Holiday Gift Ideas for History Lovers
Just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping
It’s the holiday season and whether that means you’re shopping for yourself (you deserve it!) or shopping for a dozen loved ones, there’s probably someone on your list that would enjoy something history related. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite history-themed gifts just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. I can’t guarantee that every item on this list will be on sale when you click through, but fingers crossed!
Right up the Unruly Figures alley is the Historic Women Who Dared wine glass set—by them individually or snag all four.
History by Mail Subscription: A monthly subscription featuring replicas of fascinating historical documents.
Similarly, Letterjoy allows your loved one to become “pen pals” with the historical figures that shaped our world.
National Geographic Ultimate Visual History of the World: The Story of Humankind from Prehistory to Modern Times by Jean-Pierre Isbouts. This book is a huge tome of visual history. This is great for anyone interested in a survey of history!
A Historic Cartoons Box Set is great for anyone who loves the funny section now and might like to see a historical version of it.
Obviously I have to suggest that you get them a paid subscription to Unruly Figures, which means they’ll be supporting independent historical research!
A History of the World Map by Map: For map lovers and visual learners, this is an incredible gift.
A Rosie the Riveter watch from the (US) National Archives is an inspiring and adorable timepiece.
A Votes for Women Puzzle for the puzzle-loving feminists in your life.
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in 9 Mysterious Scripts Author Silvia Ferrera is an Italian scholar who has studied the history of written language.
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre is a great book for anyone interested in spy craft!
This SR-71 Blackbird Model Plane is a 1:200 scale model of the fastest reconnaissance plane ever built.
The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity by Roy Porter I haven’t had a chance to read this one yet, but it’s on my list! According to the summary, “Porter explores medicine's evolution against the backdrop of the wider religious, scientific, philosophical, and political beliefs of the culture in which it develops, covering ground from the diseases of the hunter-gatherers to the more recent threats of AIDS and Ebola, from the clearly defined conviction of the Hippocratic oath to the muddy ethical dilemmas of modern-day medicine.”
Drawing Fire: A Pawnee, Artist, and Thunderbird in WWII by Brummett Echohawk After joining the National Guard at 18, Echohawk and a thousand other Indigenous American troops were deployed to the European theater of war during World War II. The sketches he made during the fighting serve as the basis for this memoir.
An annual subscription to the History vault for anyone who loves diving deep into documentaries and text.
The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites by Dr. Libby H O’Connell takes us through the history of food and melas in America, from before European invasion to today.
Ides of March Pencil Holder: Yes, it does make it look like Julius Ceasar is being stabbed in the back with pencils. I have one of these on my desk and it never fails to make me laugh.
These totally sweet Frederick Douglas socks would make a great stocking stuffer!
Any of these Historical Hoodies will keep your loved one warm AND make them look like George Washington, or a French soldier, or a Viking!
A surprise Natural History mystery box—you won’t know exactly what’s inside, but it’s great for anyone interested in bones, leaves, and other natural paraphernalia.
Any other fun history buff gift ideas? Drop them in the comments!
Ides of March pencil holder. That’s genius! Nice list