Written by 
by The History Reader
Shopping for any history-loving friends? Below is our holiday gift guide with our favorite books of 2024!
The Cold Crematorium by József Debreczeni
First published in Hungarian in 1950, The Cold Crematorium was never translated into a world language due to McCarthyism, Cold War hostilities and antisemitism. More than 70 years later, this masterpiece that was nearly lost to time will be available in 15 languages, finally taking its rightful place among the greatest works of Holocaust literature.
Aid State by Jake Johnston
Jake Johnston, a researcher and writer at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC, reveals how long-standing US and European capitalist goals ensnared and re-enslaved Haiti under the guise of helping it. Based on years of on-the-ground reporting in Haiti and interviews with politicians in the US and Haiti, independent aid contractors, UN officials, and Haitians, Aid State is a conscience-searing book of witness.
I Never Did Like Politics by Terry Golway
Fiorello LaGuardia was one of the twentieth century’s most colorful politicians—on the New York and national stage. America is once again grappling with issues that would have been familiar to the Little Flower, as he was affectionately known. It’s time to bring back LaGuardia, argues historian and journalist Terry Golway, to remind us all what an effective municipal officer can achieve.
The Life of the Qur’an by Mohamad Jebara
Based on extensive scholarship, an innovative biography of the central text of Islam.
The Qur`an re-emerges with clarity as a dynamic life force that seeks to inspire human beings to unleash their dormant potential despite often-overwhelming odds – in order to transform themselves and the world.
Mortal Secrets by Frank Tallis
A chronicle of Vienna’s Golden Age and the influence of Sigmund Freud on the modern world by a clinical psychologist whose mystery novels form the basis of PBS’s Vienna Blood series.
Mortal Secrets is a thrilling book about a heady time in one of the world’s most beautiful cities and its long shadow that extends through the twentieth century up until the present day.
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins
The Viking warship of King Cnut the Great. Henry VIII’s the Mary Rose. Captain John Franklin’s doomed HMS Terror. The SS Gairsoppa, destroyed by a Nazi U-boat in the Atlantic during World War II.
From renowned underwater archaeologist David Gibbins comes an exciting and rich narrative of human history told through the archaeological discoveries of twelve shipwrecks across time.
The Great Abolitionist by Stephen Puleo
The Great Abolitionist is the first major biography of Charles Sumner to be published in over 50 years. Acclaimed historian Stephen Puleo relates the story of one of the most influential political figures in American history with evocative and accessible prose, transporting readers back to an era when our leaders exhibited true courage and authenticity in the face of unprecedented challenges.
A Throne of Grace by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
The explosive true saga of the legendary adventurer Jedediah Smith and the Mountain Men who explored the American frontier, written by New York Times bestselling authors of Blood and Treasure Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.
Throne of Grace is a gripping yarn that drops the reader into the center of an underreported era and introduces one of the great explorers in American history.
Vanishing Act by Dan Hampton
In Vanishing Act, for the first time, New York Times bestselling author and former fighter pilot Dan Hampton definitively solves the final mystery of the Doolittle Raid with never-before-published documents and photographs in exclusive collaboration with Japanese researchers and the Raiders’ descendants.
Women in the Valley of Kings by Kathleen Sheppard
The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way who paved the way for exploration in Egypt and laid the groundwork for Egyptology.
Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
Opening Doors by Hasia R. Diner
The extraordinary untold story of how Irish and Jewish immigrants worked together to secure legitimacy in America.
This informative and accessible work offers an inspiring look at a time when two very different groups were able to find common ground and work together to overcome bigotry, gain representation, and move the country in a more inclusive direction.
Red Dead’s History by Tore C. Olsson
Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, set in 1911 and 1899, are the most-played American history video games since The Oregon Trail. Beloved by millions, they’ve been widely acclaimed for their realism and attention to detail. But how do they fare as re-creations of history?
Confronting the Presidents by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Every American president, from Washington to Biden: Their lives, policies, foibles, and legacies, assessed with clear-eyed authority and wit.
Written with O’Reilly and Dugard’s signature style, authority, and eye for telling detail, Confronting the Presidents will delight all readers of history, politics, and current affairs, especially during the 2024 election season.
The Islamic Moses by Mustafa Akyol
A theological and historical exploration of the connection between Islam and Judaism through the single most-mentioned character in the Quran: Moses.
Readers of any background will be surprised by the common historical and theological ground that exists between the two religions, and will come away with a better understanding of both.
Bandit Heaven by Tom Clavin
From multiple New York Times bestselling author Tom Clavin comes the thrilling true story of the most infamous hangout for bandits, thieves and murderers of all time—and the lawmen tasked with rooting them out.
Bandit Heaven is a thrilling read, filled with action, indelible characters, and some poignance for the true end of the Wild West outlaw.
The Living Medicine by Lina Zeldovich
Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke with Harry Marks
Become captivated by tales of wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history. Perfect for trivia aficionados, history readers, or anyone with a thirst for unusual knowledge, Cabinet of Curiosities is full of titillating tidbits and mind-boggling stories you never knew you needed to know.
Four Against the West by Joe Pappalardo
A thrilling true saga of legendary Texas figure Judge Roy Bean and his brothers―and their violent adventures in Wild West America.
Four Against the West is an unprecedented and vivid telling of the intertwined stories of all four Bean brothers, exploring for the first time how their relentless ambitions helped create a new America.
The Cure for Women by Lydia Reeder
How Victorian male doctors used false science to argue that women were unfit for anything but motherhood—and the brilliant doctor who defied them.
The Cure for Women documents the birth of a sexist science still haunting us today as the fight for control of women’s bodies and lives continues.
The post The History Reader: 2024 Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on The History Reader.