Gifts for History Buffs: 15 Ideas From Ancient Rome to WWII
Fifteen gifts for history buffs to build, play, hang and read, from the pyramids of Giza and Mary Beard’s Rome to the Enigma codebreakers of Bletchley Park.
Gifts for history buffs put the past in their hands: the LEGO Great Pyramid of Giza, a wooden Enigma-style cipher machine, the Bletchley Park codebreaker puzzles, a medieval hurdy-gurdy kit that really plays and Civilization VII.
These 15 span about 4,500 years, from Giza in the 26th century BC to the codebreakers of the Second World War, with books from Mary Beard and DK and two strategy games for the computer. The list is sorted by era and by person: military history, the ancient world, a history buff dad, husband or boyfriend, history video games, teens, and a shelf of easy wins under $50. Each card comes with one real date, place or name, a small story to tell while the paper comes off.
Eleven of the fifteen cost under $50, so there is something for a stocking, a birthday and the big box under the tree. The two video games link to Steam, and prices were checked on October 18, 2026.
Gifts for military history buffs: the WWII map room, Bletchley Park and Enigma
For the reader of every WWII book and the friend who fact-checks war movies. Follow the campaigns map by map, try the puzzles Bletchley Park set its recruits and send a message through a wooden take on the war’s most famous cipher, all for $15 to $40.
Bletchley Park Brainteasers by Sinclair McKay
$15
at Amazon
Sinclair McKay’s collection of more than 100 puzzles, riddles and ciphers inspired by the tests Bletchley Park used to find its WWII codebreakers, each set beside the story of the recruits who faced them. It is a 288-page paperback from Headline, made with the support of Bletchley Park.
Best for: a WWII buff who loves crosswords
Why it fits: To find the people who would beat Enigma, Bletchley Park’s recruiters went to mathematicians, chess masters, linguists, poets and music students who could read an orchestral score, and tested them with hidden codes and cryptic crosswords. A WWII buff with a crossword habit gets to find out whether they would have made the cut.
A large DK hardcover with more than 100 maps of the war’s campaigns, from the invasion of Poland to the fall of Berlin and Hiroshima, each with troop movements, timelines and archive photos. The 320-page book, about 10 by 12 inches, is published with the Smithsonian.
Best for: a reader of every WWII book
Why it fits: Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and this atlas follows the campaigns from there to Berlin with arrows where most books have paragraphs. A military history buff who knows every date by heart finally gets to watch the front lines move.
A wooden cipher device inspired by the WWII Enigma: turn its three gears by hand to encode or decode a message letter by letter with a keyword. It arrives assembled, is made in the USA by a small workshop and doubles as an escape-room prop.
Best for: a codebreaking fan
Why it fits: Marian Rejewski and his Polish colleagues first broke Enigma in 1932 and handed their methods to Britain and France in July 1939, weeks before the war began. With this one a codebreaking fan can pass coded notes across the dinner table and leave the family to crack them.
Ancient history gifts: the pyramids of Giza and the Roman Empire
Three ways into antiquity: build Giza as it stood in the 26th century BC, trade across the Roman Mediterranean, and read Rome’s first thousand years with Mary Beard. The LEGO pyramid is the splurge of the whole list.
LEGO Architecture Great Pyramid of Giza
$130
at Amazon
A 1,476-piece LEGO Architecture model of Giza in the 26th century BC: the Great Pyramid, two smaller pyramids, two mortuary temples, the Sphinx, a workers’ village, an obelisk and a stretch of the Nile with a barge. One side of the pyramid lifts off to reveal the inner chambers and construction ramps; the model stands about 8 inches high and 13.5 wide, ages 18+.
Best for: an ancient Egypt fan
Why it fits: Built for Pharaoh Khufu, the Great Pyramid stayed the tallest structure people had ever made for more than 3,800 years, and this set shows an ancient Egypt fan how it might have gone up. The removable side with the ramps is the part every guest will be shown.
A strategy game of trade across the Roman Empire for 2 to 5 players: found colonies, ship wine, cloth and bricks, and score through gods such as Jupiter, Mercury and Minerva. The double-sided board shows the whole Mediterranean on one side and Italy on the other; ages 13+, about 90 minutes.
Best for: a Rome fan who plays strategy games
Why it fits: Romans called the Mediterranean Mare Nostrum, our sea, and in Concordia players fill it with their own trade routes. Mac Gerdts’s design rewards long-term planning, so it suits a Rome fan who already plays heavier strategy games.
Cambridge classicist Mary Beard’s history of ancient Rome’s first thousand years, from the founding myth to 212 AD, in a 608-page paperback with maps and illustrations. It became a New York Times bestseller.
Best for: a reader who loves ancient Rome
Why it fits: Beard ends in 212 AD, the year Emperor Caracalla made every free inhabitant of the empire a Roman citizen, and she makes that law feel as dramatic as any battle. It pairs well with Concordia or slips into a stocking.
Gifts for a history buff dad, husband or boyfriend
For the man who reads up on how things were made and has opinions about the fall of Rome: a steam locomotive he builds over a weekend and a map for the study wall, both under $100.
UGEARS V-Express Steam Train
$91
at Amazon
A wooden mechanical model of a Victorian-era steam locomotive with its tender and a section of track: 538 plywood parts press out of panels and fit together with no glue or tools. A rubber-band motor drives the wheels and pistons; the locomotive is about 14.6 inches long and takes about 10 hours to build.
Best for: a dad who likes a weekend build
Why it fits: Steam railways spread across Britain during Queen Victoria’s reign, from 1837 to 1901, and this kit turns that era into a weekend project for a dad who reads up on how things were made. Seeing the pistons pump on the finished engine is the payoff.
A laminated National Geographic world map in the Executive style, 46 by 30.5 inches, with an antique-look muted ocean and shaded mountain ranges. It shows clear borders and more than 2,500 place names and takes dry-erase marker; it comes rolled, without a frame.
Best for: a study wall
Why it fits: The Executive style borrows the muted colors of an old atlas, so it looks at home in a study lined with history books. A history-loving husband can trace campaigns, trade routes and the battlefields he still wants to visit in dry-erase marker, then wipe the wall clean for the next era.
History video games for history buffs: Civilization VII and Age of Empires II
Two strategy games for a history buff who plays on a Windows PC or a Mac, both on Steam. Civilization VII carries an empire through the Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages, and Age of Empires II packs 229 campaign missions into 1,000 years of history.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
$70
at Steam
The 2025 game in Firaxis’s turn-based strategy series: lead an empire through the Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages, deciding at each new Age whether your civilization changes or stays itself. For the first time leaders are chosen separately from civilizations, and they range from heads of state to philosophers and scientists. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux through Steam, where reviews are mixed so far.
Best for: a Civilization fan who wants the newest one
Why it fits: The Colosseum opened in Rome in AD 80 under Emperor Titus, and here a history buff can raise one in a capital of their own, then steer the same empire on toward the modern age. It suits a series fan who wants the newest Civilization.
The 2019 remaster of one of the most popular real-time strategy games ever, in 4K with a remastered soundtrack. It holds more than 40 civilizations and 229 campaign missions across 1,000 years of history, includes the Lords of the West, Dynasties of India and Dawn of the Dukes expansions, and adds co-op, online play and a scenario editor. It runs on Windows and Mac through Steam.
Best for: a history buff who plays on a computer
Why it fits: Its medieval world runs on farms, mills and markets as much as on castles: one of Europe’s earliest records of a windmill comes from Yorkshire in 1185, and here a history buff builds whole economies of them. With three expansions already inside, it can keep a history buff busy all winter.
Gifts for teen history buffs: a medieval instrument, a graphic Sapiens and a duel of wonders
History a teenager will pick up without being asked: an instrument they build and then play, Harari’s Sapiens as a full-color comic, and a half-hour duel over the Wonders of the ancient world.
UGEARS Hurdy-Gurdy Kit
$80
at Amazon
A wooden kit for a working hurdy-gurdy, the medieval string instrument played by turning a crank. It has six spring-loaded keys, melody and drone strings and tuning pegs, comes with a songbook, and builds from 292 parts with no glue in about 4 to 6 hours.
Best for: a musical teen
Why it fits: Its ancestor, the organistrum, is carved in stone on the 12th-century Portico of Glory at Santiago de Compostela cathedral. A teen who plays music and loves anything medieval builds it over a weekend and then plays it, which makes it the surprise of the list.
Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens retold as a full-color graphic novel with artists David Vandermeulen and Daniel Casanave. Volume 1, The Birth of Humankind, runs from the first humans to the Cognitive Revolution in a 256-page hardcover.
Best for: a teen who loves comics
Why it fits: Harari dates the Cognitive Revolution to about 70,000 years ago, when, he argues, our ancestors began telling stories about things that do not exist, and the comic makes the idea stick. It suits a teen who reads comics end to end, and two more volumes are already out for later birthdays.
The two-player version of 7 Wonders: each player builds an ancient civilization over three ages and races for Wonders such as the Pyramids, the Colossus and the Great Library. You win by military might, by science or on civic points; ages 10+, about 30 minutes.
Best for: two-player game nights
Why it fits: The real Colossus of Rhodes stood for only about half a century before an earthquake brought it down in 226 BC; here a teen and a parent can fight over it every game. A match is short enough for a school night.
Gifts for history buffs under $50: a desk calendar and a timeline game
Two easy wins for a stocking, Secret Santa or a history teacher’s desk, both under $20. Plenty in the sections above also costs under $50: SPQR, Bletchley Park Brainteasers, the graphic Sapiens, 7 Wonders Duel, the map, Age of Empires II, the WWII atlas, the cipher machine and Concordia.
This Day in History 2027 Desk Calendar
$16
at Amazon
A 2027 tear-off desk calendar with one historical event for every day of the year; Saturday and Sunday share a page. The 4.75 by 5 inch pages have blank backs for notes, and it stands on a cardboard easel and comes in a slipcase.
Best for: a history teacher’s desk
Why it fits: Every morning hands a history buff one more anniversary to bring up at lunch, 365 of them by the end of 2027. It sits well on a history teacher’s desk, and the blank backs of the pages make handy scrap paper for notes.
A party game from Buffalo Games where each player slots event cards into the right place on their own timeline, and the first to reach 10 cards wins. It holds 800 real events on 400 double-sided cards, from ancient history to modern times, for 2 to 8 players aged 14+, about 30 minutes.
Best for: a family game night
Why it fits: Joseph Priestley set about 2,000 lives along a single timeline in his Chart of Biography of 1765, and this game puts the same idea on the coffee table. The family history buff finally gets to settle who came first, with points to show for it.
Find their era first. A shelf of WWII titles points to the DK World War II Map by Map, Bletchley Park Brainteasers and the Enigma-style cipher machine; a love of temples and togas points to SPQR, Concordia and the LEGO Great Pyramid. Someone who loves every period and plays on a computer will enjoy Civilization VII, which carries one empire from antiquity to the modern age.
Notice whether they like to make things. A history buff who builds models will happily spend about 10 hours on the UGEARS steam train or 4 to 6 hours on the hurdy-gurdy, and neither needs glue or tools. The 1,476-piece LEGO pyramid is a calmer build, and one side lifts off to show the chambers inside.
Count the players at home. 7 Wonders Duel is for exactly two, Concordia seats 2 to 5 for about 90 minutes, and Chronology takes 2 to 8 at a family table. The two video games are Steam downloads for a Windows PC or a Mac, so make sure they play on a computer; Steam lets you buy either one as a gift for their account.
Look at the bookcase before you buy a book. Popular titles like SPQR and Sapiens get given often, so check the shelf or ask a partner first. If they already read the original Sapiens, the full-color graphic edition tells the same story in a new way.
Think about where the gift will live. The National Geographic map is 46 by 30.5 inches and needs a wall in a study or hallway, the LEGO pyramid takes about 13.5 inches of shelf, the UGEARS locomotive runs about 14.6 inches long, and the 2027 calendar fits on any desk.
Frequently asked questions
Something from the era they love most. An ancient-world fan gets the LEGO Architecture Great Pyramid of Giza or Concordia, a WWII buff gets the DK World War II Map by Map or Bletchley Park Brainteasers, and a fan of every period at once gets Civilization VII, which runs from antiquity to the modern age. For a surprise, the UGEARS Hurdy-Gurdy Kit becomes a medieval instrument they can actually play.
The DK World War II Map by Map follows the campaigns from Poland to Berlin and Hiroshima in more than 100 maps. Bletchley Park Brainteasers collects more than 100 puzzles and riddles inspired by the tests used to recruit WWII codebreakers, and the Creative Crafthouse Enigma II is a wooden cipher machine with three hand-turned gears, inspired by the German Enigma. The puzzle book and the cipher machine together make a codebreaking evening for about $50.
A project, a wall or a game. The UGEARS V-Express Steam Train is a 10-hour build that ends with pistons that move, the National Geographic Executive World Wall Map fills a study wall, and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the remaster of one of the most popular strategy games ever, suits a dad who plays on his computer. If he likes big builds, the LEGO Great Pyramid of Giza is the showpiece of the list.
For history buff guys, start with how he spends his history time. A builder gets the LEGO Great Pyramid or the UGEARS steam train, a reader gets SPQR or the DK World War II Map by Map, a gamer gets Civilization VII or Age of Empires II, and a codebreaking fan gets the Enigma II cipher machine. For a history buff boyfriend, pick something you can share: 7 Wonders Duel is made for exactly two players, and Bletchley Park Brainteasers gives the two of you codes to crack over coffee.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is the safe pick, with 229 campaign missions across 1,000 years of history and three expansions included. Civilization VII is the newest game in its series, with leaders chosen apart from civilizations and empires that move through three Ages; its Steam reviews are mixed so far, so it suits a Civilization fan who wants the latest one. Both run on Windows and Mac.
Sapiens: A Graphic History retells Harari’s bestseller as a full-color comic, 7 Wonders Duel is rated 10+ and plays in about half an hour, and the UGEARS Hurdy-Gurdy Kit is a medieval instrument they build and then play from the included songbook. Chronology, rated 14+, suits a teen who likes beating the adults at history trivia.
The This Day in History 2027 calendar starts its first page a week after Christmas, which makes it a well-timed stocking gift, and Chronology gives the family something to play on Christmas evening. For the big box under the tree, the LEGO Great Pyramid of Giza or the UGEARS steam train fills the quiet days between Christmas and New Year.
Things that earn a place in the classroom. The National Geographic Executive World Wall Map is laminated, so it takes dry-erase marks during a lesson and wipes clean; the This Day in History 2027 calendar has a fact for every day; and Chronology holds 800 events for a review session with 2 to 8 players aged 14+.
Eleven of the fifteen cost under $50: SPQR, Bletchley Park Brainteasers, the This Day in History calendar, Chronology, Sapiens: A Graphic History, 7 Wonders Duel, the National Geographic map, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the DK World War II Map by Map, the Enigma II cipher machine and Concordia.
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Every guide is put together by the GIFTbase editorial team by hand. We check that each item is in stock, that the link leads to a real store and that the price is current on the update date. Nothing here is a paid placement: a product gets in only if we would give it ourselves. Some links are affiliate links, which means the store pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you.
GIFTbase editorial team · Updated October 18, 2026 · About GIFTbase
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