Some of the earlier antiquarian accounts of Devon are listed under the dates when they were compiled. For more information on county histories of Devon, see the webpage Histories in the series of guides to historical resources.

Historical atlas of south-west England, edited by Roger Kain and William Ravenhill, (University of Exeter press, 1999). - The most major recent historical survey of the region with sixty contributors providing essays as well as several hundred maps.

Sellman, R.R. Aspects of Devon's history, 2nd ed., (Devon Books, 1985). A smaller historical atlas for those unable to access the previous item.

Stanes, Robin. A history of Devon, (Phillimore, 1986). The standard recent chronological account of the county.

Hoskins, W.G. Devon, new ed., (Devon Books, 1992). The classic modern history of the county, thematic in approach, with extensive bibliographies and a gazetteer.

The West in English history , edited by A.L.Rowse, (Hodder and Stoughton, 1949). A series of essays by noted historians on various periods of Devon's history.

For a fuller reading list on the earliest periods see the booklist Our earliest ancestors, produced to accompany the BBC series Meet the ancestors.

40,000BC-1000AD. Todd, Malcolm. The south west to AD 1000 (Longman, 1987).

40,000BC-1900AD. Pearce, Susan M. The archaeology of south west Britain (Collins, 1981)

3,500BC-600AD. Fox, Aileen. South-west England 3500BC-AD600, 2nd ed., (David & Charles, 1973).

43-410. Bidwell, Paul T. Roman Exeter: fortress and town, (Exeter Musuems service, 1980).

350-1150. Pearce, Susan M. The kingdom of Dumnonia: studies in history and tradition in south-western Britain, AD 350-1150 (Lodenek, 1978).

550-750. Porter, H.M. The Saxon conquest of Somerset and Devon, (James Brodie, 1967).

800-1500. Hinton, David A. Alfred's kingdom: Wessex & the south 800-1500, (Dent, 1977).

1086. The Domesday geography of south-west England, edited by H.C.Darby and R.Welldon Finn, (Cambridge University Press, 1967)

1200-1500. Kowaleski, Maryanne. Local markets and regional trade in medieval Exeter, (Cambridge University Press, 1995)

1540-1640. Macaffrey, Wallace T. Exeter 1540-1640, 2nd ed, (Harvard University Press, 1975).

1549. Caraman, Philip. The western rising 1549; the prayer Book Rebellion (Westcountry Books, 1994). One of the most recent of several studies of the Prayerbook Rebellion, which started in Devon.

1558-1603. Youings, Joyce. Raleigh's country: the south west of England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (America's Fourth Hundredth Anniversary Committee, 1986).

1588. Roberts, John C. de V. Devon and the Armada, (Gooday, 1988).

1600-1650. Wolffe, Mary. Gentry leaders in peace and war: the gentry governors of Devon in the early seventeenth century, (University of Exeter press, 1997).

1605. Risdon, Tristram. The chorographical description or survey of the county of Devon, (Porcupines, 1970). Facsimile of the edition of 1811.

1625-1688. Stephens, W.B. Seventeenth century Exeter: a study of industrial and commercial development, 1625-168,. (University of Exeter, 1958).

1642-1646. Stoyle, Mark. Loyalty and locality: popular allegiance in Devon during the English civil war, (University of Exeter Press, 1994). A masterly account of the background to religious and political ideas in 17th century.