Editorial policy
How We Choose Our Books
A recommendation is only useful if you can trust it. Here is how we decide what goes on our shelves and how we write about it.
What makes the shelf
- Well regarded. We favour books with a lasting reputation among readers and historians, and classic primary sources.
- Readable. We look for books that are a pleasure to read, and we say plainly when one is demanding.
- Available. Books should be easy to find new, used or at a library.
- Balanced. Across the shelves we include different approaches — narrative, analytical, biographical and first-hand accounts.
How we write
- Descriptions and reading lists are our own words. We don’t copy publisher blurbs.
- We don’t invent quotes, praise, awards or ratings, and we don’t publish fake reviews.
- We don’t show prices, because they change and vary by edition — the retailer shows the current price.
- Book covers on the site are our own typographic designs, not publisher artwork.
Money and independence
We earn commissions from some retailer links (see our affiliate disclosure) and from advertising. Neither influences which books we choose or what we say about them. No publisher pays to appear on our shelves.
Corrections
If you spot an error — a wrong date, a misattributed author, a broken link — please tell us and we’ll fix it promptly.