8 History Books to Read in 2022
A history major directs you to some of the most engrossing non-fiction history books to add to your reading list.
As a current master's student studying history, I have read a lot of books about a lot of different historical topics. Some have led me down research rabbit holes while others have left me nodding off. The great thing about history is that you will never run out of interesting and informative new reads- but this also makes it hard to know which books are worth the time. Here is a list of eight of my favourite history books sure to satisfy any history lover.
The Spy And The Traitor by Ben Macintyre
A non-fiction that reads like a thriller, The Spy and The Traitor is the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB spy turned MI6 informant. Born and raised in Stalin’s Russia, Gordievsky is shocked when his role as a spy for the USSR’s infamous spying agency lands him in Denmark, and he is exposed to culture and knowledge forbidden at home. Spurred on by the new books he is able to take out from the library and exposure to the West, Gordievsky’s loyalty to the regime begins to waver. A stunning look into the cold-war and the politics of spying, The Spy and The Traitor is a page-turning adventure that is impossible to put down.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Killers of the Flower Moon is the stunning saga of the Osage murders in 1920’s Oklahoma. After massive oil deposits are found on the Osage Indian reserve, the tribe members are made some of the richest people in America. The oil and money drew people from far and wide trying to strike it rich, to the detriment of the tribe. When a series of over twenty Osage are brutally murdered and local law enforcement cannot, or will not, find the perpetrators the case begins to draw national media attention. In hopes of establishing himself and his new bureau, Edgar G. Hoover sends federal agents to Osage County to investigate the case. A tale of prejudice, grief and stunning corruption, Killers of the Flower Moon is the story of America itself and is one of the best history books on the market. The book is being adapted into a movie set to be released in 2022, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brenden Fraser.
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
When you think of Jack the Ripper, what comes to mind? Maybe a dark and mysterious figure prowling the streets of London, or perhaps a more violent scene inspired by a murder mystery docuseries or podcast. What you likely didn’t think about are the victims who were killed at his hands. It is this exact problem that Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper sets out to rectify. While Jack the Ripper is perhaps the most famous serial killer in Western history, his victims have melted into obscurity. Once faceless victims, ‘the Five’ come to life by Rubenhold’s hand in her nonfiction as she traces their lives and individual stories. You can check out my more detailed review in the Cambridge Varisty.
The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe by Matthew Gabriele and Matthew M. Perry
I would be a very bad Medievalist if I didn’t recommend a book on Medieval History. Luckily for me Gabriele and Perry’s new book is one I genuinely think everyone should read. Perfect for anyone who wants an overview of the period and is not looking to dive headfirst into ultra-specific books, Gabriele and Perry encourage the reader to throw away those antiquated ideas about the ‘Dark Ages.’ Society didn't end with the decline of the Roman Empire and then suddenly wake back up during the Renaissance. The Middle Ages is full of amazing history and events, and we cannot understand European or world history without it. The Bright Ages embraces this perspective wholeheartedly.
American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity by Christian Appy
I am not American nor was I alive during the Vietnam War, yet despite these facts American Reckoning is a book I found deeply compelling. Instead of a linear history of the Vietnam War, Appy charts how the conflict changed Americans’ perception of themselves and their government, and the lasting effects this shift has had on American culture, identity and foreign policy. An exercise in social and cultural history Appy uses songs, movies, personal records and official documents to craft a deeply important and engaging book. American Reckoning tells the history of the Vietnam War through the eyes of the people on the ground, both in Vietnam and in the United States.
A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister
A Curious History of Sex is a fun and quirky look at one of the most taboo topics in human history. Lister’s dedication, “For my family (sorry!),” is the perfect primer for the tone she takes. A Curious History breaks down barriers with its hilarious prose and unjudgemental approach to the history of pornography, sex toys, and prostitution, among others. By forcing her readers to reflect on where their own beliefs about sex and sexuality originate she also sheds light on the various historical factors typically not discussed in the open, like the history of racial fetishization and virginity tests. Lister proves that nothing is untouched by historical forces, including the bedroom.
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
No list of great history books would be complete without the name Erik Larson. The king of weaving together primary sources to give a human face to historical events, In the Garden of Beasts is Larson’s best work. The book follows the lives of the American ambassador to Berlin, William E. Dodd and his daughter Martha as they navigate a changing Germany. While Dodd is increasingly alarmed by what he sees, Martha originally doesn’t find that Nazis all that bad and frequently socializes with prominent party members. A first-person testimony to the rapid changes of the 1930s in Germany and the tense environment under Hitler and Nazi rule, In the Garden of Beasts, is unmissable.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
What does is mean to be a Native person in North America? This is the question that led Thomas King to write this account of the treatment and history of the Indigenous cultures of North America, and how this trauma continues to haunt them. King weaves together personal experience and reflection with history to craft an unsettling, sad, yet deeply important book. By writing the history that the American and Canadian governments would perhaps rather forget, The Inconvenient Indian should be mandatory reading for North Americans and Europeans alike.
For some more great book recommendations, check out Marrisa’s article on books to read before the end of 2021. It’s never too late to start!
