Historical
Read Historical Classics in English
1,118 historical books at CEFR A2 to C2 — learn English by reading the stories worth reading. Select any word for an instant translation, listen to the narration read the page aloud, and save the vocabulary you meet. Pick your level and start with a free sample.
What are the best historical classics to read in English as a learner?
The best historical classics for English learners are the well-known titles you can read in the original — start with Zigzag Journeys in Northern Lands;: The Rhine to the Arctic; A Summer Trip of the Zigzag Club Through Holland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Yule-Tide Yarns and Youth. Each one is labelled with a CEFR level, any word you do not know is one selection away from a translation, and the narration reads the page aloud while it highlights the words.
- 1,118
- books
Level B2AdventureThe Young Continentals at TrentonFour boys navigate the perils of the American Revolution, from secret missions to key battles like Long Island and the daring crossing of the Delaware.
Level B2AdventureThe Young Continentals at MonmouthFour young Continental Army couriers navigate the challenges of war, carrying urgent messages and witnessing pivotal moments like Washington’s daring Delaware crossing and the tens…
Level B2AdventureThe Young Continentals at LexingtonFour boys find themselves at the heart of rising tensions as Boston braces under British occupation, with colonial resistance swelling toward revolution.
Level B2AdventureThe Young Continentals at Bunker HillFour boys navigate danger and duty during the siege of Boston, delivering crucial messages and witnessing the heroic stand at Bunker Hill.
Level B2AdventureThe Young Colonists: A Story of the Zulu and Boer WarsTwo brothers grow up on a Derbyshire farm amid harsh winters and changing times, learning that courage and knowledge are both needed to face challenges ahead.
Level B2HistoricalThe Young Carpenters of Freiberg: A Tale of the Thirty Years' WarAmid the harsh siege of Freiberg during the Thirty Years' War, young carpenter Conrad navigates a city under siege, where soldiers bring danger and death, and bravery emerges in th…
Level B2AdventureThe Young Alaskans on the MissouriA restless uncle sets out to lead a group of young Americans on an adventurous journey up the Missouri River, tracing the historic trail of Lewis and Clark to rediscover the spirit…
Level B2AdventureThe Young Adventurer; or, Tom's Trip Across the PlainsStruggling to free his family from debt, a determined young boy sets out from his humble farm to seek fortune and a better life beyond the plains.
Level B2AdventureThe Wrecking MasterCaught in a treacherous harbor on a dark night, Captain Jim Wetherly and his nephew Dan navigate their oceangoing tug through danger, confronting mysterious small boats and perilou…
Level B2AdventureThe Wreckers of Sable IslandA spirited fifteen-year-old boy defies his grandfather’s fears to journey from peaceful Warwickshire to wild Nova Scotia in 1799, eager to join his father and embrace adventure acr…
Level B2AdventureThe Wreck of the Red Bird: A Story of the Carolina CoastThree boys arrive at a quiet South Carolina coastal town, drawn by a family summons amid fears of yellow fever.
Level B2AdventureThe Wounded NameAs the Allies near Paris and the Bourbon king is poised to return, Laurent de Courtomer, raised in England but heir to a French title, wrestles with his divided loyalties and the u…
Level B2HistoricalThe Worn DoorstepAmid the looming shadow of war, a determined scholar searches the tranquil English countryside for the perfect village home, where history, memory, and love intertwine beneath anci…
Level B2HistoricalThe World Before Them: A Novel. Volume 3 (of 3)Tensions rise in a modest household where a wounded soldier grapples with dependence, a jealous wife struggles to accept her new life, and family secrets simmer beneath the surface…
Level B2HistoricalThe World Before Them: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 3)Two young lovers face the harsh realities of duty, pride, and family expectations in a picturesque rural landscape where love must confront tradition and sacrifice.
Level B2RomanceThe Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 20A French prisoner of war navigates life inside Edinburgh Castle during the Napoleonic Wars, using wit, language skills, and charm to survive captivity and forge unexpected friendsh…
Level B2HistoricalThe Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 08Amid the brewing conflict of King Henry VI’s reign, young Richard Shelton rallies villagers to a looming battle, confronting divided loyalties and the harsh realities of war in a v…
Level B2AdventureThe WoodrangerIn a tense borderland where rival settlers clash, nineteen-year-old Norman McNiel, a skilled hunter from Scotland, listens to the urgent baying of a hound that signals an unfolding…
Level B2HistoricalThe Woodcutter of GutechLost in the dark, tangled Black Forest, a determined traveller encounters a woodcutter and his son, sparking a journey of guidance, faith, and the quest for spiritual nourishment a…
Level B2RomanceThe Wood King; or, Daniel Boone's last trailAmidst the untamed Osage wilderness, a seasoned hunter witnesses a desperate chase between rival tribes, where survival hinges on cunning, courage, and the secrets hidden along the…
Level B2AdventureThe Wolf Patrol: A Tale of Baden-Powell's Boy ScoutsBoys from rival quarters prepare for a fierce showdown on the riverbank, where loyalty, courage, and the spirit of the Boy Scouts turn a neighborhood feud into a test of honor and…
Level B2RomanceThe Winning of Barbara WorthIn a vast, desolate desert transformed by human will, a determined man journeys toward a distant frontier where survival means conquering nature itself—and where hearts and hopes a…
Level B2AdventureThe Willoughby CaptainsAt Willoughby School, the festive air buzzes with anticipation as boys prepare for the big sports events, while young Cusack proudly parades his naval father.
Level B2AdventureThe Wild Man of the West: A Tale of the Rocky MountainsIn the rugged Rocky Mountains, sixteen-year-old March Marston lives wildly, risking life and limb with reckless courage and fierce loyalty.
Level B2FantasyThe White Wolf and Other Fireside TalesIn 1358 Greenland, a Norwegian merchant encounters a ghostly, icebound ship frozen in time, harboring mysterious frozen bodies and untold secrets.
Level B2AdventureThe White Conquerors: A Tale of Toltec and AztecIn the heart of Tenochtitlan, the vibrant Aztec capital, celebrations mask the dark tyranny of human sacrifice demanded by ruthless priests.
Level B2AdventureThe White Chief of the CaffresBorn in India and raised among its people, a young boy embarks on a perilous sea voyage to England, facing storms at sea and the promise of new adventures that will shape his desti…
Level B2AdventureThe War-Trail Fort: Further Adventures of Thomas Fox and PitamakanAs the mighty American Fur Company collapses, a young trader and his loyal friend face a new frontier of independence and adventure, venturing beyond trading posts into the wild pl…
Level B2AdventureThe Wanderers; Or, Adventures in the Wilds of Trinidad and OrinocoA family uprooted by financial ruin seeks refuge in Trinidad, risking faith and fortune under a foreign edict protecting settlers.
Level B2AdventureThe Voyages of the "Ranger" and "Crusader": And what befell their Passengers and Crews.As young midshipmen prepare to set sail from home, they face the thrilling uncertainties of life at sea aboard the troop-ship Ranger, while their families embark on a daring coloni…
Level B2AdventureThe Voyage of the "Steadfast": The Young Missionaries in the PacificAmid a fierce storm on the Welsh coast, a young girl anxiously watches for signs of a ship in peril, while hoping her father’s sturdy vessel, the Steadfast, sails safely through th…
Level B2AdventureThe Vinland ChampionsAmidst the fog-bound seas near Vinland, a young Viking named Alrek faces fierce challenges and fierce rivals as settlers strive to tame the wild new lands.
Level B2RomanceThe Victim: A Romance of the Real Jefferson DavisAmid the turmoil of the South, a young boy named Jeff Davis faces a painful separation from his family as he is sent away for education, while the shadow of war and leadership loom…
Level B2HistoricalThe Velvet GloveIn the wind-swept city of Saragossa, a white-haired man returns after fifteen years, quietly navigating the ancient Ebro River with a secret purpose unknown to those awaiting him.
Level B2HistoricalThe Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican RevolutionAmid the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution, Demetrio Macias, a humble farmer turned reluctant bandit, faces danger and betrayal as soldiers invade his home, forcing him to navigate…
Level B2AdventureThe Two Supercargoes; Or, Adventures in Savage AfricaAfter a deadly fever claims the captain and most of the crew on an African trading voyage, the surviving supercargoes face suspicion, pirates, and moral dilemmas in a perilous ques…
Level B2HistoricalThe Tree of AppomattoxAs the Civil War draws to a close, intertwined lives on both sides of the conflict face battles of loyalty, courage, and survival amid historic clashes and shifting allegiances.
Level B2AdventureThe Treasure of the Tigris: A Tale of MesopotamiaA young scholar, barred from a military career, embarks on a daring expedition to ancient Babylon, mastering cuneiform and Arabic to uncover hidden treasures and mysteries in Mesop…
Level B2AdventureThe Treasure of the Incas: A Story of Adventure in PeruTwo men plot an adventurous quest to uncover the lost treasure of the Incas in the treacherous wilds of Peru, where hidden gold and ancient secrets await beneath hostile forests an…
Level B2HistoricalThe TreasureIn a frozen winter under King Frederik's reign, a disabled fish hawker and his loyal dog journey toward Solberga parsonage, where eerie howls and unsettling omens hint at hidden da…
Level B2HistoricalThe Traitor: A Story of the Fall of the Invisible EmpireIn the turbulent aftermath of the Klan’s political power, a former chief faces fierce neighborhood feuds, legal battles, and personal betrayals in the Southern Piedmont.
Level B2AdventureThe Trail of the SenecaAmid the serene autumn of 1792, the exiled Seneca Lone-Elk seizes control of a Delaware tribe’s Thanksgiving feast, weaving ambition and cunning into a tale of power, tradition, an…
Level B2AdventureThe Trail of a Sourdough: Life in AlaskaTrapped by a brutal Alaskan blizzard, a group of miners huddle together, sharing tales of survival and fortune in the unforgiving north.
Level B2AdventureThe Trail of The Badger: A Story of the Colorado Border Thirty Years AgoTwo enterprising boys navigate the rugged Colorado border, caught between clashing cultures and untamed wilderness.
Level B2HistoricalThe Toy Shop: A Romantic Story of Lincoln the ManA somber man wrestles with the heavy burdens of war and leadership, haunted by the cost of conflict and the innocence of childhood.
Level B2HistoricalThe Tory LoverAmidst the tension of 1777, Colonel Jonathan Hamilton hosts a gathering at his grand estate, where the arrival of a mysterious boat stirs anticipation and unease.
Level B2HistoricalThe Times Red Cross Story Book: by Famous Novelists Serving in His Majesty's ForcesIn the lawless, uncharted lands south of Mequinez, young Dimoussi—half Arab, half Negro—sets out with a pistol and a hunger for adventure, navigating bustling Moroccan markets and…
Level B2AdventureThe Tiger of Mysore: A Story of the War with Tippoo SaibStranded on hostile shores and caught in the ruthless power struggle of Southern India, a young man learns of his father's mysterious fate amid Tippoo Saib's brutal reign.