Best American History Books

Books about the history of the United States. Non-fiction only, please. Biographies of generals, presidents, activists, etc. are fine, but celebrity bios, even celebrities who lived in turbulent times, will be removed. To be considered History and not Current Events, books must focus on events that occurred at least 50 years ago.

See also:

Best 19th Century American (U.S.) History - 3.7 Stars and Up

Best 20th Century American (U.S.) History - 3.7 Stars and Up

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101	The Day Lincoln Was Shot by Jim Bishop 4.14 avg rating — 1,202 ratings score: 1,728, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
102	Personal Memoirs by Ulysses S. Grant 4.13 avg rating — 9,641 ratings score: 1,704, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
103	The Second World War by John Keegan 4.11 avg rating — 5,029 ratings score: 1,703, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
104	Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 4.23 avg rating — 167,531 ratings score: 1,700, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
105	The Strange Career of Jim Crow by C. Vann Woodward 4.14 avg rating — 3,189 ratings score: 1,659, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
106	The Age of Jackson by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. 3.97 avg rating — 2,233 ratings score: 1,642, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
107	The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed 4.02 avg rating — 6,870 ratings score: 1,617, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
108	Lincoln by David Herbert Donald 4.19 avg rating — 48,274 ratings score: 1,571, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
109	The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 11,982 ratings score: 1,549, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
110	The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood 4.07 avg rating — 5,332 ratings score: 1,545, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
111	Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45 by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.16 avg rating — 3,696 ratings score: 1,536, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
112	Flags of Our Fathers by James D. Bradley 4.22 avg rating — 63,047 ratings score: 1,533, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
113	The Oxford History of the American People by Samuel Eliot Morison 4.14 avg rating — 203 ratings score: 1,509, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
114	Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 431,272 ratings score: 1,476, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
115	One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson 4.10 avg rating — 54,207 ratings score: 1,462, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
116	The Making of the President 1960 by Theodore H. White 4.15 avg rating — 7,928 ratings score: 1,447, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
117	Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin by Hampton Sides 4.34 avg rating — 14,132 ratings score: 1,440, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
118	The Frontiersmen by Allan W. Eckert 4.46 avg rating — 4,655 ratings score: 1,428, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
118	The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It by Richard Hofstadter 4.04 avg rating — 1,860 ratings score: 1,428, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
120	A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich 3.96 avg rating — 8,948 ratings score: 1,421, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
121	Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s by Frederick Lewis Allen 3.98 avg rating — 2,363 ratings score: 1,414, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
122	American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard 4.19 avg rating — 14,425 ratings score: 1,375, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
123	Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide by Andrea Lee Smith 4.33 avg rating — 1,363 ratings score: 1,371, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
124	With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene B. Sledge 4.49 avg rating — 46,427 ratings score: 1,369, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
125	The Civil War, Vol. 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian by Shelby Foote 4.54 avg rating — 7,522 ratings score: 1,349, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
126	Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk 3.92 avg rating — 6,640 ratings score: 1,345, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
127	The First World War by John Keegan 4.04 avg rating — 15,699 ratings score: 1,281, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
128	Patriots: The Men Who Started The American Revolution by A.J. Langguth 4.23 avg rating — 1,633 ratings score: 1,251, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
129	The Metaphysical Club : A Story of Ideas in America by Louis Menand 4.07 avg rating — 5,321 ratings score: 1,250, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
130	To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy 4.26 avg rating — 8,704 ratings score: 1,238, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
131	Walden & Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau 3.94 avg rating — 38,723 ratings score: 1,235, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
132	My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams by Abigail Adams 4.19 avg rating — 2,391 ratings score: 1,234, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
133	Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam by Stephen W. Sears 4.24 avg rating — 4,721 ratings score: 1,219, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
134	Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel 4.24 avg rating — 5,765 ratings score: 1,218, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
135	The First Salute : View of the American Revolution by Barbara W. Tuchman 3.94 avg rating — 2,901 ratings score: 1,149, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
136	The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.15 avg rating — 23,770 ratings score: 1,141, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
137	The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard 4.21 avg rating — 75,364 ratings score: 1,114, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
138	Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties by Mike Davis 4.37 avg rating — 495 ratings score: 1,100, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
139	Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution (The American Revolution Series) by Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 10,251 ratings score: 1,088, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
140	Mr. Lincoln's Army by Bruce Catton 4.33 avg rating — 2,962 ratings score: 1,077, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
140	Decision Points by George W. Bush (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 42,242 ratings score: 1,077, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
142	Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 by Gordon S. Wood 4.15 avg rating — 5,451 ratings score: 1,074, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
143	The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 3,805 ratings score: 1,073, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
144	Gettysburg by Stephen W. Sears 4.36 avg rating — 5,053 ratings score: 1,070, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
145	The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 355,217 ratings score: 1,061, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
146	Dispatches by Michael Herr 4.22 avg rating — 21,341 ratings score: 1,052, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
147	Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations by Craig Nelson (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 1,985 ratings score: 1,046, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
148	American Colonies: The Settling of North America by Alan Taylor 4.08 avg rating — 4,598 ratings score: 1,040, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
149	U.S. Constitution (Saddlewire) (Books of American Wisdom) by Founding Fathers 4.52 avg rating — 27,077 ratings score: 1,037, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
150	The Mind of the South by W.J. Cash 3.96 avg rating — 641 ratings score: 1,032, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
151	A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan 4.27 avg rating — 21,361 ratings score: 1,028, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
152	Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 14,715 ratings score: 1,019, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
153	Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq by Stephen Kinzer 4.17 avg rating — 4,556 ratings score: 1,018, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
153	This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust 4.04 avg rating — 7,284 ratings score: 1,018, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
155	The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois 4.31 avg rating — 44,447 ratings score: 1,012, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
156	Colonel Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt #3) by Edmund Morris 4.11 avg rating — 22,344 ratings score: 994, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
157	Huey Long by T. Harry Williams 4.23 avg rating — 2,123 ratings score: 992, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
158	Thomas Jefferson: Writings by Thomas Jefferson 4.23 avg rating — 1,490 ratings score: 975, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
159	Son of the Morning Star: General Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Evan S. Connell 4.13 avg rating — 3,227 ratings score: 963, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
160	American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph J. Ellis 3.97 avg rating — 10,719 ratings score: 954, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
161	The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan 3.87 avg rating — 30,414 ratings score: 941, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
162	The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 11,228 ratings score: 938, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
163	Eleanor and Franklin by Joseph P. Lash 4.26 avg rating — 2,960 ratings score: 922, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
164	The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800 by Jay Winik 4.08 avg rating — 2,012 ratings score: 920, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
165	Writings: The Autobiography / Poor Richard’s Almanack / Bagatelles, Pamphlets, Essays & Letters by Benjamin Franklin 4.23 avg rating — 203 ratings score: 917, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
166	Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi (Goodreads Author) 4.53 avg rating — 38,014 ratings score: 913, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
167	The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander 4.52 avg rating — 115,620 ratings score: 901, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
168	The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn 4.05 avg rating — 4,361 ratings score: 900, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
169	At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon W. Prange 4.21 avg rating — 3,705 ratings score: 898, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
170	The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin 3.85 avg rating — 90,473 ratings score: 895, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
171	Day of Infamy by Walter Lord 4.12 avg rating — 4,794 ratings score: 893, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
172	A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz 3.97 avg rating — 9,330 ratings score: 891, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
173	Madam Secretary by Madeleine K. Albright 4.11 avg rating — 9,102 ratings score: 889, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
173	Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle 4.13 avg rating — 4,490 ratings score: 889, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
175	American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund S. Morgan 4.12 avg rating — 3,521 ratings score: 881, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
176	The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War by James D. Bradley 3.62 avg rating — 4,055 ratings score: 879, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
176	The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin 4.09 avg rating — 18,341 ratings score: 879, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
178	Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau 3.94 avg rating — 19,125 ratings score: 878, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
179	All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein 4.18 avg rating — 57,206 ratings score: 872, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
180	An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (ReVisioning American History, #3) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz 4.37 avg rating — 19,688 ratings score: 860, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
181	1812: The War That Forged a Nation by Walter R. Borneman 3.91 avg rating — 2,380 ratings score: 856, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
181	Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S.C. Gwynne 4.28 avg rating — 8,664 ratings score: 856, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
183	Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U. S. Navy by Ian W. Toll (Goodreads Author) 4.38 avg rating — 7,529 ratings score: 855, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
183	The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough 3.94 avg rating — 20,472 ratings score: 855, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
185	The Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner 3.74 avg rating — 1,265 ratings score: 834, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
186	The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 by Gordon S. Wood 4.13 avg rating — 2,049 ratings score: 829, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
186	The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays by Richard Hofstadter 4.16 avg rating — 1,436 ratings score: 829, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
188	Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 158,433 ratings score: 816, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
189	The Age of Reform by Richard Hofstadter 3.91 avg rating — 1,954 ratings score: 812, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
190	Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country's Most Controversial Cover-Ups by Richard Belzer 3.66 avg rating — 737 ratings score: 800, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
190	Manifesto of the Free People's Union by Jakub Lasak (Goodreads Author) 4.52 avg rating — 33 ratings score: 800, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
192	Tesla: Inventor of the Modern by Richard Munson (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 2,135 ratings score: 792, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
193	The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral--And How It Changed The American West by Jeff Guinn 3.97 avg rating — 2,810 ratings score: 787, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
193	The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 31,527 ratings score: 787, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
195	That Dark and Bloody River by Allan W. Eckert 4.32 avg rating — 934 ratings score: 781, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
196	The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams 3.63 avg rating — 4,897 ratings score: 769, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
197	W.E.B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century, 1919-1963 by David Levering Lewis 4.13 avg rating — 559 ratings score: 768, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
198	Paris, 1919: Six Months that Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan 4.13 avg rating — 14,900 ratings score: 762, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
199	Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World by Jack Weatherford 4.12 avg rating — 2,658 ratings score: 759, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
200	The Anti-Federalist Papers by Founding Fathers 4.14 avg rating — 583 ratings score: 746, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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2,103 books · 2,464 voters · list created July 15th, 2008 by Cindy (votes) .

Tags: 18th-century-history, 19th-century-history, 20th-century-history, aboriginal, aboriginal-history, african-american, african-american-history, african-american-studies, afro-american-studies, america, american, american-history, american-politics, american-president, american-presidents, american-studies, autobiographies, autobiography, best, biographies, biography, black-american, black-history, colonialism, dc, first-nations, first-nations-history, founder, founders, founding-father, founding-fathers, globalization, history, history-american, imperialism, indigeneity, indigenous, indigenous-history, memoir, memoirs, military-history, native-american, native-american-history, non-fiction, political-history, political-science, politics, president, presidents, u-s-history, u-s-politics, united-states, united-states-history, united-states-politics, united-states-president, united-states-presidents, us-history, us-politics, us-president, us-presidents, usa, war

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People Who Voted On This List (2464)

Cindy 10622 books
158 friends

Steven 4280 books
2495 friends

Dave 799 books
62 friends

Heather 928 books
164 friends

Don 1567 books
124 friends

Todd 320 books
16 friends

Lisa 199 books
25 friends

Robert 1994 books
27 friends

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 96 (96 new)

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message 1: by Mackay (new)

Oct 15, 2008 02:43PM

Cincinnatus: by Garry Wills.

That's the best American History book.

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message 2: by Travis (new)

Feb 02, 2009 07:13PM

So why isn't it up there? I mean, if you think it's the best then it should have at least one vote right?

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message 3: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jul 26, 2009 02:27PM

How is The Rape of Nanking about American history?

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message 4: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 17, 2009 03:36PM

Who on earth selected these books? These are supposed to be the BEST of American History Books? Where is Shelby Foote or Bruce Catton? Where is a decent history of the American Revolution? Where is there a history of Political Parties in the US?
Some of these authors are inferior in writing on the subject matter. It is not only important to learn about our history, but to learn about it from leaders in the field of the subject matter. Where is the Viet Nam War?

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message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 17, 2009 03:37PM

How are books by Mc Cain, Hillary & Bill Clinton insightful into our American History?

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message 6: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Sep 20, 2009 05:41PM

It's pretty easy to add books, over at the right side of the page.

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message 7: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Sep 20, 2009 06:00PM

A Bright Shining Lie is about Vietnam, as is Dispatches.

Shelby Foote is on the list, on page two.

There are plenty of books on the list that are either about the American Revolution, or are biographies of the people involved in it.

And the books were selected by the people who have chosen to vote on this list.

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message 8: by Cindy (new)

Mar 20, 2010 10:02PM

I love this list! I have found some great reads from it. Thanks to everyone who chose the books. My latest read was Indian Givers and it was amazing.

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message 9: by Reader (new)

Nov 12, 2010 10:44PM

I've read:
"John Adams" (Excellent)
and
"Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" (Good).

Currently reading:
"1776". Has been Excellent.

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message 10: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Nov 16, 2010 12:04PM

I have yet to read a McCullough I haven't liked.

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message 11: by Michelle (new)

Dec 30, 2010 09:42PM

"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" is by far and away the best historical non-fiction book I have ever read....glad to see it's high on this list!!

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message 12: by Bill (new)

Apr 17, 2011 02:28AM

I love The Killer Angels and you can learn a lot from it, but it's a novel. Isn't this a non-fiction list?

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message 13: by Bill (new)

Apr 17, 2011 02:39AM

Johnny Tremain is a wonderful novel that brings pre-Revolutionary Boston to life, but it's not a history.

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message 14: by Bill (new)

Apr 17, 2011 02:46AM

All of Jeff Shaara's books are novels.

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message 15: by Bill (new)

Apr 17, 2011 02:55AM

I haven't read them (and it's unlikely that I will), butI don't think Ron Paul's books are history.

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message 16: by Bill (new)

Apr 17, 2011 03:02AM

Gore Vidal's Lincoln, Burr, etc. are all novels.

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message 17: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 17, 2011 01:34PM

Cindy, you're the creator of this list - you want me to remove the non-fiction?

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message 18: by Cindy (new)

Apr 17, 2011 03:36PM

I really had non-fiction in mind, but I admit that I voted for Killer Angels. I really don't want this to turn into a historical romance list, but there's a difference between Gone With the Wind and Killer Angels. What does everyone else think?

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message 19: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 18, 2011 08:49AM

Y'all tell me what to delete, and I'll be happy to delete it.

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message 20: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jul 03, 2011 07:04PM

Should The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich be on the list?

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message 21: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jul 03, 2011 07:04PM

Deleted The Man in the High Castle - speculative/alternative history (fiction).

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message 22: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jul 04, 2011 07:54PM

I don't see any reason why Rise and Fall of the Third Reich should be on, no.

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message 23: by Bettie (last edited Jul 05, 2011 02:24AM) (new)

Jul 05, 2011 12:13AM

Susanna wrote: "I don't see any reason why Rise and Fall of the Third Reich should be on, no."

Someone 'muxing this ip' with a Philip Roth story that they think is :Teh:Real:?

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message 24: by Cindy (new)

Aug 29, 2011 09:18AM

Go ahead and delete all the fiction. Rise to Rebellion, The Killer Angels, The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

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message 25: by Cindy (new)

Aug 29, 2011 09:27AM

Also Leaves of Grass, What Ifs?

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message 26: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Aug 30, 2011 05:23PM) (new)

Aug 30, 2011 05:23PM

What about Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?

I think I have found and removed the non-fiction.

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message 27: by Cindy (new)

Aug 30, 2011 08:08PM

Yes, that one too!

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message 28: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Aug 31, 2011 10:35AM

OK, I shall remove it, then.

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message 29: by Cindy (new)

Oct 24, 2011 10:42PM

Am I Not a Man? is fiction also.

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message 30: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 25, 2011 12:17PM

Alright, I'll remove it.

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message 31: by John (new)

Apr 07, 2012 02:31PM

Although I'm reluctant to be critical of anyone who undertakes the kind of effort on display here, I can't resist commenting that any list of books on American History that includes Jesse Ventura's book and excludes those of Bernard Bailyn -- not to mention Barrington Moore and David Hackett Fischer -- cannot be taken seriously.

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message 32: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Apr 08, 2012 11:30AM) (new)

Apr 07, 2012 02:35PM

You can, of course, add them. Adding books to lists is easy; at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes." You will then have the option of adding books from your own shelves, or of performing a search of GR's database.

Also, David Hackett Fischer's Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, at least, is on the list, because I voted for it. (It is, in fact, currently #55. Washington's Crossing is #25.)

ETA: Bernard Bailyn's Ideological Origins of the American Revolution is currently at #107.

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message 33: by Cindy (new)

Apr 07, 2012 04:38PM

Loved Albion's Seed. I read it because of this list. Great book.

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message 34: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 07, 2012 09:22PM

I certainly think so.

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message 35: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 08, 2012 11:35AM

Cindy, do you want me to remove Ron Paul's The Revolution: A Manifesto? I'm dubious about this one.

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message 36: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Apr 08, 2012 11:38AM

Removed:

Weezer and the Painted Frog (fiction)

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message 37: by John (new)

Apr 11, 2012 10:31AM

Susanna wrote: "You can, of course, add them. Adding books to lists is easy; at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes." You will then have the option of adding books from your own shelves, or of per..."

My oversight -- it's a great list! I hope it inspires many readers to acquire many of these titles. Participatory democracy works better when more voters know more about the country's history. In 25 years of casual history reading, I have found myself becoming more interested in intellectually challenging history books. I suspect most history 'consumers' have a similar experience. The nation was founded by a group of 'intellectuals'. What would they think about the intellectual quality of contemporary politicians?

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message 38: by Karen (new)

Jul 01, 2012 07:22PM

I've read a number of books on this list and especially like McCullough's 1776 and John Adams. I also like Founding Brothers a great deal. I downloaded the audio to Shelby Foote's 1st Volume and plan to listen to it as soon as I finish War & Peace, which is not American history or non-fiction, but which is teaching me a great deal about Russian history. While fiction might not be good for this list, another list of works of fiction that are historically accurate might be helpful. Often, I find straight history books to be so packed with details that they bog down and lose any sense of narrative.

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message 39: by Timothy (new)

Oct 22, 2012 08:54AM

Susanna wrote: "How is The Rape of Nanking about American history?"
It's about Japan and China. Other than that, it's a great book about American history.

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message 40: by Kimberlyn (new)

Nov 05, 2012 05:18PM

History has never been a strong point for me. I need to select a book relevant to the historical period either from Columbus through the Civil War, or Reconstruction to the end of the Cold War. So I was wondering if anyone could point out a few good books, I might be interested in. THANK YOU.

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message 41: by Karen (new)

Nov 12, 2012 04:23PM

If you're looking for an easy-to-read but good non-fiction work, I recommend The Perils of Prosperity. It covers 1914-1932.

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message 42: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Nov 12, 2012 04:51PM

It's easy to add books to lists; at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 43: by Marguerite (new)

Mar 13, 2013 10:07AM

Manhunt is the best book about Lincoln's killer. Went to the Surratt House and the Dr Mudd Farm. Great

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message 44: by Piseth (new)

Mar 27, 2013 07:42PM

Lobstergirl wrote: "Deleted The Man in the High Castle - speculative/alternative history (fiction)."

poster book is published to reader.

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message 45: by Piseth (new)

Mar 27, 2013 07:56PM

Hello, Mr./Mrs. ! how are you doing ? i would like reading a book too thus i am a supporter of reading book every day to find another acknowledges about this, actually, all of them are preferred reading them and wanna a writing some story of mine. that story is said about a life of mine surely. i will write some the meaning of story connecting to real life of mine was child, can be made a plan to refer to supporter. thanks you !

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message 46: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 29, 2013 01:55PM

Say what?

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message 47: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 16, 2013 05:54PM

Removed a novel and 3 nonfiction books not about America.

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message 48: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jun 10, 2013 02:57PM

Does Man Hunt (#75) belong on here? It appears to be historical fiction. (And aside from this list, the other lists it appears on are all for historical fiction.)

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message 49: by Thom (new)

Jun 10, 2013 02:59PM

John wrote: "Although I'm reluctant to be critical of anyone who undertakes the kind of effort on display here, I can't resist commenting that any list of books on American History that includes Jesse Ventura's..."

John, I'm assuming this list was not made up before for us to vote on, but is instead a list we make with our choices. If one person wants to put Jesse Ventura on his list--or Bill O'Reilly for that matter-let them do so. Such votes will be drowned out by less fringe opinions. Democracy, etc. etc.

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message 50: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jun 10, 2013 04:11PM

Susanna wrote: "Does Man Hunt (#75) belong on here? It appears to be historical fiction. (And aside from this list, the other lists it appears on are all for historical fiction.)"

Deleted.

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