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Literary Nonfiction » Biography » Historical Biographies

Browse book recommendations:

Biography

  • Artists' Biographies
  • Historical Biographies
  • New Biography

Literary Nonfiction

  • Biography
  • Essays
  • Memoir
  • Travel
  • True Crime

When you want to find out more about a historical or political figure, a biography is a great place to start. We have interviews dedicated to the best five books on historical figures—which can include primary sources, or books that focus on specific aspects of their life or legacy, as well as the story of their lives—but in this section, we have also included biographies of historical/political figures who don't yet have a dedicated interview on our site.

Europe

Best Spartacus biography
Best Alexander the Great books
Best Margaret Thatcher biography
Best Joan of Arc biography
Best books on Winston Churchill
Best books on Elizabeth I
Best Karl Marx Biography
Best Eleanor of Aquitaine biography
Best Isabella de' Medici biography
The best books on Napoleon Bonaparte
The best biography of Otto von Bismarck
Best Catherine the Great biography
The best books on Adolf Hitler
The best Franco biography
Best Books on Charles de Gaulle
Best Florence Nightingale biography

Asia

Best books on Mahatma Gandhi
Best Mao biography
Best Indira Gandhi biography
Best Aung San Suu Kyi biography (from 2011)
Best Dalai Lama biography

Africa

Best Akhenaten biography
Best Hatshepsut biography
Best Haile Selassie biography
Best books on Nelson Mandela
Best Steve Biko biography

Americas

Best George Washington biography
Best Martin Luther King biography
Best Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt biography
Best Sitting Bull biography

Best Rachel Carson biography
Best Amelia Earhart biography
Best Frederick Douglass biography
Best John F Kennedy biography (though this only covers the earlier years)
Best Che Guevara biography
Best Eva Peron biography
Best Lula biography (from 2008)

    The best books on Winston Churchill, recommended by Richard Toye

  • Read
    The best books on Winston Churchill - My Early Life 1874-1904 by Winston Churchill

    1

    My Early Life 1874-1904
    by Winston Churchill

  • Read
    The best books on Winston Churchill - Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East by Warren Dockter

    2

    Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East
    by Warren Dockter

  • Read
    The best books on Winston Churchill - In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War by David Reynolds

    3

    In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War
    by David Reynolds

  • Read
    The best books on Winston Churchill - Churchill and the Dardanelles by Christopher M Bell

    4

    Churchill and the Dardanelles
    by Christopher M Bell

  • Read
    The best books on Winston Churchill - Winston Churchill As I Knew Him by Violet Bonham Carter

    5

    Winston Churchill As I Knew Him
    by Violet Bonham Carter

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.

    The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks, recommended by Benedict King

  • Read
    The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks - Thomas Cromwell: A Life by Diarmaid MacCulloch

    1

    Thomas Cromwell: A Life
    by Diarmaid MacCulloch

  • Read
    The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks - The Tudor Constitution: Documents and Commentary by G R Elton

    2

    The Tudor Constitution: Documents and Commentary
    by G R Elton

  • Read
    The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks - The Reformation Parliament 1529-1536 by Stanford E Lehmberg

    3

    The Reformation Parliament 1529-1536
    by Stanford E Lehmberg

  • Read
    The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks - Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame by John Guy

    4

    Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame
    by John Guy

  • Read
    The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks - London and the Reformation by Susan Brigden

    5

    London and the Reformation
    by Susan Brigden

The Best Thomas Cromwell Books: Editors’ Picks, recommended by Benedict King

The Mirror and the Light—the final instalment of Hilary Mantel’s epic trilogy covering the life of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s chief minister and architect of the English Reformation—was published to great acclaim this month. Here, Five Books contributing editor Benedict King chooses five of the best books to help you get to grips with the real Thomas Cromwell and the political and religious environment in which he operated. You can watch Benedict talking about his Thomas Cromwell book choices here.

    The best books on Alexander the Great, recommended by Hugh Bowden

  • Read
    The best books on Alexander the Great - Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica by Arrian

    1

    Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica
    by Arrian

  • Read
    The best books on Alexander the Great - The History of Alexander by Quintus Curtius Rufus

    2

    The History of Alexander
    by Quintus Curtius Rufus

  • Read
    The best books on Alexander the Great - The First European: A History of Alexander in the Age of Empire by Pierre Briant

    3

    The First European: A History of Alexander in the Age of Empire
    by Pierre Briant

  • Read
    The best books on Alexander the Great - The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period by Amélie Kuhrt

    4

    The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period
    by Amélie Kuhrt

  • Read
    The best books on Alexander the Great - Fire from Heaven: A Novel of Alexander the Great by Mary Renault

    5

    Fire from Heaven: A Novel of Alexander the Great
    by Mary Renault

The best books on Alexander the Great, recommended by Hugh Bowden

Alexander the Great never lost a battle and established an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the Indian subcontinent. From the earliest times, historians have argued about the nature of his achievements and what his failings were, both as a man and as a political leader. Here, Hugh Bowden, professor of ancient history at King’s College London, chooses five books to help you understand the controversies, the man behind the legends, and why the legends have taken the forms they have.

    The best books on Napoleon, recommended by Andrew Roberts

  • Read
    The best books on Napoleon - The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G Chandler

    1

    The Campaigns of Napoleon
    by David G Chandler

  • Read
    The best books on Napoleon - Talleyrand by Duff Cooper

    2

    Talleyrand
    by Duff Cooper

  • Read
    The best books on Napoleon - With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign by John H Gill

    3

    With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign
    by John H Gill

  • Read
    The best books on Napoleon - Private Memoirs Of The Court Of Napoleon by Louis François Joseph Bausset-Roquefort

    4

    Private Memoirs Of The Court Of Napoleon
    by Louis François Joseph Bausset-Roquefort

  • Read
    The best books on Napoleon - With Napoleon in Russia: Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza by Armand de Caulaincourt

    5

    With Napoleon in Russia: Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza
    by Armand de Caulaincourt

The best books on Napoleon, recommended by Andrew Roberts

How did Napoleon Bonaparte, an upstart Corsican, go on to conquer half of Europe in the 16 years of his rule? Was he a military genius? And was he really that short? Historian Andrew Roberts, author of a bestselling biography of Napoleon, introduces us to the books that shaped how he sees l’Empereur—including little-known sources from those who knew Napoleon personally.

    The best books on Gandhi, recommended by Ramachandra Guha

  • Read
    The best books on Gandhi - My Days With Gandhi by Nirmal Kumar Bose

    1

    My Days With Gandhi
    by Nirmal Kumar Bose

  • Read
    The best books on Gandhi - A Week with Gandhi by Louis Fischer

    2

    A Week with Gandhi
    by Louis Fischer

  • Read
    The best books on Gandhi - Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action by Dennis Dalton

    3

    Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action
    by Dennis Dalton

  • Read
    The best books on Gandhi - Gandhi's Religion: A Homespun Shawl by J. T. F. Jordens

    4

    Gandhi's Religion: A Homespun Shawl
    by J. T. F. Jordens

  • Read
    The best books on Gandhi - Harilal Gandhi: A Life by Chandulal Bhagubhai

    5

    Harilal Gandhi: A Life
    by Chandulal Bhagubhai

The best books on Gandhi, recommended by Ramachandra Guha

Gandhi's peaceful resistance to British rule changed India and inspired freedom movements around the globe. But as well as being an inspiring leader, Gandhi was also a human being. Ramachandra Guha, author of a new two-part biography of Gandhi, introduces us to books that give a fuller picture of the man who came to be known as 'Mahatma' Gandhi.

    The best books on Marx and Marxism, recommended by Terrell Carver

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx by Isaiah Berlin

    1

    Karl Marx
    by Isaiah Berlin

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx: His Life and Thought by David McLellan

    2

    Karl Marx: His Life and Thought
    by David McLellan

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx's Theory of History by G. A. Cohen

    3

    Karl Marx's Theory of History
    by G. A. Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - The Young Karl Marx by David Leopold

    4

    The Young Karl Marx
    by David Leopold

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life by Jonathan Sperber

    5

    Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life
    by Jonathan Sperber

The best books on Marx and Marxism, recommended by Terrell Carver

Few people have had their ideas reinvented as many times as the German intellectual and political activist, Karl Marx. Professor of political theory, Terrell Carver, takes us through the most influential books, in English, about Marx, Marxism and his friend, publicist and financial backer, Friedrich Engels.

    The best books on Socrates, recommended by M M McCabe

  • Read
    The best books on Socrates - Apology by Plato

    1

    Apology
    by Plato

  • Read
    The best books on Socrates - The Clouds by Aristophanes

    2

    The Clouds
    by Aristophanes

  • Read
    The best books on Socrates - Theaetetus by Plato

    3

    Theaetetus
    by Plato

  • Read
    The best books on Socrates - Socrates: Ironist and Moral Philosopher by Gregory Vlastos

    4

    Socrates: Ironist and Moral Philosopher
    by Gregory Vlastos

  • Read
    The best books on Socrates - The Art of Living by Alexander Nehamas

    5

    The Art of Living
    by Alexander Nehamas

The best books on Socrates, recommended by M M McCabe

The classical Greek philosopher is credited with laying the foundation of Western philosophy – without ever having written a word. Here, the eminent scholar M M McCabe recommends the best books to read to understand Socrates and engage with the eternal question: How best to live?

    The best books on British Prime Ministers, recommended by Anthony Seldon

  • Read
    The best books on British Prime Ministers - Baldwin by Keith Middlemas and John Barnes

    1

    Baldwin
    by Keith Middlemas and John Barnes

  • Read
    The best books on British Prime Ministers - Lloyd George by John Grigg

    2

    Lloyd George
    by John Grigg

  • Read
    The best books on British Prime Ministers - Winston S Churchill by Martin Gilbert

    3

    Winston S Churchill
    by Martin Gilbert

  • Read
    The best books on British Prime Ministers - Supermac by DR Thorpe

    4

    Supermac
    by DR Thorpe

  • Read
    The best books on British Prime Ministers - Margaret Thatcher by John Campbell

    5

    Margaret Thatcher
    by John Campbell

The best books on British Prime Ministers, recommended by Anthony Seldon

It’s their frailty that makes politicians such interesting characters, says Tony Blair’s biographer Anthony Seldon. He tells us about the art of political biography and the writers who’ve best captured leaders such as Churchill and Thatcher

    The best books on The Kennedys, recommended by David Nasaw

  • Read
    The best books on The Kennedys - Hostage to Fortune: The Letters of Joseph P. Kennedy by Amanda Smith (editor)

    1

    Hostage to Fortune: The Letters of Joseph P. Kennedy
    by Amanda Smith (editor)

  • Read
    The best books on The Kennedys - Conversations with Kennedy by Benjamin C. Bradlee

    2

    Conversations with Kennedy
    by Benjamin C. Bradlee

  • Read
    The best books on The Kennedys - Robert Kennedy and His Times by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

    3

    Robert Kennedy and His Times
    by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

  • Read
    The best books on The Kennedys - JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton

    4

    JFK: Reckless Youth
    by Nigel Hamilton

  • Read
    The best books on The Kennedys - True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy

    5

    True Compass
    by Edward M. Kennedy

The best books on The Kennedys, recommended by David Nasaw

The story and tragedy of the Kennedys is so incredible you don’t need to turn to fiction, says the biographer of Joseph P Kennedy, David Nasaw. He talks us through the Kennedy generations.

    The best books on Hitler, recommended by Michael Burleigh

  • Read
    The best books on Hitler - The Fuehrer by Konrad Heiden

    1

    The Fuehrer
    by Konrad Heiden

  • Read
    The best books on Hitler - Hitler’s Vienna by Brigitte Hamann

    2

    Hitler’s Vienna
    by Brigitte Hamann

  • Read
    The best books on Hitler - Hitler: The Fuhrer and the People by J P Stern

    3

    Hitler: The Fuhrer and the People
    by J P Stern

  • Read
    The best books on Hitler - The Hitler Myth by Ian Kershaw

    4

    The Hitler Myth
    by Ian Kershaw

  • Read
    The best books on Hitler - Hitler by Joachim Fest

    5

    Hitler
    by Joachim Fest

The best books on Hitler, recommended by Michael Burleigh

Hitler has a reputation as the incarnation of evil. But, as British historian Michael Burleigh points out in selecting the best books on the German dictator, Hitler was a bizarre and strangely empty character who never did a proper day’s work in his life, as well as a raving fantasist on to whom Germans were able to project their longings.

    The best books on The French Resistance, recommended by Jonathan Fenby

  • Read
    The best books on The French Resistance - Churchill and De Gaulle by François Kersaudy

    1

    Churchill and De Gaulle
    by François Kersaudy

  • Read
    The best books on The French Resistance - Assignment to Catastrophe by Edward Spears

    2

    Assignment to Catastrophe
    by Edward Spears

  • Read
    The best books on The French Resistance - The Resistance by Matthew Cobb

    3

    The Resistance
    by Matthew Cobb

  • Read
    The best books on The French Resistance - L’Armée des Ombres (Army of Shadows) by Jean-Pierre Melville

    4

    L’Armée des Ombres (Army of Shadows)
    by Jean-Pierre Melville

  • Read
    The best books on The French Resistance - Bad Faith: A History of Family and Fatherland by Carmen Callil

    5

    Bad Faith: A History of Family and Fatherland
    by Carmen Callil

The best books on The French Resistance, recommended by Jonathan Fenby

The historian and author chooses five books on de Gaulle and the Resistance. He says the British tried to veto de Gaulle’s famous 1940 speech from London calling on the French to stand up to German occupation

    The best books on Elizabeth I, recommended by Helen Hackett

  • Read
    The best books on Elizabeth I - Elizabeth I by David Starkey and Susan Doran

    1

    Elizabeth I
    by David Starkey and Susan Doran

  • Read
    The best books on Elizabeth I - The Faerie Queene by edited by Thomas P Roche Jr and C Patrick O’Donnell Jr & Edmund Spenser

    2

    The Faerie Queene
    by edited by Thomas P Roche Jr and C Patrick O’Donnell Jr & Edmund Spenser

  • Read
    The best books on Elizabeth I - Translations by Elizabeth I, 1592-98 by Janel Mueller and Joshua Scodel

    3

    Translations by Elizabeth I, 1592-98
    by Janel Mueller and Joshua Scodel

  • Read
    The best books on Elizabeth I - Rewriting the Renaissance by Margaret W Ferguson, Maureen Quilligan and Nancy Vickers

    4

    Rewriting the Renaissance
    by Margaret W Ferguson, Maureen Quilligan and Nancy Vickers

  • Read
    The best books on Elizabeth I - Representing Elizabeth in Stuart England by John A Watkins

    5

    Representing Elizabeth in Stuart England
    by John A Watkins

The best books on Elizabeth I, recommended by Helen Hackett

University College London professor Helen Hackett selects five books on the Virgin Queen, including one by the monarch herself. “You get a sense of her independence of mind. She does her own thing”

    The best books on Samuel Johnson, recommended by Peter Lilley

  • Read
    The best books on Samuel Johnson - The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell

    1

    The Life of Samuel Johnson
    by James Boswell

  • Read
    The best books on Samuel Johnson - Samuel Johnson by John Wain

    2

    Samuel Johnson
    by John Wain

  • Read
    The best books on Samuel Johnson - Samuel Johnson by Walter Jackson Bate

    3

    Samuel Johnson
    by Walter Jackson Bate

  • Read
    The best books on Samuel Johnson - Dr Johnson and Mr Savage - a biographical mystery by Richard Holmes

    4

    Dr Johnson and Mr Savage - a biographical mystery
    by Richard Holmes

  • Read
    The best books on Samuel Johnson - The Politics of Dr Johnson by Donald Greene

    5

    The Politics of Dr Johnson
    by Donald Greene

The best books on Samuel Johnson, recommended by Peter Lilley

Samuel Johnson, author of the 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language, was not a hard-hearted Tory caricature, but a champion of the poor and enslaved, according to Margaret Thatcher’s Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Peter Lilley.

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