best books to study world history

20 of the Best World History Books

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Caitlin Hobbs

Perpetually tired, Caitlin Hobbs somehow manages to avoid being taken by the Fae while simultaneously doing things that would attract their attention. It may be all the cats they keep around. Caitlin can usually be found dismantling ideas about what makes us human as a student in cultural anthropology, indexing archives and rare books, or writing a book of folklore retellings. You can contact them at [email protected] or on twitter as @caitlinthehob.

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I like to joke sometimes that I was a history major in a past life. Or in the middle of the night, when I’m trying to go to sleep, thinking “what if I went back to school for a history degree? I know I literally just graduated with my bachelor’s, but still…” You know how it goes. History is one of my regular fixations, to where half my watchlists tend to be some PBS, Smithsonian, or BBC documentary covering some strange, little focused on part of world history. It’s fascinating to look back and see how far we’ve come as a species, while also seeing that we have barely changed at all. Humans have always been this ridiculous. We don’t have as many mummies as we should because people ate them . Sometimes as medicine, sometimes as just rich people being rich. People stopped being Catholic so they could drink their version of chocolatl , until Pope Alexander VII and said it, and other liquids, did not break their required fast. Graffiti covered the alleys of Pompeii , not unlike the stuff you would find in a bar’s restroom. Humans are just like this.

So I’m sharing some of my favorite world history books here. Some of them cover overall history of an area, or the overall history of us. Some of them put historical events side by side to make it easier to comprehend that a lot of this stuff was quite literally happening at the same time. Others are what I like to refer to as “domino history,” where you follow one item or idea throughout history and see the effect it has had, how one thing that seemed so insignificant and unrelated to everything else allowed empires to be built. Here. Read. Enjoy. Look how amazing we’ve been, how awful we’ve been, how the world around us was built to what we see today. These are definitely must reads.

book cover of Timeslines of History by DK

Timelines of History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Events That Shaped the World by DK

World history is often taught in chunks, with little perspective on how it fits into the grand scheme of things. It’s easier to teach, and to comprehend some, but also throws off the way we think about these events. For instance, Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr. were born the same year, and are five years younger than President Jimmy Carter. But all three of those individuals are affiliated with different historical periods. Pocahontas and Shakespeare were contemporaries. That’s where this book comes in. It lays out history from year to year (or century to century in some cases) and dictates the important events that happened, all the way up to the modern era, a period of time a lot of American history classes just don’t touch.

cover of the book set the world on fire by Keisha N Blain

Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom by Keisha Blain

It is pretty well known that women often are given a back seat in world history, or any type of history, especially Black women. Keisha Blain brings these women’s stories into the light, telling how they fought together across the world during the 19th and 20th centuries, for a cause that is usually attributed to more well known names like Garvey and DuBois. These working class women from multiple walks of life, around the world and through centuries, organizing workers and setting up protests, pushing for their freedom all while the world was trying to burn around them during the United State’s Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War.

book cover of the silk roads by peter frankopan

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

The Silk Roads were a vital part of the trade between the East and the West, connecting countries from Europe to those in the Middle East, Central Asia, all the way to China. It was massively important, with goods not just being traded along the route, but ideas as well, assisting in the spread of Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. This book traces the history of the countries along the Road, focusing our view of the world more towards the East, and how these regions ended up the way they are today. These areas were the crossroads of civilization, and played a part in history that is often ignored for a more Eurocentric view of history.

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book cover of salt by mark kurlansky

Salt: a World History by Mark Kurlansky

“I love you as much as meat loves salt.” Salt has played a huge role in human history, as can be seen in the sheer number of sayings we have that revolve around the concept of salt. It’s vital to our health, and a basic necessity to food, and is featured in several belief systems and folklore. Here, Matt Kurlansky traces salt through human history: the wars fought over it, when it was currency, laws placed during colonization, how it was fundamental to human survival due to the uses it has in food preservation. Although in some cases, like with the Egyptians, it was also useful in preserving corpses. And, for the adventurous in us, there are several recipes from previous eras that centered around the use of salt.

book cover of the brutish museums by dan hicks

The Brutish Museums by Dan Hicks

The museums of those who colonized are full of artifacts belonging to those who were colonized, artifacts that were stolen. In the United States, those artifacts likely belong to the Indigenous tribes, stolen along with the land, and are slowly being repatriated (though not without a fight) through laws like NAGPRA. In British museums, stolen artifacts are from all over, some stolen during massacres, like the Benin bronzes. As an anthropologist, this is a fact a lot of us in the field have had to reckon with, and acknowledge when talking about our history. Written by an insider, a museum curator, this book lays out the importance of repatriation after colonization, how we need to be more truthful about how some of these pieces came into our hands, and what needs to be done to make up for the past.

book cover of the history of the ancient world by susan wise bauer

The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer

The first of three volumes in a series, this book covers what happened in the world from the very earliest accounts we have all the way to the fall of Rome. And I quite literally mean the world, going from Sumer to Europe to China and back, connecting historical events across the world the entire time. It’s not as in depth as other history books, but considering the scope of history it’s undertaking, that’s a bit understandable. But even with it not being as in depth as others, you still get a good understanding of what was happening across the world, assisted by numerous maps and timelines to help with visualizing where, when, and how everything was related. The next book in the series picks up where this one left off, covering Constantine to the First Crusade, and the third books covers the rediscovery of Aristotle to Constantinople’s Fall.

best books to study world history

The Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel

This may sound like an exaggeration, but I’m being completely serious when I say this: we would not be where we are now was it not for the creation of fiber crafts, especially weaving. We would not have smart phones, we would not have been able to land multiple rovers on Mars, and we would not have some of the chemical understanding we have today. With this book, you can see why I can say that. It starts at the very beginning, from when we were first starting to spin and domesticate plants, following the strands (eh? eh???) of history to weaving and dyeing, and the inventions that followed, including arithmetic, binary, and entire empires being funded by this every day thing a lot of us probably don’t spend much time thinking about: fabric.

book cover of 1491 by charles mann

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

I don’t know about y’all, but every depiction I had of what North America was like before it was colonized was distanced tribes living in untouched wilderness. Granted, I did grow up with Georgia’s education system, but still. It was blatantly false. Indigenous peoples actively sculpted the landscape to fit their needs, but in a more sustainable way than what we do know. This book points out and refutes every misconception people have about the Pre-Columbian era in North America, from technological inventions to scientific advancements to culture. In depth and thorough, it does an excellent job of showing just how complex these civilizations were prior to Columbus’s “discovery” of the Taíno peoples. Indigenous Americans played a larger role in world history than a lot of us realized.

book cover of the year without a summer

The Year Without a Summer by Nicholas P. Klingaman and William K. Klingaman

In 1816, there was a massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia that plunged most of the Northeastern United States and much of Europe into a weather pattern that effectively canceled summer for the year. Due to the near constant rain, frost, and snowfall throughout the year, it was referred to as 18-hundred-and-froze-to-death. The Klingamans show the dichotomy of what was happening in world history at the time, from the mass migrations to better climates, epidemics, famines, and food riots to the first novel of a new genre being written to fiery sunsets being painted, along with an illustration of what was likely the beginnings of the climate change crisis we’re in now.

cover of a history of the world in six glasses

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage

You can tell a lot about a person, and a culture, by the food they eat — and that includes their drinks. You can tell a lot about a species by the drinks that affect their history. Tom Standage has gone through our history — from Neolithic to the 21st century — and picked out the six drinks that have played the biggest role in our history: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Each drink played a role in shaping who we are, assisting in the rise of empires, the sharing of ideas, being a reason for colonization, or boosting the slave trade.

book cover of questioning collapse

Questioning Collapse Edited by Patricia A. McAnany and Norman Yoffee

I’m an anthropologist, which means that whenever someone mentions Jared Diamond to me, or recommends one of his books, my blood pressure spikes just a bit, or I get a bit of an eye twitch. I’m not alone . In fact, this book is a response to his book Collapse , and is full of essays from historians and anthropologists about how civilizations actually decline; that they usually don’t “collapse” the way people think, but rather adapt, and resilience is the the usual pattern of how things play out, as well as showing the problems with the outdated idea of environmental determinism and the inherent racial aspects of “success” and “failure.”

book cover of insurgent empire

Insurgent Empire by Priyamvada Gopal

This is the history of colonies fighting back. Specifically, the British colonies, the people of Africa, of the Caribbean, of India, and the people in London that supported their voices. These groups are often shown as victims of imperialism, but Priyamveda Gopal shows that they were more than that, that even while they were fighting against imperialism they were still helping the country that was oppressing them, creating lasting legacies. The book follows the intellectual movements that were building within the then-colonies, and pushes back against the constant idea of “they’re just a product of their time, they had the support of the people, it was thought of as okay.” Just a heads up with this one though, it is a little academic jargon heavy, and one I recommend reading in chunks.

cover of black marxism

Black Marxism by Cedric J. Robinson

A little dated, as it was initially published in 1983, this is still an excellent book that is necessary to read, especially if you have any interest in Marxist ideologies. Robinson points out that Marxist analyses are often based on European history and context, and tend to ignore how Black individuals have played as fighters in the resistance. He traces Black radicalism back to Africa and the fight Black communities have had in Western countries, as well as pulling in voices like W.E.B. Du Bois, C.L.R. James, and Richard Wright as support.

book covers of history's greatest lies

History’s Greatest Lies by William Weir

This book works to end the biggest game of Gossip that we’ve been playing with each other. Taking 15 historical myths that have been repeated so often that they’re taken as fact, Weir goes to the root of the myth, revealing the true story, and then usually the reason why it became so misconstrued (which was usually on purpose). He even points out important individuals that managed to escape consequences due to these myths. Each chapter in this book is dedicated to one popular myth, so you get plenty of information for the next time you are at a party and get the chance to be That Person (I’m usually That Person. It’s okay. Turn it into a cool learning experience for everyone.)

book cover of queer identities and politics in germany

Queer Identities and Politics in Germany: A History, 1880-1945 by Clayton J. Whisnant

Prior to the burning of Institut für Sexualwissenschaft by Nazis, Germany — especially Berlin — was the center of the queer social scene in Europe. It was the home of the first homosexual organizations and magazines, as well as an entire field based around the legitimate study of these identities and psychology. This book is written in a way that is accessible for everyone, and dictates the lives of the individuals at the time, from science to scandals. Just a warning, though: the book does go all the way to 1945, and being German history, this means that there is mention of Nazi persecution and concentration camps.

book cover of precolonial black africa

Precolonial Black Africa by Cheikh Anta Diop

The history of Africa prior to colonization isn’t extensively covered in world history classes. You may learn about Mansa Musa, perhaps a little about Egypt, especially where it intersects with Greece and Rome, but it’s more of a blip than anything. Granted, there’s a lot to cover in world history (especially for an underpaid public school teacher), but Africa had a rich history before Europe looked to exploit it for resources. That’s where this book comes in. Written by a Senegalese anthropologist and historian, it compares the social and political systems of African civilizations to those of contemporary Europe, showing just how much Africa truly contributed to the development of the world. A heads up on this one, however: it was published in 1960. Some of the words used then, like primitive, are not what we would use now when describing these societies and have a different connotation to us now.

book cover of the secret lives of color

The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair

A mix of science and history, this book weaves the stories of multiple colors through history, the significance they had in art, or war, or religion, or in health. Humans don’t have the best color vision out there, but it’s still nothing to sneeze at, and the colors we do see give us more information about an object than we realize. This book is a bit formidable, too; it’s hefty, and built pretty solidly. It’s well worth it, though. The cover and pages are gorgeous, and the book itself is full of diagrams of spectrums and graphs and, of course, color.

book cover of women in world history 1450 to present

Women in World History 1450 to Present by Bonnie G. Smith

Collecting over 500 years of history, this book traces the many roles women have filled, from slaves to soldiers to astronauts. Even without history focused on them, and sometimes ignoring them, women have played a constant role in history. Pulling on archival materials like oral histories, personal papers, religious teachings, and so many other forms of documentation, Smith puts together a story line of women’s history from the Renaissance to current times

book cover of indigo: from mummies to blue jeans

Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans by Jenny Balfour-Paul

Indigo captivated the world, across cultures, and played a larger part in history than one would have expected. It helped foster the transatlantic slave trade, changed the way we dyed clothes, and was even used as medicine and played a part in religious ceremonies. Indigo changed agriculture, economics, chemistry, and became so important it was included in various folklores around the world. A culmination of 15 years of research, this history is paired with amazing photographs of indigo and the plant it comes from.

book cover of an indigenous people's history of the united states

An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The history of the United States, of the American continents, doesn’t start with when Europeans first stepped onto the soil. That is where this book comes in. It covers Indigenous history from what life was like prior to colonization, the extensive trade routes and farming practices tribes had, and lays bare exactly what European settlers did after arriving, breaking down every myth students in the United States were told in school. This is absolutely an important book to read, especially right now as the Land Back movement gaining momentum and the water protectors pushing back against oil pipelines.

If you’re still looking to scratch that history itch, or if this has just started you down the rabbit hole, I recommend checking out our list of inclusive American history books , or maybe this list of historical nonfiction .

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20 Best World History Books (2022 Review)

September 5, 2020 by James Wilson

Best-World-History-Book

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, I receive a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The history of the world is a subject that is prevalent to everyone. HIstorical events of the past are what have shaped the world today. History also helps the world find solutions to current problems that we may face. The world has existed for many years. On top of its existence, there are 195 countries to learn about. The history of each country can be discussed in hundreds and thousands of books. How do we, as a society, determine what is most important? Everday more historical artifacts, fossils, journals, and more are being discovered. There is no way to keep with everything that has happened in the past, as well as what is happening in the present… but we can try.

What are the Best World History Books to read?

A Short History of Nearly Everything

The books oultined here will analyze some of the most important events in world history. They are full of great information that is both engaging and interesting. These books will help readers identify some of the most important moments in history and how they are changing the future.

Best World History Books: Our Top 20 Picks

Here are some of the best world history books that you can consider to expand your knowledge on the subject:

1. A Short History of Nearly Everything

A Short History of Nearly Everything

History can be considered one subject, but it can also be divided into subcategories. There is history behind everything, so what should be learned?  A Short History of Nearly Everything  by Bill Breyson is, well, a short history of “everything.” Bryson starts at the beginning of time: how humans came to be. He goes on to discuss the greatest historical findings of anthropologists, archaeologists, mathematicians, scientists, and more. The topics in this book are quickly discussed, but that’s okay. By reading this book, people would procure basic knowledge on a number of huge events. They can then use the information they learned to consider researching on those topics extensively. Some of the world’s most asked questions are addressed in this book with history and research. This is a great read for those who can’t seem to choose a history subject to learn.

  • Authors : Bill Bryson (Author)
  • Publisher : Broadway Books; 1st Edition (September 14, 2004)
  • Pages : 544 pages

2. Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook

Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook

The history of the world is a pertinent subject to every human. There are so many historical events that have shaped what the world is today. History is created every day. To better equip for the present and future, everyone should have a general knowledge of world history.  Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook  by Workman Publish is a great text for updating oneself on Earth’s historic events. There is great history in this book from a number of locations. This book includes many eras and locations: the middle ages across the world, the Paleolithic Era, colonialism, and more. While this is a great text for understanding world history, it is based on lots of science. It discusses the theory of evolution and does not take religion into account. All in all, it’s a wonderful book on world history, but some may be disappointed by the views of the author.

  • Authors : Workman Publishing (Author), Michael Lindblad (Editor), Ximena Vengoechea (Contributor), Editors of Brain Quest (Draft Writer)
  • Publisher : Workman Publishing Company; Illustrated Edition (August 9, 2016)
  • Pages : 528 pages

3. Salt: A World History

Salt A World History

History is such an interesting and intriguing subject because there is so much of it. Every item, person, and animal has a history behind them.  Salt: A World History  by Mark Kurlansky analyzes the history behind a product that is used all over the world: salt. When sprinkling salt on french fries or eggs in the morning, few take the time to think about its history and where it came from. This book is a unique and fun take on history. Kurlansky sheds light on the only edible rock in the world. There are a lot of great details about salt in this book. Who knew salt could be such an interesting topic… but it is! This is an exciting history book that will engage and entertain readers.

  • Authors : Mark Kurlansky (Author)
  • Publisher : Penguin Books (January 28, 2003)
  • Pages : 496 pages

4. History of the World Part I

History of the World Part I

The history of the world is extensive. There have been so many historical events, but important and incidental. When learning the history of the world, it can be difficult to determine what to learn.  History of the World Part I  starring Mel Brooks is a movie that entertains viewers while educating them on the history of the world. Brooks is a hilarious actor that makes every movie he stars in engaging and funny. The movie is called  History of the World Part 1 , but it doesn’t actually have a part 2. The second movie was never released, which makes the title even funnier. All in all, this is a funny movie about history, but it’s not great for learning. This is mindless entertainment for someone who needs a mood boost.

  • Authors : Mel Brooks (Actor)

5. A History of the World in Glasses

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Most everyone enjoys a drink now and then. The universe language of beer and alcohol is known far and wide. Drinking can make anything fun– even history can be a fun drinking topic.  A History of the World in Glasses  by Tom Standage compares six eras of world history to six different drinks. The six drinks are: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and coca-cola. The eras in this book range from the stone age to the 21st century. Standage has a modern approach to this book. Everyone has their drink of choice, which can then be associated with an era of choice. Readers will be intrigued by the comparisons Standage makes, and want to read more based on said comparisons. This is quite the engaging read. World history has never been discussed in quite this way. This text is fun, entertaining, and easy to read!

  • Authors : Tom Standage (Author)
  • Publisher : Walker Publishing Company (May 16, 2006)
  • Pages : 336 pages

6. A Little History of the World

A Little History of the World (Little Histories)

History is a subject that begins being taught at an elementary level. There are so many events to discuss, and not enough schooling to discuss them. A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich is a great text for young readers. Children and teens alike can read this book to learn history in a fun, exciting way. Gombrich writes this book as a long story about mankind. This book is based on facts and research, but it is not told as such. Readers will enjoy this book as an adventure, instead of as a boring history lesson. In addition to being told like a story, this book also has grand and colorful pictures. The book discusses these historical events, but they are not heavily dissected. This is a great book for gaining a basic understanding of world history. That’s why it is perfect for children and teens.

  • Authors : E. H. Gombrich (Author), Clifford Harper (Illustrator)
  • Publisher : Yale University Press; 7/20/08 Edition (October 7, 2008)
  • Pages : 284 pages

7. A History of the World in 100 Objects

A History of the World in 100 Objects

“Things” are what seem to make up the world. There seems to be a shop for everything: candles, perfume, clothing, phones, and more. People really seem to enjoy their things, too. So why not use those products to explain history?  A History of the World in 100 Objects  by Neil MacGregor uses a refreshing approach to tackle important topics in world history. Macgregor discusses world history through specific objects. This book’s focus is on the objects of history. By looking at these objects, readers can see how quickly and efficiently mankind has evolved. There are many cultures, eras, and objects discussed in this book. There is truly something for everyone. The text is intriguing, and never boring. Readers will enjoy reading about history in a unique and engaging way.

  • Authors : Neil MacGregor (Author)
  • Publisher : Penguin Books; Illustrated Edition (September 24, 2013)
  • Pages : 736 pages

8. History of the World Map by Map

History of the World Map by Map

Even though world history is meant to discuss the history of the entire world, there are often countries whose histories overshadow others.  History of the World Map by Map  by DK documents history in a unique way– through the images of maps. There are maps used for many events in this book, like: World War II, the Industrial Revolution, the Atlantic Slave Trade. These are major world events that happened in many different countries. DK uses maps to drive home their research and points made on these historical events. The maps in this book are vivid and defined. The beauty of these images alone will attract readers to learn about these events. History, although interesting, can be a boring subject. By attaching real-life maps and explaining the events that coincide with them, DK turns world history into an exciting subject that many will want to read about.

  • Authors : DK (Author), Smithsonian Institution (Contributor)
  • Publisher : DK; Illustrated Edition (October 23, 2018)
  • Pages : 440 pages

9. A History of the World

A History of the World

There are so many forms of media: movies, tv shows, podcasts, books, magazines, and more. Different forms of media can educate viewers in different ways, so why not combine some of them?  A History of the World  by Andrew Marr is a book, an audiobook, and a television series. A different topic, time period, or person is addressed in every episode of the television series. These episodes then coincide with sections of the book. This is the ultimate way to read about history. The book covers many topics of world history. The sections done go too into depth on these topics, but that is what the television series is for. The book isn’t too long either. It’s the appropriate length so as to not get bored, but also stay engaged and learn lots.

  • Authors : Andrew Marr (Author)
  • Publisher : Pan Macmillan; Unabridged edition (November 5, 2012)
  • Pages : 500 pages

10. A Short History of the World

A Short History of the World

A Short HIstory of the World  by Christopher Lascelles is a book that aims to fill the big gaps in history. There are many different ages and eras analyzed in this book. The first topic discussed is the Big Bang. There are differing theories and opinions on the Big Bang that are greatly debated. The book, however, still discusses this theory and works through all important historical events. The history in this book is documented up to 2014, when the book was published. Events from the 2000’s are still history, and should be treated as such. This book has a wide array of information that will help many readers understand world history.

  • Authors : Christopher Lascelles (Author)
  • Publisher : Crux Publishing Ltd (January 15, 2014)
  • Pages : 276 pages

11. The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome

The History of the Ancient World From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome

The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome  by Susan Wise Bauer is an engaging audiobook that discusses the Ancient World. World history is a broad topic because there is so much of it. By narrowing world history down to one era, Bauer can discuss topics with more depth and passion. Creating a world history audiobook is risky. One would expect that an audiobook would simply sound like a lecture. Bauer, however, makes it interesting. Hearing the passion in her voice gets listeners excited about the subject. The audiobook is fun, but it also has negative components. Religion is discussed a little too openly in this book, especially for a world history book. World history should be based on facts, not opinion. This book is still a great listen, though.

  • Authors : Susan Wise Bauer (Author)
  • Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company; Illustrated Edition (March 17, 2007)
  • Pages : 896 pages

12. History: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day

History From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day

The Smithsonian is one of the most famous history museums in the world. They have a wide selection of historical artifacts that are accompanied with their own description. About 29 million people visit the Smithsonian a year, but not everyone can make a trip to DC.  History: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day  by Smithsonian Institute is the Smithsonian’s very own history book. Those who wish to visit the Smithsonian but can’t make the trip will enjoy this read. The book includes beautiful images to accompany the text. Something of the images included can actually be found in the Smithsonian today. The best part of this book, however, is that it discusses history, as well as contemporary culture. The book discusses the Battle of Hastings, but it also discusses climate change and social media. The Smithsonian Institute provides a great scope of the world, both past and present, in this book.

  • Authors : Adam Hart-Davis (Author)
  • Publisher : DK ADULT (March 19, 2012)
  • Pages : 612 pages

13. The Penguin History of the World

The Penguin History of the World Sixth Edition

Penguins are arguably one of the cutest forms of birds. They are cute, interesting, and intelligent little animals. They also are not at all associated with world history, but they do make for a catchy title. The Penguin History of the World by J.M. Roberts is not to be mistaken for a book about penguins. This book actually discusses the history of humankind. This book is actually on its sixth edition. The first edition was published in 1976. Roberts was the initial author, but passed away in 2003. The sixth edition of the book has been revised by Arne Westad. The book discusses a number of huge events in the world’s history. The book is a long read, but full of great information. That being said, it can get boring and arduous. However, this is a wonderful text for teaching world history classes because there are so many topics discussed, and it is constantly being updated.

  • Authors : J. M. Roberts (Author), Odd Arne Westad (Editor)
  • Publisher : Penguin Books; 6th ed. Edition (September 30, 2014)
  • Pages : 1280 pages

14. A Little History of the World: Illustrated Edition

A Little History of the World Illustrated Edition

A Little History of the World  by E.H. Gombrich is a popular, well-reviewed history book. The illustrated edition of this book is just the same. Those who love both history and art will be fascinated with this book. The history lessons are still there, but they are accompanied by beautiful illustrations and pictures. There are many different kinds of illustrations in this book: emblems, symbols, motifs, line drawings, and more. There are beautiful maps, fine paper, and classic designs. The beauty of this book is what draws people in, but the content is what keeps people interested and engaged. This is a wonderful read for people of all ages, and with all backgrounds of history knowledge.

  • Authors : E. H. Gombrich (Author)
  • Publisher : Yale University Press; Illustrated Edition (October 22, 2013)
  • Pages : 364 pages

15. World History for Dummies

World History For Dummies

When learning about history, it’s easy to think “I’m never going to remember this! Why am I even learning it?” With all the information in the world, it’s easy to think “why bother?”. But no one should give up.  World History for Dummies  by Peter Haugen explains history in a way that even the “dumbest” person can understand. This language in this book isn’t overly difficult to understand. The topics aren’t confusing or beyond rationalization. This book was made for people who don’t like history and aren’t very good at it. Historians aren’t going to sit down and read this book because it wasn’t made for them. Those who are struggling in a world history class, or simply don’t understand world history, should check out this book. The text is both informative and easy to understand.

  • Authors : Peter Haugen (Author)
  • Publisher : For Dummies; 2nd Edition (June 2, 2009)
  • Pages : 408 pages

16. World History: From the Ancient World to the Information Age

World History From the Ancient World to the Information Age

World History: From the Ancient World to the Information Age  by Phillip Parker takes a look at 350 of the world’s most valuable events. In this book, Parker discusses turning points in history, like: the creation of important inventions, the discovery of important theories, technological advances, and more. This book covers a wide range of years and places. And it does so in a readable way. There are fun facts included in this book, as well as colorful pictures. This is a wonderful read for history buffs, but it’s also great for those currently taking a history class. The information in this book is easy to learn. Students in world history classes will be ahead of schedule. Most anyone can read this book and gain a better understanding of world history.

  • Authors : Philip Parker (Author)
  • Publisher : DK; Slp Edition (October 3, 2017)
  • Pages : 416 pages

17. Advanced Placement World History: Modern

Advanced Placement World History Modern

Students of all ages need a reliable textbook when studying world history.  Advanced Placement World History  by Perfection Learning covers many AP world history topics. Young teens and high school students will thoroughly enjoy this book. The information in it is straight to the point and interesting. The language is easy to read, but not so easy that students won’t be challenged. Educators will be able to identify key units and concepts in this book for classes. And students who are taking AP World History but are not assigned this book can read it, too. This edition of the book was updated in 2020, so everything is accurate and appropriate for readers. This is a modern textbook with lots of great information.

  • Authors : Editors (Author)
  • Publisher : Perfection Learning (September 1, 2019)

18. Patterns of World History: Volume One

Patterns of World History Volume One To 1600 with Sources

Patterns of World History: Volume One  by Peter Von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers, and George B. Stow is a book full of history patterns that have repeated themselves. By studying the origins of various origins, interactions, and adaptations of the past, the authors discover patterns that have occurred in history. The common phrase, “History Repeats Itself,” doesn’t lie. However, each historical pattern has the opportunity to stop. The pattern must simply be identified, and then society can try and stop it. This is a wonderful book that helps people understand the historical patterns of the world, and how they are affecting the present.

  • Authors : Peter Von Sivers (Author), Charles A. Desnoyers (Author), George B. Stow (Author)
  • Publisher : Oxford University Press; 3rd Edition (September 1, 2017)
  • Pages : 792 pages

19. World History in Documents: A Comparative Reader

World History in Documents A Comparative Reader

World History in Documents: A Comparative Reader  by Peter N. Stearns is a book that teaches history through documents. There have been many historical documents in history that made a huge impact on society today. This is a wonderful book for college level history courses, or AP history courses in high school. Students will be able to accurately analyze the text of some of the world’s most important documents. This book is on its second edition. The first edition was released in 2003, and this edition was published in 2008. The documents in this book are great for survey classes. There are many interesting texts included in this book.

  • Authors : Peter N. Stearns (Author)
  • Publisher : NYU Press; 2nd Edition (April 15, 2008)
  • Pages : 640 pages

20. Inquiry-Based Lessons in World History: Early Humans to Global Expansion

Inquiry-Based Lessons in World History (Vol. 1) Early Humans to Global Expansion

History has many lessons. Some lessons simply acknowledge what happened and moving forward. Other lessons are there to teach the world to learn from their mistakes and not repeat them. This is the first volume in this book series, so it only covers a specific time period: 15,000 BCE to 1500 CE. There are many lesson plans included in this book. Teachers will appreciate the lessons in this book. These lessons are clear-cut, to the point, and great for high school students. There are thought-provoking lessons, plenty of resources, and great tasks for students. This is a fun history book that will really help teachers engage their students.

  • Authors : Jana Kirchner (Author), Andrew McMichael (Author)
  • Publisher : Prufrock Press (May 15, 2019)
  • Pages : 200 pages

Choosing the Best World History Books

These world history books don’t begin to cover the many historical events of the world, but they are a start. They are great reads that will help the world understand its history. Reading these books is the ultimate history lesson. By reading and engaging with these books, readers can find the parts of history they most like, and then learn more about it.

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45 Best History Books of All Time

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Blog – Posted on Friday, May 21

45 best history books of all time.

45 Best History Books of All Time

If the mere mention of ‘history books’ is enough to conjure up memories of fighting back yawns in your middle school classroom, then chances are you haven’t been looking in the right places. But fear not — this list is here to bring you some of the most well-researched, entertaining, and readable works by the most preeminent historians of today and generations past.

On this list, you not only find some of the best American history books, on topics spanning slavery and empire, Civil War, and Indigenous histories, but also stories ranging from Asia to Africa, and everywhere in between. This list traverses continents, historical eras, the rise and fall of once-great empires, while occasionally stopping off to hone in on specific, localized events that you might never have heard of.

Whether you’re a history buff looking to flex your muscles, or you struggle to distinguish your Nelson from your Nefertiti, there’ll be something suitable for you. So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive into our 45 best history books of all time.

If you’re looking for history books that give the broader picture as well as the finer details, let us introduce you to some of the most seminal texts on global history. These reads cover the moments and events that form the connective tissue between continents, cultures, and eras. Whether you’re looking for more abstract, theoretical writing on what ‘history’ is and does, or just a broader volume that pans out, rather than in, there’ll be something for you.

1. What Is History? by Edward Hallett Carr

Famous for his hefty History of Soviet Russia , E. H. Carr’s foray into historiography (that is, the study of written history) was panned by critics at first. Initially written off as ‘dangerous relativism’, it is now considered a foundational text for historians, one which probes at the very seams of the discipline. By asking what exactly historical knowledge is and what constitutes history as we have come to understand it, Carr provides a compelling and masterful critique of the biases of historians and their moralized narratives of history. This groundbreaking text also interrogates such notions as fact, science, morality, individualism, and society. Carr’s masterpiece is referenced in countless college applications for a reason — it’s a formidable dive into history as a discipline, and laid the foundations for the subject as it exists in the modern world.

2. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

Though first and foremost considered a political theorist, much of Marxist thought can be a means to understand history with attention to economic systems and principles. In this seminal text, Marx argues that all of history has been defined by the struggles between the proletariat working-class and the capital-owning bourgeoisie. According to Marx, economic structures have been defined by class relations, and the various revolutions that have occurred throughout history have been instigated by antagonism between these two forces. As Marx famously opined in his 1852 essay, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce”, and he lays out those repetitions with striking clarity here. As an added bonus, since this was originally intended as a pamphlet, the manifesto comes in at under 100 pages, so you have no reason not to prime yourself on one of modern history’s greatest thinkers.

3. Orientalism by Edward W. Said

A titan of Middle Eastern political and historical study, Edward Said coined the titular phrase ‘Orientalism’ to describe the West's often reductive and derisive depiction and portrayal of "The East." This book is an explanation of this concept and the application of this framework to understand the global power dynamics between the East and the West. Orientalism is considered by many a challenging read, but don’t let its formidable reputation put you off — it’ll all be worth it when you find yourself thinking about global history in ways you haven’t before.

4. Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen

It’s no big secret that the US school curriculum is more than a little biased — governments have a tendency to rewrite history textbooks in their favour, and the US government is no exception, keeping quiet on the grizzly, harrowing details and episodes which made the USA the country it is today. With particular focus on the American Civil War, Native Americans and the Atlantic Slave Trade, Loewen tries to interrogate and override simplistic, recountings of these events that portray White settlers as heroes and everybody else as uncivilized and barbarous. This is essential reading for anybody wanting to challenge their own preconceptions about American history and challenge the elevated status of American ‘heroes’.

5. Democracy: A Life by Paul Cartledge

From its birth in the city-state of Ancient Athens to contemporary times, democracy’s definition, application, and practice have been fiercely discussed and debated. With this book, Cartledge presents a biography of a political system that has been alternately lauded as the only means to govern a liberal society and derided as doomed to ineffectiveness.

Based on a near-legendary course of lectures Cartledge taught at Cambridge University, this book charts the social, cultural, and political dimensions of democracy, displaying a mastery of the scholarship to brilliant effect. For those that want to know more about democracy beyond ‘governance for the masses’.

6. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary

When history is so often focalized through a Western lens, reading from alternative positions is essential to challenge these normative understandings of the past. Ansary’s Destiny Disrupted does exactly this. By centering on an Islamic recounting of historical events, it challenges preconceived ideas about Western dominance, colonialism, and stereotyped depictions of Islamic culture and custom. Ansary discusses the history of the Islamic world from the time of Mohammed, through the various empires that have ruled the Middle Eastern region and beyond, right up to contemporary conflicts and the status of Islam in a modern, globalizing world. 

7. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

If you think salt is a substance useful for not much more than topping fries, let journalist Mark Kurlansky prove otherwise. In this book, Kurlansky charts the origins of civilization using a surprising narrative throughline — salt. Many early settlements were established near natural sources of salt because of its many beneficial properties, and this surprisingly precious mineral has continued to play an important role in societies ever since. From its use as a medium of exchange in ancient times to its preservative properties (which allowed ancient civilizations to store essential food throughout the winter), this innocuous substance has been fundamental to the health and wealth of societies across the globe.

8. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

With his collective bibliography having sold over 16 million copies, you’re probably already familiar with Bryson’s work documenting his travels around the world, or his meditations on the brilliant diversity of global culture. Though primarily a travel writer, he’s also turned his hand to history, and A Short History of Nearly Everything specifically focuses on the scientific discoveries of yore that have defined human society. From quantum theory to mass extinction, Bryson recounts these miraculous, unplanned, sometimes ill-fated marvels of human achievement with humor and insight. If there’s a book that’ll have you repeatedly saying “can you believe this?” to random passers-by, this’ll be it!

9. The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World by Lincoln Paine

A nation's ability to conquer the seas has always been a mark of prestige and greatness, especially for empires looking to expand beyond their borders and nations wanting to trade and connect with other peoples. Paine discusses how many societies managed to transform the murky depths of the ocean from natural obstacle to a means of transporting goods, people, and ideas — from the Mesopotamians wanting to trade with their neighbors in ancient Aegea and Egypt, to those in East Asia who fine-tuned their shipbuilding techniques to conquer foreign lands.

10. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

Here’s another book that frequents the reading lists of politics and history majors the world over! Many have theorized on why certain human societies have failed while others have thrived — but perhaps none have done it as astutely as Jared Diamond has in Guns, Germs, and Steel . The three things featured in the book’s title make up the nexus that Diamond presents as being fundamental to the development (or lack thereof) of human society. Though Diamond's thesis has as many detractors as it has supporters, it’s worth reading to see which side of the debate you fall on.

11. The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity by Amartya Sen

In this collection of sixteen essays, esteemed economist Amartya Sen explores the Indian subcontinent, with particular focus on the rich history and culture that has made it the country it is today. The title refers to what Sen believes is inherent to the Indian disposition: argument and constructive criticism as a means to further progress. In his essays, Sen presents careful and considered analysis on a range of subjects that other academics have often tiptoe around, from the nature of Hindu traditions to the major economic disparities existing in certain regions today (and what their roots might be). Whether you’re an expert or new to the topic, you’ll be sure to learn something from Sen’s incisive commentary.

Ancient kingdoms are shrouded in mystery — a lot of what we know has been painstakingly pieced together by brilliant archaeologists and historians who have uncovered ancient artifacts, documents, and remains, and dedicated their working lives to understanding their significance to ancient people. Aren’t the rest of us lucky they’ve done the hard work for us?

12. Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

The pre-colonial Central America ruled by the Aztecs was one characterized by remarkable innovation and progressiveness. Western historians, however, often failed to acknowledge this or pay the region and its ancient empires much academic attention. Moreover, the history of the Mexican people as recounted by the Spanish has often leaned into stereotyped, whitewashed versions of events. Townsend’s Fifth Sun changes this by presenting a history of the Aztecs solely using sources and documents written by the Aztec people themselves in their native Nahuatl language. What results is an empathetic and invigorating interpretation of Aztec history for newbies and long-time enthusiasts alike.

13. When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt by Kara Cooney

When you think of Ancient Egyptian queens, Cleopatra probably comes to mind — but did you know that the various Egyptian dynasties boasted a whole host of prominent women? Cooney’s When Women Ruled The World shifts the spotlight away from the more frequently discussed Egyptian pharaohs, placing attention on the likes of Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra, all of whom commanded great armies, oversaw the conquering of new lands, and implemented innovative economic systems. In this captivating read, Cooney reveals more about these complex characters and explores why accounts of ancient empires have been so prone to placing powerful women on the margins of historical narratives. 

14. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 1 by Edward Gibbon

If you’re a fan of serious, in-depth scholarship on ancient history, then this first volume of Gibbon's classic treatise on the Roman Empire is a perfect fit for you. Despite being published in 1776, Gibbon’s work on the Roman Empire is still revered by historians today. Along with five other volumes of this monumental work, this text is considered one of the most comprehensive and pre-eminent accounts in the field. Gibbon offers theories on exactly how and why the Roman Empire fell, arguing controversially that it succumbed to barbarian attacks mainly due to the decline of “civic virtue” within Roman culture. If this thesis has piqued your interest, then we naturally suggest you start with Volume I to understand what exactly Gibbon considers “virtue” to be, and how it was lost. 

15. The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer

Historians are often wont to focus on a particular historical era or location when producing historical nonfiction — but Susan Wise Bauer had grander ambitions. In this text, Bauer weaves together events that spanned continents and eras, from the East to the Americas. This book, described as an “engrossing tapestry,” primarily aims to connect tales of rulers to the everyday lives of those they ruled in vivid detail. With an eloquently explained model, she reveals how the ancient world shaped, and was shaped by, its peoples.

16. Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty by Jing Liu

Believe it or not, history doesn’t always mean slogging through page after page of dense, footnoted text. This comic by Beijing native Jing Liu turns history on its head by presenting it in a fun, digestible manner for anybody that has an interest in Chinese history (but isn’t quite ready to tackle an 800-page book on the subject yet). Spanning nearly 3,000 years of ancient history, this comic covers the Silk Road, the birth of Confucianism and Daoism, China's numerous internal wars, and finally the process of modern unification.

Middle Ages and renaissance

Some of the most fearsome and formidable characters in history had their heyday during the Middle Ages and renaissance periods — though it’s hard to know whether their larger-than-life reputations are owed to actual attributes they had, or from their mythologizing during a time where fewer reliable sources exist. Either way, we think they’re great fun to read about — as are their various exploits and conquests. From Genghis Khan to Cosimo de Medici, we’ve got you covered.

17. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

The Silk Road, an artery of commerce running from Europe through Russia to Asia (and a vital means of connecting the West with the East), has long been of interest to historians of the old world. In this book, Frankopan goes one step further, to claim that there has been more than one silk road throughout history — and that the region stretching from the Mediterranean to China (modern-day Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan) remains the crossroads of civilization and the center of global affairs. Frankopan argues compellingly that this region should be afforded more attention when historians theorize on centers of power and how they have shifted across time. It’s a convincing argument, and one that is expertly executed by Frankopan’s engaging writing and scrupulous research.

18. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

Genghis Khan is perhaps one of the most formidable figures in global history. Many recognize his iconic topknot-and-horseback image despite not knowing all too much about his life or the military successes he oversaw as leader of the Mongolian empire. Weatherford’s book takes a deep dive into this complex character and explores new dimensions of the society and culture he imposed upon the many peoples he conquered. As a civilization, Khan's was more keenly progressive than its European counterparts — having abolished torture, granted religious freedoms, and deposed the feudal systems that subordinated so many to so few. If you’re in the mood for an epic tale that’ll challenge your understanding of the global past, you’ll want to pick this book up.

19. Precolonial Black Africa by Cheikh Anta Diop

Cheikh Anta Diop, a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician, dedicated his working life to the study of pre-colonial African culture and the origins of human civilization itself. This book, arguably his most influential text, draws out comparisons between European empires and societies with the often overlooked African civilizations. Diop carefully shows that Africa contributed far more to the world’s development than just its exploited labor and natural resources. Precolonial Black Africa thus sets out to reorient our knowledge of a period that is so often derided by non-African thinkers as “uncivilized” and “barbarous” with brilliant attention to detail.

20. The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge

In the 11th century, a vast Christian army was summoned and ordered by the Pope to march across Europe. Their aim was to seize Jerusalem and claim back the city considered the holy seat of Christianity. As it happened, Jerusalem was also a land strongly associated with the Prophets of Islam. The Christian mission thus manifested in the Crusaders’ rampage through the Muslim world, devastating many parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. Asbridge’s innovative recounting of this momentous event is unique in the way it even-handedly unpacks the perspective of both the Christian and Muslim experiences and their memorializing of the Holy Wars. With rich and detailed scholarship, this book reveals how the Crusades shaped the Medieval world and continue to impact the present day.

21. The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall by Christopher Hibbert

Renaissance Florence is perhaps most famous as the cradle of revered art, sculpture, and architecture by the likes of Michelangelo and Leonardo — but in the 15th century, it was also home to the Medicis, one of the most powerful banking dynasties in Europe. Starting with enterprising Cosimo de Medici in the 1430s, Hibbert chronicles the impressive rise of a family that dominated a city where mercantile families jostled for political and social influence, often to bloody ends. And — spoiler alert, if you can spoil history — as with every great period, the rise of the Medicis naturally involves a spectacular fall. It’s the kind of stuff soap operas are made of: an unmissable tale of family intrigue and the corrupting influence of money. 

In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a specialized breeding process that it has been called man’s first feat of genetic engineering. Indeed, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand. Challenging and surprising, this a transformative new look at a rich and fascinating world we only thought we knew.

22. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

Mainstream history has too often made it seem as though the Americas was all but a vacant wasteland before Columbus and other European conquerors drifted upon its shores in the 15th century. Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth — from the Aztecs to the Incas to the tribes of Northern America, many complex social and cultural structures existed prior to the arrival of Europeans. Southern American peoples in particular had sophisticated societies and infrastructures (including running water!) that have unfortunately been obliviated from the popular (or at least white Western) consciousness. A classic book that challenges the victor’s story, Charles C. Mann’s 1491 provides exciting new information on civilizations that have more to teach us than we have previously acknowledged. 

23. The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

Is there a more abiding emblem of British history than that of Medieval England’s monarchy and the Wars of the Roses? Though its historical figures and events have often been portrayed in television dramas, plays, and books, little is commonly known about the House of Plantagenets, who ruled from the 12th to the 15th century — an era packed with royal drama, intrigue, and internal division. For a witty, acerbic account of the whole ordeal, visit Dan Jones’s The Plantagenets . He approaches the subject with dazzling storytelling skills and charm that it will feel like you’re reading a novel, not a nonfiction book.

Enlightenment, empire, and revolution

You can’t make sense of the present without understanding the forces that got us here. The mechanized and globalized, mass-producing and mass-consuming world we live in today was forged in the fiery hearth of the Industrial Revolution, on the decks of ships setting out in search of uncharted territory, and in battles that were fought over supposedly ‘undiscovered’ lands. A lot changed for the common man in this period, and a lot has been written about it too — here are some of the best works.

24. The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective by Robert C. Allen

The Industrial Revolution is perhaps the most important phenomenon in modern history. It started in 18th-century Britain, where inventions like the mechanical loom and the steam engine were introduced, changing the nature of work and production. But why did this happen in Britain and not elsewhere in the world, and how precisely did it change things? These questions are answered lucidly in Robert C. Allen’s informative book. From the preconditions for growth to the industries and trades that grew out of them, The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspectives has it all covered. Though it leans a bit on the academic side, it provides valuable knowledge that will vastly improve your understanding of today’s mass-producing, mass-consuming world.

25. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

For an overview of the history of the US, try this impressive treatise by historian and political scientist Howard Zinn. There’s a reason why this book is so often assigned as mandatory reading for high school and college history courses — it challenges readers to rethink what they’ve been told about America’s past. Rather than focusing on ‘great’ men and their achievements, A People’s History dives unflinchingly into the societal conditions and changes of the last few centuries. Exploring the motives behind events like the Civil War and US international interventions in the 20th century, Zinn shows that while patriotism and morality have often been used to justify America’s social movements and wars, it’s often been economic growth and wealth accumulation that truly drove leaders’ decisions.

26. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown

At Wounded Knee Creek in 1890, the Lakota people confronted the encroaching US Army to protect their homeland and community. What followed was a massacre that for decades was viewed as a heroic victory — exemplifying how history is truly shaped by the victors, unless someone else speaks up. In 2010, Dee Brown did just this, exploring the colonialist treatment that Indigenous Americans suffered throughout the late 19th century in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Using council records and personal accounts from people of various Native American tribes, Brown demonstrates just how destructive the US administration was to these communities: in the name of Manifest Destiny and building new infrastructure, white settlers destroyed the culture and heritage of the Indigenous population. It’s something that's sadly still too familiar now, making this an even more pressing read.

27. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi

While this isn’t strictly a history book, Four Hundred Souls is certainly an eye-opening volume if you’re looking to explore oft-hidden aspects of history. This collection of essays, personal reflections, and short stories is written by ninety different authors, all providing unique insights into the experiences of Black Americans throughout history. Editors Kendi and Blain do a brilliant job of amalgamating a variety of emotions and perspectives: from the pains of slavery and its legacy to the heartfelt poetry of younger generations. If you’re looking for your fix of African American Literature and nonfiction in one go, consider this your go-to.

Since its U.S. debut a quarter-century ago, this brilliant text has set a new standard for historical scholarship of Latin America. It is also an outstanding political economy, a social and cultural narrative of the highest quality, and perhaps the finest description of primitive capital accumulation since Marx.

Rather than chronology, geography, or political successions, Eduardo Galeano has organized the various facets of Latin American history according to the patterns of five centuries of exploitation. Thus he is concerned with gold and silver, cacao and cotton, rubber and coffee, fruit, hides and wool, petroleum, iron, nickel, manganese, copper, aluminum ore, nitrates, and tin. These are the veins which he traces through the body of the entire continent, up to the Rio Grande and throughout the Caribbean, and all the way to their open ends where they empty into the coffers of wealth in the United States and Europe.

Weaving fact and imagery into a rich tapestry, Galeano fuses scientific analysis with the passions of a plundered and suffering people. An immense gathering of materials is framed with a vigorous style that never falters in its command of themes. All readers interested in great historical, economic, political, and social writing will find a singular analytical achievement, and an overwhelming narrative that makes history speak, unforgettably.

This classic is now further honored by Isabel Allende’s inspiring introduction. Universally recognized as one of the most important writers of our time, Allende once again contributes her talents to literature, to political principles, and to enlightenment.

28. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano

The instabilities of Latin America over the last century have largely stemmed from its turbulent and violent past, its land and people having been exploited by European imperial powers, followed by American interventionism. In Open Veins of Latin America, Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano passionately and compellingly recounts this history while also keeping it accessible to modern readers. Still on the fence? Let the foreword by Latinx literary giant Isabel Allende convince you: “Galeano denounces exploitation with uncompromising ferocity, yet this book is almost poetic in its description of solidarity and human capacity for survival in the midst of the worst kind of despoliation.”

29. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano Illustrated by Olaudah Equiano

Though it was published in the late 18th century, this autobiography is still being reprinted today. It follows the life of Equiano, a slave who was kidnapped from his village in Nigeria and trafficked to Britain. In this foreign land, he was traded like merchandise time and again, struggling against adversity to find his freedom and define his identity. The accuracy of the story has been called into question, which is why reprinted editions have footnotes and additional details to better explain the social context of the situation. Regardless, the narrative style of the book makes it a hypnotizing read, immersing readers in the world of Georgian England and the horrors of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

The World Wars

We thought the biggest events of the 20th century deserved their own section. The fact that so many people across the globe lived to experience these two momentous, destructive wars is perhaps why so much has been written about them — and how they reinvented life as we know it. The books below, covering a variety of perspectives, will intrigue, surprise, and hopefully teach you a thing or two.

30. Ten Days That Shook The World by John Reed

If you’re interested in firsthand accounts of people who've lived through historical moments, then this is the book for you. Published in 1919, Ten Days that Shook the World is the thrilling political memoir of someone who witnessed the October Revolution unfold in St Petersburg, Russia. Reed was a socialist and a newspaper correspondent who happened to be in close contact with the likes of Lenin and Trotsky, aka the innermost circle of the Bolsheviks. His account of the revolution thus provides a very unique perspective — one of both an insider and an outsider. While Reed couldn’t be as impartial as he intended as a journalist, this book is still a useful insight into one of the most important moments in modern history.

31. The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman

If you’re a fan of history books, then you’ve probably heard of Barbara Tuchman: she was a historian and author who twice won the Pulitzer Prize, once for this very book. In The Guns of August , Tuchman uncovers the beginnings of World War I. She starts by examining the alliances and military plans that each country had in case of warfare, demonstrating how delicate this moment was before the declarations and the first battles on various fronts. The militaristic theme of the book could’ve made the tone dry, yet Tuchman lets the stories unravel in a way that intrigues and enthralls. As the granddaughter of the American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Tuchman was in Constantinople as the war began, and as a result, her work takes on the gravity of someone who was in the thick of it.,

32. Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie

In the 1930s, when Hitler was making moves to acquire land from neighboring countries, the rest of the Allies pursued a policy they called appeasement. In the book of the same name (previously known as Appeasing Hitler ), the reasoning behind such a policy — despite the Nazis’ blatant antisemitism and aggressive nationalism — reveals how that led to World War II. Spoiler alert: ironically, this was all done with the assumption that if Hitler got what he wanted, there wouldn’t be another large-scale war that would last another four years. As informative as it is, Appeasement is also a valuable reminder that what happened in the past wasn’t a given — at that moment in time, things could have gone any number of ways. What matters, looking back, is what we can learn from it for the future.

33. Leningrad: The Epic Siege of World War II, 1941-1944 by Anna Reid

From historical fiction novels like Atonement to the somber box office hit Dunkirk , our mainstream knowledge about the Second World War has predominantly featured the French Western Front. Possibly because American forces were much more involved in this side of the war, we tend to overlook the biggest battles, which took place in Eastern Europe.

In Leningrad , Anna Reid sheds a light on one of these epic battles. Breaking Hitler’s vow of non-aggression, German forces poured into the Soviet Union in the autumn of 1941, expecting a quick victory. Little did they know that Leningrad (modern-day St Petersburg) was not about to go down without a vicious fight. Over the next three years, this massive city was put under a siege that resulted in destruction, famine, and countless deaths, though the Germans were ultimately defeated. What was life like in this prolonged blockade, and was it truly a Soviet victory? You’ll have to read Leningrad to find out.

34. Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II by John W. Dower

As the only country to have been a victim of nuclear attacks, Japan’s postwar experience has arguably been one of the most unique and difficult of all the countries that took part in the world wars. Prior to and during WW2, Japan was a major power that had annexed much of East Asia by 1941. After the war, Japan was a defeated nation, strong-armed into surrendering by the Soviet army and two American atomic bombs.

Embracing Defeat is about a nation coming to terms with its new reality in the following years, during which the US-occupied Japan and was actively involved in its rebuilding. Shock, devastation, and humiliation were just a few of the emotions that society had to live through. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning book, MIT professor John Dower explores these sentiments and how they translated into social and cultural changes in Japan.

35. Broken Lives: How Ordinary Germans Experienced the 20th Century by Konrad H. Jarausch

Over the course of the 20th century, Germany truly experienced all possible transformations. From a key European imperial power to an economically crippled state, to Nazism and the Holocaust, and then to Cold War partition — there’s certainly been no shortage of tumult in Germany over the past hundred years. Collecting stories from over 60 people who lived through these ups and downs, Konrad Jarausch presents a down-to-earth picture of what it was like to undergo these changes in everyday life. While we often see historical changes as a given in hindsight, for the people who lived through the period, these transformations were sometimes far from foreseeable — yet have been formative to their individual and collective identities.

It’s remarkable to consider what humanity has achieved in the last century alone, from the first manned flight to landing people on the moon. But that’s not all: world wars were fought, empires were toppled, living conditions improved for many across the world and human rights were advanced in ways many would not have been able to fathom even a few decades before. To absorb more of our “modern” history, peruse the books below.

36. Stalin's Englishman: Guy Burgess, the Cold War, and the Cambridge Spy Ring by Andrew Lownie

If you’re a fan of thrilling spy novels , then Stalin’s Englishman is the history book for you: it’s the biography of Guy Burgess, an English-born Soviet spy from the 1930s onward. In a way, Burgess was made for the job — he was born into a wealthy family, attended prestigious schools like Eton and Cambridge, worked at the BBC and then for MI6, making him entirely beyond suspicion in the eyes of his own people. Though little is officially recorded about Burgess’s life, Andrew Lownie has compiled plenty of oral evidence related to this charming spy, weaving together an exciting narrative that will keep you turning the pages.

37. The State of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence by Martin Meredith

Since the end of World War II, Africa has seen several waves of independence movements. And while it was once a vision of hope, the effects of colonialism have frequently made post-independence life in Africa unstable and dangerous. Martin Meredith looks into the nuances of this legacy and how it has played out in the post-independence era. Rather than focusing on individual countries, Meredith widens his scope and presents a thorough overview of the continent, making this book an essential read for anyone new to modern African history.

38. Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 by Eric Hobsbawm

Eric Hobsbawm is a well-known Marxist historian, and so it’s no surprise that his account of 20th-century history leans on the critical side. The Age of Extremes is all about failures: of communism, of state socialism, of market capitalism, and even of nationalism. 

Dividing the century into three parts — the Age of Catastrophe, the Golden Age, and the Landslide — Hobsbawm tracks Western powers and their struggles with world wars, economic failures, and new world orders that involved them losing colonies and influence. In their place, new systems rose to prominence, though all exhibited fundamental faults that made it difficult for them to last. The Age of Extremes is not a jovial read, but it provides an interesting perspective on modern world history. If you’re up for some harsh social commentary, you should definitely pick this book up.

39. Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Vietnam War, as it is commonly called in the US, still looms large in the American imagination. But while the trauma and camaraderie of American soldiers in the tropical jungles of Vietnam have often been often highlighted, shamefully little has been said about the sufferings of the Vietnamese people — both those who remained in Vietnam and those who eventually left as “boat people.”

The gap in mainstream memory of this heavily politicized war is what Viet Thanh Nguyen addresses in his thought-provoking nonfiction book, Nothing Ever Dies . Having lived through the tail end of that conflict himself, Nguyen offers a perspective that’s too often swept under the rug. Through his writing, he reminds readers that history as we know it is often selective and subjective; it’s more than what we choose to remember, it’s also about why we choose to remember the things we do, and how sinister political motives that can factor in.

40. Age Of Ambition : Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos

History isn’t all about the distant past, and with such rapid changes over the last several decades, the contemporary history of China grows ever more fascinating by the year. Following economic reforms in the 1980s, China has grown exponentially and become one of the biggest economies in the world. But this opening up also meant that the Communist Party could no longer control the people’s discourses as effectively as before. In Age of Ambition , Evan Osnos draws on his firsthand observations as a journalist in China, talking about the recent transformation of Chinese people’s aspirations and plans to reach beyond the border of their country through their studies, their work, their consumption, and their communications.

41. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

If you think history can’t be gripping, then let Patrick Radden Keefe convince you otherwise: in this modern history book, he uses a murder investigation as a window into the bitter ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland. The book begins in 1972, in the middle of the Troubles — a 30-year conflict between the Catholic Irish, who wanted to leave the UK, and the Protestants who wanted to stay. A 38-year-old woman by the name of Jean McConville, married to a Catholic former soldier of the British Army, has disappeared. The suspects are members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), known to have executed people they believed were spying on them for the British. All deny the accusation, of course — some even going as far as to deny their involvement in the IRA altogether. Looking back at the incident and its suspects four decades later, Keefe highlights the atrocities that were committed by all parties during this period, and how they still resonate through NI today.

42. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments

An esteemed researcher of African American literature and history, Hartman has produced a trove of work on the practices and legacies of slavery in the US. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments is but one of the insightful titles she’s produced, discussing the lives of Black women in late 19th-century New York and Philadelphia. Looking at the concept and understanding of sexuality in these communities, Hartman found that despite the criminalization practiced by the state, there was space for women to own their sexuality and gender identity. It was a small space, and it would have slipped into oblivion if no one cared to explore the nuances of the urbanizing life of the 1890s — but this book ensures that they can never be left in the dust.

43. Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga

This book, written to accompany the 4-episode docuseries of the same name, is a must-read for everyone interested in British history. The common understanding of this island nation’s history is usually related to its seaborne conquests and longstanding monarchies. But what of the servants and slaves, the people that actually did the work and fought the battles? What of the people who were moved here through colonial exchanges? Retracing British history with an eye upon the waves of immigration, Olusoga gives a comprehensive overview of the complexity of Black Britishness in the UK, a group whose stories are often obscured. He also shows that these people were and are integral to the nation’s development, and are thus not to be forgotten.

44. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

For those who enjoy storytelling, check out this thrilling novel-style history book on H. H. Holmes, the man considered to be one of the first modern serial killers. Holmes was only ever convicted for one murder but is thought to have had up to 27 victims, many lured to the World’s Fair Hotel that he owned. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago is thus the immersive setting of The Devil in the White City , and is written from the point of view of the designers who contributed to the fair. It reads like suspense — think The Alienist — but it also informs on the excitement and uncertainty of the early stages of urbanization, coming together as a marvelous blend of mystery novel and true crime . 

45. Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala by Stephen Schlesinger

In 1954, Guatemalan President Árbenz was overthrown. As with many Cold War-era coups in Asia and Latin America, the US was heavily involved in the plot. Even more absurdly, one of the main forces lobbying for this intervention was the United Fruit Company, which has been benefiting from labor exploitation in Guatemala. The result of this was the installation of an undemocratic and oppressive government, supremely heightened political unrest, and ultimately a prolonged civil war. Bitter Fruit dives into the rationales (or rather irrationalities) behind American involvement, highlighting the powerful paranoia that underlay many decisions throughout the Cold War.

Seeking more fodder for your non-fiction shelf? Why not check out the 60 best non-fiction books of the 21st century !

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100 Best World History Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best world history books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

best books to study world history

A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari | 5.00

best books to study world history

Richard Branson One example of a book that has helped me to #ReadToLead this year is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. While the book came out a few years ago now, I got around to it this year, and am very glad I did. I’ve always been fascinated in what makes humans human, and how people are constantly evolving, changing and growing. The genius of Sapiens is that it takes some daunting,... (Source)

Reid Hoffman A grand theory of humanity. (Source)

Barack Obama eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theceolibrary_com-leader-2','ezslot_7',164,'0','1'])); Fact or fiction, the president knows that reading keeps the mind sharp. He also delved into these non-fiction reads. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

best books to study world history

Guns, Germs and Steel

The Fates of Human Societies

Jared Diamond Ph.D. | 4.91

best books to study world history

Bill Gates Fascinating.... Lays a foundation for understanding human history. (Source)

best books to study world history

Daniel Ek A brilliant Pulitzer Prize-winning book about how the modern world was formed, analyzing how societies developed differently on different continents. (Source)

best books to study world history

Yuval Noah Harari A book of big questions, and big answers. The book turned me from a historian of medieval warfare into a student of humankind. (Source)

best books to study world history

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl, William J. Winslade, et al. | 4.56

best books to study world history

Tony Robbins Another book that I’ve read dozens of times. It taught me that if you change the meaning, you change everything. Meaning equals emotion, and emotion equals life. (Source)

Jimmy Fallon I read it while spending ten days in the ICU of Bellevue hospital trying to reattach my finger from a ring avulsion accident in my kitchen. It talks about the meaning of life, and I believe you come out a better person from reading it. (Source)

best books to study world history

Dustin Moskovitz [Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

best books to study world history

The Silk Roads

A New History of the World

Peter Frankopan | 4.53

best books to study world history

Professor Frank Mcdonough Christmas is coming and if you want to give a thought-provoking book to that history fan in your life then the recent books by the brilliant @peterfrankopan will satisfy. Some write books, this guy changes perceptions. https://t.co/gWZWZnv5TN (Source)

Raoul Pal @The92ers @zerohedge It’s fascinating. The Peter Frankopan book on the Silk Roads told history well from the perspective of Iran in particular (Source)

best books to study world history

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson | 4.53

best books to study world history

Amanda Palmer [Amanda Palmer recommended this book in the book "Tools of Titans".] (Source)

Fabrice Grinda I have lots of books to recommend, but they are not related to my career path. The only one that is remotely related is Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. That said here are books I would recommend. (Source)

David Goldberg What I really liked about A Short History of Nearly Everything is that it gives an excellent account of a lot of the personalities and the interconnectedness of important discoveries in cosmology and elsewhere. He does such a great job of bringing together our understanding of cosmology, evolution, paleontology, and geology in a very, very fluid way. (Source)

best books to study world history

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Jack Weatherford | 4.49

best books to study world history

Ben Horowitz Unexpectedly the most interesting book on the topic of how you think about inclusion. (Source)

Daymond John [Daymond John said this is one of his most-recommended books.] (Source)

Lisa Ling Genghis Khan was a great democratizer. His Mongol Empire conquered more territory in 25 years than the Romans did in 200. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Guns of August

Barbara Tuchman | 4.46

best books to study world history

Doris Kearns Goodwin So beautifully written. But more importantly, for me, she was writing about battles and military stuff and things that you don’t imagine that sometimes a woman might be so adept at. (Source)

Ruth Harris This is a very strange book for me to choose. For many people, it is the ultimate old-fashioned diplomatic history. But it enthuses me for several reasons. First of all, it’s an extraordinary narrative. It reads magnificently and is a breathtaking horizon of events and people. Secondly, like me, she is obsessed with people. In the first chapter we have the funeral of Edward VII in 1910, which is... (Source)

Matt Calkins The best way to understand how the world resolves its conflicts and its tensions is by looking at how a conflict that has been studied thoroughly, like World War I, unfolded and resolved. Business is like this too. If anyone were to ever get to the heart of Coke vs. Pepsi, they would see a parade of mistakes in the same way World War I looks in retrospect—so many ways you could have done better. (Source)

best books to study world history

How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Jared Diamond | 4.44

best books to study world history

Bill Gates I found this to be an interesting follow-up to the excellent Guns, Germs, and Steel. It examines the downfall of some of history's greatest civilizations. (Source)

Matthew Yglesias I wanted to get a book on my list that is actually enjoyable to read, so not everything is quite so dry and dull as a narrative. I also wanted to include something that reflects the growing importance of environmental and ecological concerns to progressive politics in America. This is relatively new to the agenda – it’s only been in the last 30 to 35 years. But going forward, one of the most... (Source)

Stefan Lessard He should read this book I’m almost finished with. Jared Diamond is one of my favorite historical authors. https://t.co/f9JLYlsc4v https://t.co/KtPgMZaWen (Source)

best books to study world history

New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Charles C. Mann | 4.44

In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a...

In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a specialized breeding process that it has been called man’s first feat of genetic engineering. Indeed, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand. Challenging and surprising, this a transformative new look at a rich and fascinating world we only thought we knew.

best books to study world history

Adam Conover @TheBaltimoreSon @CharlesCMann Sure it! A total revolution in my understanding of history, all in one book. Amazing stuff. (Source)

Scott Keyes It’s one of those books that takes everything you thought you knew about the history of European colonialists and indigenous groups in the Americas and turns it on its head. Just a fascinating deep-dive into early American history that questions a lot of dogma we were taught in school. (Source)

Colin Calloway The book provides a huge hemispheric overview. (Source)

best books to study world history

King Leopold's Ghost

Adam Hochschil | 4.41

best books to study world history

Steve Crawshaw Large parts of the Belgian establishment loathe this book. It tells, as its sub-title says, ‘a story of greed, terror and heroism’. It lays bare the absolute fiction that King Leopold’s fief in the Congo was based on some philanthropic urge – a line that Leopold managed to peddle with extraordinary success at the time. I don’t know if what Leopold did would be called ‘genocide’ today or not. But... (Source)

Suzannah Lipscomb This is an incredibly powerful, horrifying, and utterly brilliant study of Belgian colonialism of the Congo and the brutality and genocide that followed in its wake. (Source)

Don't have time to read the top World History books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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best books to study world history

The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank, B.M. Mooyaart, Eleanor Roosevelt | 4.39

best books to study world history

Tim Fargo @Quixoticnance Good point, Nancy. The museum is a powerful experience, esp. when you've read her book. (Source)

Catalina Penciu I'm a huge fan of personal stories and biographies like this one. (Source)

Alice Little I remember being a fourth grader and trying to check out [this book] and being told it was grossly inappropriate and going so far as to have my parents take it to the school board and petition for me to be allowed to read this book. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Art of War

Sun Tzu | 4.39

best books to study world history

Reid Hoffman Reid read Carl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu as a boy, which informed his strategic thinking. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Art of War (Sun Tsu) [to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Evan Spiegel After meeting Mark Zuckerberg, [Evan Spiegel] immediately bought every [Snapchat] employee a copy of 'The Art Of War'. (Source)

best books to study world history

A World History

Mark Kurlansky | 4.36

best books to study world history

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

A History of Nazi Germany

William L. Shirer | 4.36

No other powerful empire ever bequeathed such mountains of evidence about its birth and destruction as the Third Reich. When the bitter war was over, and before the Nazis could destroy their files, the Allied demand for unconditional surrender produced an almost hour-by-hour record of the nightmare empire built by Adolph Hitler. This record included the testimony of Nazi leaders and of concentration camp...

No other powerful empire ever bequeathed such mountains of evidence about its birth and destruction as the Third Reich. When the bitter war was over, and before the Nazis could destroy their files, the Allied demand for unconditional surrender produced an almost hour-by-hour record of the nightmare empire built by Adolph Hitler. This record included the testimony of Nazi leaders and of concentration camp inmates, the diaries of officials, transcripts of secret conferences, army orders, private letters—all the vast paperwork behind Hitler's drive to conquer the world.

The famed foreign correspondent and historian William L. Shirer, who had watched and reported on the Nazis since 1925, spent five and a half years sifting through this massive documentation. The result is a monumental study that has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of one of the most frightening chapters in the history of mankind.

This worldwide bestseller has been acclaimed as the definitive book on Nazi Germany; it is a classic work.

The accounts of how the United States got involved and how Hitler used Mussolini and Japan are astonishing, and the coverage of the war-from Germany's early successes to her eventual defeat-is must reading

Gunhee Park A few months back, I read a book called A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II that led me to want to learn more about Nazi Germany and Hitler, so I then picked up The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which led me to wanting to learn more about Winston Churchill. (Source)

best books to study world history

Uncovering the New World Columbus Created

Charles C. Mann | 4.35

best books to study world history

Harsh Gupta Have you read the 1491 and 1493 book series? About the discovery of Americas and what it meant. Fascinating stuff. Have been reading 1493 by Charles Mann on Kindle. (Source)

Tim @Realscientists I highly recommend @CharlesCMann's fantastic book "1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created" for perspective on Andean potato history and its outsized influence on world history (see: Irish potato famine). https://t.co/soMV0uzawP (Source)

Louise Fresco Charles Mann has many interesting stories about many foods, but the main message is the importance of trade and the fact that there have been massive movements of foods backwards and forwards. (Source)

best books to study world history

A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption

Laura Hillenbrand | 4.32

In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit . Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

best books to study world history

A Little History of the World

E. H. Gombrich | 4.31

best books to study world history

Anything Smart Good book! "A Little History of the World" Written for young readers this book is a great education for anyone who wants to be smarter. https://t.co/7VHKB91hMz (Source)

best books to study world history

In the Garden of Beasts

Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Erik Larson | 4.31

best books to study world history

Steve Schmidt @egayle333 Ellyn, with respect Hitler was always clear about his intent. A great book to read from a US perspective is In the Garden of Beasts. Trump is much more analogous to Mussolini. (Source)

Daniel Hamermesh At a time of increased danger of totalitarianism in the U.S., reading a history of an insider’s view of its growth in Germany in the 1930s gives a good perspective on our contemporary problems, as well as being fascinating history and biography in its own right. (Source)

best books to study world history

Elie Wiesel, Marion Wiesel | 4.30

best books to study world history

Johanna Reiss Elie Wiesel wrote..that he was considering running into the barbed wire once, but he didn’t because his father needed him. (Source)

Steven Katz Probably the best known memoir that has been written about the experience of the death camps. (Source)

best books to study world history

Six Months that Changed the World

Margaret MacMillan, Richard Holbrooke, Casey Hampton | 4.25

best books to study world history

James Purnell She focuses on the meeting between Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and Woodrow Wilson that decided what the new boundaries would be for the world at Versailles in 1919. (Source)

Mike Maclay The beautiful story she tells is how men of goodwill did try to make the Second World War impossible. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Great Influenza

The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History

John M. Barry | 4.25

best books to study world history

Greg Dworkin @heshsson yes1 brilliant book, which also explains flu better than most other things you will read (Source)

Kyle Bass @Holykisses Remember the Great Influenza of 1918 (amazing book by Barry)...40-50 million died at a 10% kill rate. The higher the rate, the faster it is likely to burn itself out. 10% is a global pandemic nightmare. (Source)

Dave Collum I guess it is a good time to point out that "The Great Influenza" is a great book. If you think modern medicine would have mitigate this one, you haven't read the book. https://t.co/t4uHPgfLE6 (Source)

best books to study world history

The Hiding Place

The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie Ten Boom, John Sherrill, et al. | 4.22

Alison Alvarez What I really took with me from the book were the descriptions of how she dealt with the stress of solitary confinement and eventually the Ravensbruck concentration camp. I adapted some of her techniques for keeping her mind occupied to deal with my own problems with anxiety and worry. Also, it’s a book with a surprising amount of joy in it for subject matter that is so dark. (Source)

best books to study world history

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Tom Standage | 4.22

best books to study world history

A History of Ancient Rome

Mary Beard | 4.21

best books to study world history

Olly Murphy (Wycombe Abbey) I think SPQR is a wonderful book. Ancient Roman history is so very dense and intricate that it can be difficult to teach and learn about. Mary Beard makes it accessible—and she goes through it all, from the early days right up until the present day. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Lessons of History

Will Durant, Ariel Durant | 4.21

best books to study world history

Ray Dalio The book I’d give [every graduating senior in college or high school] would be 'Lessons From History'. This is the Durants, they were maybe the greatest historians of all time. Anyway, of 5,000 years of history, probably wrote 5,000 pages on it, and they took this book - I think it’s 104 pages - and they took the themes of history, it could be from religion, natural resources, who knows, each one... (Source)

Naval Ravikant Great book. I really like how it summarizes some of the larger themes of history. Very incisive and, unlike most history books, is actually kind of small and it covers a lot of ground. (Source)

Kevin Systrom A great book. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Looming Tower

Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

Lawrence Wright | 4.18

best books to study world history

Bryan Callen I love [this author]. (Source)

Mary Habeck This is a fantastic account of the origins of al Qaeda, the individuals who laid the foundations of the organisation and why they carried out 9/11. (Source)

Peter Taylor If anybody wishes to understand what Al-Qaeda is, where it came from and what it is trying to do, I think that this is the key book to read. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Discoverers

A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

Daniel J. Boorstin | 4.18

best books to study world history

Lloyd Blankfein Goldman Sachs CEO has been reading this sweeping history book for years. (Source)

Ryan Petersen @Juanfrayala Yes, The Discoverers. Probably my favorite history book. Takes a while to develop bc it’s the full history of mankind’s quest for knowledge, so the geography section isn’t til about 100 pages in but worth it! (Source)

Thomas Hellmann It is the book that I often recommend to students who come to me with a true curiosity. (Source)

best books to study world history

A Distant Mirror

The Calamitous 14th Century

Barbara W. Tuchman | 4.18

best books to study world history

The Rape of Nanking

Iris Chang | 4.17

best books to study world history

The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Erik Larson | 4.16

Bethanye McKinney Blount There's so much in this one about leadership, failures and how winners write history. (Source)

best books to study world history

A History of the World in 100 Objects

Neil MacGregor | 4.16

Grey Baker The best thing I read recently was A History of the World in 100 Objects, which is absolutely brilliant. It charts the history of humanity through objects from the British Museum’s collection, and is wonderfully holistic. I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking to broaden their perspective. (Source)

best books to study world history

A Brief History of Tomorrow

Yuval Noah Harari | 4.15

best books to study world history

Richard Branson I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a big reader of paleontology or anthropology – not good words for us dyslexics! – but I enjoy learning about how society has unfolded and history has developed in an exciting, easy to read way. The sequel, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, is a fascinating look into the future too. While these aren’t traditional business or leadership books, they are all... (Source)

Bill Gates Harari’s new book is as challenging and readable as Sapiens. Rather than looking back, as Sapiens does, it looks to the future. I don’t agree with everything the author has to say, but he has written a thoughtful look at what may be in store for humanity. (Source)

Vinod Khosla Not that I agree with all of it, but it is still mind-bending speculation about our future as a follow-up to a previous favorite, Sapiens. It’s directionally right. (Source)

best books to study world history

John Hersey | 4.15

best books to study world history

Alex Blumberg I had always been interested in this kind of [...] long form narrative nonfiction. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Ascent of Money

A Financial History of the World

Niall Ferguson | 4.15

best books to study world history

Max Levchin [Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?"] (Source)

Muhtar Kent CEO considers it a great read. (Source)

best books to study world history

Why Nations Fail

The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson | 4.14

best books to study world history

Mark Zuckerberg My next book for A Year of Books is Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoğlu and James A. Robinson. This book explores the different kinds of social institutions and incentives that nations have applied to encourage prosperity, economic development and elimination of poverty. This is a good complement to our last book, Portfolios of the Poor, which focused on how people live in poverty. This one... (Source)

Bill Gates "I read two books that raise big, interesting questions about social change and technological progress. I’m planning to write longer reviews of each of these books, but let me flag them for you now. One is Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.The topic of this book is why some countries have prospered and created great living... (Source)

George Magnus The role of institutions is really important for societal development. (Source)

best books to study world history

Midnight in Chernobyl

The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster

Adam Higginbotham | 4.14

best books to study world history

Maggie Koerthbaker So I'm reading "Midnight in Chernobyl" because obviously TV viewing needs to come with a syllabus afterwards. https://t.co/bWCLHTy7fq It is very interesting contrasting the fictionalized show, the history book, and the essays meant to debunk aspects of the show. (Source)

best books to study world history

Over the Edge of the World

Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe

Laurence Bergreen | 4.13

best books to study world history

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000

Paul Kennedy | 4.13

best books to study world history

The History of the Ancient World

From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome

Susan Wise Bauer | 4.13

best books to study world history

Destiny Disrupted

A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

Tamim Ansary | 4.12

best books to study world history

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

Daniel Yergin | 4.12

best books to study world history

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)

Chris Goodall A wonderfully readable history of the development of the oil age. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Age of Empire, 1875-1914

Eric Hobsbawm | 4.12

best books to study world history

Lawrence in Arabia

War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East

Scott Anderson | 4.12

best books to study world history

The Age of Extremes

A History of the World, 1914-1991

best books to study world history

The Great Game

The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia

Peter Hopkirk | 4.11

best books to study world history

Stephen Evans This takes me away from London and cholera to Afghanistan, the North West Frontier and Central Asia. Hopkirk’s Great Game is a history of the game of exploration and espionage played out by representatives of Britain and Russia in the 19th century. (Source)

best books to study world history

Why the West Rules—for Now

The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future

Ian Morri | 4.11

George Magnus Of all the books that left an indelible impression on my mind, this is certainly one of them. (Source)

best books to study world history

Prisoners of Geography

Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World

Tim Marshall | 4.11

best books to study world history

Lee Mckenzie This is a great book and by far the best thing I have read for a while. If you are curious about the world in which we live, geopolitics or just fancy something a little different, you couldn’t do much better than this. Coffee optional! @Itwitius 👏🏻 #prisonersofgeography https://t.co/Gd3G2tDVyT (Source)

Sunil Chhetri @TaranaRaja The cover got me and I'm sure the book is very, very interesting! (Source)

Lucas Morales Depending on your interest and goals, if you are like me and always looking for the trends in the big picture then I highly recommend being an active contrarian reader. Read what no one else is reading. Your goal is to think outside the box. To look at the world and ask “why hasn’t this been solved?” And that gives you a roadmap as to what opportunities may exist for your entrepreneurial efforts.... (Source)

best books to study world history

Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Alfred Lansing | 4.10

best books to study world history

Ryan Holiday 50 plus years old, this is a story that more than stands the test of time. Sir Ernest Shackleton makes his daring attempt to cross Antarctic continent but his crew and boat are trapped in the ice flows. What follows are 600 days of harrowing survival, first from the elements, then from hunger, then from the sea as he makes a daring attempt in a small lifeboat to reach land 650 miles away, then... (Source)

Scott Belsky I think that there are some biographies, the Doris Kearns Goodwin type stuff, the Walter Isaacson classic biographies. I recently read Shackleton’s Endurance story. [...] Which, obviously, relates to my thinking these days, which is just a phenomenal story. And there’s so many interesting leadership lessons of counterintuitive things that he did that help you understand difficult decisions that... (Source)

Mark Moses Truly inspiring story of determination, grit and beating all odds. (Source)

best books to study world history

A Peace to End All Peace

The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and The Creation of the Modern Middle East

David Fromkin | 4.10

best books to study world history

A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World

Mark Kurlansky | 4.10

best books to study world history

Denise Russell Fascinating small book, immensely interesting and traces human acquaintance with this fish back for a thousand years. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848

Eric Hobsbawm | 4.09

best books to study world history

Europe Between Hitler and Stalin

Timothy Snyder | 4.09

best books to study world history

Eric Weinstein [Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

Antony Beevor This book is about…the Stalinist repression of the areas known as the borderlands, which Snyder has termed the bloodlands. Snyder is looking at the deliberate mass murder of civilians in a particular zone of Europe between about 1930, at the start of the second Ukraine famine, and 1945. (Source)

Edward Lucas Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin offers the best account of the most important and terrible years of the last century, when Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler jointly consigned the territories and people between their two empires to the meat-grinder. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Path Between the Seas

The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914

David McCullough | 4.09

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2013.] (Source)

Holger Arians Historian David McCullough wrote one of the most factually accurate and detailed books about the construction of the Panama Canal. Why would such a book interest a leader? Because it shows how a great thing was achieved, and what it took to take the project from the paper and make it a reality. Great things are never simple and easy to achieve. It takes creativity. Mistakes happen and losses are... (Source)

best books to study world history

How the World Became Modern

Stephen Greenblatt | 4.08

best books to study world history

Civilization

The West and the Rest

Niall Ferguson | 4.08

best books to study world history

Rupert Murdoch Can't wait to start reading Niall Ferguson's new book, Civilization, The West and the Rest. Bet lots to think about. (Source)

best books to study world history

Dambisa Moyo What I found interesting and what I like about this book is the fact that Niall takes a very broad look at the East-West theme. When people are looking at this issue of East versus West, or West versus the Rest, they tend to focus either on politics (which is very important and we’ll talk about that when we discuss Richard McGregor’s book on the Chinese Communist Party) or on economics. But there... (Source)

best books to study world history

The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Dava Sobel, Neil Armstrong | 4.07

Richard Branson Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

best books to study world history

A History of Europe Since 1945

Tony Judt | 4.07

best books to study world history

David Marquand This book is all about the way that Europe has managed – not always totally successfully, but managed nevertheless – to come to terms with its bloody and horrible past. (Source)

Keith Lowe What (Source)

best books to study world history

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

A Leadership Fable

Patrick Lencioni | 4.06

best books to study world history

Jennifer Rock In Patrick Lencioni's book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the executive asks her senior leaders "Who is your first team?" And they each answer incorrectly that it's the team that reports to him or her. The point is that you need to shift your perspective to understanding your senior leadership peers are your first team. We read that book as a leadership team in a corporation where I worked --... (Source)

Joel Gascoigne A leadership fable about a failing Silicion Valley tech company who brings in a new CEO. Kathryn attempts to unite a highly dysfunctional team and through his narrative Lencioni explains the five key ways that teams struggle, and how to overcome the hurdles. I read this book at a key point in time where we were just discovering that we needed to put our values into words and shape the culture of... (Source)

Mikhail Dubov One of the five books recommends to young people interested in his career path. (Source)

best books to study world history

All Quiet on the Western Front

Erich Maria Remarque, A W. Wheen | 4.06

best books to study world history

Cécile Fabre He knows that his pleasure at a beautiful landscape, at the smell of good food, will forever be coloured by what the landscape looked like in the trenches, by the food that was cooked in the trenches. (Source)

best books to study world history

Say Nothing

A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

Patrick Radden Keefe | 4.06

best books to study world history

Carrie Johnson The best book I read last year. 📚 https://t.co/CULq9zZHEU (Source)

Margot Wallström I recommend the book ”Say nothing” about Northern Ireland and IRA. It makes fascinating reading about memories, murder, mourning and making peace. (Source)

Mikko Takkunen Just finished reading this remarkable book by @praddenkeefe. I was baffled getting this from @VeronicaSanchis as I don’t remember ever showing particular interest in the Troubles, but she obviously knows me better than I do. https://t.co/KlBCF41y47 https://t.co/PnJlLCZyQD (Source)

best books to study world history

The Age of Capital, 1848-1875

Eric Hobsbawm | 4.06

best books to study world history

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak | 4.05

best books to study world history

Lydia Ruffles The (Source)

best books to study world history

An Intimate History

Siddhartha Mukherjee | 4.05

best books to study world history

Bill Gates "Mukherjee wrote this book for a lay audience, because he knows that the new genome technologies are at the cusp of affecting us all in profound ways," Gates wrote. Mukherjee is what Gates calls a "quadruple threat." He's a practicing physician, teacher, researcher, and author. (Source)

Amit Paranjape @vikramsathaye @DrSidMukherjee @kiranshaw Great book. (Source)

best books to study world history

Bryan Johnson A great book. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Prince [with Biographical Introduction]

Nicollo Machiavelli, Tim Parks | 4.05

best books to study world history

Eric Ripert A fascinating study and still wholly relevant. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Prince (Machiavelli) [to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Ryan Holiday Of course, this is a must read. Machiavelli is one of those figures and writers who is tragically overrated and underrated at the same time. Unfortunately that means that many people who read him miss the point and other people avoid him and miss out altogether. Take Machiavelli slow, and really read him. Also understand the man behind the book–not just as a masterful writer but a man who... (Source)

best books to study world history

The March of Folly

From Troy to Vietnam

Barbara W. Tuchman | 4.05

best books to study world history

Anne Applebaum | 4.04

best books to study world history

Hidden Figures

The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race

Margot Lee Shetterly | 4.04

Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program—and whose contributions have been unheralded, until now.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as “Human Computers,” calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts by...

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as “Human Computers,” calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts by Jim Crow laws, these “colored computers,” as they were known, used slide rules, adding machines, and pencil and paper to support America’s fledgling aeronautics industry, and helped write the equations that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Drawing on the oral histories of scores of these “computers,” personal recollections, interviews with NASA executives and engineers, archival documents, correspondence, and reporting from the era, Hidden Figures recalls America’s greatest adventure and NASA’s groundbreaking successes through the experiences of five spunky, courageous, intelligent, determined, and patriotic women: Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and Gloria Champine.

best books to study world history

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded

August 27, 1883

Simon Winchester | 4.04

best books to study world history

Long Walk To Freedom

Nelson Mandela | 4.04

best books to study world history

Barack Obama As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved. It also gives me a chance to highlight talented authors – some who are household names and others who you may not have heard of before. Here’s my best of 2018... (Source)

Bianca Belair For #BHM I will be sharing some of my favorite books by Black Authors 21st Book: Long Walk to Freedom -Nelson Mandela Read about his journey from childhood to the struggles of living under apartheid to becoming a freedom fighter & leader of his country. He is inspirational! https://t.co/bdvZu0kbh0 (Source)

best books to study world history

How the Irish Saved Civilization

The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

Thomas Cahill | 4.04

best books to study world history

The First World War

John Keegan | 4.04

best books to study world history

World War Z

An Oral History of the Zombie War

Max Brooks | 4.04

best books to study world history

Geoffrey Miller World War Z (the book, not the movie) by @maxbrooksauthor is an incredibly well-researched, thoughtful, horrifying page-turner that explores the many ways that people, media, & gov'ts are likely to mismanage global pandemics. Highly prescient must-read. https://t.co/04YMqnu06e https://t.co/7dyx0F9qqB (Source)

P W Singer and August Cole It’s about more than a zombie takeover, it’s about what it means to live together in a prosperous and stable world. (Source)

Greg Garrett World War Z is a novel that bridges the gap between pulp and high literature. It takes a subject matter which we would think of as mainstream geek culture, but it finds universal human themes, develops characters that you care about, and also manages to be culturally critical. It is clearly critical of many of the post-9/11 choices made by the United States and Britain. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Spy and the Traitor

The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

Ben Macintyre | 4.04

best books to study world history

Casey Neistat just finished this yesterday. absolutely fantastic book. super recommend if you're into spycraft and espionage. bravo @BenMacintyre1 https://t.co/4OG4C1cBQ1 (Source)

Isabel Hardman @holland_tom @BenMacintyre1 Oh it’s a brilliant book isn’t it. Another one I was sad to finish. (Source)

Amrullah Saleh I had a great conversation with Ambassador Micheal Lund Jeppesen of @DKinAfghanistan . On the sidelines of our rich conversation we spoke of the Spy & the Traitor a great book in which Denmark's intelligence features highly. Proud of our alliance & cooperation. https://t.co/47GMb7ETWr (Source)

best books to study world history

The Origins of Political Order

From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution

Francis Fukuyama | 4.03

best books to study world history

David Heinemeier Hansson [This book and "Political Order and Political Decay" is] a fantastic two-part book. (Source)

Venkatesh Rao This two-volume book is basically a very extended study of history from that starting point of ‘What happens if you look at history as a convergent evolutionary path that seems to end in liberal democracy? (Source)

best books to study world history

The Last Years of the Roman Republic

Tom Holland | 4.03

best books to study world history

The Fatal Shore

The Epic of Australia's Founding

Robert Hughes | 4.03

best books to study world history

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor

David S. Landes | 4.03

best books to study world history

John Kay He provides an explanation for why Western Europe was the cradle for modern economic growth and looks at the development of the institutions that made modern economic development possible. (Source)

Diane Coyle The Wealth And Poverty of Nations is one of several really fantastic economic history books of recent times. (Source)

best books to study world history

Sean Turnell It’s the most erudite examination of what causes economic development and growth that’s been written in many decades. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Splendid and the Vile

A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

Erik Larson | 4.03

best books to study world history

Three Daughters of China

Jung Chang | 4.03

best books to study world history

Vishakha Desai To me Wild Swans is one of those iconic books for understanding the generations of Chinese women. She is from this amazing intellectual family and it’s about what happens to them. The book just has this tremendous power. It’s an amazing journey. It’s about what women do to survive and also how they suffer. (Source)

Harry Wu Wild Swans is talking about people who are living at the highest level of society but they are still suffering persecution and live in fear. And the peasants in the village became slaves, they became nothing. So what the book does brilliantly is give a real insight into what life was like for ordinary people against the backdrop of the ever-changing China. (Source)

best books to study world history

Cracking the AP World History: Modern Exam 2020, Premium Edition

5 Practice Tests + Complete Content Review + Proven Prep for the New 2020 Exam

The Princeton Review | 4.03

best books to study world history

The War That Ended Peace

The Road to 1914

Margaret MacMillan | 4.03

best books to study world history

Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook

The Complete Middle School Study Guide

Workman Publishing | 4.02

best books to study world history

Catherine the Great

Portrait of a Woman

Robert K. Massie | 4.02

best books to study world history

Elon Musk I know what you're probably thinking ... did she really f* a horse? (Source)

best books to study world history

Nicholas and Alexandra

best books to study world history

The Boys in the Boat

Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Daniel James Brown | 4.02

Daniel James Brown's robust book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in...

Daniel James Brown's robust book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.

The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls together—a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and optimism.

Drawing on the boys' own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, The Boys in the Boat is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant. It will appeal to readers of Erik Larson, Timothy Egan, James Bradley, and David Halberstam's The Amateurs .

best books to study world history

Satya Nadella Nadella calls this tale with a local Seattle connection—it involves an underdog University of Washington crew team and the 1936 Berlin Olympics—”A wonderful illustration of the importance of teamwork, which was a core part of my focus out of the gate as CEO. (Source)

Ryan Holiday Another great narrative nonfiction out this year that I hope you’ll like is: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. (Source)

Gail Kelly Member of the Group of 30, and former CEO of Westpac will be spending her summer months reading a memoir, a novel and historical non-fiction. (Source)

best books to study world history

Plagues and Peoples

William H. McNeill | 4.02

best books to study world history

Arthur Ammann He comes to the conclusion that these epidemics happen primarily because of ecological influences. (Source)

Daniel Headrick What this book does is bring the role of natural forces to the forefront and show how, despite what we think of ourselves, we really are a part of nature. (Source)

best books to study world history

All the Light We Cannot See

Anthony Doerr | 4.02

best books to study world history

Jason Goldman All The Light We Cannot See is the best book I've read in a while. I tend to speed read and here I savored every word; the writing is just effortlessly beautiful. I hope it's made it onto high school WWII syllabi by now. (Source)

best books to study world history

History of the Peloponnesian War

R. Warner Thucydides,M. I. Finley | 4.02

best books to study world history

Ryan Holiday This book – of a long forgotten war – really functions as a biography and strategic analysis of some of the greatest minds in the history of war. We have Pericles, Brasidas, Alcibiades and many others. The anecdotes and the stories in this book are timeless. If you make your way all the way through it, I promise you will not forget it. Because the war was so long, involved so many different... (Source)

Steven Pressfield It is loaded with hardcore, timeless truths and the story it tells ought to be required reading for every citizen in a democracy. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Ghost Map

The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World

Steven Johnson | 4.02

best books to study world history

Seth Mnookin The Ghost Map is a book that I oftentimes give to people to show them how cool and exciting and accessible and gripping stories about scientific discoveries can be. (Source)

Alison Alvarez I read the Ghost Map, a book about 1854 London Cholera outbreak. The outbreak was stopped because of a map created by Dr. John Snow. You can see hints of this map in some of our customer discovery tools because it was such an effective way of pinpointing a solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem. (Source)

Stephen Evans Johnson looks at London during a specific moment in time, August 1854, and focuses on a particular incident, an outbreak of cholera in Soho, in Central London. (Source)

best books to study world history

The Cold War

A New History

John Lewis Gaddis | 4.02

best books to study world history

The Histories

Herodotus, John M. Marincola, et al. | 4.01

best books to study world history

The War of the World

Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West

Niall Ferguson | 4.01

best books to study world history

The World at War, 1939-1945

Max Hastings | 4.01

Born Survivors

Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope

Wendy Holden | 4.01

The Nazis murdered their husbands but concentration camp prisoners Priska, Rachel, and Anka would not let evil take their unborn children too—a remarkable true story that will appeal to readers of The Lost and The Nazi Officer’s Wife, Born Survivors celebrates three mothers who defied death to give their children life.

Eastern Europe, 1944: Three women believe they are pregnant, but are torn from their husbands before they can be certain. Rachel is sent to Auschwitz, unaware that her husband has been shot. Priska and her husband travel there together, but are...

Eastern Europe, 1944: Three women believe they are pregnant, but are torn from their husbands before they can be certain. Rachel is sent to Auschwitz, unaware that her husband has been shot. Priska and her husband travel there together, but are immediately separated. Also at Auschwitz, Anka hopes in vain to be reunited with her husband. With the rest of their families gassed, these young wives are determined to hold on to all they have left—their lives, and those of their unborn babies. Having concealed their condition from infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, they are forced to work and almost starved to death, living in daily fear of their pregnancies being detected by the SS.

In April 1945, as the Allies close in, Priska gives birth. She and her baby, along with Anka, Rachel, and the remaining inmates, are sent to Mauthausen concentration camp on a hellish seventeen-day train journey. Rachel gives birth on the train, and Anka at the camp gates. All believe they will die, but then a miracle occurs. The gas chamber runs out of Zyklon-B, and as the Allied troops near, the SS flee. Against all odds, the three mothers and their newborns survive their treacherous journey to freedom.

On the seventieth anniversary of Mauthausen’s liberation from the Nazis by American soldiers, renowned biographer Wendy Holden recounts this extraordinary story of three children united by their mothers’ unbelievable—yet ultimately successful—fight for survival.

best books to study world history

Nothing to Envy

Ordinary Lives in North Korea

Barbara Demick, Karen White, et al | 4.01

best books to study world history

Hyeonseo Lee She includes great details that show everyday life in North Korea. (Source)

The Sleepwalkers

How Europe Went to War in 1914

Christopher Clark, Derek Perkins, et al | 4.01

best books to study world history

The History of the Medieval World

From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade

Susan Wise Bauer | 4.01

best books to study world history

A Woman of No Importance

The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II

Sonia Purnell | 4.00

best books to study world history

Elizabeth Taylor During these challenging times, tales of resistance in World War II have found a receptive audience. In the case of Sonia Purnell’s biography, Americans are keen to read about our own countryman’s heroism.At the center of Purnell’s biography is socialite Virginia Hall of Baltimore, Maryland who had been shut out of the American diplomatic corps in the 1930s and stuck as a clerk in the State... (Source)

best books to study world history

A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance

Portrait of an Age

William Manchester | 4.00

best books to study world history

Robert Stephens @benedictevans Book looks fascinating. Check out “A World Lit Only By Fire” https://t.co/cWuTsCAHaT (Source)

Dave Elitch [Dave Elitch recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)

best books to study world history

An Army at Dawn

The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #1)

Rick Atkinson | 4.00

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In the first volume of his monumental trilogy about the liberation of Europe in WW II, Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson tells the riveting story of the war in North Africa

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History Books

The best books on global history, recommended by maxine berg.

Writing the History of the Global: Challenges for the 21st Century by Maxine Berg

Writing the History of the Global: Challenges for the 21st Century by Maxine Berg

From the Indian cottons that were traded around Asia and Africa in the Middle Ages, to the global dominance of the blue-and-white pottery of Jingdezhen, historian Maxine Berg introduces five books that transformed our understanding of the past millennium and are significant milestones in the development of the vibrant field of global history.

Interview by Benedict King

The best books on Global History - The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy by Kenneth Pomeranz

The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy by Kenneth Pomeranz

The best books on Global History - Cotton: the Fabric that made the Modern World by Giorgio Riello

Cotton: the Fabric that made the Modern World by Giorgio Riello

The best books on Global History - The City of Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and the Early Modern World by Anne Gerritsen

The City of Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and the Early Modern World by Anne Gerritsen

The best books on Global History - Vermeer's Hat: The seventeenth century and the dawn of the global world by Timothy Brook

Vermeer's Hat: The seventeenth century and the dawn of the global world by Timothy Brook

The best books on Global History - Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science by James Poskett

Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science by James Poskett

best books to study world history

1 The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy by Kenneth Pomeranz

2 cotton: the fabric that made the modern world by giorgio riello, 3 the city of blue and white: chinese porcelain and the early modern world by anne gerritsen, 4 vermeer's hat: the seventeenth century and the dawn of the global world by timothy brook, 5 horizons: the global origins of modern science by james poskett.

Before we get on to the books I want to ask you about global history’s emergence as a discipline. It’s quite a big thing now. When and why did that happen? Was it a result of historians seeing the limitations of a narrower focus in historical writing? Or was it about changes in the outside world, globalization happening and historians becoming more conscious of that?

Many, many people take that latter position, that historians were just responding to globalization . I don’t think that is the reason why historians took up this field when they did, and in the way that they did. I think we have to look at a much wider intellectual history. Historians are intellectuals and we have to look at their work much as they would look at the texts of earlier political or social thinkers, and set them in their intellectual context, and not just see what they do as knee-jerk reactions to changes happening in the economy and the wider world. So I do not accept this version, that we just joined in with globalization.

I remember going to sessions run by the politics department or the sociology department in the 1990s looking at the impact of globalization on British industry, these very contemporary topics. I was originally trained as an economic historian. I was in an economics department for 15 years so I have these wider social science interests. But I never saw another historian at any of these meetings. There were a few economic historians, but they were really economist-economic historians, and that was the direction they were coming from, asking questions like ‘was there a convergence of prices as trade increased?’ I really don’t think that globalization had caught on then.

The big shift came in the later 1990s. There was an interest coming from a group in California looking at Chinese history. They were historians of China debating with historians of Europe, that’s where things really started to gel.

And that’s the background to your first book choice, Ken Pomeranz’s The Great Divergence , published in 2000, isn’t it?

Yes. Pomeranz was in a group of historians and historical sociologists in the California system, including UC Davis and Irvine and UCLA historians. They were debating these issues of comparative history and what became known as global history.  There had been world histories before this and some, like Ken Pomeranz, were very much engaged in the world history movement. There had long been a Journal of World History; indeed there was a whole subject area called ‘world history.’ This was replacing ‘western civ’ courses in American universities, in the school system and also, interestingly, in the American military academies. One of the early global historians, Jerry Bentley, who was also very much engaged in world history , told me he thought the origins were in the American military academy, where they were trying to give all these soldiers that they were sending around the world some background in other people’s histories, because they really only received American history at school and university.

“Global history is a way of thinking”

So there was that older tradition, but it was mainly a teaching tradition. It was not a tradition of research initiatives in new directions in historical research. That really all started with those debates that were going on in this California school and the wide impact of Ken Pomeranz’s The Great Divergence . He was looking at China in comparison with Europe, not Europe in comparison with China, with China always being the lesser player. He tried to develop what he called ‘reciprocal comparison,’ looking at the region that you’re dealing with through the lens of another region. His is a comparison between China and Europe in the period leading up to 1800.

He made this quite big claim that China was equal to Europe right up to 1800. Then the paths diverged. It was a very big claim to make at that time. He compared natural resources, he compared agricultural systems, he compared industries, and went through all these comparisons. He also zeroed in on a comparison between the Yangtze Valley and Britain, because Britain was the first country to witness the Industrial Revolution and the Yangtze Valley was the most highly developed area of China that transformed from the 16th century into the 18th century.

I cannot tell you how exciting that book was when it hit the press. It was a Princeton University Press book, so very much an academic publisher, but one looking out for new directions, in fields being developed. Pomeranz was almost instantly on a lecture tour all over the world and for at least two years after that book was published; it was being read everywhere.

Let’s move on to Giorgio Riello, Cotton: The Fabric that Made the Modern World. Tell us about this book.

The cotton industry was one of the key drivers and the most traditional explanation used for the industrial transformation of Europe. Then, later, it was taken up in explaining industrial revolutions in other parts of the world.

So many of the approaches that we had to the cotton industry had been Europe-centered, particularly British-centered, and even Lancashire-centered. This book set the whole framework of the development of the cotton industry in its wide global context. It showed that the really important framework was not just technologies and the development of access to cotton resources, but the markets for Indian cottons. It was Indian cottons—their quality, the way that they had been dyed with fixed dyes and the way that they could be printed in vibrant and colourful patterns—that were a huge attraction to Europeans, to people in Southeast Asia and the Americas and markets in many parts of the world. There was this big trade in these cotton goods from India from very early on, the 14th and 15th centuries, and a smaller trade centuries before this. These cottons from Gujarat travelled up through the Middle East and East Africa­—there were big markets in East Africa as well.

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Indian merchants, with their versatile sailing ships, the dhows, sailed right round India down into Southeast Asia, trading their cottons into Southeast Asia for spices, the cottons then being traded with Chinese merchants. So this was a big Asian and African product before it was a European industrial commodity. It was also a high-quality product. Printing and the fine quality of the cottons were very, very important to its story. Very few, before Riello wrote this book, claimed anything other than that Britain could produce this cotton cheaper because it developed machines to do so. The traditional view posed that the low cost of cotton goods drove consumers to replace their linens, silks and woollens. But this book offers very much a consumer-led explanation, an explanation based on cotton’s quality, fashion and design. It transformed the whole way that we have looked at why the cotton industry took off as and when it did.

Does he go on to talk about the Industrial Revolution and Britain’s role?

Yes, there was a huge demand for cotton goods. There were blockages in the market from India, especially after the middle of the 18th century. There were access problems as demand rose rapidly. What happened in Britain, first of all, was that textile manufacturers produced a combination of linen and cotton, called fustian. It was a cheaper fabric. It was dyed and printed, but the quality difference was huge. So there was a big drive on to improve the technologies in order to use more cotton and less linen. This required access to high-quality cotton, because those early machines—the jenny, the water frame, the mule—all worked best with high-quality cottons. In their early phases, those high-quality cottons were brought from Brazil and the Caribbean using slave labour. Slavery is fundamental to that early transition of the British and European cotton industries.

Riello demonstrates this and how British markets developed in competition with producers in India. There was a drive to imitate those Indian textiles and to produce these in European colourways and designs.  The British didn’t produce something better, but they did produce a version that was attractive to wide markets. They had real problems with the African market. The African markets were highly specialized and demanded high luxury cotton textiles; they sought out Indian textiles. It took a long time for the British to break into those markets, but they needed these markets because they traded textiles for enslaved people.

Let’s move on to The City of Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and the Early Modern World  by Anne Gerritsen.

This is a wonderful book. Anne Gerritsen is a historian of China, of the Song and early Ming dynasties. She was a literary historian, but she worked on the region in China where the great city of Jingdezhen was located, in the Jiangxi region. Anna Gerritsen teaches at Warwick University, and she regarded herself as a local historian. But the local historians in the history department there at that time were mostly European historians, and they had a peculiar preconception that a Chinese historian was a modern historian. So they did not engage with her.

I had started an 18th-century reading group at Warwick, and we were discussing consumption and luxury goods. The luxury good I myself was very interested in at that time was porcelain, its development and how it was imitated in Europe, and more generally the impact of  Asian luxury goods on Europe. There was this great city that produced most of the porcelain for China and for the world in her region of study, and she started to research the city as a local historian.

“The fine ceramics of the world were all produced in this one place in China”

So her book is an urban history. It’s a history of how the fine ceramics of the world were all produced in this one place in China, up until Europe and other places learned the porcelain recipe in the early 18th century. Nearly all of that blue and white porcelain that is so famous all over the world was produced from this one city. The city held huge factories, far beyond the extent and the size of any factory in the European industrial revolution.

This is a great, scholarly book, an urban history, a history of porcelain, a history of the migrant workforce that was brought into this city, to work in these huge kilns. These kilns produced whatever anybody wanted. They were very receptive to all the different design techniques. And there were huge markets in the Middle East and South east Asia. The Koran stated that it was not right to eat off gold and silver. Wealthy and even more middle status Islamic consumers ate off porcelain. The significance of this place, Jingdezhen, needed to be told to the world, and this is the book which has done so.

When was it actively producing porcelain? When was its heyday?

There were other porcelain centres and they produced different types of porcelain. The production of porcelain certainly goes back into the Tang Dynasty. It’s an ancient craft, and was produced in different parts of China in during the Song Dynasty, too. But it’s really from the 12th century onwards that we see the development in this region, and it’s particularly important as a world centre during the Ming Dynasty from the 14th century onwards. It’s a big centre still.

There was an exhibition in the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern not so many years ago by Ai Weiwei, his great sunflower seed exhibition. All of those sunflowers seeds were made of porcelain and hand painted in Jingdezhen, and there were probably millions of them. The people of Jingdezhen, at that point, didn’t seem to know about their significance in the world. But they were very grateful to Ai Weiwei, who had given them good work for some time producing all of these flowerseeds. There’s also a famous shard market in Jingdezhen because builders and many others are digging up all these shards of these ancient porcelains, even now.

Next up is Vermeer’s Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World  by Tim Brook.

This was written quite early on in the global history initiative. Tim Brook is also a historian of China. He has written on Chinese cities and has done a lot of work on the Ming Dynasty. He’s not an art historian, but a  cultural and social historian of China. This book was a kind of entry for him into global history. He chose the perspective of writing about some of Vermeer ‘s paintings, taking a microscopic look at those paintings and the objects depicted in them. He then followed out from those objects to tell a story of the 16th and 17th centuries, especially 17th-century global history. Each chapter starts with a different object. There’s a beaver hat, there’s smoking, porcelain, Turkish carpets. It’s a book written for a wide audience. It wasn’t intended as a scholarly work. But it told the wider reading public about this whole new approach to writing about the world. It’s beautifully written, and starts off with him falling off his bicycle in Delft, and then his entry into discovering this wide world of objects. It’s very much an object-based entry into global history.

Let’s move on to Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science  by James Poskett.

This is a new book and it tackles one of the subjects that has been most difficult to incorporate into global history, and that’s the history of ideas, intellectual history, and especially the history of science, which is very much part of the history of ideas. James Poskett introduces us to these European-based histories of science. As written from the late 19th century onwards, wherever the history of science has reached out to the wider world, it has always been considered as something that was transmitted from Europe, and picked up and adapted in other parts of the world, not that other parts of the world were making any major contribution to scientific endeavour and scientific progress in themselves.

He discusses very different conceptions of science. Is it something that just takes place in the lab? We often think of it that way. Or is it in the minds of so-called great scientists? It’s also technology. It involves many different practices that, for some time now, historians have been presenting more as a history of knowledge than a history of science. But he sets this  knowledge framework within the domain of the history of science. He takes us through these worlds of Copernicus, of Newton, of the atom, and all these traditional subject areas, but he shows how much they were created just as much by connections and endeavours from other parts of the world. Newton could not have done his work without the data that was being collected around the world, for instance from merchants, travellers and, indigenous peoples in various parts of the world collecting information on the tides. He was embedded in this world of data collecting. There’s wonderful material on natural history and the way that practices and collections were introduced to Europeans by indigenous groups in many parts of the world; the use of resources brought into Europe by these encounters, and how we just could not have had the kind of European science that developed without this interaction.

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Another very interesting point is that the great advances of Islamic science during the medieval period have always been acknowledged, but it’s always presented as a story of decline after that; similarly, with Indian mathematics. He shows us that in both instances this was certainly not the case. He also makes the point that China is growing faster than anywhere else, and that it is a great science centre now. We need to know that this isn’t something that has just happened now—there is a long history to it.

It’s a fascinating book, also written for a broad audience, and based on recent scholarship over the past 10 to 20 years. Certainly over the past 10 years there’s been a movement among historians of science to investigate the contributions of what they call ‘go-betweens’ and the indigenous roots of a number of scientific hypotheses and experiments.

Finally, tell me about your book, Writing the History of the Global: Challenges for the 21st Century . What issues were you and your co-authors trying to address in that?

It was published in 2013, based on a conference that was run in 2009. Many famous historians contributed to the book. It’s very much tied to that conference, which brought together historians from many different fields and many areas of the world. It was not just a group that self-identified as global historians. Among the themes of the book was the question of how the challenge of the global was affecting historical research and writing.

It’s been nearly ten years since the book came out. When people are looking for introductions to the field, this has been one of the go-to books because it sets out that moment of transition for historians as a whole engaging with this field. We interviewed a number of these historians. There is an archive of conversations with all these historians at the time, in addition to those who contributed to the edited volume , so that is another great resource.

I should say that since the book was published, there has been a great deal of critique and rethinking of global history. People have raised really serious questions with which we need to engage. Two of the things we never talked enough about were war and slavery . My new book, which I have co-authored, is on slavery and the Industrial Revolution. We asked ourselves, a global approach to history was great for people who were on the move, but what about those who just stayed at home? What happened with them? How do we write about them as part of the world? There’s also been a more recent discussion of capitalism. What intervention can global history make in our histories of capitalism? What part do we play there? So there has been a lot of critique recently, but I think it has pushed new thinking. There are lots of problems in the world now, but we’re intellectuals and we need to reflect on this. We don’t just have knee-jerk reactions.

I hope we never abandon global approaches to our history writing and go back to those old national histories and area studies. I hope global history will continue.

I also want to make a very strong plea that we continue to write our locally-focused histories. Our local histories are absolutely fundamental. We are historians, we go to archives, we want to find out the nitty-gritty of how events occurred, how social structures emerged, and how ideas were formed. We need to have our feet on the ground where we research. Global history is a way of thinking. It’s a way in which you approach your materials, your archives. It raises the questions that you want to ask of your materials, but we need to preserve our deep, archival understanding of the subjects we research.

July 20, 2022

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Maxine Berg

Maxine Berg

FBA is Professor of History Emerita, University of Warwick, where she taught 1978-2022. Her books include The Machinery Question and the Making of Political Economy 1815-1848 ; The Age of Manufactures , A Woman in History: Eileen Power 1889-1940 . She has researched over the fields of economic history, women’s history, the history of luxury and material culture, global history, and most recently on aspects of indigenous First Nations history and the history of slavery. She has recently completed a new book, Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution together with Pat Hudson, due to be published in 2023.

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The Best World History Books

Our world is full of history. From the macro—the origins of the universe and the history of history—to the micro—redheads and adventure—here are some of the best world history books to broaden your horizons. Each is a deep, thoughtful look at the topic at hand and sure to get you thinking something new about the world around you.

Upheaval

by Jared Diamond

In his third book about civilization and history, Jared Diamond shows how successful nations recover from crises and adopt selective changes—a coping mechanism is more commonly associated with individuals recovering from personal crises. From Japan's forced reopening to transformations of Germany and Austria after World War II, Diamond shares how the nations coped using various mechanisms like self-appraisal, acceptance of responsibility, and learning from the past of other nations. He then examines how nations can use these methods to cope with their current and future crises. In  Upheaval , Jared Diamond turns history into a psychological topic, focusing how both entire nations and individual people can respond to challenges with similar methods.

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Origin Story

Origin Story

by David Christian

Origin Story  covers the whole of history—from the big bang through the present day—to change how we perceive the universe and our existence. David Christian takes a deep look at all 13.8 billion years of where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. He follows major events, trends, and questions through history to find the hidden threads that hold it all together. The creation of the planet, the advent of agriculture, and the act of nuclear war are all related and tied together. David Christian's  Origin Story  takes everything you think you know about human history and reframes it and our place in the world.

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Red

by Jacky Colliss Harvey

In Jacky Colliss Harvey's  Red , we get a deep exploration of the redhead gene and how it's traveled through time. She follows the strand of red hair through history and how the prejudices against red hair have thrived from medieval Europe to the modern age of art and literature. She covers the first positive symbols of red hair in children's characters, the genetic and chemical decoding of red hair, and, of course, red hair in contemporary culture—"gingerism" and bullying at the forefront.

  • Audiobook Download (Unabridged)

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Dominion

by Tom Holland

Tom Holland digs into every facet of Christianity in  Dominion , from how it became the main visible culture of the western world to how Jesus is worshipped as a god. He also covers our morals and ethics—as well as concepts like liberalism, science, and homosexuality—and how they are so deeply rooted in Christianity. From Babylon to the Beatles and beyond,  Dominion  covers all of human history through the lens of Christianity.

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War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning

War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning

by Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges is a veteran war correspondent who has survived ambushes, imprisonment, and beatings. He's seen children murdered for sport. He's seen war at its absolutely worst and knows how those in the trenches can find it to be a reason for living. Drawing from his own experiences and the vast world of literature on combat, Hedges exposes the many ways in which war corrupts everything around it.  War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning  is a sad look at the horrors and power of war and how it touches humans and nations alike.

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The Mapmaker's Wife

The Mapmaker's Wife

by Robert Whitaker

In the early 18th century, three French scientists set off on an expedition to South America to measure the precise shape of the earth. They faced terrifying things, from the Andes to jaguars and pumas, and barely finished the work. One was murdered, one died from fever, and one nearly died of heartbreak as he was separated from his wife for twenty years. Jean and Isabel were victims of messy international politics and spent years trying to find each other from opposite ends of the Amazon. Isabel's story is one of human endurance and female resourcefulness that kept her neighbors at home on the edge of their seats.  The Mapmaker's Wife  by Robert Whitaker draws from the original writings of the mapmakers as well as his own experiences retracing her steps to tell an adventurous love story.

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The Invention of Yesterday

The Invention of Yesterday

by Tamim Ansary

Humans have invented history. That's the thesis of Tamim Ansary's  The Invention of Yesterday . He declares that history isn't heroic, geographic, or anthropogenic; it's narrative. Because at the beginning of human history, there were groups of hunter-gatherers who told stories to organize for survival and find purpose and meaning. When all these groups intersected, chaos ensued: war, religious awakenings, intellectual breakthroughs, and so many more events occurred. And with that, Ansary explains that the narratives we tell today shape us and our future.

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around October 1, 2019. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

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  • The 60 Best History Books of All Time (to Read at Any Age)

The Best History Books of All Time Cover

​“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” George Santayana wrote in 1905. As humans, we can only remember our own past, but we’ve also invented a mind-blowing technology: books. Because others wrote down their past right after it happened, we can “remember” a lot more than just what we’ve experienced ourselves. That’s why history books are some of the most interesting, important, and valuable reads of all — and if you’re here for an overview of the best ones, I say come in, take a seat, and get comfortable!

A good history book will transport you to a time and place in which you’ll never live and introduce you to people you’ll never get to meet. Best of all, it’ll drop you off back home safely and in time for dinner! Whether you’re curious, care about society and our planet, or want to be successful, you could do worse than to start with the history section in the library. Ray Dalio , CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, credits studying history for his great understanding of macroeconomics — reading history books literally made him a billionaire!

So, if you’re ready to explore how humans came to be the dominating species, what pros and cons different political systems have, or which technological innovations have had the biggest impact on humanity, we’ve got just the curriculum for you. After summarizing over 1,000 books , we’ve hand-selected the absolute best titles in the history category for you.

In order to make this list easy to navigate, we’ve sorted the best history books into several groups:

Best History Books Overall

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  • India, China, and the East
  • Space, Time, and the Universe
  • The Evolution of Humans
  • Global Politics
  • Civilization and Society
  • Nation States and Political Systems
  • The Evolution of Philosophy
  • Climate Change & Population Growth

Best History Books With a Self-Help Angle

  • Important People

For each book, we’ve included our favorite quote, a one-sentence-summary of the book, why you might want to read it, and three key takeaways. We’ve also added links to read the free summary of the book on Four Minute Books or buy a copy for yourself on Amazon. Just use the buttons below each title. Lastly, use the clickable table of contents below to quickly jump to any book or category . There should also be an arrow in the bottom right corner that you can use to come back up here at any time!

Alright, the class is in session! Let’s dive deep into the world’s best history books!

Table of Contents

1. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

2. the lessons of history by will & ariel durant, 3. the dawn of everything by david graeber & david wengrow, 4. the evolution of everything by matt ridley, 5. factfulness by hans rosling, 6. enlightenment now by steven pinker, 7. a people’s history of the united states by howard zinn .

  • 8. Common Sense by Thomas Paine 

9. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

10. the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson, 11. orientalism by edward w. said, 12. restart by mihir s. sharma, 13. age of ambition by evan osnos, 14. napoleon the great by andrew roberts.

  • 15. The House of Rothschild by Niall Ferguson 

16. A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage

17. salt: a world history by mark kurlansky, 18. homo deus by yuval noah harari, 19. how we got to now by steven johnson, 20. the third wave by steve case.

  • 21. At Home by Bill Bryson 

22. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

23. a brief history of time by stephen hawking, 24. the double helix by james d. watson, 25. the selfish gene by richard dawkins, 26. sex at dawn by christopher ryan, 27. a splendid exchange by william j. bernstein, 28. capitalism by james fulcher, 29. narrative economics by robert j. shiller, 30. a world in disarray by richard haass, 31. prisoners of geography by tim marshall, 32. the power of myth by joseph campbell, 33. the republic by plato, 34. caste by isabel wilkerson, 35. the social contract by jean-jaques rousseau, 36. capitalism and freedom by milton friedman.

  • 37. The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek 

38. Socialism by Michael W. Newman

39. fascism by madeleine k. albright, 40. on liberty by john stuart mill, 41. how democracies die by steven levitsky.

  • 42. Discourses by Epictetus 

43. The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo

  • 44. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker 
  • 45. Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes 

46. The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant

47. lives of the stoics by ryan holiday, 48. the sixth extinction by elizabeth kolbert, 49. the uninhabitable earth by david wallace-wells, 50. empty planet by darrell bricker & john ibbitson.

  • 51. The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli 

52. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

53. the 48 laws of power by robert greene, 54. alexander the great by philip freeman, 55. benjamin franklin: an american life by walter isaacson, 56. the autobiography of malcolm x by malcolm x, 57. steve jobs by walter isaacson, 58. the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot, 59. a woman of no importance by sonia purnell, 60. long walk to freedom by nelson mandela, other book lists by topic, other book lists by author.

Best History Books #1: Sapiens

Favorite Quote

“History is something that very few people have been doing while everyone else was ploughing fields and carrying water buckets.” — Yuval Noah Harari

The Book in One Sentence

Sapiens  is your guide to becoming an expert on the entire history of the human race as it reviews everything our species has been through from ancient ancestors to our dominating place in the world today.

Why should you read it?

This might be the most comprehensive, all-in-one history book out there. It is jam-packed with fascinating facts and details, making it an essential read for anyone interested in human history.

Key Takeaways

  • The ability to think gave early humans language, which eventually led to agricultural advances allowing them to grow exponentially. 
  • Improvements in trade were only possible with the invention of money and writing.
  • With better economic and communication means, scientific progress gave our race the abilities necessary to get to where we are today.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

Best History Books #2: The Lessons of History

“You can’t fool all the people all the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country.” — Will & Ariel Durant

The Lessons of History describes recurring themes and trends throughout 5,000 years of human history, viewed through the lenses of 12 different fields, aimed at explaining the present, the future, human nature, and the inner workings of states.

If you want a concise overview of the causes behind major events throughout history, read this book. It will change the way you view society, politics, culture, and even personal relationships. You’ll learn how to see the world through a different lens and finally understand why things happen as they do.

  • Humans are unequal by nature, fighting that would mean giving up freedom.
  • The evolution of humans was a social one, not a biological one.
  • War is a more natural state than peace.

Best History Books #3: The Dawn of Everything

“We are projects of collective self-creation. What if we approached human history that way? What if we treat people, from the beginning, as imaginative, intelligent, playful creatures who deserve to be understood as such?” — David Graeber & David Wengrow

The Dawn of Everything uses archaeological evidence to argue the case that human history did not follow a linear path but emerged from a big, complex network of individual, decentralized communities.

This book puts history on its head, arguing against much of what is taken for granted in schools and universities across the globe. The last book written before Graeber’s sudden death in 2020, it will challenge your very understanding of history, thus making it a top read in the category.

  • There is no single original form of human society; many different versions have developed independently over millennia.
  • There are three ways to dominate in human societies: sovereignty, bureaucracy, and politics.
  • Instead of complaining about inequality, we should ask ourselves how we lost the flexibility and political creativity we once used to have.

Best History Books #4: The Evolution of Everything

“The things that go well are largely unintended; the things that go badly are largely intended.” — Matt Ridley

The Evolution of Everything compares creationist to evolutionist thinking, showing how the process of evolution we know from biology underlies and permeates the entire world, including society, morality, religion, culture, economics, money, innovation, and even the internet.

This could almost qualify as a self-help book. The distinction between creationist and evolutionist thinking, and learning how to spot them both everywhere, will change your life and allow you to make progress in almost any situation.

  • Evolutionist and creationist thinking are two opposing views, and creationist thinking dominates the Western world.
  • Culture, economics, and technology all progress through evolution.
  • Money changed from evolutionist to creationist subject, and the same might happen with the internet.

Best History Books #5: Factfulness

“There’s no room for facts when our minds are occupied by fear.” — Hans Rosling

Factfulness  explains how our worldview has been distorted with the rise of new media, which ten human instincts cause erroneous thinking, and how we can learn to separate fact from fiction when forming our opinions.

This book will help you fight your many biases. Through easy-to-understand research and engaging examples, you’ll learn to see the truth rather than just the media’s spin on things. If Bill Gates can learn something from this book, I think so can you and I.

  • There is no such thing as “the East and the West.” We only have one world.
  • Population growth will eventually level off, despite our perception of increasing numbers.
  • To see the world accurately, you always need multiple perspectives.

Best History Books #6: Enlightenment Now

“There can be no question of which was the greatest era for culture; the answer has to be today, until it is superseded by tomorrow.” — Steven Pinker

Enlightenment Now describes how the values of the Enlightenment — science, reason, humanism, and progress — keep improving our world today, making it a better place day by day, despite the negative news.

This book is a welcome antidote against fake news, media manipulation, and populism. If you need to regain your faith in humanity or want some hope, this title will show you that not everything is as bad as it seems to be in the news.

  • Wealth has increased not just in the West but around the globe, all while decreasing poverty and inequality.
  • The United Nations bring humanism to a global scale, which has made our lives safer than ever.
  • We still have problems, such as AI, terrorism, and the environment, but we must face them with reason.

Best History Books About America and the United States

Best History Books #7: A People's History of the United States

“The memory of oppressed people is one thing that cannot be taken away, and for such people, with such memories, revolt is always an inch below the surface.” — Howard Zinn

A People’s History of the United States will give you a better understanding of the true, sometimes shameful, sometimes inspiring, story of America’s rise to power.

Historically, the US has been terrible at being honest about how it got to where it is. Then again, so are most countries. History is written by the winners, as they say. That’s why it’s so important to get the other side of the story, and that’s what this book delivers. Just be careful not to let your anger keep you from focusing on a better future rather than the not-so-nice past.

  • The founding fathers set up the US government to benefit wealthy landowners, who still have power today.
  • The Civil War wasn’t as much about ending slavery as it was about advancing political interests.
  • The US has repeatedly used war as a way to improve their economic situation.

8. Common Sense by Thomas Paine  

Best History Books #8: Common Sense

“Time makes more converts than reason.” — Thomas Paine

Common Sense is a classic piece of US history that will show you the importance of societies coming together to form a fair governmental system, and how these ideas paved the way for the American revolution.

This book helped kickstart the American Revolution. If you want to know what it takes to write a compelling manifesto, this book is a great place to start. It’ll also show you how to collaborate well and lead great teams by getting people to rally around a shared cause.

  • We depend on each other to survive and thrive, and this means that we need society and rules to guide us.
  • Having kings and queens is a bad idea, it’s better to elect representatives to enact laws that the people want.
  • Just like a teenager preparing to leave home, America came to a point where it had to separate from its mother country.

Best History Books #9: Team of Rivals

“A real democracy would be a meritocracy where those born in the lower ranks could rise as far as their natural talents and discipline might take them.” — Doris Kearns Goodwin

Team of Rivals explains why Abraham Lincoln rose above his political rivals despite their stronger reputations, and how he used empathy to unite not just his enemies but an entire country.

If you want to know more about how Abraham Lincoln managed to do what he did — see through the abolition of slavery — this book is a must. It’s also a good primer on how to work with your enemies rather than against them, something that’s especially needed in today’s times of division and extremism. Bill Gates thinks it’s the best book about leading a country there is.

  • Lincoln’s many hardships as a child shaped his ambitions and strengthened his resolve to succeed as an adult.
  • Due to his brief track record in politics, Lincoln was the most unlikely choice as a presidential candidate.
  • After Lincoln’s assassination, both the North and South felt the country had suffered a tragic loss, since his leadership was extraordinary.

Best History Books #10: The Warmth of Other Suns

“They did what human beings looking for freedom, throughout history, have often done. They left.” — Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns is the story of how and why millions of Black Americans left the South between 1915 and 1970 to escape the brutality of the Jim Crow Laws and find safety, better pay, and more freedom thanks to what is known today as The Great Migration.

Through multiple stories from several perspectives, this book will teach you empathy and a better understanding of the history of Black people in America.

  • The Great Migration happened for many different reasons, and people left from and went to diverse places throughout it.
  • Ida Mae and her family were just one example of a Black family leaving the South to become safer and earn more money.
  • Settling in Chicago, Ida Mae entered the workforce, but like many others, she didn’t see all of the benefits she had hoped moving would bring.

Best History Books About India, China, and the East

Best History Books #11: Orientalism

“Our role is to widen the field of discussion, not to set limits in accord with the prevailing authority.” — Edward W. Said

Orientalism reveals why false Western assumptions about Eastern countries have prevailed for over 200 years, and how they still affect how we view the Eastern world today.

Asian cultures in Western countries are some of the most discriminated against minorities today, and if you care about racism, or rather, want to take a stand against it, this book will show you how to do that when it comes to the Eastern nations of the world.

  • Western people fabricated views of Eastern nations, telling stories in ways that would benefit Western nations. 
  • The inroads of Orientalism made it difficult for even those with a genuine interest in the East to see it truthfully.
  • Although the name has faded, three key characteristics still govern modern Orientalism today.

Best History Books #12: Restart

“Better people are possible to create, even in Delhi.” — Mihir S. Sharma

Restart tells the story of India’s almost-leadership of the world’s economy, showing why and how it instead succumbed to problems from the past, how those problems still hold it back today, and what the country might do about them.

If you know little about India or want to learn more about your country’s history, this book is for you. It’s also a good read if you are or want to go into politics or economics.

  • India struggles in part because of its inadequate infrastructure, which results from cultural beliefs affecting manufacturing practices.
  • Unemployment is a big problem in India because there aren’t enough industrial jobs available, and farms are unprofitable.
  • The government puts too much power in the private sector, but if they didn’t, things could improve.

Best History Books #13: Age of Ambition

“Hope is like a path in the countryside: originally there was no path, but once people begin to pass, a way appears.” — Evan Osnos

Age of Ambition explains how China has gone from impoverished, developing country to a world superpower and economic powerhouse in just 30 years.

This book will get you up to speed on China, but it’ll also show you that normal people still have the power to make a big difference in and for their nation. If you’re fascinated with China’s rise to power, this is the book for you.

  • Politics didn’t cause China’s rise to power, it was the average, everyday peasant class.
  • The Chinese people are ambitious for success.
  • Freedom of choice in China hasn’t always been strong, but the country’s increasing individuality is making it easier.

Best History Books About Europe

Best History Books #14: Napoleon the Great

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” — Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon the Great is the definitive, modern biography of legendary leader, French idol, and European visionary Napoleon Bonaparte, detailing his life from his early years as an immigrant to his rise through the military ranks, all the way to his greatest battles, political achievements, and ultimate exile.

If you ever wanted to learn more about Napoleon Bonaparte and his life, look no further than this very detailed book. It is an easy read yet full of information, much better than reading his Wikipedia page. Plus, the book will show you that if you’re ambitious enough, you can achieve great things in life.

  • Napoleon was (almost) an immigrant, which turned out to be a huge advantage.
  • He had a truly Stoic philosophy about life.
  • Like all great leaders, Napoleon was ahead of his time.

15. The House of Rothschild by Niall Ferguson  

Best History Books #15: The House of Rothschild

“The most outstanding personal qualities may sometimes require exceptional circumstances and world-shattering events to come to fruition.” — Niall Ferguson

The House of Rothschild examines the facts and myths around the wealthiest family in the world in the 19th century, and how they managed to go from being outcast and isolated to building the biggest bank in the world.

One of the aspects of being good at making and handling money is knowing its history, but this book is for more than just investors. If you’re curious about the history of banking or want to break into an industry that’s hard to crack, this book is a must-read.

  • In business, use whatever industry is available to you as a springboard into the next one.
  • If the best solution isn’t good enough, build your own.
  • Expect the 80/20 rule to apply, even in the most extreme cases.

Best History Books About Food

Best History Books #16: A History of the World in 6 Glasses

“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.” — Tom Standage 

A History of the World in 6 Glasses will teach you the origins and impact of the world’s six favorite drinks: beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, and soda.

If you enjoy a good drink or “Feierabendbier,” as we call our post-work beer here in Germany, this book is for you. It’ll teach you more about the origins of your favorite beverage, as well as reveal how different drinks have become dominating forces in various cultures. Fascinating!

  • Beer is much older than you might think and had a major part in the move of our ancestors to farming instead of hunting and gathering.
  • The Middle Ages brought the existence of coffee, which was originally most useful for intellectuals like scientists.
  • Coca-Cola’s original purpose was medicinal, but Americans began drinking it for pleasure and it quickly spread worldwide.

Best History Books #17: Salt: A World History

“The Roman army required salt for its soldiers and for its horses and livestock. At times soldiers were even paid in salt, which was the origin of the word salary and the expression ‘worth his salt’ or ‘earning his salt.’” ― Mark Kurlansky

Salt: A World History explores how the everyday mineral we know as table salt has shaped human civilization for centuries, causing wars and even the rise and fall of entire empires.

If you’re the kind of person who tends to miss the obvious that’s right in front of them, this book is for you. It is a “well-seasoned,” riveting narrative about what seems to be a boring everyday product, showing how it lies at the heart of some of history’s biggest conflicts. Includes lots of illustrations too!

  • One of the wealthiest, ancient, unknown people is the Celts, who built their empire on salt.
  • The demand for salt fueled and escalated the conflict between young America and Great Britain into a full-blown revolutionary war.
  • The salt industry has caused much environmental damage, but the tax levied on it has concentrated power in the hands of a few big players.

Best History Books About Technology

Best History Books #18: Homo Deus

“This is the best reason to learn history: not in order to predict the future, but to free yourself of the past and imagine alternative destinies.” — Yuval Noah Hariri

Homo Deus illustrates the history of the human race from how we came to be the dominant species to what narratives are shaping our lives today, all the way to which obstacles we must overcome next to continue to thrive.

Sapiens is Harari’s take on the past — Homo Deus offers a glimpse into the future. If you care about where the world is headed and want to know which paths might spell our utopia or doom, this is a great read!

  • Shared narratives are what allow us to collaborate at a large scale and, thus, dominate as a species.
  • The most prevalent, current narrative is humanism.
  • Algorithms could eventually replace us, depending on which future narrative takes over.

Best History Books #19: How We Got to Now

“Sometimes the way a new technology breaks is almost as interesting as the way it works.” — Steven Johnson

How We Got to Now explores the history of innovation, how different inventions connect to one another, and what we can do to create an environment in which change and innovation blossom.

Innovation is a complex process, but this book makes it terrific fun to learn more about it. If you want a brief overview of history’s most important inventions or feel like you can’t change the world on your own, this book is a must-read.

  • Innovations can create an environment for more change, rather than just a change on their own.
  • One innovation can act as a springboard for another, unexpected one, and even change the legal situation.
  • Some innovations highly depend on the person creating them and their rich background.

Best History Books #20: The Third Wave

“We’ll realize that what’s emerging is the much broader Internet of Everything.” — Steve Case

The Third Wave lays out the history of the internet, including why it’s about to permeate everything in our lives, as well as what it takes for entrepreneurs to make use of this mega-trend and thrive in an omni-connected, always-online world.

If you feel like you need to get up to speed with the internet (no judgements here), this book is for you. It’ll also show you the potential the internet (still) has, so if you want to build an online business, this is also a great read!

  • The internet will soon permeate everything on this planet.
  • You must embrace disruption to thrive in a Third Wave world.
  • Cooperate with Second Wave incumbents to succeed.

21. At Home by Bill Bryson  

The Best Books About History #21: At Home

“It is always quietly thrilling to find yourself looking at a world you know well but have never seen from such an angle before.” — Bill Bryson

At Home takes you on a tour of the modern home, reminiscing about the history and traditions of each room, thus revealing how the everyday amenities and comforts you now take for granted have come to be.

Everything we take for granted today was once a life-changing innovation. It’s important to not forget how hard-won the things we consider normal originally were. We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants, and this book will help you remember that.

  • Fighting harder for longer: food didn’t come easily until very recently.
  • Rodents and rings made sleep much less regenerative 100 years ago.
  • There are two very different reasons why there’s a salt and a pepper shaker on every kitchen table.

Best History Books About Space, Time, and the Universe

The Best Books About History #22: A Short History of Nearly Everything

“If you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you.” — Bill Bryson

A Short History of Nearly Everything explains everything we’ve learned about our world and the universe so far, including how they formed, how we learned to make sense of time, space, and gravity, why it’s such a miracle that we’re alive, and how much of our planet is still a complete mystery to us.

This book will have you laughing out loud one minute and scratching your head in wonderment the next. If you don’t stop to realize that life is an amazing miracle at least once a week, I fully recommend this book to you!

  • Most of the universe was created in a single, three-minute moment.
  • Given the odds of a planet being livable, it’s a miracle we’re here at all.
  • Every day that the world keeps turning is a gift, because there are many things that could potentially end it.

The Best Books About History #23: A Brief History of Time

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” — Stephen Hawking

A Brief History of Time is Stephen Hawking’s simple way of explaining the most complex concepts and ideas of physics, such as space, time, black holes, planets, stars, and gravity, so that you and I can better understand where our planet came from, and where it’s going.

Stephen Hawking had one of the fastest-traveling minds of anyone who’s ever lived, and yet, he always managed to convey his incredibly complex insights in the simplest of words. Any minute spent reading a page of one of his books is a minute well spent.

  • Theories can never be proven.
  • Time is not fixed, due to the speed of light.
  • There are three reasons why time can likely only move forward.

Best History Books About the Evolution of Humans

The Best Books About History #24: The Double Helix

“One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” — James D. Watson

The Double Helix tells the story of the discovery of the structure of DNA, one of the most significant scientific findings in all of history, by outlining the struggles and rivalries of the prideful scientific community, as well as other roadblocks James Watson faced en route to the breakthrough of a lifetime.

If you’re obsessed with something, be it art, business, or a mysterious natural phenomenon, this book is for you. That’s what James Watson and Francis Crick shared: an obsession with DNA. In this fascinating account of the discovery and analysis of the basic Lego block of life, you’ll be reassured that your passion can take you very far — if only you stick with it!

  • Our recent advancements in our understanding of DNA began with a team of chemists in the 1950s.
  • Things got tough as they competed with others who were also studying DNA.
  • Through perseverance and errors of their competition, Watson and Crick made breakthroughs in the study of genetics that won them a Nobel Prize.

The Best Books About History #25: The Selfish Gene

“Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to, because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs, something that no other species has ever aspired to do.” — Richard Dawkins

The Selfish Gene explains the process of evolution from the perspective of genes, showing how they manifest in the form of organisms, what they do to ensure their own survival, how they program our brains, which of their strategies have worked best throughout history, and what makes humans so special in this context.

If you’ve ever wondered about whether we have free will, this book is for you. Beyond catching you up on everything important you missed while snoozing in biology class, it asserts a shocking theory: What if humans are just the “carriers” of genes, and it’s really the genes running the show? A trippy and yet extremely insight-dense book!

  • Sometimes, mutually altruistic behaviors benefit the genes of two different organisms.
  • Humans have managed to splice off culture with its own evolutionary process.
  • Our ability to simulate and foresee allows us to overcome the downside of our selfish genes.

The Best Books About History #26: Sex at Dawn

“The bigger the society is, the less functional shame becomes.” — Christopher Ryan

Sex at Dawn challenges all conventional views on sex at once by diving deep into our ancestor’s sexual history and the rise of monogamy, as well as delivering starting points for thinking over our understanding of what sex and relationships should really be like.

If you’re shy about sex or know that, deep down, you’re too uptight about it, this book will help. You’ll learn to not stress about sex so much, see it for the biological impulse that it is, and understand that it’s merely a remnant of our distant past, not to be worried about but to be enjoyed.

  • Agriculture marked the beginning of monogamy, and not in a good way.
  • Women want sex just as much as men but are conditioned to play it down.
  • Our bodies have evolved to thrive in sexual competition.

Best History Books About Economics

The Best Books About History #27: A Splendid Exchange

“Few other historical inquiries tell us as much about the world we live in today as does the search for the origins of world trade.” — William J. Bernstein

A Splendid Exchange outlines the history of global trade, revealing how it has enabled the progress of civilization, and how it continues to change the world on a daily basis.

All day long, you’re trading. You’re trading your time for money, your money for goods and services, and goods and services for quality moments with your family. Getting better at transacting is something we can all benefit from, and so whether you want to improve your business, become a better investor, or spend money more meaningfully, this book lives up to its title: your time will be well spent in acquiring its knowledge.

  • One of the earliest trades in history dealt with stones.
  • You never just trade the items you exchange.
  • Not all innovations that helped foster global trade were about transporting goods.

The Best Books About History #28: Capitalism

“Leisure as a distinct non-work time, whether in the form of the holiday, or evening, was a result of the disciplined and bounded work time created by capitalist production.” — James Fulcher 

Capitalism outlines the origins and future of the world’s most popular and, arguably, successful economic system to show you how money actually makes the world go ’round.

The first step to making more money is to understand the way it works, and this book is a great place to start. That said, if you want to know how money can corrupt and how it impacts countries at scale, this is also a good read.

  • Using money to make more of it is the core of capitalism.
  • Although it’s hard to pinpoint the exact birth of this system, the roots of it began in medieval Europe.
  • One feature of capitalism is financial crises, and we need to fix this. 

The Best Books About History #29: Narrative Economics

“Trying to understand major economic events by looking only at data on changes in economic aggregates runs the risk of missing the underlying motivations for change. Doing so is like trying to understand a religious awakening by looking at the cost of printing religious tracts.” — Robert J. Shiller

Narrative Economics explains why stories have a massive influence on the way our economies operate, analyzing in particular the rise of Bitcoin, several stock market booms and busts, and the nature of epidemics.

If you’re a stay-in-the-loop kind of person, this book is for you. It’s also for you if you’re an investor or entrepreneur, as narratives dramatically shape our economic landscape all the time. To anyone who wants to learn why certain topics dominate our conversations where others don’t: read this book.

  • Bitcoin is the perfect example of how stories affect economics.
  • Epidemics and economic narratives have a lot in common.
  • If we want to be ready for the future, we need to understand the narratives of the past.

Best History Books About Global Politics

The Best Books About History #30: A World in Disarray

“Managing a situation in a manner that fails to address core issues can be preferable to attempting to bring about a solution sure to be unacceptable to one or more of the parties.” — Richard Haass

A World in Disarray will open your mind to new ways of making the world a more peaceful place by guiding you through the major changes in global affairs since World War II.

If you’re a pacifist, chances are, this title is for you. If you want to know what it takes to keep world peace and where we’re about to fail to do so, read this book.

  • Things have been relatively peaceful since World War II because of power balances, nuclear weapons, and economic agreements.
  • New policies concerning intervention in international events were born when the world stood by during the tragedies in Rwanda. 
  • The three major superpowers must thrive and cooperate if we want to have a peaceful world.

The Best Books About History #31: Prisoners of Geography

“Why do you think your values would work in a culture you don’t understand?” — Tim Marshall

Prisoners of Geography explains how the location of a country dramatically affects its success and the amount of power it has in the world, as well as why and how geography has determined t he outcomes of major world events for centuries.

This book will show you why the world is the way it is. Why is America so powerful and Africa so poor? Why is Russia always worried about war? A fascinating theory with really sound arguments.

  • Russia could get invaded from the West; that’s why they have a strong presence in the Baltics. 
  • The United States is nearly invulnerable because of where it’s located.
  • Southern Europe suffers while its northern countries flourish, simply because of geography.

Best History Books About Civilization and Society

The Best Books About History #32: The Power of Myth

“We’re so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about.” — Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth is a book based on Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyer’s popular 1988 documentary of the same name, explaining where myths come from, why they are so common in society, how they’ve evolved, and what important role they still play in our ever-changing world today.

If you wonder why we’re here or what happens after death, read this book. It’ll show you that myths are useful beyond being good stories, and it’ll also teach you how to tell better stories yourself.

  • Myths are stories that unite people in communities, identify the beginnings of cultures and giving people a common identity.
  • As guidelines for community members, legends give a framework for people to think and act.
  • The power of myth helps us make sense of life, appreciate it, and even prepare to die.

The Best Books About History #33: The Republic

“The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.” — Plato

The Republic is one of the most important works about philosophy and politics in history, written by Plato, one of Socrates’ students in ancient Greece, as a dialogue about justice and political systems between Socrates and various Athenian citizens.

If you feel like your country’s judicial system isn’t working, this book is for you. It’ll also show you why it’s difficult to rule others, no matter what form that takes. Even a middle manager could benefit from reading this book. It’s hard to go wrong with such a classic.

  • Justice must be looked at on an individual as well as a city level.
  • Both cities and souls can be divided into three distinct parts.
  • Philosophers trying to rule others justly will face lots of difficulty.

The Best Books About History #34: Caste

“The price of privilege is the moral duty to act when no one sees another person treated unfairly. And the least that a person in the dominant caste can do is not make the pain any worse.” — Isabel Wilkerson

Caste unveils the hidden cultural and societal rules of our class system, including where it comes from, why it’s so deeply entrenched in society, and how we can dismantle it forever to finally allow all people to have the equality they deserve.

Whether you believe you are suffering from the social class system, want to know more about it, or hope to understand what alternative structures society could use to function better, this is the book for you.

  • There are eight foundational pillars of a caste system, and the first four are Divine Will and Laws of Nature, Heritability, Endogamy, and Purity vs Pollution.
  • The last four pillars of the caste system deal with hierarchy, dehumanization, terror, and superiority.
  • We can dismantle the caste with monuments and memorials and support all who try to break it down.

Best History Books About Nation States and Political Systems

The Best Books About History #35: The Social Contract

“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Social Contract is a political piece of writing that serves as a roadmap for the democracies of today, outlining the elements of a free state in which people agree to coexist with each other under the rules of a common body that represents the general will.

Most of us aspire to be sovereign citizens in a free state, but we have no idea what that even means. This all-time classic of philosophy will show you.

  • A state becomes legitimate only if its citizens accept to live in it.
  • The general will of the people should be the law of any legitimate state.
  • People should meet often to express their will and communicate more for better governance.

The Best Books About History #36: Capitalism and Freedom

“To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them.” — Milton Friedman

Capitalism and Freedom   helps you understand some of the most important factors protecting your liberty by outlining the government’s role in economics and explaining how things go best when political entities are small and stay out of the flow of money in a country.

For better or for worse, capitalism is impossible to ignore or do away with in our current civilization. If you want to better understand free markets and the benefits and advantages of fully enabling those vs. going with more regulated, government-steered systems, this book is for you.

  • Freedom, both political and economic, is healthier when government is small and decentralized.
  • When the feds mess with the economy, things get worse even though politicians are trying to make them better.
  • A negative income tax, among other measures, should replace the current inefficient social welfare systems.

37. The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek  

The Best Books About History #37: The Road to Serfdom

“To act on behalf of a group seems to free people of many of the moral restraints which control their behavior as individuals within the group.” — Friedrich Hayek 

The Road to Serfdom makes a case for keeping our freedom and individuality by rejecting socialism, identifying its risks to turn into totalitarianism, and highlighting the socialist dynamics taking a hold in global politics after WWII.

This book will show you how much control a government should have — and what happens when it oversteps its boundaries. If you’re worried about various governments’ increasing interventions in our day-to-day lives, read this one.

  • Socialism doesn’t enable personal freedom, it smothers it.
  • Corrupt people end up in power in totalitarian, socialist systems.
  • The socialist parts of the world struggled after World War II, but the freer countries thrived because of their freedom.

The Best Books About History #38: Socialism

“Today’s utopia often becomes tomorrow’s reality.” — Michael W. Newman

Socialism outlines the history of the governmental theory that everything should be owned and controlled by the community as a whole, including how this idea has impacted the world in the last 200 years, how its original aims have been lost, and in what ways we might use it in the future.

If you feel like socialism might be the answer to all our problems, read this book. It’ll show you that it started from good intentions but later spiraled off the virtuous path — but also what we might be able to learn form and do with this system in the future.

  • There might not be a single, simple definition of socialism, but the different forms it’s had over the years share common characteristics. 
  • Nineteenth-century capitalism paved the way for socialism, and from there, it divided into two different schools of thought. 
  • If we learn from the mistakes of the past, socialism can actually bring a promising future.

The Best Books About History #39: Fascism

“The real question is: who has the responsibility to uphold human rights? The answer to that is: everyone.” — Madeleine Albright

Fascism explores what lies behind its titular, far-right, authoritarian ideology, from how it can rise to power in uncertain times to why it still poses a serious threat against even our most established democratic systems today.

If you think a few skinheads here and there probably won’t be a big problem, read this book. It’s a fascinating account of how quickly extremism can spiral out of control if left unchecked, and what are the right ways to keep it in check without trying to choke it altogether and thus be as bad as outright fascists themselves.

  • Authoritarian parties often rise to power through democratic means.
  • We can always expect fascism to find its way back, history says.
  • Democracy is fragile, and we should defend it.

The Best Books About History #40: On Liberty

“One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests.” — John Stuart Mill

On Liberty is a philosophy classic that laid the foundation of modern liberal politics, applying the concept of utilitarianism to societies and countries in order to create a working system between authority and liberty.

This is a classic but not easy to read, yet if you truly want to understand democracy and freedom, and why one doesn’t automatically lead to the other, this may be worth a few hours of concentrated studying.

  • Democracy alone does not guarantee personal freedom.
  • The only reason to limit liberty should be to save people from harm.
  • False opinions are not only good, they’re important.

The Most Interesting History Books #41: How Democracies DIe

“Democracies may die at the hands not of generals but of elected leaders — presidents or prime ministers who subvert the very process that brought them to power. Some of these leaders dismantle democracy quickly, as Hitler did. More often, though, democracies erode slowly, in barely visible steps.” — Steven Levitsky

How Democracies Die lays out the foundational principles of working democracies by looking at historical events, especially in Latin America, that show how democracies have failed in the past, how it could happen again, and how we can protect democracy from threats like bad leadership, inequality, and extremism.

If you live in a democratic country, you probably take your political process and inclusion for granted. This book shows that it can all end rather quickly, and before we know it, we won’t have a say at all. To learn more about the pitfalls of democracy and how we can avoid them, read this book.

  • A democracy needs solid gatekeepers to protect it.
  • With the arrival of Donald Trump in the political arena, the future of our democracy depends on our leadership. 
  • We can resist authoritarianism by holding fast to democratic norms.

Best History Books About Ethics

42. discourses by epictetus  .

The Most Interesting History Books #42: Discourses

“What else is freedom but the power to live our life the way we want?” — Epictetus

Discourses is a transcription of the lectures of ancient philosopher Epictetus, resulting in a series of lessons and tales that help us make sense of what’s happening around and to us, including hardship, challenges, and life events that will ultimately make our character stronger.

This book will make you more resilient in the face of failure, rejection, and adversity. Written as mostly easily digestible, informal lectures Epictetus gave to his students, you’ll find plenty of little bits of inspiration in this classic.

  • Without life’s challenges, we wouldn’t feel the need to grow and evolve. 
  • Everything that is great in life takes time and effort to build.
  • If you can’t control it, don’t stress over it.

The Most Interesting History Books #43: The Lucifer Effect

“The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.” — Philip Zimbardo

The Lucifer Effect explains why you’re not always a good person, identifying the often misunderstood line between good and evil that we all walk by recounting the shocking results of the author’s Stanford Prison Experiment that show anyone can be made to do evil under the right (or wrong) circumstances.

Dividing the world into “good people” and “bad people” is easy. Realizing anyone has great capacity for both is hard — but it’s the truth we need, and that’s what this book is for. Shocking and much needed, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to be a good person or who’s curious as to why even some of the best people in the world turn evil.

  • Your personality changes depending on the situation you’re in.
  • The Stanford prison experiment is a shocking example of just how bad everyday people can get in the right, or wrong, circumstances.
  • Don’t worry about being permanently evil; you can always choose to be a hero and act morally.

44. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker  

The Most Interesting History Books #44: The Better Angels of Our Nature

“As one becomes aware of the decline of violence, the world begins to look different. The past seems less innocent; the present less sinister.” — Steven Pinker

The Better Angels of Our Nature argues that we live in the most peaceful time in history by looking at what motivates us to behave violently, how these motivators are outweighed by our tendencies towards a peaceful life, and which major shifts in history caused this global reduction in crime and violence.

If you need a break from bad news and doombait, this is the one to grab. Well-researched and uplifting, it’ll show you that the world is better than it seems — and there’s always more we can do to make it even better!

  • Ideologies always start out with good intentions but can quickly deteriorate into horrific proponents of violence.
  • The Flynn effect increases our ability to reason over time, which makes us less violent.
  • With the invention of the printing press, humanitarian philosophy could spread and further decrease violence across the board.

Best History Books About the Evolution of Philosophy

45. meditations on first philosophy by rené descartes  .

The Most Interesting History Books #45: Meditations on First Philosophy

“Dubium sapientiae initium — doubt is the origin of wisdom.” — René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy is the number one work of philosophy of the Western world, written by René Descartes in 1641, abandoning everything that can be doubted and then starting to reason his way from there.

If you often find yourself stricken with doubt and wish it weren’t so, this book is for you. It reveals the upside of doubt and how it can help us challenge our own assumptions and improve. This book will teach you to apply your knowledge in a scientific manner rather than just take things at face value. 

  • Your senses don’t always tell the truth.
  • The fact that you think proves that you exist.
  • There are three levels of truth in the world.

The Most Interesting History Books #46: The Story of Philosophy

“Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos.” — Will Durant

The Story of Philosophy profiles the lives of great Western philosophers such as Plato, Socrates, and Nietzsche, exploring their contemplations on governance, religion, the meaning of life, and other philosophic concepts from their individual lifetimes of research, thought, and diligent study.

If you want a comprehensive but quick overview of history’s most important philosophers and how their ideas shaped the world, read this book.

  • Ancient Greek philosophers paved the way for philosophy, science, and a new form of governance.
  • Philosopher Spinoza helped decipher the hidden meanings in religion.
  • Voltaire was partially responsible for the French revolution and the improvement of political systems around the world.

The Most Interesting History Books #47: Lives of the Stoics

“There is no better definition of a Stoic: to have but not want, to enjoy without needing.” — Ryan Holiday

Lives of the Stoics is a deep dive into the experiences and beliefs of some of the earliest philosophers and followers of stoic virtues like justice, courage, and temperance.

This book covers both the tenets of Stoic philosophy itself as well as its most prominent proponents. The chapters are short and written in an easy-to-digest style, so for anyone looking to improve their lives, this is a good pick!

  • Stoicism came about as a result of extreme hardship. 
  • Not everyone who followed Stoicism lived up to its standards. 
  • Marcus Aurelius was a Roman whose practice of Stoicism helped him lead with compassion and humility.

Best History Books About Climate Change & Population Growth

The Most Interesting History Books #48: The Sixth Extinction

“As soon as humans started using signs and symbols to represent the natural world, they pushed beyond the limits of that world.” — Elizabeth Kolbert

The Sixth Extinction  summarizes how human activity has contributed to the mass extinction of species and points out ways to mitigate our biggest environmental problems.

Instead of just doling out more blame to humans for destroying the planet, this book focuses on facts, which makes it refreshing. If you want a book about the environment that makes you feel less guilty and more empowered to act, go for this one.

  • There are several ways in which the human race is responsible for the sixth mass extinction.
  • Homo sapiens has been encouraging the extinction of various species long before the industrial era.
  • There are many ideas for what we can still do to save at least some species.

The Most Interesting History Books #49: The Uninhabitable Earth

“We think of climate change as slow, but it is unnervingly fast. We think of the technological change necessary to avert it as fast-arriving, but it is deceptively slow judged by how soon we need it.” — David Wallace-Wells

The Uninhabitable Earth  explains how humanity’s complacency and negligence have put this world on a course to soon be unlivable unless we each do our small part to improve how we care for this beautiful planet we live on.

While I would recommend balancing this book with something a little less depressing, it provides a fantastic overview of all the factors contributing to global warming. So if you want to know where we can start digging in to save the planet and our future, this one’s for you!

  • Even enacting all the policy changes agreed to in Paris, we will still exceed the threshold where climate disaster begins.
  • Without emissions reduction, we will see our oceans rise to fatal levels, putting major cities underwater.
  • Unless we change our ways, bacteria of ancient diseases in melting Arctic ice sheets will begin a global health crisis.

The Most Interesting History Books #50: Empty Planet

“Will we struggle to preserve growth, or accept with grace a world in which people both thrive and strive less?” ― Darrell Bricker & John Ibbitson

Empty Planet explains why overpopulation alarmists are wrong, and how depopulation poses the more imminent threat to the happiness and success of humanity.

Whether you want to have kids or not, this book will change your perspective on the common notion that “there are already too many people on the planet,” showing that we might soon suffer from the opposite of this problem. An enlightening and contrarian read!

  • The forces that cause fertility to drop, such as urbanization, education, and secularization, only increase.
  • A falling population threatens human quality life in a variety of ways, both materially and culturally.
  • Population decline is likely to happen even more quickly than predictions suggest.

51. The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli  

The Most Interesting History Books #51: The Prince

“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.” — Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince is a 16th century political treatise, famous for condoning, even encouraging evil behavior amongst political rulers in order for them to stay in power.

If you secretly lust for power, this book is for you. It’ll show you how to get and keep that power, sure, but also how to use it well and how to avoid becoming a “Machiavellian prince” who gets completely consumed by their own desire for more.

  • Countries can be easy to conquer but hard to rule or vice versa – and markets are the same.
  • To protect a country it needs its own army, not mercenaries. The same holds true for businesses.
  • If you want to run a business, you have to assemble your advisors and know when to listen to them.

The Most Interesting History Books #52: Man's Search for Meaning

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Viktor Frankl

Man’s Search for Meaning  details holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl’s horrifying experiences in Nazi concentration camps, along with his psychological approach of logotherapy, which is also what helped him survive and shows you how you can – and must – find meaning in your life.

If you’ve ever felt hopelessness and despair, this book is for you. It’ll show you that there’s a way out of any situation, no matter how grim — even if that way is just accepting the situation as it is and waiting for it to pass. A must-read for almost anyone.

  • Sometimes the only way to survive is to surrender to death.
  • Your life has its own meaning, and it’s up to you to find it.
  • Use paradoxical intention to make your fears go away.

The Most Interesting History Books #53: The 48 Laws of Power

“Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.” — Robert Greene

The 48 Laws of Power draws on many of history’s most famous power quarrels to show you what power looks like, how you can get it, what to do to defend yourself against the power of others, and, most importantly, how to keep it and use it well.

This book will show you how to get ahead in life thanks to some uncomfortable but important truths. Each law comes with a short story about an interesting person, so it’s a nice pastime book as well.

  • Always make superiors look smarter than you.
  • Confuse competitors by acting unpredictably.
  • Don’t force others to do what you want, seduce them instead.

Best History Books About Important People

The Most Interesting History Books #54: Alexander the Great

“There is nothing impossible to him who will try.” — Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great is the definitive biography of the life of the ancient Macedonian king, who would extend his empire from a little slide of land in Greece through Persia, Egypt, and all the way to India, forming the greatest empire the ancient world had ever seen.

Whether you’re looking to fill a gap in your knowledge or just want an absolutely epic story, this book will deliver both. It’ll reveal the origins of Christianity as well as detail one young man’s dramatic conquest of the world, and you’ll feel both entertained and informed.

  • Bundle your energy.
  • Always do the unexpected.
  • Without Alexander the Great, Christianity wouldn’t exist.

The Most Interesting History Books #55: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

“Knowledge is obtained rather by the use of the ear than of the tongue.” — Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life takes a thorough look at the life of one of the most influential humans who ever lived and explains how he could achieve such greatness in so many different fields and areas.

Walter Isaacson might be the best biographer alive today, and any book of his feels more like a novel than a boring list of accomplishments. Whether you want to be creative, succeed in business, or learn more about the history of the US and its important people, this book is a great place to start!

  • Benjamin Franklin was a self-improvement nerd.
  • If you really want to learn something, you’ll find a way.
  • Don’t be afraid to be 20 years ahead of your time.

The Most Interesting History Books #56: The Autobiography of Malcolm X

“The ability to read awoke inside of me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.” — Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X chronicles the life and work of one of the most influential members of the civil rights movement in the United States, Malcolm Little, aka Malcolm X.

If you want to get a real sense of how difficult it was for the civil rights movement to succeed, and what it truly takes to bring about change in the world, you’ll love this book.

  • What happens in your childhood will leave a mark on you for life.
  • Sometimes, you have to get totally lost to find yourself.
  • Even the best of us can get it wrong.

The Most Interesting History Books #57: Steve Jobs

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs  is the most detailed and accurate account of the life of the man who created Apple, the most valuable technology company in the world.

Do you want to build a business? Create great technology? Change the world? Look no further. Jobs’ story has it all, and, given how recently it all happened, this is one of the most relevant biographies to read in the 21st century.

  • Steve Jobs’s team invented a name for his most important skill, the reality distortion field.
  • The Apple name was chosen for a very specific reason.
  • Apple didn’t make Steve Jobs a billionaire, Pixar did.

The Most Interesting History Books #58: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

“Henrietta’s were different: They became the first immortal human cells ever grown in a laboratory.” — Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks reveals the previously unknown story of a woman with extraordinary cells that still live today, and how they have contributed to dozens of medical breakthroughs.

If you want to better understand how consent works in healthcare while discovering the inspiring story of a forgotten but extremely impactful individual, this is the one to grab off the shelf.

  • Henrietta Lacks was a poor Black woman who died of aggressive cervical cancer at a young age, but her immortal cells lived on. 
  • Even though her cells were famous, most people didn’t know of Henrietta and her family until recently. 
  • The use of Hela cells has raised questions about privacy and ethics in cell donation.

The Most Interesting History Books #59: A Woman of No Importance

“Valor rarely reaps the dividends it should.” — Sonia Purnell

A Woman of No Importance tells the fascinating story of Virginia Hall, an American who became one of the best spies for the Allies in World War II, thus significantly contributing to the defeat of Nazi Germany.

This book will make you feel empowered to choose your own way in life. Hall’s life reads like a movie, and if you hear the call to adventure but are hesitant to follow it, this might be the little push you need to live your best life despite all the difficulties it might bring.

  • Too independent to marry, Hall went on to study in Europe and pursue a political career even though she lost a leg in a terrible accident.
  • After multiple failed attempts to join the war efforts, she finally became a member of the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, almost by accident. 
  • Virginia’s work helped in many different ways during World War II, including the vital preparations for D-Day.

The Most Interesting History Books #60: Long Walk to Freedom

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” — Nelson Mandela

Long Walk to Freedom is the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid activist, national icon, and the first Black South African president, elected in the first fully democratic election in the country.

If you’ve ever wondered how someone might survive more than 20 years in a tiny jail cell without going insane, make this your next read. Mandela’s story is one of the most inspiring ones I’ve ever learned about, and I’m sure his story will make you feel stronger and more courageous too.

  • Your best bet at finding true freedom is education.
  • If you want to be remembered, you must learn to challenge authority.
  • It’s most important that you don’t give up right after your biggest setback.

That concludes our list of the best history books. Don’t let its size intimidate you. History is a large field, and you just have to start somewhere that interests you! Pick the first book that jumps out at you, read its free summary on Four Minute Books, and then perhaps order a copy for yourself to dive in deeper later.

There is nothing new under the sun — but if we don’t study past sunrises and sunsets, we won’t see what’s coming, and everything, from pandemics to recessions to political tensions, will shock us into paralysis. When we study history, we are always prepared, even for the unexpected. Understand the past, master the future. That’s how it works — there’s no better day to start than today.

Looking for more of the best books on various topics? Here are all the book lists we’ve made for you so far:

  • The 60 Best Business Books of All Time (Will Forever Change How You Think About Organizations)
  • The 20 Best Entrepreneurship Books to Start, Grow & Run a Successful Business
  • The 14 Best Finance Books of All Time
  • The 21 Best Habit Books of All Time to Change Any Behavior
  • The 33 Best Happiness Books of All Time That Everyone Should Read
  • The 7 Best Inspirational Books That Will Light Your Inner Fire
  • The 40 Best Leadership Books of All Time to Help You Become a Truly Inspiring Person
  • The 31 Best Motivational Books Ever Written
  • The 12 Best Nonfiction Books Most People Have Never Heard Of
  • The 35 Best Philosophy Books to Live Better and Become a Great Thinker
  • The 34 Best Psychology Books That Will Make You Smarter and Happier
  • The 25 Best Sales Books of All Time to Help You Close Any Deal
  • The 33 Best Self-Help Books of All Time to Read at Any Age
  • The 22 Best Books About Sex & Sexuality to Improve Your Love Life & Relationships
  • The 30 Most Life-Changing Books That Will Shift Your Perspective & Stay With You Forever

Looking for more books by the world’s most celebrated authors? Here are all of the book lists by the author we’ve curated for you:

  • All Brené Brown Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • Jordan Peterson Books: All Titles in Order of Publication + The 5 Top Books He Recommends
  • All Malcolm Gladwell Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • All Michael Pollan Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • Peter Thiel Books: A Comprehensive List of Books By, About & Recommended by Peter Thiel
  • All Rachel Hollis Books: The Full List of Non-Fiction, Fiction & Cookbooks, Sorted by Popularity & the Best Reading Order
  • All Ray Dalio Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • All Robert Greene Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • All Ryan Holiday Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • All Simon Sinek Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • All Tim Ferriss Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
  • All Walter Isaacson Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)

Last Updated on February 20, 2023

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 5 best ap world history books for practice and review.

Advanced Placement (AP)

feature_worldhistoryreviewbooks.jpg

It's hard to know where to begin when studying for AP World History. Though the exam mainly covers broad themes and trends, there's so much information to sift through that it can be easy to get lost in the weeds. Review books can help guide your study plan, ensure that you revisit the most important concepts, and teach you critical test-taking strategies.

In this article, we'll go through the best books to use for studying AP World History and how you can choose one that will give you the tools you need to ace this test.

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What's in This Guide to the Best AP World History Books?

This is a list of the most helpful review books you can use to study for the AP World History exam and other assessments in class throughout the year. These books are meant to be used in conjunction with a high-quality textbook, so most of them are not stand-alone resources for self-studying ; however, some are more thorough than others.

For world history, review books can make the choice to either focus exclusively on the content you need to know for the AP exam (which is what most of them do), or go more in depth and market themselves as in-class study aids as well.

We'll list the books that are the most reliable resources for long-term and short-term studying as well as a couple you might consider buying as supplemental resources. We'll also give you specific pros and cons for each AP World History review book so you can make a more informed decision about which one will best fit your needs.

Note that with the big content changes to the AP World History test in 2020 , it's important that you find a book that's been updated as well. Unless otherwise noted, all these prep books have been updated to align with the new focus and content of the AP World History: Modern exam .

Now, let's get to the books! We've divided the top AP World History review books into the following categories:

  • Best Overall Review Book
  • Best Book for Short-Term Review
  • Best Book for Long-Term Review
  • Best Supplemental Books

Best Overall AP World History Review Book

The princeton review's cracking the ap world history: modern exam, 2020 premium edition.

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Price: About $16.50

  • Focuses on larger trends and themes rather than small, superfluous details; tells you about only the essential stuff you need to know for the test
  • Easy to follow and written in a conversational style
  • Six full-length AP practice tests, with analytical multiple-choice questions that closely model official materials
  • Good tips for designing your study plan and for taking the AP World History test
  • Not quite detailed enough to use for self-studying
  • While updated for the new exam format, doesn't contain all course updates introduced in summer 2020 (most of these are minor, though, and have to do with learning objectives)

We consider this book to be the best overall resource for AP World History because you can make it work for you no matter what your study timeline or score goals are. It doesn't go overboard in the information it provides, but it also isn't so sparse that it's only useful for a quick review of the test.

The practice tests included are really good quality, with questions that accurately reflect the difficulty level of the AP exam. Its engaging writing style combined with a focus on key themes and overall chronology of events make this a great resource for almost any student.

Best AP World History Book for Short-Term Review

Rea's ap world history: modern crash course, revised 3rd edition.

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Price: About $13

  • Really good for a quick content review in the weeks before the test
  • Great test-taking tips
  • Contains only the information you need to know for the exam
  • Chapters are written in easy-to-digest outline form
  • Has just one full-length practice test, which is only available online (not in the book itself)
  • Can't be used to review for in-class tests and assignments or self-study without having to supplement with a textbook

This book is called "crash course" for a reason: it's made for those of you who've waited until the last minute to start studying. This newest edition covers everything you'll need to know for the AP World History test and does not mess around with any extra unnecessary details.

Many students find the Crash Course series—including previous versions of the AP World History guide—to be helpful refreshers that are useful even as late as a week before the AP exam.

Best AP World History Book for Long-Term Review

Barron's ap world history: modern premium, 10th edition.

body-ap-world-hisotry-2022

Price: About $15

  • Good tips for free-response questions (and sample essays !)
  • Very thorough in its coverage of information
  • Connects all the themes of the course to the events in each historical era
  • Five full-length exams (two in the book, three online) with answer explanations
  • Too much material to use for short-term AP review; it's more textbook than review book
  • Overall dry, academic writing style that might make it hard to engage with the material
  • No shorter practice tests or quizzes at the end of each section for review
  • Some practice questions might be more challenging than exam questions

As is the norm with Barron's books, this recently released AP World History review book is a dense, highly detailed look at the course material that goes a bit overboard in its capacity as a "review book."

If you get it a few weeks before the AP test in the hopes of quickly going over everything you need to know, you're going to be overwhelmed. Only buy this book if you plan to use it for a couple of months to prepare for the AP test or as a self-study resource that you'll use throughout the course.

This Barron's World History book is also for intense students who are genuinely very interested in the subject and would like to review content in more depth. If you have trouble paying attention to textbooks because of their dull writing style and are looking for something more student-friendly to keep you awake, you should probably get one of the first two books on this list instead.

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Best Supplemental AP World History Books

In this section, we give you two extra AP World History review books that you can use to further supplement your learning and the other books on this list.

McGraw-Hill's 5 Steps to a 5: AP World History: Modern, 2022 Edition

body-5-steps-AP-World-History-2022

Price: About $16

Comes with access to McGraw-Hill Education's interactive AP Planner app, which gives you a customizable study schedule on your mobile device

  • Updated to cover the most recent test content 
  • Four complete practice exams (two in the book and two online)
  • A few different sample study plans to choose from to guide your studying
  • Helpful charts that summarize each unit
  • Short and more digestible than other review books
  • Contains way too much information that won't even appear on the new World History exam (for example, you don't need to study pages upon pages of ancient history when the AP test now has an exclusively modern focus!)
  • Not detailed enough to use to study for assignments throughout the year
  • Two practice tests are on the computer, which isn't how you'll take the real AP exam
  • Doesn't completely align with the new exam format and unit structure

This book falls between The Princeton Review and Crash Course regarding its level of detail in that it's easy to grasp and has a decent amount of practice materials . If you need more sample questions and want a book that gives you a straightforward, step-by-step study process, 5 Steps to a 5 is a nice resource to have.

Kaplan's AP World History: Modern Prep Plus 2020 & 2021

body_kaplan_ap_world_history_modern_prep_plus_2020_2021

Price: About $23

  • Five full practice tests and an online scoring tool you can use to convert your raw scores to a final AP score on the 1-5 scale
  • Short pre- and post-chapter quizzes to test your knowledge and help you review
  • Online quizzes for additional practice
  • Assuming the questions in this guide are similar to what's been in previous versions, they're likely on the easier side and aren't as challenging as those on the real exam

Kaplan is a big name in test prep, and this book is comparable to that by The Princeton Review and Barron's—it's just slightly less impressive. In the past, Kaplan's World History books have suffered from poorly worded answer explanations and out-of-date information. This edition seems to rectify these mistakes–customer reviews are generally good so far!

Which AP World History Book Should You Get?

All these AP World History books are helpful in their own ways. We'd recommend starting with one of the first three, ideally whichever one aligns best with your time limits and style of learning. The Princeton Review book should be a good fit for a wide variety of students. If you have a month or two to study and are looking for a one-size-fits-all accessible guide to the test, you should go with that one.

The Crash Course book is better if you're short on time and just need a way to review all the key concepts quickly and efficiently. This is the best option if you only have a week or two until the AP exam or are looking for a book that just outlines the most essential concepts.

Barron's is best for self-study throughout the school year or review over the course of a few months. If you're an intense student and want a book you can use during the year to study for both in-class assessments and the AP test, Barron's will be the ideal option for you.

If you get one of the first three books and run out of practice materials or aren't a fan of the way the information is presented, you can go ahead and try one of the supplementary resources . Just be aware of the limitations these two books have in terms of their content and accuracy.

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What's Next?

Need more practice materials for AP World History? Check out these links to every AP World History practice test available online and then look at these amazing DBQ examples .

You don't necessarily need to buy a review book to get some great study tips. Read our list of six key strategies for doing well on the AP World History exam .

When do you actually have to get yourself in gear and start studying for AP tests? Find out when to begin studying for your AP exams based on your goals .

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25+ Best History Books of All Time for a Solid Understanding of Our World

Are you looking for your next read and want something historical, interesting, and insightful look no further here are our top picks for the best history books of all time.

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Looking for the best history books on the market?

From world history to Black history to histories of specific regions and beyond, we’ve got all the best books on history below!

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana

A firm grasp of history is a very important part of a well-rounded education, as you might imagine. Understanding our collective past helps us to make sense of our present, and, in turn, it’ll allow us to make better decisions for our future.

We prepared this list of the best history books of all time to cover a wide variety of subjects and epochs, from the history of ancient civilizations to more specific topics, such as the history of Japan in the 20th century or the history of women who changed the course of science.

Unfortunately, this list will of course be incomplete, perhaps missing whole swaths of time or groups of people, and for that we sincerely apologize! However, we did our best to be as inclusive and wide-ranging as possible, and we will continue to add to this list in an effort to make it more and more complete.

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Anyway, let’s get to it, shall we?

Here are our picks for the best history books to read:

1. A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

If you feel like you need to brush up on your knowledge of history, but feel intimidated or bored by thick textbooks with countless descriptions of battles, A History of the World in 100 Objects might just be your new best friend!

What started as a BBC broadcast quickly turned into a wonderful history book. Neil MacGregor talks about history in an entertaining and compelling way, using examples of objects people have created over our existence and how these objects have shaped our present.

Find this book on : Goodreads • Amazon • Google Books

2. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is a book by Yuval Noah Harari with a historical timeline of humanity from the “birth” of Homo sapiens to now in the twenty-first century.

As our guide, Harari walks us through our history as a species, but it also goes well beyond that. He argues that we may never be able to fully escape social biases, for one thing, as well as that many distinctly human inventions, such as trade, religion, and politics, owe their existence to our “distinctive cognitive capacity for fiction.”

Sapiens is a compelling book that is as much philosophy as it is science, history, and anthropology.

Find this book on : Goodreads • Amazon • Audible • Google Books

3. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle B. Freedman

This book offers an insightful introduction to the history of feminism, describing the lives of women around the world from before the Industrial Age and moving on to our days. If you want to learn more about how women’s rights have changed and how feminism developed with the passage of time, this historical book will be perfect for you!

4. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 

If the impressive name itself did not convince you yet to add this book to your reading list, let me mention the fact that Guns, Germs, and Steel won a Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1998. And it was well-deserved, in my opinion!

This world history book explains how civilizations developed and why some of them turned out to be more fortunate than others (spoiler alert: to some extent it has to do with germs!). It is not the easiest history book to read which you can choose from our list, but it is far away from academic writing, also, so do not worry! 

5. A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn created one of the most important American history books of all time, and it should be read by anyone who wants to know the real history of the US from the point of view of real people, such as factory workers, immigrants, African-Americans, Native Americans, and many other groups of people that were neglected and marginalized for years. A People’s History of the United States is an exceptional history book, but because it was one of the first books in the US to tell its history from a different perspective, it often stirs up controversy even today.

Related Read : Glossary of College Terms and Important University Words to Understand

6. Europe: A History by Norman Davies

Europe: A History is unbelievably massive (the audiobook is almost 62 hours!), but don’t let that turn you off. If you can only read just one European history book in your life, it should be this one!

Norman Davies goes through the complete history of Europe, starting with the Ice Age all the way to the events of the 20th century. Despite its size, or because of it, it is a great read whether you have an extensive knowledge of the history of Europe or not. It will be perfect for advanced high school students, European history majors, or simply anyone wanting to expand their intellectual horizons.

7. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

Peter Frankopan wrote a book that recounts world history mostly from the perspective of Asia instead of Europe or North America. It covers the history of the countries belonging to the Silk Road area, a story that spans more than two millennia, from the times it was first used to the 20th century. 

If you are looking for a comprehensive and engaging read on Asia and its influence on other continents and cultures, check out The Silk Roads !

8. October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Miéville 

October: The Story of the Russian Revolution was written for all those who are interested in history, politics, Russia, or simply curious about our world. It tells a story of nine months in 1917 that became a turning point in the history of Russia. It starts from February, when the Russian Empire was still a monarchy, and it culminates in October, with Russia becoming a socialist state. 

If you read just one Russian history book (though it’s such a large and fascinating country, so don’t stop there!), make it this one. China Miéville is normally a talented fiction writer, so you will be certain not to get bored as you read this historical account.

9. Afropean: Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts

Afropean: Notes from Black Europe is not purely a history book, per se, but rather a compilation of history, memoirs, and travelogue entries, which makes it very personal and human. It tells honest stories of different people of African descent all around Europe, from the UK to Russia.

Read this book if you are searching for something more than a dry history textbook, as Johny Pitts has penned an incredible read which shows how important acceptance and kindness are, as well, of course, as the ever-shifting struggle for African descendants to create modern identities while maintaining ties with their past.

10. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson undertook a challenging task of covering as many subjects as possible in A Short History of Nearly Everything , which resulted in the creation of one of the best history books you can possibly find. It is full of fun facts about cosmology, chemistry, physics, and anthropology, and it manages to explain all this complicated stuff with ease. You’ll wish all your textbooks were written by Bryson!

After completing the last page of this book, you will definitely have a better understanding about both the world around you and you, yourself, and be left in a good mood after.

Related Read : 15+ Best Study Tips: Top Advice & Effective Ways to Study Better

11. The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer

If you are looking for a book that will help you refresh (or learn for the first time) your knowledge of important events from ancient history, The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer will be your best companion! The author does not go into deep detail on each period, but rather gives exactly enough information to provide a necessary foundation to help you navigate these parts of history much easier in the future. 

12. 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann

In this book, Charles C. Mann mostly focuses on just one thing: the Columbian exchange. However, by doing so, the book reveals how the whole future of humanity was forever changed and shaped after Columbus made his 1492 voyage, and how it influenced the economy, trade, agriculture, and even the landscape of our planet still today. 

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created is one of the best history books you can read and shows how just one event reshaped the whole world around us.

13. Maoism: A Global History by Julia Lovell

The name of the book basically speaks for itself: it connects the history of Maoism (Mao Zedong’s take on Marxism–Leninism), from its beginnings in the 1930s through to its connection with the world’s history. Through this prism, Julia Lovell analyzes many important events of the 20th century, both in China and outside of the country. 

If you want to better understand the culture, history, and politics of the world’s most populous country, you should definitely add this book to your reading list!

14. Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World by Rachel Swaby

If you prefer to learn history through the lens of short stories and biographies of remarkable people, you must reach for this book! Written with much more simplicity than most other books you can find on our list, it features short biographies of 52 brilliant female scientists, women who were behind some of the greatest scientific discoveries in history. 

Headstrong is definitely not what you expect your ordinary history book to be, but from it you can learn plenty of fascinating facts about the history of science and the often-overlooked or underrepresented stories of the inspiring women behind it.

15. The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

Another rightful Pulitzer winner which made its way to our list of best history books is The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman. This book recounts the events which led to World War I, explaining why they happened and how it could have been prevented. This book also covers the first month of the war and compellingly illustrates the transition from the 19th to the 20th century. 

First published in 1962, The Guns of August has become one of the classics of historical literature, and it remains a relevant and dramatic read today, well over 50 years later!

Related Read : 10+ Best Business Books to Read for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

16. The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

In his book, Steven Johnson takes his readers to Victorian London, telling a story of the worst cholera outbreak in history, its causes, and the course of events. The Ghost Map is one of the most relevant history books in our days during and after our own coronavirus crisis, as it shows a pandemic outbreak but also presents a history and account of the impact of urbanization, formation of cities, and the way they all have shaped our modern life.

It is a great interdisciplinary read, as it contains elements of history, sociology, epidemiology, civil engineering, and much more!

17. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

Have you noticed how many history books have peculiar names? SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome is undoubtedly among them 🙂SPQR is an abbreviation for Senātus Populusque Rōmānus , which translates in English to “The Roman Senate and People,” and this 4-letter abbreviation was found on Roman coins, documents, and monuments.

Here, Mary Beard has written one of the best Roman history books, dedicating all six hundred pages to the history, culture, and society of the Roman Empire. You should definitely add this book to your reading list if you want to learn more about world history or the development of our modern society, as, in many ways, Romans influenced the outlook of the world as we know it today.

18. The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich

E.H. Gombrich wrote a comprehensive guide which has become one of the best art history books you can find, perfect for anyone who wants to learn about art and its evolution throughout the ages. Starting with early cave paintings, The Story of Art takes you on a lengthy historical journey through a prism of spectacular art from all around the world. And, this book is written in simple language, so even art newbies need not worry!

19. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

You might be wondering how this behemothic work of fiction ended up on our list of best history books. In fact, War and Peace might be the best historical chronicle of Russia during the time of Napoleon’s invasion. It gives a perfect understanding of what provincial life in the country looked like during this period and is remarkably meticulous when it comes to describing historical events.

20. A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross

A Black Women’s History of the United States is a very empowering and inspiring book which tells a story of our continuous fight against both racism and sexism. The authors created a detailed portrayal of African American women’s history, covering not only the most famous figures and events, but also describing the lives of lesser-known women who were vitally important to the development of the US.

Having just been published in 2020, it is a much-needed book, especially today. It has the potential to become one of the best African American history books of all time, and it is a powerful testament to the spirit of Black women all across the country.

Related Read : 25+ Books for College Students to Read in University

21. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano

This book is a classic among other Latin America history books, so if you want to learn more about the history of this region, Open Veins of Latin America is a great place to start! Concentrating on Latin American history, Eduardo Galeano also covers many other topics, such as economy, culture, politics, and sociology, all in order to provide a comprehensive view on Latin America throughout the centuries.

22. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is another timeless book offering a look into the events which created and sustained Nazi Germany. It does not lose its relevance almost sixty years after it was first published, and, in fact, may be even more necessary in current years where nationalism and prejudice have increased once again. William L. Shirer goes into immense detail, reporting the full story of the formation, heyday, and demise of the Third Reich. 

Despite the brutal and horrid topic this book is devoted to, it is considered to be one of the best history books of all time. Why? Especially in these times we live in, so that we would know about these tragic events, understand what went wrong, and never repeat our mistakes again.

23. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela 

The autobiography of Nelson Mandela is another tome on our list of best history books, though it isn’t a history book, per se. However, it can tell you surprisingly much about the history, culture, and anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

Long Walk to Freedom is inspiring, eye-opening, and breathtaking, and the story will stay with you long after you complete the last page. 

24. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown

This book is one of the best Native American history books you can possibly find. It tells the complicated history of massacres and battles as they were seen by Native American tribes. This book by Dee Brown also gives us a better understanding of the horrifying sacrifices Native Americans had to make, from wars to forced relocations and beyond.

Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee is not an easy read, and it will leave you heartbroken and devastated, mostly because it is so candid and truthful. Still, though, it is most certainly one of the most important books about history you could possibly consume.

25. The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman 

The Gay Revolution unfolds from the early 1950s, recounting the story of the ongoing fight, including tragic defeats and important victories, for LGBTQ rights. Even though it is a massive book, it is very easy to read and full of both fascinating and heartbreaking stories. It should be read by anyone who wants to learn and better understand what it took, and what it still takes, for the LGBTQ community to receive and retain the civil rights and freedoms they deserve.

Related Read : 15 Books to Read Before College for High School Students and Graduates

26. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P. Bix

If you are a lover of Asian history, you should immediately check out Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P. Bix. This biography of the emperor Hirohito covers Japanese history during the 20th century, disclosing details of the China War and Asia-Pacific War. This book can help you broaden your world views and allow you to gain a new perspective on some important major events of the 20th century. 

Well, that’s all for now on our list of the best history books to read, and we hope it helps make your next book choice much easier! Got any questions, feedback, or other books on world history (or specific histories) to add to our list? Let us know in the comments below, and thank you for reading!

This article on the best historical books to read was written by  Mariia Kislitsyna , a master’s degree graduate in business strategy and a former IT recruiter. Mariia is an expert on topics related to employment, recruitment, education, and more, and she also frequently writes about culture and travel.

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I absolutely loved reading these books! They provided me with a great understanding of history and the world around me. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to learn more about the world around them.

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The Best AP World History Review Books of 2024

  • Post by: Professor Conquer
  • Last updated on: January 24, 2024

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Finding the best AP World History review books can be hard. We’re here to help. In this guide, we break down our top picks for AP World History review books in 2023.

Because of how vast world history is not only as an academic course but as a study as a whole, it can be difficult to review for it if you are planning to take the Advanced Placement World History or AP World History exam. The exam itself is not the easiest one you can take because, after all, only 56.2% of those who took the most recent exam got a score of 3 or higher.

In that sense, you will need a definite guide to know what you have to study for instead of just breezing through all of your world history textbooks. Review books are there not only to help you study for your AP World History exam but to also substantiate whatever may not have been taught to you back in your high school world history courses.

But, because of how many review books are out there on the market, it may even be more difficult to pick out the right ones than the actual exam itself. To help you choose the best material you should use for your review, here are some of the best AP World History review books we believe will give you the highest score possible in the upcoming AP World History exam.

Check out our YouTube video in the summary section at the end to remember everything you read! If you want to just get back to studying, get our top pick for AP World History here .

Princeton Review AP World History: Modern Prep, 2023: 3 Practice Tests + Complete Content Review + Strategies & Techniques (College Test Preparation)

Last update: 2024-02-19

Our Favorites (the best AP World History review books)

best books to study world history

AP World History: Modern Premium Prep, 2023 by The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is widely regarded as one of the better-known publishers of AP exam review materials. Their version for world history is no exception when it comes to excellence as a study tool. Just like its brothers, AP World History: Modern Premium Prep is one of the best-selling books on the market because of how useful it is for anyone looking to pass or score high in the AP World History Exam.

Cracking the AP World History Exam prides itself for being a review book that delivers everything you need to know to get that score of 5 in the exam. It is a book that delivers important information and detail from a larger perspective rather than from a more focused and smaller point of view. Nevertheless, it still focuses more on the things that you actually have to study for despite giving you a larger and thematic perspective.

This review material is fairly easy to understand and comprehend because it approaches you with a conversational style of writing that makes you feel like the book is actually speaking to you. In that sense, you will have a better grasp of the important concepts and details because it is like the book is telling you a story.

Despite giving you a larger thematic perspective, this book also knows how to deliver summaries really well. Each important event or time in world history has been summarized in a way that is easy to understand and retain. This helps you if you do not have the luxury of time.

Another aspect that makes this book great is that it guides you in how to answer multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions while helping you assess your own progress in your review. This version also allows you to access study plans online as well as the list of things and terms you may want to take note of for the exam.

The best thing about this review material are the four full-length practice tests that are all considered more difficult than the actual AP World History exam. These exams allow you to adjust to the pressure of an exam and to gauge yourself by challenging you with more difficult questions. If you can do well in the practice test, there is no reason for you not to get a high score in the real exam. This is why it is one of the best-selling and most reviewed review books on Amazon. And, for its price, it delivers for its value.

What makes it unique:

  • It is comprehensive yet simple and easy to understand and digest.
  • This material helps you gauge your performance and progress with tips, study plans, and practice exams.

Why choose this book:

  • This is one of the best AP World History review books you can find on the market because of how well-rounded and complete it is.
  • The practice tests will surely challenge you but will make you more than prepared for the actual AP World History exam.
  • It is affordable for the amount of content it contains.
  • The Princeton Review (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 400 Pages - 08/02/2022 (Publication Date) - Princeton Review (Publisher)

best books to study world history

AP World History: Modern Premium, 2022-2023 by John McCannon

If you want a comprehensive world history review that covers everything you need to know from start to finish, then Barron's   is your weapon of choice. This review material is a thorough book that lets you study the entire coverage from the foundation of civilization all the way to modern-day history. There probably isn’t a more complete review book in terms of coverage.

Because of how comprehensive this material is , it is perfect if you have a lot of time on your hands. It is more like a textbook but is summarized and is easier to read and understand. And even though it may be a long read, Barron’s is not a very difficult book to digest and is actually fit for both your review and your actual world history courses.

Since this is still a review book and not a textbook, Barron’s contains tips and strategies for answering all kinds of questions such as multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay. It also helps you make your own study plan by providing charts and keywords/phrases/concepts that will make reviewing easier and a lot more bearable.

One of the key features of this book is that it has practice tests that are not necessarily difficult but challenging enough to make you feel like you are taking the actual AP World History exam. These tests help you gauge your performance as well as your understanding of the key concepts that will surely come out in the actual exam.

Because of how effective the book is , satisfied customers on Amazon have all claimed that it has helped them prepare for the AP World History exam. Some even say that they used the book for their high school world history courses because of how comprehensive yet simple it is unlike other textbooks.

Nevertheless, it is a material should only be used if you are not in a rush with your review. If you only have a few weeks left before the exam, you may be better of using other review materials because of how it might take you a while to completely read and digest the contents of this book. But, despite how long the book is, its typical price is a good one to pay for the quality it provides.

  • It provides a comprehensive review that covers the entire coverage prescribed by the College Board.
  • The charts and key concepts will allow you to make your own study plan in an organized manner.
  • It has two full-length practice tests that mimic the actual AP World History exam. And, depending on the version, you may even have access to three more practice tests online.
  • The material connects the theme required by the College Board to that of the events of each important historical period.
  • This pick for best AP World History review book is great for those who have about two months left before the exam.

AP World History Premium, 2022-2023: Comprehensive Review with 5 Practice Tests + an Online Timed Test Option (Barron's Test Prep)

  • McCannon, John (Author)
  • 564 Pages - 02/01/2022 (Publication Date) - Barrons Educational Services (Publisher)

best books to study world history

5 Steps to a 5 AP World History: Modern 2023 by Peggy J. Martin

5 Steps to a 5 has consistently been one of the best review materials not only for world history but for other AP exams as well. But, as a review material for world history, this book stands out because of how it not only helps you review for the AP World History exam but also because of how it prepares you in a more holistic way.

Following its usual five-step plan, this reviewer will help you set up your own study plan first before you do anything else. It then allows you to gauge how prepared you are by testing you out with a diagnostic exam. And before you get to the actual review, it will give you a comprehensive overview of the exam format while helping you formulate your own strategies and approach to answering it.

After strategizing, you will then be given a thorough and comprehensive review of the important terms and concepts you will have to equip yourself with for the AP World History exam. This part of the book is comparatively shorter than other reviewers and is fairly easy to comprehend, understand, and digest.

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The final part of the review material are the two practice tests that are specially made not only to help you gauge how well you have already reviewed but to also give you the necessary confidence that you should have when you are already about to take the actual exam. The practice tests are not more difficult than the AP World History exam but are challenging enough to let you feel what it is like to take the real thing.

Priced affordably, it is a good review book that will certainly help you achieve a 5 in your AP World History exam. Otherwise, it is still a reliable companion for anyone looking to pass the exam.

  • It has four practice exams. The two are in the book while the rest are online.
  • This book comes with different study plans for you to choose from depending on how much time you have and how well-prepared you already are.
  • Each unit comes with quizzes that can help you digest what you have just read.
  • It is a simple and quick read that can be used by those that do not have a lot of time left before the exam.
  • The step-by-step process makes it easier for you to know how far you have already gone in your review and how well you have already prepared.

5 Steps to a 5: AP World History: Modern 2023

  • Bartolini-Salimbeni, Beth (Author)
  • 400 Pages - 08/19/2022 (Publication Date) - McGraw Hill (Publisher)

671 Epic AP Study Tips

The Runners-up for Best AP World History Review Books (still good but a little lacking)

best books to study world history

AP World History Prep Plus by Kaplan Test Prep

Considered one of the best at making review books for AP exams, Kaplan Test Prep has done well with its AP World History Modern Prep Plus 2020 & 2021: 5 Practice Tests + Study Plans + Review + Online (Kaplan Test Prep)  to the point that they actually guarantee that you will actually do well in your AP World History exam.

Kaplan’s guarantee comes from how well they devised this review material to realistically fit what you need to get a higher score in your exam. The review contents of the book are focused on the more essential details and concepts you need to learn in whatever study time you have. It is a rather quick and simple read compared to other materials.

The book comes with study plans that can be adjusted depending on your goals and how much time you have left before the exam. There are also strategies that will help you know what kind of approach you need to have when taking the AP World History exam. In that sense, it is a really helpful material in a holistic sense.

Nevertheless, it lacks when it comes to content considering that it is not as comprehensive in that department compared to its other competitors. And while it does have practice tests, they are not as difficult and as challenging as some of the other review materials on the market. With that said, it is still a good book that is fairly affordable.

  • The study plan it comes with is customizable.
  • Instead of giving quizzes after each chapter, the quizzes come before to help you know what you are lacking.
  • It is a quick read that is ideal if you are in a rush.
  • There are three tests that can help you gauge how well you will be able to perform in the upcoming AP World History exam.
  • Kaplan Test Prep (Author)
  • 672 Pages - 03/03/2020 (Publication Date) - Kaplan Test Prep (Publisher)

best books to study world history

World History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examinations by Perfection Learning

Designed for the AP World History exam, this book can be used as a textbook for the actual course, a review material for the exam, or as a supplementary resource for those taking college world history courses. It is considered one of the more helpful materials when it comes to the book’s content because of how it simplifies whatever world history textbooks say.

In a way, it is a lot better than what high school textbooks have because of how simplified and easier it is to understand. It is written in a way that makes it easier for students to comprehend the important concepts and events that have happened in world history. As far as written material is concerned, this book ranks up there with the best of them.

While satisfied Amazon customers have all raved about how useful and great this book is when it comes to helping them review for their AP World History exams, it is not as holistic in its approach as other review materials on the market because it does not come with customizable study plans or great strategies and tips on how to take the real exam. The practice tests also do not come with answers. You have to look for them yourself.

Despite being a more expensive book, it is still a good material to have. It may have some weaknesses and shortcomings but, when it comes to content, it is a really helpful book that can become one of the best AP World History review books if it improves on its weaknesses.

  • It is a written a lot better than other review books and textbooks.
  • If you want a book that is easy to understand and digest in terms of its material, then this is the right choice for you.

Advanced Placement World History: Modern

  • Editors (Author)
  • 832 Pages - 09/01/2019 (Publication Date) - Perfection Learning (Publisher)

The Best Value for Your Money for Best AP World History Review Books (good and affordable)

best books to study world history

No Bull Review by Jeremy Klaff and Harry Klaff

As the title of the book suggests, this review material does not waste time on any bull when it comes to helping your review for your upcoming AP World History exam. Believing that you should not be using a full-length review material, the authors wrote this book to help you make the most out of your time and money with by delivering a short study aid.

Not as long and as comprehensive as its competitors, No Bull Review  delivers a quick review that dwells only on the most important concepts, events, terms, and themes of world history by using short and simple explanations. Each chapter then ends with multiple-choice questions that can help you gauge how much you have learned.

While it does not have a full-length practice test, the book still contains practice multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions that can help you test yourself. There are also sample questions and answers that can give you ideas and strategies on how to tackle and answer the actual AP World History exam.

Meant to be used as a quick study guide for those that do not have the luxury of time, this review book is priced reasonably on the lower end. It is an affordable book that can certainly be used as a study aid or as a supplementary material to textbooks or other review books.

  • It is simple and quick in its approach when explaining the most important things you need to know for your exam.
  • The sample questions and answers will help you know how to prepare yourself for the upcoming exam in a quick manner.
  • It is simple and easy to understand for a price that anyone can afford.

No Bull Review - For Use with the AP US History Exam and SAT Subject Test

  • Klaff, Jeremy (Author)
  • 216 Pages - 08/06/2017 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)

best books to study world history

AP World History Crash Course by Jay P. Harmon and Advanced Placement

Known for delivering literal crash courses, Crash Course  helps you review in a quick and affordable way that does not take up a lot of time and money. It is considered as a last-minute choice especially for those that do not have a lot of time left on the clock or for those looking for a book that tells them everything they need to know in the shortest amount of time possible.

Delivering a targeted review that lets you know only the things that you need to be able to remember for the upcoming exam, this book matches the course outline description of the AP World History exam while also delivering test questions that are similar to what you should be expecting. It is an easy-to-read book that gives you a crash course in the important events of world history while also teaching you strategies that can boost your confidence.

A highly recommended book among satisfied customers in Amazon, this is a material everyone should have whether it is used as a primary review book or as a supplementary reference. And, for its price, AP World History Crash Course gives you the bang for your buck especially if you do not have time and money to waste on more expensive review books.

  • It is simple to read and understand.
  • Despite being a short review material, it comes with strategies and practice tests that can make you gauge how well-prepared you already are.
  • It is for those that don’t have time to waste or are on a last-minute cramming spree for the upcoming exam.

AP® World History: Modern Crash Course, Book + Online: Get a Higher Score in Less Time (Advanced Placement (AP) Crash Course

  • Harmon, Jay P. (Author)
  • 208 Pages - 04/13/2020 (Publication Date) - Research & Education Association (Publisher)

Summary of the Best AP World History Review Books

As we wrap everything up, here is a table of the best AP World History review books we went over today.

Princeton Review AP World History: Modern Prep, 2023: 3 Practice Tests + Complete Content Review + Strategies & Techniques (College Test Preparation)

So what’s the best AP World History review book for you? It actually depends on what you need. If you are looking for comprehensive reviews, then you can take your pick out of our favorite review books. However, if you are looking for a more targeted and focused review that won’t take up a lot of time, go for the shorter and more affordable ones. You may even want to buy two or more books if your time and your money permit.

Hope you found this guide on the best AP World History review books helpful. If so, share it with a friend!

Looking for more reviews of AP study guides? Check out our archives for  other AP History & Social Sciences , AP History & Social Sciences , or our general Advanced Placement section .

Also, if you’re looking for AP World History tips, read our comprehensive list here .

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18 Best World History Books of All Time

Our goal : Find the best World History books according to the internet (not just one random person's opinion).

  • Type "best world history books" into our search engine and study the top 4+ pages.
  • Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  • Rank the results neatly for you here! 😊 (It was a lot of work. But hey! That's why we're here, right?)

(Updated 2024)

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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024

  • Best World History Books

The Silk Roads

The Silk Roads

A new history of the world.

Peter Frankopan

Salt

A World History

Mark Kurlansky

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Guns, Germs, and Steel

The fates of human societies.

Jared Diamond

The Lessons of History

The Lessons of History

Will & Ariel Durant

1491

New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Charles C. Mann

Ordinary Men

Ordinary Men

Reserve police battalion 101 and the final solution in poland.

Christopher R. Browning

The Ascent of Money

The Ascent of Money

A financial history of the world.

Niall Ferguson

History of the World Map by Map

History of the World Map by Map

SPQR

A History of Ancient Rome

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Tom Standage

The War That Ended Peace

The War That Ended Peace

The road to 1914.

Margaret MacMillan

The History of the Ancient World

The History of the Ancient World

From the earliest accounts to the fall of rome.

Susan Wise Bauer

The Last Days of the Incas

The Last Days of the Incas

Kim MacQuarrie

Timelines of History

Timelines of History

The ultimate visual guide to the events that shaped the world.

World History

World History

From the ancient world to the information age.

Philip Parker

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes

The ancient world economy & the empires of parthia, central asia & han china.

Raoul McLaughlin

A World History of Photography

A World History of Photography

Naomi Rosenblum

1759

The Year Britain Became Master of the World

Frank McLynn

  • 20 of the Best World History Books | Book Riot bookriot.com
  • World history books for upsc topbooksreview.com
  • World History Books That Will Give You a New Perspective explorethearchive.com
  • Best world history books pennbookcenter.com

How was this World History books list created?

We searched for 'best World History books', found the top 5 articles, took every book mentioned in 2+ articles, and averaged their rankings.

How many World History books are in this list?

There are 18 books in this list.

Why did you create this World History books list?

We wanted to gather the most accurate list of World History books on the internet.

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Best AP World History Prep Books

3 min read • december 14, 2021

Preparing to take the AP World test, and looking for methods to prepare? Definitely purchase a review book early on in the course (but it’s never too late)! Remember that these books are intended to support your learning in the classroom, and should be used alongside a more content-heavy textbook/classroom teachers’ lectures. Choosing the right review book for you can be based upon a variety of factors, including: content, AP World specific test preparation, format of textbook, extent of DBQ/LEQ/SAQ preparation, and more. Thus, it is important to be informed regarding the pros and cons of each book, in order to make a decision that aligns with your learning style.

⚡ Watch: AP World History -  🎥 AMA: I Scored a 5 on AP World

#1: Cracking the AP World History Exam — Princeton Review

  • Conversational voice, very easy to digest
  • Wide margins for note-taking and making connections
  • Effectively addresses content: not too specific/broad
  • Two sample tests included
  • Draws relationships with College Board themes, provides relevant timeline/key terms
  • Price is economical, in relation to amount of content provided
  • Not content-heavy enough for self-studying (always get a more content heavy textbook to serve as the base)!
  • No sample essays, could elaborate more about DBQ/SAQ/LEQ

#2: AP World History, 7th Edition — Barron’s

  • COMPREHENSIVE overview of AP World Key Concepts and connects to themes, very content-heavy
  • Challenging practice exams that may be more difficult than the actual exam
  • Good tips on AP World test-taking techniques, including for multiple choice, SAQ, LEQ, and DBQs!
  • Too much material for short-term AP World review, plan at least two months to go through
  • Academic writing style, can be ‘boring,’ sometimes overly wordy
  • No practice questions offered at the end of each chapter

#3: AP World History — 5 Steps to a 5

  • Short and more digestible than other review book options
  • Provides a variety of study plans based on your time until exam to guide productive study habits
  • Each unit includes helpful quizzes and charts that enhance understanding
  • Even less content-heavy than Princeton, not enough for self-studying (always get a more content heavy textbook to serve as the base)!
  • Very high level content, little details to draw connections
  • Two of four practice exams on the computer — not how the real exam is administered

As all of this sinks in, don’t forget that as part of your AP World review, Fiveable can also provide many supplementary resources, from content live-streams, to live essay writing seminars, to information-based kahoots. All this means is that you have the necessary framework to supplement your learning — and with a strong content base, there is no doubt you will do well. Best of luck to you on the AP World exam. Fiveable believes in you! Yes, taking this exam may seem like a daunting endeavor, but know the college credit will be worth it in the end. Enjoy your new review book, and we’ll see you on our next AP World livestream!

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6 Best AP World History Prep Books (2022)

Best AP World History Study Books

The AP World History exam has two sections and takes three hours and 15 minutes. Students get free-response and short/multiple-choice sections. Each part is further divided into parts.

Section 1 has Part A that accounts for 40% of the test and contains 55 multiple choice type questions that you need to solve for 55 minutes. Part B of Section 1 accounts for 20% of the test score and contains three questions that you need to answer in short form in 40 minutes.

Section 2 has Part A and B. The first part A is a document-based question that accounts for 25% of the score and gives you 60 minutes. Part B contains one long essay question and makes up 15% of your exam score. You are allowed 40 minutes to solve this question.

Clearly, preparing for the AP World History exam requires some in-depth study. Fortunately, we have recommendations for the best AP World History prep books with a modern spin for your 2022 exam.

Table of Contents

1. Barron’s AP World History

2. princeton review ap world history: modern prep (2022), 3. 5 steps to a 5: ap world history: modern 2020 elite student edition, 4. ap world history prep plus by kaplan test prep, 5. ap world history crash course: modern 2020 edition, 6. no bull review: with the ap us history exam, what is the best ap world history prep book, how should i study for an ap history exam, is ap world history difficult, final thoughts, best ap world history books.

Some of the best modern AP world history books include:

A comprehensive AP World History concepts book

AP World History: Modern: With 2 Practice Tests (Barron's Test Prep)

Barron’s AP World History book is a comprehensive review material that contains the basics from beginning to the end. You’ll find content from civilization times to modern history. The amount of detail and coverage in this book is impressive .

It’s more like an easy to read, yet summarized textbook. You can use it when you have enough time before the exams. Students can use this book for world history courses and for review.

Another fantastic aspect is the strategies and tips you get to help you answer short and multiple-choice questions. Create your study plan with the given charts and concepts for quick reviewing.

Previous users love the tests that aren’t as tough , but difficult to help you prepare for the real AP World History exam. These practice tests check your understanding of the main concepts and gauge your performance in preparation. Its affordable price is another fantastic aspect given the quality you get.

  • Has two tests that are similar to the real exam
  • Detailed content that works for course work
  • Meets the College Board theme
  • Has an academic writing style that can be boring
  • Too much content for short-term review

Publisher: John McCannon

Number of Pages: 488 pages

Final Grade : A+

Best-selling AP World History Book

Princeton Review AP World History: Modern Prep, 2022: Practice Tests +...

If you’re looking for an excellent study aid when preparing for your AP History exam, you’ll find AP World History: Modern Prep a fantastic resource. It’s detailed and useful for someone looking to score high in the History exam.

The book offers essential information in a detailed way from a bigger perspective instead of being focused on a small point of view. That comes in handy when you’re preparing for exams as it guides you on where you need to focus more to achieve a high score.

The easy to understand review book has a conversational style that resonates with you as the reader. You’ll find it simple to comprehend difficult concepts, thanks to its unique approach.

As a student, you’ll learn how to deliver summaries in a simple way, given how vast world history can get. You also learn how to answer short-answer and multiple-choice questions. With this, you can review your progress.

The book also gives you access to study plans online and some tricks to note when preparing for the exam.

Another fantastic aspect is the full-length practice tests that are challenging than the actual exam. The tests allow you to gauge yourself and adjust to the exam pressure. Once you ace these trials, there’s no reason why you can’t get a good score in the final exam. AP World History: Modern Prep delivers value and it’s one of the best sellers online.

  • Provides value for money with its detailed content
  • Has challenging practice tests
  • Simple to understand due to the conversational writing style
  • Affordable given the amount of content
  • Comes with two sample tests
  • Has a relationship with College Board themes
  • You may need a content-heavy textbook to act as your base

Publisher: The Princeton Review

Number of Pages: 384 pages

Final Grade: A+

Supplemental Study Aid for days leading up to the exam and the duration of the course

5 Steps to a 5: AP World History: Modern 2020 Elite Student Edition

The 5 Steps to a 5: AP World History: Modern 2020 Elite Student Edition combines simple to grasp content with a decent amount of practice materials to give you a comprehensive prep book.

You’ll love the step-by-step study process if you’re looking for extra sample questions . Explore the multiple full-length tests that have two practice tests in books and two online. There are researched strategies on each section of the test.

Students find this an excellent study resource, thanks to the available online resources and practice questions. On the downside, you’ll find that a bit of the content overlaps with course textbooks. Also, some previous users found that it doesn’t align with the new unit structure and exam format .

  • Has useful charts that summarise each unit
  • Comes with practice exams online and in the book
  • Digestible and short content
  • Different sample study plans you can choose to guide your study
  • Has access to McGraw-Hill Education’s interactive AP Planner AP
  • Doesn’t align with the new unit structure and exam format
  • You can’t use it to study throughout the year

Publisher : Martin, Peggy

Pages: 608 pages

Final Grade: B+

Detailed and conceptual AP History Book

AP World History Prep Plus 2018-2019: 3 Practice Tests + Study Plans +...

The AP World History: Modern Prep Plus 2020 and 2021 is a must-have prep book. It comes with five full practice tests with an online scoring tool. You can use the tool to convert your scores to a final AP score.

Find pre and post-chapter quizzes to test your knowledge of AP History. The online quizzes are a valuable resource as they help with additional practice. You’ll find this book simple and quick to read , unlike other prep materials.

Adjust your study plans based on the time you have before the exams and your goals. Kaplan goes ahead to include strategies to help you understand what type of practice you need to have as you sit for the exam.

Unfortunately, the Prep Plus book is not as detailed compared to other books on the market . Although you’ll find practice tests inside, they aren’t as tough as what you’ll find on other prep books.

Overall, it’s an affordable book with customizable study plans.

  • Has three tests to help you prepare for an upcoming exam
  • Easy and quick to read
  • Comes with online quizzes for extra practice
  • Pre-and post-chapter quizzes
  • The tests are not as challenging

Publisher: Kaplan Test Prep

Number of Pages : 672

Last-minute targeted review book

AP® World History: Modern Crash Course, Book + Online: Get a Higher Score...

The AP World History Crash Course provides an affordable and fast way to review your AP History concepts. If you don’t have enough time before the exams, this book will tell you everything you need to know about AP World History in the shortest time .

You’ll find a similar course outline description like the one on the exam. It also comes with test questions to help you prepare in advance. Students get a crash course in some critical events of world history. You also get strategies to help you gain confidence ahead of the test.

It’s an excellent supplementary resource that also works well as a primary review book. Being an affordable book also saves you some money when you don’t have time or money to spend on expensive prep books.

  • Has practice tests and strategies to gauge your understanding of concepts
  • Works well as a last-minute prep book
  • Not as detailed

Publisher : Jay.P.Harmon

Number of Pages: 208 pages

Final Grade: B

A short study aid for your upcoming AP World History exam

No Bull Review - For Use with the AP US History Exam and SAT Subject Test

The No Bull Review is a no-waste time book that gives you upfront info to help you prepare for your AP World History exam. While you won’t find this review book as detailed as the other prep books, it delivers a fast way for you to grasp critical concepts, terms, themes, and events of history with short explanations.

The end of each chapter has questions to help you see how much you’ve learned. Find practice short-answer, multiple-choice, and questions in this book. The sample Q &A give you essential tips to handle the actual exam.

Its reasonable price as a study guide or as supplementary material is another advantage.

  • Simple to understand
  • Not detailed enough to use for course work

Publisher: Jeremy Klaff and Harry Klaff

Number of Pages: 216 pages

Final Grade : B

Some of the commonly asked questions on AP world history prep books include:

Although this largely depends on your current needs, some of the top-rated include AP World History Prep Plus by Kaplan, Cracking the AP World History by The Princeton Review, 5 Steps to a 5: AP World History, and Barron’s AP World History by John McCannon.

Read next : The Best AP United States History Exam Prep Books

You need to read to understand world history themes and go through the different units. It’s essential to take a practice test and analyze what mistakes you made. You also need to practice how to write essays. Study relevant content areas and do multiple-choice questions. Avoid cramming or memorizing everything .

You may be interested in : AP European History Test Prep Courses & Books

AP World History falls under a medium-difficulty class given the large curriculum, some conceptually difficult content, and tough tests. However, with the right study tactics and enough practice, you should score highly without a lot of challenges.

Preparing for an AP World History exam can be challenging . Nonetheless, with the right modern prep book, you can take the different practice tests to gauge your skills and better understand how to answer both short form and multiple-choice questions.

Remember that choosing the best book depends on the format that works for you, the extent of preparation, the content, your budget, among other factors. Our reviews above will help you find a book that suits your current needs and preferences.

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Hannah Young

Contributor at ExamCave. Hannah is pursuing a degree in middle school English education at The Ohio State University. Hannah has worked as a writing and math tutor for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

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COMMENTS

  1. 20 of the Best World History Books

    The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan. The Silk Roads were a vital part of the trade between the East and the West, connecting countries from Europe to those in the Middle East, Central Asia, all the way to China. It was massively important, with goods not just being traded along the route, but ideas as well, assisting ...

  2. 20 Best World History Books (2022 Review)

    A History of the World in Glasses by Tom Standage compares six eras of world history to six different drinks. The six drinks are: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and coca-cola. The eras in this book range from the stone age to the 21st century. Standage has a modern approach to this book.

  3. 20 Best World History Books of All Time

    The 20 best world history books recommended by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sharon Mundia, Quinn Cummings and Marshall Kirkpatrick.

  4. 45 Best History Books of All Time

    Ansary discusses the history of the Islamic world from the time of Mohammed, through the various empires that have ruled the Middle Eastern region and beyond, right up to contemporary conflicts and the status of Islam in a modern, globalizing world. 7. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. Buy on Amazon.

  5. World History Books

    The best books on Environmental History, recommended by John R McNeill. Environmental history is the study of the relationship between society and the natural world—both in terms of human impacts on the environment, and the constraints placed upon cultures by the landscapes they live in. Here, John R. McNeill, a pioneer of the field ...

  6. 20 Best World History eBooks of All Time

    Lengthy. Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, James Altucher and 49 others. The President Of PakistanWhile revealing his 10 favorite books for year 2022, President Dr. Arif Alvi has recommended "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari (@harari_yuval). The book tells the history of humankind from a completely fresh perspective.

  7. The best books on Global History

    So prophecy and history are often interchangeable. The Book of Daniel isn't the only example. In some Mesoamerican cultures, especially amongst the Maya, history and prophecy are indistinguishable, because every historical writer is a prophet and every prophet is a historical writer. The two genres are very mixed.

  8. 100 Best World History Books of All Time

    The Fates of Human Societies. Jared Diamond Ph.D. | 4.91. Explaining what William McNeill called The Rise of the West has become the central problem in the study of global history. In Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond presents the biologist's answer: geography, demography, and ecological happenstance.

  9. The best books on Global History

    Read. Next up is Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World by Tim Brook. This was written quite early on in the global history initiative. Tim Brook is also a historian of China. He has written on Chinese cities and has done a lot of work on the Ming Dynasty.

  10. The Best World History Books

    Dominion. by Tom Holland. Tom Holland digs into every facet of Christianity in Dominion, from how it became the main visible culture of the western world to how Jesus is worshipped as a god. He also covers our morals and ethics—as well as concepts like liberalism, science, and homosexuality—and how they are so deeply rooted in Christianity.

  11. The 60 Best History Books of All Time (to Read at Any Age)

    Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday. Best History Books About Climate Change & Population Growth. 48. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. 49. The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. 50. Empty Planet by Darrell Bricker & John Ibbitson. Best History Books With a Self-Help Angle.

  12. The 5 Best AP World History Books for Practice and Review

    Best Supplemental AP World History Books. In this section, we give you two extra AP World History review books that you can use to further supplement your learning and the other books on this list.. McGraw-Hill's 5 Steps to a 5: AP World History: Modern, 2022 Edition. Price: About $16 Pros. Comes with access to McGraw-Hill Education's interactive AP Planner app, which gives you a customizable ...

  13. Best History Books Of All Time: 12 Essential Reads On Western ...

    "The Second World War was among the most destructive conflicts in human history; more than forty-six million soldiers and civilians perished, many in circumstances of prolonged and horrifying ...

  14. 25+ Best History Books of All Time for a Solid Understanding of Our World

    8. October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Miéville. October: The Story of the Russian Revolution was written for all those who are interested in history, politics, Russia, or simply curious about our world. It tells a story of nine months in 1917 that became a turning point in the history of Russia.

  15. Amazon Best Sellers: Best World History

    68 offers from $11.93. #8. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Kai Bird. 10,575. Audible Audiobook. 193 offers from $23.85. #9. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.

  16. World History Books

    657 books — 487 voters. World History AP 2013. 188 books — 27 voters. 1968 - The year that rocked the world (fiction and nonfiction) 232 books — 72 voters. Food-Related Non-Fiction. 1,147 books — 1,671 voters. Read-Alikes: If You Liked "Killers of the Flower Moon..." 48 books — 11 voters.

  17. Best AP World History Textbooks and Prep Books

    Cheapest: Barron's AP World History: Modern (Amazon): $9.99 New: At only $9.99, the Barron's book is definitely the cheapest of the options here. However, it only contains two practice texts and is generally considered to be one of the wordier prep books out there, with less concise prose than some of the other options.

  18. The Best AP World History Review Books of 2024

    What We Review hide. 1. Our Favorites (the best AP World History review books) AP World History: Modern Premium Prep, 2023 by The Princeton Review. 1.2. AP World History: Modern Premium, 2022-2023 by John McCannon. 1.3. 5 Steps to a 5 AP World History: Modern 2023 by Peggy J. Martin. 2.

  19. 18 Best World History Books of All Time

    World History Books of All Time. Our goal: Find the best World History books according to the internet (not just one random person's opinion).. Here's what we did:; Type "best world history books" into our search engine and study the top 4+ pages.; Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.; Rank the results neatly for you here! 😊 (It was a lot of work. But hey!

  20. 12 Best Historical Fiction Books to Read

    Kelly Macquire - Video Editor. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a beautifully written book that follows the life of the hero Achilles, through the eyes of his friends and companion Patroclus. It is not just the story of the Trojan War, but the growth of Achilles and Patroclus, from boys to men.

  21. Best AP World History Prep Books

    #3: AP World History — 5 Steps to a 5. Pros: Short and more digestible than other review book options; Provides a variety of study plans based on your time until exam to guide productive study habits; Each unit includes helpful quizzes and charts that enhance understanding; Cons:

  22. World History Books For UPSC, Check List Here!

    List Of Best World History Books For UPSC. Candidates generally face difficulty while selecting the best World History book for UPSC Mains. Some of the top books for World History are listed in the table below. This Booklist will certainly be helpful for preparing Mains GS Paper 1 as well as the History optional papers. Have a look at the list ...

  23. 6 Best AP World History Prep Books (2022) » Exam Cave

    Some of the best modern AP world history books include: 1. Barron's AP World History. A comprehensive AP World History concepts book. AP World History: Modern: With 2 Practice Tests (Barron's Test Prep) Check Today's Price. Barron's AP World History book is a comprehensive review material that contains the basics from beginning to the end ...