On 30 September 2026, Penguin Random House announced a major new work from Yuval Noah Harari: The Laws of History, set for global publication on 21 September 2027, as reported by Martin Cid Magazine.
According to the official Penguin Random House announcement, the publication was confirmed by Penguin Random House Global CEO Nihar Malaviya, with Random House publishing in the U.S. in hardcover and ebook, alongside a simultaneous audiobook release.
The PRH announcement confirms that additional territories include the UK, Canada (McClelland & Stewart/Signal), Spain including Latin America, Brazil, and Portugal. In the UK, The Bookseller reports that The Bodley Head will be the publisher.
What The Laws of History Promises: Six Laws Behind Empires, Religions, and Power
As Martin Cid Magazine describes, the new book promises six laws explaining why empires rise and fall, why some religions take hold, and why some nations accumulate power while others fade.
The Penguin Random House announcement frames the book as an exploration of history not as a chain of solid events but as fluid, intermingling processes — drawing on examples ranging from the fall of the Roman Empire to the French Revolution to the Second World War.
Crucially, the announcement states that while these six laws illuminate past and present upheavals, they do not allow prediction of the future — presenting history as a radically open-ended process without a predetermined destination.
From Sapiens to a New Synthesis: Why This Announcement Carries Weight
Harari's Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — the sweeping macro-history that traced Homo sapiens from the Stone Age through four defining revolutions — spent 96 consecutive weeks in the top three of The New York Times Best Seller list.
According to his Penguin author page, Harari's books have sold over 55 million copies across 65 languages — a platform that gives any new work immediate global significance.
The announcement of The Laws of History arrives at a moment when macro-historical thinking — the kind that seeks structural patterns rather than individual events — is attracting renewed serious attention in both academic and popular publishing circles.
Where Sapiens asked what made Homo sapiens the dominant species, the new work appears to pivot toward a more explicitly theoretical ambition: codifying the mechanics of historical change itself, a question that has occupied philosophers and historians from Hegel to Toynbee.
That Penguin Random House is coordinating a genuinely global release — with simultaneous publication across North America, the UK, and multiple language territories — signals the scale of commercial and editorial investment behind the title.
Sapiens is a macro-history that integrates natural and social science with bold interpretive ambition, drawing both wide acclaim and substantive scholarly scrutiny. Want the full verdict?
Read our review of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind for a detailed assessment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Yuval Noah Harari's new book The Laws of History about?
According to the Penguin Random House announcement, The Laws of History identifies six laws that govern the ebb and flow of history, exploring why empires rise and fall, why certain religions take hold, and why some nations accumulate power while others fade — drawing on examples from the fall of Rome to the Second World War.
When will The Laws of History by Yuval Noah Harari be published?
Penguin Random House has announced a global publication date of 21 September 2027, with Random House publishing in the U.S. in hardcover and ebook, and The Bodley Head handling the UK edition.
Is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind worth buying in 2026?
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind spent 96 consecutive weeks in the top three of The New York Times Best Seller list and has sold over 55 million copies in 65 languages — read our full review for a detailed verdict on whether it's right for you.
What is the main message of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind?
Sapiens argues that Homo sapiens came to dominate the world through a unique capacity to believe in shared fictions — from gods to nations to money — which enables large-scale flexible cooperation unlike any other species.
Who should read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind?
Sapiens suits readers interested in big-picture history, the social sciences, and interdisciplinary thinking — it traces human civilisation from the Stone Age to the 21st century in a single, ambitious narrative.
How many books has Yuval Noah Harari sold?
According to his Penguin author page, Harari's books have sold over 55 million copies in 65 languages across his publishing career.
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