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Political Books to Understand the Past and Present

In today’s world, there is an endless amount of political change and turmoil to keep up with. Books about politics can help you to understand both what is happening at this current moment and the history of how we got to where we are now. 

Politics can be an intimidating subject, and many feel that they do not have a full understanding of current and past political events. We have gathered the best history, journalistic, and political science books to help you to gain a fuller understanding. There’s always a lot for anyone to learn and this is the perfect place to start!

Whether you are looking for books that illuminate American politics, such as books about the political divide in America or books about the American presidents, or books that explore international conflicts and politics, we have the political books for you. 

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Freedom Is a Constant Struggle
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle
by Angela Y. Davis, Cornel West, Frank Barat
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The Business Francis Means
The Business Francis Means
by Martin Schlag
Rust
Rust
by Eliese Colette Goldbach
President Carter
President Carter
by Stuart E. Eizenstat, Madeleine Albright
The Souls of Black Folk
The Souls of Black Folk
by W. E. B. Du Bois
The Price of Children
The Price of Children
by Maria Laurino
I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening)
I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening)
by Sarah Stewart Holland, Beth Silvers
I Am Spartacus!
I Am Spartacus!
by Kirk Douglas, George Clooney
Moral Politics
Moral Politics
by George Lakoff
That's What They Want You to Think
That's What They Want You to Think
by Paul Simpson
Quilt Out Loud
Quilt Out Loud
by Thomas Knauer
Bearing the Cross
Bearing the Cross
by David J. Garrow
Dr. Seuss Goes to War
Dr. Seuss Goes to War
by Richard H. Minear, Theodor Seuss Geisel, Art Spiegelman
Taking Hawaii
Taking Hawaii
by Stephen Dando-Collins
North Korea
North Korea
by Paul L. Moorcraft
Invisible Countries
Invisible Countries
by Joshua Keating
Remembering America
Remembering America
by Richard N. Goodwin
Imperialism
Imperialism
by Hannah Arendt
Crown & Sceptre
Crown & Sceptre
by Tracy Borman
Tell Me How It Ends
Tell Me How It Ends
by Valeria Luiselli
A Train of Powder
A Train of Powder
by Rebecca West
Bananas
Bananas
by Peter Chapman
Vietnam
Vietnam
by Mary McCarthy
Blind Ambition
Blind Ambition
by John W. Dean
Enemies and Neighbors
Enemies and Neighbors
by Ian Black
A People's Guide to Capitalism
A People's Guide to Capitalism
by Hadas Thier
Not in Your Lifetime
Not in Your Lifetime
by Anthony Summers
Parliament of Whores
Parliament of Whores
by P. J. O'Rourke, Andrew Ferguson
Give War a Chance
Give War a Chance
by P. J. O'Rourke
A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age
A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age
by David J. Helfand
Washington
Washington
by James Thomas Flexner
Dallas '63
Dallas '63
by Peter Dale Scott
Capitalism
Capitalism
by Arundhati Roy
The Soong Sisters
The Soong Sisters
by Emily Hahn
Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (1882–1940)
Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (1882–1940)
by James MacGregor Burns
Votescam
Votescam
by James M. Collier, Kenneth F. Collier
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11 Top-Notch Works of Journalism
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Angela Y. Davis
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War
by George Crile
The Falcon and the Snowman
The Falcon and the Snowman
by Robert Lindsey
1000 Years of Annoying the French
1000 Years of Annoying the French
by Stephen Clarke
The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man
by John Sununu
The Kennedy Imprisonment
The Kennedy Imprisonment
by Garry Wills
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Miami
Miami
by Joan Didion
Leadership
Leadership
by James MacGregor Burns
The Hidden History of the Korean War, 1950–1951
The Hidden History of the Korean War, 1950–1951
by Mark Crispin Miller, I. F. Stone, Bruce Cumings
Lincoln Reconsidered
Lincoln Reconsidered
by David Herbert Donald
The Naked God
The Naked God
by Howard Fast
The Children
The Children
by David Halberstam
Israel, Palestine and Peace
Israel, Palestine and Peace
by Amos Oz
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If you are just starting on your journey of reading about politics, you might want to start with books that give a more general overview of many topics, such as A Short History of the United States by National Book Award Winner Robert V. Remini or A History of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr.

To gain a deeper understanding of political systems, you should reach for a book of political science or theory. These books include Robert A. Dahl’s A Preface to Democratic Theory, Kevin J. Elliott’s Democracy for Busy People, and David A. Baldwin’s Power and International Relations