Imagining History's Top 10 Grown-Ups' History Books of 2022
2022 has proven to be an eyeball achingly awesome year for books! In fact, there are so many must-read books out there, that it can be difficult to figure out which must-read must be read. So, dear reader, let us guide you in your book-buying antics. Since we launched Author Interviews and Book Reviews on our Blog earlier this year, we've read more books than you can shake a Kindle at (note: please don't try shaking your Kindle. I have learned through bitter experience that they do not take well to being flung with wanton abandon).
Allow us to guide you then, to the must-read of the must be read, the cream of the crop, the top dogs, the numero unos, the best of the best; in short, the greatest history books for adults in 2022. Our love for these books cannot be ranked, so you'll find them listed in no particular order. Just know that each and every one of them is page flippin' marvellous!
Top 10 Grown-Ups' History Books of 2022
The Wall by Douglas Jackson
"In ‘The Wall’ the reader is transported to, obviously, one of the most iconic walls of them all, ‘Hadrian’s Wall’. The year is 400 AD and, Marcus Flavius Victor is the Lord of the Wall. Douglas Jackson’s great skill is to create an environment that feels historically authentic, without sacrificing the pace of the story in the process. There's a huge amount of historical detail to be enjoyed here."
Northerners: A History by Brian Groom
A History of the North is a tale to be cherished. Brian Groom's brilliant book charts life in the North of England from the Stone Age, to the Roman Invasion, the era of the Normans, the Industrial Revolution, and beyond. It's a terrifically fascinating account and well worth a read.
Hugely recommended!
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals by Steve Brusatte
"This is a truly masterful book, one that weaves together millions of years of history to tell a singular story. Quite how Brusatte has managed this near-impossible feat is mind-boggling, to say the least. There’s just so much to unpack here, in what must be on course to become one of the must-read scientific books of 2022."
Empires of the Normans by Levi Roach
"If you want to learn more about the Normans, then I can’t recommend ‘Empires of the Normans’ highly enough. This is a read that will leave your brain laden with historical knowledge, ready to impress all those around you with your deep and detailed opinions on how Harold actually died at the Battle of Hastings, how the Normans reached Africa, and whether King Charles got his feet kissed."
How to Build Stonehenge by Mike Pitts
Stonehenge is a fascinating historical mystery.
How was it built?
Why was it built?
These are the intriguing questions that have repeatedly drop-kicked the brains of even the brainiest people.
Well, here at Imagining History we wanted, nay demanded, an answer! So, we read How to Build Stone Henge by Mike Pitts and it answered all our questions!
The Darkest Sin by D.V. Bishop
So, you want to read a great historical fiction novel, but where do you start? A quick glance at the listings on Amazon reveals there are some 60,000 books in the genre. Now, if a novel takes on average eight hours to read, it will take you 480,000 hours to read all of those books. That’s 54 years.
Here’s my advice, save yourself 54 years of reading through precariously balanced piles of books and just go and read The Darkest Sin by D.V Bishop instead; easily the best examples of the historical fiction genre I’ve read in years
The Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price
"Ultimately, it’s a challenging read, after all, there’s a lot to unpack here. Still, you need not know anything about the Vikings in order to cast your eyeballs over The Children of Ash and Elm. Neil takes even the newest of Viking newbies gently by the hand and confidently steers them on the rocky path to knowledge. Dense with facts, yet eminently approachable, The Children of Ash and Elm is an essential read for those wanting to learn more about the Vikings."
The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight
"The Premonitions Bureau is a breezy, fascinating, and completely compelling modern history debut from writer Sam Knight. The Premonitions Bureau is an eye-opening and untold tale well worth your time; indeed, you may well never look at our perceived sense of reality in quite the same way upon its conclusion."
The Lighthouse of Stalingrad by Iain MacGregor
"The Lighthouse of Stalingrad’ is a required read for those wishing to learn more about the historic battle. Skilfully written, eminently informative, and eye-opening, ‘The Lighthouse of Stalingrad' is amongst the best history books released in 2022."
Wrath of the Pics by Steven A. McKay
"The key to any long-running book series is a protagonist that readers want to follow on their adventures. Lots of their adventures. Sounds obvious, I know, but you’d be surprised how many books with aspirations for sequels, threequels, and centennials forget to have a decent central character to hang their imagined franchise around. Fortunately, with ‘The Warrior Druid of Britain’ series, writer Steven A. Mckay gets it right. Warrior Druid Bellicus is an absolute treat of a character."
