Westerns
Historical Fiction
Adventure
Dragonfly in Amber Summary
Dragonfly in Amber
by Diana Gabaldon 1992 947 pages
4.34
375.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The Forgotten Man Summary
The Forgotten Man
A New History of the Great Depression
by Amity Shlaes 2007 390 pages
3.91
6.2K ratings
History
Economics
Politics
The Habsburgs Summary
The Habsburgs
To Rule the World
by Martyn Rady 2020 416 pages
3.85
2.7K ratings
History
European History
Biography
City of Orphans Summary
City of Orphans
by Avi 2012 368 pages
3.98
3.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Mystery
The Viking Spirit Summary
The Viking Spirit
An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion
by Daniel McCoy 2016 317 pages
4.16
1.5K ratings
Mythology
History
Religion
The Director Summary
The Director
by Daniel Kehlmann 2025 352 pages
4.18
4.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
German Literature
Germany
سینوهه Summary
سینوهه
by Mika Waltari 1945 904 pages
4.22
26.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Historical
The Davenports Summary
The Davenports
by Krystal Marquis 2023 384 pages
3.66
14.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Young Adult
Charles Dickens in Love Summary
Charles Dickens in Love
by Robert Garnett 2012 440 pages
3.93
67 ratings
Biography
British Literature
Literature
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World
by Christopher Lascelles 2011 241 pages
3.85
1.6K ratings
History
Historical
Reference
A Breath of Snow and Ashes Summary
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
by Diana Gabaldon 2005 1008 pages
4.44
187.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The One Man Summary
The One Man
by Andrew Gross 2016 416 pages
4.33
17.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
World War II
A Culture of Growth Summary
A Culture of Growth
The Origins of the Modern Economy
by Joel Mokyr 2016 403 pages
3.9
326 ratings
Economics
History
Science
When the Moon is Low Summary
When the Moon is Low
by Nadia Hashimi 2015 384 pages
4.12
16.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
The First Family Detail Summary
The First Family Detail
Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
by Ronald Kessler 2014 272 pages
3.36
3.6K ratings
History
Politics
Presidents
The Heretic's Daughter Summary
The Heretic's Daughter
by Kathleen Kent 2008 332 pages
3.79
37.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
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