Best books about Washington

Want to know more about the state of our state? Here’s a selection of the best books about Washington, recommended by Glen Lindeman, editor of WSU Press.

1. 

   Peoples of Washington: Perspectives on Cultural Diversity

   By Sid White and S.E. Solberg

    

   A celebration of the cultural and ethnic diversity of Washington and an overview of the state’s many ethnic communities.

   

   

    

2. 

   Puget's Sound: a Narrative History of Early Tacoma and the Southern Sound

   By Murray Morgan

    

   The story of Tacoma from Vancouver’s arrival in 1792 to the establishment of Fort Lewis in 1916. Filled with local characters and major events for the state.

   

   

    

3. 

   The Great Columbia Plain: A Historical Geography, 1805-1910

   By D.W. Meinig

    

   A classic first published in 1968 and re-released in 1995.

   

   

    

4. 

   The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest

   By Alvin M. Josephy

    

   A well-researched history of the years from the time of Lewis and Clark to the defeat of Chief Joseph in the late 1800s.

   

   

    

5. 

   Washington Territory

   By Robert E. Ficken

    

   An account of the 36 years Washington Territory waited for statehood and the railways to connect its east and west sides.