History
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Explore history through literature, weapons, and the exercise of power in A History of Chinese Literature, The Book of the Sword, and The Prince.
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Every history book here is free to start: eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
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The Communist ManifestoKarl Marx and Friedrich EngelsChallenging · Under 2 hPrint and large print at costPrinting soonRead the summary
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American SlaveFrederick DouglassMedium level · 2–5 hPrint and large print at costPrinting soonRead the summary
A Brief Account of the Destruction of the IndiesBartolomé de las CasasChallenging · Under 2 hPrint and large print at costPrinting soonRead the summary
The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis BonaparteKarl MarxChallenging · 2–5 hPrint and large print at costPrinting soonRead the summary
Up from Slavery: An AutobiographyBooker T. WashingtonChallenging · 2–5 hPrint and large print at costPrinting soonRead the summary
The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the StateFriedrich EngelsChallenging · 2–5 hPrint and large print at costPrinting soonRead the summaryFree gifts
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eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and print at cost: paperback, hardcover or large print. 5 accounts for the price of one.
Read and listen freeThen 50% off your first year, from USD 0.14 a day
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Classic history books
Explore history through literature, weapons, and the exercise of power in A History of Chinese Literature, The Book of the Sword, and The Prince. Explore this shelf to trace customs and ideas across places and eras through 15-minute summaries, or order paperback, hardcover or large print editions.
These books are worth reading for the different views they offer of customs, conflict, and ideas across places and eras. Some examine the use of power; others show its human cost. A good place to start is Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave: its clear, personal account makes the struggle over slavery and freedom immediate, while inviting you to think about whose voices shape our understanding of history.
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