As soon as my History From Afar intro post went up last week, I heard from several readers (new and returning). Given that I was not sure if it would have any traction at all, I was thrilled. Although I do not want people to feel limited in the way that I am, I am more than happy to help them change that. I have specifically been asked about books and the most economic way to get ahold of history books, so I will start there. Let’s get into how to get history books for free, or at least for a good price!
History From Afar: Books
Speaking for many of us, I would say that books play a significant role in “doing” history. However, both academic and pop history books can get expensive very quickly. Luckily, there are several options to help offset the cost of this. There are several ways to get history books for free, or at least at a reduced cost.
Library- Physical Books
This may seem obvious, but the library is still a great resource in 2023. I do recognise that some people may not have a close library or may not be able to get to the library to pick up physical resources. However, if you can, it is a fantastic resource that is typically free if you live within the library’s region. (And if you do not live in the region, you can typically purchase a membership.)
This also may be obvious, but you can usually put a hold on items at any branch and have it delivered to your closest branch. Many libraries also take part in interlibrary loans, meaning that even if your library does not have a book, they may be able to borrow it from another library system for you.
Library- eBooks and Audiobooks
I regonise that many people probably also know this, but you can also borrow ebooks and audiobooks from most libraries nowadays. A few different apps can be used, but Libby is the most common library app for audiobooks and ebooks. (It has replaced Overdrive.) Some libraries use Hoopla; my library system used Hoopla for books through the end of 2018 and then in 2019 it switched to only movies and tv shows through Hoopla.
When you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the library, there are a few things to remember. Firstly, make sure you are paying attention to the loan length. Some libraries allow a maximum loan of 7 days, 14 days, or 21 days. (Some will have a default of 14 but can be set to 21.)
If your library uses Libby, you will have the option to “Deliver Later” if your hold comes through at a busy time. Somehow I will have three ot five books come through in a two-day period, and I need to push some of them back to allow time. The next time the book becomes available after the date you’ve set, you will be offered it again.
Kobo Plus/ Kindle Unlimited
If you have a small budget that can support it, I find Kobo Plus has some excellent choices for non-fiction history books, as well as biographies. It costs $9.99 CAD/month, and you have unlimited access to the Kobo Plus catalogue. It tends to be history books from smaller presses, but that does not mean that they are not fantastic books. The Kobo search engine is a tad clunky, so I typically figure out what the publisher is, go to their own site to find books and then return to Kobo to search for them there. These books will stay in your library until you cancel your subscription; you may want to make notes elsewhere. (You can also outright buy the books included in Kobo Plus, but it is a separate charge from your subscription fee.)
Kindle Unlimited is the same concept as Kobo Plus, it lives in the Amazon universe. I cannot speak to the books there, but I am guessing they are similar to Kobo Plus.
NetGalley/ARCs
NetGalley can be a great place to find upcoming history and biography releases (as well as any other genre). You can request Advanced Reader Copies (ebooks) and/or Advanced Listening Copies (audiobooks) of upcoming releases, and get a chance to read them before they are published. You can download them using the NetGalley Shelf app (see my review here) or you can read the ebooks on a PDF reader app. You have 60 days to read or listen to your review copy before it expires.
The one thing to remember with NetGalley or ARCs from any source is that you will need to post the reviews somewhere. Publishers will give you these advanced copies so that you can review and share the book. It could be a blog, it could be on Goodreads, it could be on Amazon (every publisher has different requirements), but you do need to share your reviews.
You can also contact publishers directly for eARCs (or physical ARCs, but that is becoming less common). If you do reach out to them, you will want to explain why your review site/account is a good fit for the book in particular.
No matter what format your ARC takes (ebook, book, audiobook), please make sure that you are reading all requirements of the review. Some publishers want you to publish closer to the release date, while others will not care. And if you are reviewing an audiobook, ensure that you are discussing the narrator specifically.
Project Gutenburg/ Librivox
This suggestion is more helpful in regards to primary sources, but Project Gutenburg (and other similar groups, like the Smithsonian) have digitised thousands and thousands of books in the public domain. You can download these ebooks and read them for free. (If a site is claiming to be Project Gutenburg and is charging you, it is a fraudulent site.) They have several different formats available, so they can be read on a computer, on a phone or tablet, or on an e-reader.
If you are more of a listener than a reader, Librivox provides a similar service for audiobooks. Volunteers will read books in the public domain that you can download, usually as a podcast. Most “episodes” are one chapter, but some books will have multiple chapters in one episode if they are shorter. There are often multiple recordings of the same book, so you can try different narrators to find one you enjoy.
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I hope that this resource will help you find more history books for free, and help you stay on budget!
Cheers,
The Historian
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