An A Level Politics Reading List is important due to the breadth of topics covered in A Level Politics. Keeping on top of politics can be difficult, so we’ve created an A Level Politics Reading List we recommend so you can keep engaged over the summer and during your studies.
If you want some other books, TV shows, movies or more, check out our Revision Playlist, which has a huge list of A Level Politics media to improve your knowledge of all topics, alongside some features from our A Level Politics reading list.
A Level Politics reading list: UK Politics
- UK Politics Annual Update 2023 – this annual book written for A Level Politics students includes all of the recent big political events. Events this time include the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and the state of political parties.
- This Land – written by Owen Jones, a columnist for the Guardian and activist for Labour, this book looks to build a more equal society using figures from across the political spectrum.
- We’re Living Through the Breakdown – this book is written by Tatton Spiller of Simple Politics, and looks at how we can understand politics in an age of huge change.
- The Life of an MP – Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, discusses the role of an MP and the occurrences that happen in their personal and political lives.
A Level Politics reading list: Political Ideas
- 50 Politics Classics – a great book that helps to condense the main ideas of many key thinkers, including Thomas Hobbes, Mary Wollstonecraft and more.
- Essentials of Political Ideas – an A Level book that looks into the political ideas, their thinkers and other revision tips.
- 50 Political Ideas You Really Need to Know – a book that includes many of the political ideas covered in the course (though many also don’t apply).
- Conservatism: The Fight for a Tradition – an exploratory book that looks at the history of conservatism and the different strands that it encompasses.
- The Communist Manifesto – the most notable work of socialist literature by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
- On Liberty – written by John Stuart Mill (key thinker), advocates for individualism and limited government.
A Level Politics reading list: US Politics
- US Politics Annual Update 2023 – similar to the UK edition, this book is written for A Level Politics students, and includes updates about the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA, and the 2020 presidential election.
- UnPresidented – written by the BBC’s North America correspondent, this book looks at the 2020 presidential election from behind the scenes, an election like no other.
- The Federalist Papers – essential reading on the principles and arguments that shaped the American Constitution.
- The American Political Tradition – offers a critical perspective on the American political system and its leaders.
- Comparative Politics – This textbook provides a comparative analysis of political systems, with case studies that can aid in comparing US and UK politics.
A Level Politics reading list: Global Politics
- Prisoners of Geography – a book detailing the big powers in global politics, and how maps can explain them.
- The Power of Geography – the sequel to Prisoners of Geography that discusses the future of global politics and power.
- The Last Utopia – the history of human rights and where they’re heading for.
- Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace – a fundamental work in the realist school of international relations.
- Theory of International Politics – Introduces structural realism or neorealism, focusing on the anarchic structure of the international system.
- The Tragedy of Great Power Politics – A newer realist perspective focusing on the inevitability of conflict between great powers.
- The Liberal Tradition in America – Explores the historical roots and characteristics of liberalism in the United States and its implications for international relations.
- After Victory – A liberal perspective on how international institutions can create a lasting peace after conflicts.
What else would you add to an A Level Politics Reading List?
Let us know at hello@studypolitics.co.uk, and we’ll add your suggestions to our A Level Politics reading list. Keep checking back on this list, as it will be continually refreshed and updated.
