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The Company
by Stephen R. Bown • 2020
A fur company once ruled a third of North America. Its collapse created Canada.
4.13
2k+
The Company Summary
The Company 91%
A fur company once ruled a third of North America. Its collapse created Canada.
by Stephen R. Bown 2020
4.13
2k+ ratings
The New Penguin History of Canada
by Robert Bothwell • 2006
How French and British rivalry, a vast unforgiving land, and an accidental border forged Canada.
3.59
413
The New Penguin History of Canada Summary
The New Penguin History of Canada 88%
How French and British rivalry, a vast unforgiving land, and an accidental border forged Canada.
by Robert Bothwell 2006
3.59
413 ratings
Astor
by Anderson Cooper • 2023
How a name built on fur, real estate, and social gatekeeping outlasted its bloodline.
3.77
20k+
Astor Summary
Astor 88%
How a name built on fur, real estate, and social gatekeeping outlasted its bloodline.
by Anderson Cooper 2023
3.77
20k+ ratings
The Comanche Empire
by Pekka Hämäläinen • 2008
How the Comanches built a nomadic empire that made European colonies into its economic hinterland.
4.17
2k+
The Comanche Empire Summary
The Comanche Empire 88%
How the Comanches built a nomadic empire that made European colonies into its economic hinterland.
by Pekka Hämäläinen 2008
4.17
2k+ ratings
Empire
by Niall Ferguson • 2003
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
3.93
10k+
Empire Summary
Empire 87%
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
by Niall Ferguson 2003
3.93
10k+ ratings
The Taste of Conquest
by Michael Krondl • 2007
Nutmeg once outweighed gold. Three cities chased it across oceans and dragged the world behind them.
3.75
949
The Taste of Conquest Summary
The Taste of Conquest 87%
Nutmeg once outweighed gold. Three cities chased it across oceans and dragged the world behind them.
by Michael Krondl 2007
3.75
949 ratings
Enemy of All Mankind
by Steven Johnson • 2020
His 1695 heist of a Mughal treasure ship nearly toppled an empire. Then Henry Every disappeared.
3.89
5k+
Enemy of All Mankind Summary
Enemy of All Mankind 87%
His 1695 heist of a Mughal treasure ship nearly toppled an empire. Then Henry Every disappeared.
by Steven Johnson 2020
3.89
5k+ ratings
Empires in World History
by Jane Burbank • 2010
Empires managed human difference for two millennia. The nation-state is barely sixty.
3.98
430
Empires in World History Summary
Empires in World History 87%
Empires managed human difference for two millennia. The nation-state is barely sixty.
by Jane Burbank 2010
3.98
430 ratings
Slave Country
by Adam Rothman • 2005
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
3.73
169
Slave Country Summary
Slave Country 87%
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
by Adam Rothman 2005
3.73
169 ratings
Give Your Heart to the Hawks
by Win Blevins • 1973
Three hundred miles from the nearest law, mountain men ruled only themselves. It could not last.
3.98
425
Give Your Heart to the Hawks Summary
Give Your Heart to the Hawks 87%
Three hundred miles from the nearest law, mountain men ruled only themselves. It could not last.
by Win Blevins 1973
3.98
425 ratings
Our First Civil War
by H.W. Brands • 2021
Before fighting Britain, Americans fought each other. The Revolution as a civil war among neighbors.
3.90
1k+
Our First Civil War Summary
Our First Civil War 87%
Before fighting Britain, Americans fought each other. The Revolution as a civil war among neighbors.
by H.W. Brands 2021
3.90
1k+ ratings
Undaunted Courage
by Stephen E. Ambrose • 1996
A brave captain mapped the West for Jefferson, then got lost in his own mind.
4.23
68k+
Undaunted Courage Summary
Undaunted Courage 87%
A brave captain mapped the West for Jefferson, then got lost in his own mind.
by Stephen E. Ambrose 1996
4.23
68k+ ratings
Day of Empire
by Amy Chua • 2007
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
3.77
999
Day of Empire Summary
Day of Empire 86%
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
by Amy Chua 2007
3.77
999 ratings
The History of the Ancient World
by Susan Wise Bauer • 2007
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
4.11
7k+
The History of the Ancient World Summary
The History of the Ancient World 86%
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
by Susan Wise Bauer 2007
4.11
7k+ ratings
Nature's Metropolis
by William Cronon • 1991
The grain and hogs flowing through Chicago didn't just feed the nation, they rewired the continent.
4.26
4k+
Nature's Metropolis Summary
Nature's Metropolis 86%
The grain and hogs flowing through Chicago didn't just feed the nation, they rewired the continent.
by William Cronon 1991
4.26
4k+ ratings
Decline and Fall
by John Michael Greer • 2014
Empires are wealth pumps. America's runs on oil, nearly dry. The collapse cycle is inevitable.
4.29
156
Decline and Fall Summary
Decline and Fall 86%
Empires are wealth pumps. America's runs on oil, nearly dry. The collapse cycle is inevitable.
by John Michael Greer 2014
4.29
156 ratings
Indians and English
by Karen Ordahl Kupperman • 2000
Before conquest came curiosity: both sides studied each other as mutual puzzles.
3.85
114
Indians and English Summary
Indians and English 86%
Before conquest came curiosity: both sides studied each other as mutual puzzles.
by Karen Ordahl Kupperman 2000
3.85
114 ratings
Railroaded
by Richard White • 2011
Corrupt, overbuilt, taxpayer-funded: the transcontinentals failed their way into modern America.
3.63
912
Railroaded Summary
Railroaded 86%
Corrupt, overbuilt, taxpayer-funded: the transcontinentals failed their way into modern America.
by Richard White 2011
3.63
912 ratings
The Fish That Ate the Whale
by Rich Cohen • 2012
Penniless at fourteen, he built a banana empire that toppled governments and coined banana republic.
4.11
9k+
The Fish That Ate the Whale Summary
The Fish That Ate the Whale 86%
Penniless at fourteen, he built a banana empire that toppled governments and coined banana republic.
by Rich Cohen 2012
4.11
9k+ ratings
Blood and Treasure
by Duncan Weldon • 2026
The economic logic inside every war: why pirates ran democracies and silver bankrupted an empire.
4.08
262
Blood and Treasure Summary
Blood and Treasure 86%
The economic logic inside every war: why pirates ran democracies and silver bankrupted an empire.
by Duncan Weldon 2026
4.08
262 ratings
The Silk Roads
by Peter Frankopan • 2015
History looks different when you place the Silk Roads, not Europe, at the center of everything.
4.17
50k+
The Silk Roads Summary
The Silk Roads 86%
History looks different when you place the Silk Roads, not Europe, at the center of everything.
by Peter Frankopan 2015
4.17
50k+ ratings
The Frontiersmen
by Allan W. Eckert • 1967
The Shawnee captured a teenage fugitive to burn him alive. He became their brother instead.
4.46
5k+
The Frontiersmen Summary
The Frontiersmen 86%
The Shawnee captured a teenage fugitive to burn him alive. He became their brother instead.
by Allan W. Eckert 1967
4.46
5k+ ratings
The World for Sale
by Javier Blas • 2021
A few secretive companies move the world's oil, grain, and metals, thriving on sanctions and coups.
4.32
13k+
The World for Sale Summary
The World for Sale 86%
A few secretive companies move the world's oil, grain, and metals, thriving on sanctions and coups.
by Javier Blas 2021
4.32
13k+ ratings
A Splendid Exchange
by William J. Bernstein • 2008
Commerce, not conquest, built the modern world: the history of trade from obsidian to oil.
4.16
3k+
A Splendid Exchange Summary
A Splendid Exchange 86%
Commerce, not conquest, built the modern world: the history of trade from obsidian to oil.
by William J. Bernstein 2008
4.16
3k+ ratings
The Heart of the Declaration
by Steve Pincus • 2016
The Declaration was not a small-government manifesto but a blueprint for a powerful, activist state.
3.64
36
The Heart of the Declaration Summary
The Heart of the Declaration 86%
The Declaration was not a small-government manifesto but a blueprint for a powerful, activist state.
by Steve Pincus 2016
3.64
36 ratings
The Klondike Fever
by Pierre Berton • 1958
One ship carrying a fortune in gold turned a frozen creek into a city of forty thousand.
4.11
462
The Klondike Fever Summary
The Klondike Fever 86%
One ship carrying a fortune in gold turned a frozen creek into a city of forty thousand.
by Pierre Berton 1958
4.11
462 ratings
Mayflower
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2006
The first Thanksgiving was followed by a war bloodier per capita than the Civil War.
3.89
47k+
Mayflower Summary
Mayflower 86%
The first Thanksgiving was followed by a war bloodier per capita than the Civil War.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2006
3.89
47k+ ratings
A Land So Strange
by Andrés Reséndez • 2007
Four shipwrecked conquistadors crossed America as slaves turned healers, with thousands following.
4.11
4k+
A Land So Strange Summary
A Land So Strange 86%
Four shipwrecked conquistadors crossed America as slaves turned healers, with thousands following.
by Andrés Reséndez 2007
4.11
4k+ ratings
On History
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1997
Scotland's ships were built by war and state meddling: bounties, blockades, tobacco, and smuggling.
3.98
588
On History Summary
On History 86%
Scotland's ships were built by war and state meddling: bounties, blockades, tobacco, and smuggling.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1997
3.98
588 ratings
The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution
by Mark Peterson • 2026
The U.S. Constitution was built to seize a continent. What happens when the land runs out?
4.09
22
The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution Summary
The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution 86%
The U.S. Constitution was built to seize a continent. What happens when the land runs out?
by Mark Peterson 2026
4.09
22 ratings
From Silk to Silicon
by Jeffrey E. Garten • 2016
Ten lives shrank the planet more than any trade pact, and none of them meant to.
3.87
878
From Silk to Silicon Summary
From Silk to Silicon 86%
Ten lives shrank the planet more than any trade pact, and none of them meant to.
by Jeffrey E. Garten 2016
3.87
878 ratings
An Empire of Wealth
by John Steele Gordon • 2004
How a scrappy republic became the engine of global capitalism, from canals to microchips.
4.10
1k+
An Empire of Wealth Summary
An Empire of Wealth 86%
How a scrappy republic became the engine of global capitalism, from canals to microchips.
by John Steele Gordon 2004
4.10
1k+ ratings
The Familial State
by Julia Adams • 2005
The Dutch Golden Age was built by families who treated the state as private property.
3.91
22
The Familial State Summary
The Familial State 86%
The Dutch Golden Age was built by families who treated the state as private property.
by Julia Adams 2005
3.91
22 ratings
Empire of Cotton
by Sven Beckert • 2014
Before coal, cotton powered the world. The plantation, not the factory, built modern capitalism.
3.90
4k+
Empire of Cotton Summary
Empire of Cotton 86%
Before coal, cotton powered the world. The plantation, not the factory, built modern capitalism.
by Sven Beckert 2014
3.90
4k+ ratings
The Tycoons
by Charles R. Morris • 2005
Four rival industrialists, four methods, one generation: how America became the world's factory.
3.74
2k+
The Tycoons Summary
The Tycoons 86%
Four rival industrialists, four methods, one generation: how America became the world's factory.
by Charles R. Morris 2005
3.74
2k+ ratings
The Habsburgs
by Martyn Rady • 2020
The millennium-long dynasty ruling Europe through marriage, forgery, and propaganda, not just war.
3.86
3k+
The Habsburgs Summary
The Habsburgs 86%
The millennium-long dynasty ruling Europe through marriage, forgery, and propaganda, not just war.
by Martyn Rady 2020
3.86
3k+ ratings
Colonialism
by Nigel Biggar • 2023
The British Empire spent a century and 1.8% of its income on abolition. Critics skip that.
3.97
786
Colonialism Summary
Colonialism 86%
The British Empire spent a century and 1.8% of its income on abolition. Critics skip that.
by Nigel Biggar 2023
3.97
786 ratings
Appetite for America
by Stephen Fried • 2010
A railroad restaurant empire that civilized the West and launched America's first female workforce.
4.21
1k+
Appetite for America Summary
Appetite for America 86%
A railroad restaurant empire that civilized the West and launched America's first female workforce.
by Stephen Fried 2010
4.21
1k+ ratings
Civilization and Capitalism 15th–18th Century, Vol. 3
by Fernand Braudel • 1979
Capitalism thrives by avoiding the market. How monopolies, not competition, built the modern world.
4.44
498
Civilization and Capitalism 15th–18th Century, Vol. 3 Summary
Civilization and Capitalism 15th–18th Century, Vol. 3 86%
Capitalism thrives by avoiding the market. How monopolies, not competition, built the modern world.
by Fernand Braudel 1979
4.44
498 ratings
The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806
by Meriwether Lewis • 2005
Starvation, rapids, and tribal diplomacy: the raw journal that built an American myth.
3.93
381
The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Summary
The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 86%
Starvation, rapids, and tribal diplomacy: the raw journal that built an American myth.
by Meriwether Lewis 2005
3.93
381 ratings
Escape from Rome
by Walter Scheidel • 2019
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
4.05
482
Escape from Rome Summary
Escape from Rome 86%
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
by Walter Scheidel 2019
4.05
482 ratings
Smuggler Nation
by Peter Andreas • 2013
Molasses, slaves, blueprints, cocaine: America's defining chapters all ran on smuggling.
3.96
214
Smuggler Nation Summary
Smuggler Nation 86%
Molasses, slaves, blueprints, cocaine: America's defining chapters all ran on smuggling.
by Peter Andreas 2013
3.96
214 ratings
A Nation Without Borders
by Steven Hahn • 2016
The United States was an empire before it was a nation. Slavery, rebellion, and conquest built it.
4.00
332
A Nation Without Borders Summary
A Nation Without Borders 86%
The United States was an empire before it was a nation. Slavery, rebellion, and conquest built it.
by Steven Hahn 2016
4.00
332 ratings
1493
by Charles C. Mann • 2011
Potatoes east, mosquitoes west: the biological upheaval set off by 1492 that still runs the world.
4.12
21k+
1493 Summary
1493 86%
Potatoes east, mosquitoes west: the biological upheaval set off by 1492 that still runs the world.
by Charles C. Mann 2011
4.12
21k+ ratings
The Other Trail of Tears
by Mary Stockwell • 2014
The Cherokee weren't first. Ohio's tribes walked a forgotten removal trail decades earlier.
4.16
85
The Other Trail of Tears Summary
The Other Trail of Tears 86%
The Cherokee weren't first. Ohio's tribes walked a forgotten removal trail decades earlier.
by Mary Stockwell 2014
4.16
85 ratings
The Republic of Pirates
by Colin Woodard • 2007
Sailors broken by the navy built their own republic: democratic, armed, and flying the black flag.
3.89
12k+
The Republic of Pirates Summary
The Republic of Pirates 86%
Sailors broken by the navy built their own republic: democratic, armed, and flying the black flag.
by Colin Woodard 2007
3.89
12k+ ratings
The Prize
by Daniel Yergin • 1991
How a dark liquid wrote the rules of power, decided wars, and built the greatest fortunes.
4.44
13k+
The Prize Summary
The Prize 86%
How a dark liquid wrote the rules of power, decided wars, and built the greatest fortunes.
by Daniel Yergin 1991
4.44
13k+ ratings
The Zorg
by Siddharth Kara • 2025
132 Africans thrown overboard for insurance money, and the anonymous letter that ignited abolition.
4.16
6k+
The Zorg Summary
The Zorg 86%
132 Africans thrown overboard for insurance money, and the anonymous letter that ignited abolition.
by Siddharth Kara 2025
4.16
6k+ ratings
Conquistador
by Buddy Levy • 2008
An emperor greeted invaders as gods. A woman translated their words. A virus did the rest.
4.31
5k+
Conquistador Summary
Conquistador 86%
An emperor greeted invaders as gods. A woman translated their words. A virus did the rest.
by Buddy Levy 2008
4.31
5k+ ratings
The Pioneers
by David McCullough • 2019
Before the Constitution, one land deal doubled the country and banned slavery in every future state.
3.82
28k+
The Pioneers Summary
The Pioneers 86%
Before the Constitution, one land deal doubled the country and banned slavery in every future state.
by David McCullough 2019
3.82
28k+ ratings
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