United States Books

For all its rugged individualism, frontier violence, and capitalist churn, there’s always a search for grace in America, argues Don Watson, author of the excellent The Shortest History of the United States of America. As the country celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, we asked him for books to read to learn more about it.

Albeit an object of satire and overreach, the 'Great American Novel' remains a vital concept in American literature, encouraging writers to capture the essence of national culture and history, argues Lawrence Buell, Professor of American Literature Emeritus at Harvard University. He talks us through the origins of the phrase and nominates five novels as contenders.

The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a watershed moment in the history of the United States—and, as a result, has made an enormous impact on American literature, explains Craig A. Warren, author of Scars to Prove It: The Civil War Soldier and American Fiction. Here, he recommends five key texts: classic novels of the American Civil War that, together, offer a panoramic view of a country in crisis.

While often associated with populism and economic dissatisfaction, the success of the MAGA movement in the United States is also rooted in a distinctive set of ideas about culture, identity, authority, and national renewal. Political theorist Laura Field recommends five books that explore the movement's intellectual challenge to liberal democracy, from the work of Carl Schmitt in 1930s Germany to cultural shifts in evangelical Christianity today.

'Manifest Destiny' was an idea brought forward in the United States in the 1830s as a rationalisation for western expansion. But it was always contested, argues Andrew Isenberg, Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of Kansas, as he selects five history books that, together, offer insight into what the borderlands of the American West were really like.

The American Revolution began as a war for independence but, by its end, the war had transformed the thirteen colonies into a republic. Historian T.H. Breen recommends the best books which relay the revolutionary impact of the American War of Independence.

An exploration of the history of the United States may require novels that are challenging to read but offer the reward of really making you think about a complex subject. Literary scholar Bernard T. Joy talks us through five novels that explore U.S. history, from colonial times to the end of the 20th century.

Many well-loved American detective novels feature cynical private investigator protagonists facing down hardened criminals and deep-set corruption. We asked Dave Zeltserman, author of Small Crimes, to recommend five brilliant books from this popular genre, from a 1920s small town murder mystery to a 1980s postmodern trilogy.

Horror is entertaining, but also a great way of shining a light on painful subjects people don't want to talk about, says Mexican American horror writer V. Castro. As American horror has opened up to a much greater diversity of writers, she talks us through some of the classics—books that continue to inspire and form the bedrock of the genre.  

Conspiracy theories are not just harmless speculation but a dangerous form of belief that can have terrible consequences in the real world, says writer and critic David Free, creator of the Ghosts of Dallas podcast. He recommends books to understand conspiracy theories, from the assassination of JFK to the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion.'