This list includes the books I am reading for comprehensive exams for my Ph.D. in twentieth-century U.S. history. My three fields are cultural and intellectual history, social and political history, and film history. Since these fields overlap with each other, I have organized the list into rough thematic and chronological categories. Essentially, this list should broadly cover the ideas, music, art, politics, and social movements within the U.S. during the twentieth century.