A list of nonfiction history books, released in 2022 that we are excited about.
2022 has been a great year for nonfiction history books. Or at least it seems that way.
The last few years have been a bit rough on the publishing industry. Between publishing delays, shipping issues, and increasing costs, publishing dates seem to constantly change.
It seems to be catching up though with a huge amount of new books, both fiction and nonfiction, being released in the fall of 2022.
Our book lists are always, or almost always, books we have read. That is what makes our site different. We share books we have read so that we can give honest opinions on what we loved or didn’t love about them.
Occasionally though we do share what is in our to-be-read stack or a list of books that we are excited for. That is exactly what we are doing today.
When I was organizing my books recently I realized that I have a huge stack of nonfiction books that came out in 2022 in my current to-be-read stack and on my to-be-read list.
I don’t usually buy or read a lot of new releases. I usually prefer backlist books, but between visiting bookstores on vacation this summer, a few impulse buys at Costco, and a couple of Amazon gift cards that I have been saving to use for books, I have purchased quite a few nonfiction history books so far in 2022.
Probably a few too many… Unless I get more gift cards, my book budget for the year is pretty much gone…At least I know multiple people in my family will read most of the books that I have bought.
I also have quite a few new release nonfiction books on my to be read list. This list is actually just an Amazon wishlist. I don’t buy all the books from Amazon, but when I see a book that I want I put it on an Amazon wishlist so that it is easy to find when I am visiting bookstores or looking for something to read.
I have a wishlist titled 2022 book releases. It has been a great way to keep my to be read list a little more organized. Anytime I see a brand new release that I think I might want to read it goes on my 2022 book release wishlist.
I thought it would be fun to share what is in my “stack” with you.
I am also sharing a little about why I want to read each book or why it caught my attention.
These are all nonfiction books and most of them are history and true crime, but there are one or two memoirs and other types on the list.
Please let me know if you have read any of these and what you thought. Or let me know which ones you are excited about.
Nonfiction Books 2022
A large list of nonfiction history books 2022.
Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz by Ben Macintyre. Ben Macintyre is a must read author for me. I have read a couple of his books and loved them. As soon as I realized that he had a new book released in June 2022 I knew it would be added to by to be read stack.
Path Lit By Lightning by David Maraniss. I read an online review for this book right after it came out in August 2022 and I instantly bought it. Jim Thorpe was born in Indian Territory, what is now Oklahoma, in 1888. I love to learn history through books like this. It is getting great reviews so I was excited to get it and start reading it. The box came, I opened it, and I realized it was a huge book and over 600 pages. I guess I need to look more closely at page count before I order books online. I still can’t wait to read it, but I haven’t picked it up simply because I am going to have to be in the right mood to pick up a 600+ page book.
The Vortex: A True Story of History’s Deadliest Storm, An Unspeakable War, and Liberation by Scott Carney and Jason Miklian. This book was published in March of 2022. I am not sure where I heard about it, but it instantly caught my attention. It is about the Great Bhola Cyclone that killed 500,000 people. I know nothing about this storm, so this book that mixes history with some weather and science sounds like a fascinating read.
The Mosquito Bowl: A Genuine Game of Life and Death in World War II by Buzz Bissinger. The combination of Pearl Harbor, WWII, and football makes for a must read for me. This one has been compared to Unbroken and The Boys In the Boat, two of my all time favorite nonfiction books. I am curious to see how it will compare. I will keep you updated as I read it.
A Bright and Blinding Sun: A World War II Story of Survival, Love, and Redemption by Marcus Brotherton. Yes, another WWII book. There are several on this list. This book was released in May of 2022 and has had great reviews. It is under three hundred pages so it is one of the shorter books on the list, which means that it might move to the pile faster than some of the others.
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China’s Civil War by Zhuging Li. I picked this book up at a bookstore when I was on vacation in Colorado. It was on the new release table and caught my attention because I know very little about China’s Civil War. I planned to start it on vacation but didn’t get around to it. Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden came out in June and has great reviews, but hasn’t gotten a lot of attention. Picking up books like this, which I have never heard of, is my favorite way to support bookstores when I travel.
Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath by Bill Browder. I read Red Notice by Bill Browder earlier this year and loved it. When I saw that he had a new book out, I knew it was going to be a must read. Since it is about Russia so it also feels like a very timely read.
Dangerous Rhythms: Jazz and the Underworld by T.J. English. This book is way outside my normal nonfiction comfort zone and I think that is exactly why I want to read it. I love true crime, so the true crime part is in my comfort zone, but I don’t usually read books about music. Hopefully, the true crime part, makes the jazz and music part fascinating. Yes, I know music lovers find the music part interesting, and this might be your kind of book, I am just not that into music.
All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners as Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life’s Work by Hayley Campbell. This is another book that is quite a bit outside of my normal reading, but it sounds fascinating. It mixes true crime and forensics with medicine. I love true crime, but not a lot of gory details. This one might end up being a little too gory for me. I will give you an update after I read it.
The Watermen: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man’s Fight to Capture Olympic Gold by Michael Loynd. This is another book that I bought on vacation this summer after I saw it on a new release table at a bookstore. I love books that mix sports and history, which is why I decided to get this one. This book is another one that has been compared to The Boys In the Boat.
Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio. I love to read memoirs. This is one of the few memoirs coming out this fall that caught my attention. This is totally a nostalgic read for me. I don’t know how good it will be, celebrity memoirs can be hit or miss. As a kid who grew up in the 1980s and saw the Karate Kid more times than I can count, this is a must read for me. I even preordered this one, which I rarely do because I want it as soon as it comes out in October 2022.
Riverman: An American Odyssey by Ben McGrath. This book came in our Shelf Subscription earlier this year. It is not my normal nonfiction read, but I have heard great things about it. It is only two hundred pages, so it should be a quick read.
The Fisherman and the Dragon: Fear, Greed, and a Fight For Justice On the Gulf Coast by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This book was released in August 2022. My husband and I both read the Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson earlier this year and loved it. When I realized that he had a new true crime book out I knew it needed to be added to our to be read list.
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard. I think this is the only book that made my list simple for fear of missing out. This book seems to have been everywhere since it came out in May of 2022. It has been all over social media and on all kinds of book lists. An over hyped book usually makes me want to not read it, but this book now has a four-and-a-half-star rating and over seventeen hundred reviews on Amazon. A nonfiction book doesn’t usually get that high of ratings unless the writing is really good. I think it might be worth giving a try, even if it has been over hyped.
Bridge To the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Faught In the Pacific in WWII by Bruce Henderson. I have not read anything by this author, although we do have a couple of his books. I saw this book mentioned on a list of books to look forward to this fall and it instantly went on my wishlist.
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics by Keven Hazzard. Another book that mixes history and medicine. This one looks interesting. I don’t know anything about this story. I know my husband will read this one as well.
Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West by Katie Hickman. This book about trailblazing women of the American West is not my normal nonfiction read. However, when I saw it on a list of must read books this fall, I decided it needed to go on my wishlist because it is so different than the others on my list. This one doesn’t come out until October 25, 2022.
Have you read any of these books? Or have you read any other new nonfiction realeses? Leave a comment letting us know what you have been reading.