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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

The Secret Life of Bees Summary
Immersive
The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd 2001 302 pages
4.10
1.3M ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Classics
The Things They Carried Summary
The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien 1990 246 pages
4.14
334.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
War
A History of the World in 6 Glasses Summary
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
by Tom Standage 2005 336 pages
3.81
32.3K ratings
History
Food
Book Club
World Without End Summary
World Without End
by Ken Follett 2007 1237 pages
4.32
266.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Medieval
The Covenant of Water Summary
The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese 2023 715 pages
4.42
265.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
India
The Girl You Left Behind Summary
The Girl You Left Behind
by Jojo Moyes 2012 480 pages
4.03
175.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
Little Women Summary
Immersive
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott 1868 449 pages
4.16
2.4M ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club Summary
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club
by Martha Hall Kelly 2025 336 pages
4.13
2.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Books About Books
Historical
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens Summary
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens
How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire
by Jack Weatherford 2010 317 pages
3.93
4.5K ratings
History
Asia
Biography
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women Summary
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
by Lisa See 2023 352 pages
4.35
172.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
What the River Knows Summary
What the River Knows
by Isabel Ibañez 2023 416 pages
3.86
71.1K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
The Boys in the Boat Summary
The Boys in the Boat
Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown 2013 404 pages
4.39
348.4K ratings
History
Book Club
Sports
The Man in the Iron Mask Summary
The Man in the Iron Mask
by Alexandre Dumas 1847 470 pages
3.99
66.4K ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Adventure
The Queen's Gambit Summary
The Queen's Gambit
by Walter Tevis 1983 258 pages
4.18
131.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Chess
The Safekeep Summary
The Safekeep
by Yael van der Wouden 2024 272 pages
4.09
42.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
LGBT
Literary Fiction
My Name Is Emilia del Valle Summary
My Name Is Emilia del Valle
by Isabel Allende 2025 287 pages
3.96
2.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Magical Realism
Husbands & Lovers Summary
Husbands & Lovers
by Beatriz Williams 2024 384 pages
4.11
71.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Book Club
Les Misérables Summary
Immersive
Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo 1862 1463 pages
4.21
827.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literature
France
The Phoenix Pencil Company Summary
The Phoenix Pencil Company
by Allison King 2025 368 pages
3.61
1.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Magical Realism
Before We Were Yours Summary
Before We Were Yours
by Lisa Wingate 2017 342 pages
4.40
683.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Secret Book of Flora Lea Summary
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
by Patti Callahan Henry 2023 355 pages
4.06
77.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Book Club
The House of Eve Summary
The House of Eve
by Sadeqa Johnson 2023 384 pages
4.25
123.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Romance
Journey to the River Sea Summary
Journey to the River Sea
by Eva Ibbotson 2001 304 pages
4.20
17.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Adventure
The Heart's Invisible Furies Summary
The Heart's Invisible Furies
by John Boyne 2017 582 pages
4.51
191.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
LGBT
The Shadow of the Wind Summary
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 2001 487 pages
4.30
687.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Fantasy
The Kitchen House Summary
The Kitchen House
by Kathleen Grissom 2010 369 pages
4.23
292.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Emma Summary
Immersive
Emma
by Jane Austen 1815 474 pages
4.05
939.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literature
Historical
A People’s History of the United States Summary
A People’s History of the United States
1492 - Present
by Howard Zinn 1980 729 pages
4.08
257.1K ratings
History
Politics
American History
The Rose Code Summary
The Rose Code
by Kate Quinn 2021 624 pages
4.45
327.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Great Alone Summary
The Great Alone
by Kristin Hannah 2018 435 pages
4.45
1.0M ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Romance
Les Misérables Summary
Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo 1862 1463 pages
4.21
827.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literature
France
What Kind of Paradise Summary
What Kind of Paradise
by Janelle Brown 2025 368 pages
4.17
7.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Thriller
Pompeii Summary
Pompeii
by Robert Harris 2003 274 pages
3.87
50.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Italy
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Summary
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
A History of Nazi Germany
by William L. Shirer 1960 1147 pages
4.22
142.8K ratings
History
War
World War II
The Dreamer Summary
The Dreamer
by Pam Muñoz Ryan 2010 384 pages
3.98
7.7K ratings
Poetry
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Summary
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford 2009 290 pages
4.05
310.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Romance
The Underground Railroad Summary
The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead 2016 320 pages
4.06
427.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Other Boleyn Girl Summary
The Other Boleyn Girl
by Philippa Gregory 2001 661 pages
4.09
507.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Romance
The Sun Sister Summary
The Sun Sister
by Lucinda Riley 2019 848 pages
4.35
84.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Roman
Where the Rivers Merge Summary
Where the Rivers Merge
by Mary Alice Monroe 2025 352 pages
4.45
1.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Southern
Historical
The Four Winds Summary
The Four Winds
by Kristin Hannah 2021 464 pages
4.30
868.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Buckeye Summary
Buckeye
by Patrick Ryan 2025 464 pages
4.48
338 ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Literary Fiction
Hamnet Summary
Hamnet
by Maggie O'Farrell 2020 372 pages
4.19
303.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Island of Sea Women Summary
The Island of Sea Women
by Lisa See 2019 374 pages
4.32
148.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Pillars of the Earth Summary
The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett 1989 976 pages
4.35
802.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Fantasy
All the Broken Places Summary
All the Broken Places
by John Boyne 2022 400 pages
4.49
81.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
World War II
Roots Summary
Roots
The Saga of an American Family
by Alex Haley 1976 729 pages
4.44
162.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Historical
The Remains of the Day Summary
The Remains of the Day
by Kazuo Ishiguro 1989 258 pages
4.14
337.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Literary Fiction
A Little History of Philosophy Summary
A Little History of Philosophy
by Nigel Warburton 2011 252 pages
4.12
14.9K ratings
Philosophy
History
Science
A Little History of the World Summary
A Little History of the World
by E.H. Gombrich 1936 284 pages
4.10
30.3K ratings
History
World History
Historical
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