Main Page

From History Book By Book
Revision as of 20:31, 12 November 2023 by Admin (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
History book by book logo.jpg
Welcome to History Book By Book,
Reading your way through history... one book at a time...

> We are currently recommending a total of (1,100) books, divided into (65) specific booklists on this website.

First Time Here? Check Out: Frequently Asked Questions | How Do I Use History Book By Book (HBBB)?

General Outline

Prehistory Booklist (4,500,000,000-6000 BCE)

  • Stone Age (2,600,000-3300 BCE)

Early Civilization Booklist (6000-3000 BCE)

  • Ancient China (6000-220 CE)
  • Mesopotamian Civilization (3500–500 BCE)
  • Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1900 BCE)
  • Bronze Age (3300-1200 BCE)
  • Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE)

Classical Age Booklist (3000 BCE-400 CE)

Early Medieval Booklist (400–699 CE)

High Middle Ages Booklist (700-1399 CE)

  • Vikings (790–1100)
  • Aztec Civilization (1345–1521)

Renaissance Booklist (1400-1599 CE)

Enlightenment Booklist (1600-1699 CE)

Age of Revolutions Booklist (1700-1839 CE)

Industrial Age Booklist (1840-1899 CE)

Modern Age Booklist (1900 CE - present)


See also: American History | African American History | Indigenous American History | Jewish History


List of All Booklists

Other Booklists

Why is HBBB a thing?

I am a list maker. I love organizing booklists, to-do lists, checklists of all kinds. I spend a great deal of my time researching books for my job and I’ve often found it frustrating that there isn’t one reliable resource where I can find an organized timeline of literature. So I’ve created one. I’ve set out to create a resource that will guide you on a literary adventure through history.

You can find books here on just about every time period or historical topic and for any age level. I’ve done my best to research and vet each title to ensure that this list is filled with living books. I’ve noted content warnings when necessary and my daughters and I have reviewed many of the titles recommended. This has been and will continue to be a labor of love, as we continue to build this website and update these book suggestions. I hope you find it helpful!

Thanks and Happy Reading, Emily

Emily's Favorites

History book by book.jpg

Book Suggestions Published in 2023


See also: 2022 | 2021 | 2020

Featured Weekly Book Suggestion - 11/13/2023

Industrial Age
GoldMountain.jpg

Gold Mountain
Author: Yee, Betty G.
Buy at Amazon | BookShop.org

Time Period: Industrial Age
Time Frame: 1867-1869
Geographic Area: North America, Asia
Country: United States, China
Topics: Westward Expansion, Chinese Immigration, Transcontinental Railroad
Genre: Fiction
Reading Age: Young Adult, Adult
Format: Novel
Published: 2022

American History > Industrial Age > Westward Expansion

Working on the Transcontinental Railroad promises a fortune―for those who survive.

Growing up in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father is wealthy enough to provide for his family but unconventional enough to spare Ling Fan from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But Ling Fan’s life is upended when her brother dies of influenza and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. Hoping to earn the money that will secure her father’s release, Ling Fan disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s contract to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company in America.

Life on “the Gold Mountain” is grueling and dangerous. To build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east, Ling Fan and other Chinese laborers lay track and blast tunnels through the treacherous peaks of the Sierra Nevada, facing cave-ins, avalanches, and blizzards―along with hostility from white Americans.

When someone threatens to expose Ling Fan’s secret, she must take an even greater risk to save what’s left of her family . . . and to escape the Gold Mountain alive.

Emily's Review

This was such an immersive read. I felt like I was swept up in Ling's world, experiencing the hardships right along with her. Tam Ling Fan's father was wrongfully imprisoned. Knowing it is her family's only hope, she dresses as a boy and runs away to "Gold Mountain" with only one goal - to make as much money as possible as quickly as she can. But she could never have anticipated how difficult the experience would be. The stakes were high and it adds a level of tension to the story, making it hard to put the book down!

I found this story to be absolutely riveting. I loved Ling Fan as a character. She was so strong and determined, even when things seemed impossible she persevered. I'm always a sucker for a story about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy - that's a trope that will always work for me, and it was done very well in this story. I thought the author did a great job of showing what this time period was like, the rampant xenophobia, the dangers of working on the railroad, the intrigue and sabotage as the different railway lines competed to be the first to make it to Promontory Point.

This was a fantastic piece of historical fiction that could pair well with any American History curriculum. I recommend it for teens ages 14+!

Other Similar Books

Other suggestions on the subject of the Westward Expansion.

Other suggestions on the subject of Chinese Immigration.

What's New:

Books. Lots of Books.

Other Links: