History Books
recommended by historians
Last updated: September 19, 2024
The best books on Social History of Post-War Britain, recommended by David Kynaston
Until the 1970s, Britain was predominantly a working class society, says the historian David Kynaston. He tells us about books that explore how this changed, giving rise to the turbulent Thatcher years.
The best books on Memoirs of Communism, recommended by Anne Applebaum
The traumas of the 20th century hit Eastern Europe hard – a region of changing borders, uncertain identity, and shattering of moral norms. The journalist and communism expert selects books that capture the spirit of the age.
The best books on Zionism and Anti-Zionism, recommended by Gabriel Piterberg
Israeli historian Gabriel Piterberg tells us about works of scholarship that have challenged the Zionist Israeli narrative of modern history.
The best books on The Spanish Civil War, recommended by Paul Preston
It was a bloody conflict that divided Spain and drew in Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. Later, it inspired great works of art and literature. An eminent historian of the period tells us why it continues to fascinate him
The best books on Christmas, recommended by Bruce Forbes
Did you know that Santa Claus was a 4th century bishop in what is now Turkey? That Puritans tried to outlaw Christmas? Or Tiny Tim was originally Little Fred? Religious scholar Bruce Forbes recommends books that shed light on Christmas’s pagan past and consumerist present.
The best books on Modern China, recommended by Rana Mitter
In October 1911, China’s last imperial dynasty fell. The legacy of that revolution remains deeply ambiguous in today’s People’s Republic. China scholar Rana Mitter tells us about the country’s tumultuous changes from 1911 to the present day.
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 Native Americans and Colonisers, recommended by Colin Calloway
There’s a lot more to the story of colonists and Native Americans than the tale of the first Thanksgiving taught in school, says history professor Colin Calloway.
The best books on Genocide, recommended by Norman Naimark
Genocide isn’t the preserve of fanatics and racist thugs – it’s part of human nature, says Stanford historian Norman Naimark. He tells us how genocide happens, who denies it, where it could return, and the best books to read about it.
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1
At Home in Renaissance Italy
by Marta Ajmar-Wollheim and Flora Dennis (editors) -
2
Galateo
by Giovanni della Casa -
3
Global Interests
by Lisa Jardine and Jerry Brotton -
4
Empire of Great Brightness
by Craig Clunas -
5
Dutch New York, Between East and West
by Deborah L Krohn, Marybeth De Filippis and Peter Miller
The best books on Renaissance Worlds, recommended by Mary Laven
The best books on Renaissance Worlds, recommended by Mary Laven
New scholarship is opening up different ways of looking at the Renaissance. The historian explains what we should read to gain a wider appreciation of this key period in European history