LibGuides: History & Historical Research: Find Books

Search Library Resources

To browse the Masland Library shelves for books related to History, use the call number ranges below.

D	History (General)
DA	Great Britain
DC	France
DD	Germany
DE	Greco-Roman World
DK	Russia
DS	Asia
DT	Africa
E-F	History: American
G	Geography (General), Maps
GB	Physical Geography

References

Some Information in this guide is adapted from:

https://guides.library.harvard.edu/HistSciInfo/primary#s-lg-box-wrapper-7437024

https://guides.temple.edu/history

Find Books
Use the Library Search to find books owned by Cairn University. You can search by author, title, subject, or keyword.

Use the filters to the left of your search results to limit results by availability (print or online), publication date, topic, era, genre, and more.
Once you find a book that seems useful, check the list of Subject links in the item's record. Try these links to find additional books on the same topic.
- For example, the subject "World War, 1914-1918 -- Social aspects -- Great Britain" will direct you to other titles about the home front and the other social impacts of World War I in Great Britain.

eBooks

eBooks, along with journal articles and reference materials, can be found at the library and in our databases. Below are some databases to search for ebooks with a historical focus. For the complete list of History databases, click here: A-Z Databases: History.

ACLS Humanities E-Book
ACLS Humanities E-Book (HEB) is an online collection books of high quality in the humanities.
Cambridge Histories Online
Full text of all Cambridge history volumes (250+) published to date. Subject matter ranges widely across the humanities with a concentration on political and cultural history. Each volume includes authoritative narrative accounts by specialists and extensive bibliographies. The subject categories containing the most volumes are regional history, general history (with its chronological series) and literary studies, but there are also several series on the history of religion, philosophy and economic history. Content is displayed as page images and can be searched via metadata and full text.
Oxford Scholarship Online History
Oxford Scholarship Online's History collection reflects the unparalleled breadth and depth of the Oxford list, encompassing work at the cusp of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages right through to the latter decades of the twentieth century, and ranging from the most focused regional histories to the broadest transnational studies. From David d'Avray on medieval marriage to Selina Todd on young women and work in the early 1900s, from John Davis on Napoleonic Italy to David French's prize-winning work on the British army, subscribers will have access to a wide range of classic titles.

Seminal Works in History

Seminal works are key texts that have shaped how historians study and interpret the past. They introduce important ideas, methods, and debates that still influence historical research today. Exploring these works helps students understand how history is written—and why it matters.

Below are some of the seminal works in history to explore.

The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II by Fernand Braudel; Sian Reynolds (Translator)
ISBN: 9780060104528

Publication Date: 1972-09-01

A revolutionary example of “long-term” history that looks beyond events to geography, economics, and social rhythms. Braudel shows that to understand history, we must also consider the slow-moving forces that shape human life.
Histories by Herodotus; Tom Griffith (Contribution by, Introduction by); George Rawlinson (Notes by, Translator)
Call Number: D58 .H3313 1998

ISBN: 9781853264665

Publication Date: 1996-01-01

Regarded as the "Father of History," Herodotus was one of the first to collect stories and observations to understand human events—particularly the Greco-Persian Wars. His blend of inquiry, travel writing, and myth shows how early history was both fact-finding and narrative.
The Landscape of History by John Lewis Gaddis
ISBN: 9780195362053

Publication Date: 2002-11-01

In this clear and approachable book, Gaddis compares the work of historians to that of mapmakers—both simplify complex realities to help others navigate them. He introduces students to big questions about time, evidence, causation, and how historians construct meaning from the past. Great for demystifying historical methods and showing their relevance across disciplines.
From Reliable Sources by Martha Howell; Walter Prevenier
ISBN: 9780801435737

Publication Date: 2001-04-27

This concise guide breaks down how historians evaluate sources, handle evidence, and construct arguments. It’s especially useful for students learning how to read primary documents critically and understand the limits of historical knowledge. A solid, practical introduction to doing history with rigor and care.
Silencing the past : Power and the Production of History by Michel-Rolph Trouillot
ISBN: 9780807080542

Publication Date: 2015

This thought-provoking book explores how history is not just recorded, but actively produced—often by those in power. Trouillot invites students to question whose voices are missing from historical narratives and why.