Readers' Top Histories & Biographies of the Past 10 Years
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“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
This famous quote from American author William Faulkner is a reminder: History matters, and we can learn from it. Or not.
It’s a notion that feels more relevant than ever these days. Today’s collection of books zeroes in on histories and biographies, probably the busiest shelves in the nonfiction aisles. We got curious: What are the most popular books of this type on Goodreads over the past decade? So we crunched the numbers by way of ratings, reviews, and Goodreads members’ Read and Want to Read shelves. The list below suggests the range of people and topics that have most resonated with Goodreads regulars over the past 10 years.
A few things to note: Readers tend to be loyal to a kind of inner circle of rock-star historians and biographers—names like David Grann, Erik Larson, Patrick Radden Keefe, and Walter Isaacson. Several books in this collection have been subsequently made into major films, including Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures.
Some authors delivered insights so powerful that their books broke through into the American national conversation: Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste, for instance, or Nikole Hannah-Jones’ The 1619 Project. Biographies include in-depth profiles of historical figures like Ulysses S. Grant, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Romanov sisters.
Otherwise, this collection is fun to browse just to appreciate the vast array of historical topics: the power of maps, the history of the Silk Roads, the tragedy of Chernobyl. Click on the book cover images for more information about each title. If you find anything you particularly like, add the books to your Want to Read shelf.
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Milena
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May 07, 2024 12:53PM
![Milena Rodrigues](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1650803200p1/73835395.jpg)
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![Cheesecat777](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1664767814p1/151846066.jpg)
Uh, no? at least half of these books are international.
Books on this list that do not focus on the United States:
Leonardo De Vinci -- Walter Isaacson (Renaissance Italy)
The Splendid and the Vile -- Erik Larson (Britain against Nazi Germany)
The Wager -- David Grann (Brazil/Spain/Britain)
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome -- Mary Beard (Rome)
The Five -- Hallie Rubenhold (Britain/Wales/Sweden)
The Silk Roads -- Peter Frankopan (throughout Afroeurasia)
Midnight in Chernobyl -- Adam Higgenbotham (Ukraine/Russia/Soviet Union)
The Romanov Sisters -- Helen Rappaport (Russia)
The Anarchy -- William Dalrymple (India/Britain)
![Law](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1663675779p1/156286696.jpg)
![Elentarri](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1450450712p1/19446286.jpg)
The Radium Girls and The Wager are both supposed to be very good.
Just note: I haven't read anything from this list, but the Wager is on my list.
![Law](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1663675779p1/156286696.jpg)
![Shannon](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1602788678p1/4321592.jpg)
So many good books on this list!
Killers of the Flower Moon
Radium Girls
The Five
Hidden Figures
Midnight in Chernobyl
Anything by Erik Larson
Also, your asking why any book makes or doesn't make these lists day after day is just redundant at this point. If you would please read the blurb at the top of the page, they always tell you how the books were selected.
"What are the most popular books of this type on Goodreads over the past decade? So we crunched the numbers by way of ratings, reviews, and Goodreads members’ Read and Want to Read shelves. The list below suggests the range of people and topics that have most resonated with Goodreads regulars over the past 10 years."
![Jason](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1715969293p1/58388038.jpg)
![David Moriarty](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Amanda](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1709588830p1/19328545.jpg)
![Law](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1663675779p1/156286696.jpg)
So many good books on this list!
Killers of the Flower..."
But hey, I don't care if these books aren't new. I'm fine with that. The list never said they were new.
![Karen](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304630709p1/1551412.jpg)
![Kristen Brooks](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
So many good books on this list!
Killers of the Flower..."
Thank you!! The constant “why was/wasn’t this specific book included” comments are so annoying. Read the blurbs, people! They always clearly state how the lists were selected.
![Anestassia Aleise](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1714433964p1/155996038.jpg)
Midnight in Chernobyl would be my suggestion! However, I would also highly recommend "Voices from Chernobyl" by Svetlana Alexievich
![Michele](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679794579p1/43101325.jpg)
![Joseph](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
Other top notch history or Biographies within the last 10 years:
In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
Avenue of Spies by Alex Kershaw
The Other Side of Infamy by Jim Downing
On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides
The First Wave by Alex Kershaw
Spearhead by Adam Makos
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
By Honor Bound by Tom Norris
Every Man a Hero by Ray Lambert
River of the Gods by Candice Millard (her other works are awesome)
11 years
The Bedford boys by Alex Kershaw
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Voices of the Pacific by Adam Makos
![Dark Academia Lover](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Naomi](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1492739938p1/5212399.jpg)
Imagine only reading books about people you deem worthy. Couldn't be me.
Please don't gatekeep reading.
![NG Yabili](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1471441659p1/58724249.jpg)
Walter Isaacson's is more recent so I think it should be more enjoyable
![Susan Gess](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
Great companion piece to the book, “Caste”, is the Ava DuVernay documentary on Wilkerson’s process of writing “Caste”. Film called, “Origin”. I got so much more from the book from having seen the movie (and being lucky enough to hear DuVernay speak about the process).
![Paige Bishop](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Mike](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1523457420p1/29238183.jpg)
Killers of the Flower Moon
The Splendid and the Vile
Dead Wake
The Wager
Say Nothing
Midnight in Chernobyl
Grant
How to Hide an Empire
I would highly recommend any book written by David Grann, Erik Larson, or Hampton Sides.
![wylnd](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1715680868p1/127463563.jpg)
I'd get banned if I changed the word white to anything else here.
![MellyK](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1705110225p1/7431648.jpg)
Open by Andrew Agassi
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Surrender by Bono (complete with author illustrations)!
Reckoning by Magda Szubanski
Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover
George Smith: The Biography by Rupert Guinness
Bullwinkel: The Vivian Bullwinkel story by Norman G. Manners