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  1. Genres
  2. ›History

Best History Books

Historical events and periods

508 summaries

Showing 289–312 of 508

  1. John

    Cynthia Lennon

    ★ 4.1 (7k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Cynthia Lennon's story reveals the truth of her life with John Lennon, exposing the love, pain, and cost of being the legendary Beatle's wife.

  2. The Everlasting Man

    G.K. Chesterton

    ★ 4.2 (7k) average on GoodreadsSpirituality

    Chesterton shows how the idea of linear human progress is wrong, revealing humanity's lasting distinctiveness and how the Christian faith explains life's deepest questions.

  3. The Seamstress

    Sara Tuvel Bernstein

    ★ 4.1 (7k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Defying her father, throwing ink at an anti-Semitic priest, and surviving Ravensbrück, Sara Tuvel Bernstein's memoir tells a story of rebellion and resilience during the Holocaust.

  4. Caesar

    Colleen McCullough

    ★ 4.4 (7k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    As Caesar conquers Gaul, senators in Rome, fearing his ambition, plot to destroy the general whose power might save or enslave the Republic.

  5. A Natural History of the Senses

    Diane Ackerman

    ★ 4.2 (7k) average on GoodreadsPsychology

    Diane Ackerman blends science and poetry to explore our senses, from an Antarctic iceberg's breath to a perfumer's artistry, revealing how we perceive the world.

  6. In the Presence of My Enemies

    Gracia Burnham

    ★ 4.3 (7k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Missionary Gracia Burnham recounts her year-long captivity by Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the Philippine jungle, the loss of her husband in a rescue attempt, and the faith that sustained her.

  7. Underland

    Robert Macfarlane

    ★ 4.2 (7k) average on GoodreadsLifestyle

    Explore Earth's hidden depths, from ancient ice caves to nuclear waste sites, to understand humanity's complex relationship with the underworld through time.

  8. Donnie Brasco

    Joseph D. Pistone

    ★ 4.0 (7k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone goes deep into the 1970s mob as 'Donnie Brasco,' showing six years of deception, shifting loyalties, and the chilling reality of Mafia life.

  9. The Worldly Philosophers

    Robert L. Heilbroner

    ★ 4.2 (7k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Explore the ideas of history's greatest economic thinkers, from Adam Smith to Karl Marx, to understand capitalism's complex workings and the social questions it raises, ending with a look at the future of economic thought.

  10. Among the Thugs

    Bill Buford

    ★ 4.1 (7k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    A prestigious editor plunges headfirst into the chaotic, beer-fueled world of England's soccer hooligans, documenting their violent tribalism and the sinister allure of their destructive camaraderie with unflinching personal engagement.

  11. Voyage of the Beagle

    Charles Darwin

    ★ 4.0 (7k) average on GoodreadsLifestyle

    Charles Darwin's five-year journey on the HMS Beagle, with its detailed observations of geology, plants, and animals, formed the basis for his groundbreaking theories on evolution, changing how we understand life on Earth.

  12. Here Is New York

    E.B. White

    ★ 4.3 (6k) average on GoodreadsLifestyle

    E.B. White's 'Here Is New York' is a classic, witty, and personal tribute to New York City, capturing its spirit and lasting appeal through the eyes of a master essayist.

  13. The State and Revolution

    Vladimir Lenin

    ★ 4.1 (6k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Lenin dissects the capitalist state as an instrument of class oppression, arguing for its revolutionary overthrow and replacement by the dictatorship of the proletariat as the true path to human liberation.

  14. Crazy Horse and Custer

    Stephen E. Ambrose

    ★ 4.2 (6k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Ambrose connects the lives of General Custer and Crazy Horse, showing their collision on the plains of the Little Bighorn.

  15. The Railway Man

    Eric Lomax

    ★ 4.1 (6k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    A former POW, haunted by the brutal torture he endured on the Burma-Siam Railway during WWII, embarks on a remarkable journey of healing and reconciliation when he confronts one of his Japanese tormentors five decades later.

  16. Myths to Live By

    Joseph Campbell

    ★ 4.1 (6k) average on GoodreadsPsychology

    Joseph Campbell explains how ancient myths are universal guides for personal change and societal balance, offering answers to modern worries by connecting us to timeless human experiences.

  17. Arctic Dreams

    Barry Lopez

    ★ 4.2 (6k) average on GoodreadsLifestyle

    In "Arctic Dreams," Barry Lopez combines natural history with deep thought to show how the Far North's stark, grand landscape shapes human imagination and desire.

  18. The Female Eunuch

    Germaine Greer

    ★ 3.7 (6k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Germaine Greer examines how society strips women of their power, arguing that true sexual freedom is essential for overcoming centuries of oppression.

  19. The Drowned and the Saved

    Primo Levi

    ★ 4.4 (6k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    Primo Levi's memoir dissects the complex moral world of the Holocaust, exploring the shared humanity and moral compromises between victim and oppressor in Nazi extermination camps.

  20. The World As I See It

    Albert Einstein

    ★ 3.8 (6k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    This collection goes beyond Einstein's scientific theories, showing his humanistic thoughts on society, ethics, and the search for peace and freedom.

  21. The Cage

    Ruth Minsky Sender

    ★ 4.1 (6k) average on GoodreadsBiography

    In the Lodz ghetto and Auschwitz, young Riva holds onto her mother's words of hope. She vows to survive the Holocaust and share her story, a powerful account of human endurance.

  22. End the Fed

    Ron Paul

    ★ 4.0 (6k) average on GoodreadsBusiness

    Ron Paul explains the Federal Reserve's origins, constitutional standing, and economic effects, arguing it is a corrupt, unconstitutional entity that harms ordinary Americans and causes inflation.

  23. Soccer in Sun and Shadow

    Eduardo Galeano

    ★ 4.2 (6k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Galeano's 'Soccer in Sun and Shadow' is a lyrical, politically charged book about football, combining history, global events, and personal thoughts to mourn the sport's commercialization while celebrating its lasting magic and human spirit.

  24. Uncle Tungsten

    Oliver Sacks

    ★ 4.0 (6k) average on GoodreadsPsychology

    In wartime England, a young Oliver Sacks, surrounded by a science-steeped family and finding solace amidst an unhappy boarding school, embarks on a lifelong adventure fueled by the "smell, the beauty, the mystery of chemistry."

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