If you have an audible subscription, there’s no better way to take advantage of it than exploring the extensive books and podcasts you’ll enjoy. Since there’s more than a 50% discount on certain books for users on an Audible membership plan, we’ve decided to help you compile some of these best titles in one list.
So if you love American, African, and European history, here are the 10 best history books we guarantee you’ll enjoy on Audible today.
1. Confronting Saddam Hussein: George W. Bush and the Invasion of Iraq
- Author: Melvyn P. Leffler
- Listen time: 11 hours and 26 minutes
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
Narrated by a historian of US foreign policy Melvyn P. Leffler, this book covers why the United States chose to invade Iraq. While it covers interviewers with officials and declassified documents, you’ll learn about how and why President Bush chose this approach.
Listen here
2. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
- S. C. Gwynne (Author), David Drummond (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
Divided into two stories, this book covers the legendary fighting the Comanches had to employ in stopping colonial Spain and the French expansion.
The first story talks about the rise and fall of the Comanches – also known as the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second story focuses more on the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah who was the last chief of the Comanches. Listen Now
3. Up from Slavery
- Booker T. Washington (Author), Andrew James Roberts (Narrator), Author’s Republic (Publisher)
- Listen time: 6 hours and 54 minutes
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
This history book is an autobiography of a slave-born Booker Washington. After gaining his freedom during the American civil war, he recounts his experience as a slave, how he overcame the blockers in getting an education to how he became an advisor to the president. Listen Now
4. Women Who Made Science History
- Leila McNeill (Author, Narrator), The Great Courses (Author), Audible Originals (Publisher)
- Listen time: 2 hours 56 minutes
- Price: Free Audible Original Audio
Leila rewrites history by showing us the real history of science. In this book, she introduces us to 10 lesser-known women who have shaped the world through science. She shows their innovative methods, their lives, and their stories. You’d learn the obstacles they faced and exclusions in reputable institutes. A recommended read for anyone in STEM. Listen Now
5. Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts
- Bill O’Reilly (Author), Martin Dugard (Author), Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
- Listen time: 10 hours
- Price: $22.32 (Unabridged version)
Revisiting the events between 1692 and 1693 in Salem village Massachusetts, this book discusses what exactly happened in Salem. With stories of witchcraft, demonic possessions, and the executions of those found guilty this book is a truly enjoyable history book. You’d also get a contemporary account from subsequent investigations. So, come ready to uncover the horrifying stories and get some historical context while at it. Listen Now
6. Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears
- Michael Schulman (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)
- Listen time: 21 hours
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
Set in Hollywood, this book covers the struggle that goes into getting the Oscar academy awards. It also heavily shows the cultural change, the personal drama, and contests that go into getting these awards. And although it focuses on the stars, you also see the people caught in the crossfire – those with dashed hopes and more. This history book covers the powerful players of today and how it all represents a turning point for the academy. Listen Now
7. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
- Yuval Noah Harari (Author), Derek Perkins (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)
- Listen time: 15 hours and 14 minutes
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
Unlike other books on this list, Sapiens is a book that merges biology and history to better understand what it means to be human. It explores what happened to the other species of humans and how it might impact our species – Homo Sapiens.
Dr. Harari a renowned historian starts the book with modern cognition, reevaluating the roles of evolving humans. It then goes on to review the last few decades and how we’ve started bending the laws of natural selection. Also, how will this impact the earth? Listen Now
8. Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age
- Reid Mitenbuler (Author), Peter Noble (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)
- Listen time: 19 hours and 13 minutes
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
While this history book leans towards being a memoir, it is the history and tale of an eccentric adventurer – Freuchen. It majorly covers how he clawed his way through an Arctic wilderness and up till the point of navigating the WWII underground resistance networks.
You’ll see how he survived a Nazi prison camp and other discoveries. This is a read if you’re looking to build a relationship with the planet and other humans as well. Listen Now
9. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
- Nikole Hannah-Jones (Author, Narrator), The New York Times Magazine (Author)
- Listen time: 18 hours 57 minutes
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
Named as one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, this book is set in 1619. It covers how the arrival of the British colony of Virginia launched what became the barbaric American slavery of Africans. It would continue over the next 250 years and it pretty much still defines the United States.
This book contains 18 essays and 36 poems on how slavery affects present-day America. It also shines a light on oppression, struggle, and resistance. Listen Now
10. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- Jack Weatherford (Author, Narrator), Jonathan Davis (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)
- Listen time: 14 hours 20 minutes
- Price: $7 with Audible premium plus (unabridged version)
This book covers how the Mongol army conquered so many lands and people under the reign of Genghis Khan. It also covers how they brought a rise in trade, civilization, and cultural communication.
Unlike the Romans and other Asian counterparts, it shows how Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and ended feudal systems. You’d also learn how all of this influenced the modern world. Listen Now
We hope this list has been helpful in increasing your history collection. Don’t forget to also share this post with your friends who’d like to maximize their audible membership.
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