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.
Wilderness Tales | Forty Stories Of The North American Wild edited by Diana Fuss is a compilation of short stories, all rich with details of the wilderness in North America. Fuss has gathered a dazzling collection of timeless classics and contemporary discoveries summoning up our close and imagined encounters with all things wild.
The Peking Express | The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China by James M. Zimmerman examines the high-stakes capture of the Peking Express. The book is the incredible, long-forgotten story of a hostage crisis that shocked China and the West. It vividly captures the events that made international headlines.
Lost in the Cold War | The Story of Jack Downey, America’s Longest-Held POW by John T. Downey, Thomas J. Christensen, and Jack Lee Downey recounts the story of Jack Downey’s time as a prisoner in Cold War China. Downey’s lively and gripping memoir—written in secret late in life—interweaves horrors and deprivation with humor and the absurdities of captivity.
Defenders of the West | The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam by Raymond Ibrahim introduces the reader to eight remarkable Western defenders and their fascinating role in the battle against violent Islamic jihad that sheds much-needed light on the enduring conflict with radical Islam.
The Snatch Racket | The Kidnapping Epidemic That Terrorized 1930s America by Carolyn Cox provides a view of the prevalence of child kidnappings during the Great Depression. Although the 1932 kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s baby was a worldwide sensation, it was only one of an estimated three thousand ransom kidnappings that occurred in the United States that year. The epidemic hit America during the Great Depression and the last days of Prohibition as criminal gangs turned kidnapping into the highly lucrative “snatch racket.”
When the Iron Bird Flies | China’s Secret War in Tibet by Jianglin Li tells the untold story of China’s military operations in Tibet. The book breaks this decades long silence to reveal for the first time a comprehensive and explosive picture of the six years that would prove definitive in modern Tibetan and Chinese history.
A Thousand Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir, written by Ai Weiwei, was published on November 2, 2021. The book chronicles Ai Weiwei’s early years and the myriad forces that have shaped modern China. Recounting the memories of Weiwei’s childhood spent in exile with his father, poet Ai Qing, who Mao Zedong branded a “rightist intellectual” for his critical view of the government.
A Second Reckoning | Race, Injustice, and the Last Hanging in Annapolis by Scott D. Seligman looks into the wrongful hanging of a Black man, and argues for more reexamination into the racial uses of the justice systems. The author argues that the repeal of racist laws and policies must be augmented by reckoning with America’s judicial past, especially in cases in which prejudice may have tainted procedures or perverted verdicts.
Chicago’s Great Fire | The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City by Carl Smith
Between October 8–10, 1871, much of the city of Chicago was destroyed by one of the most legendary urban fires in history. Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago had grown at a breathtaking pace in barely three decades, from just over 4,000 in 1840 to greater than 330,000 at the time of the fire.
The Hidden Habits of Genius | Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness by Craig Wright studies geniuses throughout history and presents a new framework on how intellect should be measured. In The Hidden Habits of Genius, he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses,” past and present.
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