The History Reader

11/14/2025

From renowned underwater archaeologist David Gibbins, A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN TWELVE SHIPWRECKS is an exciting and rich narrative of human history told through the archaeological discoveries of twelve shipwrecks across time.

Now available in paperback: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/history-of-the-world-in-12-shipwrecks/

11/12/2025

Congratulations to Siddharth Kara's THE ZORG and Jeffrey Kluger's GEMINI for making Time 100 Must Read Books for 2025! What books will you be reading from this list?

Discover the novels, memoirs, biographies, and more that entertained and enlightened us

11/12/2025

In A BIOGRAPHY OF A MOUNTAIN, Matthew Davis shares a comprehensive narrative history of Mt. Rushmore, written in light of recent political controversies, and a timely retrospective for the monument’s 100th anniversary in 2025.

Read on for a featured excerpt: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/us-history/featured-excerpt-a-biography-of-a-mountain/

11/12/2025

Congratulations to Siddharth Kara's THE ZORG and Jeffrey Kluger's GEMINI for making Time 100 Must Read Books for 2025!

What books will you be reading from this list?

Discover the novels, memoirs, biographies, and more that entertained and enlightened us

11/11/2025

As a historical fiction writer, author Charles Finch knows firsthand the challenges of making sure his modern-day perspective doesn’t color the perspective of his historical characters. Below, Finch shares with The History Reader how the main character from his new book, THE HIDDEN CITY, experiences the novel idea of working out in a gymnasium—an activity that is very common in today’s world but was brand new in Victorian London.

Start reading it over on The History Reader:

Historical fiction author Charles Finch discusses the challenges he faces when writing a character's perspective true to their own era.

11/07/2025

"EVERY WEAPON I HAD is the remarkable story of an uncommon man who performed almost superhuman feats of valor in heavy combat with a determined enemy... recommended to all who want to understand that rare breed of American servicemen who wear the nation’s highest award for valor." Read the full review in Association of the United States Army - AUSA National:

Gaining Insights From Modern Warfare

11/07/2025

It's out-of-this-world news that Apple Books chose GEMINI as one of the of November! GEMINI by Jeffrey Kluger is an exhilarating piece of space-race history that shows how NASA's Gemini program forged the skills that made the moon landing possible during the later Apollo program. Check it out here: https://books.apple.com/us/book/gemini/id6744894675

11/07/2025

As we are getting ready to honor U.S. veterans next week on Veterans' Day, "EVERY WEAPON I HAD is the remarkable story of an uncommon man who performed almost superhuman feats of valor in heavy combat with a determined enemy... recommended to all who want to understand that rare breed of American servicemen who wear the nation’s highest award for valor."

Read the full review by the Association of the United States Army - AUSA National: https://www.ausa.org/articles/november-2025-book-reviews

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/