Have you grown tired of reading endless murder mystery/true-crime thrillers (John Grisham style) and are looking to sink your teeth into books that promise more depth and opportunities to learn? If you want to try your hand at works of non-fiction that tell short, captivating stories that serve as an introduction to history then this article is for you. Today I’m introducing a list of my top 10 favorite short history books. These works are relatively quick, easy reads that serve as a great launching point to explore the greatest, and most interesting people and events who shook the past and shaped the present. Here goes…

10. Night

– by Elie Wiesel

120 pages

         This is by far the shortest book on my list, and also the most difficult to read. Night is a horrific, tragic memoir of Elie’s haunting experience in the holocaust. Elie describes his family as orthodox practicing jews living in Hungary during World War II. The book opens in March, 1944, when the war starts turning against the Nazis. As a result they begin shifting their focus to the forced removal of millions of European Jews and other “undesirables” from their homes to be systematically exterminated in death and labor camps. Elie is 15 years-old when the Germans invade his hometown of Sighet. Elie, his family and the rest of the town’s Jewish population are herded into cattle trains and sent to Auschwitz. The book serves as Eli’s testimony to the endless horrors he endured day-after-day as he desperately clings to life… and his humanity.

         Night stands out because of Elie’s colorful use of language and metaphor to paint the reader a visceral picture of his grim and inhumane experience. The Auschwitz survivor provides deep insight into the human condition; how easy it is to walk the path to commit human suffering. That apathy and indifference cause far more damage than hate. And the importance of future generations to understand that the machines of death that destroyed millions of souls can be built again if we don’t remain vigilant. Night is often sighted as the quintessential book in Holocaust Literature.

         “We shall all see the day of liberation. Have faith in life. Above all else, have faith. Drive out despair, and you will keep death away from yourselves.”

– Elie Weisel

9. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

– by Laura Hillenbrand

398 pages

         You’d be hard pressed to read a survival story as remarkable and unbelievable as Louis Zamperini’s. Unbroken is the biographical account of a young Californian who dominated middle distance running and competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. When the war breaks out he gives up running to serve as an airman in the Pacific theater. Japanese gunners shoot down his plane and Louis crashes into the ocean. He survives the crash. But his troubles are only just beginning. This is only the start of a long and grueling 2 year odyssey that will push the former athlete to unimaginable limits.

         Unbroken is a gripping page-turner that tells a story of survival, desperation, struggle and perseverance. People will walk away from this poignant and harrowing tale bewildered that any man could ever endure such an ordeal and remain intact. There are many veterans of World War II whose stories were never told. I’m grateful that Laura shed light on his experience so Americans today can better appreciate the sacrifice made by the greatest generation. I’ll admit that being a runner myself also drew me to this book.

         “At that moment, something shifted sweetly inside him. It was forgiveness, beautiful and effortless and complete. For Louie Zamperini, the war was over.”

         – Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

8. Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization

– by Lars Brownworth

295 pages

         Did you know that the Roman Empire didn’t dissolve in 476 A.D. as you were taught in school? Lost to the West sheds much needed light on the mostly forgotten East Roman Empire, which we call the Byzantine Empire today. When barbarians destroyed the western Roman Empire plunging Europe into a state of disorder and chaos that lasted a thousand years. But as the christian west withered the East Roman Empire flourished. From 400 A.D. to 1400 A.D., The Byzantine Empire stood firm as a mighty bastion and protecter of the west. It was last true panoply of Roman culture and enlightenment.

         The story of the Byzantines held a lot in common with its Roman ancestor. The Byzantine Empire encountered the same cycle of prosperity, followed by decadence, and decline that cursed Rome. Lost to the West highlights the grandeur and magnificence of its crowned jewel, the city of Constantinople. While it’s true that all empires are doomed to fall, the tragic nature of the Byzantine’s departure is that after defending Europe for centuries, the Europeans did not return the favor.

        Lost to the West introduces you a world of people, places, battles, and events you likely never knew about. It’s a great read, and this would be an excellent book for HBO to adapt into a mini series (hint, hint.)

         “Western civilization owes an incalculable debt to the scorned city on the Bosporus. For more than a millennium, its capital stood, the great bastion of the East protecting a nascent, chaotic Europe, as one after another would-be conqueror foundered against its walls.”

         – Lars Brownworth, Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization

7.  The Coming of the Third Reich

– by Richard Evans

461 pages

         I have a strong preference for World War II, which you probably guessed. This next book on my list covers the decades of troubling events leading to the rise of the 3rd Reich and the world’s deadliest war. Hitler boasted his 3rd Reich would last a thousand year. In reality, it only lasted 12. But that brief stint at the helm forever altered the course of world history.

         The Coming of the Third Reich is the first book in a trilogy. In my opinion it’s the greatest study of pre-war Germany in World War II literature. Many historians have written about the Nazi’s rise to power, but few have done a better job capturing the why and how, and the sentiment of the German people during the 1920’s and 30’s better than Evans. This book is his brilliant, and well-researched essay that tries to answer history’s greatest question: how did such a distinguished nation fall to the rule of violent, uneducated barbarians?

         If you want to venture into a very thorough account of Germany’s turbulent path to a fascist state, then this book is for you. The best chapter is the final chapter where Evans summarizes how decades of violence, hate, nationalism, philosophy, resentment, fear, and bitterness gave birth to a “Revolution of Destruction.”

         “Hitler was the product of circumstances as much as anything else. Had things been different, he might never have come to political prominence.”

         – Richard Evans, The Coming of the Third Reich.”

6. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History

– by S.C. Gwynne

391 pages

         One summer morning in 1836, a family of pioneers who had just settled into their new Texas home invited a band of Indians on horseback on to their property. The Parker’s believed the natives were friendly and just looking to trade goods. They were wrong. The feathered men weren’t traders, they were warriors. And they ruthlessly butcher the Parker family. Only their 9 year-old blond haired, blue-eyed daughter survived. The Indians kidnap her and and adopt her into their tribe. This singular event spawned a 40-year-long war that ended with the destruction of the most powerful and feared Native American tribe in U.S. history – the Comanche.

         This thrilling tale is a true-to-life western that covers the rise and fall of the nations largest Indian empire whose deadly nature and barbaric nature was only matched by their prowess on horse back. Empire serves as a riveting look into the history of the Lone Star state. This is the perfect time to pick up this book for pool side reading because Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the famed drama series Yellowstone announced a movie is in the works for Empire of the Summer Moon. Be warned, this tale does not shy away from the gruesome violence and depravity committed during this bloody struggle for the western plains.

         “Though they did not know it at the time… the sound of ‘boots and saddle’ that morning marked the beginning of the end of the Indian wars in America, of fully two hundred fifty years of bloody combat that had begun almost with the first landing of the first ship on the first fatal shore in Virginia.”

         – S.C. Gwynne, Empire of the Summer Moon

5. Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War

– by S.C. Gwynne

325 pages

         Hymn is another excellent, and lesser known, work by S.C. Gwynne. I rate it higher than Empire on my list because the American Civil War is one of my favorite historical events to research. As the title states, Hymn carries you through the deadliest and most grueling year of the war. It’s an epic, tumultuous journey that is worth your time if you want to know more about this pivotal moment in U.S. history.

         In April of 1864 Abraham Lincoln hands full command of the union armies to the north’s greatest general, Ulysses S. Grant. The undefeated general is about to take the largest army assembled in the north and eviscerate the invincible confederate force under Robert E. Lee. What follows is a clash of military titans that would unleash death and destruction on a scope never seen in an American war before or since.

         When combing through Gwynne’s excellent work, you’ll gain a fresh perspective on the men and women whose influences defined the war. Beyond generals, you’re also introduced to regular citizens who made a difference, like Clara Barton, Frederick Douglass, and many more.

         “Already 165,000 Union soldiers… were in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their purpose and whereabouts were closely held Union secrets, and only the federal high command knew them in detail. Just What Ulysses S. Grant, victor of Vicksburg and Chattanooga and savior of the Union, was going to do as chief of the federal armies was the talk of both nations.”

         – S.C. Gwynne, Hymn of the Republic

4. River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey

– CandiceMillard

 353 pages                  

         River of Doubt is one of the most captivating books I’ve read in years. This epic account of Theodore Roosevelt’s hazardous sojourn through the Amazon forest is a vivid and suspenseful depiction of daring and perseverance. In 1913, the former president and his adult son join an American funded scientific expedition to explore an undocumented river that pours into the Amazon. They will sail canoes up this tributary deep in the Amazon Forest. The mission is rife with danger and will put the lives of Roosevelt, his son, and the crew in jeopardy. Millard conveys with lurid detail the multitude of perilous threats facing the crew. They will encounter poisonous plants, killer fish, disease, predators, and deadly indigenous tribes as they navigate the smothering jungle.

         River of Doubt offers insight into the spirit of the age of exploration which was in its twilight years. You also get a rare glimpse into the qualities that made Theodore Roosevelt the bold glory hound and adventure-seeker we know of him today.

         “‘I don’t believe he can live through the night,’ George Cherrie wrote in his diary in the spring of 1914…. Deep in the Brazilian rain forest, he recognized the approach of death when he saw it, and it now hung unmistakably over Theodore Roosevelt.”

         – Candace Millard, River of Doubt

3. The Frontiersmen

– Allen Eckert

588 pages

         This action-packed thriller ranks among my personal favorites. Judging by the page count, you guessed correctly that this isn’t actually a short book. But the read offers such a fun experience that you’ll flip through its pages unaware of the time passing. 

         In 1755 Simon Kenton, a Virginian teenager gets embroiled in a savage fist fight with one of his classmates over a girl. When the blows stop, Simon stares in horror at his unconscious foe. Believing him dead, he vanishes from his home running far away to the unsettled region of West Virginia and Ohio where he becomes a frontiersman. These men were a special breed who risked their lives scouting land in hostile Indian territory to settle and house incoming waves of colonialists. No frontiersman made a greater name for himself than Simon Kenton. Yet history seems to have passed him by, as very few know the true account of Simon’s remarkable life.

         The Ohio valley was already home to one the nation’s fiercest tribes, the Shawnee. I spoke about the Shawnee who’s territory once included present day Cincinnati in my previous blog. In this gripping tale, Eckert also follows the life of the Shawnee’s greatest chief, Tecumseh. Perhaps the most famous native American who ever lived.

Eckert lived in Columbus for most of his life and to many he’s the quintessential historian of the Ohio valley. His authentic writing style makes the book read more like historical fiction than fact. He admits that at times he fabricated dialogue for some characters; but the years of research he poured into his work is undeniable.

         “The sign of this second coming will be a star appearing and passing across the sky, as it did at the time of Tecumseh’s birth, and Tecumseh will again be born under the same circumstances, to lead his people to this ‘one town of towns’ for all Indians. Tecumseh will come again!”

         – Allen Eckert, The Frontiersman

2. 1776

– David McCullough

294 pages

         1776 is the year that sparked a revolution and gave birth to a new nation of freedom. When 56 “traitors” signed the Declaration of Independence they unknowingly set in motion an arduous and protracted war with the greatest empire in the world. We know in hindsight that America emerged victorious. But 1776 offers a more realistic, sobering account of the burden placed on George Washington’s shoulders to take on the British Empire and keep lit the flame of rebellion.

         The first chapter takes you overseas to London where in October of 1775, parliament and King George the III agree to break the rebellion and hang the traitors who pledged to abandon the empire. 1776 then switches focus to George Washington and follows his military campaigns from the spring of 1776 to the final days of December that same year. Through this account, you learn much of the man leading the continental army. You see how his inexperience often led to humiliating defeats. But 1776 also paints a detailed picture of the general’s magnificent leadership that compelled his small army to remain unwavering in their loyalty even in the darkest of times. 1776 is a stark reminder that the Declaration was little more than words on paper. It meant nothing without Washington’s exemplary leadership and the indispensable heroism of the men who followed him.

         “Without Washington’s leadership and unrelenting perseverance, the revolution almost certainly would have failed. As Nathanael Greene foresaw as the war went on, ‘He will be the deliverer of his own country.’”

         – David McCullough, 1776

1. Alexander the Great

– by Phillip Freeman

330 pages

         The life of Alexander is so riveting that this story pretty much writes itself. I don’t want to take any credit from Freeman but telling Alexander’s tale is nearly impossible to get wrong (unless you’re filming a movie and your name is Oliver Stone.) If you think the Beatles boasted impressive resumes when they turned 30, wait until read about the young Macedonian King. This authoritative biography on Alexander is a gripping read that will leave all its readers in amazement and wonder that such a figure existed.

         Alexander was crowned at the ripe age of 20 in 336 B.C. He and his army sailed across the sea to Asia minor, and conducted one of histories greatest ever military campaigns. In less than 10 years Alexander destroyed the Persian Empire, conquered most of the middle east, and became the first Greek to lead an army deep inside India. All this he accomplished in his 20’s. The magnitude of his achievements would echo across time. He’s the source of inspiration for numerous legends that followed such as Hannibal Barca, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

         Readers will enjoy every step of this adventure as Freeman pulls you back in time and makes you feel as if you’ve been transported to the ancient world. Alexander is a wild ride and an easy read for general audiences.

         “The indignant old general asked how he (Alexander) could be sleeping so soundly as if he had gained a victory when the battle was still ahead. Alexander only smiled and said, ‘Why, don’t you know we’ve already won?’”

         – Phillip Freeman, Alexander the Great