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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

Birdsong Summary
Birdsong
by Sebastian Faulks 1993 483 pages
4.11
82.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
War
Classics
Gaza in Crisis Summary
Gaza in Crisis
Reflections on Israel's War Against the Palestinians
by Noam Chomsky 2010 240 pages
4.14
2.0K ratings
Politics
History
War
Early Modern Europe, 1450–1789 Summary
Early Modern Europe, 1450–1789
by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks 2006 510 pages
3.95
427 ratings
History
European History
Academic
The Maniac Summary
The Maniac
by Benjamín Labatut 2023 368 pages
4.34
20.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Philosophy
Literary Fiction
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Summary
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty 2023 483 pages
4.26
68.5K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Pirates
The Black Kids Summary
The Black Kids
by Christina Hammonds Reed 2020
4.03
10.9K ratings
Young Adult
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
The Phoenix Crown Summary
The Phoenix Crown
by Kate Quinn 2024 384 pages
3.84
36.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
1776 Summary
1776
by David McCullough 2005 386 pages
4.10
241.2K ratings
History
American History
Historical
The Source Summary
The Source
by James A. Michener 1965 1080 pages
4.29
44.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Religion
Chinese Cinderella Summary
Chinese Cinderella
The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter
by Adeline Yen Mah 1999 205 pages
4.08
40.9K ratings
Memoir
Biography
China
The Ghost Map Summary
The Ghost Map
The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
by Steven Johnson 2006 299 pages
3.89
54.8K ratings
History
Science
Medicine
A Thousand Ships Summary
A Thousand Ships
by Natalie Haynes 2019 368 pages
4.06
82.9K ratings
Mythology
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Wuthering Heights Summary
Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë 1847 464 pages
3.90
1.9M ratings
Gothic
Historical Fiction
Literature
The Listeners Summary
The Listeners
by Maggie Stiefvater 2025 400 pages
3.85
3.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Historical
El Filibusterismo Comics Summary
El Filibusterismo Comics
by José Rizal 2017 53 pages
3.75
129 ratings
Graphic Novels
History
Historical
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine Summary
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine
A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917–2017
by Rashid Khalidi 2020 336 pages
4.49
27.5K ratings
History
Politics
War
The White Queen Summary
The White Queen
by Philippa Gregory 2009 415 pages
3.96
179.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Romance
Sense and Sensibility Summary
Sense and Sensibility
by Jane Austen 1811 409 pages
4.09
1.3M ratings
Classics
Romance
Historical Fiction
Code Name Verity Summary
Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein 2012 452 pages
4.00
124.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
Anatomy Summary
Anatomy
A Love Story
by Dana Schwartz 2022 338 pages
3.84
99.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Young Adult
A Column of Fire Summary
A Column of Fire
by Ken Follett 2017 916 pages
4.26
119.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Fantasy
Hiroshima Summary
Hiroshima
by John Hersey 1946 152 pages
4.04
85.5K ratings
History
War
Classics
The Situation Room Summary
The Situation Room
The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis
by George Stephanopoulos 2024 368 pages
4.36
9.0K ratings
History
Politics
American History
Khomeinism Summary
Khomeinism
Essays on the Islamic Republic
by Ervand Abrahamian 1993 200 pages
3.85
161 ratings
Iran
History
Politics
The Bomber Mafia Summary
The Bomber Mafia
A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
by Malcolm Gladwell 2021 256 pages
4.03
60.3K ratings
History
War
World War II
Hang the Moon Summary
Hang the Moon
by Jeannette Walls 2023 368 pages
3.82
79.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
A Peace to End All Peace Summary
A Peace to End All Peace
The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and The Creation of the Modern Middle East
by David Fromkin 1989 635 pages
4.22
9.4K ratings
Politics
War
World History
Orphan Train Summary
Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline 2013 278 pages
4.20
456.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Bangladesh Summary
Bangladesh
A Legacy of Blood
by Anthony Mascarenhas 1986 192 pages
4.11
905 ratings
History
Bangladesh
Politics
Alamut Summary
Alamut
by Vladimir Bartol 1938 510 pages
4.31
13.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Novels
Warriors Don't Cry Summary
Warriors Don't Cry
A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High
by Melba Pattillo Beals 1994 312 pages
4.18
16.1K ratings
History
Memoir
School
Bluebird Summary
Bluebird
by Sharon Cameron 2021 438 pages
4.33
9.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Summary
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
by Jack Weatherford 2004 352 pages
4.06
79.9K ratings
History
Biography
Asia
Three Sisters Summary
Three Sisters
by Heather Morris 2021 416 pages
4.37
84.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Holocaust
SPQR Summary
SPQR
A History of Ancient Rome
by Mary Beard 2015 606 pages
4.06
78.0K ratings
History
Ancient History
Historical
Dead Wake Summary
Dead Wake
The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
by Erik Larson 2015 430 pages
4.13
155.4K ratings
History
Book Club
Historical
The Shortest History of China Summary
The Shortest History of China
by Linda Jaivin 2021 263 pages
3.98
2.4K ratings
History
China
Asia
The Good Earth Summary
The Good Earth
by Pearl S. Buck 1931 418 pages
4.01
256.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
China
Classics
The Witch Haven Summary
The Witch Haven
by Sasha Peyton Smith 2021 442 pages
3.62
12.9K ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Witches
Viking Age Iceland Summary
Viking Age Iceland
by Jesse L. Byock 2001 448 pages
4.09
656 ratings
History
Medieval
Historical
The Ghost Bride Summary
The Ghost Bride
by Yangsze Choo 2013 368 pages
3.81
36.1K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Romance
Ring Shout Summary
Ring Shout
by P. Djèlí Clark 2020 185 pages
3.97
42.7K ratings
Horror
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Girl with a Pearl Earring Summary
Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Tracy Chevalier 1999 233 pages
3.93
763.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Historical
The Kindly Ones Summary
The Kindly Ones
by Jonathan Littell 2006 984 pages
4.02
14.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
War
World War II
Shelterwood Summary
Shelterwood
by Lisa Wingate 2024 368 pages
3.86
27.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
Salt Summary
Salt
A World History
by Mark Kurlansky 2002 484 pages
3.75
74.5K ratings
History
Food
Science
The Book Woman's Daughter Summary
The Book Woman's Daughter
by Kim Michele Richardson 2022 336 pages
4.23
79.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
Lonesome Dove Summary
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry 1985 960 pages
4.56
219.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Westerns
Classics
The Possession of Alba Díaz Summary
The Possession of Alba Díaz
by Isabel Cañas 2025 384 pages
4.10
1.1K ratings
Horror
Historical Fiction
Gothic
The Color Purple Summary
Immersive
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker 1982 295 pages
4.27
729.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Feminism
LGBT
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