The History Reader

11/01/2025

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, you’ll want to stay inside to enjoy these fascinating history books publishing this month. From Lorissa Rinehart’s major biography of the first woman to hold a U.S. federal office to Jeffrey Kluger’s highly anticipated story of NASA’s Gemini program, you can’t go wrong with any of these history selections.

Check them out: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/cultural-history/new-books-to-read-as-the-days-get-shorter-november-2025/

10/31/2025

From the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius to the Black Death to the Salem witch trials, history is full of dark and scary moments. To celebrate Halloween, what period of time are you glad you are not living through? Or, what's the scariest history book you've read?

Photo: Bubonic plague/Black death victims in a mass grave in Martigues, France. Public domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

10/29/2025

Mount Rushmore is one of the most popular national landmarks in the United States, but do you know how those famous faces came to be chiseled on the side of a mountain?

In A Biography of a Mountain, author Matthew Davis reveals the man behind the creation of Mount Rushmore. Now available at your favorite bookstore, start reading this fascinating history over on The History Reader: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/historical-figures/the-man-behind-the-idea-of-mount-rushmore/

10/28/2025

Harry Houdini is perhaps one of the most well-known magicians in the world, but did you know that he took it upon himself to wage war against spiritualism and political conspiracies?

Now available today, check out this fascinating excerpt of Lincoln's Ghost by Brad Ricca. In it, Houdini attempts to discount the psychic ability of Mina Crandon, also known as Margery the Medium.

https://www.thehistoryreader.com/historical-figures/featured-excerpt-lincolns-ghost/

10/21/2025

"The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz" author Anne Sebba shares with The History Reader the horrifying story of the 45 women forced to play music in an Auschwitz concentration camp orchestra.

Read her piece at: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/world-history/the-band-played-on-at-auschwitz/

10/21/2025

Looking for a new WWII history read? Look no further than NYT bestselling author Tom Clavin's new book, RUNNING DEEP, on sale today. It's the true story about the deadliest submarine in WWII and its courageous captain who survived torture and imprisonment at the hands of the enemy. Read or listen to an introductory excerpt over on The History Reader blog:

Tom Clavin's RUNNING DEEP is the story of the deadliest submarine in WWII and the captain who survived torture at the hands of the enemy.

10/20/2025

In his book, WARHEAD, Dr. Nicholas Wright, a leading neuroscientist and adviser to the Pentagon, analyzes the new science behind warfare to understand why we fight, lose, and win wars.

Read on for a featured excerpt: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/military-history/featured-excerpt-warhead-by-nicholas-wright/

10/18/2025

Jack Kelly, author of TOM PAINE'S WAR, discusses the original "No Kings" protest that took place in the autumn of 1775, when Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" lit the fire under Americans to overthrow their sovereign, King George III.

Read more here: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/historical-figures/an-end-to-kings-1776/

10/16/2025

Pulitzer Prize finalist and author Siddharth Kara tells a "shocking story of mass killing, human baseness, and the seeds of conscience" in his new history book about a notorious slave ship incident, THE ZORG, which is "destined to be a classic." (New York Times Book Review)

Read the review at: https://bit.ly/NYTBR-TheZorg

10/14/2025

We’ve fallen hard for these history books publishing this October. From Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara’s THE ZORG, the heartbreaking story about the slave ship that sparked the U.K.’s abolitionist movement, to Tom Clavin’s RUNNING DEEP, the true story of the deadliest submarine in WWII, grab a cup of apple cider and immerse yourself in any of the books below that are publishing this month.

We’ve fallen hard for these history books publishing this October. From Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara’s The Zorg, the heartbreaking story about the slave ship that sparked the U.K.’s abolitionist movement, to Tom Clavin’s Running Deep, the true story of the deadliest submarine in WW...

10/01/2025

TIME just released their "24 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2025" list, which includes history picks like Jeffrey Kluger's GEMINI (the true story of NASA's Gemini program, which helped get men to the moon) and Andrew Ross Sorkin's 1929 (the story of the most infamous Wall Street crash).

What history book are you looking forward to the most this fall?

From Margaret Atwood's new memoir to Zadie Smith's latest essay collection

09/30/2025

Elena Sheppard, author of The Eternal Forest, joins us to discuss the myth of La Milagrosa. The Eternal Forest masterfully weaves Cuban mythology and history, and is on sale today!

https://www.thehistoryreader.com/world-history/la-milagrosa-havanas-miraculous-one/