Welcome back! Our history section has a treasure trove of fascinating stories to tell! Mixed among the more popular titles, there are some hidden gems waiting for you to discover them. Below are more of the history books oft forgotten to time, and you can check them out to learn something new while reliving some of history's most exciting moments!

A Short History of the 20th Century  by Geoffrey Blainey

Call number: 909.82 B

The 20th century saw some incredible changes to our world. Two world wars, the rise and fall of Communist states, firsts in gender and race, and members of our species even left the planet! So much happened that even a short history takes 300 pages to tell. 

It flies by though, thanks to the storytelling prowess of Professor Geoffrey Blainey, one of Australia’s popular historians with over 40 books under his belt. The major things we are familiar with are all there, but Blainey includes the details that bring this incredibly significant century to life. 

 

The World Since 1945: An International History by P.M.H. Bell and Mark Gilbert

Call number:  909.82 B

Just interested in the last half of the century? This book covers everything from the end of the Second World War through the end of the century. If you are interested in the aftermath of the Second World War, decolonization, the Cold War, 9/11 and its aftermath, this is the book for you. 

Fans and students of modern history will find this lengthy book, packed with photos, illustrations and maps to be essential reading to understand how we got where we are today. It's lengthy, and well worth the read!

 

Fracture: Life & Culture in the West, 1918-1938 by Philipp Blom

Call number:  909.821 B

If the earlier part of the century is of more interest, Fracture covers the period between World Wars. Never had the world seen such destruction and death, and America and Europe took some time and turned inward for some soul searching.  

Here the Harlem Renaissance advanced in racial equality and African American culture while flappers made us reconsider women's place in our society. The other side of the coin was abject poverty, the Dust Bowl, immigration quotas, and the ongoing struggle of racial tensions and class warfare. 

Accross the pond new ideologies sprung up, not all for the better. Fascism rose, and communism as well, and these promised their followers new life, though ultimately plunged the world back into war once againtwo decades later. At the same time the surrealist movement made the art world a bit more... interesting, and scientific and spiritual discoveries were plentiful. 

Take a journey into these fascinating two decades whose ideas shaped our present as much as any century that came before them. 

Smithsonian's Journey: An Illustrated History of Travel by  Simon Adams,  R.G. Grant,   Andrew Humphreys,  Michael Collins (Foreword)

Call number:  910.202 A

Humans are, and always have been, on the move. Food migrations, religious pilgrimages, trading voyages, exploration, conquest, curiosity, and adventure has kept us moving and changed the face of the planet as a result. The Smithsonian set out to explore these journeys, and the impulses that drove humanity to make them; the works of art they've inspired, the scientific research and discoveries made either along the way or out of a desire to travel farther and faster; the men and women who risked everything to simply go somewhere else. 

The book is filled with archival images of places, people, artifacts and the vessels we use to get around, plus historical maps, and accounts of the travels we have always and still do take as part of our human experience. 

Talk of the Devil: Encounters With Seven Dictators by Riccardo Orizio

Call number: 909.8209 O

Do you enjoy a good Where-Are-They-Now piece? Journalist Riccardo Orizio decided to take a look at where ex tyrants have ended up, and his curiousity took him around the world. Did they learn anything? Do they have any remorse? Where did their lives take them after they were ousted?

You can watch Orizio talk about the seven encounters in his book on C-SPAN, but for a full account of his conversations with the likes of Idi Amin you'll have to read the book!

 

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!