Read by Michael Knowles
What books does Michael Knowles recommend?
A Yale graduate's appetite for philosophy, history, and the Catholic intellectual tradition runs through Michael Knowles and his book recommendations, drawn from his work as a Daily Wire host and founder of PragerU's book club. These 13 titles come from his show, his PragerU book club, Twitter, and interviews with Catholic World Report, and they concentrate on philosophy, psychology and human behavior, and society and politics, with fiction folded in. The book he has evangelized about most is Owen Barfield's Poetic Diction, which he calls "a theory of knowledge and a theory of language." C.S. Lewis recurs as a formative influence: Knowles credits Mere Christianity as one of the works that set him "back on a path of reversion." The list also reaches for fiction he rereads, including Amor Towles's A Gentleman in Moscow, his favorite novel of 2017, and Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael mysteries. Knowles has also authored two books, including the bestseller Speechless.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
byOwen Barfield
1984238 Pages“Run out there and get Poetic Diction... it's a great book... a theory of knowledge and a theory of language. I've been evangelical about recommending this book to people.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: The Michael Knowles Show
Read by Charlie Kirk, Glenn Beck, Michael Knowles and 2 others
byC.S. Lewis
2001256 Pages“There are maybe four or five things that kind of set me back on a path of reversion, and C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity was certainly one of them.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: The Michael Knowles Show
Read by Michael Knowles
The Unbroken Thread
Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos
bySohrab Ahmari
2021320 Pages“Started reading Sohrab Ahmari's new book 'The Unbroken Thread' last night. Couldn't put it down, finished more than half in one sitting. Highly recommended.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: Twitter
A Gentleman in Moscow
A Novel
byAmor Towles
2016462 Pages“My favorite novel this year [2017].”
— Michael Knowles
Source: Catholic World Report
The Abolition of Man
Reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the upper forms of schools
byC.S. Lewis
2001113 Pages“A prophetic warning about technology and human nature that feels eerily relevant today.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: PragerU Book Club
Read by Michael Knowles
byThomas E. Woods Jr.
2005280 Pages“Essential reading for recovering this lost truth.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: The Michael Knowles Show
Irreversible Damage
The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters
byAbigail Shrier
2020276 Pages“Essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: The Michael Knowles Show
Read by Michael Knowles
byDonald Kagan
2004544 Pages(5,309)
“In a seminar on the Peloponnesian War, the late great historian Donald Kagan explained that much of his insight... derived from his experience as a boy in the Brooklyn schoolyard. The same rules apply.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: Twitter
Read by Michael Knowles
Dominion
How the Christian Revolution Remade the World
byTom Holland
2019624 Pages“A popular podcaster and historian narrates his own analysis of the Christian transformation of the modern world.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: Catholic World Report
Read by Michael Knowles
The Great Good Thing
A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ
byAndrew Klavan
2016304 Pages“An amazing story of Andrew Klavan's conversion... it's really a profound book. I myself am a revert to Christianity... it was very edifying to read that.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: The Michael Knowles Show
byThomas à Kempis
1427160 Pages“A simple and cogent access to a deep and beautiful mystery. A timeless classic.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: Catholic World Report
Read by Michael Knowles
byBen Shapiro
2016272 Pages“It is a fever dream of Armageddon from a conservative standpoint. It's really entertaining... I recommend reading that.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: The Michael Knowles Show
Read by Michael Knowles
The Hermit of Eyton Forest
The Fourteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
byEllis Peters
1987224 Pages(6,345)
“The Brother Cadfael mystery... is a perennial favorite. I return to it often.”
— Michael Knowles
Source: Catholic World Report
Also recommends books in
Frequently asked questions
What books does Michael Knowles recommend?
His 13 recommendations include Poetic Diction by Owen Barfield, Mere Christianity and The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis, The Unbroken Thread by Sohrab Ahmari, and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
What is Michael Knowles's most recommended book?
Owen Barfield's Poetic Diction, about which he says, "I've been evangelical about recommending this book to people," calling it "a theory of knowledge and a theory of language."
Where do Michael Knowles's book recommendations come from?
They come from The Michael Knowles Show, the PragerU book club, his Twitter feed, and interviews with Catholic World Report in which he discussed his favorite novels and spiritual reading.
Has Michael Knowles written any books?
Yes, two of his own: Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds (2021), a national bestseller on the control of words and minds, and the satirical Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide (2017), reflecting the mix of cultural criticism and humor that defines his commentary.
What novels does Michael Knowles recommend?
He names Amor Towles's A Gentleman in Moscow as his favorite novel of 2017, returns often to Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael mystery The Hermit of Eyton Forest, and calls Ben Shapiro's political thriller True Allegiance "really entertaining."
All 13 Books Michael Knowles Has Recommended
- Poetic Diction: A Study in Meaning · Owen Barfield
- Mere Christianity · C.S. Lewis
- The Unbroken Thread · Sohrab Ahmari
- A Gentleman in Moscow · Amor Towles
- The Abolition of Man · C.S. Lewis
- How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization · Thomas E. Woods Jr.
- Irreversible Damage · Abigail Shrier
- The Peloponnesian War · Donald Kagan
- Dominion · Tom Holland
- The Great Good Thing · Andrew Klavan
- The Imitation of Christ · Thomas à Kempis
- True Allegiance · Ben Shapiro
- The Hermit of Eyton Forest · Ellis Peters