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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 Warm Hands of Ghosts Summary
The Warm Hands of Ghosts
by Katherine Arden 2024 325 pages
3.98
25k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Historical
Snow Falling on Cedars Summary
Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson 1994 460 pages
3.86
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Book Club
A Little History of the World Summary
A Little History of the World
by E.H. Gombrich 1936 284 pages
4.10
30k+ ratings
History
World History
Historical
Below Stairs Summary
Below Stairs
by Margaret Powell 1968 212 pages
3.58
14k+ ratings
Memoir
History
Biography
Hamnet Summary
Hamnet
by Maggie O'Farrell 2020 372 pages
4.19
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
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
2k+ ratings
History
Economics
Microhistory
The Magnolia Palace Summary
The Magnolia Palace
by Fiona Davis 2022 340 pages
3.87
77k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
Red Scarf Girl Summary
Red Scarf Girl
by Ji-li Jiang 1997 285 pages
3.79
16k+ ratings
History
Memoir
China
A History of the Crusades, Vol. III Summary
A History of the Crusades, Vol. III
The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades
by Steven Runciman 1951 542 pages
4.36
500+ ratings
History
Medieval History
Medieval
Immortality Summary
Immortality
A Love Story
by Dana Schwartz 2023 389 pages
3.90
33k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
1776 Summary
1776
by David McCullough 2005 386 pages
4.10
200k+ ratings
History
American History
Historical
Twelve Years a Slave Summary
Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup 1853 363 pages
4.22
100k+ ratings
History
Classics
Biography
A Short Walk Through a Wide World Summary
A Short Walk Through a Wide World
by Douglas Westerbeke 2024 400 pages
3.52
17k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Magical Realism
1000 Years of Annoying the French Summary
1000 Years of Annoying the French
by Stephen Clarke 2010 685 pages
4.05
4k+ ratings
History
Humor
France
Cleopatra Summary
Cleopatra
The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity
by Alberto Angela 2018 426 pages
3.86
1k+ ratings
History
Biography
Egypt
King Rat Summary
King Rat
by James Clavell 1962 368 pages
4.19
43k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
War
Classics
The Lost Art of Dress Summary
The Lost Art of Dress
The Women Who Once Made America Stylish
by Linda Przybyszewski 2014 347 pages
3.87
1k+ ratings
History
Fashion
Sewing
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Summary
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty 2023 483 pages
4.26
68k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Pirates
A Night to Remember Summary
A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord 1955 182 pages
4.09
27k+ ratings
History
Classics
Historical
The Lincoln Highway Summary
The Lincoln Highway
by Amor Towles 2021 576 pages
4.22
200k+ 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
500+ ratings
Politics
History
Historical
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
33k+ ratings
History
Historical
Biography
The Sea and Civilization Summary
The Sea and Civilization
A Maritime History of the World
by Lincoln Paine 2013 784 pages
3.88
500+ ratings
History
Maritime
World History
The Amalfi Curse Summary
The Amalfi Curse
by Sarah Penner 2025 336 pages
4.00
3k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Three Sisters Summary
Three Sisters
by Heather Morris 2021 416 pages
4.37
84k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Holocaust
Mirror Girls Summary
Mirror Girls
by Kelly McWilliams 2022 320 pages
3.95
3k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Fantasy
The Girls Summary
The Girls
by Emma Cline 2016 355 pages
3.51
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
The Source Summary
The Source
by James A. Michener 1965 1080 pages
4.29
44k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Religion
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
1k+ ratings
History
India
Indian Literature
Riders of the Purple Sage Summary
Riders of the Purple Sage
by Zane Grey 1912 320 pages
3.75
14k+ ratings
Westerns
Classics
Historical Fiction
Texas Outlaw Summary
Texas Outlaw
by Adrienne deWolfe 1995 368 pages
3.78
500+ ratings
Romance
Westerns
Historical Romance
The Golem and the Jinni Summary
The Golem and the Jinni
by Helene Wecker 2013 486 pages
4.13
100k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Magical Realism
The German House Summary
The German House
by Annette Hess 2018 336 pages
3.68
11k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Germany
Bad Gays Summary
Bad Gays
A Homosexual History
by Huw Lemmey 2022 368 pages
3.56
4k+ ratings
History
Queer
LGBT
The Invention of Wings Summary
The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd 2014 384 pages
4.26
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Four Lost Cities Summary
Four Lost Cities
A Secret History of the Urban Age
by Annalee Newitz 2021 320 pages
3.78
7k+ ratings
History
Science
Anthropology
A Conspiracy of Paper Summary
A Conspiracy of Paper
by David Liss 2000 506 pages
3.87
11k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
Charles Dickens in Love Summary
Charles Dickens in Love
by Robert Garnett 2012 440 pages
3.93
50+ ratings
Biography
British Literature
Literature
Zero Fail Summary
Zero Fail
The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service
by Carol Leonnig 2021 560 pages
4.23
9k+ ratings
History
Politics
American History
Junie Summary
Junie
by Erin Crosby Eckstine 2025 368 pages
4.22
6k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Magical Realism
Voyager Summary
Voyager
by Diana Gabaldon 1993 870 pages
4.39
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
We Two Summary
We Two
Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals
by Gillian Gill 2009 460 pages
3.85
8k+ ratings
History
Biography
British Literature
The Story of a Life Summary
The Story of a Life
by Aharon Appelfeld 1983 208 pages
3.89
500+ ratings
Holocaust
Memoir
Jewish
Ash Summary
Ash
A Secret History
by Mary Gentle 2000 1113 pages
4.12
1k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Alternate 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
500+ ratings
History
Historical
Reference
Origin Story Summary
Origin Story
A Big History of Everything
by David Christian 2008 357 pages
4.06
7k+ ratings
History
Science
Anthropology
The Fiery Cross Summary
The Fiery Cross
by Diana Gabaldon 2001 1443 pages
4.26
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
The Swerve Summary
The Swerve
How the World Became Modern
by Stephen Greenblatt 2011 356 pages
3.87
34k+ ratings
History
Philosophy
Science
Between Two Fires Summary
Between Two Fires
by Christopher Buehlman 2012 432 pages
4.24
41k+ ratings
Horror
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Mark of a Giant Summary
Mark of a Giant
Seven People Who Changed the World
by Ted Stewart 2013 320 pages
3.96
100+ ratings
History
Biography
Historical
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