Gifts for History Buffs

History buffs usually have a period they know cold, whether that is the Civil War, Rome or World War II. They have a shelf of books to prove it. The safest gifts are widely loved classics they may have meant to read and well-made documentaries. Games or models are good too, since they let them handle the past instead of just reading about it.

Under $25 7 ideas

  1. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

    A Cambridge classicist tells the story of Rome's first thousand years with wit and skepticism. A good choice for someone who liked the Rome documentaries and wants more.

    Mary BeardBook

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  2. The Guns of August

    The Pulitzer-winning account of the first month of World War I, written with a novelist's pace. Many history readers name it as the book that hooked them.

    Barbara W. TuchmanBook

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  3. 1776

    McCullough follows Washington's army through the hardest year of the Revolution. Readable in a few evenings and a fine pick for American history fans.

    David McCulloughBook

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  4. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

    How Lincoln brought the men who ran against him into his cabinet and kept them there through the Civil War. A long book that reads quickly.

    Doris Kearns GoodwinBook

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  5. The History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

    A heavily illustrated overview of world history in short chapters. Good for dipping into, and for someone whose interest is broad rather than deep.

    DKBook

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  6. Timeline: Historical Events Card Game

    Players place event cards in the right order on a growing timeline. Quick, portable, and the history buff in the family finally gets to show off.

    AsmodeeStocking stufferWhite elephant

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  7. Airfix Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I 1:72 Model Kit

    A small plastic kit of the Battle of Britain fighter from the British brand that has made it for decades. A relaxing winter project for a World War II enthusiast; paints and glue are sold separately.

    AirfixFor display

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Under $50 5 ideas

  1. Band of Brothers Blu-ray

    The ten-part HBO series following Easy Company from D-Day to the end of the war in Europe. Many World War II fans rewatch it every year or two.

    HBOAn experience

    See it on Amazon

  2. History of the World Map by Map

    World history told through more than a hundred detailed maps, from the first humans to the present. A big, handsome book to leave out and browse.

    DKBookFor display

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  3. History of the World in 1,000 Objects

    Tells world history through photographs of real artifacts, from tools to jewelry to weapons. Good for someone who loves museums more than footnotes.

    DKBookFor display

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  4. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

    The thousand-page classic by a journalist who reported from Berlin in the 1930s. A serious project for someone who has read the shorter books and wants the big one.

    William L. ShirerBook

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  5. Diplomacy Board Game

    Seven players negotiate and betray each other for control of pre-World War I Europe. No dice, just alliances. Best for a group that enjoys a long, tense evening.

    Avalon HillAn experience

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Under $100 5 ideas

  1. The Civil War: A Narrative, 3-Volume Box Set

    Foote's three-volume history, written as one long story and made famous by the Ken Burns documentary. Something a Civil War reader will work through for a year.

    Shelby FooteBookFor display

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  2. Ken Burns: The Civil War Blu-ray

    The documentary series that made Ken Burns a household name, restored for Blu-ray. Fans of the era tend to know it by heart and still watch it.

    PBSAn experience

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  3. Memoir '44 Board Game

    A two-player game recreating World War II battles from D-Day onward, with simple rules and real scenarios. A good way into wargaming for someone who has only read about it.

    Days of WonderAn experience

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  4. AncestryDNA Genetic Ethnicity Test

    A saliva kit that estimates ethnic origins and matches relatives in Ancestry's large database. It turns a love of history toward their own family tree.

    AncestryAn experience

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  5. Sid Meier's Civilization VII for PlayStation 5

    The latest in the long-running strategy series where players guide a civilization from antiquity to the modern age. Also sold for Xbox, Switch and PC; check which they own.

    2KAn experience

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$100 and up 2 ideas

  1. LEGO Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris 21061

    A detailed model of the cathedral, including the spire rebuilt after the 2019 fire. Hours of building for an adult, and a striking piece to display afterward.

    LEGOFor display

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  2. LEGO Icons Medieval Town Square 10332

    A large build of a medieval market square with timber-framed houses, workshops and townspeople. For the history fan who has a soft spot for castles.

    LEGOFor display

    See it on Amazon