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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

Soldier Boys Summary
Soldier Boys
by Dean Hughes 2001 240 pages
4.05
2k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
War
The Thorn Birds Summary
The Thorn Birds
by Colleen McCullough 1977 692 pages
4.25
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Classics
A People’s History of the United States Summary
A People’s History of the United States
1492 - Present
by Howard Zinn 1980 729 pages
4.08
200k+ ratings
History
Politics
American History
Wide Sargasso Sea Summary
Wide Sargasso Sea
by Jean Rhys 1966 176 pages
3.59
100k+ ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Historical
World Without End Summary
World Without End
by Ken Follett 2007 1237 pages
4.32
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Medieval
The Turtle House Summary
The Turtle House
by Amanda Churchill 2024 304 pages
4.04
4k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Japan
Family
Half of a Yellow Sun Summary
Half of a Yellow Sun
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 2006 435 pages
4.34
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Nigeria
Book Club
A Tale of Two Cities Summary
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens 1859 489 pages
3.87
900k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Literature
Historical
Atonement Summary
Atonement
by Ian McEwan 2001 351 pages
3.95
500k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Romance
Outlander Summary
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon 1991 850 pages
4.26
1.1M+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Summary
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
A History of Nazi Germany
by William L. Shirer 1960 1147 pages
4.22
100k+ ratings
History
War
World War II
England's Mistress Summary
England's Mistress
The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton
by Kate Williams 2005 415 pages
3.89
1k+ ratings
History
Biography
Historical
The Radium Girls Summary
The Radium Girls
The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
by Kate Moore 2016 479 pages
4.16
100k+ ratings
History
Science
Book Club
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women Summary
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
by Lisa See 2023 352 pages
4.35
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Moor's Account Summary
The Moor's Account
by Laila Lalami 2014 321 pages
4.04
12k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Morocco
The House of Eve Summary
The House of Eve
by Sadeqa Johnson 2023 384 pages
4.25
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Romance
Shōgun Summary
Shōgun
by James Clavell 1975 1152 pages
4.41
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Japan
Historical
The Black Kids Summary
The Black Kids
by Christina Hammonds Reed 2020
4.03
10k+ ratings
Young Adult
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Gone with the Wind Summary
Gone with the Wind
by Margaret Mitchell 1936 1037 pages
4.31
1.2M+ ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Romance
Early Modern Europe, 1450–1789 Summary
Early Modern Europe, 1450–1789
by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks 2006 510 pages
3.95
100+ ratings
History
European History
Academic
Beneath a Scarlet Sky Summary
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
by Mark T. Sullivan 2017 509 pages
4.43
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
World War II
The Sirens Summary
The Sirens
by Emilia Hart 2025 337 pages
3.79
13k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Magical Realism
Emma Summary
Emma
by Jane Austen 1815 474 pages
4.05
900k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Literature
Historical
The Poisonwood Bible Summary
The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver 1998 546 pages
4.11
700k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Africa
Book Club
Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge Summary
Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge
George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away; Young Readers Edition
by Erica Armstrong Dunbar 2019 272 pages
3.97
1k+ ratings
Biography
History
Middle Grade
The Covenant of Water Summary
The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese 2023 715 pages
4.42
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
India
Code Name Verity Summary
Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein 2012 452 pages
4.00
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
A History of the World in 6 Glasses Summary
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
by Tom Standage 2005 336 pages
3.81
32k+ ratings
History
Food
Book Club
Heidi Summary
Heidi
by Johanna Spyri 1880 352 pages
4.04
200k+ ratings
Classics
Childrens
Historical Fiction
The Dreamer Summary
The Dreamer
by Pam Muñoz Ryan 2010 384 pages
3.98
7k+ ratings
Poetry
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
The Name of the Rose Summary
The Name of the Rose
by Umberto Eco 1980 552 pages
4.14
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Classics
Weyward Summary
Weyward
by Emilia Hart 2023 329 pages
4.06
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Magical Realism
The Shadow of the Wind Summary
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 2001 487 pages
4.30
600k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Fantasy
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
16k+ ratings
History
Memoir
School
All the Light We Cannot See Summary
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr 2014 544 pages
4.31
1.8M+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Trust Summary
Trust
by Hernan Diaz 2022 402 pages
3.81
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Underground Railroad Summary
The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead 2016 320 pages
4.06
400k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Color Purple Summary
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker 1982 295 pages
4.27
700k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Feminism
LGBT
The Paris Daughter Summary
The Paris Daughter
by Kristin Harmel 2023 384 pages
4.23
61k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
World War II
Historical
The Tattooist of Auschwitz Summary
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
by Heather Morris 2018 272 pages
4.31
1M+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
The Storm Sister Summary
The Storm Sister
by Lucinda Riley 2015 513 pages
4.25
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
The Kite Runner Summary
The Kite Runner
Graphic Novel
by Khaled Hosseini 2011 132 pages
4.45
23k+ ratings
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction
Comics
Khomeinism Summary
Khomeinism
Essays on the Islamic Republic
by Ervand Abrahamian 1993 200 pages
3.85
100+ ratings
Iran
History
Politics
The Secret Book of Flora Lea Summary
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
by Patti Callahan Henry 2023 355 pages
4.06
77k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Book Club
North and South Summary
North and South
by Elizabeth Gaskell 1855 521 pages
4.15
100k+ ratings
Romance
Historical Fiction
Classics
The Evolution of Fiqh Summary
The Evolution of Fiqh
Islamic Law & the Madh-habs
by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips 1988 228 pages
4.36
100+ ratings
Islam
Religion
History
Pompeii Summary
Pompeii
by Robert Harris 2003 274 pages
3.87
50k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Italy
Case Study Summary
Case Study
by Graeme Macrae Burnet 2021 278 pages
3.58
10k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Psychology
Journey to the River Sea Summary
Journey to the River Sea
by Eva Ibbotson 2001 304 pages
4.20
16k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Adventure
Alexander Hamilton Summary
Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow 2004 818 pages
4.22
100k+ ratings
History
Biography
American History
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