What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHistory
Elsa Morante · Book · 2015
If you loved History, start with The Diary of Anne Frank (George Stevens, 1959) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to History across media.
If History hooked you with its unflinching look at how global catastrophes crush the lives of ordinary, vulnerable people, these selections resonate.
Films on the same thread
Rome, Open City
Film · 1945
Explores: Resistance, Occupation, Sacrifice.
Much like History, this film captures the visceral, immediate reality of occupation, focusing on the struggle of common citizens against the dehumanizing forces of a brutal political regime.
The Diary of Anne Frank
George Stevens · Film · 1959
Explores: The Holocaust, Persecution, Loss of Innocence.
This film mirrors the harrowing survival stories found in History, detailing how the innocent are forced into hiding and defined by the cruelty of the world around them.
1900
Bernardo Bertolucci · Film · 1976
Explores: Class Conflict, Fascism in Italy, Childhood Friendship.
This epic echoes the class conflict and political cruelty central to History, charting how the sweeping tides of Italian history leave permanent marks on the lives of friends.
Two Women
Vittorio De Sica · Film · 1960
Explores: Mother-daughter relationship, War trauma, Survival.
This film captures the same devastating war trauma depicted in History, following a mother and daughter whose survival is constantly threatened by the indifference of historical power structures.
Series on the same thread
Holocaust
Gerald Green · Series · 1978
Explores: The Holocaust, Nazi persecution, Jewish persecution.
Like the characters in History, the family portrayed here finds their personal lives and dreams completely dismantled by the relentless machinery of war and systemic political persecution.
The Man in the High Castle
Frank Spotnitz · Series · 2015
Explores: Totalitarianism, Resistance, Moral Ambiguity.
This series explores the existential toll of living under totalitarianism, reflecting the same dark curiosity about how ordinary individuals navigate a world shaped by absolute political power.
The World at War
Series · 1973
Explores: World War II, Historical Account, The Holocaust.
While this series documents the macro events that History dramatizes, it provides the same sobering context regarding how those great political forces fundamentally alter individual human existence.
My Brilliant Friend
Saverio Costanzo · Series · 2018
Explores: Female Friendship, Childhood, Memory.
This story captures the deep, lifelong bonds formed amidst social upheaval, echoing the focus on memory and the personal history of the subaltern found within the pages of History.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This podcast shares the ambition of History to re-examine the past from the bottom up, forcing a confrontation with how systemic power shapes the reality of marginalized lives.
the memory palace
Nate DiMeo · Podcast · 2026
This podcast mirrors the intimate, evocative approach to the past found in History, turning forgotten moments into powerful meditations on the nature of our collective human experience.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is History based on real experiences?
Yes, Elsa Morante wrote History nearly thirty years after she spent a year in hiding among remote farming villages south of Rome. During this period, she witnessed the impact of the war firsthand, which inspired her to document how political events affect the lives of ordinary people.
What is the central theme of History by Elsa Morante?
The central theme of History is the contrast between the great political events driven by men of power and wealth, and the reality of how these forces impact the lives of ordinary people living in remote areas during wartime.
When was History written in relation to the events it depicts?
History was written by Elsa Morante nearly thirty years after she lived in hiding among farming villages in the mountains south of Rome. The book serves as her account of the impact of the war she witnessed during that year-long period of hiding.
How did Elsa Morante develop the concept for History?
Elsa Morante formed the ambition to write History after spending a year in hiding among remote farming villages south of Rome with Alberto Moravia. Her experience witnessing the war's impact on local villagers drove her to document how political events reach and affect the realm of ordinary people.