History

These great world history books will give you a good general understanding of world history, as compiled by history teachers and professors.

Herodotus' Histories has it all: tales of war, eyewitness travel writing, notes on flora and fauna and accounts of fantastic creatures such as winged snakes. His stories share a common humanity that speaks to us, 2500 years on.

The Art of War is the most influential treatise on war ever written, consisting of 13 chapters each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it has shap...

The Annals (Latin: Annales) by Roman historian and senator Tacitus[1] is a history of the Roman Empire from the reign of Tiberius to that of Nero, the years AD 14–68.

Xenophon (Ancient Greek Ξενοφῶν, Modern Greek Ξενοφών, Ξενοφώντας; ca. 431 – 355 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, was a soldier, me...

The Muqaddimah is a book written by the Arab historian Ibn Khaldun in 1377 which records an early view of universal history.

Shiji, (Chinese: “Historical Records”) early history of China written about 85 bce by Sima Qian. A two-volume English translation, Records of the Grand Historian of China, was published in 1961. A masterpiece that took 18 years to produce, the Shiji deals with major events and personalities of

Saxo Grammaticus, historian whose Gesta Danorum (“Story of the Danes”) is the first important work on the history of Denmark and the first Danish contribution to world literature. Little is known of Saxo’s life except that he was a Zealander belonging to a family of warriors and was probably a

A number of experts offer their favourite books on military history and war.  The historians Hew Strachan and Michael Howard and the journalist Peter Snow offer very different choices on the general topic, while Jeremy Black focuses on the contribution made by China, the Ottomans and other Asian nations to military history and strategy.  Antulio Echevarria chooses his favourite books on military strategy. Turning to particular wars, Andrew Exum chooses his best books on Understanding the War in Afghanistan,  and Julia Lovell looks at China and the Opium Wars in the 19th century.  Jonathan Boff chooses the best books on World War I and Anthony Beevor his on World War II.  Simon Ball focuses exclusively on the battle of El Alamein.  Former SAS soldier, Peter Winner, chooses the best books on the SAS. On themes related to military history, Joseph Corn chooses his best books on Aviation history.  Stephen Glain chooses the best books on US militarism and Peter Paret discusses the cultural context of war with his best books on War and Intellect.  Chris Walsh chooses his best books on cowardice. Other interviews, covering military history, particularly more recent conflicts can be found in our sections on Conflict & War, Foreign Policy & International Relations and Terrorism.

Searching for fun gift ideas for the history buff in your life? Check out the 10 books that any history lover will want in their collection.

“If the past has nothing to say to the present, history may go on sleeping undisturbed in the closet where the system keeps its old disguises.” Eduardo Galeano said it best when he explained the importance of looking back. And with back-to-school season and Hispanic Heritage Month taking place simultaneously, it made sense to look[.....]

Here is a list of 10 must read books on Indian history. Includes books by Nehru, Amartya Sen, Ramachandra Guha and many more authors!

From foot binding to Mao Zedong and everything in between, these nine books bring China to life on the printed page.

A good reference of the Middle Ages is a must-have for medieval history enthusiasts and students. These 8 best introductory works provide an overview.

Explore groundbreaking research and fascinating real-life stories with these 100 must-read books about ancient history.

The best history books ever written, from Herodotus through 2019, recommended by some of the most eminent historians working today,