If your holiday shopping includes a history lover, HISTORY's editors have carefully chosen gifts and experiences for fans of any era. Whether it's historical letters, a 2023 calendar or a model spy plane, there's history here to read, watch, use, play and wear.

Super Fast Spy Craft

Sr-71 Blackbird model (for 2022 HISTORY gift guide)

If you’ve got a big need for speed—but only a little room on your bookshelf or desk—check out this model of the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, an iconic reconnaissance plane that holds the manned flight speed record of 2,193 miles per hour, set on July 28, 1976. This die-cast model, which comes complete with a display stand, lends any desk or shelf a legendary piece of aviation history. 

Just in Time

HISTORY Gift Guide 2019

Which came first—Isaac Newton’s telescope or Martin Luther’s 95 Theses? Test your knowledge of the past with this Chronology card game where players compete to put historical events in the correct chronological order; the first player to build a timeline of 10 cards wins. Recommended for 2 to 8 players, ages 14+. Includes 429 double-sided cards with 858 events. History is more fun with friends!

Sketches of War

Drawing Fire book

When 18-year-old Pawnee Indian Brummett Echohawk joined the Oklahoma National Guard in 1940, little could he predict that his brigade, the Thunderbirds—made up of cowboys, farmers and more than a thousand Native Americans—would be hailed by General George Patton as “one of the best, if not the best division, in the history of American arms.” The Thunderbirds of the 45th Infantry fought their way across Europe, culminating in the liberation of prisoners from the Nazi’s infamous Dachau concentration camp. Echohawk, a talented artist, created annotated combat sketches during his service, which form the basis of this unique memoir recounting battles in Sicily, Salerno and Anzio.

Hundreds of Hours of History

SVOD Promo for 2022 Holiday gift guide

For the documentary and video buff, a HISTORY Vault subscription offers documentaries and series exploring the events and people that shaped our world, from ancient empires to modern warfare. Stream hundreds of hours of acclaimed series, probing documentaries and captivating specials commercial-free.

Celebrating Asian America

RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now (for 2022 holiday gift guide)

When the 1965 Hart-Celler Act opened U.S. immigration to non-Europeans, it ushered in a new era of cultural diversity. But even to the first generation of Asian Americans born in America after that milestone, it would have been impossible to imagine that sushi would one day be so widely beloved, that a Korean boy band would be the biggest musical act in the world—or that the U.S. would have an Asian American Vice President.

RISE: A Pop History of Asian American from the Nineties to Now offers an intimate, revealing and frequently hilarious guided tour through the pop-cultural touchstones and sociopolitical shifts of recent decades, seen through an Asian American filter. Authors Jeff Yang, Phil Yu and Philip Wang chronicle it all through engaging, interactive infographics—including an atlas that unearths historic Asian American landmarks and visual celebrations of "founding fathers and mothers"—plus illustrations and graphic essays from major AAPI artists, exclusive roundtables with Asian American cultural icons and more. 

On the Map

Battles Map by Map (for 2022 holiday gift guide)

Explore history’s most famous military conflicts, from ancient times to the modern era. This beautiful volume's 80 easy-to-follow maps are chockfull of striking illustrations, helpful timelines and fascinating details that bring to life these epic battles in their full historical context. The perfect gift for any map lover or military history buff, this Smithsonian publication offers a comprehensive, front-row view into the world of famous generals and commanders such as Rameses II, Napoleon and Alexander the Great.

For the other history lovers on your list, the Map by Map series also includes History of the World Map by Map and World War II Map by Map.

The Civil Rights Movement, in Graphic Novel

HISTORY Gift Guide 2019

The Mississippi freedom summer. Selma’s “Bloody Sunday.” The signing of the Voting Rights Act. Experience the most epic moments of the Civil Rights Movement through the intimate lens of Congressman John Lewis, one of the key figures in the struggle to end racial segregation. Winner of multiple awards, including the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, this trilogy of graphic novels comes as a commemorative edition housed in a handsome slipcase. Also available as an ebook.

Ancient Alex, the Big Boss

Alexander The Great Greek Roman Warrior Historical Antique Bronze Finish Statue Figurine Sculpture (for 2022 holiday gift guide)

Charismatic, ruthless, brilliant and insatiably power-hungry, Alexander the Great possessed one of history’s greatest military minds. At age 20, he became king of Macedonia. By age 30, he had battled his way from Greece to northwest India, creating the largest empire in the ancient world. This antique-style “Conqueror of the World” bronze statue is perfect to display in your home or office or as a gift for the ancient history lovers on your list.  

Crack the Norse Code

Vikings Bookazine

This special edition bookazine explores the Viking Age and the influence these legendary warrior-trader-explorers had across four continents for more than 400 years. Learn about unique navigational techniques that allowed them to plunder and conquer Europe and the British Isles...the incredible Norse stories that are still told today...and how their culture embraced female warriors at sea as well as at home. 

Sip from Liberty

Thomas Jefferson was meticulous in many things, from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to the drinkware he used at his Virginia home, Monticello. Bring Jefferson’s taste home with your own pewter Jefferson Cup, which can be engraved with three initials for an additional $9.95. For a lighter take, another version includes Jefferson’s philosophy on wine: “A very favorite wine…a necessary of life with me.”