Recommendations based on Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empireby Julia Baird

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

    by Robert K. Massie
    A biography of Catherine the Great, the powerful and controversial Empress of Russia, who transformed her country and left a lasting legacy.

    “[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion . . . a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.”—,The Wall Street Journal, The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple

    by Jeff Guinn
    A deep dive into the history of the Peoples Temple and the life of its leader, Jim Jones.

    2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime “A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” ( The Boston Globe )—the definitive story of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family

    by Mary S. Lovell
    A sweeping tale of a powerful family, spanning generations and continents.

    This is the story of a British upper class family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the two World Wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was ... (Goodreads)

  4. Napoleon: A Life

    by Andrew Roberts
    Biography of the French political and military leader and the age of revolution he embodied.

    The definitive biography of the great soldier-statesman by the, New York Times, bestselling author of, The Storm of War,—winner of the, Los Angeles Times, Book Prize for Biography and the Grand Prix ... (Goodreads)

  5. Nicholas and Alexandra

    by Robert K. Massie
    An epic saga about the last Tsar of Russia and the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

    The story of the love that ended an empire. In this commanding book, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story ... (Goodreads)

  6. Cleopatra: A Life

    by Stacy Schiff
    Biography of Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.

    The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

    by Yeonmi Park
    A young woman's harrowing escape from North Korea and her struggle to survive and thrive in a new country.

    Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss

    by Edmund de Waal
    A journey through time, tracing the history of a family's collection of art and their struggles with loss.

    The Ephrussis were a grand banking family, as rich and respected as the Rothschilds, who “burned like a comet” in nineteenth-century Paris and Vienna society. Yet by the end of World War II, almost ... (Goodreads)

  9. A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership

    by James Comey
    Former FBI Director James Comey's memoir about his career and experiences with President Trump.

    Former FBI Director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ... (Goodreads)

  10. Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone

    by Brené Brown
    A journey to find true belonging in an age of increasing polarization.

    #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 ... (Goodreads)

  11. Leonardo da Vinci

    by Walter Isaacson
    Biography of the world's greatest polymath, exploring his legacy of art and science.

    The #1, New York Times, bestseller from Walter Isaacson brings Leonardo da Vinci to life in this exciting new biography that is “a study in creativity: how to define it, how to achieve it...Most ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. One Summer: America, 1927

    by Bill Bryson
    A vivid portrait of America in the summer of 1927, featuring a host of historical figures and events.

    In One Summer Bill Bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved nonfiction writers, transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season in American life. The summer of 1927 began with one of ... (Goodreads)

  13. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

    by Mary Beard
    An exploration into the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, tracing its impact on the modern world.

    New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Wall Street Journal , the Economist, Foreign Affairs , and Kirkus Reviews Finalist for the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. His Excellency: George Washington

    by Joseph J. Ellis
    Biography of the first President of the United States and the key role he played in the founding of the nation.

    To this landmark biography of our first president, Joseph J. Ellis brings the exacting scholarship, shrewd analysis, and lyric prose that have made him one of the premier historians of the ... (Goodreads)

  15. How to Murder Your Life

    by Cat Marnell
    A memoir of a young woman's descent into addiction and self-destruction while working in the fashion industry.

    At the age of 15, Cat Marnell unknowingly set out to murder her life. After a privileged yet emotionally-starved childhood in Washington, she became hooked on ADHD medication provided by her ... (Goodreads)

  16. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women

    by Elena Favilli
    Collection of inspiring stories about extraordinary women and their accomplishments.

    Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a children's book packed with 100 bedtime stories about the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 female artists from ... (Goodreads)

  17. Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son

    by Anne Lamott
    A memoir of a grandmother's journey through the joys and challenges of raising her grandson.

    In, Some Assembly Required, Anne Lamott enters a new and unexpected chapter of her own life: grandmotherhood. Stunned to learn that her son, Sam, is about to become a father at nineteen, Lamott ... (Goodreads)

  18. My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward

    by Mark Lukach
    A memoir of a husband's journey with his wife's mental illness and their fight to keep their marriage alive.

    A heart-wrenching, yet hopeful, memoir of a young marriage that is redefined by mental illness and affirms the power of love. Mark and Giulia’s life together began as a storybook romance. They fell ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a 50 Year Search

    by Martin Sixsmith
    A true story of a mother's search for her son, who was taken away from her by nuns and sold for adoption in America.

    When she became pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee was sent to a convent to be looked after as a “fallen woman.” Then the nuns took her baby from her and sold him, like ... (Goodreads)

  20. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World

    by Fredrik Backman
    A father's humorous and heartfelt guide to life for his young son, filled with personal anecdotes and life lessons.

    The #1, New York Times, bestselling author of, A Man Called Ove, shares an irresistible and moving collection of heartfelt, humorous essays about fatherhood, providing his newborn son with the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back

    by Kevin Hazzard
    A memoir of a paramedic's experiences in Atlanta, Georgia, dealing with life and death situations on a daily basis.

    A former paramedic’s visceral, poignant, and mordantly funny account of a decade spent on Atlanta’s mean streets saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir

    by Amanda Knox
    Amanda Knox's memoir of her wrongful conviction and imprisonment for the murder of her roommate in Italy.

    In the fall of 2007, twenty-year old college coed Amanda Knox left Seattle to study abroad in Perugia, Italy for one year. But that November 1, her life was shattered when her roommate, British ... (Goodreads)

  23. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  24. Hard Choices

    by Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Memoir of Clinton's time as Secretary of State, detailing her experiences and decisions on foreign policy and global issues.

    Hillary Rodham Clinton’s inside account of the crises, choices, and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn

    by Alison Weir
    A detailed account of the events leading to the execution of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII.

    The imprisonment and execution of Queen Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, in May 1536 was unprecedented in English history. It was sensational in its day, and has exerted endless fascination ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Astronaut Wives Club

    by Lily Koppel
    The story of the women who supported America's early space program, showing strength and resilience.

    As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from ... (Goodreads)

  27. Anne Frank: The Biography

    by Melissa Müller
    A detailed account of Anne Frank's life, from her childhood to her tragic death in a concentration camp.

    Vollständig überarbeitete, um unbekanntes Material erweiterte Neuausgabe der maßgeblichen Biographie Anne Franks.Melissa Müllers fesselnde Biographie der Anne Frank erregte Ende der 1990er Jahre ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Good Immigrant

    by Nikesh Shukla
    Exploring the experiences of immigrants in Britain, and the complex identity issues faced.

    How does it feel to be constantly regarded as a potential threat, strip-searched at every airport? Or be told that, as an actress, the part you’re most fitted to play is ‘wife of a terrorist’? How ... (Goodreads)

  29. Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

    by Amanda Foreman
    A captivating biography of the 18th century aristocratic society, highlighting the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

    The winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British ... (Goodreads)

  30. I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life

    by Anne Bogel
    A love letter to reading, exploring the joys and challenges of being a book lover.

    For so many people, reading isn't just a hobby or a way to pass the time–it's a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we ... (Goodreads)