Best History Books of 2024

The celebrated author and podcaster takes us back in time to an age of grandeur, guts and glory. This is an astonishing account of a complicated king.

Everything you could ever want to know about D-Day in one book. Superstar historian Garrett M. Graff delivers a meticulously researched, yet deeply human narrative about the military campaign that changed the course of the world.

A murder leads to a landmark Supreme Court decision that reaffirms Native rights in America. This page-turner blends first-person reportage and historical sleuthing from journalist and podcaster Nagle, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation.

A new illustrated edition of the bestselling, conversation-driving anthology featuring some of our top journalists, historians, poets, essayists, and photographers examining the lasting impacts of slavery in America.

The story of Emmett Till is one of the most tragic in American history, and never before has it been examined like this. Bestselling author Wright Thompson returns to his roots in the Mississippi Delta and uncovers new details and participants in Till’s murder — and the ongoing conspiracy to conceal the truth, nearly seventy years later.

The Eastern Front chronicles a brutal time in human history in a sweeping account of the struggle that turned the tide of a devastating war.

Here’s a riveting combination: Erik Larson and the Civil War. Taking us behind the scenes of one of the most chaotic and painful moments in our country’s history, Larson asks us to look long and hard at where we’ve been — and where we might be going.

Freedom Rider. Congressman. Activist. Hero. This is the defining story of a great American.

Digging into the border crisis like never before and connecting it to hot-button issues of inequality, climate change and rightwing radicalism, Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here is an emotionally moving journalistic powerhouse.

Few people have left as profound an impact on the world of science as Marie Curie, and she did it in two different fields. This history examines her life from top to bottom, both in terms of her contributions to modern science, and in terms of who she was as a person.

The polarizing former president Ronald Reagan is brought to full light by Max Boot, who pulls no punches in his deep dive into just who Reagan was and what he stood for, as well as the impact he left.

If you’ve ever been curious about what would actually happen in the event of a nuclear war, look no further. This is a shockingly detailed, minute-by-minute dive into the immediate aftermath, from health emergencies to government response. It’s a harrowing look at an all-too-possible reality.

National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates delivers a gripping account of some of our world’s hardest truths, from Senegal to the American South to Palestine.

Bravery incarnate, this is the harrowing true story of one man’s unshakeable dedication to his country despite the deadly risks. It’s personal and political, offering a completely human portrait of an activist and a man.

Millions of people watched the Challenger disaster unfold and this is the first detailed account of exactly what happened that day. Tense and fast-paced, this is journalism at its best.

We’ve all heard of the men that founded America and built it through the years, but it took more than them to make it happen. Here, Sharon McMahon casts a needed spotlight on the other heroes of American greatness — ones you may not have heard of.