Top ten recommended reads for history
If you love history, you’ll love our top ten recommended reads, covering fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Different though they are, each of these history books has two things in common – they’re beautifully written and beautifully presented.
- The Secret Life of Mary James, Welshwoman | edited by Sian Jennings
Cardiff in the early part of the 20th century was a world away from what it is today. Mary James begins writing a diary aged 14 in 1916 and continues until 1921 when she follows her dream of becoming one of the pioneering young women to study political science at Aberystwyth University. The young author develops an incredible voice on the page through the course of writing her diaries and for us this book really captures daily life and her personal hopes and fears, leaving us with a sense that Mary James has left behind an incredible picture of a unique part of Welsh history. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Home Front Wickham | David Warwick
We find personal memoir fascinating at the best of times, but David has combined his childhood memories of growing up in a wartime Hampshire village with the records his mother left behind in diaries and articles written for the local press. The resulting book is a captivating time capsule and a sense that his family home Wentworth House has truly opened its doors to all of us. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Stolen Lives | Georgia Piggott
Historical fiction at its finest, Georgia Piggott returns to Dorset with her third novel, leading us on a desperate race through the night in 1626 to save an innocent man’s life. One of the magical aspects of Georgia’s main character Alice is the blending of authentic 17th century detail with a fast-paced mystery. Alice is a convincing investigator, motivated by curiosity and a powerful sense of urgency. This is Georgia’s third historical mystery, joining Just Causes and A Hazardous Game and it’s perfect for readers who love to dive into a period of time which is rarely covered by historians. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Later, Icarus | Elizabeth McManus
Our first read of this collection was a brilliant dive into the inner minds of the people behind classical myths and legends. Elizabeth McManus is an Oxford classicist and she brings this expertise to a truly exceptional poetry collection. Making her debut, Elizabeth asks what happens behind the headlines, in the aftermath, and makes each of the classical figures from ancient tales come to life. It’s both a classical epilogue and a personal story of the everyday Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Steaming Through Wolsztyn | Jeff Nicholls
Spending 20 years learning to drive steam trains on the main line sounds like any rail enthusiast’s dream. This is precisely what Jeff Nicholls has done, visiting one of the only places in the world where steam locos were still being regularly used to haul timetabled passenger trains and freight. Growing up visiting the old British Rail engine sheds, the idea of actually driving a working steam train on the main line seemed like a fading dream for Jeff, until in 2002 he signs up for his first year with the Wolsztyn Experience. 5* reviewed across the board, we cannot recommend this book enough … Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Artefact | an anthology
When we put out a call for submissions from authors writing about historical objects, we thought we knew what to expect. Instead we stepped into a world of short stories, memoir shorts, and poems which bring the voices of the past to life, or give voice to the objects themselves, often in really surprising ways. We’ve laughed, been shocked, alarmed and even cried – quite genuinely. If the 5* reviews are anything to go by, you’ll know precisely which story we mean when you get there. This collection is the result of a collaboration with the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, and a number of the contributions feature objects from the museum collection. We’ve also been lucky enough to include a number of photographs of these objects. This is an entirely surprising and memorable collection of original writing by 29 authors from across the UK. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- The Storming of Cirencester | various young writers
This is our second anthology on a historical theme, but this time it features a very specific set of events. on 2 February 1643, the Royalist army surrounded the town of Cirencester. The people of the town had created uproar with an act of defiance only six months before which paved the way for the outbreak of the English Civil War. Now King Charles I has sent 7000 men to take the town. The battle lasts for just four hours and changes the shape of Cirencester for ever. We collaborated with 59 pupils from Year 5 in Powell’s Church of England Primary School in Cirencester, with support from the Corinium Museum to tell the story of what happened from the point of view of those who witnessed it. The book is both a brilliant collection of short stories and the definitive guide to the events of that day and the principal locations. It’s a gem! Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- ‘Ow Bist? | Ceri Vyner
The stories behind the lost landmarks of a Wiltshire village are shared for the first time in this gorgeous book by Little Somerford author Ceri Vyner. Her first book, Let’n Went! was a personal history of growing up in a small but memorable community. Now she returns to the village she loves and shares the stories and memories of village landmarks which are gradually being lost to time. This is a valuable archive and a fantastic read for anyone who loves bygone history as much as we do. She even reveals how a wagon pond may hold the key to understanding a famous painting by Constable. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Kirin of the Dobunni | Anne Buffoni
The perfect choice for anyone who loves a gripping historical adventure full of Iron Age gods and Romans, myths and secrets. This is a story of prehistoric Britain, with all the added magic of being based on Gloucestershire’s real archaeological sites that reveal the lives that passed in these hills nearly 2000 years ago. Follow 10 year old Kirin in the last days of the Iron Age as he battles to help his friend find her way home. Nominated for the Historical Association Young Quills Award 2024. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
- Sheep for a Reason | Sue Andrews
The surprising history of sheep farming in the Cotswolds and further afield stretches back through thousands of years. From early farmers to Roman advances in farming, to the wealth that came from the backs of sheep and paid a king’s ransom – there is so much to learn from our farming past. Internationally renowned sheep farmer and author of the If Clouds Were Sheep series Sue Andrews returns with an incredible new book which may well change the way you view our woolly neighbours forever. Buy on our bookshop.org shop | Waterstones | Amazon
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