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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

Mark of a Giant Summary
Mark of a Giant
Seven People Who Changed the World
by Ted Stewart 2013 320 pages
3.96
282 ratings
History
Biography
Historical
The Dutch House Summary
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett 2019 337 pages
4.10
513.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Fiery Cross Summary
The Fiery Cross
by Diana Gabaldon 2001 1443 pages
4.26
221.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
Ash Summary
Ash
A Secret History
by Mary Gentle 2000 1113 pages
4.12
1.2K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Alternate History
Origin Story Summary
Origin Story
A Big History of Everything
by David Christian 2008 357 pages
4.06
7.4K ratings
History
Science
Anthropology
The Luxe Summary
The Luxe
by Anna Godbersen 2007 433 pages
3.65
73.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Romance
Girls Who Rocked The World Summary
Girls Who Rocked The World
Heroines From Anne Frank to Natalie Portman
by Michelle Roehm McCann 2012 240 pages
4.04
538 ratings
Biography
History
Feminism
The Eagle of the Ninth Summary
The Eagle of the Ninth
by Rosemary Sutcliff 1954 294 pages
3.94
11.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Young Adult
A Tale of Two Cities / Great Expectations Summary
A Tale of Two Cities / Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens 1859 834 pages
4.02
17.4K ratings
Classics
Historical Fiction
Literature
The Bright Years Summary
The Bright Years
by Sarah Damoff 2025 288 pages
4.34
4.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Contemporary
Churchill Summary
Churchill
The Power of Words: His Remarkable Life Recounted Through His Writings and Speeches
by Winston S. Churchill 2012 536 pages
4.26
530 ratings
History
Biography
Politics
The Historian Summary
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova 2005 704 pages
3.80
272.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Horror
Rain of Gold Summary
Rain of Gold
by Victor Villaseñor 1991 576 pages
4.50
8.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Magical Realism
Timelines from Black History Summary
Timelines from Black History
Leaders, Legends, Legacies
by D.K. Publishing 2021 96 pages
4.43
151 ratings
History
Race
Historical
The Woman All Spies Fear Summary
The Woman All Spies Fear
Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life
by Amy Butler Greenfield 2021 328 pages
4.21
1.4K ratings
History
Biography
Historical
The Bronze Horseman Summary
The Bronze Horseman
by Paullina Simons 2000 637 pages
4.29
91.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
Echo Mountain Summary
Echo Mountain
by Lauren Wolk 2020 356 pages
4.26
10.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
Historical
The King's Messenger Summary
The King's Messenger
by Susanna Kearsley 2024 352 pages
4.20
2.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
The Sweet Far Thing Summary
The Sweet Far Thing
by Libba Bray 2007 819 pages
3.97
72.8K ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Historical Fiction
The Secret History of Dreaming Summary
The Secret History of Dreaming
by Robert Moss 2008 352 pages
3.98
255 ratings
Psychology
History
Spirituality
The Dirt on Clean Summary
The Dirt on Clean
An Unsanitized History
by Katherine Ashenburg 2007 368 pages
3.72
2.5K ratings
History
Science
Microhistory
Human Acts Summary
Human Acts
by Han Kang 2014 218 pages
4.26
55.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Literary Fiction
Five Little Indians Summary
Five Little Indians
by Michelle Good 2020 304 pages
4.47
43.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Indigenous
Book Club
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 Summary
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6
by Arnold J. Toynbee 1947 640 pages
4.10
519 ratings
History
Philosophy
World History
Doomsday Book Summary
Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis 1992 578 pages
4.03
62.9K ratings
Science Fiction
Time Travel
Historical Fiction
Dragonfly in Amber Summary
Dragonfly in Amber
by Diana Gabaldon 1992 947 pages
4.34
375.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
Benjamin Franklin Summary
Benjamin Franklin
A Life From Beginning to End
by Hourly History 2016 39 pages
4.18
600 ratings
Biography
History
Historical
The JFK Conspiracy Summary
The JFK Conspiracy
The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy―and Why It Failed
by Brad Meltzer 2025 304 pages
4.14
3.4K ratings
History
Politics
Biography
An Old-Fashioned Girl Summary
An Old-Fashioned Girl
by Louisa May Alcott 1870 288 pages
4.09
21.6K ratings
Classics
Young Adult
Historical Fiction
Ring Shout Summary
Ring Shout
by P. Djèlí Clark 2020 185 pages
3.97
42.7K ratings
Horror
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Half a Soul Summary
Half a Soul
by Olivia Atwater 2020 304 pages
4.06
65.5K ratings
Fantasy
Romance
Historical Fiction
Story of Civilization Summary
Story of Civilization
by Will Durant 1975 14777 pages
4.43
1.8K ratings
History
Philosophy
World History
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
Prayers for Sale Summary
Prayers for Sale
by Sandra Dallas 1997 305 pages
3.87
19.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Number the Stars Summary
Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry 1989 137 pages
4.19
602.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Classics
The First Conspiracy Summary
The First Conspiracy
The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
by Brad Meltzer 2019 413 pages
3.82
13.4K ratings
History
American History
Biography
Misquoting Muhammad Summary
Misquoting Muhammad
The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy
by Jonathan A.C. Brown 2014 384 pages
4.35
1.1K ratings
Islam
Religion
History
Drums of Autumn Summary
Drums of Autumn
by Diana Gabaldon 1996 880 pages
4.35
262.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Fantasy
Women in the Valley of the Kings Summary
Women in the Valley of the Kings
The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age
by Kathleen Sheppard 2024 320 pages
3.51
1.3K ratings
History
Egypt
Biography
The Snow Child Summary
The Snow Child
by Eowyn Ivey 2012 386 pages
4.01
163.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Book Club
Nineteen Steps Summary
Nineteen Steps
by Millie Bobby Brown 2023 320 pages
3.75
17.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Historical
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
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
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Summary
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke 2004 1006 pages
3.87
247.7K ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Historical
A Short History of the World in 50 Lies Summary
A Short History of the World in 50 Lies
by Natasha Tidd 2023 288 pages
3.59
1.3K ratings
History
Historical
World History
Bluebird Summary
Bluebird
by Sharon Cameron 2021 438 pages
4.33
9.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
The Manhattan Girls Summary
The Manhattan Girls
by Gill Paul 2022 416 pages
3.69
3.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
New York
Eleven Summary
Eleven
by Tom Rogers 2014 200 pages
4.33
2.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Middle Grade
Realistic Fiction
A Thousand Ships Summary
A Thousand Ships
by Natalie Haynes 2019 368 pages
4.06
82.9K ratings
Mythology
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Hidden Places Summary
Hidden Places
by Lynn Austin 2001 429 pages
4.40
11.2K ratings
Christian Fiction
Historical Fiction
Christian
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