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MUST READ History Books 2026!📚✨
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items Hello history besties!! 👑📚 Are we ready to dive into the stories of history’s most powerful and fascinating lives - and the world-changing moments that surrounded them?! If so, read on!! ✨ I’m v excited to share my official MUST READ History Books ...bookshop.org - and ofc fueling more history recs and content for you! 🧡 Thank you so much for reading and taking a look,I hope you find something you love! ☺️ (And if there are any worthy titles I’ve missed, please do let me know!) 💗
Sections
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👑Queens, Rebels & Everyday Women Who Changed History✨
🕯️Everyday Lives & Hidden Histories: Social History Picks🧺
👑⚔️Tudor Drama - There is a LOT🌹
🎁Looking for a gift? START HERE!🎁
⚜️Medieval Lives & Legends⚔️
👑Royals & Rulers👑
👑Queens, Rebels & Everyday Women Who Changed History✨
Ofc we're here for the women who ruled kingdoms and led revolutions - but we're also here to learn about women who shaped societies and lived incredible lives in quieter ways too💪 From queens and rebels to artists and activists, these books shine a ...
'Feminist History for Every Day of the Year by bestselling author and feminist champion Kate Mosse tells the story of women's and girls' history, sweeping across the world and through the ages.'
Feminist History for Every Day of the Year
Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century - this book explores the lives of over a dozen radical Protestant women living during a great period of change in Britain
Voices of Thunder
All Hallie Rubenhold books are MUST reads! This is also the book that inspired BBC2’s ‘Harlots’ series!
The Covent Garden Ladies
Another book from @historyalice that promises to be fantastic! 'An extraordinary journey that uncovers historical secrets about England’s forgotten Queen. From Alice Loxton, author of the acclaimed bestseller Eighteen.’
Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen
‘You’ll lose count of the number of things you learn about women and their skewed place in history as you read Philippa Gregory’s stunning Normal Women … the book reframes the past … an essential read’ Independent
Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History
‘The astounding story of the six female aviators who battled to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane’
Atlantic Furies: The Women Who Risked Everything to be the First to Fly
‘Jane Draycott recreates the life and times of a woman who became a powerful ruler in her own right at a time when most women were marginalised, and whose remarkable life shines new and revelatory light on Roman politics, society and culture in the e...
Cleopatra's Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen
‘A revelatory history of the women who brought Victorian criminals to account - and how they became a cultural sensation’ Shortlisted for The Wolfson History Prize 2025!
The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective
'A spectacular, vivid, groundbreaking work of history which takes us into the minds and lives of medieval women.'
Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women
A deep dive into the treasures exhibited at this groundbreaking exhibition - one of the best I've ever been to!
Medieval Women: Voices & Visions: The Book of the British Library Exhibition
A gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval France
The Dark Queens
A firm women's history favourite in my library!
Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages
'Bluestockings: the unexpected and inspiring stories of the forgotten heroines of Britain's very first women's movement.'
Bluestockings: The First Women's Movement
‘The real women behind the myths that shaped Europe’
Legenda
🕯️Everyday Lives & Hidden Histories: Social History Picks🧺
The best stories aren’t always about royalty, they’re about ordinary people like you and me. These books give insight into everyday life through the ages, from medieval peasants to Queer Georgians and everyone in between. ✨
Must read LGBTQ+ history from one of the best historians at work today - fascinating and refreshing!🙌
Queer Georgians: A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers
‘Spanning continents and centuries, Nehrig brings together remarkable stories of women, from an eighteenth-century Quaker boarding school that used embroidered samplers to teach girls maths and geography to the Quechua weavers working to preserve and...
With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories
‘Part-revisionist history, part-historical biography - based on the hugely popular podcast series’
Bad Gays: A Homosexual History
'Beautiful, eye-opening and surprisingly moving - a treat to treasure' Lucy Worsley
Craftland: A Journey Through Britain’s Lost Arts and Vanishing Trades
‘A rich, lively and nostalgia-provoking sensory experience’
The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street
‘Old Songs fuses short stories, histories, lyrics and illustrations in an enthralling reimagining of traditional folk ballads’.
Old Songs: Stories of Love and Death from Traditional Ballads
One of the best books I've ever read! Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
Waterstones Best Book of 2023!
A History of Women in 101 Objects
‘A groundbreaking new work of social history, No Ordinary Deaths paints a rich picture of the lives of our forebears, skilfully bringing the lost art of death to life today.’
No Ordinary Deaths: A People's History of Mortality
A Waterstones Best History Book 2024
The Walnut Tree: Women, Violence and the Law – a Hidden History
‘A rich and indulgent history, English Food will change the way you view your food and understand your past.’
English Food: A People’s History
👑⚔️Tudor Drama - There is a LOT🌹
Need I say more?! From Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII to the lesser known antics of a populace in turmoil - if you're after a good story (with truth stranger than fiction!) you're in the right place!👀
A groundbreaking history delving into how courtly love ‘made and marred’ the Tudor dynasty.
The Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty
The Tudors as you've never seen them before…
The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty
The Five Senses 1485-1603: How the Tudors Experienced the World
Woodsmoke and Sage
‘The acclaimed and enthralling story of the dark side of Elizabethan rule, from Stephen Alford’
The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I
An amazing examination of the relationship between Anne Boleyn and Elizbeth I from the incredible historian, Tracy Borman
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History
An enthralling history of two of the era's best known Queens
Blood, Fire and Gold: The story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici
A searingly fresh perspective on the early life of the Tudor era's most famous Queen
Young Elizabeth: Princess. Prisoner. Queen.
A powerful account of the life and death of England's ‘9 Day Queen’
Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey
Another fantastic read from the incredible Tracy Borman - prepare to be transported!
The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty
'A unique new window onto Tudor life, told through ordinary people's untimely deaths.'
An Accidental History of Tudor England: From Daily Life to Sudden Death
The first narrative biography of Elizabeth Boleyn, mother to Anne Boleyn
Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen's Mother
🎁Looking for a gift? START HERE!🎁
Top gifting books with proven appeal - safe and solid options for the history buff in your life!🎁✨
A beautiful book that would make a lovely gift - also a Sunday Times Bestseller!
Forgotten Churches: Exploring England's Hidden Treasures
How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times
Weird Medieval Guys
‘The ridiculously funny history of Britain for adults from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of the Horrible Histories, perfect for fans of Unruly by David Mitchell.’
A History of Britain in Ten Enemies
A deep dive into the library of one of Britain's most beloved authors.
Jane Austen's Bookshelf: The women writers who shaped a legend
No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller - humorous and witty!
Unruly: A History of England's Kings and Queens
'In this unconventional and witty history, award-winning writer and broadcaster Alice Loxton delves into Britain's past, exploring the country through eighteen notable figures at that most formative age – eighteen.'
Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives
'Drawing on the cuisine of the Middle Ages, from the fall of the Roman Empire to Henry VIII's break with Rome, this new treatment of a classic book explores the relationship between food, religion and the ever-widening gap between the tables of the r...
The Medieval Cookbook
What's not to love?!
Cats in Medieval Manuscripts
The perfect treat for yourself or a friend - I have this and it's amazing!
Colouring History: The Tudors
'Hugely informative and stunningly produced, the Elizabeth I Book of Days pairs a practical perpetual diary with a wealth of material on the life and times of the last Tudor queen, Elizabeth I (1533-1603), one of England''s most iconic and celebrated...
Queen Elizabeth I Book of Days
'A delightful, thoughtful and original new way to understand England's history'
A History of England in 25 Poems
A Sunday Times Bestseller from the fantastic @livinglondonhistory!
London: The Hidden Corners For Curious Wanderers
As seen on TV! A wonderful coffee table book
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust: Unlock the Stories Behind the Trust’s Greatest Treasures
Your ‘to visit’ list is about to get a whole lot longer!
Europe’s 100 Best Cathedrals
50 delicious recipes and some curious crumbs of history
The National Trust Book of Scones
12 classic English fairy tales and their history, from tales of dragons to Robin Hood
English Fairy Tales and Legends
‘This handbook brings some of the muddier, forgotten aspects of our shared history to life, offering a compelling insight into the origins of British cultural identity and a reminder of our deep-rooted connection to the earth.’
Ancient Britain for Modern Folk
A-Z Style Blunders You’ll Love to Hate
The Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion: Hilarious Introspective of History's Worst Fashion Trends
⚜️Medieval Lives & Legends⚔️
A world of castles, queens, merchants, and mystics👀 Explore what life was really like in the Middle Ages✨
‘From the mythical-sounding City of Ladies and their garden economy to early microcredit banks and rent-a-cow schemes, Kehnel uncovers a world at odds with what we might think of as the typical medieval existence.’🌿
The Green Ages: Medieval Innovations in Sustainability
‘From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Storyland and Wild, comes a sweeping new legendary of miracles, magic, human frailty and heroic strength.’
Saints: Medieval Legends of Heroes, Humans and Magic
‘An engaging, richly illustrated account of parish churches and churchgoers in England, from the Anglo-Saxons to the mid-sixteenth century’
Going to Church in Medieval England
‘A fascinating guide to decoding the secret language of the churches of England through the medieval carved markings and personal etchings found on our church walls from archaeologist Matthew Champion.’
Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England's Churches
A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages
Medieval Bodies
Why the Middle Ages Matter
Medieval Horizons
‘A spirited and thought-provoking history of the vast changes that transformed Europe during the 1,000-year span of the Middle Ages’
Medieval Europe
'A sparkling popular history which brings the Middle Ages' most terrible century to life for a new generation' Dan Jones
Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century
Journey through the Anglo-Saxon year with this cosy read
Winters in the World
‘This book charts the early lives of Henry and Eleanor before they became a European power couple and examines the impact of their union on contemporaries and European politics.’
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire
The Calamitous 14th Century
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
‘This brilliant new book explores the lives of eight generations of the greatest kings and queens that this country has ever seen, and the worst.’
The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England
👑Royals & Rulers👑
Unfailingly dramatic, messy and FASCINATING👀
An in-depth look at post WW2 British aristocracy. Also - what a title!👏
Heirs and Graces: A History of the Modern British Aristocracy
Explore behind the scenes at one of England's most iconic royal residences…
The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of History at Hampton Court
Another fantastic read from the exceptional Dan Jones.
Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King
‘The author of She-Wolves chronicles the lives and reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose rivalry brought their nation to the brink of disintegration - and back again’
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
A stunning biography of Margaret Beafort from exceptional historian Nicola Tallis
Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch
‘A panoramic history of the arrival of the Stuarts, and how the reign of King James I saw England reach new corners of the globe’
The Sun Rising: James I and the Dawn of a Global Britain
The Life and Times of Oswald of Northumbria
The King in the North
‘Historian Kate Williams opens the doors to 30 palaces, castles and houses that have been connected with the British royals over the centuries.’
The Royal Palaces: Secrets and Scandals
A Thousand Years of A Royal Palace
Windsor Castle
‘Over 1000 years of royal history told through 100 fascinating objects’
A History of Royal Britain in 100 Objects
A Life of James VI & I
The Mirror of Great Britain
⚔️War, Power & Revolution📣
Conflict & change has shaped our world - read all about it!!🗞️
‘This concise and interpretative book digs under the surface events of the Wars of the Roses to explore the underlying dynamics of a typical civil war. Beginning with a demonstration of why the well-worn storylines of the Wars are so misleading, it m...
The Wars of the Roses: A Medieval Civil War
Instant Sunday Times Bestseller from the author of ‘The Escape Artist’
The Traitors Circle: The Rebels Against the Nazis and the Spy Who Betrayed Them
Learn all about one of England's most dramatic periods of history
The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England
'A richly engrossing year-by-year account of this exhilarating and daring period. It tells the story of what Britain's republic was really like: why it failed, but also, what it got right.'
Republic: Britain’s Revolutionary Decade, 1649–1660
‘A fascinating exploration of the devious tricks and ingenious tools used by early modern spies—from ciphers to counterfeiting, invisible inks to assassination’
Spycraft: Tricks and Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration
The Extraordinary Story of a WW2 Spy in Her Own Words
The Last Secret Agent
Life, Death and Art at the Stuart Court
Palaces of Revolution
A major new political history of the French Revolution
The French Revolution: A Political History
‘The full story of Josephine Baker’s wartime and intelligence work in France and North Africa’
Josephine Baker's Secret War: The African American Star Who Fought for France and Freedom
Complex topics around WW2 explained in a simple and easy to follow way
The World War II Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
Complex topics covered in a way that's easy to understand
The World War I Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
🏛️Ancient Worlds & Empires: Greece, Rome & Beyond🌎
Step into the ancient world of emperors, philosophers and empires.🕯️🏛️
‘Relive the last day in Pompeii in this immersive story, based on the city’s real residents’ from the incredible historian, Dr Jess Venner.
The Lost Voices of Pompeii
Shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize and Longlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction
Embers of the Hands
'Sparta traces the story of Ancient Greece's most iconic city-state, from its humble beginnings as a hamlet in the Peloponnese to its meteoric rise as the foremost military superpower of the Classical world.'
Sparta: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Superpower
An insightful read about the real history of Roman Emperors
Emperor of Rome
‘Philip Matyszak skilfully navigates the myths and legends of early Rome, exploring the enigmatic origins of the Romans and how the first seeds of a great empire were sown.’
Rome Before Rome: The Legends that Shaped the Romans
The Life of Septimius Severus
The African Emperor
From the makers of one of my favourite podcasts!
A Short History of Ancient Rome
A Sunday Times Bestseller!
The Buried City: Unearthing the Real Pompeii
'Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome's bloody history' The Times
Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age
‘From the bestselling author of Viking Britain, a new epic history of our forgotten past.’
Lost Realms: Histories of Britain from the Romans to the Vikings
The Life and Times of Rome’s Most Scandalous Empress
Messalina
'A captivating journey through Britain and Ireland's ancient sites'
Upon a White Horse
A gripping and accessible dive into Ancient Rome from the creator of Noiser podcasts!
A Short History of Ancient Rome
'A captivating journey through Britain and Ireland's ancient sites'
Upon A White Horse
📜Real Lives: Top Biographies🕯️
Definitive biographies of some of history's most significant characters📚
'Evans teases apart the threads that connect Austen's beloved novels, the events of her life, and the fabric of society in Regency England.'
Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen
Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022
Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne
'The definitive biography of one of Britain's best-loved novelists'
Jane Austen: A Life
Winner of the NCR Book Award, the Hawthornden Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens
The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival, Christopher Marlowe
Dark Renaissance
'Superbly researched ... the definitive work on the ill-fated queen' Catholic Herald
Marie Antoinette
‘A definitive biography of the artist who, more than any other, has shaped our image of the Tudor court’
Holbein: Renaissance Master
‘With a novelist’s touch, Lucy Hughes-Hallett transports us into a courtly world of masques and dancing, exquisite clothes, the art of Rubens and Van Dyck, gender-fluidity, same-sex desire and appallingly rudimentary medicine.’
The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham
A fascinating biography of the extraordinary sister of Richard II
Lionessheart: The Life and Times of Joanna Plantagenet
An intimate portrait from the writer who knew her and her family for over fifty years
Elizabeth
The Biography of an Outrageous Family
The Mitford Girls
The Man Who Conquered the World
Genghis Khan
🌍Global Voices & Diverse Histories🌎
Diverse voices and powerful stories from beyond Europe with plenty of fresh perspectives that reframe the stories we *think* we all know✨
This is a Sunday Times #1 Bestseller!
A History of the World in 47 Borders
Sunday Times Bestselling history of Africa from the perspective of Africans themselves. Also a Radio 4 Book of the week!
An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence
‘This is an immersive and revelatory history of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last ship of the Atlantic slave trade, whose lives diverged and intersected in profound ways.’
Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade
A Waterstones and Times History Book of the Year and a a Spectator and History Today Book of the Year!
The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World
One of my favourite ever history books! Thoroughly researched and beautifully written.
Black Tudors: The Untold Story
‘Those They Called Idiots traces the little-known lives of people with learning disabilities from the communities of eighteenth-century England to the nineteenth-century asylum and care in today’s society’
Those They Called Idiots: The Idea of the Disabled Mind from 1700 to the Present Day
‘This is the story of the British Empire and slavery told through one family’s grotesque history, and how its legacy is alive and well today.’
Drax of Drax Hall: How One British Family Got Rich (and Stayed Rich) from Sugar and Slavery
‘A dazzling new history of the Indian subcontinent and its diverse peoples in global context- from antiquity to today’
India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent
Winner of the British Academy Book Prize
Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire
A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week!
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan
💎Hidden Gems & Underrated Heroes✨
Brilliant books you've probably missed!💡 Unique & overlooked reads that deserve their place on every history lover’s shelf📚
‘Hidden in the names of English towns and villages, in copses, fields, lanes and hills, are the ghostly traces of birds conjuring powerful identities for people in ancient landscapes. What are their stories and secrets? How did people encounter birds...
The Cuckoo's Lea: The Forgotten History of Birds and Place
‘In this ground-breaking book, two leading experts provide the definitive guide to British folklore past and present.’
Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present
‘From troubadours to Twitter: a thousand years of feelings, fads, and furious sentiment, from renowned essayist Ferdinand Mount.’
Soft: A Brief History of Sentimentality
‘Lucid, poetic and fascinating’ Alice Roberts
Footmarks: A Journey into Our Restless Past
‘The epic story of a man born into Caribbean slavery, who defeated Napoleon’s armies and crowned himself a free black king.’
Black Crown: Henry Christophe, the Haitian Revolution and the Caribbean's Forgotten Kingdom
A Church Times Book of the Year
Collared: How We Made the Modern Dog
Genuinely one of the best books I've read in my entire life
Confinement: The Hidden History of Maternal Bodies in Nineteenth-Century Britain
A Jewish Story of Survival in 1940s France
Ninette's War
Lost Words of the Irish Landscape
Thirty-Two Words for Field
‘History belongs to the heroes. But to get the full story, sometimes you have to ask the side characters.’
The Greatest Nobodies of History: Minor Characters from Major Moments
✨NICHE BUT AMAZING✨
You've definitely never heard of these but be warned: you WILL become obsessed🫣
‘In a pioneering history of the children’s literary canon, The Haunted Wood reveals the magic of childhood reading, from the ancient tales of Aesop, through the Victorian and Edwardian golden age to new classics.’
The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading
'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I’ve ever read' Guardian
The Wager
‘Perfect for anyone interested in medieval and Tudor history, queenship, jewellery and the history of material culture.’
All the Queen’s Jewels, 1445–1548: Power, Majesty and Display
'Every Valley is a glittering narrative history of intertwined lives that tells the story behind one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, Handel's Messiah.'
Every Valley: The Story of Handel’s Messiah
‘The Philosophy of Tattoos investigates the innate human desire to mark the skin, and what tattooing might tell us about that obsessively asked question: what does it mean to be human?’
The Philosophy of Tattoos
‘A curious history of the strange, wonderful and sometimes terrifying worlds created by our minds.’
A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse
How the frozen winter of 1962 changed Britain forever
Frostquake
A Radio 4 Book of the Week
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History
A must for any footy fans - the history of the beautiful game told in 100 fascinating objects
The Story of Football in 100 Objects
An exploration of the relationship between us and our feline friends throughout history
Cat Tales: A History
✨Meg's Top Picks of the Month✨
A selection of my current favourites that I think you'll love - great minds after all!😉
This book promises to be fantastic - a fascinating topic covered by one of our generation's best historians
The Lost Voices of Pompeii
An insightful and immersive read exploring the lives and loves of Queer folk in Georgian England
Queer Georgians: A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers
An important and insightful look into Ireland's history and heritage - through the remnants of the past we walk by every day without knowing
Remnants of Our Past
A refreshing new perspective on the infamous Mitford Family - through the eyes of the matriarch, ‘Muv’
Muv: The Story of the Mitford Girls' Mother
A hilariously interesting read from the wonderful @thehistorygossip
The History Gossip: Was Anne of Cleves a Minger? and 365 Other Historical Curiosities
This fascinating book transports readers to the vibrant and chaotic world of early modern Britain, with lost stories revealed through an unexpected but timeless medium: graffiti
Writing on the Wall: Graffiti and Rebellion in Eighteenth-Century Britain
'These are the stories of the female kings: women who risked everything, sometimes unwillingly, to find their place in a man's world.'
Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy
‘An exquisitely crafted patchwork of the forgotten lives of some of the most remarkable women in history.’
Unquiet Women: From the Dusk of the Roman Empire to the Dawn of the Enlightenment
A deep dive into the life of Margaret Paston, whose personal correspondence remains one of the most significant survivals of the medieval era
God's Own Gentlewoman: The Life of Margaret Paston
One of my favourite ever books! I intend to re-read this autumn/winter!
The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes: Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe