The 15 Best History Books to Read Right Now

Looking for the best history books? We rounded up 15 essential history books worth your time, with a quick take on each and where to dive in. Tap any title for the full guide.

1. Ogniem i mieczem

Ogniem i mieczem by Henryk Sienkiewicz, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

2. Sozialgeschichte der Kunst und Literatur

Sozialgeschichte der Kunst und Literatur by Arnold Hauser: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

3. The Defendant

The Defendant by Gilbert Keith Chesterton: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

4. Godfrey of Bulloigne

Godfrey of Bulloigne by Torquato Tasso, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

5. 1601

1601 by Mark Twain: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

6. Woman at the Devil's Door

Woman at the Devil's Door by Sarah Beth Hopton: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

7. Funeral in Berlin

Funeral in Berlin by Len Deighton, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

8. The origin of organized crime in America

The origin of organized crime in America by David Critchley: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

9. Kidnapped

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

10. Master Thaddeus

Master Thaddeus by Adam Mickiewicz, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

11. Coriolanus

Coriolanus by William Shakespeare, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

12. Beloved

Beloved by Toni Morrison, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

13. Western intelligence and the collapse of the Soviet Union, 1980-1990

Western intelligence and the collapse of the Soviet Union, 1980-1990 by David Arbel: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

14. Cleopatra

Cleopatra by H. Rider Haggard, plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.

15. The raiders, being some passages in the life of John Faa, Lord and Earl of Little Egypt

The raiders, being some passages in the life of John Faa, Lord and Earl of Little Egypt by Samuel Rutherford Crockett: plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide

This list is curated from Pop Culture Files guides and refreshed regularly.