Historical
Read Historical Classics in English
3,675 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.
- 3,675
- books
Level C1Historical"Laramie;" Or, The Queen of Bedlam. A Story of the Sioux War of 1876Amid the rugged Wyoming frontier during the Sioux War of 1876, tensions rise at a remote military garrison where loyalties, secrets, and survival intertwine under the watchful eyes…
Level C1Historical"In the twinkling of an eye"In a world on the brink of the Lord’s Second Coming, personal dramas unfold against a backdrop of faith, prophecy, and the urgent call to awaken to a sacred truth rarely understood…
Level C1Adventure"If Youth but Knew!"A reluctant king rules the patchwork kingdom of Westphalia, caught between Napoleon’s grand designs and his own self-indulgent whims.
Level C1Historical"George Washington's" Last Duel: 1891At Rock Towers, a young woman boldly challenges her uncle’s old-fashioned views by inviting an unconventional guest, setting the stage for clashes of tradition, strong-minded women…
Level C1Historical"De Bello Gallico" and Other CommentariesFollow Julius Caesar’s firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, revealing the strategic mind and political ambition that shaped Rome’s expansion and his rise to power.
Level C1Adventure"Bones": Being Further Adventures in Mr. Commissioner Sanders' CountryIn the remote Ochori country, Bosambo, a self-styled king, summons his chiefs to a secretive meeting that defies colonial authority, hinting at mysterious plans and strange new pow…
Level C1Historical"All's not Gold that Glitters;" or, The Young CalifornianIn a quiet New England village, news of California’s gold rush sparks dreams of fortune and adventure, but the young hopeful soon learns that wealth and trust are harder to find th…
Level C1Historical"All's Well"; or, Alice's VictoryIn 16th-century Kent, Alice Benden navigates village life amid the hardships of widowhood and the struggles of the cloth-working community, where neighbors' fates intertwine and re…
Level C1Historical"A Soldier Of The Empire"An aging sergeant, revered and beloved in his Parisian Quarter, recounts heroic tales of battle and loyalty to the empire while protecting his community with quiet strength and com…
Level C1Historical"1914"As tensions simmer in Europe, an import-export merchant senses an ominous shift disrupting his business and the fragile peace.
Level C1Adventure!Tention: A Story of Boy-Life during the Peninsular WarAmidst the rugged Pyrenees during the Peninsular War, a young rifleman and his comrades navigate deadly skirmishes as they retreat from pursuing French forces, testing loyalty and…
Level C1ClassicsA Tale of Two CitiesThe classic historical novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1HistoricalAutobiography of Benjamin FranklinThe classic historical novel by Benjamin Franklin.
Level C1AdventureBidwell's Travels, from Wall Street to London Prison: Fifteen Years in SolitudeThe classic mystery novel by Austin Bidwell.
Level C1ClassicsDavid CopperfieldThe classic classics novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1HistoricalEighty Years and More; Reminiscences 1815-1897The classic historical novel by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Level C1ClassicsGreat ExpectationsThe classic classics novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1RomanceLorna Doone: A Romance of ExmoorThe classic romance novel by R.
Level C1HistoricalNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American SlaveThe classic historical novel by Frederick Douglass.
Level C1ClassicsOliver Twist, Vol. 2 (of 3)The classic mystery novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1HistoricalThe Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By HimselfThe classic historical novel by Olaudah Equiano.
Level C1HistoricalThe Life of Charles Dickens, Vol. I-III, CompleteThe classic classics novel by John Forster.
Level C1RomanceThe Love Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft to Gilbert ImlayThe classic romance novel by Mary Wollstonecraft.
Level C1ClassicsThe Scarlet LetterThe classic historical novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Level C1AdventureTravels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846The classic adventure novel by James Richardson.
Level C1HistoricalThe Diary of Samuel Pepys — CompleteThe classic historical diary by Samuel Pepys.
Level C1RomanceThat Which Hath Wings: A Novel of the DayThe classic romance novel by Richard Dehan.