History Buff Holiday Gift Guide: 2024

The holidays snuck up yet again.

It’s time to share my personal Christmas registry History Gift Guide. Anything other recommendations? Comment below.

KEY

🎅Adding this to my letter to Santa

⭐I have this (and/or have tried this) and love it

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Books

I think I pulled a muscle exercising restraint to avoid repeating “I heard about this on a [insert name] podcast” with nearly one of these recommendations. I could just quietly pat myself on the back, but I deserve some kudos for this heroic achievement. Or maybe I should just let it all fly and this blog could be turned in to a drinking game.

In no particular order…

Booth
⭐by Karen Joy Fowler

This is one of my favorite books I read this year — totally unexpected. I was both drawn to the spine (gorgeous!) and repelled by the title, but filled with curiosity. Check out some of my doodles for more. (No spoilers!)

These Truths: A History of the United States
🎅by Jill Lepore

Have you listened to her podcast, The Last Archive? It’s incredible. I bet her books are, too.

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
⭐by Doris Kearns Goodwin

With so many books in my pile, I hadn’t added this one… until a friend told me she was coming to town. This book was riveting — I was on the edge of my seat, even when I knew what was going to happen.

The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement
🎅by Sharon McMahon

Really excited to dive into this one.

Alexandra Petri's Us History: Important American Documents (I Made Up)
⭐by Alexandra Petri

Some pee-your-pants humor in this one.

The Vice President's Black Wife: The Untold Life of Julia Chinn
⭐ by Amrita Chakrabarti Myers

Finally! A book about Julia Chinn!!

Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt
🎅by Edward P Kohn

I haven’t kept it secret that I think Theodore Roosevelt is a mustachioed manchild. Sometimes though, I can’t help but love him. This story is one of those times.

Same Bed Different Dreams
⭐ by Ed Park

For the first time, I was inspired to doodle my way through fiction and it was a blast. Did you know that corn cob pipes (like the one Frosty has) are pipes literally made out of corn cobs?! I did not… until I drew Douglas MacArthur.

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
🎅by John Green

This doesn’t ship until March, but I am so looking forward to it.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
⭐ by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe

This book raised a couple of questions for me that can only be answered by Anderson Cooper and Michael Schur. So far, neither are returning my calls.

Democracy in One Book or Less: How It Works, Why It Doesn't, and Why Fixing It Is Easier Than You Think
🎅by David Litt

Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic
🎅by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

Had a blast doodling my way through The Cabinet, so I have high expectations for this one.

Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life
🎅by Eric Weiner

The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past
🎅by Nate Dimeo

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
🎅by Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, The New York Times Magazine, and Nikole Hannah-Jones

The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning
🎅by A. J. Jacob

You can learn more about all of these books in my Bookshop.

Disclaimer: I’m a Bookshop.org affiliate and have included a few affiliate links for some of the books in this post. If you click through and make a purchase from an affiliate link, I earn a commission that helps support my project.

Artwork

Lena Verderano Reynoso

🎅In addition to ribbons, presidential maladies plates, and original paintings, Lena Verderano Reynoso has new risograph prints available and they are fantastic!

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Katie Brookoff

🎅Cartoonist Katie Brookoff is on a mission to make Presidents’ Day a fun holiday. Check out her charming presidential greeting cards. (It wasn’t easy narrowing these down!)

PLUS! Use promo code POTUS to get 10% off everything on her website except jackets._________________

Michele Benton

🎅No joke, I came across Michele’s art while I was at a café discussing presidents and other historic stuff with a friend. Giant paintings of Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and more adorned the walls and looked down at me. As soon as I got home, I looked her up and sent her a DM. To the best of my knowledge, she’s the only former pro basketball player featured in this gift guide.

Visit Michele Benton Art to peruse her incredible artwork and products. PLUS! Use promo code POTUS to get 10% off everything on her website except wearable art.

Attire & accessories

T-shirts

Check out Plodding Through the Presidents’ irreverent and sometimes [quietly] dirty shirts. Or plop the design on a mug, sweatshirt, sticker, etc. instead. They even come in festive colors, like Red Heather! Two (still!) on my wish list:

🎅Lafayette Farewell Tour 1824- 1825 shirt (it lists all of his tour stops on the back! Including Schenectady, Albany, and Clermont!)

🎅William Henry Harrison shirt

🎅Gouverneur Morris shirt (If you know, you know. And if you know, you’re squirming.)

Side note: If you haven’t subscribed to their podcast, definitely give it a listen. It’s hysterical.

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Dolley Madison Tote Bag

It has George Washington’s portrait inside! Get it?

Food & drink

Wine

⭐The Federalist Wines boast options with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin adorning the bottles. I’ve yet to try Honest Red Blend, with Abe. Hint, hint. 🎅

Candles

Rutherford B. Hayes scented candle

🎅He’s dreamy and smells like, well… to be honest I’m not sure. Let’s find out!

Not into Hayes? There are tons of other options — the War of 1812, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant (“Now your home can finally smell like cigar smoke!”), Theodore Roosevelt, Nancy Pelosi (“Do not pick a fight with a woman who had five children in six years, because there is nothing you can do to her that will be worse than having five children in six years.”), and more.

The copywriting on JD+Kate Industries’ website is brilliant and funny and this gift guide would have taken me far less time if I didn’t get sucked into reading all of the product descriptions. And trying to figure out Which U.S. President is [My] Perfect Boyfriend. Side note: it’s worth signing up for their newsletter, too, which is not a thing I expected to say about a candle newsletter. If you’re into reading funny stuff, but not into giving out your email address or reading product descriptions, they also wrote a book — Hottest Heads of State, Vol. 1: The American Presidents. 🎅

Misc.

Presidential busts

⭐I have four in my collection now, the newest being JFK (a gift from my mom). 🎅But I don’t have any First Ladies yet.

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Presidential slogan puzzle

⭐Friends gave me the presidential slogan puzzle last year and it’s fabulous. It even has one of my favorite slogans: “We Polked You in ‘44. We Shall Pierce You in ‘52.” If you prefer fewer slogans but more coffee-carrying capacity and less work, it also comes on a mug.

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Custom inspector stamp

🎅Yeah, yeah… I know I already have far too many business cards. That said, I really think I need a custom inspector stamp like the ones used by health inspectors and train conductors way back when. It’s tiny. Portable. Can go right on my key chain. The only problem is what to put on it. (Theodore Roosevelt’s glasses/stache/and teeth, along with my URL? I don’t know! I can’t commit.) Check it out and let me know that you definitely agree that I absolutely need at least one of these.

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Custom embosser

🎅Do I also need a custom embosser? Probably. I could stamp books in my collection. Or presidential mail. To-do lists. Anything really.

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LearningPlunge games

⭐U.S. geography, history, and trivia games for all ages — board games and virtual options. Check ‘em out!

My little shop

While on sabbatical, I played around with a little store. It was sooo much fun (I still feel fancy drinking out of my Mustachioed Manchild glass and using my presidential insults napkin). I haven’t really had an opportunity to add to it lately, but there are still a few items to peruse. If you’re looking for a specific POTUS-themed gift, let me know. (Or if you’re a buyer for a historic site and are into wholesale orders, please reach out.)