This list is for the most well known history books on Goodreads,

For purposes of this list, only include books with over 4999 ratings and shelved at least 500 times as history.

Anything with less than 5,000 ratings or shelved less than 500 times as history will be removed and without comment.

See also:
Best History Books
Best Non fiction American History Books
Best Non fiction War Books
Best Popular History Books on Goodreads

History By Year:
2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

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1

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4.38 avg rating — 1,377,508 ratings
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2

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4.13 avg rating — 812,447 ratings
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3

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 766,606 ratings
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4

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4.38 avg rating — 13,926 ratings
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5

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4.39 avg rating — 1,004,456 ratings
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6

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4.18 avg rating — 85,586 ratings
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7

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4.22 avg rating — 426,718 ratings
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8

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3.81 avg rating — 47,078 ratings
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9

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4.58 avg rating — 257,990 ratings
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10

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4.39 avg rating — 2,911,819 ratings
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11

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4.37 avg rating — 294,037 ratings
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12

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4.05 avg rating — 73,403 ratings
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13

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4.10 avg rating — 250,488 ratings
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14

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4.04 avg rating — 462,311 ratings
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15

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4.48 avg rating — 360,563 ratings
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16

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4.25 avg rating — 24,528 ratings
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17

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3.90 avg rating — 222,228 ratings
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18

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4.19 avg rating — 70,261 ratings
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19

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3.82 avg rating — 49,386 ratings
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20

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4.05 avg rating — 44,525 ratings
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21

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4.02 avg rating — 37,590 ratings
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22

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3.90 avg rating — 112,209 ratings
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23

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3.81 avg rating — 52,621 ratings
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24

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4.20 avg rating — 4,235,847 ratings
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25

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4.02 avg rating — 26,764 ratings
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26

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4.11 avg rating — 526,173 ratings
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27

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4.33 avg rating — 92,556 ratings
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28

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3.84 avg rating — 387,592 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 379,684 ratings
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29

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4.17 avg rating — 83,916 ratings
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31

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4.33 avg rating — 1,282,961 ratings
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32

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4.09 avg rating — 268,610 ratings
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33

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4.39 avg rating — 365,086 ratings
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34

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4.29 avg rating — 201,519 ratings
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35

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4.22 avg rating — 63,707 ratings
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36

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4.34 avg rating — 166,357 ratings
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36

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4.24 avg rating — 14,375 ratings
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38

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4.13 avg rating — 9,795 ratings
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39

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4.23 avg rating — 125,520 ratings
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40

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3.87 avg rating — 35,536 ratings
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41

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4.13 avg rating — 136,555 ratings
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42

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3.99 avg rating — 99,089 ratings
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43

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4.05 avg rating — 96,094 ratings
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44

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3.98 avg rating — 42,872 ratings
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45

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4.17 avg rating — 35,075 ratings
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46

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4.05 avg rating — 90,743 ratings
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47

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4.03 avg rating — 32,852 ratings
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48

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4.09 avg rating — 69,328 ratings
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49

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4.23 avg rating — 68,449 ratings
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49

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4.07 avg rating — 62,604 ratings
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49

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4.30 avg rating — 20 ratings
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52

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4.19 avg rating — 119,566 ratings
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53

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4.07 avg rating — 85,127 ratings
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54

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3.25 avg rating — 24,645 ratings
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55

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3.67 avg rating — 10,429 ratings
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56

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4.37 avg rating — 897,280 ratings
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57

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4.47 avg rating — 174,651 ratings
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58

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4.10 avg rating — 55,091 ratings
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58

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4.46 avg rating — 101,318 ratings
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60

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3.93 avg rating — 16,745 ratings
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60

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4.25 avg rating — 7,502 ratings
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62

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4.30 avg rating — 125,349 ratings
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62

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4.09 avg rating — 738,344 ratings
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64

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4.23 avg rating — 56,026 ratings
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65

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4.02 avg rating — 15,572 ratings
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65

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3.86 avg rating — 57,288 ratings
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67

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4.01 avg rating — 56,106 ratings
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67

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3.74 avg rating — 13,133 ratings
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69

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4.17 avg rating — 12,820 ratings
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69

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3.91 avg rating — 6,292 ratings
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69

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4.39 avg rating — 7,772 ratings
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72

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3.93 avg rating — 47,400 ratings
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73

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4.12 avg rating — 21,185 ratings
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73

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3.93 avg rating — 12,572 ratings
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75

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3.75 avg rating — 30,456 ratings
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75

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4.17 avg rating — 49,288 ratings
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77

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4.39 avg rating — 378,830 ratings
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77

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4.40 avg rating — 370,256 ratings
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77

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4.19 avg rating — 210,988 ratings
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77

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4.03 avg rating — 7,437 ratings
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81

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3.87 avg rating — 47,008 ratings
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81

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3.65 avg rating — 7,230 ratings
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83

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4.35 avg rating — 57,646 ratings
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83

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3.95 avg rating — 8,541 ratings
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85

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4.22 avg rating — 61,428 ratings
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85

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4.30 avg rating — 139,590 ratings
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85

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4.36 avg rating — 7,634 ratings
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85

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4.46 avg rating — 1,761,088 ratings
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89

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4.29 avg rating — 7,966 ratings
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90

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3.95 avg rating — 47,776 ratings
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90

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4.18 avg rating — 58,647 ratings
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90

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3.97 avg rating — 285,439 ratings
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93

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3.85 avg rating — 5,788 ratings
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94

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4.21 avg rating — 483,695 ratings
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94

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4.12 avg rating — 6,740 ratings
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94

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4.36 avg rating — 3,529,776 ratings
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97

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4.30 avg rating — 6,982 ratings
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98

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3.89 avg rating — 46,511 ratings
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98

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3.94 avg rating — 580,003 ratings
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98

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4.23 avg rating — 8,637 ratings
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299 books · 61 voters · list created February 2nd, 2017 by Mitchell Friedman (votes) .
48 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Mitchell 11056 books
172 friends
~☆~Autumn 8163 books
146 friends
Slj 346 books
0 friends
Margaret 3896 books
219 friends
Carol 4886 books
162 friends
Saturday's 2273 books
66 friends
☆Ruth☆ 5223 books
45 friends
Phillip 5239 books
138 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman removed the following books for not meeting the criteria of 5000 ratings AND 500 times shelved as history

1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England - 2087 ratings, 253 shelved as history
Call the Midwife - 182 shelved as history
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War - 235 shelved as military history civil war


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