Let me clarify that these are not all the history books I read in 2025, but these are the ones I read in the last quarter of the year. Keep an eye out for a reading analysis post soon to get the bigger picture of what I read, but for now, here are a few historical books I enjoyed!
Once again, disclaimer that the books in the photo do not match the books in this post! It would take me too long to request the books from the library and take the pictures again, so please just tolerate my mismatched photos.
Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell
I have an ongoing interest in the topic of mountain climbing, even though I have never even climbed a 14-er myself. I especially am fascinated by the conditions when climbing Mount Everest - how the early mountain climbers accomplished that incredible challenge, and how the experience seems to have been cheapened or tainted in more recent years.
This book was an overview of the history of climbing Everest, but taken from a sympathetic perspective to those who still feel called by the mountain today. I thought the author struck a really nice balance in presenting the problems with the industry today, but also honoring the accomplishments of those who have climbed the mountain. I tend to lean toward the view that it seems like any Joe-schmo with enough money can climb the mountain these days and that cheapens the accomplishment, but this book challenged some of my biases (though it also confirmed others).
Christian History 101 by Sinclair Ferguson
When I ordered this book I expected to receive a massive tome - imagine my surprise when I realized it was just over a hundred pages! This is an excellent and accessible overview of church history through the centuries, and I really appreciated the length. This year was more difficult than I would have liked, and as a result I didn’t read as much history as I would have liked - it was nice to get some history reading in through this very approachable book.
Meet Martin Luther by Anthony Selvaggio
Our family celebrates Reformation Day, so October was a great month to pick up this little biography of Martin Luther. I’ve attempted a massive biography before and was never able to finish it in this busy season - this one was a perfect length. I was so glad I read it when we watched the Luther movie in October, because I understood all the events the movie alludes to! Highly recommend for a balanced overview of Luther’s life, including his strengths and weaknesses.
The Freedom Of The Christian by Martin Luther
I picked up this book in October as well, the first book I’ve read actually written by Martin Luther himself. The length of this book was perfect if you are intimidated, but it still packed a punch. It was interesting to read some of the thought processes that led to the Reformation from Luther himself, and I found various parts not just academically interesting but personally encouraging.
The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey
I finished this one up during the last week of the year after taking a long break in reading it. This book goes through the months of the year and tells how people living in medieval times would have been living through the different seasons. I found it very engaging and interesting. This was a recommendation for my son’s high school history curriculum next year, and while I mostly think it would be a great read, I would have him skip the “November” section, which had to do with the relationships between men and women. Other than that, I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it as an approachable book about the social history of the Middle Ages!
Next up: the fiction books I read to finish out the 2025 reading year!
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