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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

Twelve Years a Slave Summary
Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup 1853 363 pages
4.22
122.3K ratings
History
Classics
Biography
The Lost Letters of Aisling Summary
The Lost Letters of Aisling
by Cynthia Ellingsen 2024 302 pages
4.32
22.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
The Comfort of Ghosts Summary
The Comfort of Ghosts
by Jacqueline Winspear 2024 342 pages
4.41
14.1K ratings
Mystery
Historical Fiction
Historical Mystery
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
Harlem Rhapsody Summary
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray 2025 400 pages
4.12
4.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
African American
The First Muslim Summary
The First Muslim
The Story of Muhammad
by Lesley Hazleton 2013 320 pages
3.99
4.8K ratings
Religion
History
Islam
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
The Book of Longings Summary
The Book of Longings
by Sue Monk Kidd 2020 416 pages
4.23
135.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Personal Librarian Summary
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict 2021 341 pages
4.05
209.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Winemaker's Wife Summary
The Winemaker's Wife
by Kristin Harmel 2019 385 pages
4.23
94.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
World War II
A Fragile Enchantment Summary
A Fragile Enchantment
by Allison Saft 2024 373 pages
3.50
23.7K ratings
Fantasy
Romance
Young Adult
The German Girl Summary
The German Girl
by Armando Lucas Correa 2016 360 pages
3.81
37.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
World War II
Historical
King John and the Road to Magna Carta Summary
King John and the Road to Magna Carta
by Stephen Church 2015 328 pages
3.60
169 ratings
History
Biography
Medieval History
Confronting the Presidents Summary
Confronting the Presidents
No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden
by Bill O'Reilly 2024 417 pages
4.28
4.3K ratings
History
Politics
Biography
Origin Story Summary
Origin Story
A Big History of Everything
by David Christian 2008 357 pages
4.06
7.4K ratings
History
Science
Anthropology
Fermat's Enigma Summary
Fermat's Enigma
by Simon Singh 1997 315 pages
4.30
32.4K ratings
Science
Mathematics
History
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
Secondhand Time Summary
Secondhand Time
The Last of the Soviets
by Svetlana Alexievich 2013 496 pages
4.46
20.4K ratings
History
Russia
Politics
A Conspiracy of Paper Summary
A Conspiracy of Paper
by David Liss 2000 506 pages
3.87
11.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
Alaska Summary
Alaska
by James A. Michener 1988 868 pages
4.16
16.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Travel
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
Mapping the Bones Summary
Mapping the Bones
by Jane Yolen 2018 421 pages
4.01
2.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
River Kings Summary
River Kings
A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Road
by Cat Jarman 2021 336 pages
4.05
3.7K ratings
History
Archaeology
Medieval
The Man from St. Petersburg Summary
The Man from St. Petersburg
by Ken Follett 1982 320 pages
3.94
35.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
Mystery
Hidden Places Summary
Hidden Places
by Lynn Austin 2001 429 pages
4.40
11.2K ratings
Christian Fiction
Historical Fiction
Christian
The Golem and the Jinni Summary
The Golem and the Jinni
by Helene Wecker 2013 486 pages
4.13
128.7K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Magical Realism
All the Forgivenesses Summary
All the Forgivenesses
by Elizabeth Hardinger 2019 371 pages
4.26
17.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
Hornet Flight Summary
Hornet Flight
by Ken Follett 2002 518 pages
3.99
27.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
War
The Golden Age of Piracy Summary
The Golden Age of Piracy
The Truth Behind Pirate Myths
by Benerson Little 2016 388 pages
3.38
358 ratings
History
Pirates
Research
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
The World Played Chess Summary
The World Played Chess
by Robert Dugoni 2021 400 pages
4.45
35.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Coming Of Age
1000 Years of Annoying the French Summary
1000 Years of Annoying the French
by Stephen Clarke 2010 685 pages
4.05
4.4K ratings
History
Humor
France
An Echo in the Bone Summary
An Echo in the Bone
by Diana Gabaldon 2009 820 pages
4.44
161.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The Plot to Kill Hitler Summary
The Plot to Kill Hitler
Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero
by Patricia McCormick 2016 184 pages
4.04
2.7K ratings
History
Biography
Middle Grade
Snow Falling on Cedars Summary
Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson 1994 460 pages
3.86
191.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Book Club
Somewhere There Is Still a Sun Summary
Somewhere There Is Still a Sun
A Memoir of the Holocaust
by Michael Gruenbaum 2015 384 pages
4.32
1.6K ratings
Holocaust
Memoir
History
Killing Hitler Summary
Killing Hitler
The Plots, the Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death
by Roger Moorhouse 2006 400 pages
3.82
380 ratings
History
World War II
Germany
The German House Summary
The German House
by Annette Hess 2018 336 pages
3.68
11.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Germany
How the Scots Invented the Modern World Summary
How the Scots Invented the Modern World
The True Story of How Western Europe’s Poorest Nation Created our World & Everything in It
by Arthur Herman 2001 480 pages
3.94
6.5K ratings
History
Scotland
Philosophy
Heroes Summary
Heroes
Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures
by Stephen Fry 2018 415 pages
4.31
54.4K ratings
Mythology
History
Greek Mythology
The Kitchen Front Summary
The Kitchen Front
by Jennifer Ryan 2021 408 pages
3.98
32.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
World War II
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
The Luxe Summary
The Luxe
by Anna Godbersen 2007 433 pages
3.65
73.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Romance
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby Summary
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby
by Ellery Lloyd 2024 336 pages
4.14
6.0K ratings
Mystery
Historical Fiction
Thriller
Undaunted Courage Summary
Undaunted Courage
The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier
by Stephen E. Ambrose 1996 592 pages
4.22
65.7K ratings
History
Biography
American History
Doomsday Book Summary
Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis 1992 578 pages
4.03
62.9K ratings
Science Fiction
Time Travel
Historical Fiction
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Summary
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith 1943 496 pages
4.30
492.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Classics
Off With Her Head Summary
Off With Her Head
Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power
by Eleanor Herman 2022 384 pages
3.85
2.1K ratings
History
Feminism
Politics
Flashman Summary
Flashman
by George MacDonald Fraser 1969 323 pages
4.05
15.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Humor
Adventure
Child 44 Summary
Child 44
by Tom Rob Smith 2008 509 pages
4.11
88.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Thriller
Mystery
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