Historic Historical Nonfiction

A True Story of Resilience Survival and Unbroken Spirit A Civilian Dutch Woman in Europe During World War II Treasures of Sadness is the story of Corrie's unbroken spirit. If you love historical fiction, don't miss reading this real life memoir and page-turner: Treasures of Sadness Treasures of Sadness is a real life account of a woman’s journey that began during World War II. Corrie grew up in an affluent neighborhood in Amersfoort, Holland in the 1940’s. From there she fell in love with a German soldier, rubbed elbows with royalty in Vienna, Austria and ended up in a coal mining town ...

She isn’t a stranger to survival. But can she persevere when the North invades her home and shatters their way of life? Florida, 1862. Mary Adeline Walker Andrews cannot falter. Worried about her husband and eldest son fighting in the Civil War, the strong-willed mother of eleven wields faith and resourcefulness to keep her household running and her family fed. And as the country’s conflict rages on, the level-headed matriarch fights to defend against deserters, raids, and the growing fear of loss. But she struggles to maintain her optimism when the Union seizes control of her town. ...

This is the ultimate book of weird history! Combining Volumes 1 and 2 in the “Weird Things in History and Why the Heck They Happened” series, this is your opportunity to jump into a time machine and visit some of the overlooked, the peculiar, and definitely the most amusing things that have influenced our contemporary world. Brace yourself for amusement and astonishment as you explore not only the 50 tales from the first two volumes but 5 additional historical events that you most likely won’t find in any school textbook! “Weird Things in History and Why the Heck They Happened” ...

The American West was never just a man’s world. In The Forgotten Frontier, bestselling author Richard Fleischman uncovers the extraordinary lives of women who braved the harsh realities of the 19th-century American frontier. Through vivid, deeply researched storytelling, this powerful volume gives voice to the women who crossed mountains, deserts, and boundaries—both physical and social. From midwives who delivered babies on dirt floors to widows who defended their homes with rifles in hand, these women lived at the intersection of grit, grief, resilience, and resolve. Some followed ...

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE Written with the style of a great novelist and the intrigue of a Cold War thriller, Embers of War is a landmark work that will forever change your understanding of how and why America went to war in Vietnam. Tapping newly accessible diplomatic archives in several...

The Instant New York Times Bestseller by Co-Star of Fox's American Grit and Legendary Ranger Nicholas Irving. Groundbreaking, thrilling and revealing, The Reaper is the astonishing memoir of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving, the 3rd Ranger Battalion's deadliest sniper with...

The world remembers Leonidas for how he died. This is the story of how—and why—he lived. At the dawn of Western history, one man’s final stand against an empire forged a legend that would echo for millennia. Leonidas: The Last King of Sparta is the definitive retelling of the life and legacy of the warrior who defied Persia at the narrow pass of Thermopylae — not as a comic-book hero or marble statue, but as a flesh-and-blood king shaped by duty, law, and fate. In this sweeping historical narrative, A. K. Thompson reconstructs the world that made Leonidas: a Sparta without walls, ...

Naughty Victorians lifts the starched petticoats of 19th-century propriety to reveal the delightfully messy truths hidden beneath. With wit as sharp as a corset stay, author David Rountree unpacks the double standards, sexual taboos, and delicious hypocrisies of the Victorian era, focusing on America’s primly scandalized society. From the perfumed parlors of upper-class women to the grim tenements of immigrant families, this book explores the lives of real people—particularly women—navigating a world obsessed with virtue while frequently indulging in vice. Based on true newspaper ...

A journalist's twenty-year fascination with the Manson murders leads to shocking new revelations about the FBI's involvement in this riveting reassessment of an infamous case in American history. Over two grim nights in Los Angeles, the young followers of Charles Manson murdered seven people...

Weird but True Stories from Irish History: Bizarre, Shocking, and Unbelievable Tales from the Emerald Isle Ireland's past is filled with saints, scholars, and... flaming whiskey floods? Ghost ships? Phantom islands? In this captivating collection of true and historically verified tales, Weird but True Stories from Irish History explores the most bizarre, unsettling, and unexpected events ever to unfold on the Emerald Isle. From the medieval witch trial of Alice Kyteler to the whiskey-fueled infernos of Dublin and Tullamore, from ancient tsunamis and ghostly ships to the recent excavation of...

Blind since the age of three, young Louis Braille wanted to be able to read. He spent every spare moment punching holes in paper with a stylus until, by the age of 15, he had invented his own alphabet. This vivid biography, written by an award-winning author, allows young listeners the opportunity to identify with and to appreciate a real life hero.

Weird but True Stories from the 1950's: Bizarre, Shocking, and Unbelievable Tales from America’s Atomic Age Think you know the 1950's? Think again. Beneath the surface of poodle skirts, chrome diners, and black-and-white TV was a decade overflowing with mystery, irony, and stranger-than-fiction true stories. This captivating collection reveals ten astonishing real-life events from the 1950's that defy expectation and logic—each one verified and rooted in historical fact. From radar panic over Washington D.C. to the eerie Phantom Whistler of New Jersey, from mid-air collisions with ...

Step back into the shadowed cities, remote villages, and colonial frontiers of the eighteenth century, a time when reason and enlightenment existed alongside superstition, brutality, and relentless crime. In 25 True Crimes That Shocked the 18th Century, history is brought vividly to life through twenty-five deeply researched true crime stories reconstructed from court records, newspapers, and contemporary accounts. From the Cape Colony in southern Africa to the cities of Europe and the colonies of the Caribbean, North America, and South America, these stories trace a world where violence ...

They’ve just achieved statehood. Has the wilderness of this new wife’s childhood been completely tamed, or are there deadly threats on the horizon? Florida, 1844. Mary Adeline Walker brims with optimism. After three years of marriage, she’s still head-over-heels in love with her refined gentleman of a husband and delights in their blended family of five children. But it’s hard to remain at peace as outlaw gangs constantly crop up and news of war with Mexico brings a spark to her spouse’s eyes. Relieved as the conflict sweeps by without harming her household, Mary steadfastly keeps...

In an age of warlords and plagues, one man ruled the world armed not with superstition or cruelty, but with reason. When Marcus Aurelius took the throne of Rome, the empire’s peace was already beginning to crumble. Beyond the Danube, restless tribes gathered. In the East, Parthian kings tested Rome’s strength. At home, pestilence hollowed out cities and farms. Yet amid chaos, the emperor sat by firelight in a soldier’s tent, writing meditations to himself about humility, duty, and the fleeting nature of power. The Philosopher King tells the sweeping, visceral story of Rome’s last ...

Award-winning exploration of the lost empire that rivaled ancient Egypt and Babylonia. Winner of the Outstanding Creator Award for Best Nonfiction Book 2025, First Place in Educational & Reference, and Best Research. For centuries, the Hittites slipped into near oblivion, until archaeologists pieced together their astonishing legacy from ruins and clay tablets. Drawing on decades of research, archaeologist R. Jay Driskill brings this enigmatic civilization vividly to life. From their sudden rise in the early second millennium BCE to their collapse around 1180 BCE, the Hittites reshaped the ...

During World War II, Silence Could Mean Survival…or Death Tens of thousands of Jewish children were forced into a world of shadows and secrecy. Hidden in attics, cellars, forest bunkers—or living in plain sight under false identities—they clung to life with every whispered word, every careful movement, every heartbeat measured against the threat of discovery. For these children, survival was never guaranteed. The Children in the Attic brings their hidden lives into the light. Drawing on survivor testimonies, secret diaries, and archival records, this book traces the extraordinary ...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE Every day, thousands of new secrets are created by the United States government. What is all this secrecy really for? And whom does it benefit? “A brilliant, deeply unsettling look at the history and inner workings of ‘the dark state'.... At a...

The Dark Side of History: 50 True Crime Stories of Murder, Power and Intrigue By Prof. Heinrich Müller Step into the shadowy corridors of history where power, passion, and politics collide in chilling acts of true crime. In this gripping and meticulously researched collection, renowned historian Prof. Heinrich Müller unveils 50 of the most fascinating real-life crimes from ancient times to the 21st century. These are not just tales of murder—they are windows into the darkest corners of human ambition, greed, and betrayal. From ancient political assassinations to modern-day spy scandals,...

The instant New York Times bestseller Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Slate, Vanity Fair, TIME, Buzzfeed, Smithsonian, BookPage, KCUR, Kirkus, and Boston Globe Nominated for a PEN America Literary Award “It literally changed my outlook on the world…incredible...