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World History Books That Illuminate History Around You

Our past can tell us so much about the present and the future. World history books help us to understand our world by providing context to how we arrived where we are today.

The best world history books are accessible and comprehensive, guiding readers through important events of the past and drawing connections to causes and effects throughout history.

Take a journey along the Silk Road, walk the streets of colonial America, or fight in the Wars of the Roses. History books give us the opportunity to experience another time and place through the power of reading. 

No matter what era or area you’re interested in, we’ve put together this collection of world history books to satisfy your curiosity and wanderlust. 

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Berlin Diary
Berlin Diary
by William L. Shirer
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Song of the Vikings
Song of the Vikings
by Nancy Marie Brown
April 1865
April 1865
by Jay Winik
How to Survive in Medieval England
How to Survive in Medieval England
by Toni Mount
Tibetan Peach Pie
Tibetan Peach Pie
by Tom Robbins
"Our Crowd"
"Our Crowd"
by Stephen Birmingham
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Death Sentence
Death Sentence
by Jerry Bledsoe
Love Lies
Love Lies
by Amanda Lamb
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
by William L. Shirer
Crown & Sceptre
Crown & Sceptre
by Tracy Borman
Enemies and Neighbors
Enemies and Neighbors
by Ian Black
Dancing in the Mosque
Dancing in the Mosque
by Homeira Qaderi, Zaman S. Stanizai
The Westies
The Westies
by T. J. English
Guests of the Ayatollah
Guests of the Ayatollah
by Mark Bowden
The Frontier in American History
The Frontier in American History
by Frederick Jackson Turner
The Fall of Japan
The Fall of Japan
by William Craig
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The Fifties
The Fifties
by David Halberstam
Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down
by Mark Bowden
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Miami
Miami
by Joan Didion
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
by Joan Didion
12, 20 & 5
12, 20 & 5
by John A. Parrish
Mr. Lincoln's Army
Mr. Lincoln's Army
by Bruce Catton
The Hidden White House
The Hidden White House
by Robert Klara
A Night to Remember
A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord
Crazy Horse and Custer
Crazy Horse and Custer
by Stephen E. Ambrose
The Harvest Gypsies
The Harvest Gypsies
by John Steinbeck, Charles Wollenberg
China to Me
China to Me
by Emily Hahn
Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates
by William Craig
A Time to Stand
A Time to Stand
by Walter Lord
White Eskimo
White Eskimo
by Stephen R. Bown
A People's History of Sports in the United States
A People's History of Sports in the United States
by David Zirin
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Sacred Liberty
Sacred Liberty
by Steven Waldman
Rebel King
Rebel King
by Tom Bower
Dead Doubles
Dead Doubles
by Trevor Barnes
Fiber Craft Heritage
Fiber Craft Heritage
by Doris Fischer
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams
by Phyllis Lee Levin
They Have Their Exits
They Have Their Exits
by Airey Neave
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Letters on Ethics
Letters on Ethics
by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Margaret Graver, A. A. Long
Taking Hawaii
Taking Hawaii
by Stephen Dando-Collins
The Secret History of the World
The Secret History of the World
by Mark Booth
High, Wide and Lonesome
High, Wide and Lonesome
by Hal Borland
Lost Kingdom
Lost Kingdom
by Julia Flynn Siler
The Origins of Cool in Postwar America
The Origins of Cool in Postwar America
by Joel Dinerstein
The Final Curtsey
The Final Curtsey
by Margaret Rhodes
Tell Me How It Ends
Tell Me How It Ends
by Valeria Luiselli
Not in Your Lifetime
Not in Your Lifetime
by Anthony Summers
Hitler's Last Secretary
Hitler's Last Secretary
by Traudl Junge, Melissa Muller
Of Wolves and Men
Of Wolves and Men
by Barry Lopez
The Airmen and the Headhunters
The Airmen and the Headhunters
by Judith M. Heimann
The Last Founding Father
The Last Founding Father
by Harlow Giles Unger
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The best world history books are both informative and interesting, they tell stories from history using factual information as well as intriguing writing and world building. Some examples of great and captivating world history books include Marilyn French’s From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World and Terence McLaughlin’s Dirt. 

Which history books are considered “must-read” is completely dependent on your interests! If you’ve always found yourself interested in English history and monarchs, you must read Phil Carradice’s Bloody Mary or Rebellion Against Henry VII. If you’re fascinated by countercultural and secretive movements then you simply must read Mark Booth’s The Secret History of the World.