Below is a selection of books that I’ve stumbled upon over the years that stick out in my mind as particularly well-done and informative. I thought this might be of interest for those who prefer the history-focused portion of this site. It’s definitely not exhaustive – just books that I would give an extra enthusiastic endorsement or that have informed how I think about a particular figure/time period.
Medieval History
Jones, Dan. The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England. Penguin Books, 2013.
Barker, Juliet. Conquest. Harvard University Press, 2012.
Weir, Alison. Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster. Ballantine Book, 2007.
Amin, Nathan. The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line that Captured the Crown. Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing, 2017.
Given-Wilson, Chris. Henry IV. Yale University Press, 2016.
Wolffe, Bertram. Henry VI. Yale University Press, 2001.
Jones, Dan. The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. Penguin Books, 2014.
Weir, Alison: Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses. Ballantine Books, 1995.
Lewis, Matthew. Richard III: Loyalty Binds Me. Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing, 2018.
Lewis, Matthew. The Survival of the Princes in the Tower: Murder, Mystery and Myth. Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2017.
Tudor History
Penn, Thomas. Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England. Simon & Schuster, 2012.
Williams, Patrick. Katharine of Aragon: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII’s First Unfortunate Wife. Amberley Publishing, 2013.
Ives, Eric. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. Wiley-Blackwell, 1986.
Bordo, Susan. The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen. Mariner Books, 2013.
Byrne, Conor. Katherine Howard: A New History. MadeGlobal Publishing, 2014.
Erickson, Carolly. Bloody Mary: The Life of Mary Tudor. St. Martin’s Griffin, 1978.
Stuart History
De Lisle, Leanda. The White King: Charles I, Traitor, Murderer, Martyr. Hachette Book Group, 2017.
Goldstone, Nancy. Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots. Little, Brown and Company, 2018.
Van der Kriste, John. Heroes of the Glorious Revolution: William and Mary. The History Press, 2011.
Somerset, Anne. Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.
Georgian History
Van der Kriste, John. The Georgian Princesses. The History Press, 2002.
Hadlow, Janice. A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III. Henry Holt and Co., 2014.
Tillyard, Stella. A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings. Random House, 2006.
Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. Anchor, 2006.
Victorian & Edwardian History
Hibbert, Christopher. Queen Victoria: A Personal History. Da Capo Press, 2001.
Ridley, Jane. The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince. Random House, 2013.
Packard, Jerrold. Victoria’s Daughters. St. Martin’s Press, 1999.
Pakula, Hannah. An Uncommon Woman: Empress Frederick, Daughter of Queen Victoria, Wife of the Crown Prince of Prussia. Simon & Schuster, 1995.
Gelardi, Julia. Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria. St. Martin’s Press, 2005.
Windsor History
Pope-Hennessy, James. Queen Mary. Hodder & Stoughton, 1959.
Pope Hennessy, James and Vickers, Hugo. The Quest For Queen Mary. Hodder & Stoughton, 2018.
Bedell-Smith, Sally. Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch. Random House, 2012.
Bedell-Smith, Sally. Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life. Random House, 2017.
Bradford, Sara. Diana: Finally, the Complete Story. Penguin Books, 2007.