Free delivery on all orders above $30
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club
Get 10% off all year round and $10 off your next order! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Stay in touch and win free books

Keep up with our latest sales and events, and receive
recommendations direct to your inbox. We'll only send the good stuff, promise!

By completing this form, you are signing up to receive our emails and can unsubscribe at any time

Penguin Classics

10 Results

Switch between grid and list views for a better book browsing experience!
Historical
Clear all

10 Results

Historical
Clear all
The Journals of Captain Cook
Sold out
James Cook, Philip Edwards  | Penguin Classics

The Journals of Captain Cook

$8.90

Goodreads rating: 3.91

$8.90

65% off est. retail
If you're fascinated by uncharted waters and the thrill of exploration, Captain Cook's firsthand accounts will transport you to the swells of distant oceans. His detailed observations of lands and peoples previously unknown to Europeans make this book a treasure trove for anyone intrigued by maritime history and the age of discovery.
The Secret History
Sold out
G.A. Williamson, Peter Sarris, Procopius  | Penguin Classics

The Secret History

$8.90

Goodreads rating: 3.84

$8.90

53% off est. retail
If you're fascinated by the underside of history—the clandestine dramas and less-than-saintly deeds of the powerful—then Procopius's "The Secret History" will grip you. The raw honesty and fervor with which he presents the other face of the Byzantine reign, one of vice and intrigue beneath the veneer of piety and power, make for a read as educational as it is scandalously entertaining. It's history with the mask torn off, revealing a narrative that's as human as it is historical.
The Histories - Thryft
Sold out
Aubrey de Sélincourt, Herodotus, John M. Marincola  | Penguin Classics

The Histories

$6.61

Goodreads rating: 4.0

$6.61

"The Histories" is a classic narrative that details the Greek city-states uniting to repel a superior Persian army. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in ancient history and warfare. The most unique feature of "The Histories" is the author's use of digressions to describe the wonders of Egypt and recount stories and folk tales, providing a rich cultural backdrop to the main narrative. Overall, readers will be thoroughly engrossed in this fascinating account of ancient events that shaped the course of history.
The Book of Magic : From Antiquity to the Enlightenment - Thryft
Sold out
Brian P. Copenhaver | Penguin Classics

The Book of Magic : From Antiquity to the Enlightenment

$9.18

Goodreads rating: 3.73

$9.18

"The Book of Magic" is a captivating anthology that traces the history of magic, from its ancient roots to the scientific revolution. It includes incantations, charms, curses, witches, and even works once deemed too dangerous to open. The unique and distinctive feature of this book is its arrangement in chronological order, making it an excellent read for anyone interested in the history of magic.
Caligula - Thryft
Sold out
Suetonius | Penguin Classics

Caligula

$3.88

Goodreads rating: 3.63

$3.88

Recommended for history enthusiasts who enjoy dark themes. This book offers a disturbing insight into the twisted mind of Emperor Caligula, known for his brutal, incestuous and insane reign over Rome. The author, Suetonius, provides a detailed account of Caligula's life and actions, which can be both fascinating and disturbing. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Roman history, especially those who want to explore the darker side of the empire.
Two Lives of Charlemagne - Thryft
Sold out
Lewis Thorpe, Notker the Stammerer, Einhard  | Penguin Classics

Two Lives of Charlemagne

$6.75

Goodreads rating: 3.65

$6.75

Two revealingly different accounts of the life of the most important figure of the Roman EmpireCharlemage, known as the father of Europe, was one of the most powerful and dynamic of all medieval rulers. The biographies brought together here provide a rich and varied portrait of the king from two perspectives: that of Einhard, a close friend and adviser, and of Notker, a monastic scholar and musician writing fifty years after Charlemagne's death.
The Sagas of the Icelanders - Thryft
Sold out
Robert H. Kellogg, Jane Smiley, Katrina C. Attwood  | Penguin Classics

The Sagas of the Icelanders

$11.96

Goodreads rating: 4.31

$11.96

In Iceland, the age of the Vikings is also known as the Saga Age. A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world’s great literary treasures – as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with an astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled in Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured farther west to Greenland and, ultimately, North America. Sailing as far from the archetypal heroic adventure as the long ships did from home, the Sagas are written with psychological intensity, peopled by characters with depth, and explore perennial human issues like love, hate, fate and freedom.
Eichmann in Jerusalem - Thryft
Sold out
Hannah Arendt, Amos Elon  | Penguin Classics

Eichmann in Jerusalem

$7.56

Goodreads rating: 4.2

$7.56

Sparking a flurry of heated debate, Hannah Arendt’s authoritative and stunning report on the trial of German Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann first appeared as a series of articles in The New Yorker in 1963. This revised edition includes material that came to light after the trial, as well as Arendt’s postscript directly addressing the controversy that arose over her account. A major journalistic triumph by an intellectual of singular influence, Eichmann in Jerusalem is as shocking as it is informative — an unflinching look at one of the most unsettling (and unsettled) issues of the twentieth century.
The Madness of Cambyses - Thryft
Sold out
Herodotus, Tom Holland  | Penguin Classics

The Madness of Cambyses

$3.88

Goodreads rating: 3.18

$3.88

'Do you see your son, standing over there, in the antechamber? Well, I am going to shoot him.' The story of the great and mad Cambyses, King of Persia, told by part-historian, part-mythmaker Herodotus of Halicarnassus. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Herodotus (c.484-425 BCE) Herodotus's The Histories is also available in Penguin Classics.
The History of the Kings of Britain
Sold out
Geoffrey of Monmouth, Lewis Thorpe  | Penguin Classics

The History of the Kings of Britain

$8.90

Goodreads rating: 3.72

$8.90

If you're captivated by the blend of myth and history, you'll find "The History of the Kings of Britain" a fascinating read. Geoffrey of Monmouth's narrative crafts a rich tapestry of characters like King Arthur and Merlin that have influenced literature for centuries. It's a journey through a mythic past that has shaped the foundation of British folklore and has left an indelible mark on culture and literature alike.