Best History Books

Proper nonfiction history books, not historical fiction, about any period, event, area or topic you like. Just well-written, well-researched, informative and interesting books for historians, history students and history enthusiasts. I didn't mean this to be a list of pop history, but I think it's too late now, so you might as well go ahead.

See also:
Best History Books
Best Non fiction American History Books
Best Non fiction War Books
Best Popular History Books on Goodreads

History By Year:
2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

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1	John Adams by David McCullough 4.08 avg rating — 362,108 ratings score: 34,789, and 352 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer 4.21 avg rating — 134,432 ratings score: 33,100, and 338 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	1776 by David McCullough 4.09 avg rating — 230,966 ratings score: 29,312, and 299 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.18 avg rating — 76,854 ratings score: 27,192, and 282 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.28 avg rating — 187,117 ratings score: 27,111, and 278 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 4.04 avg rating — 413,005 ratings score: 25,162, and 259 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.19 avg rating — 3,755,451 ratings score: 23,880, and 246 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.38 avg rating — 938,096 ratings score: 20,348, and 209 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown 4.25 avg rating — 93,093 ratings score: 19,554, and 203 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 686,592 ratings score: 17,158, and 178 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn 4.08 avg rating — 244,695 ratings score: 16,972, and 175 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.05 avg rating — 41,232 ratings score: 16,880, and 174 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson 4.21 avg rating — 388,084 ratings score: 16,615, and 173 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson 4.38 avg rating — 31,387 ratings score: 15,678, and 164 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) by Elie Wiesel 4.37 avg rating — 1,251,890 ratings score: 14,177, and 149 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Histories by Herodotus really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 51,837 ratings score: 13,192, and 137 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.22 avg rating — 62,689 ratings score: 12,349, and 130 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon 4.02 avg rating — 14,676 ratings score: 12,058, and 125 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Truman by David McCullough 4.16 avg rating — 87,834 ratings score: 11,188, and 119 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang 4.22 avg rating — 43,021 ratings score: 10,639, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann 4.05 avg rating — 87,485 ratings score: 10,374, and 111 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Hiroshima by John Hersey 4.03 avg rating — 80,843 ratings score: 10,025, and 109 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943 by Antony Beevor 4.32 avg rating — 37,385 ratings score: 9,933, and 106 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides 3.93 avg rating — 38,166 ratings score: 9,925, and 105 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 3,894 ratings score: 9,919, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris 4.23 avg rating — 55,642 ratings score: 9,646, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.43 avg rating — 126,955 ratings score: 9,634, and 104 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Mary Edwards Walker: America's Only Female Medal of Honor Recipient by Ammar Habib (Goodreads Author) 4.37 avg rating — 7,877 ratings score: 9,155, and 92 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing 4.44 avg rating — 133,456 ratings score: 9,088, and 96 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote 4.53 avg rating — 7,880 ratings score: 8,842, and 93 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie 4.14 avg rating — 22,207 ratings score: 8,558, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford 4.06 avg rating — 74,060 ratings score: 8,345, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow 4.22 avg rating — 181,989 ratings score: 8,114, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie 3.94 avg rating — 104,035 ratings score: 8,072, and 86 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 55,844 ratings score: 7,853, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 43,721 ratings score: 7,696, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 4.17 avg rating — 59,965 ratings score: 7,575, and 82 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Paris, 1919: Six Months that Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan 4.12 avg rating — 13,995 ratings score: 7,563, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 4.32 avg rating — 30,616 ratings score: 7,420, and 80 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty by Robert K. Massie 4.22 avg rating — 28,751 ratings score: 7,225, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius 4.02 avg rating — 20,229 ratings score: 7,212, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 108,737 ratings score: 7,156, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen 3.97 avg rating — 69,587 ratings score: 6,929, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.13 avg rating — 9,042 ratings score: 6,905, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris 4.18 avg rating — 49,363 ratings score: 6,605, and 72 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides 4.24 avg rating — 36,776 ratings score: 6,309, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne 4.23 avg rating — 55,347 ratings score: 6,290, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester 3.84 avg rating — 117,222 ratings score: 5,997, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond 3.93 avg rating — 71,518 ratings score: 5,847, and 64 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge 4.47 avg rating — 41,694 ratings score: 5,578, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill 3.81 avg rating — 45,293 ratings score: 5,459, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson 4.16 avg rating — 31,801 ratings score: 5,412, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.23 avg rating — 23,508 ratings score: 5,381, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard 4.21 avg rating — 75,195 ratings score: 5,337, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland 4.22 avg rating — 21,319 ratings score: 5,320, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel 3.98 avg rating — 71,459 ratings score: 5,198, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes 4.39 avg rating — 22,452 ratings score: 5,115, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 186,360 ratings score: 5,067, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor 4.29 avg rating — 16,883 ratings score: 5,008, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.20 avg rating — 45,194 ratings score: 4,846, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky 3.75 avg rating — 71,782 ratings score: 4,761, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton 4.10 avg rating — 40,341 ratings score: 4,756, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan 4.33 avg rating — 24,459 ratings score: 4,683, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Coming of the Third Reich (The History of the Third Reich, #1) by Richard J. Evans 4.28 avg rating — 10,157 ratings score: 4,563, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Europe: A History by Norman Davies 4.20 avg rating — 4,918 ratings score: 4,552, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder (Goodreads Author) 4.38 avg rating — 16,656 ratings score: 4,543, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Tesla: Inventor of the Modern by Richard Munson (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 1,994 ratings score: 4,354, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough 4.22 avg rating — 20,598 ratings score: 4,309, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis 3.95 avg rating — 45,759 ratings score: 4,295, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932 by William Manchester 4.33 avg rating — 15,216 ratings score: 4,172, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891 - 1924 by Orlando Figes 4.36 avg rating — 5,228 ratings score: 4,106, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis 3.95 avg rating — 41,657 ratings score: 4,071, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris by Ian Kershaw 4.15 avg rating — 6,428 ratings score: 4,007, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	A Night to Remember by Walter Lord 4.09 avg rating — 24,749 ratings score: 3,964, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The March of Folly by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.02 avg rating — 6,741 ratings score: 3,952, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore 4.33 avg rating — 31,056 ratings score: 3,923, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 117,555 ratings score: 3,882, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden 4.30 avg rating — 64,666 ratings score: 3,878, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer 4.15 avg rating — 14,908 ratings score: 3,857, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough 4.09 avg rating — 33,184 ratings score: 3,825, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #1) by Rick Atkinson 4.29 avg rating — 20,830 ratings score: 3,802, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser 3.93 avg rating — 37,095 ratings score: 3,759, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power by Daniel Yergin 4.43 avg rating — 11,043 ratings score: 3,703, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and The Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin 4.21 avg rating — 8,791 ratings score: 3,506, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow 4.15 avg rating — 73,758 ratings score: 3,492, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	April 1865: The Month That Saved America by Jay Winik 4.16 avg rating — 12,196 ratings score: 3,470, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	1066: The Year of the Conquest by David Howarth 4.06 avg rating — 4,344 ratings score: 3,431, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.30 avg rating — 29,471 ratings score: 3,375, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Path to Power by Robert A. Caro 4.39 avg rating — 23,951 ratings score: 3,243, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Wright Brothers by David McCullough 4.16 avg rating — 92,711 ratings score: 3,202, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Master of the Senate by Robert A. Caro 4.40 avg rating — 22,441 ratings score: 3,180, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark 4.21 avg rating — 11,719 ratings score: 3,145, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 10,267 ratings score: 2,987, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman 4.14 avg rating — 12,178 ratings score: 2,891, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer 4.11 avg rating — 5,783 ratings score: 2,887, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 13,455 ratings score: 2,865, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	The German Genius: Europe's Third Renaissance, the Second Scientific Revolution, and the Twentieth Century by Peter Watson 4.18 avg rating — 1,355 ratings score: 2,859, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt 4.37 avg rating — 12,422 ratings score: 2,838, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough 4.25 avg rating — 16,950 ratings score: 2,789, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis by Ian Kershaw 4.37 avg rating — 5,323 ratings score: 2,717, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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3,486 books · 3,587 voters · list created January 16th, 2009 by Abi (votes) .

Tags: 17th-century-history, 18th-century-history, 19th-century-history, 20th-century-history, 21st-century-history, aboriginal, aboriginal-history, academic, african-american, african-american-history, african-american-studies, afro-american-studies, america, american, american-history, american-politics, american-president, american-presidents, american-revolution, american-revolution-history, american-revolutionary-war, american-studies, american-war-of-independence, autobiographies, autobiography, biographies, biography, black-american, black-history, british-history, colonial-america, colonial-history, early-american-republic, european-history, first-nations, first-nations-history, founder, founders, founding-family, founding-father, founding-fathers, french-revolution, history, history-american, indigeneity, indigenous, indigenous-history, medieval, memoir, memoirs, middle-ages, native-american, native-american-history, non-fiction, political-history, political-science, politics, president, presidents, revolution, u-k-history, u-s-history, u-s-politics, uk-history, united-states, united-states-history, united-states-politics, united-states-president, united-states-presidents, us-history, us-politics, us-president, us-presidents, usa, war-of-independence, women, womens-history, womens-studies

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People Who Voted On This List (3587)

Abi 380 books
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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3370 books
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Bettie 15797 books
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Bonnie 7325 books
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Susanne 201 books
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Kris 419 books
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Fat 725 books
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siouxzee 1445 books
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 73 (73 new)

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message 1: by Abi (last edited Apr 24, 2010 02:41AM) (new)

Feb 13, 2009 03:40AM

I really wish I could disqualify anything that has the words 'epic story' in the title. Great history books make an argument based on an interpretation of the past; a history book that just tells you a story has a seriously limited value.

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message 2: by Tracey (new)

May 14, 2009 09:05PM

I cant seem to add books to the list but could I suggest A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich.

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message 3: by Antoine (new)

Aug 28, 2009 07:34PM

I went ahead and did disqualify a couple of works of fiction. But really, I don't think the "epic story" label should eliminate a work from consideration. You could start with Herodotus and Thucydides whose work is undeniably epic, but also epochal, in that we would have no history without them. Serious history has scholarly obligations, but it has artistic ones as well. If the matter isn't interesting, then ultimately no one is going to care about the footnotes or the argument.

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message 4: by John (new)

Apr 22, 2010 08:53AM

Water for Elephants is most emphatically not a work of history.

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message 5: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 22, 2010 11:07AM

Removed for being fiction:

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant

I am of two minds about The Devils of Loudun, so I left it.

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message 6: by Antoine (new)

Apr 23, 2010 05:36AM

The Devils of Loudun is really not a novel, despite Huxley's reputation as a novelist. It is as "literary" as Barbara Tuchman. If you are thinking of the dreadful Ken Russell film based on the book, all I can say is, please don't.

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message 7: by Theodore (new)

Apr 16, 2011 04:31PM

Adding "Benedict Arnold's Navy" by James Nelson.

Had it not been for Horatio Gates, who stole Arnold's genius at Saratoga and threw him to the wolves causing Arnold to "turn coat", Benedict Arnold could quite possibly been a greater American Hero than George Washington.

This book is of Benedict Arnolds building of a small fleet in the harbor of Skenesborough (modern day Whitehall, NY) to sail north and interdict the British fleet arriving via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Richelieu river.

The ensuing "Battle of Valcour Island" is considered to be the very first naval engagement by the American Navy.

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message 8: by Bill (new)

Apr 16, 2011 06:41PM

All of the Edward Rutherfurd books on the list (Sarum, London, Russka, New York) are novels. If you include them, you have to open the field to Michener.

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message 9: by Antoine (new)

Apr 17, 2011 10:34AM

I was only able to find Russka. I have deleted it. Cheers.

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message 10: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Apr 17, 2011 12:46PM) (new)

Apr 17, 2011 12:43PM

I found the others, on page 3. I'll delete them.

ETA: Also removed "The Great Indian Novel." Because it, too, is a novel.

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message 11: by Alin (new)

Oct 05, 2011 06:43AM

Too much american history.You're not the world y'know ?

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message 12: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 05, 2011 11:36AM

You could, of course, add works about non-American history to the list.

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message 13: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 05, 2011 11:40AM

Removed: The Killer Angels - a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

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message 14: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Nov 02, 2011 10:34AM) (new)

Nov 02, 2011 10:13AM

Removed for being novels:

Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian
Chesapeake, by James A. Michener

Removed for being poetry:

The Ballad of the White Horse, by G.K. Chesterton

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message 15: by Kate (new)

Mar 08, 2012 05:16PM

Where is the Venerable Bede?

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message 16: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 08, 2012 07:47PM

You could add him. It's easy to add books to lists; at the top of the page, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 17: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 08, 2012 08:03PM

David & Russ - any clue as to what book "Unknown Book 9379560" is at No. 147 on this list? You were the ones who voted for it.

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message 18: by Donna (new)

Oct 02, 2012 08:40PM

The list is a little ethnocentric. Just a thought...if you know of a good book that is also the history of women, or Native Americans, or any other underrepresented group, you may want to add it. I added a few, but it could still use some rounding out.

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message 19: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 02, 2012 09:24PM

D. wrote: "The Guns of August is a great, great book...but it is HISTORICAL FICTION. It is strong, well-researched historical fiction, but it is fiction This list is supposed to be strictly nonfiction."

It is most certainly not historical fiction. What is your evidence that it is?

It won the Pulitzer for "general nonfiction."

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message 20: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Oct 02, 2012 09:49PM) (new)

Oct 02, 2012 09:31PM

Removed, for being novels:

Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield
The Pale Criminal, by Philip Carr
Queen Margot, by Alexandre Dumas
A Philosophical Investigation, by Philip Kerr

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message 21: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 03, 2012 09:56AM

Oh, it's a great book. It really does "read like a novel."

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message 22: by Steven (new)

Oct 06, 2012 11:09AM

Durant

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message 23: by Donna (new)

Feb 10, 2013 12:29PM

Revisited Feb 10 and asked the system to find duplicates, because I spotted one (Sherman's memoirs). The system found and removed 5 duplicates.

I sympathize with the person who pointed out there is too much American history here. I went back and found some good books I had read (primarily Russian Revolution and Cuba) and added those; I can't reasonably add anything I haven't read, but have added some "want to reads" from the wider world.

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message 24: by John (new)

Jun 19, 2013 06:12PM

Well said

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message 25: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jun 20, 2013 10:03AM) (new)

Jun 20, 2013 09:44AM

Removed, for being novels:

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Quo Vadis
The Death of Ivan Ilych
Prince of the Atlantic: An Epic Novel Based on the True Exploits of Captain Luke Ryan Irish Swashbuckler & American Patriot Benjamin Franklin's Most Dangerous Privateer

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message 26: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jun 20, 2013 10:25AM

And this is one of the times when I wish I had more than 100 votes!

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message 27: by Ahmed (new)

Jul 26, 2013 01:22AM

I admire your fantastic library of golden books. Thank you.

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message 28: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 28, 2014 08:32AM

I only had a hundred books I could add!

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message 29: by Ron (new)

Aug 25, 2015 10:40PM

Wow, so many great sounding books that I've missed. Might have to read John Adams now, since it's at the top of the list. How about a history book that was just "fun" to read? Like "One of a Kind" about Stu Ungar, or "Vegas and the Mob," about, well, Las Vegas? Or are those too low-brow to admit at guilty pleasures?

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message 30: by Donna (new)

Aug 26, 2015 01:53PM

Ron wrote: "Wow, so many great sounding books that I've missed. Might have to read John Adams now, since it's at the top of the list. How about a history book that was just "fun" to read? Like "One of a Kind" ..."
Not familiar with these, but in order to qualify as history books, they must refer to a period at least 50 years before the publication date...at least I think so. Susanna CBG would know for sure.

I'm having a terrible time whittling my choices down to 100!

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message 31: by Socraticgadfly (new)

Aug 30, 2015 12:08PM

I wish I could pull books OFF this list. How about anything by Joseph Ellis is on this list is beyond me.

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message 32: by Donna (new)

Aug 30, 2015 08:55PM

Socraticgadfly wrote: "I wish I could pull books OFF this list. How about anything by Joseph Ellis is on this list is beyond me."

Exactly how I feel when I see Gone With the Wind as "best" historical fiction, when it is myth, and not even benign myth. But on the other hand, the First Amendment right to say what books we like is even more critical.

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message 33: by Sonny (new)

Sep 09, 2015 05:26AM

You don't give any reason for writing that Joseph Ellis shouldn't be on the list. At least one historian places him among the five best historywriters today (http://practicallyhistorical.net/2011...)

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message 34: by Donna (new)

Sep 09, 2015 11:57AM

1 duplicate found and removed.

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message 35: by David (new)

Jan 03, 2016 04:39PM

A New Age Now Begins: A People's History of the American Revolution, Vol 1\
This 8 volume set written as a popular history is essential to understand the continuity of the development of the United States. This history is readable, does not focus on politics, politicians or generals and warfare. Rather all the above are included as they apply to the social fabric, and cultural development that caused America to become what it has. Here you will understand why normal people did what they did and the events that impacted peoples lives for good or evil. This set can be collected for about $8 or less per volume in used book stores. If you have any interest in history find any volume in a library and read a chapter.

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message 36: by Donna (new)

Jan 03, 2016 05:18PM

Cameron wrote: "Siddhartha, being a novel, should be removed."
Open ended listopia such as this one rely largely upon volunteer librarians, such as myself. If a title is misplaced on this list and you want to see it removed, please indicate on what page of the list you found it. This is a very long list, and I can't see scrolling through 18+ pages searching for 1 book, but I will zap it if I know where it is. Thanks.

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message 37: by Jonas (new)

May 07, 2016 10:08AM

page 2 Neil Shubin Your Inner Fish is not a history book. The only way that it is historical is if broad-stroke paleontology can be classified as historical

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message 38: by Irina (new)

Jul 18, 2016 06:48PM

Whats wrong with novels? My interest in history started from The Other Boleyn Girl that is pretty much fiction. I wanted to know how the real story went, and the rest is "history". Recently I went to Amsterdam. As usual, before I have read few books about history of Netherlands. Some were unnecessary long and boring. In between I read The Coffee Trader, a novel, intertaining and very close to reality.
So, whatever gets you going. Besides, the author disclaims in the book what is fiction and whats not.

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message 39: by Donna (last edited Jul 18, 2016 11:15PM) (new)

Jul 18, 2016 11:06PM

Irina wrote: "Whats wrong with novels? My interest in history started from The Other Boleyn Girl that is pretty much fiction. I wanted to know how the real story went, and the rest is "history". Recently I went ..."

Nothing is wrong with novels, but a fictional story set during an historic period is classified as historical fiction. There are a number of listopias for that genre. There are also some mixed listopias that include both history and historical fiction; the first that comes to mind is the American Civil War listopia, where both genres are welcome.

The listmaker determines the parameters, and by definition a history book is nonfiction. The subscript below the title specifies no historical fiction, so it's as clear as a bell.

If you dislike the listmaker's parameters, you are also free to start a new list, but it's best to check and make sure (using the search bar for listopias) that the list you want to vote on doesn't already exist.

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message 40: by Donna (last edited Jul 18, 2016 11:13PM) (new)

Jul 18, 2016 11:07PM

Jonas wrote: "page 2 Neil Shubin Your Inner Fish is not a history book. The only way that it is historical is if broad-stroke paleontology can be classified as historical"

History is defined as beginning when there is written language, so no, it's not historical.

Removed for genre reasons from page 3:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The system found and removed 14 duplicates.

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message 41: by Irina (new)

Jul 19, 2016 11:56AM

Dear Donna, goodreads is not University History department recommended reading, it's for people who like reading. How about Herodotus Histories? It is a history book, however I quote from experts "is bedevilled with the questions that still haunt it today concerning the relationship between truth and storytelling, SUBJECTIVE witnessing and objective record."

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message 42: by Donna (new)

Jul 19, 2016 01:06PM

Irina wrote: "Dear Donna, goodreads is not University History department recommended reading, it's for people who like reading. How about Herodotus Histories? It is a history book, however I quote from experts "..."
Thanks for the education, yo. If you want the parameters of the list changed, talk to Goodreads employees. I'm a volunteer, and I'm done with this thread.

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message 43: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jul 20, 2016 12:14PM) (new)

Jul 20, 2016 12:14PM

Same here - GR librarians are not GR staff; we are all volunteers.

You want to change the parameters of this list, I suggest you either argue with its creator, or contact GR staff and make a persuasive argument.

Otherwise your choices are to follow the parameters of this list, or to start another one. There are a ton of lists here on Listopia, and more every day.

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message 44: by Donna (last edited Jul 20, 2016 01:33PM) (new)

Jul 20, 2016 01:16PM

Removed for genre reasons:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

and from page 8:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

And from page 4, the death of Bin Laden being too recent to qualify as history:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

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message 45: by Mark (new)

Mar 04, 2017 01:23PM

Was surprised this wasn't on the list: Jerusalem The Biography - by Simon Sebag Montefiore - a spectacular read, and listen.

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message 46: by Donna (new)

Mar 04, 2017 04:02PM

Mark wrote: "Was surprised this wasn't on the list: Jerusalem The Biography - by Simon Sebag Montefiore - a spectacular read, and listen."
Did you add it to the list? If not, you can do that using the tabs at the top of the list.

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message 47: by Sally (new)

Nov 25, 2017 05:15AM

Historical fiction

Winds of War, Herman Wouk, page 4
War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk, page 7

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message 48: by Donna (last edited Nov 25, 2017 03:25PM) (new)

Nov 25, 2017 01:06PM

Sally wrote: "Historical fiction

Winds of War, Herman Wouk, page 4
War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk, page 7"

Removed as fiction:

Winds of War, #374:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

War and Remembrance, #651:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Removed as out of genre, When Breath Becomes Air, which is a groundbreaking memoir but not history. History is defined as factual and having taken place at least 50 years prior to the time in which it is written. From page 4:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

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message 49: by Sally (new)

Mar 02, 2018 07:08AM

Duplicates removed.

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message 50: by Elyse (new)

May 16, 2018 07:54PM