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The 18 Best History Books of 2023 So Far

Tertulia

18 books in list

Go back in time with 18 of the best new history books published in 2023, including books from cultural critic Ethan Mordden, reporter Yepoka Yeebo, and bestselling author David Grann. From an 18th-century British shipwreck to the evolution of humanism from the 14th to the 21st centuries, these books will help you understand the world we live in today.

Book Cover for: The Story of Art Without Men, Katy Hessel

The Story of Art Without Men

Katy Hessel

A beautifully rendered and expansive reassessment of art history through the biographical lens of women from the 16th to the 21st century. As a starred rating from Kirkus Reviews states, The Story of Art Without Men is "an overdue upending of art historical discourse."

Jerry SaltzAmber SparksJerry Saltz & Amber Sparks

Hardcover, 2023

$45.00$22.50 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them, Timothy Egan

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them

Timothy Egan

From a Pultizer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author comes a page-turning investigation into the peak years of the KKK's shockingly immense power and the magnetic leader at the head of it all, David C. Stephenson.

Nicholas KristofEllen BarkinNicholas Kristof & Ellen Barkin

Hardcover, 2023

$30.00$15.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation That Saved the Soul of the NBA, Theresa Runstedtler

Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation That Saved the Soul of the NBA

Theresa Runstedtler

Blending social commentary and historical analysis, Runstedtler explores how racial politics affected the NBA from the segregated '50s to the '70s, when a new league of Black players with their improvisational playing style stepped onto the court — and made it the game we know and love today.

Los Angeles Review of BooksDave ZirinLos Angeles Review of Books & Dave Zirin

Hardcover, 2023

$29.00$14.50 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church, Rachel L. Swarns

The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church

Rachel L. Swarns

The role of the Catholic Church in American slavery makes for a grim story — and for an important puzzle piece in American history. NYT journalist Rachel Swarns exposes the Church's decision to sell 272 enslaved people in order to get the funds needed to grow into the largest religious denomination — as well as the cascading effects on the descendants of the enslaved.

Ida Bae WellsLydia PolgreenIda Bae Wells & Lydia Polgreen

Hardcover, 2023

$28.00$14.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Revolutionary Spring: Europe Aflame and the Fight for a New World, 1848-1849, Christopher Clark

Revolutionary Spring: Europe Aflame and the Fight for a New World, 1848-1849

Christopher Clark

The year 1848 was one of revolution. It helped create the political landscape of modern Europe. Clark analyzes that pivotal year with both granular detail and a pan-European perspective, and draws a chilling connection between the unrest of that period and today's tense political atmosphere.

noah kulwinKenan Maliknoah kulwin & Kenan Malik

Hardcover, 2023

$40.00$20.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope, Sarah Bakewell

Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope

Sarah Bakewell

From Petrarch in 14th-century Southern Italy to modern-day proponents of AI, Sarah Bakewell breaks down the thinking behind humanism through the people who shaped it.

Los Angeles Review of BooksJeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) JarvisLos Angeles Review of Books & Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis

Hardcover, 2023

$30.00$15.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II, Evan Thomas

Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II

Evan Thomas

Talk about being in the room where it happens. Author Evan Thomas recounts in riveting detail the moments leading up to the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan during WWII, drawing on exclusive diary entries of three leaders facing a decision that would alter global history.

Michael BeschlossPeter BakerMichael Beschloss & Peter Baker

Hardcover, 2023

$28.00$14.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: A Few Days Full of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till, Wheeler Parker

A Few Days Full of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till

Wheeler Parker

The last living witness of the events leading to Emmett Till's death recalls what happened that summer in 1941. In this heart-wrenching and critically insightful account, Rev. Wheeler Parker seeks to rectify the decades-long misinformation campaign surrounding his cousin.

DANIELLE TRUSSONI— #ThePuzzleMaster🧩 out NOWchris borrelliDANIELLE TRUSSONI— #ThePuzzleMaster🧩 out NOW & chris borrelli

Hardcover, 2023

$28.99$14.49 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Gays on Broadway, Ethan Mordden

Gays on Broadway

Ethan Mordden

Cultural critic Ethan Mordden draws back the curtain to showcase queer culture's impact on musical theater through the 20th century. Any theater lover will find it hard to put down this juicy, well-researched read filled with decade-by-decade commentary and intimate portraits of iconic LGBTQ+ figures.

David ShariatmadariThe GuardianDavid Shariatmadari & The Guardian

Hardcover, 2023

$29.95$14.98 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Anansi's Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World, Yepoka Yeebo

Anansi's Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World

Yepoka Yeebo

In this engrossing investigation into Ghana's "hidden wealth," West Africa-based reporter Yepoka Yeebo uncovers how a tangled web of lies allowed one con man to scam thousands of people out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

surlyspicesurlyspice

Hardcover, 2023

$29.99$14.99 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

David Grann

The bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann, recounts the captivating true story of how survivors of an 18th-century British shipwreck descended into anarchy after being stranded on a deserted island for months.

Don WinslowPeter BakerDon Winslow & Peter Baker

Hardcover, 2023

$30.00$15.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: The Visionaries: Arendt, Beauvoir, Rand, Weil, and the Power of Philosophy in Dark Times, Wolfram Eilenberger

The Visionaries: Arendt, Beauvoir, Rand, Weil, and the Power of Philosophy in Dark Times

Wolfram Eilenberger

An engaging biographical look into four of the 20th century's most influential philosophical woman writers. Eilenberger weaves seemingly disparate narratives into one intriguing thread that illuminates how the cultural atmosphere of an impending war made an impact on their ideas.

Daniel Steinmetz-JenkinsA.R. MoxonDaniel Steinmetz-Jenkins & A.R. Moxon

Hardcover, 2023

$32.00$16.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians, Tara Isabella Burton

Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians

Tara Isabella Burton

While we may think of the obsession with our personal brands as products of a social media-obsessed age, "branding yourself" is not a new phenomenon. Blending cultural criticism with historical commentary, this book explores the human desire for self-creation from the Renaissance to the present day.

jane ciabattariNew York Times Booksjane ciabattari & New York Times Books

Hardcover, 2023

$30.00$15.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune, Alexander Stille

The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune

Alexander Stille

Columbia University journalism professor Alexander Stille investigates the inner workings of the highly secretive Sullivanian Institute, a late '50s NYC cult that advocated for polyamory and attracted well-known figures such as Jackson Pollock and Judy Collins.

Joumana Khatibthomas bellerJoumana Khatib & thomas beller

Hardcover, 2023

$30.00$15.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad, Tamara J. Walker

Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad

Tamara J. Walker

A tenderly written cultural history of why certain iconic African American figures such as Richard Wright decided to live abroad. The New York Times describes it as combining "the detailed knowledge of a tour guide with storytelling flair."

New York Times BooksAna Lucia Araujo, PhDNew York Times Books & Ana Lucia Araujo, PhD

Hardcover, 2023

$28.00$14.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: The World: A Family History of Humanity, Simon Sebag Montefiore

The World: A Family History of Humanity

Simon Sebag Montefiore

If you think the plot of Succession is high family drama, wait till you get a load of this sweeping history of families from ancient times to the present. From romances to rivalries and from blood to betrayal, this is a masterful account of history through its dynasties.

Scott SimonMichael BeschlossScott Simon & Michael Beschloss

Hardcover, 2023

$45.00$22.50 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, Malcolm Harris

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World

Malcolm Harris

How did a small area in Northern California come to represent the trappings of the 21st century tech revolution? Harris' comprehensive book traces the ideologies, company histories, and policies that have shaped Palo Alto into the "Birthplace of Sillicon Valley."

Kara SwisherTaylorLorenz.Substack.comKara Swisher & TaylorLorenz.Substack.com

Hardcover, 2023

$36.00$18.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book
Book Cover for: The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China, Robert D. Kaplan

The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China

Robert D. Kaplan

We'd expect nothing less from long-time foreign affairs expert Robert D. Kaplan than a sweeping analysis of the shifting world order. He weaves together classic texts, travel writing and expert reportage in this perspective on the greater Middle East. He makes a case for realism, demonstrating that the ideals of democratic governance often don't work in practice.

Hardcover, 2023

$30.00$15.00 + Free Shipping50% off your first book