U.S. History Reading List

1.
1776
1776 4.10 avg rating — 243,339 ratings
2.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln 4.28 avg rating — 196,291 ratings
3.
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era 4.40 avg rating — 33,177 ratings
4.
John Adams
John Adams 4.08 avg rating — 373,239 ratings
5.
A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present
A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present 4.08 avg rating — 259,693 ratings
6.
Washington: A Life
Washington: A Life 4.16 avg rating — 79,886 ratings
7.
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War 3.89 avg rating — 45,338 ratings
8.
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton 4.22 avg rating — 194,773 ratings
9.
The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers 4.10 avg rating — 41,559 ratings
10.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
by: Malcolm X
4.37 avg rating — 285,183 ratings
11.
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West 4.23 avg rating — 66,333 ratings
12.
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 3.95 avg rating — 46,970 ratings
13.
The Strange Career of Jim Crow
The Strange Career of Jim Crow 4.14 avg rating — 3,184 ratings
14.
Common Sense
Common Sense really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 38,566 ratings
15.
Buses Are a Comin': Memoir of a Freedom Rider
Buses Are a Comin': Memoir of a Freedom Rider 4.50 avg rating — 918 ratings
16.
His Excellency: George Washington
His Excellency: George Washington 3.96 avg rating — 42,823 ratings
17.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration 4.48 avg rating — 113,286 ratings
18.
Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815
Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 4.15 avg rating — 5,430 ratings
19.
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815 - 1848
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815 - 1848 4.16 avg rating — 8,618 ratings
20.
Heroes in Good Company: L Company, 86th Regiment, 10th Mountain Division 1943-1945
Heroes in Good Company: L Company, 86th Regiment, 10th Mountain Division 1943-1945 4.74 avg rating — 23 ratings
21.
The Wounded World: W. E. B. Du Bois and the First World War
The Wounded World: W. E. B. Du Bois and the First World War 4.31 avg rating — 130 ratings
22.
Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class
Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class 4.48 avg rating — 376 ratings
23.
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 3.94 avg rating — 8,939 ratings
24.
Truman
Truman 4.17 avg rating — 90,310 ratings
25.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
by: Dee Brown
4.26 avg rating — 99,680 ratings
26.
The Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers 4.17 avg rating — 96,949 ratings
27.
Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies
Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies 4.34 avg rating — 176 ratings
28.
Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880
Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880 4.51 avg rating — 3,199 ratings
29.
The Civil War, Vol. 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville
The Civil War, Vol. 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville 4.44 avg rating — 13,429 ratings
30.
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (America: A Cultural History, Vol. I)
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (America: A Cultural History, Vol. I) 4.37 avg rating — 3,469 ratings
31.
Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution 1863-1877
Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution 1863-1877 4.21 avg rating — 6,119 ratings
32.
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt, #1)
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt, #1) 4.23 avg rating — 59,126 ratings
33.
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life 4.05 avg rating — 147,329 ratings
34.
The Civil War, Vol. 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian
The Civil War, Vol. 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian 4.54 avg rating — 7,474 ratings
35.
The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America
The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America 4.01 avg rating — 881 ratings
36.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America 4.53 avg rating — 37,882 ratings
37.
Democracy in America
Democracy in America 4.05 avg rating — 26,630 ratings
38.
American Colonies: The Settling of North America
American Colonies: The Settling of North America 4.08 avg rating — 4,546 ratings
39.
The Civil War, Vol. 3: Red River to Appomattox
The Civil War, Vol. 3: Red River to Appomattox 4.55 avg rating — 7,325 ratings
40.
Mornings on Horseback
Mornings on Horseback 4.10 avg rating — 34,705 ratings
41.
My Bondage and My Freedom
My Bondage and My Freedom 4.38 avg rating — 12,159 ratings
42.
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power 4.05 avg rating — 42,295 ratings
43.
Puerto Rico: A Political and Cultural History
Puerto Rico: A Political and Cultural History 3.76 avg rating — 50 ratings
44.
The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev's Adaptability, Reagan's Engagement, and the End of the Cold War
The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev's Adaptability, Reagan's Engagement, and the End of the Cold War 3.62 avg rating — 110 ratings
44.
The Liberal Record: How Liberals Changed the World
The Liberal Record: How Liberals Changed the World 4.20 avg rating — 15 ratings
46.
Forty-Ninth
Forty-Ninth 4.13 avg rating — 127 ratings
47.
Chains Across the River - A Novel of the American Revolution
Chains Across the River - A Novel of the American Revolution 4.28 avg rating — 18 ratings
48.
Amendment Seventeen: A Blessing? Or a Curse?
Amendment Seventeen: A Blessing? Or a Curse? 4.58 avg rating — 12 ratings
49.
Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-63
Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-63 4.36 avg rating — 9,962 ratings
50.
The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War
The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War 4.13 avg rating — 2,064 ratings
50.
Hawaii's Story
Hawaii's Story 3.92 avg rating — 1,953 ratings
52.
American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson
American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson 3.94 avg rating — 28,832 ratings
53.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
My Country 'Tis of Thee 3.61 avg rating — 956 ratings
53.
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 4.56 avg rating — 10,760 ratings
55.
In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life
In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life 3.96 avg rating — 1,048 ratings
56.
The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It
The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It 4.04 avg rating — 1,859 ratings
57.
Wilderness at Dawn: The Settling of the North American Continent
Wilderness at Dawn: The Settling of the North American Continent 3.79 avg rating — 237 ratings
58.
A. Lincoln
A. Lincoln 4.30 avg rating — 20,124 ratings
59.
Promises to Keep: African-Americans and the Constitutional Order, 1776 to the Present
Promises to Keep: African-Americans and the Constitutional Order, 1776 to the Present 3.76 avg rating — 17 ratings
60.
They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group 3.85 avg rating — 2,908 ratings
61.
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War 4.10 avg rating — 24,892 ratings
62.
The Declaration of Independence / The Constitution of the United States
The Declaration of Independence / The Constitution of the United States 4.44 avg rating — 26,981 ratings
63.
Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World
Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World 3.65 avg rating — 423 ratings
64.
The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era
The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era 4.07 avg rating — 328 ratings
65.
A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America
A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America 3.92 avg rating — 1,570 ratings
66.
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind 4.31 avg rating — 1,258,017 ratings
67.
The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution
The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution 4.04 avg rating — 2,566 ratings
68.
Champlain's Dream
Champlain's Dream 4.29 avg rating — 1,652 ratings
69.
Grant
Grant 4.50 avg rating — 42,006 ratings
70.
Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America
Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America 4.12 avg rating — 3,163 ratings
71.
Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69
Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69 3.99 avg rating — 13,754 ratings
72.
Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery
Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery 3.69 avg rating — 2,746 ratings
73.
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic 3.97 avg rating — 10,697 ratings
74.
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America 4.40 avg rating — 15,748 ratings
75.
Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide
Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide 4.33 avg rating — 1,362 ratings
75.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story 4.61 avg rating — 23,215 ratings
75.
Richard Eager: A Pilot's Story from Tennessee Eagle Scout to General Montgomery's Flying Fortress
Richard Eager: A Pilot's Story from Tennessee Eagle Scout to General Montgomery's Flying Fortress 4.90 avg rating — 10 ratings
78.
Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story
Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story 3.23 avg rating — 248 ratings
79.
Geronimo: My Life
Geronimo: My Life
by: Geronimo
3.89 avg rating — 2,667 ratings
80.
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln 3.97 avg rating — 1,899 ratings
81.
Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence
Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence 3.94 avg rating — 4,307 ratings
82.
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History 4.31 avg rating — 120 ratings
83.
Freedom Summer: The Savage Season of 1964 That Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy
Freedom Summer: The Savage Season of 1964 That Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy 4.20 avg rating — 1,574 ratings
84.
The Zimmermann Telegram
The Zimmermann Telegram 4.06 avg rating — 5,054 ratings
85.
Private Yankee Doodle: Being A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier
Private Yankee Doodle: Being A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier 4.09 avg rating — 1,951 ratings
86.
Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America
Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America 4.44 avg rating — 1,229 ratings
87.
The Year of Decision 1846
The Year of Decision 1846 4.13 avg rating — 424 ratings
87.
The Chinese in America: A Narrative History
The Chinese in America: A Narrative History 4.30 avg rating — 1,257 ratings
87.
The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West
The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West 4.29 avg rating — 3,390 ratings
90.
Dispossessed: How Predatory Bureaucracy Foreclosed on the American Middle Class
Dispossessed: How Predatory Bureaucracy Foreclosed on the American Middle Class 3.73 avg rating — 22 ratings
91.
No Ordinary Joe: The Life and Career of Joe Biden
No Ordinary Joe: The Life and Career of Joe Biden 3.77 avg rating — 70 ratings
92.
American Gaslighting: How America is Being Systematically Taught to Hate Itself
American Gaslighting: How America is Being Systematically Taught to Hate Itself it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 7 ratings
93.
Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States
Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States 3.91 avg rating — 390 ratings
93.
America's Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union
America's Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union 4.16 avg rating — 435 ratings
95.
A Shovel of Stars: The Making of the American West, 1800 to the Present
A Shovel of Stars: The Making of the American West, 1800 to the Present 4.07 avg rating — 45 ratings
96.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder 3.94 avg rating — 19,450 ratings
96.
Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden
Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden 4.27 avg rating — 5,087 ratings
98.
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America 3.76 avg rating — 24,555 ratings
99.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents 4.53 avg rating — 156,133 ratings
100.
The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896
The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896 4.17 avg rating — 1,574 ratings
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