14 Perfect Books to Gift This Father’s Day

The three-month Battle of Bataan ended in one of the largest surrenders in U.S. military history. Afterward, American and Filipino prisoners of war were subjected to the perilous Bataan Death March, as they were forced to march some 65 miles under harsh conditions, often faced with wanton violence and even death at the hands of their captors. 

In this “must-read literary triumph” (Booklist) from two New York Times-bestselling authors, the riveting true story of three American POWs who struggle to survive the march and the captivity that awaits them at the other side is told in a book that Publishers Weekly calls a “tour de force.”

Writing from what one reviewer called an “unabashedly Catholic perspective,” Meg Meeker combines her spiritual beliefs with more than 30 years of practice in pediatric and adolescent medicine in this book of “10 secrets every father should know.”

It dissects the important role a father plays in his daughter’s life and guides fathers of all ages through everything from laying down ground rules your daughter will follow to helping her make her own decisions when life throws curveballs. Included in the book are several true stories drawn from Meeker’s own practice and experiences.

A veteran of three Super Bowl wins, Michael Lombardi has more than 40 years of experience on the sidelines of the NFL, where he has been an executive, general manager, analyst, sportswriter, and more. “Now, he has packaged all the greatness he observed into this gift of a book,” according to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter. 

The result is a “master class in the history, philosophy, and art of football” (Bill Belichick, Head Coach of the New England Patriots) that tells the story of America’s favorite sport. Whether your dad is a raving football fan or just someone who never misses a Super Bowl, there’ll be something for him in these pages.

“I became a dad twenty years ago, but I became a father after I was introduced to Larry and his incredible principles,” writes former NFL player and keynote speaker Anthony Trucks, describing Larry Hagner, founder of the hit podcast The Dad Edge. 

In The Spirit of Fatherhood, Hagner combines biblical study and more than a decade of counseling experience, along with stories and experiences drawn from his own life as a husband and father, to create a book that “should be considered essential reading for every man embarking on his fatherhood journey” (Jake Herbert, Olympian).

Of course, Father’s Day isn’t just for fathers. Grandpas are fathers, too, and they have lived lives full of wisdom, wit, humor, and above all, stories that the whole family can treasure. The trick, sometimes, is remembering to stop and listen. That’s where this book comes in. 

With more than 300 carefully curated prompts, this journal will help your grandfather open up and tell his story, in his own words, in a way that the family will have to look back on for years to come. After all, what better Father’s Day present could there be for grandpa and for the rest of the family, too?

If Dad feels left out, not to worry. Bestselling author Jeffrey Mason has also compiled an expanded journal filled with more than 300 prompts to help fathers explore their experiences, share their most treasured memories, and connect with their families in new, more meaningful ways. 

From the moments that defined his life to the things he most wants his children to remember, this journal will help bring families closer together and allow Dad to tell his own story, in his own words.

“A winning portrait of America at its weirdest.” That’s how Publishers Weekly described this “strikingly original” (New York Times) book about our country’s favorite cryptid. Is Bigfoot real or a hoax? And why do we want so badly to believe? 

From the forests of the Pacific Northwest to cryptozoological conventions, journalist and self-diagnosed skeptic John O’Connor begins a lengthy quest to examine the facts—and what makes this elusive wild man of the woods so iconic, whether myth or reality. 

From firsthand accounts of those who claim to have seen the sasquatch to movies like Harry and the Hendersons, your dad will find an unforgettable story of one of America’s most persistent myths (or is it?) in this one-of-a-kind gift book.

Known as the “quiet sport,” fly fishing is often regarded as “the most reflective and graceful of all outdoor pursuits.” 

And Jim McLennan has been a devotee for decades—experience that he brings to bear as one of our most widely read authors on the subject in this “collection of stories that should belong on every angler’s bookshelf” (Strung magazine). 

Whether your dad is a devout fly fisherman, someone who has always longed to give it a try, or even someone who is allergic to the outdoors, he’ll find something to love in these essays about fishing, wilderness, and life.

Many of us might wonder what we would do if we were attacked by a bear. Not Jeremy Evans. He knows. When he was 32 years old, he was mauled by a protective mother grizzly while hunting in the wilderness of Alberta. He then had to drag himself more than seven miles back to his truck, then drive several more miles for help. 

In this “journey through the darkest of human experiences, from the edge of life to survival” (Alex Messenger, author of The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra), Jeremy takes readers through his harrowing ordeal and his inspiring recovery.

During the seventeenth century, medical lecturers would instruct students on human anatomy by dissecting cadavers. But, after the Revolutionary War, there was a growing number of medical students, and not enough cadavers. 

That’s where the “resurrectionists” come in—a group of men who’d trespass into cemeteries at night, stealing a body, and sell it to a physician. In April 1788, word spread of this happening, and the so-called Doctor’s Riot broke out, where thousands of New Yorkers marched down to the New York City anatomy lab. 

The Doctors’ Riot of 1788 unpacks the various moral questions at the heart of the debate, specifically whether it is necessary for medical students to learn on the dead.

While July 4th is the day that is celebrated, several critical months in 1776 ultimately led to America’s Independence. 

Tracing the treacherous path, author Tom McMillian reflects on the days and the courageous changemakers who transformed the nation. 

From the publication of Common Sense to the coming of the revolution, McMillan draws on extensive research to capture America’s founding. 

In a first-hand account, FBI Special Agent James Gaylord reconstructs the true story of Chi Mak and his spy ring, which stole US military and commercial technology for decades. 

Drawing on eyewitness experiences, investigative files, and court records, this behind-the-scenes spy thriller reveals how the FBI conducted the most successful prosecution of China’s spies to date. 

There is little that Albert Goodwill Spalding, the man who shaped baseball and the sporting goods empire, didn’t do in his lifetime. 

He was the first starting pitcher of the first professional sports association, co-founded baseball’s National League, and owned the now-Chicago Cubs, for starters. 

A man of many firsts, he set the standard for the sport while having a far-reaching impact across the Gilded Age era. In the first biography of its kind, author Mark A. Stein considers the life of A.G. Spalding as a pitcher, mogul, and overall innovator.

A precursor to Operation Desert Storm, the top-secret “Senior Suprise Mission” put together a team of 57 untested aviators to fly seven B-52s, well past their prime, on a 35-hour round trip to the Middle East. 

Highly classified, author Trey Morriss, an electronic warfare officer who flew on one of the bombers, offers a gripping, insider look into the daring black-ops mission.