The Eventful 20th Century by Reader’s Digest Association

The Eventful 20th Century series presents a richly illustrated, high-quality overview of the 20th century’s most significant moments — from world wars and space races to medical breakthroughs, technological leaps and social transformations. Created by Reader’s Digest, these books are designed to appeal both to history enthusiasts and general readers, with accessible prose, strong visual appeal and itemised decades. Each volume focuses on a specific theme or era and can stand alone, but together they form a compelling retrospective of the century’s defining changes.

For your charity bookshop, this series works well in the non-fiction or coffee-table book category: highlight the large format, collectible nature, and visual impact. Many titles are out of print or hard to find, increasing their appeal to second-hand book lovers and history-buff collectors.

Eventful 20th Century Books in Order (Selected Titles)

Here are some of the key volumes in the series:

1. Forging the Modern Age 1900-14

2. The War to End Wars 1914-18

3. The Fragile Peace 1919-39

4. The Way We Lived (1900-39)

5. Brave New World 1945-70

6. Modern Times 1970-99

7. The Space Race

8. Milestones of Medicine

9. Inventions that Changed the World

10. Wonders of the Modern World

11. The World in Our Hands