“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
The history of the world is so full of dramatic tales of loss, love and challenge that it is very easy to mistake even some of the most famous accounts as a work of fiction. Nevertheless, historical nonfiction remains an important genre for us readers to keep in touch with our roots, understand where we came from and how lessons from the past can help shape a brighter future for our world. Join us here at What We Reading as we take a look back at 7 fascinating Historical NonFiction Books from 2022
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle – Jon Meacham
Abraham Lincoln is widely viewed as the greatest President in American history, and still one of the most defining leaders in human history. In And There Was Light, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and New York Times best-selling author Jon Meacham takes readers through a fascinating deep-dive of the life and times of what made the US’ 16th President. From the secession of the Confederacy, the dark days of the Civil War and the commitment to abolishing one of the darkest chapters of American history, it is an absolute must-read for those looking to see how the nation began to embrace its great potential.
Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong – Louisa Lim
Hong Kong has always been one of the most fascinating cities on the planet, with a history deeply littered sadly with tales of power, control and authority. Those living in the region, however, have never lost touch with their identity that lies entrenched across the city, and it is that legacy Louisa Lim empowers in Indelible City. Having been raised in and reported on the city across her life, the 2019 Hong Kong riots provided Lim with the opportunity to pay homage to some of the best-untold stories from across the region. From the British takeover in 1842 to the future those in Beijing want to inflict on the city, it provides a fascinating look at the history of this special administrative region of China.
Burning Questions – Margaret Atwood
One of the most acclaimed writers of her time, Margaret Atwood has produced more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction titles, including the likes of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Blind Assassin. In Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004 to 2021, Atwood attempts to answer some of the world’s most burning questions in her typically witty and self-deprecating charming manner. From why every society tells stories to how we can all live on the planet, it is the best celebration of nearly two decades’ worth of speeches, talks and interviews from one of contemporary history’s most brilliant minds.
Last Call at the Hotel Imperial – Deborah Cohen
The interwar years were perhaps the most defining moments in human history. In the wake of The Great War, as great Empires lay in ruins and the world stepped into a new dawn, a group of journalists would trek across Europe in an effort to give Americans an unapologetically-honest insight into the state of the world. Taking on taboo subjects like love, war, sex, and death, John Gunther, H. R. Knickerbocker, Vincent Sheean, and Dorothy Thompson would land interviews with the likes of Gandhi and Adolf Hitler on their remarkable journey. With access to a treasure trove’s worth of resources, Deborah Cohen’s Last Call at the Hotel Imperial on these intrepid reporters easily stands as one of the best 2022 Historical NonFiction Books and provides a stellar insight into what the 1920s looked like for those living at the time.
How Civil Wars Start – Barbara F. Walter
Be it Russian, English or American – Civil Wars across history have a way of being painted as somehow more brutally tragic than other conflicts that have plagued humanity’s history. The idea of a nation grinding to a halt as its inhabitants lock horns against each other is, thankfully, an alien concept to most of us, however in How Civil Wars Start: And How To Stop Them author Barbara F. Walter explains how we are living in the most prolific era for these wars. In this powerful guide on the road back to peace, Walter (advisor for organisations ranging from the CIA to the UN) helps explain what has caused over 250 Civil Wars, and how contemporary global politics increases the odds that more are on the horizon.
The Dark Queens – Shelley Puhak
Shelley Puhak’s The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World details the intense rivalry between two of Europe’s most powerful women that would go on to set the stage for the Medieval era on the continent. Brunhild and Fredegund would forge alliances, break promises, suffer personal and power tragedies and wage wars against each other in a quest to be the last Merovingian Queen left standing. A forgotten rivalry sandwiched in a period long associated with patriarchal dominance, The Dark Queens is a valuable insight into how women have continuously helped shape the world.
The Story of Russia – Orlando Figes
Known as the great storyteller of Russian history, The Story of Russia is a Most Anticipated Book of the Year from Orlando Figes. In the novel, Figes injects a lifetime’s worth of study into explaining how a thousand years’ worth of history has shaped Russia as a nation today, and how wildly shifting ideologies have given its people the identities they have today. A masterfully told tale of reinvention from the founding of Kievan Rus in the first centuries AD to Putin’s war against Ukraine today, The Story of Russia is Figes at his absolute best and one of the standout 2022 Historical NonFiction books.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
