Books on U.S. History

Explore national history with this collection of study guides for fiction and non-fiction texts covering events, key figures, and viewpoints that have shaped the United States over the centuries. A sampling of topics within this collection includes the Puritans, Indigenous peoples, the successes and failures of the country's founders, U.S. presidents, war, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and more.

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Education, Education, American Civil War, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

The Radical and the Republican is a nonfiction book written by James Oakes and published in 2007. While many nonfiction works are centered around a central thesis, hypothesis, or argument, The Radical and the Republican does not follow this pattern; instead, Oakes’s approach is one of compare-and-contrast. He sets up Abraham Lincoln (the Republican) and Frederick Douglass (the Radical) as foils, which allows him to move back and forth from the two historical figures as... Read The Radical and the Republican Summary


Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags History: U.S., American Revolution, Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World

The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1991) is a non-fiction book written by American historian and Brown University professor Gordon S. Wood. Most revolutions are an act of violence that result in deaths, property destruction, and a world turned upside down. Americans do not see the American Revolution this way. The American founding fathers were educated men who wrote pamphlets and spoke openly in legislative halls. As the story goes, they were gentlemen, not radicals... Read The Radicalism of the American Revolution Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Gender

Tags History: U.S., Science / Nature, WWI / World War I, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1895

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Military / War, American Literature, Historical Fiction, History: U.S., American Civil War, Naturalism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Red Badge of Courage was written in 1895 by Stephen Crane, a novelist, poet, and journalist well known for his naturalist style and for incorporating the inner lives of common and marginalized people. The novel won wide acclaim for Crane, though his life after the book’s publication was distinguished by scandal and money troubles. Its themes reframe the concept of military duty as a rite of passage, detailing a highly individual and self-searching act... Read The Red Badge of Courage Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Indian Literature, History: The Americas, History: World


Publication year 1895

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Social Justice, African American Literature


Publication year 2021

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Community

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Poverty, Social Justice, Class, Education, Russian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2022

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, Military / War, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1791

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: European

Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man (1791) is one of the 18th-century’s most influential political treatises. It offers a spirited defense of the ongoing French Revolution and calls for dramatic reforms in Britain. Paine wrote Rights of Man as a direct response to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), a conservative critique that professes skepticism and even horror at the course of events in France since the Revolution began in 1789. Rights of... Read The Rights of Man Summary


Publication year 1772

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Colonialism / Postcolonialism


Publication year 1979

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags History: U.S., Science / Nature, Journalism, Technology, Technology, History: World, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Biography

The Right Stuff is a lively account of the early American space program and its roots in the subculture of military test pilots that developed after World War II. Wolfe’s eclectic, wide-ranging narrative combines numerous elements: technological advancements in mid-20th-century flight; the generation of daring pilots who pushed innovations to their limits; and reflections on the moral, cultural, and political significance of the first astronauts at the height of the Cold War. Taken together, these... Read The Right Stuff Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: World, Biography, History: U.S., History: The Americas, Politics / Government, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (2005) is a work of nonfiction by Candice Millard, a former writer and editor for National Geographic. The book describes Roosevelt’s 1914 expedition down an unexplored river in the Amazon rainforest, which nearly cost him his life. Despite poor preparation for the trip, Roosevelt and the group managed to overcome the Amazon’s physical and psychological challenges and placed a 1,000-mile river on the map in a historic... Read The River of Doubt Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Biography

The Room Where It Happened is a nonfiction memoir published in 2020 by American diplomat John Bolton. A New York Times best-seller, the book chronicles Bolton’s 17-month tenure as national security advisor under President Donald Trump. Between April 2018 and September 2019, Bolton was party to some of the most important events in Trump’s presidency, including two summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, the US’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and the 2019... Read The Room Where It Happened Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Society: War

Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Military / War, American Literature, History: World


Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: U.S., Social Justice, Psychology, Biography

The Secret History of Wonder Woman is a nonfiction book by Jill Lepore, published in 2014. It falls into the categories of history, comics, women’s studies, and biography, and won the American History Book Prize from the New York Historical Society. Lepore is a professor of American history at Harvard University and a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine. This guide was written from the hardcover first edition.SummaryThe first section, called “Veritas,” includes nine... Read The Secret History of Wonder Woman Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World


Publication year 1936

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, History: U.S.

“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway that was first published in Cosmopolitan in 1936. It explores themes of power and dominance, courage and cowardice, and the nature of masculinity. The story details a hunting party and love triangle in which a husband, a wife, and their hired huntsman struggle for dominance and power over one another. This guide references the collection The Snows of Kilimanjaro... Read The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Western, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: U.S., Race / Racism, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Published in 1983, The Sign of the Beaver is a historical adventure novel for middle grade readers written by Elizabeth George Speare. Based on a true story that took place in 1760s Colonial America, the book follows the adventures of a young English boy who, while living alone in the Maine wilderness, befriends a local Penobscot boy who teaches him how to survive. The experience changes his views of himself, his family and fellow colonists... Read The Sign of the Beaver Summary