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History Book Summaries

The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-33
by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. • 1957
An aristocrat's reluctant turn toward populism, set against the crash of an economic order.
4.19
455
The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-33 Summary
The Crisis of the Old Order 1919-33
An aristocrat's reluctant turn toward populism, set against the crash of an economic order.
by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. 1957 576 pages
4.19
455 ratings
London Falling
by Patrick Radden Keefe • 2026
A young impostor dies in the Thames. Police close the case. His parents don't.
4.33
53k+
London Falling Summary
Immersive
London Falling
A young impostor dies in the Thames. Police close the case. His parents don't.
by Patrick Radden Keefe 2026 361 pages
4.33
53k+ ratings
The Ones We've Been Waiting for
by Charlotte Alter • 2020
Shaped by 9/11, debt, and recession, a generation enters power with clashing visions for America.
4.20
500+
The Ones We've Been Waiting for Summary
The Ones We've Been Waiting for
Shaped by 9/11, debt, and recession, a generation enters power with clashing visions for America.
by Charlotte Alter 2020 368 pages
4.20
500+ ratings
An Analysis of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
by James Orr • 2017
A philosopher unpacks the Roman emperor's private notebook and reveals why its advice still works.
3.33
3
An Analysis of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations Summary
An Analysis of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
A philosopher unpacks the Roman emperor's private notebook and reveals why its advice still works.
by James Orr 2017 98 pages
3.33
3 ratings
Black in Blues
by Imani Perry • 2025
Indigo was traded for human life. How blue became the keeper of Black grief, art, and survival.
4.25
3k+
Black in Blues Summary
Black in Blues
Indigo was traded for human life. How blue became the keeper of Black grief, art, and survival.
by Imani Perry 2025 248 pages
4.25
3k+ ratings
Provenance
by Laney Salisbury • 2009
A painter forged the art. A con man forged the archives. The art world bought both.
3.93
6k+
Provenance Summary
Provenance
A painter forged the art. A con man forged the archives. The art world bought both.
by Laney Salisbury 2009 327 pages
3.93
6k+ ratings
The Upstarts
by Brad Stone • 2017
How two apps turned trust into a product, and the brutal global battle to keep it.
4.04
7k+
The Upstarts Summary
The Upstarts
How two apps turned trust into a product, and the brutal global battle to keep it.
by Brad Stone 2017 384 pages
4.04
7k+ ratings
The Perfect Police State
by Geoffrey Cain • 2021
China's Xinjiang AI state predicts crimes before they happen, and exports the blueprint globally.
4.23
1k+
The Perfect Police State Summary
The Perfect Police State
China's Xinjiang AI state predicts crimes before they happen, and exports the blueprint globally.
by Geoffrey Cain 2021 304 pages
4.23
1k+ ratings
Football Done Right
by Michael Lombardi • 2023
Five coaches built the modern NFL. A former GM names them, then ranks everyone else.
3.59
370
Football Done Right Summary
Football Done Right
Five coaches built the modern NFL. A former GM names them, then ranks everyone else.
by Michael Lombardi 2023 305 pages
3.59
370 ratings
God
by Dan Barker • 2016
Twenty million dead in a flood, children dashed on rocks: the Bible's God, read plainly.
3.90
500+
God Summary
God
Twenty million dead in a flood, children dashed on rocks: the Bible's God, read plainly.
by Dan Barker 2016 310 pages
3.90
500+ ratings
The Option of Urbanism
by Christopher B. Leinberger • 2007
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
3.89
185
The Option of Urbanism Summary
The Option of Urbanism
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
by Christopher B. Leinberger 2007 224 pages
3.89
185 ratings
Rubicon
by Tom Holland • 2003
Before Caesar, competition was Rome's strength. After him, it became the Republic's executioner.
4.23
28k+
Rubicon Summary
Rubicon
Before Caesar, competition was Rome's strength. After him, it became the Republic's executioner.
by Tom Holland 2003 408 pages
4.23
28k+ ratings
Elizabeth I and Her Circle
by Susan Doran • 2015
To understand Elizabeth I, look at her quarreling inner circle of cousins, favorites, and spies.
3.97
181
Elizabeth I and Her Circle Summary
Elizabeth I and Her Circle
To understand Elizabeth I, look at her quarreling inner circle of cousins, favorites, and spies.
by Susan Doran 2015 397 pages
3.97
181 ratings
The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran
by Christoph Luxenberg • 2007
Syriac reveals the Quran's virgins are grapes, boys iced juice, and source a Christian lectionary.
3.85
118
The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran Summary
The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran
Syriac reveals the Quran's virgins are grapes, boys iced juice, and source a Christian lectionary.
by Christoph Luxenberg 2007 349 pages
3.85
118 ratings
Benjamin Franklin
by Hourly History • 2016
Ran away at 17 with empty pockets; by 70, he charmed France into bankrolling America.
4.18
500+
Benjamin Franklin Summary
Benjamin Franklin
Ran away at 17 with empty pockets; by 70, he charmed France into bankrolling America.
by Hourly History 2016 43 pages
4.18
500+ ratings
Afterlife
by Colin Wilson • 1987
The evidence for survival, assembled from mediums, reincarnation studies, and near-death cases.
3.57
151
Afterlife Summary
Afterlife
The evidence for survival, assembled from mediums, reincarnation studies, and near-death cases.
by Colin Wilson 1987 272 pages
3.57
151 ratings
Front Row at the Trump Show
by Jonathan Karl • 2020
How a presidency became a TV show, and the press became the supporting cast.
4.27
4k+
Front Row at the Trump Show Summary
Front Row at the Trump Show
How a presidency became a TV show, and the press became the supporting cast.
by Jonathan Karl 2020 368 pages
4.27
4k+ ratings
I Shall Not Hate
by Izzeldin Abuelaish • 2010
A tank shell kills his daughters. Live on Israeli TV, a Palestinian doctor refuses to hate.
4.32
7k+
I Shall Not Hate Summary
I Shall Not Hate
A tank shell kills his daughters. Live on Israeli TV, a Palestinian doctor refuses to hate.
by Izzeldin Abuelaish 2010 237 pages
4.32
7k+ ratings
Don't Know Much About the Bible
by Kenneth C. Davis • 1998
Your Sunday school skipped the messy parts: the Bible as a human, centuries-long collaboration.
3.87
1k+
Don't Know Much About the Bible Summary
Don't Know Much About the Bible
Your Sunday school skipped the messy parts: the Bible as a human, centuries-long collaboration.
by Kenneth C. Davis 1998 560 pages
3.87
1k+ ratings
The Handbook of 5GW
by Daniel H. Abbott • 2010
War is no longer about bullets. It is a silent, invisible struggle for your perception.
4.09
23
The Handbook of 5GW Summary
The Handbook of 5GW
War is no longer about bullets. It is a silent, invisible struggle for your perception.
by Daniel H. Abbott 2010 275 pages
4.09
23 ratings
Politics
by Nick Clegg • 2016
Coalition with the Tories nearly destroyed his party. His case for why it was still right.
3.72
1k+
Politics Summary
Politics
Coalition with the Tories nearly destroyed his party. His case for why it was still right.
by Nick Clegg 2016 304 pages
3.72
1k+ ratings
Reckless Endangerment
by Gretchen Morgenson • 2011
Good intentions met Wall Street greed and captured regulators. The crisis was built to order.
3.96
1k+
Reckless Endangerment Summary
Reckless Endangerment
Good intentions met Wall Street greed and captured regulators. The crisis was built to order.
by Gretchen Morgenson 2011 331 pages
3.96
1k+ ratings
Buckley
by Carl T. Bogus • 2011
To build the modern American right, one man had to decide who belonged and who did not.
3.75
151
Buckley Summary
Buckley
To build the modern American right, one man had to decide who belonged and who did not.
by Carl T. Bogus 2011 417 pages
3.75
151 ratings
50 Battles That Changed the World
by William Weir • 2001
From Marathon to Stalingrad, fifty clashes that decided who rules and what we believe.
3.65
288
50 Battles That Changed the World Summary
50 Battles That Changed the World
From Marathon to Stalingrad, fifty clashes that decided who rules and what we believe.
by William Weir 2001 320 pages
3.65
288 ratings
Writings of Abraham Lincoln
by Abraham Lincoln • 1953
The man who saved the Union, in his own words: the speeches and letters behind the legend.
4.13
313
Writings of Abraham Lincoln Summary
Writings of Abraham Lincoln
The man who saved the Union, in his own words: the speeches and letters behind the legend.
by Abraham Lincoln 1953
4.13
313 ratings
Gaffs
by Rory Hearne • 2022
Why Ireland's housing crisis is not a market failure but a government strategy to enrich investors.
3.52
171
Gaffs Summary
Gaffs
Why Ireland's housing crisis is not a market failure but a government strategy to enrich investors.
by Rory Hearne 2022 352 pages
3.52
171 ratings
p53
by Sue Armstrong • 2014
Cancer cannot start unless this gene is disabled, but its activity also drives aging.
4.08
500+
p53 Summary
p53
Cancer cannot start unless this gene is disabled, but its activity also drives aging.
by Sue Armstrong 2014 288 pages
4.08
500+ ratings
Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles
by Ambi Parameswaran • 2016
India's last 50 years, told not through politics but through the ads that sold it to itself.
3.92
500+
Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles Summary
Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles
India's last 50 years, told not through politics but through the ads that sold it to itself.
by Ambi Parameswaran 2016 297 pages
3.92
500+ ratings
Impounded
by Linda Gordon • 2006
Dorothea Lange's internment photos were impounded: they showed the humanity the government denied.
4.28
393
Impounded Summary
Impounded
Dorothea Lange's internment photos were impounded: they showed the humanity the government denied.
by Linda Gordon 2006 224 pages
4.28
393 ratings
The Meaning of Everything
by Simon Winchester • 2003
A garden shed, an unpaid army, five million slips: the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.
3.99
5k+
The Meaning of Everything Summary
The Meaning of Everything
A garden shed, an unpaid army, five million slips: the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.
by Simon Winchester 2003 288 pages
3.99
5k+ ratings
Why Can't We Sleep
by Darian Leader • 2019
Humans once slept in two shifts. The anxiety about perfect sleep is a modern invention.
3.16
422
Why Can't We Sleep Summary
Why Can't We Sleep
Humans once slept in two shifts. The anxiety about perfect sleep is a modern invention.
by Darian Leader 2019 210 pages
3.16
422 ratings
The Pioneers
by David McCullough • 2019
Before the Constitution, one land deal doubled the country and banned slavery in every future state.
3.82
28k+
The Pioneers Summary
The Pioneers
Before the Constitution, one land deal doubled the country and banned slavery in every future state.
by David McCullough 2019 330 pages
3.82
28k+ ratings
Unknown Quantity
by John Derbyshire • 2006
Babylonians used algebra to measure grain. Four thousand years later, it described reality itself.
3.90
500+
Unknown Quantity Summary
Unknown Quantity
Babylonians used algebra to measure grain. Four thousand years later, it described reality itself.
by John Derbyshire 2006 374 pages
3.90
500+ ratings
A People’s History of Computing in the United States
by Joy Lisi Rankin • 2018
The PC erased a decade of shared computing where users were creators, not customers.
3.49
193
A People’s History of Computing in the United States Summary
A People’s History of Computing in the United States
The PC erased a decade of shared computing where users were creators, not customers.
by Joy Lisi Rankin 2018 336 pages
3.49
193 ratings
The Stairway to Heaven
by Zecharia Sitchin • 1980
The Giza pyramids were never tombs. They were landing beacons for an interplanetary spaceport.
4.02
1k+
The Stairway to Heaven Summary
The Stairway to Heaven
The Giza pyramids were never tombs. They were landing beacons for an interplanetary spaceport.
by Zecharia Sitchin 1980 336 pages
4.02
1k+ ratings
Luxury World
by Mark Tungate • 2009
The logo era ended. What luxury sells now: heritage stories, insider access, and time itself.
4.12
59
Luxury World Summary
Luxury World
The logo era ended. What luxury sells now: heritage stories, insider access, and time itself.
by Mark Tungate 2009 272 pages
4.12
59 ratings
Centennials
by Alex Hill • 2023
Most companies die at fifteen. The century survivors follow twelve habits that break the pattern.
3.95
44
Centennials Summary
Centennials
Most companies die at fifteen. The century survivors follow twelve habits that break the pattern.
by Alex Hill 2023 274 pages
3.95
44 ratings
The Klondike Fever
by Pierre Berton • 1958
One ship carrying a fortune in gold turned a frozen creek into a city of forty thousand.
4.11
462
The Klondike Fever Summary
The Klondike Fever
One ship carrying a fortune in gold turned a frozen creek into a city of forty thousand.
by Pierre Berton 1958 494 pages
4.11
462 ratings
Development Economics
by Debraj Ray • 1998
Missing markets, bad information, coordination traps: the hidden economics of persistent poverty.
4.03
190
Development Economics Summary
Development Economics
Missing markets, bad information, coordination traps: the hidden economics of persistent poverty.
by Debraj Ray 1998 872 pages
4.03
190 ratings
Truth in Our Times
by David E. McCraw • 2019
A newspaper lawyer versus a president who called the press the enemy. The inside story.
4.14
500+
Truth in Our Times Summary
Truth in Our Times
A newspaper lawyer versus a president who called the press the enemy. The inside story.
by David E. McCraw 2019 304 pages
4.14
500+ ratings
The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes
by Andrew Lycett • 2007
Holmes made him famous and miserable. Doyle preferred séances, battlefields, and righting wrongs.
3.91
299
The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes Summary
The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes
Holmes made him famous and miserable. Doyle preferred séances, battlefields, and righting wrongs.
by Andrew Lycett 2007 825 pages
3.91
299 ratings
Girly Drinks
by Mallory O'Meara • 2021
Women invented alcohol. The backlash: witch trials, Prohibition, and a label mocking their taste.
4.15
3k+
Girly Drinks Summary
Girly Drinks
Women invented alcohol. The backlash: witch trials, Prohibition, and a label mocking their taste.
by Mallory O'Meara 2021 384 pages
4.15
3k+ ratings
The Wisdom of Birds
by Tim Birkhead • 2008
How a handful of curious observers dismantled millennia of bird folklore, feather by feather.
4.22
256
The Wisdom of Birds Summary
The Wisdom of Birds
How a handful of curious observers dismantled millennia of bird folklore, feather by feather.
by Tim Birkhead 2008 433 pages
4.22
256 ratings
Mother American Night
by John Perry Barlow • 2018
Before the Internet had a constitution, a Grateful Dead lyricist from Wyoming wrote one.
4.18
500+
Mother American Night Summary
Mother American Night
Before the Internet had a constitution, a Grateful Dead lyricist from Wyoming wrote one.
by John Perry Barlow 2018 288 pages
4.18
500+ ratings
Musonius Rufus
by Musonius Rufus
Why farmers make better philosophers than professors, and women need philosophy as much as men.
4.08
500+
Musonius Rufus Summary
Musonius Rufus
Why farmers make better philosophers than professors, and women need philosophy as much as men.
by Musonius Rufus 102 pages
4.08
500+ ratings
Treasury of Greek Mythology
by Donna Jo Napoli • 2011
Greek myths retold by what they explain: seasons, stars, earthquakes, and why power never stays put.
4.01
3k+
Treasury of Greek Mythology Summary
Treasury of Greek Mythology
Greek myths retold by what they explain: seasons, stars, earthquakes, and why power never stays put.
by Donna Jo Napoli 2011 192 pages
4.01
3k+ ratings
International Law
by Jan Klabbers • 2013
International law: no sovereign, no police. How it works, and the imperial logic it still carries.
4.09
139
International Law Summary
International Law
International law: no sovereign, no police. How it works, and the imperial logic it still carries.
by Jan Klabbers 2013 368 pages
4.09
139 ratings
Black Rednecks and White Liberals
by Thomas Sowell • 2005
Liberals protect a dysfunctional culture that black communities learned from white Southerners.
4.37
9k+
Black Rednecks and White Liberals Summary
Black Rednecks and White Liberals
Liberals protect a dysfunctional culture that black communities learned from white Southerners.
by Thomas Sowell 2005 372 pages
4.37
9k+ ratings
Industry and Empire
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1968
Britain's industrial head start created an empire-dependent economy destined to fall behind.
3.92
500+
Industry and Empire Summary
Industry and Empire
Britain's industrial head start created an empire-dependent economy destined to fall behind.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1968 411 pages
3.92
500+ ratings
We've Got You Covered
by Liran Einav • 2023
America already covers the uninsured, just badly. The fix: automatic, basic, free, and budgeted.
4.09
386
We've Got You Covered Summary
We've Got You Covered
America already covers the uninsured, just badly. The fix: automatic, basic, free, and budgeted.
by Liran Einav 2023 304 pages
4.09
386 ratings
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