The Best British History Books
recommended by historians
Last updated: August 25, 2024
We have a wide range of interviews recommending books covering the social and political history of Britain. On the political side, Andrew Hindmoor, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Sheffield discusses modern British history. The biographer, Anthony Seldon, talks us through the best books on British prime ministers and the journalist Daniel Finkelstein looks at British Conservatism. Professor David Cannadine, editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, chooses the best books on the British Empire, explaining how it got started and why it fell apart. Expert recommended books on King Charles III.
Looking slightly further back in British history, Professor Murray Pittock discusses books on Jacobitism, Thomas Penn takes a look at Henry VII and Helen Hackett at his granddaughter Elizabeth I. The historian Helen Castor considers queens and power. Professor John Morrill takes on Oliver Cromwell.
On the social and cultural side of British life, historian and novelist Ian Mortimer chooses his best books on life in the Tudor era and journalist and author Judith Flanders looks at life in the Victorian age. The writer Juliet Gardiner tells us what she likes about 1930s Britain and the historian David Kynaston considers the social history of post-war Britain. The political scientist, David Runciman, chooses books on London Olympic history and author Jonathan Keates reflects on some great British letter writers.
The best books on British Colonialism, recommended by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Various interpretations of imperial history have become deeply entrenched in the so-called culture wars. But this is nothing new, argues Charlotte Lydia Riley, author of the ‘alternative history’ Imperial Island: historians have always served political agendas. Here she recommends five of the best books on British colonialism.
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1
Fall Out: A Year of Political Mayhem
by Tim Shipman -
2
A History of Britain, Volume III: The Fate of the Empire 1776–2000
by Simon Schama -
3
The Time of My Life
by Denis Healey -
4
The Road to 1945: British Politics and the Second World War
by Paul Addison -
5
Things Can Only Get Better: Eighteen Miserable Years in the Life of a Labour Supporter
by John O'Farrell
The best books on Modern British History, recommended by Andrew Hindmoor
The best books on Modern British History, recommended by Andrew Hindmoor
What will historians say about the latest period in British history? What has stayed the same, and what is vastly different from our parents’ generation? Andrew Hindmoor, professor of politics at the University of Sheffield and author of Twelve Days that Made Modern Britain, recommends books that give insights into contemporary British history.
The best books on The Queen, recommended by Robert Lacey
She became the heir to the British throne because her uncle had resigned and became Queen Elizabeth II aged just 25, after her father’s early death in 1952. The royal biographer Robert Lacey considers Elizabeth Windsor (1926-2022), her family history, her legacy and what made her so successful as Britain’s titular head of state.
The best books on World War I, recommended by Jonathan Boff
It’s been more than 100 years since World War I ended, but there is still very little consensus about what caused it, or what its consequences were. Historian Jonathan Boff talks us through the latest books and best modern interpretations of World War I.
The best books on Life in the Tudor Era, recommended by Ian Mortimer
History is not about understanding the past for the sake of it, it’s about understanding human nature, says the historian and novelist Ian Mortimer.
The best books on Life in the Victorian Age, recommended by Judith Flanders
History books often focus on big political or economic events, wars and leaders. But there’s much to learn from studying the way people lived, and what made the Victorian age both like and unlike our own, as Judith Flanders explains.
The best books on British Empire, recommended by David Cannadine
Historian David Cannadine tells us why it’s less interesting to argue about whether the British Empire was a force for good or ill, than to understand how it worked and why it fell apart. He suggests a reading list to get us started.
The best books on Oliver Cromwell, recommended by John Morrill
The professor of history at Cambridge asks why Oliver Cromwell remains Britain's most controversial ruler, and what the morbid story of Cromwell's head after his death has to say about British history.
The best books on Henry VII, recommended by Thomas Penn
He was the Machiavelli of English kings – a chancer and usurper with a highly dubious claim to the throne. But Henry VII ruled for 25 years and founded a dynasty. His biographer, Thomas Penn, tells us how he did it
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1
My Early Life 1874-1904
by Winston Churchill -
2
Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East
by Warren Dockter -
3
In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War
by David Reynolds -
4
Churchill and the Dardanelles
by Christopher M Bell -
5
Winston Churchill As I Knew Him
by Violet Bonham Carter
The best books on Winston Churchill, recommended by Richard Toye
The best books on Winston Churchill, recommended by Richard Toye
Winston Churchill’s role as a global statesman remains immensely controversial. For some he was the heroic champion of liberty, saviour of the free world; for others a callous imperialist with a doleful legacy. Here, historian Richard Toye chooses the best books to help you understand the man behind the myths and Churchill’s own role in making those myths.