How was this American History books list created?

We searched for "best American History books", found the top 5 articles, took every book mentioned in 2+ articles, and averaged their rankings.

How many American History books are in this list?

There are 18 books in this list.

Why did you create this American History books list?

We wanted to gather the most accurate list of American History books on the internet.

18 Best American History Books of All Time

Our goal: Find what the internet ranks as the best American History books (instead of one person's opinion).

Our process:

Search for "best american history books" and study the top 5 articles.
Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
Rank the results neatly for you here! 😊
(This took a long time, but we do the research so you don't have to!)

(Updated 2022)

1
i
A People's History of the United States
Howard Zinn
Appears in 4 articles
3recommenders
2
i
1491
New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Charles C. Mann
Appears in 4 articles
1recommender
3
i
Empire of the Summer Moon
Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
S. C. Gwynne
Appears in 3 articles
3recommenders
4
i
1776
David McCullough
Appears in 3 articles
MOST RECOMMENDED!
5
i
Team of Rivals
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Appears in 2 articles
7recommenders
6
i
With the Old Breed
At Peleliu and Okinawa
E. B. Sledge
Appears in 2 articles
3recommenders
7
i
The Bully Pulpit
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Appears in 2 articles
2recommenders
8
i
These Truths
A History of the United States
Jill Lepore
Appears in 2 articles
1recommender
9
i
No Ordinary Time
Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Appears in 2 articles
1recommender
10
i
Founding Brothers
The Revolutionary Generation
Joseph J. Ellis
Appears in 2 articles
1recommender
11
i
Battle Cry of Freedom
James M. McPherson
Appears in 2 articles
1recommender
12
i
Stamped from the Beginning
The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
Ibram X. Kendi
Appears in 2 articles
13
i
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
An Indian History of the American West
Dee Brown
Appears in 2 articles
14
i
An Army at Dawn
World War II Liberation Trilogy, Book 1
Rick Atkinson
Appears in 2 articles
15
i
The Island at the Center of the World
Russell Shorto
Appears in 2 articles
16
i
Washington's Crossing
David Hackett Fischer
Appears in 2 articles
17
i
The Last Gunfight
The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral-And How It Changed the American West
Jeff Guinn
Appears in 2 articles
18
i
This Republic of Suffering
Drew Gilpin Faust
Appears in 2 articles

Sources

FAQ

How was this American History books list created?
We searched for "best American History books", found the top 5 articles, took every book mentioned in 2+ articles, and averaged their rankings.
How many American History books are in this list?
There are 18 books in this list.
Why did you create this American History books list?
We wanted to gather the most accurate list of American History books on the internet.