Top Books about Notre Dame from a Notre Dame Student

Happy Notre Dame Day! We are having our annual Notre Dame Day Flash Sale now through April 27th. Save 50% on all Notre Dame books on our site and receive free shipping on orders over $30. To redeem these sale prices, enter the promotional code 14ND at checkout.

Theresa Tulsiak, one of Notre Dame Press’s Marketing and Sales interns, has helped make your shopping easier by providing her top Notre Dame book selections. Enjoy!


This Place Called Notre Dame

Matt Cashore’s This Place Called Notre Dame beautifully documents campus life, capturing the quads, the architecture, the academics, football festivities, the faith life, and student fun of contemporary Notre Dame.

As a senior at Notre Dame, Cashore was able to gracefully capture the beauty, character, and spirit of the university that I have come to love over the past four years. This will make a great coffee table book post-graduation!

The University of Notre Dame: A History

Thomas Blantz’s monumental The University Of Notre Dame: A History tells the story of the renowned Catholic university’s growth and development from a primitive school founded in 1842 by the Congregation of Holy Cross in the wilds of northern Indiana to the acclaimed undergraduate and research institution it became by the early twenty-first century. 

Students like myself often overlook the richness of the history and roots Notre Dame has in Indiana. This book has deepened my understanding of my school’s beginnings and our path to become the largest Catholic university in the world. 

The Chapels of Notre Dame

The Chapels of Notre Dame celebrates the university’s unique identity as a Catholic academic community where faith is treasured and diverse traditions shared and respected. Lawrence S. Cunningham and photographer Matt Cashore bring to life the more than sixty chapels located throughout Notre Dame’s beloved campus, many of which are tucked away in little-known settings waiting to be discovered by readers of this volume for the first time.

Who would have thought there would be a chapel in almost every building on campus? Even in the library! This book truly brings to life the little-known sanctuaries that are spread across campus. Head over to our social media for photos I took at some of my favorite chapel locations!

Stories in Light

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame contains one of the largest collections of late nineteenth-century French stained glass outside of France. Stories in Light: A Guide to the Stained Glass of the Basilica at the University of Notre Dame by Cecilia Davis Cunningham and Nancy Cavadini describes the windows according to their location in the building, from the narthex at the entrance to the Lady Chapel behind the altar.

More than 100,000 visitors tour the Basilica each year to admire its architecture. Today, this book brings the Basilica to you. If you live too far away to tour and visit, I cannot recommend this book more. Again, check out our social media for in-person photos highlighting some of the most iconic locations this book explores.

God, Country, Notre Dame

God, Country, Notre Dame: The Autobiography of Theodore M. Hesburgh tells the story of Father Hesburgh, president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and one of the nation’s most influential figures in higher education, the Catholic Church, and national and international affairs.

One morning in June of 1964, Father Hesburgh was asked to attend a civil rights rally in Chicago alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He answered simply, “Where do you need me?” This autobiography captures the character, leadership, and vision of one of the most impactful leaders this world has seen. 

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