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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 Whistling Season Summary
The Whistling Season
by Ivan Doig 2006 345 pages
4.07
20.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Westerns
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
The White Company Summary
The White Company
by Arthur Conan Doyle 1891 416 pages
3.89
4.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Adventure
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World
by H.G. Wells 1922 371 pages
3.86
2.8K ratings
History
Classics
World History
Bill O'Reilly's Legends & Lies Summary
Bill O'Reilly's Legends & Lies
The Patriots
by David Fisher 2016 320 pages
4.04
3.4K ratings
History
Historical
American History
Shivaji Summary
Shivaji
The Grand Rebel
by Dennis Kincaid 1937 346 pages
4.17
859 ratings
History
Biography
India
A Brilliant Life Summary
A Brilliant Life
My Mother's Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust
by Rachelle Unreich 2023 304 pages
4.30
1.8K ratings
Holocaust
Biography
History
Shōgun, Volume 1 Summary
Shōgun, Volume 1
by James Clavell 1975 533 pages
4.53
13.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Historical
The Celts Summary
The Celts
Search for a Civilization
by Alice Roberts 2015 288 pages
3.91
1.2K ratings
History
Archaeology
Ancient History
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou Summary
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou
by Eleni Kyriacou 2023 409 pages
4.13
2.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Crime
Killing Jesus Summary
Killing Jesus
A History
by Bill O'Reilly 2013 293 pages
3.98
39.0K ratings
History
Religion
Biography
The Lavender Garden Summary
The Lavender Garden
by Lucinda Riley 2012 403 pages
4.28
33.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
A Thousand Times Before Summary
A Thousand Times Before
by Asha Thanki 2024 368 pages
3.63
2.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Queer
LGBT
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Historical
Reference
Magnificent Rebels Summary
Magnificent Rebels
The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self
by Andrea Wulf 2022 512 pages
4.19
2.1K ratings
History
Philosophy
Biography
Mexico Summary
Mexico
by James A. Michener 1992 672 pages
3.75
5.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Travel
Iberia Summary
Iberia
by James A. Michener 1968 960 pages
3.71
3.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Travel
Spain
Lady Macbeth Summary
Lady Macbeth
by Ava Reid 2024 295 pages
3.47
20.1K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Retellings
The Betrayal of Anne Frank Summary
The Betrayal of Anne Frank
A Cold Case Investigation
by Rosemary Sullivan 2022 400 pages
3.83
14.3K ratings
History
True Crime
Holocaust
Looking for Jane Summary
Looking for Jane
by Heather Marshall 2022 400 pages
4.36
63.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Black Flags, Blue Waters Summary
Black Flags, Blue Waters
The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates
by Eric Jay Dolin 2018 380 pages
3.76
4.3K ratings
History
Pirates
American History
The Listeners Summary
The Listeners
by Maggie Stiefvater 2025 400 pages
3.85
3.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Historical
The One Man Summary
The One Man
by Andrew Gross 2016 416 pages
4.33
17.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
World War II
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh Summary
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh
by Rachael Lippincott 2023 336 pages
3.96
10.3K ratings
Romance
LGBT
Lesbian
In the Shadow of Blackbirds Summary
In the Shadow of Blackbirds
by Cat Winters 2013 387 pages
3.85
13.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Paranormal
Beekeeping for Beginners Summary
Beekeeping for Beginners
by Laurie R. King 2011 77 pages
4.13
4.6K ratings
Mystery
Historical Fiction
Short Stories
The Wolf Age Summary
The Wolf Age
The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire
by Tore Skeie 2018 384 pages
4.19
1.8K ratings
History
Medieval
Historical
The Frontiersmen Summary
The Frontiersmen
by Allan W. Eckert 1967 626 pages
4.47
4.5K ratings
History
American History
Historical
Elizabeth I and Her Circle Summary
Elizabeth I and Her Circle
by Susan Doran 2015 397 pages
3.97
174 ratings
History
Tudor Period
Biography
Most Dangerous Summary
Most Dangerous
Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
by Steve Sheinkin 2015 370 pages
4.19
6.0K ratings
History
Biography
War
Long Way Home Summary
Long Way Home
by Lynn Austin 2022 400 pages
4.40
5.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Christian Fiction
Christian
In the Country of Others Summary
In the Country of Others
by Leïla Slimani 2020 305 pages
3.77
16.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
France
Africa
Fingersmith Summary
Fingersmith
by Sarah Waters 2002 592 pages
4.02
115.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
LGBT
Historical
Leonardo and the Last Supper Summary
Leonardo and the Last Supper
by Ross King 2012 336 pages
3.93
3.0K ratings
History
Art
Biography
Wench Summary
Wench
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 2009 290 pages
3.73
18.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Go Set a Watchman Summary
Go Set a Watchman
by Harper Lee 2015 278 pages
3.31
285.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Book Club
City of Orphans Summary
City of Orphans
by Avi 2012 368 pages
3.98
3.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Mystery
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
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake Summary
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
by Sarah MacLean 2010 397 pages
4.08
58.6K ratings
Historical Romance
Romance
Historical
Child 44 Summary
Child 44
by Tom Rob Smith 2008 509 pages
4.11
88.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
Mystery
Happy Land Summary
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 2025 368 pages
4.31
2.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Fantasy
Over the Edge of the World Summary
Over the Edge of the World
Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
by Laurence Bergreen 2003 458 pages
4.18
18.2K ratings
History
Biography
Adventure
Sarah Summary
Sarah
by Orson Scott Card 1983 341 pages
3.88
12.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Religion
Biblical Fiction
Romancing the Duke Summary
Romancing the Duke
by Tessa Dare 2014 370 pages
3.88
50.7K ratings
Romance
Historical Romance
Historical
Mansfield Park Summary
Mansfield Park
by Jane Austen 1814 488 pages
3.86
369.7K ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Literature
Trespasses Summary
Trespasses
by Louise Kennedy 2022 292 pages
3.97
45.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Ireland
Irish Literature
Why We Love Pirates Summary
Why We Love Pirates
The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever
by Rebecca Simon 2020 256 pages
3.70
311 ratings
History
Pirates
Historical
Summer of My German Soldier Summary
Summer of My German Soldier
by Bette Greene 1973 203 pages
3.70
17.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Romance
Impounded Summary
Impounded
Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment
by Linda Gordon 2006 224 pages
4.27
372 ratings
History
Photography
World War II
The Baker's Daughter Summary
The Baker's Daughter
by Sarah McCoy 2012 279 pages
3.97
24.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
World War II
Book Club
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