The Best Economic History Books of 2024

Are you in need of an economic history book? Are you trying to find the best economic history books for your child or friend? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, we have you covered. It is definitely essential to find the best economic history book if you are going to need it for studying. However, you should not take this research lightly because if you get a book that isn’t adequate, you will end up with a failing grade that is unacceptable.

We want to ensure that you have a great foundation on which to build your economic history grade, so today, we are going to go through the best economic history books that we can find. Hopefully, you are interested in one of the books on our list. If you aren’t particularly interested in one of these, don’t worry. We will also be providing you with guidelines and how to choose the best economic history book for you.

Our Favorites for Best Economic History Books

In this first section, we are going to go through three books that we think are the best of those on the list. We are going to tell you what makes them different and why you should go with each of them.

Capitalism in America: A History

This book by Alan Greenspan and Adrian Wooldridge is the full story of the United States of America’s evolution from colonies to what we now know as one of the world’s wealthiest and most innovative nations.

What Makes It Unique:

• This book is definitely not just a bunch of pages slapped together between two covers. The book testifies for itself with its shortlisting in 2018 for the financial times and Mackenzie Business book of the year awards.  A book has to be pretty special to earn considerations for both of these Awards, especially in the same year.
• Another unique aspect of this book is the author. Alan Greenspan and Adrian Wooldridge wrote the book. Alan Greenspan has a profound understanding of the American economy and is always trying to understand it even more. Imagine someone like that, putting his work into a book for you to read.
• The book goes into details about the economic landscapes, triumphant breakthroughs, titanic figures, and enlightenment ideas that led to the development of the United States economy.
• This economic history book recognizes the importance of creativity and innovation. It also speaks to creative destruction, which has led to many American to standards of living that were once unimaginable.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• We believe that you should really consider choosing this book because of the editorial reviews, for one. For example, the Financial Times stated that the book was one of the best books of the year in economics.
• The Times of London stated that the book was a well-documented single-volume history which is quite compelling.
• The Washington Times went as far as to describe the book as an expert guide in capitalism American Style. One unique thing about what the Washington Times said about this book was that you don’t have to be an economist to enjoy and learn from this one.
• Another main reason why we recommend this book is its authors. These two guys have spent their fair share of time paying their dues and putting in the work, so this masterpiece is definitely credible.

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This book is a classroom classic, and this is the . History of Economic Thought not only speaks on economic history but also how the development of thought within the context of economic history has played its role throughout the ages. It goes through how economic ideas are structured production and circulation in mind.

What Makes It Unique:

• This version of the History of Economic Thought is in the third edition released on April 15th, 2011. This is important because the book has been revised continuously to ensure that its information remains current.
• The book is now available in both paperback and Kindle Editions. It is important that the book is on Kindle because you can literally take it anywhere with your mobile devices.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• If you can find a textbook that people keep around just for reading in their spare time, especially one on economics, you know you found a good one. Many customers who read this book found it so intriguing and useful that they read the chapters that they didn’t get assigned to them in school in their own free time. You may place it on your own economic history reading list.

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Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles

If you are trying to understand why the housing and stock markets experience incredible booms that are followed by massive bust from time to time, this is the book for you. The authors of this masterpiece use this book as a vehicle to carry us through the history of financial bubbles in some of the major metropolitans in the world, such as London, Latin America, Melbourne, New York, Tokyo, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and more places.

What Makes It Unique:

• This book is unique because of the extensive content it covers in various locations. It’s not every day that you find quality books that go worldwide to provide you with valuable information for your course.
• The book explains why economic bubbles happen and why there are sometimes economic, social, and political consequences while others benefit the society in which they occur.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• We have this book on our list of recommended economic history books because it’s a winner. This book won the Enlightened Economist 2020 prize.
• According to the Financial Times, they awarded this book The book of the year award because they consider it to be essential reading for anyone interested in financial history.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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Runner Ups for Best Economic History Books

In this next category, we have three books that we consider to be really good even though they are not the best ones on the list. They have some unique information and qualities that make them good reads and very useful books. Here is our list for the runners-up.

The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War (The Princeton Economic History of the Western World, 70)

The Rise and Fall of American Growth is a wonderful piece written by Robert Gordon. It goes through the history of the American standard of living since the Civil War.

What Makes It Unique:

• If you are looking for books that talk about the economic revolution within the century after the Civil War, this is the one. This book details how improved standards of living and such as electricity, indoor plumbing, motor vehicles, air travel, and television, affected the average household and office.
• The Rise and Fall of American Growth share the view that goes against the premise that economic growth will continue unabated and leans into the narrative that innovations between 1870 and 1970 that drastically improved America’s lifestyle cannot be repeated. Now, there is something you don’t see in every economic history book.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• Paul Krugman of the New York Times book review said that this book is well worth reading. He went on to say that the book is a magisterial combination of deep technological history, careful economic analysis, and vivid portrayals of daily life over many generations.
• We think this book is fantastic, but don’t take our word for it. Take Bill Gates’.  Bill Gates said the book was a fantastic read.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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Economics Evolving: A History of Economic Thought

Economics Evolving is currently available in two formats. It is available in paperback and hardcover. We must say that the paperback is significantly cheaper than the hardcover version, so this is something you should consider before making your purchase.

What Makes It Unique:

• Not every author can find a clear, non-technical way to describe the history of economic thought. The author, Agnar Sandmo,  managed to focus on economic theory while using simple, understandable phrases that even the least avid reader can understand.
• This book is unique because it focuses on the most important figures in the history of Economics, such as John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, David Ricardo, and more in the classical period up to leading economists of the post-war era such as Milton Friedman and Paul Samuelson.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• We strongly suggest that you get this economic history book because of the clarity in which it was written. Customers rave about the clear and concise way in which the author managed to introduce the history of economic thought.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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A History of the United States in Five Crashes: Stock Market Meltdowns That Defined a Nation

The most intriguing thing about this book is the way it approaches economic history. Some may look at it from negative eyes, but we suggest that you look at it as teachable moments. Periods of history, in which things weren’t too good, that we should learn from and try to avoid going forward.

What Makes It Unique:

• This book is currently available in the Kindle and audiobook versions. Don’t be discouraged that there isn’t a  paperback format for you to carry around with you. Look at it this way; these two formats are going to be available with you on your mobile devices from anywhere at any time.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• Many customers appreciate the experience and expertise of the author. They talk about this, saying that his background in stocks gives him a creditable hands-on approach from which to write.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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Value Picks for Best Economic History Books

The following three books are not the most expensive ones out there, but they still contain a wealth of knowledge. You don’t have to break the bank to get quality material with which to study. We hope that our value picks are both within your budget and useful.

Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions Book 282)

This particular piece is available in both the Kindle and paperback formats. It is a bit on the short side at 193 pages, but it actually contains a lot of information on global economic history.

What Makes It Unique:

• Instead of only focusing on niche areas of economic history, this book gives a global perspective on economic history. It is one of the best books on international economics.  It looks at how Britain, North America, and Western Europe developed through the ages.
• The book’s authors made the books in its series easy to read by combining the right amount of facts, new ideas, perspective, and enthusiasm for everyone to understand.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• Readers aren’t complaining at all about the shortened book. As a matter of fact, they are happy that the book is to the point on the events it covers on global economic history.
• Readers appreciate that the book gives good explanations and possible reasons for economic situations.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World: 10th Anniversary Edition

This 10th-anniversary edition seems to be loaded from top to bottom and at an affordable price too. Not all authors bother to include the present economic situation in their books, but not Niall Ferguson. This one covers it all, even cryptocurrency.

What Makes It Unique:

• The Ascent of money shares the story of the descent of Chimerica that lead to a trade war. Very few economic history pieces cover this topic.
• This book uncovers the layers around the belief that the evolution of finance is just as crucial to technological evolutions. Readers get the sense that there are not only studying the rise and fall of money but also the ups and downs of western societies as well.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• The wall street journal believes that this book should serve as a guide for traders and regulators.
• News Week author Fareed Zakaria sums up this book beautifully with one word. “Fascinating”
• It reads like a wonderful story that has villains and heroes, scoundrels and visionaries. Not our words. Those are the sentiments of readers.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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Capitalism and Freedom

Another unique take in the economic history category. This book made our value picklist with good reason. It’s a great value pick. Currently available in paperback at $13.87 on Amazon, we believe it’s a solid book and a solid buy.

What Makes It Unique:

• This incredible book made it on the Time Magazine All-Time 100 Best Nonfiction list. Something must be right for that to happen, right?
• We find this book particularly wonderful because of its place on the National Review’s 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the Century.
• There aren’t many books out there on capitalism and its connection to freedom, so this one is pretty much in a lane by itself.

Why Choose This Economic History Book:

• We believe that you should choose this book because customers appreciate the link that the author makes between freedom in society to economic freedom.

Last update: 2024-05-02

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How to Choose the Best Economic History Books for You?

You can’t just go into a bookstore online or otherwise and pick up anything marked Economic History or buy any of the books about economic growth. This subject area is quite vast, so it is of utmost importance you know how to make the right selection.

Are You Looking for Any Specific Economic History Topic?

Because the books in the economics history category cover particular niches or periods, you should know what you are looking for before you go shopping. Identify the topic that you need to study on and then narrow down your search to fit that criterion. There are some topics that may be related to the one you are studying that can provide additional insight, so try to get those additional books to help you as well.

What Are Some Good Economic History Books for Beginners?

Even though there are some books that are really well written, they may not be the best options for individuals who are just learning about particular topics. If you are a beginner, ask your teacher to suggest introductory books that past students successfully used to learn. While searching for books on select topics, try to add words such as introduction and beginner to your search. That will allow you to find beginner books easier. One Economic History book that we recommend for beginners would be “Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction.”

What Do We Recommend for Intermediate or Advanced Economists?

There are many options for Intermediate and advanced readers. We suggest that you read books that are both challenging and informative while well-written and relevant to your studies on the principles of financial economics. You can’t go wrong if you select any of the books from our favorites list:

• Capitalism in America: A History
• History of Economic Thought, 3rd edition
• Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles

Wrapping Things Up: The Best Economic History Books

Putting everything together, in this guide we reviewed the following:

Last update: 2024-05-02

Some economic history books are more detailed than others, such as those at the top of our list. Our top picks also stand out because of the expertise of the writers. We recommend that you take some time to check out the runners up too. These books aren’t filled with general fluff, but instead, they are niche-focused. The books in the value picks section are great because they cover important topics and are available at affordable prices.