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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

Tulipomania Summary
Tulipomania
The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused
by Mike Dash 2000 273 pages
3.66
2.9K ratings
History
Economics
Microhistory
World History 101 Summary
World History 101
From ancient Mesopotamia and the Viking conquests to NATO and WikiLeaks, an essential primer on world history
by Tom Head 2017 257 pages
3.67
702 ratings
History
Historical
Reference
The Last Greatest Magician in the World Summary
The Last Greatest Magician in the World
Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards
by Jim Steinmeyer 2011 384 pages
3.84
470 ratings
History
Magic
Biography
The Dutch House Summary
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett 2019 337 pages
4.10
513.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
Twelve Years a Slave Summary
Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup 1853 363 pages
4.22
122.3K ratings
History
Classics
Biography
The Social Sex Summary
The Social Sex
A History of Female Friendship
by Marilyn Yalom 2015 400 pages
3.16
296 ratings
History
Feminism
Womens
Finding Dorothy Summary
Finding Dorothy
by Elizabeth Letts 2019 351 pages
4.18
32.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Girls Summary
The Girls
by Emma Cline 2016 355 pages
3.51
233.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
Greek Mythology Summary
Greek Mythology
The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology
by Liv Albert 2021 240 pages
4.26
2.9K ratings
Mythology
Greek Mythology
History
Cleopatra Summary
Cleopatra
The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity
by Alberto Angela 2018 426 pages
3.86
1.4K ratings
History
Biography
Egypt
Echo Mountain Summary
Echo Mountain
by Lauren Wolk 2020 356 pages
4.26
10.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
Historical
A Night to Remember Summary
A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord 1955 182 pages
4.09
27.2K ratings
History
Classics
Historical
Independence Summary
Independence
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 2023 288 pages
4.11
10.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
India
Historical
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
The Indifferent Stars Above Summary
The Indifferent Stars Above
The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
by Daniel James Brown 2009 352 pages
4.25
33.7K ratings
History
Historical
Biography
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World Summary
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World
by Chris Stewart 2011 320 pages
3.97
1.9K ratings
History
Historical
Politics
The Lincoln Highway Summary
The Lincoln Highway
by Amor Towles 2021 576 pages
4.22
293.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
A Thousand Ships Summary
A Thousand Ships
by Natalie Haynes 2019 368 pages
4.06
82.9K ratings
Mythology
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
The First Family Detail Summary
The First Family Detail
Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
by Ronald Kessler 2014 272 pages
3.36
3.6K ratings
History
Politics
Presidents
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
March Summary
March
by Geraldine Brooks 2005 280 pages
3.81
75.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Civil War
Violeta Summary
Violeta
by Isabel Allende 2022 322 pages
4.03
98.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
The Alice Network Summary
The Alice Network
by Kate Quinn 2017 503 pages
4.32
579.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Immortality Summary
Immortality
A Love Story
by Dana Schwartz 2023 389 pages
3.90
33.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The House of Medici Summary
The House of Medici
Its Rise and Fall
by Christopher Hibbert 1975 364 pages
3.87
8.3K ratings
History
Italy
Biography
The German House Summary
The German House
by Annette Hess 2018 336 pages
3.68
11.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Germany
When He Was Wicked Summary
When He Was Wicked
by Julia Quinn 2004 368 pages
3.99
243.7K ratings
Romance
Historical Romance
Historical
The Greatest Nobodies of History Summary
The Greatest Nobodies of History
Minor Characters from Major Moments
by Adrian Bliss 2024 304 pages
3.63
1.4K ratings
History
Humor
Historical
The Swerve Summary
The Swerve
How the World Became Modern
by Stephen Greenblatt 2011 356 pages
3.87
34.2K ratings
History
Philosophy
Science
The German Wife Summary
The German Wife
by Kelly Rimmer 2022 464 pages
4.38
43.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
World War II
Book Club
Children of Ash and Elm Summary
Children of Ash and Elm
A History of the Vikings
by Neil Price 2020 656 pages
4.16
8.1K ratings
History
Medieval
European History
Bad Gays Summary
Bad Gays
A Homosexual History
by Huw Lemmey 2022 368 pages
3.56
5.0K ratings
History
Queer
LGBT
His Majesty's Dragon Summary
His Majesty's Dragon
by Naomi Novik 2006 356 pages
4.06
107.9K ratings
Fantasy
Dragons
Historical Fiction
All the Forgivenesses Summary
All the Forgivenesses
by Elizabeth Hardinger 2019 371 pages
4.26
17.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
Riders of the Purple Sage Summary
Riders of the Purple Sage
by Zane Grey 1912 320 pages
3.75
14.1K ratings
Westerns
Classics
Historical Fiction
Half a Soul Summary
Half a Soul
by Olivia Atwater 2020 304 pages
4.06
65.5K ratings
Fantasy
Romance
Historical Fiction
Below Stairs Summary
Below Stairs
by Margaret Powell 1968 212 pages
3.58
14.2K ratings
Memoir
History
Biography
The Invention of Wings Summary
The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd 2014 384 pages
4.26
326.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Follow the Money Summary
Follow the Money
The Shocking Deep State Connections of the Anti-Trump Cabal
by Dan Bongino 2020 210 pages
4.38
687 ratings
Politics
History
Historical
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
Lovely War Summary
Lovely War
by Julie Berry 2019 471 pages
4.23
65.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Young Adult
Jackdaws Summary
Jackdaws
by Ken Follett 2001 432 pages
4.08
41.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
Historical
The Luxe Summary
The Luxe
by Anna Godbersen 2007 433 pages
3.65
73.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Romance
Daughters of the Sun Summary
Daughters of the Sun
Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire
by Ira Mukhoty 2018 276 pages
4.25
1.2K ratings
History
India
Indian Literature
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 Summary
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
by Lauren Tarshis 2010 112 pages
4.10
18.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
Childrens
Hidden Places Summary
Hidden Places
by Lynn Austin 2001 429 pages
4.40
11.2K ratings
Christian Fiction
Historical Fiction
Christian
The Nurse's Secret Summary
The Nurse's Secret
by Amanda Skenandore 2022 362 pages
4.15
32.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Book Club
Four Lost Cities Summary
Four Lost Cities
A Secret History of the Urban Age
by Annalee Newitz 2021 320 pages
3.78
7.0K ratings
History
Science
Anthropology
Hornet Flight Summary
Hornet Flight
by Ken Follett 2002 518 pages
3.99
27.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
War
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
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