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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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140 Days to Hiroshima
140 Days to Hiroshima
by David Dean Barrett
Black Patriots and Loyalists
Black Patriots and Loyalists
by Alan Gilbert
A Thousand Days
A Thousand Days
by Arthur M. Schlesinger
The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History
The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History
by Alan T. Nolan, Gary W. Gallagher
Washington's Immortals
Washington's Immortals
by Patrick K. O'Donnell
Bohemian Paris
Bohemian Paris
by Dan Franck
Up from Slavery
Up from Slavery
by Booker T. Washington
American Lynching
American Lynching
by Ashraf H. A. Rushdy
World of Our Fathers
World of Our Fathers
by Irving Howe, Morris Dickstein
Israel, Palestine and Peace
Israel, Palestine and Peace
by Amos Oz
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China to Me
China to Me
by Emily Hahn
Washington
Washington
by James Thomas Flexner
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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Why Homer Matters
Why Homer Matters
by Adam Nicolson
A Cat's Tale
A Cat's Tale
by Baba the Cat, Paul Koudounaris
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The Will To Live On
The Will To Live On
by Herman Wouk
Shakespeare's Lost Kingdom
Shakespeare's Lost Kingdom
by Charles Beauclerk
The Pocket Stoic
The Pocket Stoic
by John Sellars
Survivors in Mexico
Survivors in Mexico
by Rebecca West
Third Girl from the Left
Third Girl from the Left
by Christine Barker
Lost Kingdom
Lost Kingdom
by Julia Flynn Siler
Voyage of the Damned
Voyage of the Damned
by Max Morgan-Witts, Gordon Thomas
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Serpentine
Serpentine
by Thomas Thompson
1000 Years of Annoying the French
1000 Years of Annoying the French
by Stephen Clarke
The Miracle of Dunkirk
The Miracle of Dunkirk
by Walter Lord
Thirteen
Thirteen
by Henry S. F. Cooper
The Trojan Women
The Trojan Women
by Euripides
Jane Austen's Best Friend
Jane Austen's Best Friend
by Zoe Wheddon
Find Me Unafraid
Find Me Unafraid
by Kennedy Odede, Jessica Posner
They Have Their Exits
They Have Their Exits
by Airey Neave
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Pain, Parties, Work
Pain, Parties, Work
by Elizabeth Winder
New York in the '50s
New York in the '50s
by Dan Wakefield
The View from the Ground
The View from the Ground
by Martha Gellhorn
The Cult of the Saints
The Cult of the Saints
by Peter Brown
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How UFOs Conquered the World
How UFOs Conquered the World
by David Clarke
From a Taller Tower
From a Taller Tower
by Seamus McGraw
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No Way, They Were Gay?
No Way, They Were Gay?
by Lee Wind
Taking Hawaii
Taking Hawaii
by Stephen Dando-Collins
An American Requiem
An American Requiem
by James Carroll
Never Say Die
Never Say Die
by James C. Nicholson, Pete Best
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
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
by Ian Buruma, Ruth Benedict
The Original Watergate Stories
The Original Watergate Stories
by Bob Woodward, The Washington Post, Carl Bernstein
The Baby Boom
The Baby Boom
by P. J. O'Rourke
To Believe in Women
To Believe in Women
by Lillian Faderman
Arizona Outlaws and Lawmen
Arizona Outlaws and Lawmen
by Marshall Trimble
In the Wake of Madness
In the Wake of Madness
by Joan Druett
Five Strides on the Banked Track
Five Strides on the Banked Track
by Frank Deford, Jerry Seltzer, Frank Deford, Walter Iooss
Showing 101-150 of 218 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