History books are written works that explore, analyze, and interpret past events, societies, and cultures. They aim to provide a detailed and factual account of historical developments, often focusing on specific periods, regions, or themes. History books can range from broad surveys that cover extensive time periods and geographical areas to more focused studies on particular events, individuals, or social phenomena. They utilize primary sources such as documents, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts, as well as secondary sources like scholarly articles and previous historical writings, to construct a coherent and informed narrative. History books serve to educate readers about the past, offering insights into how it has shaped the present and can influence the future. Here are our books on history.
Forthcoming, August 4, 2026
In Inside China’s Secret Prisons, Orville Schell investigates a shadow network of incarceration that reveals the inner workings of state control. Through reporting and analysis, he illuminates the human cost of secrecy and political repression.
In The Diversity Principle, David B. Oppenheimer, dubbed America’s “diversity detective” by The New Yorker, chronicles how diversity became a foundational value in higher education, commerce, and science over the past two centuries. He shows how the principle continues to shape intellectual and political life, even as it faces contemporary challenges.
Forthcoming, June 6, 2026
Gowanus Crossing by Vincent Coppola resurrects a lost Gowanus ruled by the twin authorities of the Church and the Mob. Told with dark humor and lyrical force, it traces a boy’s coming-of-age in a neighborhood where loyalty was law and survival was an art.
Forthcoming, April 21, 2026
Jeremy D. Popkin’s The First Emancipation reveals how revolutionary ideals of freedom and equality were tested against the institution of slavery, exposing both the triumphs and contradictions of the era. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous scholarship, Popkin traces the struggle that led to France’s groundbreaking 1794 abolition and the tragic reversal that followed.
From the moment Jews arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, they encountered efforts to exclude them. In her book, Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Pamela S. Nadell shows how, across generations, American Jews have faced discrimination—and fought back with resilience and determination.
In Bear With Me, historian Daniel Horowitz examines how bears evolved from fearsome symbols of the untamed frontier into global cultural celebrities, from Grizzly Adams to Winnie the Pooh. Known for his sharp cultural insights, Horowitz reveals what our changing relationship with bears says about American identity and imagination.
90 Seconds to Midnight by Charlotte Decroes Jacobs tells the story of Setsuko Nakamura Thurlow, who, after surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at thirteen, dedicated her life to warning the world of nuclear devastation’s horrors. Her relentless advocacy helped shape the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, leading to a historic global ban.
Through letters, diaries, and interviews, Band of Sisters by Philippe Maynial (translated by Richard Bernstein), recounts the untold bravery of French army doctor Madeleine Pauliac and her fellow Red Cross women as they ventured into war-torn Europe to rescue the stranded and wounded in 1945. Their daring missions in Germany, Russia, and Poland are powerful testimonies of courage in the face of unimaginable challenges.
In Raiders, Rulers and Traders | The Horse and The Rose of Empires, scholar of Asian history David Chaffetz tells the story of the steppe raiders, rulers, and traders who amassed power and wealth on horseback from the Bronze Age through the twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources—in Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese—Chaffetz presents a groundbreaking new view of what has been known as the “Silk Road,” and a lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization.
November 4, 1952, changed American elections forever, as newfangled “electronic brains” made their television debut to predict the winner from early returns. In Predicting the Winner, Ira Chinoy reveals how this pioneering moment sparked our fascination with election data and set the stage for today’s digital political landscape.
Peter and Amy Bernstein founded Bernstein Literary Agency in 2009. For over two decades, we have worked with over 100 brilliant authors around the globe and across a gamut of subjects to get their books published, and their stories told. We typically work on non-fiction projects, but we have helped bring many fiction books, children’s books, and the occasional cookbook to market. We work with authors in all stages of their careers, from experienced, award-winning, and bestselling ones to debut writers ready to take on the world.
Amitav Acharya
Esther Allen
Gerard Araud
Chris Bohjalian
Andrew Scott Cooper
Vincent Coppola
Eva Dou
Caldwell B., Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
Bruce Falconer
Gillian Lipton
Sven Steinmo
Robert Suettinger
Tanzina Vega
Olajide Williams
Dalena Wright