Gifts for History Lovers
Castles, queens and a Roman general
- 8 ideas
- £9.99 to £24.99
- Updated
History lovers like to be told a good story, with the facts to back it up. The books below cover very different ground, from medieval fortifications and royal households to ancient myth, modern Afghanistan and the Sackler family, so it is easy to match one to what the person already enjoys.
Two of the books overlap with our book lovers list: Agrippa, a novel about Rome, and Swan Song, a biography of Diana. The rest are history or narrative non-fiction, including a popular account of the dinosaurs. Most are paperbacks, so they are easy to wrap and post, and several cost under £13. Prices were checked on 13 October 2026 and can change.
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Castles: A Fortified History of the World
Castles by Dan Jones, a history of the world's fortifications.
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Queens and Kings
Queens and Kings, Lucy Worsley's unusually personal history of the monarchy.
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Swan Song: Diana, My Sister
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer's book about his sister, for readers who like royal history.
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Agrippa
Agrippa, a novel set in Rome by Robert Harris, for a reader who prefers historical fiction.
£16.99 View at Waterstones: Agrippa -
The Finest Hotel in Kabul
The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a people's history of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet.
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Mythica
Mythica, Emily Hauser's history of Homer's world through the women written out of it.
£10.99 View at Waterstones: Mythica -
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Empire of Pain
Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe's account of the Sackler dynasty.
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The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, Steve Brusatte's popular account of a lost world.
Questions people ask
What is a good gift for someone who loves history?
Dan Jones's Castles and Lucy Worsley's Queens and Kings are popular choices. For fiction readers, Robert Harris's Agrippa mixes history and a good story.
What is a good gift for a history fan on a budget?
The Finest Hotel in Kabul and Mythica are both under £11 in paperback, and Empire of Pain is under £13.
Is Empire of Pain a history book?
It is narrative non-fiction about the Sackler family and the opioid crisis. It suits readers who like investigative history rather than a traditional chronology.
More gift ideas
- Gifts for Book LoversPaperbacks to get lost in, from literary mysteries to memoirs
- Gifts for CooksCookbooks for weeknights, batch cooking and a Christmas feast
- Gifts for Art LoversBricks that look like paintings and books that teach you to draw
- Gifts for BakersCookbooks for the proof drawer and something to dunk
- Gifts for Car and F1 FansRace cars in bricks, from a pocket-sized Alpine to a McLaren F1 car
- Gifts for Chocolate LoversSelectors, big boxes and bars with a conscience
Planning to give a few of these?
Put them on a GiftListHuddle list and share a link. Friends and family can claim or split gifts without spoiling the surprise.