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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
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
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 500 |
|
Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., And The Southern Christian Leadership Conference
by
4.34 avg rating — 2,247 ratings
score: 210,
and
3 people voted
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| 502 |
|
Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David
by
Lawrence Wright (Goodreads Author)
4.19 avg rating — 3,213 ratings
score: 208,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 503 |
|
The Great Crash 1929
by
3.92 avg rating — 6,155 ratings
score: 207,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 504 |
|
The Wilderness War: A Narrative (Winning of America Series)
by
4.38 avg rating — 495 ratings
score: 206,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 504 |
|
Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow: The Epic Story of the Transcontinental Railroads
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 448 ratings
score: 206,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 506 |
|
Gettysburg--The Second Day
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4.36 avg rating — 871 ratings
score: 205,
and
3 people voted
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| 507 |
|
No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities
by
3.84 avg rating — 37 ratings
score: 204,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 508 |
|
Scars of Independence: America's Violent Birth
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3.87 avg rating — 762 ratings
score: 203,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 508 |
|
Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America
by
David O. Stewart (Goodreads Author)
4.06 avg rating — 647 ratings
score: 203,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 510 |
|
The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War
by
4.22 avg rating — 9,222 ratings
score: 202,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 510 |
|
We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam
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4.34 avg rating — 32,594 ratings
score: 202,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 512 |
|
Gay American History : Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A.: a Documentary
by
4.27 avg rating — 99 ratings
score: 201,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 512 |
|
Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans: Pirates, Skinflints, Patriots, and Other Colorful Characters Stuck in the Footnotes of History
by
Michael Farquhar (Goodreads Author)
3.58 avg rating — 683 ratings
score: 201,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 512 |
|
The Guns of August
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4.18 avg rating — 83,189 ratings
score: 201,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi
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4.28 avg rating — 216 ratings
score: 200,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
Dispatches from the Fort Apache Scout: White Mountain and Cibecue Apache History Through 1881
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World War
by
4.19 avg rating — 1,808 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
The 300: The Inside Story of the Missile Defenders Guarding America Against Nuclear Attack
by
3.64 avg rating — 114 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
Chains Across the River - A Novel of the American Revolution
by
4.28 avg rating — 18 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
Trust No One: A World War 2 Espionage Thriller (A Conor Thorn Novel Book 4)
by
Glenn Dyer (Goodreads Author)
4.40 avg rating — 85 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 515 |
|
American Airman: A Memoir of a Wounded Veteran
by
Jonathon Benjamin (Goodreads Author)
4.71 avg rating — 35 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 522 |
|
Castaways: The Narrative of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (Volume 10)
by
3.63 avg rating — 183 ratings
score: 199,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 522 |
|
The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West
by
4.02 avg rating — 1,138 ratings
score: 199,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 522 |
|
The Age of Sail in the Age of Aquarius: The South Street Seaport and the Crisis of the Sixties
by
Robin Foster (Goodreads Author)
4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
score: 199,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 522 |
|
Conspiracy in the Streets: The Extraordinary Trial of the Chicago Seven
by
4.09 avg rating — 278 ratings
score: 199,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 526 |
|
New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah
by
Richard S. Lowry (Goodreads Author)
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 96 ratings
score: 198,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 526 |
|
The Colony: The Harrowing True Story Of The Exiles Of Molokai
by
John Tayman (Goodreads Author)
3.81 avg rating — 2,301 ratings
score: 198,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 526 |
|
Letters from an American Farmer
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3.21 avg rating — 579 ratings
score: 198,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 526 |
|
Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden--from 9/11 to Abbottabad
by
4.11 avg rating — 4,534 ratings
score: 198,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 526 |
|
Imperial Life in The Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone
by
4.04 avg rating — 6,622 ratings
score: 198,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 526 |
|
How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decisions
by
4.32 avg rating — 669 ratings
score: 198,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 532 |
|
The Penguin History of the USA
by
3.91 avg rating — 795 ratings
score: 197,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 532 |
|
Washington: The Indispensable Man
by
4.11 avg rating — 6,102 ratings
score: 197,
and
5 people voted
|
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| 532 |
|
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
by
3.99 avg rating — 97,744 ratings
score: 197,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 535 |
|
The Civil War: A Constitutional Conflict
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
score: 196,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 535 |
|
Chesty: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC
by
4.25 avg rating — 1,032 ratings
score: 196,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 537 |
|
Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s
by
3.79 avg rating — 898 ratings
score: 195,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 537 |
|
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism
by
4.06 avg rating — 4,576 ratings
score: 195,
and
2 people voted
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| 539 |
|
To Hell with Honor: Custer and the Little Bighorn
by
3.87 avg rating — 39 ratings
score: 194,
and
2 people voted
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| 539 |
|
The Civil War: An Illustrated History
by
4.27 avg rating — 3,958 ratings
score: 194,
and
2 people voted
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| 541 |
|
American Indian Activism: ALCATRAZ TO THE LONGEST WALK
by
Troy R. Johnson (Editor)
4.30 avg rating — 20 ratings
score: 193,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 541 |
|
Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation
by
4.05 avg rating — 801 ratings
score: 193,
and
3 people voted
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| 541 |
|
The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust 1941-1945
by
4.15 avg rating — 246 ratings
score: 193,
and
4 people voted
|
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| 541 |
|
Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab
by
3.92 avg rating — 1,833 ratings
score: 193,
and
2 people voted
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| 541 |
|
American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900
by
3.90 avg rating — 2,144 ratings
score: 193,
and
2 people voted
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| 546 |
|
Fatal Voyage: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
by
4.13 avg rating — 518 ratings
score: 192,
and
2 people voted
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| 546 |
|
Unfit For Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry
by
3.68 avg rating — 456 ratings
score: 192,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 546 |
|
The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War
by
4.12 avg rating — 2,073 ratings
score: 192,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 546 |
|
Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896-1899
by
4.24 avg rating — 985 ratings
score: 192,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 546 |
|
The Weight of Vengeance: The United States, the British Empire, and the War of 1812
by
4.31 avg rating — 121 ratings
score: 192,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 551 |
|
Red Power: The American Indians' Fight for Freedom
by
Alvin M. Josephy Jr. (Editor)
4.06 avg rating — 36 ratings
score: 191,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 552 |
|
Part of Our Time: Some Ruins & Monuments of the Thirties
by
3.99 avg rating — 84 ratings
score: 190,
and
2 people voted
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| 552 |
|
Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy
by
4.19 avg rating — 412 ratings
score: 190,
and
3 people voted
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| 552 |
|
The Feud: The Hatfields and McCoys, The True Story
by
Dean King (Goodreads Author)
3.73 avg rating — 1,492 ratings
score: 190,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 552 |
|
Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever
by
Will Hermes (Goodreads Author)
3.90 avg rating — 2,647 ratings
score: 190,
and
2 people voted
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| 552 |
|
The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War
by
4.33 avg rating — 1,094 ratings
score: 190,
and
3 people voted
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| 557 |
|
The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3,830 ratings
score: 189,
and
2 people voted
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| 557 |
|
The Eleventh Day: 9/11 - The Ultimate Account
by
4.10 avg rating — 821 ratings
score: 189,
and
2 people voted
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| 557 |
|
American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans
by
Eve LaPlante (Goodreads Author)
3.59 avg rating — 1,744 ratings
score: 189,
and
3 people voted
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| 557 |
|
The Americans, Vol. 3: The Democratic Experience
by
4.09 avg rating — 777 ratings
score: 189,
and
3 people voted
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| 557 |
|
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
by
4.19 avg rating — 19,978 ratings
score: 189,
and
2 people voted
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| 562 |
|
The Stamp Act Crisis: Prologue to Revolution
by
4.02 avg rating — 149 ratings
score: 188,
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2 people voted
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| 562 |
|
John Adams: A Life
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4.17 avg rating — 2,307 ratings
score: 188,
and
2 people voted
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| 562 |
|
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy
by
4.38 avg rating — 30,677 ratings
score: 188,
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2 people voted
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| 562 |
|
Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence
by
3.94 avg rating — 4,341 ratings
score: 188,
and
3 people voted
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| 566 |
|
So Far from God: The U.S. War With Mexico, 1846-1848
by
3.97 avg rating — 457 ratings
score: 187,
and
3 people voted
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| 566 |
|
The Roosevelt Myth
by
4.07 avg rating — 167 ratings
score: 187,
and
2 people voted
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| 566 |
|
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
by
Daniel James Brown (Goodreads Author)
4.25 avg rating — 36,068 ratings
score: 187,
and
2 people voted
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| 566 |
|
Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two
by
4.27 avg rating — 1,075 ratings
score: 187,
and
3 people voted
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| 566 |
|
Andersonville Diary
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4.30 avg rating — 867 ratings
score: 187,
and
2 people voted
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| 566 |
|
No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith
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4.16 avg rating — 3,313 ratings
score: 187,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
The Broken Circle
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3.91 avg rating — 126 ratings
score: 186,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
An Album of Memories: Personal Histories from the Greatest Generation
by
4.18 avg rating — 453 ratings
score: 186,
and
3 people voted
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| 572 |
|
The Decline and Fall of the American Empire (The Real Story Series)
by
3.93 avg rating — 344 ratings
score: 186,
and
3 people voted
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| 572 |
|
The American Revolution: A History
by
3.83 avg rating — 2,262 ratings
score: 186,
and
3 people voted
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| 572 |
|
First Family: Abigail and John Adams
by
4.04 avg rating — 7,505 ratings
score: 186,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
by
4.31 avg rating — 18,458 ratings
score: 186,
and
4 people voted
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| 578 |
|
Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution
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4.17 avg rating — 221 ratings
score: 185,
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2 people voted
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| 579 |
|
Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft
by
3.75 avg rating — 1,379 ratings
score: 184,
and
2 people voted
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| 580 |
|
John Quincy Adams
by
3.93 avg rating — 1,008 ratings
score: 183,
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3 people voted
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| 580 |
|
The American Future: A History
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3.69 avg rating — 789 ratings
score: 183,
and
2 people voted
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| 580 |
|
The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal
by
David E. Hoffman (Goodreads Author)
4.23 avg rating — 15,561 ratings
score: 183,
and
2 people voted
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| 583 |
|
The Framing of the Constitution of the United States
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3.98 avg rating — 54 ratings
score: 182,
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2 people voted
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| 584 |
|
One Nation Underground: The Fallout Shelter in American Culture
by
3.93 avg rating — 90 ratings
score: 181,
and
2 people voted
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| 584 |
|
The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs
by
3.82 avg rating — 1,153 ratings
score: 181,
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3 people voted
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| 584 |
|
Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves
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3.98 avg rating — 821 ratings
score: 181,
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2 people voted
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| 584 |
|
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
by
4.29 avg rating — 19,378 ratings
score: 181,
and
2 people voted
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| 588 |
|
The Unseen Hand: An Introduction to the Conspiratorial View of History
by
4.03 avg rating — 425 ratings
score: 180,
and
2 people voted
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| 589 |
|
Writings
by
4.28 avg rating — 194 ratings
score: 179,
and
3 people voted
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| 589 |
|
No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington
by
3.96 avg rating — 4,109 ratings
score: 179,
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2 people voted
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| 591 |
|
Don't Know Much About the Civil War: Everything You Need to Know About America's Greatest Conflict but Never Learned
by
Kenneth C. Davis (Goodreads Author)
3.89 avg rating — 1,243 ratings
score: 178,
and
3 people voted
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| 591 |
|
Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily July-August 1943
by
4.25 avg rating — 162 ratings
score: 178,
and
2 people voted
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| 591 |
|
Tories: Fighting for the King in America's First Civil War
by
3.77 avg rating — 343 ratings
score: 178,
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2 people voted
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| 594 |
|
The Dred Scott Case: Its Significance in American Law and Politics
by
4.30 avg rating — 178 ratings
score: 177,
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3 people voted
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| 594 |
|
First Ladies: An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives
by
3.88 avg rating — 669 ratings
score: 177,
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2 people voted
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| 594 |
|
Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape
by
Mark Lee Gardner (Goodreads Author)
4.03 avg rating — 1,016 ratings
score: 177,
and
3 people voted
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| 597 |
|
The Great Plains
by
3.78 avg rating — 191 ratings
score: 175,
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2 people voted
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| 597 |
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Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939
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| 597 |
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The Making of the President 1972
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4.01 avg rating — 346 ratings
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To Serve God and Wal-Mart: The Making of Christian Free Enterprise
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3.61 avg rating — 582 ratings
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 96 (96 new)
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?
How is The Rape of Nanking about American history?
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?
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?
How are books by Mc Cain, Hillary & Bill Clinton insightful into our American History?
It's pretty easy to add books, over at the right side of the page.
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.
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.
I've read:"John Adams" (Excellent)
and
"Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" (Good).
Currently reading:
"1776". Has been Excellent.
I have yet to read a McCullough I haven't liked.
"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!!
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?
Johnny Tremain is a wonderful novel that brings pre-Revolutionary Boston to life, but it's not a history.
I haven't read them (and it's unlikely that I will), butI don't think Ron Paul's books are history.
Gore Vidal's Lincoln, Burr, etc. are all novels.
Cindy, you're the creator of this list - you want me to remove the non-fiction?
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?
Y'all tell me what to delete, and I'll be happy to delete it.
Should The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich be on the list?
Deleted The Man in the High Castle - speculative/alternative history (fiction).
I don't see any reason why Rise and Fall of the Third Reich should be on, no.
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:?
Go ahead and delete all the fiction. Rise to Rebellion, The Killer Angels, The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
What about Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?I think I have found and removed the non-fiction.
OK, I shall remove it, then.
Alright, I'll remove it.
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.
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.
Loved Albion's Seed. I read it because of this list. Great book.
I certainly think so.
Removed:Weezer and the Painted Frog (fiction)
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?
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.
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.
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.
If you're looking for an easy-to-read but good non-fiction work, I recommend The Perils of Prosperity. It covers 1914-1932.
It's easy to add books to lists; at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."
Manhunt is the best book about Lincoln's killer. Went to the Surratt House and the Dr Mudd Farm. Great
Lobstergirl wrote: "Deleted The Man in the High Castle - speculative/alternative history (fiction)."poster book is published to reader.
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 !
Removed a novel and 3 nonfiction books not about America.
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.)
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.
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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Anyone can add books to this list.
How to Vote
To vote on existing books from the list, beside each book there is a link vote for this book clicking it will add that book to your votes.
To vote on books not in the list or books you couldn't find in the list, you can click on the tab add books to this list and then choose from your books, or simply search.
That's the best American History book.