Listmania!
My favourite history books
Guns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 yearsGuns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years by Jared M. Diamond
Buy new: £6.96 / Used from: £3.93
It may change the way you think about history forever. Topics also covered include biology, ecology and linguistics.
Empire: How Britain Made the Modern WorldEmpire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson
Buy new: £6.46 / Used from: £0.98
Prof. Niall Ferguson does an excellent job of telling the story of how Britain's Empire came about and how it unraveled during the 20th century. A genuine page turner.
The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of HumanityThe Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity by Roy Porter
Buy new: £11.95 / Used from: £9.20
A sad loss when Roy Porter died; but at least he has left a fine legacy and this is part of it.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (Arena Books)Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (Arena Books) by Dee Brown
Buy new: £6.72 / Used from: £2.25
Extraordinary and moving.
Austerity Britain, 1945-1951 (Tales of a New Jerusalem)Austerity Britain, 1945-1951 (Tales of a New Jerusalem) by David Kynaston
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £3.03
Vividly tells the story of Britain in the 6 years post WW2. Big events & everyday living, with quotes from Mass Observation. A weighty tome that some may prefer as two volumes.
God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern WorldGod and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World by Walter Russell Mead
Buy new: £7.66 / Used from: £3.09
It helps if you already have a good knowledge of international history - and Alice Through the Looking-Glass! So good I read it twice.
Empire of Plants: People and Plants That Changed the WorldEmpire of Plants: People and Plants That Changed the World by Toby Musgrave
The fascinating story of seven plants: tea, tobacco, sugar, opium, quinine, cotton & rubber. Worth trying to get your hands on a copy.
A History of Britain: British Wars, 1603-1776 v.2: British Wars, 1603-1776 Vol 2A History of Britain: British Wars, 1603-1776 v.2: British Wars, 1603-1776 Vol 2 by Simon Schama
Buy used from: £6.26
Simon Schama's personal view of history - 2
Hubbub: Filth, Noise, and Stench in England, 1600-1770Hubbub: Filth, Noise, and Stench in England, 1600-1770 by E Cockayne
Buy new: £17.88 / Used from: £9.98
A good holiday read. Don't forget a peg and ear plugs!
The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850 by Brian M. Fagan
Buy new: £6.92 / Used from: £5.46
A reminder that climate change has been around a long, long time!
The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective StoryThe Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story by Stephen Oppenheimer
Buy new: £7.11 / Used from: £4.45
I have only read an uncorrected proof edition. This book may shatter many preconceptions about the English, the Celts, and "Britishness" as a whole. Slightly technical in parts but don't be put off!
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the WorldThe Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson
Buy new: £5.96 / Used from: £4.21
Another from Prof. Niall Ferguson, very timely.
A Social History of English CricketA Social History of English Cricket by Derek Birley
Buy new: £7.17 / Used from: £0.22
The evolution of English cricket through several centuries. It connects what was happening in cricket with changes in the world outside. Award winning sports history book.
Family Britain, 1951-1957 (Tales of a New Jerusalem)Family Britain, 1951-1957 (Tales of a New Jerusalem) by David Kynaston
Buy new: £14.96 / Used from: £13.83
Another 6 years in the story of Britain, this time it's 1951-57. I believe that Orwell once wrote about Britain being a family.
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or SurviveCollapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive by Jared Diamond
Buy new: £6.59 / Used from: £5.06
Another Jared Diamond text, but given the way the world is heading it might be time you read this!
The Slave Trade: History of the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1440-1870The Slave Trade: History of the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1440-1870 by Hugh Thomas
Buy new: £12.77 / Used from: £9.00
I know over 900 pages is a big commitment, but there is no other single volume on the topic as good as this.
London: The BiographyLondon: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
Buy new: £9.56 / Used from: £4.89
Either this one or Roy Porter's 'London: A Social History'.
A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World? - 3000 BC-AD 1603 v.1: At the Edge of the World? - 3000 BC-AD 1603 Vol 1A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World? - 3000 BC-AD 1603 v.1: At the Edge of the World? - 3000 BC-AD 1603 Vol 1 by Simon Schama
Buy new: £9.97 / Used from: £3.48
Simon Schama's personal view of history - 1
The Wooden World: Anatomy of the Georgian NavyThe Wooden World: Anatomy of the Georgian Navy by N.A.M. Rodger
Buy used from: £9.06
Not everyone is interested in the Georgian Navy, but if you are this is the most readable book on the subject.