Are you a 
history student, or someone who just finds the past more interesting to read about than the present? If you’re looking for some great books to read, then you’ve come to the right place. Whatever era of history you’re interested in, from Nazi Germany to Ancient Rome, to the entire 70,000 year history of human existence, there should definitely be something to suit everyone here.
Keep reading for seven of the best history books to read if you’re a history student. (warning: non-history students may want to steal these from you when you’re done!)
You are reading: History books for students
1.sapiens – a brief history of mankind by noah yuval harari
many of your story modules may cover only a specific period of history; an individual event that happened, or a certain period of time. sapiens definitely does not do this. Harari, an Israeli historian, covers the entirety of human history, from the first humans to walk the earth to scientific, cognitive, and agricultural advances, revolutions, religion, and wars, managing to cover the last 70,000 years of history. human existence in less than 500 pages. . With an insightful and clear voice, Harari offers a thought-provoking perspective on some of the greatest advances in human history and explains how humans came to rule the earth. stimulating and fascinating, he will not be able to put this book down. recommended for all homo sapiens, history students or not.
2. the auschwitz tattoo artist by heather morris
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the tattoo artist from auschwitz is a novel based on the incredible true story of lale sokolov, who is sent to auschwitz in 1942 and put to work as a tätowierer, the tattoo artist who marks his fellow inmates with numbers on their arms . One day, when Lale tattoos a new prisoner, Gita, he decides to survive the concentration camp and marry her one day. The novel is based on years of interviews author Heather Morris conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattoo artist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov about her time in the concentration camp. In an interview with The Guardian last year, Morris explained that “ninety-five percent is how it happened; investigated and confirmed” and “what has been fictitious is where I put lale and gita in events where in reality they were not”. The novel offers an excellent insight into the devastating and harsh life inside a concentration camp, as well as telling the shocking and moving love story of Gita and Lale.
3. 24 hours in ancient rome: a day in the life of the people who lived there by philip matyszak
Whether you’ve studied Roman history or not, this is one book on ancient Rome you won’t want to miss! put yourself in the shoes of those who lived in ancient rome, as each hour of the day transports you to the world of another person who lived and worked there; 24 hours, 24 different perspectives of ancient Rome. From the emperor to the slave, from the healer to the astrologer, from the gladiator to the baker, you will be able to discover the details of each character’s day-to-day life. 24 Hours in Ancient Rome is one of the best history books that shows how ancient Roman society worked every day and offers an interesting cross-section of the social hierarchy in ancient Rome while also being an entertaining and accessible read. for both history students and non-history students. .
4. shadowplay: behind the lines and under fire; the inside story of europe’s last war by tim marshall
at the time of this writing, tim marshall was diplomatic editor at sky news, covering the kosovo war on the ground. A journalistic and personal account of the Kosovo War, Tim Marshall’s Shadow Play provides a fascinating first-hand account of the Kosovo War and how events unfolded, using his own experiences, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with officials. intelligence, reporting from one of the main NATO bombing targets in Belgrade. 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the end of the Kosovo War, so those who want to learn more about modern history will really benefit from reading this.
5. summer of blood: the peasant revolt of 1381 by dan jones
For those interested in the Middle Ages, Dan Jones’s novel Summer of Blood explores village life and government failures from the perspective of peasants. Capturing the unease felt by the upper and lower classes, Jones explains the causes and difficulties of the Peasants’ Revolt and goes into detail, carefully treading the line between factual reporting and novelization. how he accurately describes a book review; jones takes the potentially boring facts and figures from the event and weaves a fantastic story into them. If you like this book, you might want to read some of Dan Jones’s other great books on historical literature; Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty, Hollow Crown: Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors, and Divided Kingdom: A Year in the Life of Plantagenet England.
6. the fight for africa: the white man’s conquest of the dark continent from 1876 to 1912 by thomas pakenham
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In The Struggle for Africa, Thomas Pakenham, an Anglo-Irish historian and arborist (and also the 8th Earl of Longford) describes the European division and conquest of African territory by five rival nations; the united kingdom, france, germany, belgium, italy, and spain that occurred between 1876 and 1912. pakenham covers the proposed and actual motivations behind colonization; religion, politics, racism, competition and greed. This is one of the best history books for history students who are interested in Africa and the period of the new imperialism. Although this is a fairly long novel, at around 700 pages, Packenham digs deep to maintain factual accuracy, and despite its length, the book is still an interesting and insightful read.
7. operation mincemeat: the true espionage story that changed the course of world war ii by ben macintyre
Using private documents, photographs, memorabilia, letters, diaries, and newly released material from MI5 and Naval Intelligence archives, Ben Macintyre tells the full story of Operation Chopped, one of the most audacious and successful deceptions in history. the Second World War . The true story features a wide range of fascinating but unlikely characters and is based on the life of an invented man who never existed, a dead homeless Welsh man found floating in the sea, who became the fictional Captain William Martin, and whose Invented Life sent German troops in the wrong direction and saved thousands of lives, changing the course of World War II. This book is an exciting and gripping read for anyone interested in World War II history or espionage books.
image credit: goodreads.com
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