Books about American History by various authors

c.2026, various publishers, $32- $40, various page counts

You’ve always loved history.

Or maybe you’re just getting into it now, with the semiquincentennial coming up soon. You want to know more about what made America, and who. So, try these new books for a greater understanding of the earliest years of this country.

Back in grade school, you learned about Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their bold exploration of Jefferson’s new Louisiana Purchase. In the 220 years since their return, we’ve learned a lot more about their journey, and in “This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark” by Craig Fehrman (Avid Reader Press, $35), you’ll see that Lewis & Clark’s trip across the continent was far from a fun little jaunt.

In the book, you’ll read more background, you’ll meet more of the people involved, and you’ll learn more about Lewis and Clark themselves. If you love historical updates and deeper insights, this is a book for you.

There also might be some gaps in your knowledge about our first president, but “American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington” by H.W. Brands (Doubleday, $40) will help you with that omission.

Here, Brands doesn’t dwell much on Washington’s early life, focusing more on his adulthood, his leadership and his career. He humanizes a man whose life seems to be lofty, showing readers that Washington was more complex than we may realize. This, too, is a book for readers who like deeper dives into American biographies.

So, you say you don’t have much time to be reading. It’s summer, after all, which is why you may enjoy “The British are Coming: The Graphic Edition, Volume 1” by Rick Atkinson, adapted by Nora Neus, illustrated by Federico Pietrobon (Ten Speed Graphic, $35). Based on Atkinson’s prior volume with a similar title, this book is full of illustrations, comic book-style, so it’s quicker to enjoy and a little easier. Read this, and you’ll be looking for the next volume. Bonus: it’s a great book to share with any teen or young adult you know.

And finally, here’s a book that’s lighter – no less serious – but also fun: “American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed” by Isaac Fitzgerald (Knopf, $32).

Not long ago, Fitzgerald – who was fascinated as a kid by Johnny Appleseed – went on a one-year journey to follow the legend’s path. He walked, drove and traveled over water to see where Appleseed went and, along the way, he sees America from a viewpoint that you’ll love reading about. This is a lighthearted book, but not entirely. There’s a little bit of heartbreak, lots of the kind of thinking that goes on when you’re on a trip, and apples. Lots and lots of apples….

If these aren’t enough for you, or if you need more to read as we ramp up to Independence Day, then head to your favorite bookstore or library. There, the staff can steer you to a nice-sized history section full of books for you or anyone in the family, because your love of history is calling.