This month’s best new history

Don’t miss the best new history from the past month, hand-picked by our editors! We’ve rounded up this month’s biggest and buzziest history books — including a sweeping account of the beginning of civilization, a gripping look at the Declaration of Independence, and more!

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	This ‘magisterial history’ of the Black Death ‘takes the reader on a vivid tour’ (The Guardian) WHY IT’S READWORTHY: The notorious 14th-century plague outbreak killed up to half of all Europeans — but how did it affect the rest of the world? Contrasts the varied experiences of peasants, royals, merchants, and more, tracing the pandemic’s catastrophic impact across continents “Asbridge skillfully combines a global narrative of the plague with examples of horrendous personal tragedy to build a powerful portrait of a world that stared death in the face” (The Times) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers Meet Emanuel Nobel, the wealthy Russian rival to the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds WHY IT’S READWORTHY: A New York Times bestselling author gives “well-deserved attention to a little-known slice of history” (Kirkus Reviews) While his uncle became famous for creating the Nobel Prize, Emanuel built a petroleum empire — and landed in Stalin’s crosshairs “A thrilling picture of another overlooked titan… I could not put this book down” (internationally bestselling author Gareth Russell) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers This sweeping account of human prehistory is ‘nonfiction storytelling at its finest’ (Eric H. Cline) WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Cutting-edge science and vivid narrative illuminate the beginning of civilization as we understand it today: the 10,000-year period between the Ice Age’s end and the Bronze Age’s decline Highlights the role of trial and error in the development of social hierarchies, urbanism, political organizations, and more “A meticulously researched and refreshingly approachable view of humanity’s past” (New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Raff) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers The last living US Marines from World War II relay their memories of the Pacific Theater WHY IT’S READWORTHY: “Invaluable as the World War II generation passes… Likely no oral history like this can be organized again” (Booklist) Drawn from hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 130 veterans, this powerful read reveals the brutality of combat and its enduring toll “A visceral, blunt, and unvarnished portrayal of this horrific and heroic history” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Jocko Willink) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers Uncover the full story of the Declaration of Independence WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Learn how the revered document has been carefully preserved, both physically and ideologically, across centuries “Scrupulously researched and beautifully written, this book reads like an adventure story” (New York Times bestselling author Andrew Roberts) “A marvelous way to celebrate who we are, and who we should be” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Walter Isaacson) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers The son of Weather Underground leaders offers a look at life inside a militant organization WHY IT’S READWORTHY: This “powerful blend of personal and political history” (Publishers Weekly starred review) recounts half a century of American radicalism — and the enduring impact of a childhood on the run “Riveting as a thriller, this wise and searching memoir… tells a story about America we’ve never quite heard before” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Cheryl Strayed) Highly anticipated by The New York Times and Literary Hub Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers The dramatic saga of the world’s oldest currency, told here for the very first time WHY IT’S READWORTHY: From a prominent financial writer whose work is “beautifully crafted and always ahead of the curve” (The Telegraph) Explore how this precious metal has shaped everything from ancient mythology to colonial conquest to modern-day politics “It doesn’t just tell you about gold — it makes you feel its weight through history” (The Spectator) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers Ken Burns recommends this bold reassessment of the United States’ legacy WHY IT’S READWORTHY: From a New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the conscience of the nation” (National Book Award–winning author Imani Perry) Reflects on the contradictions between the country’s founding values and political reality — and how we can create a truly more perfect union “[Not] just a searing revisionist history but a stirring view of America as a place ‘worth fighting for’” (Publishers Weekly starred review) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers A striking new history of a storied civilization shrouded in myth WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Discover what life was really like in ancient Greece’s most famous city-state Draws on historical records and contemporary archaeological evidence to illuminate little-known aspects of Spartan society “Readable, entertaining, and informative… If you read only one nonfiction book on the ancient Spartans, make it this one” (New York Times bestselling author Steven Pressfield) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers The true origins of the dollar — and why the US never really controlled it to begin with WHY IT’S READWORTHY: From its birth as the taler in 15th-century silver mines to its role as today’s global currency, the dollar has always maintained its own sovereignty A fascinating, sweeping history from an economic scholar that stretches over 500 years “Brimming with startling details, this is also serious financial history with a conclusion ripe for our unsettled times” (New York Times bestselling author Evan Osnos) Learn more... MEDIA MENTIONS: GET EBOOK ON: Amazon Other formats and retailers
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