Here in the United States, tomorrow is Independence Day (I’m writing the suggestions on the 3rd). Other major independence days celebrated in July are Burundi (Belgium), Canada (U.K.) and Rwanda (Belgium) on the 1st, Belarus (German occupation of Minsk) on the 3rd, Algeria (France), the Cape Verde Islands (Portugal) and Venezuela (Spain) on the 5th, Malawi (U.K.) on the 6th, Argentina (Spain) on the 9th, the Bahamas (U.K) on the 10th, Sao Tome and Principe (Portugal) on the 12th, Colombia (Spain) on the 20th, Liberia and Maldives (U.K.) on the 26th, and Peru (Spain) on the 28th. Revolutionary movements celebrated in July are France on the 14th (Bastille Day) and Belgium on the 21st. Stories of personal independence, especially coming of age stories, have been popular throughout the history of literature. Discover your personal meaning of independence!

  • U.S. Independence Day
    • The American Revolution: Writings from the War of Independence (Library of America) by Various and John H. Rhodehamel
    • Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence by John Ferling
    • The American Creed: A Biography of the Declaration of Independence by Forrest Church
    • Founding Fighters: The Battlefield Leaders Who Made American Independence by Alan C. Cate
    • Britain and America Since Independence (British Studies Series) by Howard Temperly
    • The Declaration of Independence: A Global History by David Armitage
    • 1776 by David McCullough
  • Colonial Independence movements
    • The Independence of Spanish America (Cambridge Latin American Studies) by Jaime E. Rodríguez
    • Rebels and Informers: Stirrings of Irish Independence by Oliver Knox
    • Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex Von Tunzelmann
    • The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by Martin Meredith
    • To Independence and Beyond: Memoirs of a Colonial Commonwealth Civil Servant by Peter Snelson
  • Revolutionary movements
    • The French Revolution by Owen Connelly
    • Sister Revolutions: French Lightning, American Light by Susan Dunn
    • A Concise History of the French Revolution by Sylvia Neely
    • The Iranian Constitutional Revolution, 1906-1911 by Janet Afary
    • The Pursuit of Glory: The Five Revolutions that Made Modern Europe: 1648-1815 by Tim Blanning and David Cannadine
  • Fiction with independence themes
    • Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
    • 1921 : The Great Novel of the Irish Civil War by Morgan Llywelyn
    • Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (YA)
    • 1984 by George Orwell
  • Coming of age (YA friendly)
    • Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal snogging by Louise Rennison
    • The Giver by Lois Lowry
    • I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
    • Born confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
    • The astonishing adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl by Barry Lyga