Earlier this year, we sent our subscribers a list of some of the most recognized history books of 2021 and asked them to choose their favorites. The results of that survey may surprise you!

We initiated the survey because many of the history books we liked best last year weren't nominated for prizes. Often, the award nominations seemed political or just plain odd. So, we made an initial selection of 35 titles, and narrowed that down to the top 15 based on your responses.

We were pleased that over 250 readers of American Heritage cast their vote. Read the full ranking below. 

1. Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution, by H. W. Brands

The Pulitzer Prize finalist weaves a narrative about the American Revolution that shows that, as well as a fight against the British, it was a violent battle among neighbors forced to choose sides, Loyalist or Patriot.

2. The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III, by Andrew Roberts

The last king of America, George III, has been ridiculed as a complete disaster who frittered away the colonies and went mad in his old age. This book looks at his reign and legacy, which were much more nuanced and fascinating than many people realize.

3. The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents, 1773-1783, by Joseph J. Ellis

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Joseph J. Ellis offers an epic account of the origins and clashing ideologies of America’s revolutionary era, capturing a war that was more brutal and disorienting than any in our history, save perhaps the Civil War.

4. American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804, by Alan Taylor

From a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, this is the story of a fragile nation as it expands across a contested continent.

5. Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy, by Nathaniel Philbrick

Retraces President Washington’s travels through the 13 new states as he engaged with Americans about their new nation. Blends history and first-person travelogue in a meditation on America at the end of the 18th century and today.

6. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, by Nikole Hannah-Jones et al.

This book expands on the work of the “1619 Project,” which posits that the barbaric system of American chattel slavery that lasted for 250 years is the source of so much that still defines the United States.

7. George Washington's Final Battle: The Epic Struggle to Build a Capital City and a Nation, by Robert P.