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Whether you’re planning a visit or lucky enough to call it home, England has one of the richest histories of any nation in the world. Its past is filled with triumph and struggle, beauty and brutality, and few places wear their history so openly. From royal courts and empire to industry, immigration, and everyday life, the story of England is as complex as it is fascinating.
The books below uncover that story in full, showing the good, the bad, and the ugly while offering a deeper understanding of the people, places, and events that shaped modern England.
Here is a list of some of the best non-fiction books that capture the essence of England.
Non-fiction not your thing? Check out our England’s best novels post here.
1. London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.6)
Genre: History
Publication: 2000
Setting: London
London is the heart of the country and has always been the epicentre of England. No list of non-fiction would be complete without a book that focuses on the capital, and this one is the bible of all histories. Peter Ackroyd doesn’t just list dates or dry facts, he brings the city alive through the centuries. You see London as a living, breathing thing, shaped by the people who built it, destroyed it, rebuilt it, and called it home. If you want to understand England, you start by understanding London, and this is the book that does it best.
Planning a night out in London? Check out our best activities bar guide here.
2. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.3)
Genre: Travel / Memoir
Publication: 1995
Setting: England
If London is the bible of history, then this is the book that shows England at its most human. Bill Bryson is possibly the most famous travel writer of all time, known for his ability to see the humour and heart in everyday places. In this book, he takes a farewell tour of the country he had called home for twenty years, and the result is sharp, funny, and sometimes painfully true. He notices the quirks, the contradictions, and the charm that the English themselves often overlook. From sleepy villages to bustling cities, Bryson captures the soul of the place in a way that makes you laugh while nodding along in recognition. It remains one of the best-loved travel books ever written about England, and for good reason.
This was his farewell tour of England, where he had lived for two decades. It’s his most famous UK book and the one everyone associates with him. He also wrote Notes from a Big Country. A collection of columns Bryson wrote for a British newspaper after he moved back to the United States. It’s about American life – everything from shopping malls to baseball to everyday oddities
3. The Diary of Samuel Pepys
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5)
Genre: Memoir / History
Publication: Written 1660–1669 (first published 1825)
Setting: London, England
If you grew up in the UK, chances are you first came across Samuel Pepys’ diaries back in infant school. Because of that, a lot of people dismiss them as a dusty history lesson and never return to them as adults. But the truth is, Pepys’ diaries are one of the most fascinating windows we have into everyday life in 17th-century England. From the Great Fire of London to the Plague, right down to what he was eating for dinner, Pepys recorded it all in vivid detail. It’s raw, human, and endlessly intriguing – one of the best true-life accounts of what life was really like in his time.
4. Magna Carta
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5)
Genre: Historical Document
Published: 1215
Setting: Medieval England
Few documents in world history carry as much weight as the Magna Carta. Originally sealed by King John in 1215, it laid the foundations for ideas of liberty, law, and rights that still influence democracies today. Most people in the UK only ever brush past it at school, which is a shame because it is far more than a medieval contract. It is a vivid reminder of the power struggle between monarchy and people, and why the rule of law matters. Often called the birth certificate of freedom, surviving copies have become some of the most prized items in English history.
5. Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.7)
Genre: Science / Non-Fiction
Published: 1687
Setting: England, Scientific Revolution
If you had to choose one book that changed not just England but the entire world, this would be it. Isaac Newton’s Principia, published in 1687, introduced the laws of motion and gravity that every student still learns in school today. It is not a light read, but it is the backbone of modern science. What makes it remarkable is not just the mathematics but the shift it represents, the moment when human understanding of the universe took a huge leap forward. First editions are rare and valuable, but beyond that, Principia stands as one of the most important non-fiction works ever written.
Enjoyed this list but want to venture further afield? When not check out our non fiction Japanese list here?
