28 of the best history summer reads for 2025

Mark White’s study of JFK offers a compelling justification for yet another book on America’s iconic president. Portraying Kennedy as youthful, optimistic and effective, it contrasts sharply with today’s political gerontocracy. While acknowledging the mythologised image shaped by his assassination, White shows JFK’s short presidency was marked by real achievements, both domestic and foreign. His cool and pragmatic handling of crises, especially over Berlin and Cuba, demonstrated strategic acumen, while his late but firm commitment to civil rights gave his leadership moral weight. White doesn’t ignore Kennedy’s reckless private life, but argues it didn’t impair his public role, suggesting his behaviour stemmed from lifelong health issues and a sense of mortality. Boldly stepping into historical ‘what-ifs’, White persuasively contends JFK would have avoided the Vietnam War and pursued moderate reform at home. This tightly argued, post-revisionist account stands out as the finest single-volume analysis of Kennedy’s presidency – an enlightening and engaging read.

Reviewer: Iwan Morgan is emeritus professor of United States studies at University College London

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The Rebel Romanov

Helen Rappaport

Helen Rappaport breathes life into the lost story of Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld – Queen Victoria’s ‘forgotten’ aunt. With her signature flair for untangling forgotten corners of royal history, Rappaport uncovers the harrowing journey of a teenage girl thrust into the icy rituals of tsarist Russia and the violent hands of a disturbed husband, Grand Duke Konstantin. Julie’s refusal to accept her fate – fleeing not once, but twice – marks her as a quietly radical figure amid Europe’s rigid dynastic chessboard. Her life, largely self-erased from history out of fear and isolation, is here reclaimed with empathy, vivid detail and sharp insight. Rappaport also explores how Julie’s ambitious yet relatively obscure noble family, led by the formidable matriarch Augusta, reshaped post-Napoleonic Europe through marriage. Rebel Romanov is both a deeply personal biography and a searing critique of aristocratic power, finally giving Julie the voice history denied her.

Reviewer: Danny Bird, Content Producer of BBC History Magazine

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The Brothers Grimm: A Biography

Ann Schmiesing

Ann Schmiesing’s biography of the Brothers Grimm is a long-overdue and richly rewarding study, filling a 50-year gap in English-language scholarship. Best known for their fairy tales, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were also pioneering figures in philology, mythology and folklore, shaping these disciplines profoundly. Schmiesing offers a highly readable and comprehensive account of their intellectual legacy, placing it firmly within the historical and political context of 19th-century Germany. She captures their close personal bond and family dynamics, as well as their involvement in events like the Napoleonic Wars and the Göttingen Seven protest. Importantly, she doesn’t shy away from addressing the problematic aspects of their work, including instances of antisemitism, offering a nuanced view of German Romanticism’s legacy. This is an essential read not only for folklorists and fairy-tale scholars but for anyone interested in the wider cultural and intellectual currents of the period.

Reviewer: Paul Cowdell, honorary senior research associate at the University of Bristol

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The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham

Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Lucy Hughes-Hallett’s Scapegoat delivers a rich, expansive portrait of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham – the dazzling court favourite of both James VI & I and Charles I. In over 600 pages, the author moves beyond the myth of “the handsomest-bodied man in all of England” to reveal a complex, flawed, and contradictory figure. Buckingham’s meteoric rise was matched by scandal, corruption, and ultimately, a brutal fall. His relationships with both kings form a compelling, often fraught triangle of power, love, and loyalty. Hughes-Hallett’s thematic approach makes this more than biography – it's a vivid, fast-paced journey through the intrigue of early Stuart court life, enriched by scandal, politics, and personal drama. Her prose is sharp, her detail meticulous, and her portrait of Buckingham both absorbing and humane. Scapegoat is not only an engaging study of one man’s rise and ruin, but a strikingly colourful account of a pivotal era in British and European history.

Reviewer: Joseph Ellis is a historical researcher at the University of York, specialising in the royal progresses of James VI & I

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When We Ruled

Paula Akpan

This is a thrilling reclamation of African history through the lives of 12 extraordinary women who shaped empires, defied colonisers and redefined gender expectations across a millennium. Paula Akpan brings these rulers – like the cunning Queen Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba, the fiercely independent Ranavalona of Madagascar and the revolutionary Yaa Asantewaa of Ghana – vividly to life, balancing their triumphs with their complexities. Rather than flattening these figures into symbols of resistance or virtue, Akpan delves into the messy, powerful and sometimes violent realities of their rule. This is not a dry history lesson; it’s a vibrant conversation between past and present, informed by community voices, a diverse array of perspectives and a sharp critique of colonial archives. Akpan challenges dominant narratives with clarity and passion, asking not just who ruled, but how and why their legacies endure or have been obscured. When We Ruled is essential reading for anyone interested in African history, women, power and memory.

Reviewer: Danny Bird, Content Producer of BBC History Magazine

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Ancient & Medieval History

Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History

Moudhy Al-Rashid

In this concise yet illuminating work, Oxford Assyriologist Moudhy Al-Rashid explores how ancient Mesopotamians understood and recorded their past, drawing from a vast body of writings preserved on clay tablets. Spanning from 3500 BC to the first century AD, Al-Rashid’s engaging narrative weaves nine essays around artefacts from the so-called ‘Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum’, examining how history was perceived, taught, and displayed. She amplifies voices often unheard in ancient records: women, children and the enslaved, while interrogating the role of scholars in shaping historical understanding. Al-Rashid’s highly personal style reveals history not as a neutral chronicle but as an evolving construct shaped by belief, cosmology and political power. While the book sidesteps certain philosophical questions such as conceptions of time or the effects of writing on oral tradition, it remains a revelatory study of ‘the history of history’.

Reviewer: Gojko Barjamovic is a senior lecturer in near eastern languages and civilisations and senior research scholar at Yale University

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Inventing the Renaissance: Myths of a Golden Age

Ada Palmer

Ada Palmer’s Inventing the Renaissance offers a lively, accessible exploration of Renaissance political thought, centring on Machiavelli and the humanist tradition. While it touches on the Borgias and Medici for context, the real focus is Machiavelli’s radical ideas, particularly his prioritisation of consequences over morals or rules, positioning him as a forerunner of utilitarianism. Palmer excels at explaining humanism’s evolving definitions and Machiavelli’s ambiguous place within it. The book combines scholarly insight with an idiosyncratic, blog-like style: humorous asides, comic dialogues and quirky chapter titles abound. Some readers may find the tone uneven, with jokes occasionally misfiring, but the philosophical content is strong and clearly explained. Though sprawling and at times tangential, it’s an engaging guide to how Renaissance history has been shaped and reshaped by historiography. For those curious about Machiavelli’s shock factor and humanism’s core, this is an excellent starting point, even if more traditional art coverage lies elsewhere.

Reviewer: Catherine Fletcher is professor of history at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her latest book is The Roads to Rome: A History

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Holy Places: How Pilgrimage Changed the World

Kathryn Hurlock

Kathryn Hurlock’s Holy Places explores why pilgrimage is booming despite the decline of organised religion in the West. She examines 19 global sites, from Lourdes in France to Karbala in Iraq and Tai Shan in China, offering concise historical accounts that highlight their rituals and significance. While some pilgrims may begin these journeys for leisure, Hurlock suggests that walking in ancient footsteps often sparks unexpected introspection. She challenges the idea that modern pilgrimage is merely tourism, noting its long-standing commercial aspects. However, her academic approach – rich in notes and context but lacking personal experience or on-the-ground reportage – may leave some readers wanting more emotional depth. The book’s strength lies in its clarity and breadth, but its cool, rational tone feels slightly detached from the passion and yearning that often define pilgrimage. For those seeking a thoughtful, scholarly introduction to sacred travel, Holy Places will appeal. For others, it may feel too dispassionate for its deeply human subject.

Reviewer: Peter Stanford is a writer, broadcaster and author of Pilgrimage: Journeys of Meaning

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Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War

Lyndal Roper

Lyndal Roper vividly recounts the brutal 1524–25 uprisings across the German lands, where thousands of peasants, motivated by communal grievances, attacked monasteries and castles with unprecedented fury. While largely non-violent, notable atrocities – such as the Weinsberg killings – prompted brutal noble retaliation. The rebels, despite their numbers and support from Florian Geyer’s cavalry, were no match for the nobles’ mercenaries. The resulting bloodshed was immense, with around 100,000 peasants killed in what contemporaries termed the Aufruhr (‘turbulence’). Roper narrates these events with clarity and flair, offering a compelling reinterpretation of the revolt’s causes. Rather than focusing solely on socio-economic factors, she foregrounds the religious motivations of the rebels, linking their actions to the spiritual upheaval sparked by Martin Luther. Her argument – that this was a revolutionary religious movement – is both persuasive and powerful. This is an essential read for anyone interested in early modern popular protest.

Reviewer: Mark Stoyle is the author of A Murderous Midsummer: The Western Rising of 1549

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The Monastic World: A 1,200-Year History

Andrew Jotischky

Andrew Jotischky’s The Monastic World offers a rich, expansive survey of monasticism across the medieval era, moving beyond western Europe to explore traditions from Egypt to Britain. He includes both Latin and Orthodox practices, ensuring women’s monastic experiences are not sidelined. Drawing on foundational texts and saints’ lives, Jotischky reveals how small doctrinal differences often sparked deep conflict. From Benedictine traditions to radical ascetics – including pillar-dwelling abbots and naked holy fools – the book presents a strikingly diverse picture of monastic life. Famous figures like Bernard of Clairvaux appear, though military orders and mendicants are deliberately excluded to keep the scope manageable. While mainly chronological, the book is filled with thoughtful digressions. Not for beginners, The Monastic World best suits those with some grounding in medieval Christianity. For such readers, Jotischky’s nuanced insights, especially his attention to eastern traditions, offer a rewarding and authoritative read.

Reviewer: Danièle Cybulskie is a historian, podcaster and author. Her latest book is Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World

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The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra

Toby Wilkinson

Toby Wilkinson’s The Last Dynasty offers a compelling and accessible account of the enigmatic Ptolemaic dynasty – the last to rule Egypt before Rome’s conquest. Often sidelined by both classicists and Egyptologists, the Ptolemies emerge here in vivid detail. Wilkinson masterfully bridges the Greek-speaking Hellenistic world and traditional pharaonic Egypt, deftly handling the diverse sources needed to interpret this cultural fusion. He highlights both the dynasty’s glories – Alexandria’s splendour, intellectual achievements, monumental temples – and its flaws, including xenophobia, military blunders and poor leadership. Particularly strong is Wilkinson’s analysis of the Egyptian context shaping Ptolemaic rule, revealing how Alexander the Great himself was transformed by pharaonic ideology, and his vivid account of Alexander at Luxor Temple underscores how Egypt influenced its conquerors. This richly written book is a vital contribution to Hellenistic scholarship and a superb guide to understanding the Ptolemies on their own, uniquely Egyptian terms.

Reviewer: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is professor of ancient history at Cardiff University

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Military & War History

Allies at War: The Politics of Defeating Hitler

Tim Bouverie

Tim Bouverie’s engaging account of Second World War diplomacy reveals the complex relationship between the ‘Big Three’: Franklin D Roosevelt, Josef Stalin and Winston Churchill – who, despite deep suspicions and rivalries, maintained a façade of friendship. Bouverie skilfully balances the ruthless power struggles with moments of genuine diplomatic cooperation, offering a fast-paced narrative backed by extensive archival research, mainly from British sources. He sheds light on lesser-known episodes like the Royal Navy’s attack on the French fleet and explores varied neutralities in Ireland and Spain. The book’s title, from Churchill’s adage – “There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that is fighting without them” – captures the paradox of allied tensions. A striking example is the 1943 Tehran Conference, where Roosevelt’s mocking camaraderie with Stalin humiliated Churchill, illustrating the alliance’s underlying discord. Yet, Bouverie fairly acknowledges the strength of the Anglo-American partnership. Overall, the book is a nuanced study, suggesting modern leaders might benefit from better diplomatic performances, even if it’s just pretending to be friends.

Reviewer: Richard Toye is professor of history at the University of Exeter. His books include Winston Churchill: A Life in the News

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Friends in Youth: Choosing Sides in the English Civil War

Minoo Dinshaw

Dinshaw’s book is a clear labour of love, exploring a neglected yet illuminating topic: the intertwined lives of Edward Hyde and Bulstrode Whitelocke, two key political figures on opposite sides of the English Civil War. Former friends with shared views on politics and religion, they both sought peace even as war divided them. Their contrasting fates – Hyde’s rise and fall in royalist exile, Whitelocke’s decline after parliamentary success – are skilfully traced. The book also examines their intellectual circle, notably Lord Falkland’s Great Tew group, and captures the complexities of allegiance in a polarised age. Though marred by occasional factual errors, tangential misjudgements and a disjointed structure that ends prematurely with Falkland’s death, it compensates with elegant prose and rich biographical and political insight. Ultimately, Dinshaw deepens our understanding of the Civil War’s human dimensions and offers a thoughtful, engaging account deserving of praise.

Reviewer: Ronald Hutton is professor of history at the University of Bristol

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Her Secret Service: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence

Claire Hubbard-Hall

Claire Hubbard-Hall’s compelling and deeply researched book dismantles the sexist notion that secretaries in British intelligence needed only “good legs and a good upbringing”. Instead, it reveals the vital, often overlooked roles women played in MI5, MI6 and the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during both world wars. From administrative offices to fieldwork, their impact was profound. Figures like Winifred Spink and Kathleen Pettigrew, “the real Miss Moneypenny”, are brought vividly to life. The narrative is rich with stories of espionage, resilience and even absurdities, such as a dog-loving double agent nearly compromising D-Day. Hubbard-Hall avoids clichés, offering fresh insights and personal anecdotes that highlight both adventure and institutional injustice. Women’s contributions were significant, yet often went unrewarded – still, they pushed boundaries and seized opportunities in a male-dominated world. This eloquent book is both a tribute and a correction to the historical record, an inspiring chronicle of women’s grit, ingenuity, and unrecognised brilliance in wartime intelligence.

Reviewer: Kate Vigurs is a historian and author. Her latest book is Mission Europe

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Rain of Ruin: Tokyo, Hiroshima and the Surrender of Japan

Richard Overy

Richard Overy, a leading authority on Second World War bombings, brings sharp insight to Rain of Ruin, a lucid account of the air war against Japan. Avoiding common pitfalls, he integrates Japanese perspectives and highlights the moral ambiguities of strategic bombing, including the development and use of the atomic bomb. Overy critiques the historical erasure of Japanese civilian suffering and challenges the simplistic ‘bombing equals surrender’ narrative. His inclusion of personal testimonies, such as Tsukiyama Mihoro’s – a young survivor who witnessed people spontaneously combust during the firebombing of Tokyo on 9-10 March 1945 – underlines the brutality of the campaign. While he remains cautious in drawing conclusions, his work invites a reassessment of longstanding triumphalist accounts. The book also reveals surprising facts, like Britain’s eagerness to bomb Japan and the early technical struggles of the B-29 programme. Overy’s sober and balanced analysis marks a significant step towards a more inclusive and honest reckoning with the war in Asia, even if the controversy around Allied actions endures.

Reviewer: Aaron William Moore is Handa chair of Japanese-Chinese relations at the University of Edinburgh

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Modern Political & Global History

38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia

Philippe Sands

38 Londres Street is the final instalment in a trilogy of books that began with the groundbreaking and universally acclaimed East-West Street in 2016. Once again, the lawyer and author Philippe Sands is on the trail of those accused of crimes against humanity, in this case SS officer Walther Rauff, who wound up in southern Chile, and that country’s former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, who Sands himself encountered in a London courtroom at the turn of this century. Deftly blending history, law, memoir and travelogue, 38 Londres Street centres on two key questions: did Rauff assist in Pinochet’s brutal repressions? And why was Pinochet able to leave Britain without standing trial for his alleged crimes? Beyond this, Sands also explores what the tales of these men tell us about the concepts of immunity and impunity, which remain as vitally important today as in the years covered by the book.

Reviewer: Robert Attar, Editor of BBC History Magazine

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Patria: Lost Countries of South America

Laurence Blair

In this engaging and well-researched book, Laurence Blair takes readers on a sweeping journey across South America, blending travelogue with historical reflection. He brings to light lesser-known histories of resistance, forgotten kingdoms and unrealised political dreams, arguing that the continent’s past still shapes its present. Blair challenges myths, showing the Amazon as a human-shaped environment and recounting how indigenous groups and escaped slaves forged autonomous societies. He focuses on the stories of the vanquished, whose perspectives, he suggests, reveal deeper truths than the victors’ narratives. Yet while the book vividly captures South America’s complexity and lost potential, it sometimes misses opportunities to probe deeper, particularly into how and why certain memories persist while others fade. Still, Blair’s commitment to uncovering buried histories is admirable. His central question: “What might have been?” lingers, even as his answers remain partial. The result is a fascinating, thought-provoking read that connects past and present with insight and empathy.

Reviewer: Tamar Herzog is Monroe Gutman professor of Latin American affairs at Harvard University

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The CIA Book Club: The Best-Kept Secret of the Cold War

Charlie English

The CIA Book Club uncovers the CIA’s little-known campaign to smuggle banned books by authors like George Orwell, Virginia Woolf and Albert Camus into 1980s Poland, supporting the fight for democracy. While the CIA had long operated cultural initiatives across Eastern Europe, this effort intensified during the Cold War’s final years, aligning with a global democratic surge. English’s well-researched study offers an alternative to the CIA’s usual image, focusing on subtle influence: money, propaganda and print. Figures like Mirosław Chojecki, key to Poland’s Solidarity movement, received covert support, becoming cultural leaders in their own right. Though some, like Frances Stonor Saunders, accused the CIA of cultural manipulation, others viewed these efforts more favourably. English avoids simplistic conclusions, offering a nuanced social history of a covert book programme that, while not the Cold War’s best-kept secret, is certainly one of its most compelling stories. Ultimately, the book’s optimistic tone reflects Poland’s relatively successful democratic transition.

Reviewer: Richard J Aldrich is professor of international security at the University of Warwick

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The Hohenzollerns and the Nazis: A History of Collaboration

Stephan Malinowski

Stephan Malinowski’s compelling and meticulously researched book exposes the long-overlooked complicity of Germany’s former royal family, the Hohenzollerns, in the rise of Nazism. While ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II faded into bitter exile, his son, ‘Crown Prince’ Wilhelm, played a far more active and sinister role, aligning himself with far-right forces and later endorsing Adolf Hitler as a means of restoring the monarchy. Though Hitler cynically exploited the monarchists’ support, he ultimately discarded them, leaving the Hohenzollerns politically irrelevant but still publicly loyal. Malinowski dismantles the post-war myth of aristocratic resistance to Nazism, showing instead how elites abetted the regime’s consolidation of power. He also highlights the continued efforts of the Hohenzollerns to obscure this truth, including lawsuits aimed at silencing critics. This readable and courageous work should be essential reading for anyone interested in the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and the ongoing struggle over historical memory and justice in reunified Germany.

Reviewer: Sir Richard J Evans is Regius professor emeritus of history at the University of Cambridge. His latest book is Hitler’s People: The Faces of the Third Reich

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The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings from History

Laurence Rees

Laurence Rees delivers a chilling, deeply engaging exploration of how ordinary people became complicit in extraordinary evil. Drawing on decades of interviews, including conversations with former Nazis and Holocaust survivors, Rees dives into the psychological and cultural forces that shaped the Nazi worldview. This isn’t military history, it’s a forensic investigation into the human mind under authoritarian pressure. Rees blends neuroscience, oral testimony and philosophy to illuminate how manipulation, fear and ideological fervour took root, particularly among the young. Central to Rees’s book is his recollection of an encounter with an ex-Waffen SS officer who continued to revere Nazism despite all the devastation and genocidal mania it had inflicted. Sceptical of posterity’s ability to learn lessons from the past, Rees instead offers ‘warnings’ that encourage critical thinking over simplistic judgment. With sobering insight and personal urgency, this book reminds us that understanding the human mind is perhaps our best defence against repeating history’s darkest chapters.

Reviewer: Danny Bird, Content Producer of BBC History Magazine

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Cultural, Social & Intellectual History

Every Valley: The Story of Handel’s Messiah

Charles King

Charles King’s Every Valley is a sweeping, erudite exploration of Handel’s iconic oratorio, though not without its flaws. While not a Handel expert, King’s diligent research and extensive bibliography lend credibility and his tripartite structure reflects the libretto’s original organisation. He weaves five interconnected narratives with enthusiasm, offering rewarding historical context on 17th and 18th-century Britain, including the Glorious Revolution, colonialism and Enlightenment thinkers. His prose is engaging and his insights into character networks are often perceptive. However, tangents – such as the story of Ayuba Diallo – occasionally feel extraneous. Crucially, King falters on musical analysis; errors about performers and superficial commentary on Messiah’s score betray a limited grasp of Handel’s music. Nonetheless, despite its imprecision in fine musical detail, the book succeeds in painting a vivid, compelling portrait of the world in which Messiah was born. It’s a flawed but imaginative and ambitious account.

Reviewer: David Vickers is a lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music

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Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age: A Forgotten History of the Occult

Raphael Cormack

In late 1924, author Arthur Conan Doyle hailed modern spiritualism as miraculous, drawing comparisons between séance phenomena and biblical wonders. Doyle’s recognition of the wonder of the unknown is reflected in the narratives presented in Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age: A Forgotten History of the Occult, a book which explores the allure of the mystical during times of political and social upheaval by focusing on the transnational careers of two little-known figures: Tahra Bey, a self-styled fakir who captivated 1920s Paris, and Dr Dahesh, founder of a pan-religious doctrine blending hypnotism and spiritualism. Drawing on European and Arabic archival sources, Cormack does not shy away from acknowledging gaps in the records. Rather than weakening the narrative, the inclusion of uncorroborated events highlights the ways in which hearsay and word of mouth fuelled celebrity. By reviving these enigmatic ‘holy men,’ the book offers a compelling cultural history of occultism in the Middle East, revealing how myths form from humanity’s search for meaning in turbulent times. Cormack’s study is both insightful and engaging, filling a notable gap in spiritualist scholarship.

Reviewer: Fiona Snailham, lecturer in English literature at the University of Greenwich

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London Uncanny: A Gothic Guide to the Capital in Weird History and Fiction

Clive Bloom

This idiosyncratic journey through fantasy and the paranormal begins at a dubious 1930s séance in Sydenham and leaps through time, blending fact and fiction. From 1970s poltergeists in London’s suburbs to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and Dickens’s haunting Night Walks, the book is eclectic and pleasantly disorientating. Familiar supernatural tales like Spring-Heeled Jack and Aleister Crowley sit alongside surprising insights – such as TS Eliot dressing up as Dr Crippen and Montague Summers’ Black Mass in Hampstead. The chaotic structure may frustrate those expecting a linear Gothic history, but it mirrors the disorder of the Gothic metropolis. Bloom, for example, uniquely intertwines Gothic literature with pop culture, including a David Bowie video and ABBA’s ghostly holograms. The book concludes with Gilbert and George providingan eerie metaphor for urban Gothic in Spitalfields, a weird, compelling meditation on death and life intertwined.

Reviewer: Lee Jackson, author of Dickensland: The Curious History of Dickens’s London

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No Ordinary Deaths: A People’s History of Mortality

Molly Conisbee

Molly Conisbee’s overview of British cultural life is a labour of love, blending personal stories with broader reflections on mortality. She explores England’s pre- and post-Reformation customs, the 19th-century rise of funeral directors and modern ideas of a ‘good death’. The book meanders through fascinating topics like industrialisation, Victorian mourning attire and social class, juxtaposing figures such as Edvard Munch and CS Lewis to show how grief shaped their work. Detailed chapters cover beliefs about body, soul and afterlife, plus mourning traditions across England, Wales and Ireland. Conisbee highlights harsh 1832 laws on medical dissection and addresses memorials for same-sex relationships. She is committed to telling the stories of those often overlooked by history. The book’s eclectic flow reflects new research and folklore and is overall an engaging and thoughtful survey of death in British culture.

Reviewer: Douglas Davies, professor in the Department of Theology and Religion, and director in the Centre for Death and Life Studies at Durham University

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What Is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea

Fara Dabhoiwala

Fara Dabhoiwala’s What Is Free Speech? is a masterful, revisionist history that exposes the myth of free speech absolutism. Dabhoiwala shows how appeals to free expression often mask selective, self-serving agendas. He argues that speech, far from being inherently free, has always been constrained by power, context and consequence. Foundational texts like Cato’s Letters were partisan tools rather than principled defences, while later liberal icons such as JS Mill upheld freedoms that excluded colonial subjects. Though the book ranges globally, it centres on the US, where the First Amendment and tech giants have turned free speech into both a cultural battleground and a corporate shield. Dabhoiwala’s conclusion is cautious: free speech debates are rarely about speech alone. His deeper point is clear: when someone claims to defend free speech absolutely, it’s worth asking: “Whose speech, and to what end?”

Reviewer: David Runciman is the host of Past Present Future: The History of Ideas podcast. His latest book is The History of Ideas

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Crime, Conspiracy & Public Health

Controlling Contagion: Epidemics and Institutions from the Black Death to Covid

Sheilagh Ogilvie

Shelagh Ogilvie’s book tackles the long-standing question of what works in controlling contagion, tracing responses from the Black Death to Covid-19. Exploring six institutions – market, state, community, religion, guild and family – she identifies how each has shaped epidemics and public health outcomes. Her analysis challenges myths, revealing more complex social dynamics whereby many of the wealthier inhabitants fled before quarantine was imposed. Ogilvie stresses that being poor in a pandemic is disadvantageous and highlights the importance not just of state power, but also its motivation, municipal structures and community cooperation. She shows how strong family ties can both help and hinder public health. The book concludes with cautious optimism: while no institution is perfect, societies have gradually improved their capacity to manage disease through innovation and coordination. Ogilvie avoids simple answers, but suggests that a balance of institutional diversity, social trust and an effective state offers the best defence against future pandemics.

Reviewer: Virginia Berridge is professor of history and health policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

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Ghosts of Iron Mountain: The Hoax that Duped America and its Sinister Legacy

Phil Tinline

Phil Tinline’s new book recounts the 1967 Report from Iron Mountain, which satirised America’s Vietnam-era war machine by claiming the US needed endless wars for economic and political stability. Despite being exposed as a hoax, many clung to it because it felt true to their pre-existing beliefs about US war policy. Tinline shows how people often adopt beliefs based on comfort rather than truth, cherry-picking evidence or relying on feelings instead of facts. This hoax did not significantly alter public opinion or ignite conspiracy theorising but fits into a broader history of distrust. Tinline skilfully avoids grand claims or partisan bias, portraying extreme scepticism of the military-industrial complex as a bipartisan phenomenon. The book illustrates how beliefs sometimes arise not from reality but from what feels true, offering a thoughtful exploration of why Americans distrust official narratives.

Reviewer: Joseph E Uscinski is a professor of political science at the University of Miami. His books include Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them

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Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress and Dr Crippen

Hallie Rubenhold

In 1910, music hall performer Belle Elmore went missing. Her husband Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen claimed Belle had gone to America to visit a dying relative. But before long, the seemingly respectable doctor's stories began to unravel and he went on the run, triggering an international manhunt that gripped the globe. In Story of a Murder, Hallie Rubenhold reconstructs this Edwardian cause célèbre. But, as in her previous book on the Jack the Ripper murders, The Five, the historian rewrites the narrative of this well-known case by placing the spotlight back onto the victim. She seeks to rehabilitate Belle’s image from the misogynist press coverage of the day, and reveals how her life intersected with some of the darkest undercurrents of the age. A wholly gripping and forensically researched read for those who prefer true crime stories that offer enlightening social commentary over prurience or gore.

Reviewer: Ellie Cawthorne, Editor of the HistoryExtra podcast

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