The Five Best History Books

Which have you read?

It will not surprise anyone subscribing to Murder Mayhem UK that I love history books. However, I am more critical of this genre than any other, and I think that is because I write articles in the same vein.

Some of the books listed below have influenced the articles I have written, while others I have enjoyed because reading about history is a passion of mine.

It was challenging to recommend five books, but here are the five history books I think everyone should read, in no particular order.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold

This is an unusual book as it does not focus on the killing but rather on the women who were his victims. Rather than sensationalising their lives, the book humanises the victims, looking at their lives before the murders and teaching us that they were real people.

It is also highly unique for a history book because it focuses on females in history.

Each section of the book is devoted to one of the victims, detailing their childhoods, relationships, and the circumstances that led them to Whitechapel in 1888. It dismantles the long-standing myth that all five were sex workers, instead revealing a more complex and tragic reality: many of them were destitute, unhoused women who fell through the cracks of an unforgiving society.

The Five is a well-researched piece of history writing with a compelling narrative, making it almost novel-like. The author challenges the reader to reconsider how we remember crime victims and questions why society fixates on the perpetrator rather than those who suffered.

One of the book’s most striking achievements is how it dismantles the "prostitute" label that has long defined the Ripper's victims by emphasising the impact of poverty, addiction, and lack of social support. Rubenhold forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about how history and modern society treat marginalised women.

Whether you are obsessed with Jack the Ripper, like me, or wish to read a historical account of women in Victorian England, this is a must-read.

The Ratlines

This book is one of those history books that dramatically changed my perspective of history. The book follows the life and mysterious death of Otto Wächter, a high-ranking Nazi official who was instrumental in the Holocaust. Through meticulous research and personal interviews, Sands unravels Wächter’s post-war escape via the infamous "Ratline", a network that helped Nazis flee to South America.

Otto Wächter was the governor of Nazi-occupied Galicia, overseeing the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews. After Germany’s defeat in 1945, he evaded capture, hiding in the Austrian Alps before attempting to escape to Argentina via the Vatican’s Ratline. However, Wächter never made it; he died in Rome in 1949 under suspicious circumstances.

Sands delves into this mystery, drawing from letters, diaries, and interviews with Wächter’s son, Horst. Unlike many Nazi descendants who acknowledge their forebears’ crimes, Horst refuses to accept his father’s guilt, believing him to be an honourable man caught in the chaos of history. Their conversations form the book's emotional core, as Sands meticulously dismantles Horst’s illusions with hard evidence.

The book pulls no punches and leaves you questioning much of what you knew about the end of World War II. It brings the question of why so few Nazi perpetrators were brought to justice.

One of the book’s most thought-provoking aspects is its examination of how war criminals justify their actions and how their families come to terms with or deny their legacies.

The Ratline is an essential read for those interested in WWII history, Nazi fugitives, and the tangled moral dilemmas of memory and justice. Sands doesn’t just tell the story of Otto Wächter’s escape; he forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about accountability, denial, and the lingering ghosts of the past. It’s a chilling, thought-provoking work of investigative history.

Ordinary Men

This is my most recent read, and it looks at World War II again. This examines what made ordinary men into mass murderers. The book looks specifically at the role of the Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland.

It focuses on a unit of middle-aged German police officers tasked with executing Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland; Browning’s book dismantles the myth that only fanatical ideologues committed the Holocaust. Instead, he demonstrates how average individuals, ordinary men, became mass murderers through a combination of obedience, peer pressure, and gradual moral desensitisation.

Ordinary Men is one of the most unsettling books ever written on the Holocaust. Browning’s writing is clear: he refuses to dehumanise the perpetrators, paradoxically making their actions even more horrifying. By demonstrating that these men were not monsters but regular people shaped by circumstances, Browning forces us to confront the disturbing reality that genocide is not the work of a few sociopaths; it is something that can emerge within any society under the right conditions.

The book leaves you questioning whether, under the same circumstances, we would have acted the same.

A Night to Remember

On a completely different topic, if I am not reading about Jack the Ripper, I am reading about the Titanic. These two events in history have fascinated me for years. A Night to Remember is my favourite book about the Titanic.

Lord’s account is a moment-by-moment reconstruction of the human drama aboard the doomed ship, capturing the chaos, heroism, and tragedy of April 14-15, 1912. It draws from survivor testimonies and historical accounts.

The storytelling makes A Night to Remember a masterpiece. The writing is fast-paced and cinematic, immersing readers in the tragedy without losing sight of historical accuracy. Unlike purely technical analyses of the disaster, Lord focuses on the human element, making the book as emotionally powerful as informative.

A Night to Remember remains one of my favourite history books. Its gripping, eyewitness-driven narrative makes it a must-read for history lovers, maritime enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by human nature in times of crisis. Even decades after its publication, it is a timeless and haunting tribute to those who lived and died on that fateful night.

Man's Search for Meaning

This book is very different from the four previously mentioned as it is more memoir than historical nonfiction. It also has a deep connection to philosophy. Everyone should read it at least once in their life, even if history does not interest you.

The book is based on Frankl’s experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps; the book explores how individuals can find meaning even in the most unimaginable suffering. It was first published in 1946 and became a classic in Holocaust literature and existential psychology.

Man’s Search for Meaning is both devastating and uplifting. Frankl’s account of the camps is brutal, but his perspective is never hopeless. Instead of focusing solely on the horrors, he explores how the human mind adapts to suffering, making the book as much about survival as it is about atrocity. His observations, such as how a simple sunset or memory of a loved one could sustain a prisoner, are heartbreaking and inspiring.

What sets this book apart from other Holocaust memoirs is its universality. While rooted in Frankl’s personal experience, its lessons apply to anyone struggling with adversity. His idea that suffering, when given meaning, can be transformative is compelling, resonating with readers across generations and cultures.

Man’s Search for Meaning is a must-read for anyone seeking insight into resilience, purpose, and the human spirit. It is a book I revisit yearly and possibly the book I have recommended to more people than any other.

Warriors of War

The observant amongst you will see that this is the sixth book on the list. Think of it as a cheeky honorary mention. It is my latest book, released this week.

Heroes emerge in many forms during the war; some are celebrated, and others are lost to history. Warriors of War uncovers the extraordinary, often overlooked figures whose courage, intelligence, and ingenuity shaped the course of World War II.

From Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician who cracked the Enigma code yet was persecuted for his identity, to Nicholas Winton, the quiet London stockbroker who saved hundreds of Jewish children, this book brings to light stories of resilience and sacrifice. It delves into the daring exploits of resistance fighters like Freddie Oversteegen, the teenage assassin luring Nazis to their deaths, and Paul Gruninger, the Swiss police officer who risked his career to smuggle Jewish refugees to safety.

It also honours the unorthodox heroes, engineers and inventors like those behind the Mulberry Harbours and Operation PLUTO, whose innovations ensured Allied victory. Even amidst devastation, figures like Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who miraculously survived both atomic bombings and Molly Lamb Bobak, the first female Canadian war artist, remind us of the enduring human spirit.

Which of these books have you read? Do you have any recommendations you think I must read? Hit reply to this email and let me know.