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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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Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War
by George Crile
Twelve Years a Slave
Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup
Among Schoolchildren
Among Schoolchildren
by Tracy Kidder
Revolutionaries
Revolutionaries
by Jack Rakove
Kick Kennedy
Kick Kennedy
by Barbara Leaming
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Grant Takes Command
Grant Takes Command
by Bruce Catton
Miami
Miami
by Joan Didion
Washington
Washington
by James Thomas Flexner
The Miracle of Dunkirk
The Miracle of Dunkirk
by Walter Lord
The Land of Little Rain
The Land of Little Rain
by Mary Austin
1973: Rock at the Crossroads
1973: Rock at the Crossroads
by Andrew Grant Jackson
Jane Austen's Best Friend
Jane Austen's Best Friend
by Zoe Wheddon
The View from the Ground
The View from the Ground
by Martha Gellhorn
Evita, First Lady
Evita, First Lady
by John Barnes
The Game They Played
The Game They Played
by Stanley Cohen
Shakespeare's Lost Kingdom
Shakespeare's Lost Kingdom
by Charles Beauclerk
Survivors in Mexico
Survivors in Mexico
by Rebecca West
Never Say Die
Never Say Die
by James C. Nicholson, Pete Best
Five Strides on the Banked Track
Five Strides on the Banked Track
by Walter Iooss Jr., Frank Deford, Jerry Seltzer
Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-Shek
by Emily Hahn
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The Frontier in American History
The Frontier in American History
by Frederick Jackson Turner
One of These Things First
One of These Things First
by Steven Gaines
Israel, Palestine and Peace
Israel, Palestine and Peace
by Amos Oz
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Anne Frank in the Secret Annex
Anne Frank in the Secret Annex
by The Anne Frank House, Ronald Leopold
Heist
Heist
by Howard Sounes
A Daily Creativity Journal
A Daily Creativity Journal
by Noah Scalin
What Her Body Thought
What Her Body Thought
by Susan Griffin
Spartacus
Spartacus
by Aldo Schiavone, Jeremy Carden
Pain, Parties, Work
Pain, Parties, Work
by Elizabeth Winder
No Way, They Were Gay?
No Way, They Were Gay?
by Lee Wind
North Korea's Hidden Revolution
North Korea's Hidden Revolution
by Jieun Baek
Royal Family Life
Royal Family Life
by Ruth Binney
Books Are Made Out of Books
Books Are Made Out of Books
by Michael Lynn Crews
Dallas '63
Dallas '63
by Peter Dale Scott
Red Road from Stalingrad
Red Road from Stalingrad
by Mansur Abdulin, Artem Drabkin
Anything Goes
Anything Goes
by Lucy Moore
Great Second Acts
Great Second Acts
by Marlene Wagman-Geller
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Lend Me Your Ears
Lend Me Your Ears
by William Safire
The Secret of the Yellow Death
The Secret of the Yellow Death
by Suzanne Jurmain
Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
by Elizabeth Keckley
The Battle for Tinian
The Battle for Tinian
by Nathan N. Prefer
Ruler of the Sky
Ruler of the Sky
by Pamela Sargent
A Chorus of Stones
A Chorus of Stones
by Susan Griffin
Hannibal
Hannibal
by Ernle Bradford
Pearl Harbor: Final Judgement
Pearl Harbor: Final Judgement
by Henry C. Clausen, Bruce Lee
The Trojan Women
The Trojan Women
by Euripides
A Cat's Tale
A Cat's Tale
by Baba the Cat, Paul Koudounaris
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Song of the Vikings
Song of the Vikings
by Nancy Marie Brown
Dear Santa
Dear Santa
by Chronicle Books
The Rose of Martinique
The Rose of Martinique
by Andrea Stuart
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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