Best United States History Books of 2025

The Princeton Review AP U.S. History Premium Prep, 2023 is a comprehensive study guide that helps students ace the AP U.S. History Exam. This Premium version includes six full-length practice exams, targeted test strategies, and access to online extras. The book is fully aligned with the latest College Board standards for AP® U.S. History and provides detailed coverage of short-answer and source-based multiple-choice questions, document-based, and long essay questions. The experts at The Princeton Review have been helping students achieve the best results since 1981. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for students who want to achieve a high score on the AP U.S. History Exam.

Barron's AP U.S. History Premium, 2023-2024, is a comprehensive review book designed to help students prepare for the AP U.S. History exam. With in-depth content review, tips, strategies, and five full-length practice tests, it is the only book students need to be fully prepared for exam day. The book is written and reviewed by experienced educators and includes online practice tests with detailed answer explanations and expert advice. What makes this book unique is its online timed test option, which simulates the exam experience to help students build their test-taking skills and gain confidence.

The Barron’s AP U.S. History Flashcards, Fourth Edition is a must-have study tool for students preparing for the AP U.S. History exam. It includes 500 up-to-date content review cards, written and reviewed by experienced educators. The cards are organized by time period, making it easy for students to find specific concepts quickly. The enclosed sorting ring allows students to customize their review and arrange the cards in an order that best suits their study needs. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for any student looking to strengthen their knowledge and be confident on exam day.

The AP® U.S. History Crash Course® is a targeted review guide that helps students prepare for the AP® exam in less time. The 5th edition covers all the latest test revisions and is based on an in-depth analysis of the revised AP® U.S. History course and exam description. The book provides expert test-taking strategies and advice, and includes practice questions and a full-length practice exam online. Written by a veteran AP® U.S. History teacher, Larry Krieger, the Crash Course® is an excellent study aid for students who want to make the most of their valuable study time and earn a high score on the AP® exam.

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson is a comprehensive one-volume history of the Civil War that provides fresh interpretations and information. McPherson's fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox. The book vividly recounts the momentous episodes that preceded the Civil War and provides a masterful chronicle of the war itself. This authoritative volume makes sense of the vast and confusing "second American Revolution" we call the Civil War, a war that transformed a nation and expanded our heritage of liberty.

The Great American Transit Disaster by Nicholas Dagen Bloom is a compelling historical examination of the decline of public transit in America. Bloom argues that the disinvestment in transit was a result of municipal austerity policies, auto-centric planning, and white flight from cities to suburbs. He provides extensive evidence from major cities such as Baltimore, Atlanta, and San Francisco to support his claims. This book challenges the commonly held belief that the decline of transit was inevitable and highlights the role of local policy decisions and public support in shaping transportation infrastructure. Overall, The Great American Transit Disaster is a thought-provoking and insightful read for anyone interested in urban planning and transportation history.

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis is a gripping nonfiction thriller that chronicles the response of medical visionaries to the COVID-19 outbreak. As the Trump administration faltered, a secret team of dissenting doctors known as the Wolverines, fought to implement their work and save lives. Lewis masterfully weaves together the stories of these unsung heroes and their fight against misinformation and bureaucracy. This book is a must-read for those interested in public health and government response to pandemics.

Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America by Adam Winkler is a thought-provoking book that delves into America's political battle over gun control and the right to bear arms. The author uses the landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller as a backdrop to explore the dramatic stories of gun-rights advocates and gun-control lobbyists. The book offers a unique and unexpected insight into the divisive gun debate that has plagued the nation for centuries. Overall, Gunfight is a well-researched and engaging read for anyone interested in the history and politics of gun control in America.

A paradigm-shifting investigation of Jim Crow–era violence and its legal apparatus, "By Hands Now Known" by Margaret A. Burnham, director of Northeastern University’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, is a finalist for the 2022 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction. Burnham explores the relationship between formal law and background legal norms in a series of harrowing cases from 1920 to 1960, revealing the true legal system of Jim Crow and capturing the memories of those whose stories have not yet been heard. This book is a must-read for those interested in African American history and the criminal legal system.

On Christopher Street: Life, Sex, and Death after Stonewall by Michael Denneny is a cultural autobiography that explores the evolution of the queer community in the US post-Stonewall. The author, a founder and editor of the influential magazine Christopher Street, uses his journal writings, articles, and interviews from the 1970s and ‘80s to take readers back in time and share the vibrant in-between moments in gay lives. Through forty-one micro-chapters, Denneny captures the raw immediacy of his and his contemporaries’ daily lives as gay people in America. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the history of the queer community in the US.