Subjects from the world of politics and the military often top many lists of books to watch for, and this season is no different. Two notable books in September are Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love by Rebecca Frankel and In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy Goldstone. Another September release is not about a political figure per se, but the rise of a different kind of dynasty. Anderson Cooper and co-writer Katherine Howe trace some of Cooper’s family history in Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty.

October sees the release of books on two of political biographers’ favorite subjects: George Washington and Winston Churchill. Gaining attention are Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery by Bruce A. Ragsdale and Churchill’s Shadow: The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill by Geoffrey Wheatcroft. A 19th-century figure is the subject of The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World by Edward Shawcross. Mary Beard, an acclaimed historian of ancient Rome, offers her updating of Seutonius with Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern. Modern political figures are also featured in October, with: Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy by Martin Indyk; The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton; and David Cay Johnston’s The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family.

Three notable books in November look at figures from the 18th century. Andrew Roberts follows up his biography of Winston Churchill with The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. Also out that month are Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Daughter’s Search for Her Family’s Last Legacy by Gayle Jessup White and The Duchess Countess: The Woman Who Scandalized Eighteenth Century London by Catherine Ostler, which looks at the life of Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston.

Another book out that month looks at a figure who was not directly involved in politics, but whose life presaged some of the gender issues of today. The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes by Zoë Playdon looks at the life of a Scottish aristocrat and trans man who won a legal case that was kept secret for almost 20 years.

Looking ahead to 2022, in January Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig will continue their examination of the Trump presidency with a look at his last year in office; the book was untitled at press time. Also out that month is Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality by Tomiko Brown-Nagin, and February will see the release of The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty by Neal Thompson.