History Of USA: 10 Best Books On American History

The history of USA or you can say, one of the world’s superpower is vibrant and colourful, and different authors and historians have viewed it from various perspectives. Some are negative, some positive, some from the perspective of indigenous peoples, Hispanics, Blacks or more, while others are from the perspective of the whites. Today, we’ve made a list of 10 best books on American history, exploring very varied events that have shaped not just American but global history as well.

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn

This is a history of USA without the conventional filters of race and political power right from its origins to the presidency of George Bush Jr. It’s a book told from the perspective of the poor, from the perspective of the masses. This book is not only informative and enlightening, but will also make you question and challenge the assumptions you have about history.

1491 by Charles Mann

This book explores the history of America before the advent of Columbus, that is, it explores the history of the Natives and Indians. It offers a fresh perspective on America’s indigenous life, including chapters on the Aztecs, Indians, Mexicans and so on.

Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

This book details the period just after the prolific American Independence, and talks about the tumult in the masses during it. It gives a strong political background of the period following the revolution, and the impacts it had on American history. Divisions between the Federalists and Republicans, and the impending backlash of slavery threatened the nascent nation. It was the Founding Brothers (and a great deal of chance) that made it the successful superpower it is today.

The Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust

This book is a deep dive into the civil war, an event that has since defined the history of the Americas. Along with harrowing numbers, Faust explores the tender suffering of the thousands of war ridden people. The impact of death, carnage and violence on the lives of millions is a great way to understand how the civil war shaped American history.

Hard Times by Studs Terkel

This book delves into an important event that crippled the American economy and even life – the Great Depression of the 1930s. This is a wonderful compilation of the memories of various significant people – from politicians and businessmen to artists and writers. He also includes the testimonies of people at the sidelines – the masses who were impacted the most and studied the least.

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

This is a stunning piece of non fiction from Pulitzer prize winning author Wilkerson has chronicled the exodus of the Blacks from the South to Northern and Western states in search of a better life. Meticulously researched and poignantly written, this is a simultaneously scientific and humanistic view of an event that defined Black history of America.

Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch

This is one of the best books ever written about the civil rights movement in America, led by Martin Luther King Jr. It is a comprehensive account of this tumultuous period in American history, which has forged the identity of the Americans.

The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins

This book chronicles the American fight against communism. Plus, it also talks about its effects on foreign countries such as Indonesia, Latin America, China and the Soviet. This book is the history of America in relation to the histories of other countries.

The Heartland by Kristin Hoganson

This is the history of the American rural heartland – away from the hustle and bustle of the mega metropolises. Drawing on her personal experiences of debilitation, she crafts a humanistic history of the beautiful Midwest. In the process, she tells stories that have been repressed for ages.

On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

This is primarily a historian’s view of the road to Juneteenth. It recounts the stories of its origins in Texas and the struggles of the Blacks since. With elements of memoir embedded in it, this novel explores the history of Texas and the myths surrounding it. Not only is it informative and interesting, but also manages to be moving and personal in a way that historical non-fiction rarely is.

Also Read: History Of India: 12 Best Books On Indian History