The best non-fiction audiobooks: memoir, history, science and more
The best non-fiction audiobooks are often read by the people who wrote them: Michelle Obama, Trevor Noah and Helen Macdonald all tell their own stories here. This guide ranks the best non-fiction to listen to across memoir, history, true crime, science, ideas and nature, with the narrator, UK length and Audible rating for each. Where a book is better on the page, because of illustrations, charts or worksheets, the guide says so.
The best non-fiction audiobook is Becoming, read by Michelle Obama in 19 hours 3 minutes. Born a Crime, read by Trevor Noah, and Sapiens, read by Derek Perkins, complete the top 3. Every non-fiction verdict is on the non-fiction and memoir shelf. For festive non-fiction, see the best Christmas non-fiction audiobooks.
- Best overallBecomingMichelle Obama, 19h 3mSee pick
- Best memoir performanceBorn a CrimeTrevor Noah, 9h 30mSee pick
- Best historySapiensDerek Perkins, 15h 18mSee pick
- Best true crimeSay NothingMatthew Blaney, 14h 43mSee pick
- Best scienceEntangled LifeMerlin Sheldrake, 9h 32mSee pick
- Best short listenAtomic HabitsJames Clear, 5h 35mSee pick
What the terms mean
- Non-fiction
- True stories and ideas: memoir, history, true crime, science, self-help and nature writing.
- Read by the author
- The writer reads their own words. Many picks here are.
- Unabridged
- The full text of the book, read aloud.
- Abridged
- A shortened version.
- Performance rating
- Audible listeners' score for the narration, out of 5.
- Overall rating
- Audible listeners' score for the audiobook as a whole, out of 5. This is the rating shown on each pick.
How we ranked: who reads each book, the recording's awards, and Audible UK listener ratings. More on the method
The best non-fiction audiobooks at a glance
| Book | Narrator | UK length | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Becoming Michelle Obama | Michelle Obama | 19h 3m | Best overall |
| Born a Crime Trevor Noah | Trevor Noah | 9h 30m | Best memoir performance |
| Sapiens Yuval Noah Harari | Derek Perkins | 15h 18m | Best history |
| Redwood Ben Macintyre | Ben Macintyre | 17h 30m | Best spy story |
| Say Nothing Patrick Radden Keefe | Matthew (Matt) Blaney | 14h 43m | Best true crime |
| Entangled Life Merlin Sheldrake | Merlin Sheldrake | 9h 32m | Best science |
| Talking to Strangers Malcolm Gladwell | Malcolm Gladwell, with archival interviews and music | 8h 42m | Best produced audio |
| Atomic Habits James Clear | James Clear | 5h 35m | Best short listen |
| H is for Hawk Helen Macdonald | Helen Macdonald | 11h 5m | Best nature writing |
| Letters to Our Sons ed. Stephen Graham and Orly Klein | Ten readers, including Stephen Graham | 9h 17m | Best many-voice listen |
Lengths from Audible UK, 2 November 2026. Born a Crime is the 2026 UK listing.
Memoir read by the author
Real lives, told in the voices of the people who lived them.
Becoming
Michelle Obama tells her own story in 19 hours 3 minutes, in what Kirkus calls "a rich, warm timbre".
- Narrator
- Michelle Obama
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 19h 3mAudible UK
- Recording
- Penguin
- Awards
- Audie Award winner, Autobiography or Memoir, 2020
- Audie Award finalist, Narration by the Author, 2020
- Grammy, Best Spoken Word Album (2020 Grammys)
- Listener rating
- 4.84 from 34,404Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Obama reads it herself. Listeners rate the performance 4.86 from 29,900 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 12 hours 42 minutes, and at 2x about 9 hours 32 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The most honoured recording here, with an Audie Award for Autobiography or Memoir and a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album, and more Audible UK ratings than any other pick.
Good to know: At over 19 hours it is one of the longest picks in this guide.
Sources Audible UK listing Kirkus audiobook review Audie Awards, Autobiography or Memoir
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Born a Crime
Trevor Noah performs his own childhood stories, in 9 hours 30 minutes on the UK listing.
- Narrator
- Trevor Noah
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 9h 30mAudible UK (2026 listing)
- Recording
- Random House Audio (UK listing, 5 May 2026)
- Awards
- Audie Award winner, Best Male Narrator, 2018 (the 2016 recording)
- Audie Award finalist, Autobiography/Memoir and Narration by the Author, 2018 (the 2016 recording)
- Listener rating
- 4.7 from 3Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Noah reads it himself. Library Journal called the audiobook "Audio at its best" and said "Noah is a talented performer". At 1.5x the UK listing takes about 6 hours 20 minutes.
Why it ranks here
A memoir told by a performer: Noah's reading of his own childhood stories won the Audie Award for Best Male Narrator.
Good to know: The Audie Award-winning 2016 recording (Audible Studios, 8h 44m, Performance 4.94 from 198,448 ratings) is on Audible US. The UK listing is a Random House Audio release dated 5 May 2026, with only three UK ratings so far.
Sources Audible UK listing Audible US listing 2018 Audie Awards Penguin Random House Library
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Swan Song
Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, reads his own memoir of his sister in 9 hours 47 minutes.
- Narrator
- Charles Spencer
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 9h 47mAudible UK
- Recording
- Penguin
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.53 from 604Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Spencer reads it himself. Performance is rated 4.56 from 599 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 6 hours 31 minutes.
Why it ranks here
Diana's brother reads his own memoir of his sister, so you hear the family's own voice.
Good to know: It came out on 22 September 2026, so its ratings are still building.
Sources Audible UK listing
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Letters to Our Sons
Letters from fathers to sons, edited by Stephen Graham and Orly Klein and read by ten voices in 9 hours 17 minutes.
- Narrator
- Stephen Graham, Orly Klein and eight other readers
- Production
- Ten readers
- Length
- 9h 17mAudible UK
- Recording
- Union Square & Company
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- No ratings yetAudible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Read by Stephen Graham, Orly Klein, Sachin K Sharma, Jude Owusu, Ian Dunnett Jr, Conor Dunne, Justin Avoth, Adam Stevens, Greg Lockett and Emil Marwa. At 1.5x it takes about 6 hours 11 minutes.
Why it ranks here
Ten voices share the letters, so each letter sounds like a different person.
Good to know: The UK store lists the US publisher, Union Square & Company, with a release date of 20 October 2026. It had no ratings yet when this guide was checked.
Sources Audible UK listing
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History
Long stories of the past that one good narrator can carry through a commute.
Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari's long, argument-led history, read by Derek Perkins in 15 hours 18 minutes.
- Narrator
- Derek Perkins
- Production
- One narrator
- Length
- 15h 18mAudible UK
- Recording
- Vintage Digital
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.73 from 26,780Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Derek Perkins reads it. Performance is rated 4.74 from 22,724 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 10 hours 12 minutes, and at 2x about 7 hours 39 minutes.
Why it ranks here
A long, argument-led history that one steady narrator carries chapter by chapter.
Good to know: Harari does not read it himself.
Sources Audible UK listing
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Redwood
Ben Macintyre reads his own Cold War spy story in 17 hours 30 minutes.
- Narrator
- Ben Macintyre
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 17h 30mAudible UK (Penguin)
- Recording
- Penguin
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.82 from 130Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Macintyre reads it himself, and Kirkus calls him "conversational, confiding, unaffected, and companionable" as a narrator. Performance is rated 4.81 from 126 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 11 hours 40 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The author reads his own spy story, and Kirkus's verdict is that "Macintyre's latest is one of his best".
Good to know: This is the UK Penguin edition. The US Random House edition runs 17 hours 24 minutes. It came out on 10 September 2026.
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The Wager
David Grann's story of a shipwreck and mutiny, read by Dion Graham in 8 hours 28 minutes.
- Narrator
- Dion Graham
- Production
- One narrator
- Length
- 8h 28mAudible UK
- Recording
- Simon & Schuster Audio UK
- Awards
- Audie Award finalist, History or Biography, 2024
- Listener rating
- 4.42 from 1,013Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Dion Graham reads it. Performance is rated 4.27 from 935 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 5 hours 39 minutes.
Why it ranks here
A shipwreck and mutiny story told at the pace of a thriller, in under nine hours.
Good to know: It is the shortest pick in the history section.
Sources Audible UK listing Audie Awards, History or Biography
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True crime
Real cases, two of them from Patrick Radden Keefe.
Say Nothing
Patrick Radden Keefe's Northern Ireland story, read by Northern Irish actor Matthew Blaney in 14 hours 43 minutes.
- Narrator
- Matthew (Matt) Blaney
- Production
- One narrator
- Length
- 14h 43mAudible UK
- Recording
- William Collins
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.76 from 2,423Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Blaney reads it. Performance is rated 4.43 from 2,176 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 9 hours 49 minutes, and at 2x about 7 hours 22 minutes.
Why it ranks here
A Northern Irish actor reads a Northern Irish story. Goodreads blogger Dana Swier Huff found hearing it in an accent that matches the people in it striking.
Good to know: The UK listing credits him as Matt Blaney. Dana Swier Huff still planned to reread it on Kindle for details she missed in the audio.
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London Falling
Patrick Radden Keefe reads his own investigation in 12 hours 59 minutes.
- Narrator
- Patrick Radden Keefe
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 12h 59mAudible UK
- Recording
- Picador
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.65 from 2,172Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Keefe reads it himself. Performance is rated 4.67 from 2,097 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 8 hours 39 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The author's own reading of his investigation, with high listener ratings.
Good to know: It came out on 7 April 2026. Keefe also wrote Say Nothing, above.
Sources Audible UK listing
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Killers of the Flower Moon
The story behind Martin Scorsese's 2023 film, read by Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee and Danny Campbell in 9 hours 4 minutes.
- Narrator
- Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee and Danny Campbell
- Production
- Three narrators
- Length
- 9h 4mAudible UK
- Recording
- Simon & Schuster Audio UK
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.27 from 942Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Three narrators share the book. Performance is rated 4.26 from 829 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 6 hours 3 minutes.
Why it ranks here
Three narrators share the book, and it runs just over nine hours.
Good to know: Which narrator reads which part is not stated on the listing.
Sources Audible UK listing
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Science
Big ideas about the living world and the body.
Entangled Life
Merlin Sheldrake reads his own book on fungi in 9 hours 32 minutes.
- Narrator
- Merlin Sheldrake
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 9h 32mAudible UK
- Recording
- Vintage Digital
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.80 from 2,296Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Sheldrake reads it himself. Performance is rated 4.74 from 1,981 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 6 hours 21 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The author reads his own book on fungi, so the science comes in his own voice.
Good to know: An illustrated edition (The Bodley Head, 2023) has over 100 full-colour images, so the illustrated hardback is the better gift.
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
Two recordings: William Roberts reads the whole book in 18 hours 59 minutes, and Bill Bryson reads an abridged version himself in 5 hours 48 minutes.
- Narrator
- William Roberts (unabridged); Bill Bryson (abridged)
- Production
- One narrator
- Length
- 18h 59mAudible UK, unabridged
- Recording
- Audible Studios (unabridged)
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.61 from 14,066Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
- Abridged
- 5h 48m, read by Bill Bryson (Transworld Digital)
The recording
William Roberts's unabridged reading: Performance 4.64 from 11,266 ratings on Audible UK. Bryson's own abridged reading: Performance 4.74 from 555.
Why it ranks here
Choose the unabridged William Roberts recording for the whole book, or Bryson's own shorter reading.
Good to know: This is the book used in a 2013 study of mind wandering, in which listeners heard Bryson's own recording. Our article on whether listening is the same as reading covers it.
Sources Audible UK listing Audible UK listing
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Protocols
Andrew Huberman reads his own book of health routines in 18 hours 5 minutes.
- Narrator
- Andrew Huberman
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 18h 5mAudible UK
- Recording
- Penguin
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.86 from 22Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Huberman reads it himself. Performance is rated 4.89 from 19 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 12 hours 3 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The author reads his own health routines, and at this length it suits dipping in by chapter.
Good to know: It came out on 15 September 2026, so it has only 22 ratings on Audible UK so far.
Sources Audible UK listing
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Ideas and self-help
Books about how people think and change, read by their authors.
Talking to Strangers
Malcolm Gladwell reads his own book, with "original archival interviews and musical scoring" (Audible UK), in 8 hours 42 minutes.
- Narrator
- Malcolm Gladwell
- Production
- The author, with archival interviews and music
- Length
- 8h 42mAudible UK
- Recording
- Penguin
- Awards
- Audie Award finalist, Nonfiction, 2020
- Listener rating
- 4.52 from 8,633Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Gladwell reads it himself. Performance is rated 4.71 from 7,436 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 5 hours 48 minutes.
Why it ranks here
Made for audio: it includes the archival interviews themselves, so you hear the real voices.
Good to know: The interviews and music are part of the recording, so they cannot come with the printed book.
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Atomic Habits
James Clear reads his own book on habits in 5 hours 35 minutes.
- Narrator
- James Clear
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 5h 35mAudible UK
- Recording
- Cornerstone Digital
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.76 from 30,485Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Clear reads it himself. Performance is rated 4.76 from 24,604 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 3 hours 43 minutes, and at 2x about 2 hours 48 minutes.
Why it ranks here
Short and clear, read by the author.
Good to know: The Habits Scorecard worksheet is a printable from jamesclear.com (email sign-up required), not part of the Audible listing.
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Nature
Nature writing, all read by the people who wrote it.
H is for Hawk
Helen Macdonald reads her own memoir of grief and training a goshawk in 11 hours 5 minutes.
- Narrator
- Helen Macdonald
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 11h 5mAudible UK
- Recording
- Vintage Digital
- Awards
- Book: Samuel Johnson Prize, 2014
- Book: Costa Book of the Year, 2014
- Listener rating
- 4.21 from 740Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Macdonald reads it herself. Performance is rated 4.39 from 666 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 7 hours 23 minutes.
Why it ranks here
A prize-winning memoir in its author's own voice.
Good to know: The two prizes are for the book, not the recording.
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Braiding Sweetgrass
A botanist reads her own essays on plants and Indigenous knowledge, in 16 hours 44 minutes.
- Narrator
- Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 16h 44mAudible UK
- Recording
- Tantor Audio
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.83 from 1,092Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Kimmerer reads it herself. Performance is rated 4.86 from 958 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 11 hours 9 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The highest Performance score in the nature section, for the author's own reading.
Good to know: On Audible UK it is the Tantor Audio listing.
Sources Audible UK listing
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Wilding
Isabella Tree reads the story of rewilding her family's farm, in 12 hours 22 minutes.
- Narrator
- Isabella Tree
- Production
- One narrator, the author
- Length
- 12h 22mAudible UK
- Recording
- Picador
- Awards
- None found
- Listener rating
- 4.84 from 1,798Audible UK, 2 Nov 2026
The recording
Tree reads it herself. Performance is rated 4.81 from 1,589 ratings on Audible UK. At 1.5x it takes about 8 hours 15 minutes.
Why it ranks here
The author tells the rewilding story herself, with the highest Overall rating in the nature section.
Good to know: Audible UK also lists a second edition (Macmillan Digital Audio, 2024) of the same length, with no ratings yet.
Sources Audible UK listing
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When print is better
- Biological War, Annie Jacobsen. The author reads it herself (11h 13m, Performance 4.49 from 167 ratings on Audible UK), but the book follows at least six separate storylines in turn, all read by one narrator, which is easier to keep track of on the page. Our verdict: Read Read the full verdict for Biological War.
- The Book of Birds, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. “Hundreds of Morris’s watercolour illustrations enliven the book’s pages” (Financial Times, via Penguin). The audiobook has its own draw: field recordist Chris Watson recorded each bird’s call for it (Audible UK listing), so it is worth hearing as well. Our verdict: Read Read the full verdict for The Book of Birds.
- Entangled Life, illustrated edition. The 2023 illustrated hardback (The Bodley Head) has “Over 100 full-colour images” (Jarrold). Listen to Merlin Sheldrake’s reading, but the illustrated edition is the better gift.
- Atomic Habits. The audiobook works, but anyone who wants the Habits Scorecard needs the book or the free printable from jamesclear.com, as no PDF comes with the Audible UK listing. Our verdict: Listen Read the full verdict for Atomic Habits.
Is listening as good as reading for non-fiction? A 2016 study of 91 adults found no difference in comprehension for a non-fiction chapter, but print helps with charts, illustrations and dense argument. See what the research says. More books that work better in print are on the best on the page shelf, and books where the recording adds something are on the best on audio shelf.
Short enough for a weekend
Two picks run under 6 hours, so you can finish them in a weekend:
- Atomic Habits, read by James Clear: 5 hours 35 minutes
- A Short History of Nearly Everything, the abridged recording read by Bill Bryson: 5 hours 48 minutes
Honourable mentions
More non-fiction with a full read or listen verdict on this site.
| Book | Narrator | Length | Why it is here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strangers Belle Burden | Belle Burden, the author | 7h 4m (US) | A memoir read by its author |
| Sleeping Beauties David Byrne | David Byrne, the author | 12h 42m | The audiobook comes with a PDF of the book's images |
| The Finest Hotel in Kabul Lyse Doucet | Lyse Doucet, the author | 13h 53m | Winner of the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2026 |
| Rememberings Sinéad O'Connor | Sinéad O'Connor, the author | 7h 14m | Her own memoir, in her own voice |
Lengths as given on each verdict page. Every non-fiction verdict is on the non-fiction and memoir shelf.
How long each non-fiction audiobook is
| Book | Narrator | |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Habits | James Clear | 5h 35m |
| The Wager | Dion Graham | 8h 28m |
| Talking to Strangers | Malcolm Gladwell | 8h 42m |
| Killers of the Flower Moon | Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee and Danny Campbell | 9h 4m |
| Letters to Our Sons | Ten readers, including Stephen Graham | 9h 17m |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | 9h 30m |
| Entangled Life | Merlin Sheldrake | 9h 32m |
| Swan Song | Charles Spencer | 9h 47m |
| H is for Hawk | Helen Macdonald | 11h 5m |
| Wilding | Isabella Tree | 12h 22m |
| London Falling | Patrick Radden Keefe | 12h 59m |
| Say Nothing | Matthew (Matt) Blaney | 14h 43m |
| Sapiens | Derek Perkins | 15h 18m |
| Braiding Sweetgrass | Robin Wall Kimmerer | 16h 44m |
| Redwood | Ben Macintyre | 17h 30m |
| Protocols | Andrew Huberman | 18h 5m |
| A Short History of Nearly Everything | William Roberts (unabridged) | 18h 59m |
| Becoming | Michelle Obama | 19h 3m |
Audible UK lengths, checked 2 November 2026. Born a Crime is the 2026 UK listing; A Short History of Nearly Everything is the unabridged recording. Faster speeds are calculated.
How we ranked these
The picks cover the whole market, not only books with a verdict on this site. They are grouped into six kinds of non-fiction and ranked on who reads each book, the recording's awards, and Audible UK listener ratings and how many there are. Where a book loses something without the page, such as illustrations or a worksheet, we say so. No publisher paid for a place.
Where Read vs Listen has a full read or listen verdict for a book, it is shown on its entry. Ratings shown are the Overall rating; the narration score is in each entry's text. No AudioFile Earphones Award could be confirmed for any pick, so none is claimed. Every non-fiction verdict is on the non-fiction and memoir shelf.
Checked against Audible UK listings (Audible US for the 2016 Born a Crime recording), Kirkus, Wikipedia's Audie Award lists, Penguin and the other sources linked on each pick, on 2 November 2026.
Questions people ask
What are the best non-fiction audiobooks?
Becoming, read by Michelle Obama; Born a Crime, read by Trevor Noah; and Sapiens, read by Derek Perkins. The guide also ranks the best history, true crime, science, ideas and nature audiobooks.
What is the best non-fiction audiobook read by the author?
Becoming, read by Michelle Obama. It won the 2020 Audie Award for Autobiography or Memoir and the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album.
Are non-fiction audiobooks as good as reading?
Often, yes: a 2016 study of 91 adults found no difference in comprehension for a non-fiction chapter between listening and reading. But print helps with charts, illustrations and dense argument. Our article on whether listening is the same as reading has the research.
What is a good short non-fiction audiobook?
Atomic Habits, read by James Clear, runs 5 hours 35 minutes. Bill Bryson's own abridged reading of A Short History of Nearly Everything runs 5 hours 48 minutes.
Which non-fiction audiobooks are better in print?
The Book of Birds, for Jackie Morris's watercolours; Biological War, which follows several storylines in turn; and illustrated books such as the illustrated edition of Entangled Life.
Is the Sapiens audiobook read by the author?
No. Derek Perkins reads it, in 15 hours 18 minutes on Audible UK.
Is A Short History of Nearly Everything read by Bill Bryson?
Bryson reads an abridged version, 5 hours 48 minutes. William Roberts reads the full book, 18 hours 59 minutes.
What is the best true crime audiobook?
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, read by Northern Irish actor Matthew Blaney in 14 hours 43 minutes.
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