33 Presents for History Lovers of All Ages
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There are lots of people that really enjoy history and if you know one, then it can be great to be able to buy them a gift that fits in with this hobby. It may not be immediately obvious to know what sorts of things to buy and even if you have a few ideas you may wonder whether there might be better options that you have not heard of. This is why we have put together these suggestions for you. Hopefully, they will be very helpful and you will be able to pick a gift that you know they will love.
33 Gift Ideas for History Fans
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Crosswords can be fun to complete and this book will suit history lovers because the crosswords all have an ancient history theme to them. The puzzles are in large print which makes them easier to do whatever age the recipient is. The answers are also given in a list so you just need to find which is the right one for each question. The paper is high quality which means that pens will not bleed through. There are answers in the back.
Dog and history lovers will find this book interesting. It is called ’50-plus famous dogs in history’. It has stories about dogs that are unlikely to have been heard before. Dogs that saved lives, fought crime, worked with firemen etc are all mentioned as well as presidential dogs, and dogs belonging to famous people such as Newton and Freud. Fascinating and inspiring stories for dog fans of all ages.
T-shirts can be really useful gifts to give and this one says on it ‘That’s what I do I read history and I know things’. It is available in sizes suitable for children and adults and comes in a choice of five colours It has a casual fit and is lightweight and has short sleeves and a round neck. Made from a cotton and polyester mix it is comfortable to wear and easy to wash.
Horrible Histories fans will enjoy this joke book from the series. It has lots of historical jokes that kids will find really funny. It has illustrations throughout and there are lots of good jokes with all of the nasty bits left in. Kids will enjoy the jokes and it could even encourage them to learn a bit more about history at the same time. Comes in a paperback and a kindle edition.
This book will give the reader a very different perspective on history. It is called ’52 Times When Britain was a Bellend’ and has accounts of times when Britain did incredibly silly things as a result of a trivial action. For example starting wars with China because they did not buy enough of our Class A drugs, creating a law so we did not have to return things we had stolen from other countries or creating muzzles for women.
‘We Did That?’ is a trivia history book that has information about all sorts of curious creations and how they came about. It includes fashion fads, strange beauty superstitions and folklore. There are also descriptions of odd jobs, curious inventions, interesting medical cures, embarrassing bloopers and general weirdness. Should be a fun and interesting read for anyone, particularly those that like history or interesting and weird facts.
Tony Robinson has written the forward to this book called ‘Battles that Change History: Epic Conflicts Explored and Explained’. It covers 5,000 years of battles and starts in the ancient world, moving through the American Civil War, the World Wars and the Cold War. There are maps, paintings and photographs throughout. It comes as a hardcover or a Kindle edition and will be interesting to anyone that likes history.
A t-shirt can make for a very useful gift and this one is good for history buffs too as it says ‘warning I may start talking about history’ on the front of it. It comes in sizes suitable for men, women and children and in a selection of colours. The t-shirt has short sleeves and a classic fit and is made from lightweight cotton and polyester so is soft and comfortable to wear.
Bill O’Neill’s ‘The World War 2 Trivia Book’ could make for an interesting gift for history lovers. It has lots of snippets of information that will not only interest the reader but will enable them to impress other people as well. There are lots of really interesting bits of trivia that even those really interested in this historical period may not know and will really enjoy learning about.
Cat lovers who also enjoy history will like this book called ‘The Cat: A Natural and Cultural History’. It explores all sorts of things about cats including their behaviour and evolution and their relationships with humans. It has information about how they think, communicate and information on historic and extinct breeds. There are photographs of forty common breeds as well as information about each one. A book full of facts of interest to cat lovers.
Crossword puzzles can be fun to do but if they are themed to topics you are interested in, they can be even more enticing. This book has crossword puzzles on a theme of military history starting in Ancient Greece and Rome and ending in the modern-day. There are 49 puzzles in total and they all have answers so once the person cannot get any more answers they will be able to expand their knowledge by learning the things they did not know.
Anyone visiting New York City with an interest in history will enjoy this book. It has lots of information about the city and how it has evolved over its 400-year history. There is one historical dimension tackled in each chapter and lots of sites and figures are mentioned. There is also a list of relevant areas that can be visited which makes it useful for those travelling there as well as those generally interested in the history.
History of objects can be very interesting and that is exactly what will be learned from this book. It is called ‘The Story Behind’ and covers all sorts of items and how major historical events may have caused the invention of them. Items vary a lot from lollipops and musical instruments to podcasts and the comic sans font. There will be something for everyone and the book is full of trivia which could be very useful.
Those with an interest in history and animals will enjoy this book. It is designed to help children to learn all about animals from around the world. There are 50 different ones and each double page has a colourful description of a particular animal and what they have achieved. Animals include Streetcat Bob, Koko the gorilla that learned sign language, Winter the dolphin with a special tail and Sam the Koala that survived a wildfire.
Art history lovers will enjoy receiving this mug as a gift Not only will it be a useful item to drink out of it has an illustration featuring various figures from art and paintings. It holds 12 fl oz and is white inside and on the handle. It is made of ceramic so is sturdy. It comes in a box that has the same theme as the mug so makes a great item to gift it in.
‘Bad Days in History’ is a book by Michael Farquhur which is described as a grim chronicle or misfortune, mayhem and misery for every day of the year. There is a historical tale for every day of the year, which will help the reader to learn more history and also have an enjoyable read at the same time. Each day is a very bad one and so anyone that enjoys the more gory side of history will really enjoy it.
The history of Ireland is not necessarily that well known and this book ‘The Great Book of Ireland’ has lots of interesting stories as well as random facts alongside the history. It has information about how Ireland got its name, who St Patrick was, why leprechauns and shamrocks are associated with St Patricks Day, Irish legends and all sorts of fun and interesting information. It is available in a paperback and Kindle version.
Football fans will be interested in reading this book about the 50 most important moments in the history of football. It reports the most significant moments in history from when the modern game was introduced in 1857 in England to the modern-day. The book helps to show its evolution while highlighting moments that the reader may or may not be aware of. Available in hardback or as a Kindle version.
Anyone that enjoys a funny book will enjoy this one. ‘A Short History of Drunkenness’ has information all about how man has always enjoyed drinking and how it has been treated through different ages in history. Includes information on what was being drunk, why and who did it and provides a very interesting look at societies at different times in history through the booze that was being consumed.
The British Royals are admired by many and the Queen, as head of the family is the member of the Royal family that tends to get the most admiration. This book is all about her starting from her very early years right up to the present day. It is a photographic history and so has lots of delightful pictures, both formal and informal showing the Queen in many different situations.
Geologists and those that love jewellery and gemstones will find this book fascinating. It is called ‘Crystal Lore, Legends and Myths: The Fascinating History of the World’s Most Powerful Gems and Stones’. It starts with very early civilisations and moves right up to the present day in its history of stones discussing their history and beliefs about how they can be used for healing, how they played roles in civilisations and beliefs about them.
Art lovers will find this ‘A World History of Art’ book really interesting. It starts 30,000 years ago with a statuette carved in Europe to the digital art of the new millennium. It covers mosaic, drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, textiles, coins, enamels and many more things from all across the world. Fully illustrated, it makes for a very interesting read for anyone that likes history and art.
Kids will enjoy this interesting book called ‘History Year by Year’ which is written in simple language with significant events and people described in detail. It is aimed at children aged 9-12 years of age and has fun facts and even includes a section where children are encouraged to imagine what it might be like to live in that specific period of time. There are photos, graphics and maps to make it lots of fun.
Kids that like history will enjoy playing this World History edition of Brainbox. The idea is that they look at the information on a card which concentrates on one significant event in history for a limited time and then they get asked questions on it to see how much they can recall. Can be played multiple times and there are lots of interesting questions to answer. Can be played alone or with others.
Budding archaeologists will enjoy this ‘Build Your Own History Museum’ book. It has fun and interactive pop-ups inside to make and display as well as lots of facts to discover all about ancient people, cultures and traditions. There are lots of interesting illustrations as well to make it more fun. Includes ancient civilizations from Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, Egypt, Greece, China, Roma, and the Maya and Vikings.
‘The History Book’ is a way to get a grasp on history in a simple way. It has short explanations without the jargon and using graphics and descriptions to explain things. It has information from when our species originated and covers all of the world all the way to space exploration. It has biographies of significant people as well as quotes they said and what they meant.
Children will enjoy this book called ‘Spies, Code Breakers and Secret Agents: A World War II Book for Kids’. It explains what goes on behind the scenes of a war and has biographies of some of the agents as well. It explains what lead to the war and the role that spies had. There are lots of fun illustrations showing the spies and the gear that they used.
National Geographic Kids have put together this book called ‘Histories Mysteries’. It has all sorts of interesting information about why the Easter Island heads were erected, what happened to the Maya and who stole the Irish Crown Jewels. It also covers the Bermuda Triangle, Stonehenge, the dancing plaque, the Oat Island money pit, the Sphinx and many more. It has lots of photos, facts and mysteries so will be fun to read.
Kids that like history will enjoy this set of Horrible Histories books. They come In a boxed set and there are 20 books in total including Rotten Romans, Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians. The books stick to the facts but include bits that will appeal the most to children such as the gruesome, gross and funny bits. They will help to make them interested in history and they will enjoy them and learn at the same time.
Top Trumps is a game that is liked by a lot of children and this one has a Horrible Histories theme. It is called ‘Who’s the most Despicable’ and there are cards for many of the nasty characters in history. The cards include some facts about them including the year they were born and the age they died, their fame factor, despicable deeds and dreadful death. They are a great way for kids to learn while they are playing a fun game.
This interesting book is called ‘Timelines from Black History: Leaders, legends, Legacies’ and is by DK. It is an inspiring read about characters that have been hidden, erased or lost from history that made a significant impact on us. There are over 30 timelines which include biographies of lots of people as well as describing the experiences of black people in the US to the story of postcolonial Africa.
Colouring books are really popular these days, both for children and adults. This one is called ‘Around the World Colouring Book’ and it is put together by The British Museum. The book is for children and has information about particular parts of the world with a picture to colour as well. The book also has stickers in the back to put in certain places on the pages.
Kids that like history will be interested in the book ‘History for Kids: Trivia Quiz Book’. There are over 260 questions in the book which will be a lot of fun for kids. It will not only test their knowledge but also teach them all sorts of interesting things about history. They will learn things that will help to increase their interest in history as well as give them facts to share with family and friends.
