From this page you will find a plethora of book recommendations from general history to more specific reading. Please select the arrow to find reading lists for specific time periods. The majority of books have a hyperlink so use the links to locate the book on either eBay or amazon.
Any book with an * next to it is a copy that we have. Any book highlighted in bold will mean it is out on loan. You can borrow books for up to a month.
Most universities publish recommended reading lists on their websites so that is always a good place to start. Here are the lists suggested by Oxford and Cambridge.
https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/applying-to-univ/reading-bank/?category=humanities&subcatergory=history#038;subcatergory=history The Oxford list is formulated of books read by their undergraduates before they started their degree which should give you a good idea about what to read.
https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/reading-lists/history-reading-list The Cambridge one is more categorised and has a series of historical time periods to delve into.
An excellent starting point are the 'short introduction' books that provide a detailed overview of certain topics. The link can be found here: https://global.oup.com/academic/content/series/v/very-short-introductions-vsi/?cc=gb&lang=en&
I also like the 'Little Black Classics' series that Penguin have. You can buy some classics from the Ancient world to twentieth century from £1. They are genuinely pocket sized so great for the bus or tube. Some of my favourites:
Hannibal by Roman historian Livy - One of Rome's greatest historians recounts the military genius Hannibal crossing the Alps.
The Madness of Cambyses by Greek historian Herodotus - The father of history tells the story of the psychotic Persian king.
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels - The revolutionary summons to workers transformed the modern world.
The Great Fire of London by Samuel Pepys - A selection from Pepys' startlingly vivid and candid diary, including his famous account of the Great Fire