Famous History Books and Novels

Reference
Updated June 9, 2017

List of famous history books, listed alphabetically with jacket cover images of the books when available. Information for these popular history books is included as well, such as the author's name and the book's publication date. This list includes the best history novels, textbooks, and stories, so use it to find books you haven't already read and add them to your reading list.

The list you're viewing is made up of books like The Hunger Games and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

This list should answer the questions, "What are the best history books?" and "What are the most famous history books?"

Note that some books on this list might be currently out of print, but you can purchase most of these notable history titles on Amazon with just one click.
Ranked by
  • Brave Companions: Portraits in History
    1
    • First Published: 1992
    • Subjects: Biography
    • Genres (Book): History
    • Original Language: English Language
    Brave Companions: Portraits in History is a 1991 book by American historian David McCullough. The book consists of previously published essays, most of which are biographical portraits of a specific ...more
  • The Discovery of France
    2

    The Discovery of France

    Graham Robb
    1 votes
    • Subjects: Europe, France, World, Historical geography, History
    • Genres (Book): History
    The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War is a book by Graham Robb. It was published in the United Kingdom by Picador in September 2007 and in the ...more
  • Exploration and Empire: The Explorer and the Scientist in the Winning of the American West
    3
    • First Published: 1966
    • Genres (Book): History
    Exploration and Empire: The Explorer and the Scientist in the Winning of the American West is a book by William H. Goetzmann. It won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1967. The Book is about the ...more
  • The Origins of the Urban Crisis
    4
    • First Published: 2005-08
    • Subjects: Urbanism
    • Genres (Book): History
    • Original Language: English Language
    The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit, is the first book by historian and Detroit native Thomas J. Sugrue in which he examines the role race, housing, job ...more
  • The Other Side of the Frontier
    5
    The Other Side of the Frontier: Aboriginal Resistance to the European invasion of Australia is a history book published in 1981 by Australian historian Henry Reynolds. It is a study of Aboriginal ...more
  • The Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 - April 1942
    6
    • Genres (Book): History
    The Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 - April 1942 is a book by Samuel Eliot Morison.