Best Nonfiction Books About Horrifying Events

101.
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster 3.94 avg rating β€” 3,771 ratings
102.
Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age
Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age
by: Greg King
3.73 avg rating β€” 554 ratings
103.
What Is the What
What Is the What 4.15 avg rating β€” 86,454 ratings
104.
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose 4.19 avg rating β€” 1,644 ratings
104.
Demons: True stories of demonic possessions & demonic attacks
Demons: True stories of demonic possessions & demonic attacks 3.41 avg rating β€” 151 ratings
106.
Nameless Indignities: Unraveling the Mystery of One of Illinois's Most Infamous Crimes
Nameless Indignities: Unraveling the Mystery of One of Illinois's Most Infamous Crimes 3.88 avg rating β€” 94 ratings
107.
Scott's Last Expedition: The Journals
Scott's Last Expedition: The Journals 4.14 avg rating β€” 1,860 ratings
108.
White Hurricane: A Great Lakes November Gale and America's Deadliest Maritime Disaster
White Hurricane: A Great Lakes November Gale and America's Deadliest Maritime Disaster 4.01 avg rating β€” 163 ratings
108.
The Great Fire of London (Penguin Little Black Classics, #47)
The Great Fire of London (Penguin Little Black Classics, #47) 3.08 avg rating β€” 868 ratings
110.
I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang! (Brown Thrasher Books)
I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang! (Brown Thrasher Books) 3.96 avg rating β€” 185 ratings
111.
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition 4.34 avg rating β€” 21,553 ratings
111.
Jack the Ripper and Black Magic: Victorian Conspiracy Theories, Secret Societies and the Supernatural Mystique of the Whitechapel Murders
Jack the Ripper and Black Magic: Victorian Conspiracy Theories, Secret Societies and the Supernatural Mystique of the Whitechapel Murders 3.70 avg rating β€” 93 ratings
111.
Irish Political Prisoners 1848-1922: Theatres of War
Irish Political Prisoners 1848-1922: Theatres of War 0.00 avg rating β€” 0 ratings
114.
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire 4.16 avg rating β€” 1,527 ratings
115.
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy 4.14 avg rating β€” 44,133 ratings
115.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest 4.44 avg rating β€” 136,023 ratings
117.
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx 4.26 avg rating β€” 13,313 ratings
118.
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper 4.09 avg rating β€” 64,237 ratings
119.
Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival
Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival 3.82 avg rating β€” 400 ratings
119.
Soul Full of Coal Dust: A Fight for Breath and Justice in Appalachia
Soul Full of Coal Dust: A Fight for Breath and Justice in Appalachia 4.31 avg rating β€” 753 ratings
121.
Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street 3.28 avg rating β€” 277 ratings
122.
In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic
In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic 4.04 avg rating β€” 2,837 ratings
123.
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 β€” 99,687 ratings
124.
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World 3.91 avg rating β€” 7,932 ratings
125.
Wilful Murder: The Sinking of the Lusitania
Wilful Murder: The Sinking of the Lusitania 4.03 avg rating β€” 872 ratings
126.
F5: The Devastating Tornado Outbreak of 1974
F5: The Devastating Tornado Outbreak of 1974 3.96 avg rating β€” 412 ratings
126.
Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine, 1958–1962
Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine, 1958–1962 4.16 avg rating β€” 997 ratings
128.
Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found
Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found 3.75 avg rating β€” 1,811 ratings
129.
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us 4.50 avg rating β€” 8,102 ratings
130.
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War 3.89 avg rating β€” 45,342 ratings
131.
Pandemic: The Spanish Flu in Australia 1918-20
Pandemic: The Spanish Flu in Australia 1918-20 3.67 avg rating β€” 6 ratings
132.
The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity
The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity 3.94 avg rating β€” 2,177 ratings
133.
The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
The Complete History of Jack the Ripper 4.10 avg rating β€” 3,208 ratings
134.
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry 3.95 avg rating β€” 155,563 ratings
135.
Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family
Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family 4.16 avg rating β€” 1,579 ratings
136.
Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival
Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival 4.23 avg rating β€” 63,076 ratings
137.
Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters
Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters 3.93 avg rating β€” 1,884 ratings
138.
The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon
The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon 3.63 avg rating β€” 1,815 ratings
139.
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident 3.99 avg rating β€” 25,501 ratings
140.
Dying in Indian Country: A Family Journey from Self-destruction to Opposing Tribal Sovereignty
Dying in Indian Country: A Family Journey from Self-destruction to Opposing Tribal Sovereignty
by: Beth Ward
3.79 avg rating β€” 48 ratings
140.
In the Shadow of Midnight: Daedalus, A tale of Savannah
In the Shadow of Midnight: Daedalus, A tale of Savannah 3.38 avg rating β€” 13 ratings
140.
I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust
I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust 4.19 avg rating β€” 23,341 ratings
140.
A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown
A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown 4.01 avg rating β€” 5,116 ratings
140.
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust 4.43 avg rating β€” 46,756 ratings
140.
The Culture of Make Believe
The Culture of Make Believe 4.26 avg rating β€” 1,885 ratings
140.
The Pendulum: A Granddaughter's Search for Her Family's Forbidden Nazi Past
The Pendulum: A Granddaughter's Search for Her Family's Forbidden Nazi Past 3.74 avg rating β€” 444 ratings
140.
Es geschah an der Mauer - It happened at the Wall - Cela sΓ©st passΓ© au Mur - Γ‰ accaduto al Muro - Sucedio en el Muro
Es geschah an der Mauer - It happened at the Wall - Cela sΓ©st passΓ© au Mur - Γ‰ accaduto al Muro - Sucedio en el Muro 4.18 avg rating β€” 61 ratings
140.
The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier
The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier 3.94 avg rating β€” 1,901 ratings
140.
Blood Legacy: The True Story of the Snow Axe Murders
Blood Legacy: The True Story of the Snow Axe Murders 4.15 avg rating β€” 13 ratings
140.
Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and A 15-Year Search for Truth
Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and A 15-Year Search for Truth 4.25 avg rating β€” 846 ratings
140.
This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism, and Corruption are Ruining the American West
This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism, and Corruption are Ruining the American West 4.06 avg rating β€” 818 ratings
140.
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? 4.19 avg rating β€” 226 ratings
140.
A Modern Declaration of Independence: Crimes Against Humanity and a New System
A Modern Declaration of Independence: Crimes Against Humanity and a New System 4.48 avg rating β€” 25 ratings
140.
Who Took Molly Bish?
Who Took Molly Bish? 2.85 avg rating β€” 33 ratings
140.
The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns
The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns 3.31 avg rating β€” 305 ratings
140.
A Life on the Line: My Unexpected Career with the Canada Border Services Agency
A Life on the Line: My Unexpected Career with the Canada Border Services Agency 4.24 avg rating β€” 46 ratings
140.
Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror
Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror 4.07 avg rating β€” 1,145 ratings
140.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio 4.47 avg rating β€” 4,118 ratings
140.
Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response
Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response 3.98 avg rating β€” 1,345 ratings
140.
Heroines of Mercy Street: The Real Nurses of the Civil War
Heroines of Mercy Street: The Real Nurses of the Civil War 3.76 avg rating β€” 744 ratings
161.
Auschwitz, The Nazis and The 'Final Solution'
Auschwitz, The Nazis and The 'Final Solution' 4.31 avg rating β€” 17,968 ratings
161.
A Language Older Than Words
A Language Older Than Words 4.29 avg rating β€” 2,610 ratings
161.
De Bezetting, na 50 jaar
De Bezetting, na 50 jaar really liked it 4.00 avg rating β€” 5 ratings
161.
When the Guillotine Fell: The Bloody Beginning and Horrifying End to France's River of Blood, 1791--1977
When the Guillotine Fell: The Bloody Beginning and Horrifying End to France's River of Blood, 1791--1977 3.91 avg rating β€” 64 ratings
161.
1 Dead in Attic: After Katrina
1 Dead in Attic: After Katrina 4.11 avg rating β€” 3,920 ratings
161.
The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers
The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers 3.41 avg rating β€” 548 ratings
161.
Fire and Fury: The Allied Bombing of Germany, 1942-1945
Fire and Fury: The Allied Bombing of Germany, 1942-1945 3.96 avg rating β€” 293 ratings
161.
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl―A National Book Award Winner
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl―A National Book Award Winner 4.06 avg rating β€” 60,127 ratings
161.
Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South
Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South
by: Beth Macy
3.49 avg rating β€” 3,714 ratings
170.
Alexander Dolgun's story: An American in the Gulag
Alexander Dolgun's story: An American in the Gulag 4.50 avg rating β€” 421 ratings
170.
IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation
IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation 4.03 avg rating β€” 1,834 ratings
170.
The Anatomy Murders: Being the True and Spectacular History of Edinburgh's Notorious Burke and Hare and of the Man of Science Who Abetted Them in the Commission of Their Most Heinous Crimes
The Anatomy Murders: Being the True and Spectacular History of Edinburgh's Notorious Burke and Hare and of the Man of Science Who Abetted Them in the Commission of Their Most Heinous Crimes 3.66 avg rating β€” 188 ratings
170.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History 4.15 avg rating β€” 77,295 ratings
170.
Venereal Disease And The Lewis And Clark Expedition
Venereal Disease And The Lewis And Clark Expedition 4.32 avg rating β€” 28 ratings
170.
The Truth-Seeker’s Handbook: A Science-Based Guide
The Truth-Seeker’s Handbook: A Science-Based Guide 4.18 avg rating β€” 77 ratings
170.
Fire in a Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America
Fire in a Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America 3.99 avg rating β€” 369 ratings
170.
A Lie Too Big to Fail: The Real History of the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
A Lie Too Big to Fail: The Real History of the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy 4.27 avg rating β€” 334 ratings
170.
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives 4.36 avg rating β€” 14,153 ratings
170.
Death in the Grizzly Maze: The Timothy Treadwell Story
Death in the Grizzly Maze: The Timothy Treadwell Story 3.77 avg rating β€” 261 ratings
180.
The Bomb
The Bomb 4.28 avg rating β€” 446 ratings
180.
Thank You for Your Service
Thank You for Your Service 4.13 avg rating β€” 7,003 ratings
180.
Burke and Hare: The Year of the Ghouls
Burke and Hare: The Year of the Ghouls 3.84 avg rating β€” 55 ratings
180.
A Crack in the Edge of the World
A Crack in the Edge of the World 3.79 avg rating β€” 7,187 ratings
180.
Capital Courtesans: Public Women of Civil War Richmond and Washington, DC
Capital Courtesans: Public Women of Civil War Richmond and Washington, DC it was amazing 5.00 avg rating β€” 10 ratings
180.
34 Years in Hell: My Time Inside America's Toughest Prisons
34 Years in Hell: My Time Inside America's Toughest Prisons 4.08 avg rating β€” 1,342 ratings
180.
The Winecoff Fire: The Untold Story of America's Deadliest Hotel Fire
The Winecoff Fire: The Untold Story of America's Deadliest Hotel Fire
by: Sam Heys
4.29 avg rating β€” 153 ratings
180.
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery 4.41 avg rating β€” 51 ratings
188.
The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany
The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany 4.21 avg rating β€” 1,102 ratings
188.
Special Effects: Disaster at Twilight Zone: The Tragedy and the Trial
Special Effects: Disaster at Twilight Zone: The Tragedy and the Trial 3.77 avg rating β€” 26 ratings
188.
The Amazing "True" Story of a Teenage Single Mom
The Amazing "True" Story of a Teenage Single Mom 3.94 avg rating β€” 228 ratings
188.
Missing Person: The True Story of a Police Case Resolved by the Clairvoyant Powers of Dorothy Allison
Missing Person: The True Story of a Police Case Resolved by the Clairvoyant Powers of Dorothy Allison 4.05 avg rating β€” 38 ratings
188.
The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism 4.18 avg rating β€” 3,853 ratings
188.
Sexual Misbehavior in the Civil War: A Compendium
Sexual Misbehavior in the Civil War: A Compendium 4.11 avg rating β€” 27 ratings
188.
To Be Preserved Forever
To Be Preserved Forever 4.17 avg rating β€” 42 ratings
188.
Scalded to Death by the Steam: Authentic Stories of Railroad Disasters and the Ballads That Were Written About Them
Scalded to Death by the Steam: Authentic Stories of Railroad Disasters and the Ballads That Were Written About Them 3.89 avg rating β€” 19 ratings
188.
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey 4.21 avg rating β€” 74,680 ratings
197.
Hitler's Henchmen
Hitler's Henchmen 3.84 avg rating β€” 408 ratings
197.
Outrageous Conduct: Art, Ego, and the Twilight Zone Case
Outrageous Conduct: Art, Ego, and the Twilight Zone Case 4.02 avg rating β€” 222 ratings
197.
Women Working the NAFTA Food Chain: Women, Food and Globalization
Women Working the NAFTA Food Chain: Women, Food and Globalization 3.57 avg rating β€” 21 ratings
197.
The Rockville Tragedy
The Rockville Tragedy 3.67 avg rating β€” 12 ratings
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