It’s time to celebrate Independence Day, but that doesn’t mean we have to just focus on fireworks and cookouts. There are a lot of fantastic books about the Revolutionary War and the Colonial period that you could read to mark the 4th of July this year. Actually, for a lot of the books on this list, you aren’t going to finish them on the 4th, so you might want to pencil in a bit more time. (For instance, the really great George Washington biography mentioned below is 42 hours on audiobook, but so worth every minute, I promise.)

Since you’re going to want to settle in with one of these titles ASAP, let’s dive right in with some of my favorite books about the Revolution and Colonial America that you can borrow on the Libby app. For the longer books, remember that if no one else is waiting, Libby will let you renew your checkout if you aren’t finished when your loan period runs out.

The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson

What I love so much about this book is its thoroughness. So many American Revolution books start at Lexington and Concord and only really look at what’s happening with the American army. Atkinson, however, shows the war’s opening years from every perspective—yes, the American troops in Massachusetts, but also the British court in London, the invasion of Canada in the fall of 1775, and on through the battle of Princeton. And this is just the beginning! There are two more volumes in this history planned, and I’m eagerly awaiting what Pulitzer Prize-winner Atkinson has in store next.

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Speaking of Pulitzer Prizes, Ron Chernow won the award for this biography of George Washington. The size of this tome might be a little intimidating to some (remember, 42 hours on audiobook?), but trust me when I say it’s extremely readable.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

With his book on Alexander Hamilton, instead of a Pulitzer Prize like for Washington: A Life (above), Chernow had to settle for inspiring Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical phenomenon. Chernow’s enthusiasm for Hamilton and Washington, Colonial America and the Revolutionary War is palpable on every page, and it makes both of these biographies a joy to read. Plus, by the end, you’ll officially be a late 18th-century America expert.

The American Revolution series by Nathaniel Philbrick

1. Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution

2. Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution

3. In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown

This trilogy takes the reader through the American Revolution, with a detailed account of one of the earliest battles of the war in Boston and ending with the final important battle at Yorktown. In between those two is probably my favorite book in the trilogy, a dual biography of George Washington and Benedict Arnold. Their friendship is a fascinating window into the years of war, from the beginning of the war when Arnold was one of the Americans’ most successful generals, through Arnold’s difficulties with his peers and Washington’s defense of him, through Arnold’s treason and defection to the British. They are both such interesting personalities, and how they influenced the forming of America is truly captivating.

Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose

I will freely admit that a big part of my fascination with the American Revolution is thanks to the AMC show Turn: Washington’s Spies. But if I thought the show was good, when I finally got my hands on the book that inspired the show, I was even more impressed. Rose’s book is an exciting and quick read that looks into the first American spy network. The central figures are one of George Washington’s most trusted scouts (and best friend of Nathan Hale, who was executed by the British for spying early in the war), a Long Island farmer and a quiet Quaker who had trouble sleeping even before becoming a spy. This unlikely group, along with a few other colorful characters, helped influence the course of the war, and Rose’s telling of this lesser-reported aspect of the Revolution brings them all to life.

The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence by David Waldstreicher

Part history, part literary criticism, this new biography of Phillis Wheatley showcases one of early America’s most important figures. Brought to America as a slave at the age of 7, Wheatley was taught to read and write in the Boston home where she was sold. As a teenager, she was writing poetry that would impress the city, and soon the Colonies as a whole, and eventually even readers far away in Britain. Waldstreicher’s book astutely pieces together what we know of Wheatley’s life and what might be best guessed, as well as vividly describing the society in which she was raised, freed and eventually flourished as the first author of African descent to be published in North America.

Celebrate our nation’s independence with a look back. Borrow from your library on the Libby app.