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Want to learn more about history but prefer the pace and storytelling of a great novel? These are 15 history books that read like fiction! From Cold War spies and wartime resistance fighters to political assassinations, disasters, NZ history and remarkable lives, these history books are every bit as exciting as fiction, except they really happened!
Get the complete list delivered overnight across NZ
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing tells the gripping true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic expedition. Facing extreme conditions, Shackleton and his crew must survive after their ship, the Endurance, is trapped and crushed by ice. Their astonishing journey highlights human resilience and teamwork in overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds.
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre tells the riveting true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a top KGB officer who secretly worked for MI6. The book delves into international espionage, highlighting the intense and dangerous world of intelligence during the Cold War. It covers Gordievsky's recruitment, espionage activities, and the high-stakes effort to extract him from the Soviet Union.
From the bestselling author of Too Big to Fail, comes a riveting, fly-on-the-wall account of the most infamous stock market crash in history. In 1929, the world watched in shock as the unstoppable Wall Street bull market went into a freefall, wiping out fortunes and igniting a depression that would reshape a generation. But behind the flashing ticker tapes and panicked traders, another drama unfoldedβone of visionaries and fraudsters, titans and dreamers, euphoria and ruin. With unparalleled access to historical records and newly uncovered documents, New York Times bestselling author Andrew Ross Sorkin takes readers inside the chaos of the crash, behind the scenes of a raging battle between Wall Street and Washington and the larger-than-life characters whose ambition and naivety in an endless boom led to wreckage....
Chickenhawk by Robert Mason is a gripping memoir detailing the author's experience as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. The book vividly recounts the intense and often harrowing missions he undertook and explores the emotional and psychological toll the war had on him. It's a powerful account of courage, conflict, and survival.
One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her in a secret space above the ceiling. With shrewd cunning and unflinching courage, they outwit the Gestapo, survive relentless searches, and face betrayal from those they once trusted. By night, Frits forges ID papers; by day, he sabotages warplanes at the Luftwaffe plant. Jo works in the shadows, aiding Jewish fugitives and smuggling underground newspapers through a city crawling with enemy patrols. But, with the Germans closing in,...
The Brighton bombing of 1984 remains one of the most audacious and chilling assassination attempts in recent political history. In Killing Thatcher, veteran journalist Rory Carroll meticulously reconstructs the series of events that nearly altered the course of British politics forever. This riveting account unveils the story behind the IRA's meticulous plan to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and decimate the British Cabinet, an endeavour rooted deep within the Northern Ireland Troubles. Starting with the cold-blooded execution of Lord Mountbatten in 1979βa harrowing act for which the IRA claimed responsibilityβCarroll sets the stage for the political turbulence that followed. The narrative traces Margaret Thatcher's ascent to power, her staunch and controversial stance on the Northern Ireland issue, and the consequential hunger strikes of 1981 that claimed the lives...
Not my usual genre to read from but I was absolutely hooked on this journalistic investigation into Te Pahi and his role in the relationships between MΔori and PΔkeha all the way before any treaty or declaration was in place. The writing was incredibly engaging and interesting, and I found myself underlining many beautiful passages of reflections on this figure and his place in our history. It's a book about legacy and lineage, of relationships and betrayals, of mana and maemae. Highly recommend if you enjoy learning more about Aotearoa and it's historical figures that might not be as well known.
Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne is a riveting historical account of the rise and fall of the Comanche tribe, focusing on the legendary figure Quanah Parker. The book delves into the tribe's fierce resistance to European settlers and their significant impact on American history. It's a blend of adventure, tragedy, and perseverance that shapes the Wild West era.
Updated Edition 2025 This new edition contains a completely up-to-date timeline. Winner of four major awards.Brilliantly written by award-winning journalist Rebecca Macfie. 'Devastating account of a needless tragedy' - Otago Daily Times'Lucid, exhaustive, enraging' - New Zealand Listener'Compelling account of what went wrong' - Weekend Herald'Highly readable, sometimes shocking' - The Press'Compulsory reading for directors, managers and business students' - Newsroom On a sunny afternoon in November 2010, in the beautiful Paparoa Range of the South Island, a massive explosion rocked an underground coal mine. Later that day, two ashen men stumbled from the entrance. Twenty-nine men remained unaccounted for. Initial probes revealed fatally high methane levels in the mine - conditions deemed unsurvivable for the trapped men. But it was only after a second blast five days...
Sonia Purnell's A Woman of No Importance tells the remarkable true story of Virginia Hall, an American woman who played a crucial role in the French Resistance during World War II. Despite numerous obstacles and dangers, her bravery and cunning significantly contributed to the Allied war effort.
An electrifying re-examination of one of the twentieth century's greatest unsung power players, from the bestselling author of A Woman of No Importance. Named a Best Book of the Year by the Telegraph, Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, Daily Express, Times Literary Supplement, Spectator, Irish Examiner, London Standard, New Yorker, Politico, Apple Books, Town & Country and Oldie. 'Supremely enjoyable . . . With a historian's eye for rigour, a journalist's for detail and a storyteller's for drama' Financial Times 'A page turner that matches her subject in verve and ambition . . . Tremendous' Irish Examiner 'A wonderfully racy romp [and] a gripping biography of a brave, ambitious woman' Daily Mail 'An incredible story, beautifully told, of a remarkable woman whose political influence spanned Churchill...
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson is a gripping historical account of Winston Churchill's leadership during the Blitz. The book delves into Churchill's personal and political challenges as he inspires Britain to stand firm against Nazi Germany's relentless bombing campaign. Larson vividly portrays the resilience and courage of the British people during this dark period.
From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides comes an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration β the fateful final journey of Captain James Cook. In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed β stabbed by the indigenous population. What brought Cook to this end, so far from his reputation? Cook was renowned for humane leadership, dedication to science, and respect for indigenous societies. Cook's new voyage carried secret orders, and the Captain grew strange, delivering savage punishments and leading his ships into danger. The mission revealed the sharp edge of a colonial sword, leaving catastrophe in its wake. And, on the shores of Hawaii, Cook's expedition finally tore...
WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FACT CRIME SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE STARRING LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND ROBERT DE NIRO A riveting true story of greed, serial murder and racial injusticeβ JON KRAKAUER A fiercely entertaining mystery story and a wrenching exploration of evilβ KATE ATKINSON A fascinating account of a tragic and forgotten chapter in the history of the American Westβ JOHN GRISHAM From the bestselling author of The Lost City of Z, now a major film starring Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland, and the Number One international bestseller The Wager, comes a true-life murder story which became one...
A thrilling true story of courage, resistance and ultimately betrayal in the Third Reich, captured by internationally bestselling author and prize-winning journalist Jonathan Freedland. The Traitors Circle tells the true, but scarcely known, story of a group of secret rebels against Hitler. Drawn from Berlin high society, they include army officers, government officials, two countesses, an ambassador's widow and a former model - meeting in the shadows, whether hiding and rescuing Jews or plotting for a Germany freed from Nazi rule. One day in September 1943 they gather for a tea party - unaware that one among them is about to betray them all to the Gestapo. But who is the betrayer of a circle themselves branded 'traitors' by the cruellest regime in history? In another page-turning work...
