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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 Ghost Bride Summary
The Ghost Bride
by Yangsze Choo 2013 368 pages
3.81
36.1K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Romance
Salt Summary
Salt
A World History
by Mark Kurlansky 2002 484 pages
3.75
74.5K ratings
History
Food
Science
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 Director Summary
Immersive
The Director
by Daniel Kehlmann 2025 352 pages
4.18
4.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
German Literature
Germany
The Dutch House Summary
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett 2019 337 pages
4.10
513.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 Summary
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis 1995 224 pages
4.00
69.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Middle Grade
Bud, Not Buddy Summary
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis 1999 243 pages
3.97
113.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Middle Grade
The Queens of Crime Summary
The Queens of Crime
by Marie Benedict 2025 310 pages
3.84
12.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
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
Shelterwood Summary
Shelterwood
by Lisa Wingate 2024 368 pages
3.86
27.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
The Everlasting Summary
Immersive
The Everlasting
by Alix E. Harrow 2025 320 pages
4.57
1.1K ratings
Fantasy
Romance
Historical Fiction
Rain of Gold Summary
Rain of Gold
by Victor Villaseñor 1991 576 pages
4.50
8.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Magical Realism
The Good Earth Summary
The Good Earth
by Pearl S. Buck 1931 418 pages
4.01
256.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
China
Classics
Ben-Hur Summary
Ben-Hur
A Tale of the Christ
by Lew Wallace 1880 620 pages
4.03
37.2K ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Christian
Viking Age Iceland Summary
Viking Age Iceland
by Jesse L. Byock 2001 448 pages
4.09
656 ratings
History
Medieval
Historical
The Scarlet Letter Summary
The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne 1850 279 pages
3.44
896.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
School
Literature
The Duke and I Summary
The Duke and I
by Julia Quinn 2000 384 pages
3.79
647.7K ratings
Historical Romance
Historical Fiction
Historical
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine Summary
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
by Ilan Pappé 2006 320 pages
4.54
9.3K ratings
History
Politics
War
Echo Mountain Summary
Echo Mountain
by Lauren Wolk 2020 356 pages
4.26
10.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
Historical
Story of Civilization Summary
Story of Civilization
by Will Durant 1975 14777 pages
4.43
1.8K ratings
History
Philosophy
World History
The Witch Haven Summary
The Witch Haven
by Sasha Peyton Smith 2021 442 pages
3.62
12.9K ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Witches
The Bride Summary
The Bride
by Julie Garwood 1989 352 pages
4.23
69.2K ratings
Historical Romance
Romance
Historical
Out of Darkness Summary
Out of Darkness
by Ashley Hope Pérez 2016 402 pages
4.14
8.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Banned Books
The Light Between Oceans Summary
The Light Between Oceans
by M.L. Stedman 2012 362 pages
4.04
470.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
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
Empire of the Summer Moon Summary
Empire of the Summer Moon
by S.C. Gwynne 2010 371 pages
4.24
62.8K ratings
History
Biography
American History
The Silence of the Girls Summary
The Silence of the Girls
by Pat Barker 2018 325 pages
3.90
104.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mythology
Greek Mythology
The Historian Summary
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova 2005 704 pages
3.80
272.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Horror
The Secret Book Society Summary
The Secret Book Society
by Madeline Martin 2025 336 pages
4.40
374 ratings
Historical Fiction
Books About Books
Historical
A Night to Remember Summary
A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord 1955 182 pages
4.09
27.2K ratings
History
Classics
Historical
The Japanese Lover Summary
The Japanese Lover
by Isabel Allende 2015 322 pages
3.88
92.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Book Club
The Black Tulip Summary
The Black Tulip
by Alexandre Dumas 1850 246 pages
3.85
22.4K ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
France
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Summary
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
by Lisa See 2005 269 pages
4.09
381.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
China
Human Instinct Summary
Human Instinct
How our primeval impulses shape our modern lives
by Robert Winston 2002 352 pages
4.00
456 ratings
Science
Psychology
Evolution
Lies My Teacher Told Me Summary
Lies My Teacher Told Me
Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
by James W. Loewen 1995 383 pages
3.97
72.0K ratings
History
Education
Politics
The English Patient Summary
The English Patient
by Michael Ondaatje 1992 320 pages
3.86
136.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Romance
In the Garden of Beasts Summary
In the Garden of Beasts
Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
by Erik Larson 2011 448 pages
3.89
213.1K ratings
History
Book Club
World War II
Sweet Sixteen Summary
Sweet Sixteen
by Annelise Heurtier 2013 217 pages
3.92
1.3K ratings
Young Adult
Historical Fiction
Historical
The Sisters Brothers Summary
The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick deWitt 2011 328 pages
3.85
101.0K ratings
Westerns
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Trespasses Summary
Trespasses
by Louise Kennedy 2022 292 pages
3.97
45.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Ireland
Irish Literature
March Summary
March
by Geraldine Brooks 2005 280 pages
3.81
75.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Civil War
Stay Where You Are and Then Leave Summary
Stay Where You Are and Then Leave
by John Boyne 2013 247 pages
3.95
11.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
War
Take My Hand Summary
Take My Hand
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 2022 359 pages
4.36
100.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Independence Summary
Independence
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 2023 288 pages
4.11
10.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
India
Historical
John Adams Summary
John Adams
by David McCullough 2001 751 pages
4.08
371.2K ratings
History
Biography
American History
Circle of Days Summary
Circle of Days
by Ken Follett 2025 704 pages
4.07
4.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Fantasy
Cilka's Journey Summary
Cilka's Journey
by Heather Morris 2019 352 pages
4.40
204.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
World War II
A Short History of Myth Summary
A Short History of Myth
by Karen Armstrong 2005 159 pages
3.69
6.3K ratings
History
Mythology
Philosophy
The Red Tent Summary
The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant 1997 324 pages
4.20
620.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
A Long Petal of the Sea Summary
A Long Petal of the Sea
by Isabel Allende 2019 325 pages
4.06
108.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
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