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The Bone Shard Emperor
by Andrea Stewart • 2021
A constructed emperor, a drowning empire, and the forbidden magic that could save or destroy both.
4.06
15k+
The Bone Shard Emperor Summary
The Bone Shard Emperor 88%
A constructed emperor, a drowning empire, and the forbidden magic that could save or destroy both.
by Andrea Stewart 2021
4.06
15k+ ratings
The Wall of Storms
by Ken Liu • 2016
When a scholar challenges a rigged exam, dragon-riding invaders breach the empire's storm barrier.
4.35
10k+
The Wall of Storms Summary
The Wall of Storms 88%
When a scholar challenges a rigged exam, dragon-riding invaders breach the empire's storm barrier.
by Ken Liu 2016
4.35
10k+ 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 88%
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
by Niall Ferguson 2003
3.93
10k+ 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 87%
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 87%
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
by Susan Wise Bauer 2007
4.11
7k+ ratings
Les marins ne savent pas nager
by Dominique Scali • 2022
An orphan who can swim defies a rigged citizenship lottery on the walled island of Ys.
3.73
1k+
Les marins ne savent pas nager Summary
Les marins ne savent pas nager 87%
An orphan who can swim defies a rigged citizenship lottery on the walled island of Ys.
by Dominique Scali 2022
3.73
1k+ ratings
A Brief History Of Bali
by Willard A. Hanna • 1976
How Bali survived piracy, slavery, and colonialism to become the paradise tourists see today.
3.45
128
A Brief History Of Bali Summary
A Brief History Of Bali 87%
How Bali survived piracy, slavery, and colonialism to become the paradise tourists see today.
by Willard A. Hanna 1976
3.45
128 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 86%
His 1695 heist of a Mughal treasure ship nearly toppled an empire. Then Henry Every disappeared.
by Steven Johnson 2020
3.89
5k+ 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
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
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
The Language of Ghosts
by Heather Fawcett • 2020
After a coup, three royal siblings on a moving island must stop the eldest from becoming a tyrant.
3.90
1k+
The Language of Ghosts Summary
The Language of Ghosts 86%
After a coup, three royal siblings on a moving island must stop the eldest from becoming a tyrant.
by Heather Fawcett 2020
3.90
1k+ ratings
Island Infernos
by John C. McManus • 2021
Behind every Pacific island invasion: a hidden war of logistics, codebreaking, and command feuds.
4.46
703
Island Infernos Summary
Island Infernos 86%
Behind every Pacific island invasion: a hidden war of logistics, codebreaking, and command feuds.
by John C. McManus 2021
4.46
703 ratings
Majapahit
by Herald van der Linde • 2024
Defying Kublai Khan and uniting a thousand islands: the Javanese empire the world forgot.
4.40
383
Majapahit Summary
Majapahit 86%
Defying Kublai Khan and uniting a thousand islands: the Javanese empire the world forgot.
by Herald van der Linde 2024
4.40
383 ratings
Victor, Vanquished, Son
by Morgan Rice • 2017
An empire's death monster invades her island, and her magic only makes it stronger.
4.04
727
Victor, Vanquished, Son Summary
Victor, Vanquished, Son 86%
An empire's death monster invades her island, and her magic only makes it stronger.
by Morgan Rice 2017
4.04
727 ratings
Monsoon
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2010
Three narrow straits carry the world's oil. The Indian Ocean rim decides who controls them.
3.96
3k+
Monsoon Summary
Monsoon 86%
Three narrow straits carry the world's oil. The Indian Ocean rim decides who controls them.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2010
3.96
3k+ ratings
The Endless War
by Danielle L. Jensen • 2023
A warrior princess exiled for loving the enemy king must survive an inescapable prison island.
4.19
38k+
The Endless War Summary
The Endless War 86%
A warrior princess exiled for loving the enemy king must survive an inescapable prison island.
by Danielle L. Jensen 2023
4.19
38k+ ratings
Star Wars
by Timothy Zahn • 1991
An Imperial tactician uses art and Force-blocking creatures to outmaneuver a fragile New Republic.
4.18
104k+
Star Wars Summary
Star Wars 86%
An Imperial tactician uses art and Force-blocking creatures to outmaneuver a fragile New Republic.
by Timothy Zahn 1991
4.18
104k+ ratings
Adriatic
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2022
Where empires and religions mixed for centuries, Europe's post-national future is already written.
3.61
888
Adriatic Summary
Adriatic 86%
Where empires and religions mixed for centuries, Europe's post-national future is already written.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2022
3.61
888 ratings
Tupaia
by Joan Druett • 2010
The navigator who made Cook's Pacific voyage possible spent two centuries erased from the story.
4.25
201
Tupaia Summary
Tupaia 86%
The navigator who made Cook's Pacific voyage possible spent two centuries erased from the story.
by Joan Druett 2010
4.25
201 ratings
Tarkin
by James Luceno • 2014
Tarkin and Vader hunt a stolen warship while a rebel's vendetta and a traitor's scheme collide.
3.76
21k+
Tarkin Summary
Tarkin 86%
Tarkin and Vader hunt a stolen warship while a rebel's vendetta and a traitor's scheme collide.
by James Luceno 2014
3.76
21k+ ratings
By Blood, by Salt
by J.L. Odom • 2024
An outcast soldier captures a desert devil; she becomes his shield against a treacherous empire.
4.22
776
By Blood, by Salt Summary
By Blood, by Salt 86%
An outcast soldier captures a desert devil; she becomes his shield against a treacherous empire.
by J.L. Odom 2024
4.22
776 ratings
Mile Marker Zero
by William McKeen • 2011
1970s Key West: a drug-fueled creative paradise that produced genius, excess, and its own collapse.
3.93
567
Mile Marker Zero Summary
Mile Marker Zero 86%
1970s Key West: a drug-fueled creative paradise that produced genius, excess, and its own collapse.
by William McKeen 2011
3.93
567 ratings
The Golden Age of Piracy
by Benerson Little • 2016
No parrots, no plank, no buried treasure. The real pirates were slave-trading democrats.
3.40
366
The Golden Age of Piracy Summary
The Golden Age of Piracy 86%
No parrots, no plank, no buried treasure. The real pirates were slave-trading democrats.
by Benerson Little 2016
3.40
366 ratings
Throne of Jade
by Naomi Novik • 2006
Defying orders to keep his dragon, a captain risks war when China demands the Celestial's return.
3.90
56k+
Throne of Jade Summary
Throne of Jade 86%
Defying orders to keep his dragon, a captain risks war when China demands the Celestial's return.
by Naomi Novik 2006
3.90
56k+ ratings
Exodus
by Peter F. Hamilton • 2024
A young noble barters his inheritance for a refugee starship as civil war fractures the empire.
4.25
6k+
Exodus Summary
Exodus 86%
A young noble barters his inheritance for a refugee starship as civil war fractures the empire.
by Peter F. Hamilton 2024
4.25
6k+ ratings
Eye of the Needle
by Ken Follett • 1978
A German spy knows the D-Day secret; a woman on a barren island must stop him.
4.22
171k+
Eye of the Needle Summary
Eye of the Needle 86%
A German spy knows the D-Day secret; a woman on a barren island must stop him.
by Ken Follett 1978
4.22
171k+ ratings
The Loom of Time
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2023
The Middle East was shaped for empire, not democracy. The West still refuses to believe it.
4.27
553
The Loom of Time Summary
The Loom of Time 86%
The Middle East was shaped for empire, not democracy. The West still refuses to believe it.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2023
4.27
553 ratings
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival
by John Bagot Glubb • 1978
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
4.21
751
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival Summary
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival 86%
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
by John Bagot Glubb 1978
4.21
751 ratings
Krakatoa
by Simon Winchester • 2003
The loudest sound in history circled the earth seven times; the telegraph turned disaster global.
3.88
22k+
Krakatoa Summary
Krakatoa 86%
The loudest sound in history circled the earth seven times; the telegraph turned disaster global.
by Simon Winchester 2003
3.88
22k+ ratings
Kinslayer
by Jay Kristoff • 2013
Creature voices flood a rebel's mind as the lover she betrayed hunts her through a dying empire.
3.97
8k+
Kinslayer Summary
Kinslayer 86%
Creature voices flood a rebel's mind as the lover she betrayed hunts her through a dying empire.
by Jay Kristoff 2013
3.97
8k+ ratings
Uncommon Wealth
by Kojo Koram • 2022
Offshore finance and debt traps: empire's playbook, tested abroad, now returned to reshape Britain.
4.29
508
Uncommon Wealth Summary
Uncommon Wealth 86%
Offshore finance and debt traps: empire's playbook, tested abroad, now returned to reshape Britain.
by Kojo Koram 2022
4.29
508 ratings
Colossus
by Niall Ferguson • 2004
America has always been an empire. Refusing to admit it is the root of its failures.
3.58
2k+
Colossus Summary
Colossus 86%
America has always been an empire. Refusing to admit it is the root of its failures.
by Niall Ferguson 2004
3.58
2k+ ratings
1494
by Stephen R. Bown • 2011
A secret royal wedding, a corrupt pope, and one line that carved the world in two.
3.89
369
1494 Summary
1494 86%
A secret royal wedding, a corrupt pope, and one line that carved the world in two.
by Stephen R. Bown 2011
3.89
369 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 86%
Empires managed human difference for two millennia. The nation-state is barely sixty.
by Jane Burbank 2010
3.98
430 ratings
Empire's Crossroads
by Carrie Gibson • 2014
Five centuries of sugar, slavery, and empire: how a handful of islands made the modern world.
3.83
592
Empire's Crossroads Summary
Empire's Crossroads 86%
Five centuries of sugar, slavery, and empire: how a handful of islands made the modern world.
by Carrie Gibson 2014
3.83
592 ratings
Napoleon
by Andrew Roberts • 2014
A single volume spanning Corsica to St. Helena: the ambition, the genius, the fatal misjudgments.
4.25
29k+
Napoleon Summary
Napoleon 86%
A single volume spanning Corsica to St. Helena: the ambition, the genius, the fatal misjudgments.
by Andrew Roberts 2014
4.25
29k+ ratings
A Brief History of Indonesia
by Tim Hannigan • 2015
An archipelago of 17,000 islands: the improbable 2,000-year story of how it became a single nation.
4.02
1k+
A Brief History of Indonesia Summary
A Brief History of Indonesia 86%
An archipelago of 17,000 islands: the improbable 2,000-year story of how it became a single nation.
by Tim Hannigan 2015
4.02
1k+ ratings
Strong Men Armed
by Robert Leckie • 1961
The Marine Corps' Pacific campaign stripped of myth: chaos that no map could prepare them for.
4.38
1k+
Strong Men Armed Summary
Strong Men Armed 86%
The Marine Corps' Pacific campaign stripped of myth: chaos that no map could prepare them for.
by Robert Leckie 1961
4.38
1k+ ratings
Playground
by Richard Powers • 2024
Tech mogul seeks forgiveness on a Pacific island as the community votes on his final plan.
4.13
51k+
Playground Summary
Playground 86%
Tech mogul seeks forgiveness on a Pacific island as the community votes on his final plan.
by Richard Powers 2024
4.13
51k+ ratings
The Great Powers and Global Struggle, 1490-1990
by Karen Rasler • 2009
Five centuries of war follow one pattern: maritime innovators rise, then fall to land powers.
4.00
3
The Great Powers and Global Struggle, 1490-1990 Summary
The Great Powers and Global Struggle, 1490-1990 86%
Five centuries of war follow one pattern: maritime innovators rise, then fall to land powers.
by Karen Rasler 2009
4.00
3 ratings
The Wide Wide Sea
by Hampton Sides • 2024
Hawaiians believed Captain Cook was a god. Weeks later, his body was dismembered in the surf.
4.46
24k+
The Wide Wide Sea Summary
The Wide Wide Sea 86%
Hawaiians believed Captain Cook was a god. Weeks later, his body was dismembered in the surf.
by Hampton Sides 2024
4.46
24k+ ratings
War
by Jennifer Anne Davis • 2014
A hidden heir, stolen by an assassin, awaits execution while her prince crosses an ocean.
4.08
3k+
War Summary
War 86%
A hidden heir, stolen by an assassin, awaits execution while her prince crosses an ocean.
by Jennifer Anne Davis 2014
4.08
3k+ ratings
The Revenge of Geography
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2012
Three dead geographers predicted today's conflicts. Their maps show what comes next.
3.79
6k+
The Revenge of Geography Summary
The Revenge of Geography 86%
Three dead geographers predicted today's conflicts. Their maps show what comes next.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2012
3.79
6k+ ratings
Cuba
by Ada Ferrer • 2021
Cuba was America's obsession long before Castro. The Cold War just froze a deeper fight.
4.46
6k+
Cuba Summary
Cuba 86%
Cuba was America's obsession long before Castro. The Cold War just froze a deeper fight.
by Ada Ferrer 2021
4.46
6k+ 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 85%
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
by Walter Scheidel 2019
4.05
482 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 85%
How the Comanches built a nomadic empire that made European colonies into its economic hinterland.
by Pekka Hämäläinen 2008
4.17
2k+ ratings
A History of the Philippines
by Luis H. Francia • 2010
How Spanish friars, American teachers, and Japanese occupiers accidentally created a nation.
3.93
591
A History of the Philippines Summary
A History of the Philippines 85%
How Spanish friars, American teachers, and Japanese occupiers accidentally created a nation.
by Luis H. Francia 2010
3.93
591 ratings
War and Change in World Politics
by Robert Gilpin • 1999
International order never lasts. Uneven growth among states eventually demands a reset by war.
3.97
362
War and Change in World Politics Summary
War and Change in World Politics 85%
International order never lasts. Uneven growth among states eventually demands a reset by war.
by Robert Gilpin 1999
3.97
362 ratings
Why Did Europe Conquer the World?
by Philip T. Hoffman • 2015
Centuries of war among Europe's tiny states forged the machine that would conquer the world.
3.42
257
Why Did Europe Conquer the World? Summary
Why Did Europe Conquer the World? 85%
Centuries of war among Europe's tiny states forged the machine that would conquer the world.
by Philip T. Hoffman 2015
3.42
257 ratings
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