BookRank

Best History books

The 39 highest-rated History books, scored from 7.4K reader ratings.

Top 3: The Color of Law (8.4), The Soul of a New Machine (8.4), American Prometheus (8.4)

39 results
By year of first publication, 1853–2025. The busiest stretch is 2000–2019, with 24. Select a bar to narrow the list.
  1. The Color of Law
    1
    8.48.4 / 10
    The Color of LawRichard Rothstein166 ratings
  2. The Soul of a New Machine
    2
    8.48.4 / 10
    The Soul of a New MachineTracy Kidder116 ratings
  3. American Prometheus
    3
    8.48.4 / 10
    American PrometheusKai Bird186 ratings

Why The Color of Law is #1

The Color of Law (Richard Rothstein) scores 8.4/10 from 166 ratings — level with The Soul of a New Machine at one decimal, and ahead on the exact score.

The score is a weighted average across 3 independent rating sources. A title with few ratings is pulled toward the category average, so a handful of enthusiastic reviews cannot outrank a book that thousands of readers have judged. To keep the list varied, the top 20 holds at most two books from one series and three by one author; the rest follow further down. Method →

  1. Grant
    GrantRon Chernow · 2017NYT bestseller78 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  2. The Gene: An Intimate History
    The Gene: An Intimate HistorySiddhartha Mukherjee · 2016NYT bestseller169 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  3. A People's History of the United States
    A People's History of the United StatesHoward Zinn · 1980367 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  4. The Emperor of All Maladies
    The Emperor of All MaladiesSiddhartha Mukherjee · 2010NYT bestseller225 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  5. Twelve Years a Slave
    Twelve Years a SlaveSolomon Northup · 1853NYT bestseller72 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  6. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
    The Information: A History, a Theory, a FloodJames Gleick · 2011NYT bestseller127 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  7. The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
    The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital RevolutionWalter Isaacson · 2014NYT bestseller185 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  8. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
    1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before ColumbusCharles C. Mann · 2005228 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  9. Eichmann in Jerusalem
    Eichmann in JerusalemHannah Arendt · 196399 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  10. The Splendid and the Vile
    The Splendid and the VileErik Larson · 2020NYT bestseller195 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  11. The Dawn of Everything
    The Dawn of EverythingDavid Graeber · 2021NYT bestseller173 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  12. Dark Money
    Dark MoneyJane Mayer · 2016NYT bestseller80 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  13. Command and Control
    Command and ControlEric Schlosser · 2013NYT bestseller89 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  14. 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
    1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus CreatedCharles C. Mann · 2011NYT bestseller63 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  15. A History of Western Philosophy
    A History of Western PhilosophyBertrand Russell · 194597 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  16. Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
    Hackers: Heroes of the Computer RevolutionSteven Levy · 1984125 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  17. One Summer
    One SummerBill Bryson · 2013NYT bestseller116 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  18. The Library Book
    The Library BookSusan Orlean · 2018NYT bestseller245 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  19. Guns, Germs, and Steel
    Guns, Germs, and SteelJared Diamond · 1997874 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  20. The Devil in the White City
    The Devil in the White CityErik Larson · 2003NYT bestseller869 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  21. Going Clear
    Going ClearLawrence Wright · 2013NYT bestseller128 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  22. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
    21 Lessons for the 21st CenturyYuval Noah Harari · 2018NYT bestseller503 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  23. 1929
    1929Andrew Ross Sorkin · 2025NYT bestseller50 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  24. Isaac's Storm
    Isaac's StormErik Larson · 200097 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  25. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
    Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space RaceMargot Lee Shetterly · 2016NYT bestseller205 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  26. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
    Incidents in the Life of a Slave GirlHarriet Jacobs · 186167 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  27. The Lessons of History
    The Lessons of HistoryAriel Durant · 196891 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  28. The Bomber Mafia
    The Bomber MafiaMalcolm Gladwell · 2021NYT bestseller167 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  29. Made in America
    Made in AmericaBill Bryson · 199453 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  30. The Great Influenza
    The Great InfluenzaJohn M. Barry · 2004NYT bestseller104 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  31. The Ascent of Money
    The Ascent of MoneyNiall Ferguson · 200898 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  32. The Mother Tongue
    The Mother TongueBill Bryson · 1990NYT bestseller160 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  33. Hit Refresh
    Hit RefreshSatya Nadella · 2017NYT bestseller72 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  34. The Lost City of Z
    The Lost City of ZDavid Grann · 2009NYT bestseller303 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  35. In the Garden of Beasts
    In the Garden of BeastsErik Larson · 2011NYT bestseller280 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  36. The witches: Salem, 1692
    The witches: Salem, 1692Stacy Schiff · 2015NYT bestseller56 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10

Frequently asked questions

Which title here has the most ratings?

Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared Diamond) — 874 ratings and 8.0/10, which puts it at #22 on this list.

What is the best book of recent years in History?

Of the books here published since 2022, 1929 (2025) ranks highest: #26, 8.0/10.