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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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Lies My Teacher Told Me
Lies My Teacher Told Me
by James W. Loewen
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King Arthur
King Arthur
by Nicholas J. Higham
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great
by Philip Freeman
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
Enemies and Neighbors
Enemies and Neighbors
by Ian Black
The Westies
The Westies
by T. J. English
The Land of Little Rain
The Land of Little Rain
by Mary Austin
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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Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
by Joan Didion
Alive
Alive
by Piers Paul Read
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We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young
We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young
by Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
by Dee Brown
Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates
by William Craig
Case Closed
Case Closed
by Gerald Posner
Arctic Homestead
Arctic Homestead
by Norma Cobb, Charles W. Sasser
The Trojan Women
The Trojan Women
by Euripides
Rebel King
Rebel King
by Tom Bower
Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra
by Adrian Goldsworthy
The Collapse of the Third Republic
The Collapse of the Third Republic
by William L. Shirer
A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty
A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty
by Mimi Matthews
Guests of the Ayatollah
Guests of the Ayatollah
by Mark Bowden
Answers to Questions You've Never Asked
Answers to Questions You've Never Asked
by Joseph Pisenti
Grant Takes Command
Grant Takes Command
by Bruce Catton
This Kind of War
This Kind of War
by T. R. Fehrenbach
12, 20 & 5
12, 20 & 5
by John A. Parrish
Grierson's Raid
Grierson's Raid
by Dee Brown
Washington
Washington
by James Thomas Flexner
Encounters with Chinese Writers
Encounters with Chinese Writers
by Annie Dillard
A Cat's Tale
A Cat's Tale
by Baba the Cat, Paul Koudounaris
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The Grandes Dames
The Grandes Dames
by Stephen Birmingham
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This Golden Fleece
This Golden Fleece
by Esther Rutter
Letters on Ethics
Letters on Ethics
by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Margaret Graver, A. A. Long
The Secret History of the World
The Secret History of the World
by Mark Booth
Lost Kingdom
Lost Kingdom
by Julia Flynn Siler
Tell Me How It Ends
Tell Me How It Ends
by Valeria Luiselli
In the Wake of Madness
In the Wake of Madness
by Joan Druett
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
by Frederick Douglass
John Kennedy
John Kennedy
by James MacGregor Burns
Ruler of the Sky
Ruler of the Sky
by Pamela Sargent
Collected Essays
Collected Essays
by Joan Didion
The Souls of Black Folk
The Souls of Black Folk
by W. E. B. Du Bois
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell
by Georgina Howell
1973: Rock at the Crossroads
1973: Rock at the Crossroads
by Andrew Grant Jackson
Fiber Craft Heritage
Fiber Craft Heritage
by Doris Fischer
Showing 1-50 of 220 results

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.