History Books is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Gaslight Anthem, released on October 27, 2023, through Rich Mahogany Records and Thirty Tigers.

The COVID-19 pandemic further influenced his decision to revive the band: "I think time, and getting locked down, and not being able to go out ... and then you see different things happen, like Foo Fighters losing Taylor Hawkins, you consider, 'All of this is temporary, and you've got to enjoy it while you can.

He highlighted "Positive Charge", the first song he wrote for the record, as "a message of joy to ourselves and to our audience" about "looking at the things you've come through and feeling like you want to go ahead with an open heart toward the future, believing that the best years are not behind any of us and the good we have is worth something.

[16] Fallon further outlined the thematic through-line of the album, calling the title track "the other side of the coin" from "Positive Charge".

[20][21] The song received its live debut three days later on May 1, 2023, at the House of Blues in Houston, Texas and was played at every subsequent show on the tour.

[25] On September 19, the band announced two homecoming shows celebrating the release of History Books at the White Eagle Hall in New Jersey on October 27 and 28.

The record's fourth single, "Autumn" was released on October 3, accompanied by the announcement of EU/UK tour dates throughout 2024, including a headline slot at 2000 Trees Festival.

[29] History Books was released on October 27, 2023, accompanied by the music video for the record's opening track, "Spider Bites.

"[30] Following an Instagram post teasing "some extra stuff" on February 10, 2024,[31] the band released a four track companion EP titled History Books - Short Stories on March 22, 2024.

He also praised the album's "big guitars, anthemic singalongs and bruised and bloodied ballads", and the band's ability to "capture a feeling that's almost impossible to describe.

"[39] James McNair of Mojo compared the record's sound to that of a "gnarlier early R.E.M., The Hold Steady, and, yes, Springsteen", and, while he felt that some of the songs "occasionally [suffered] from over-telegraphed choruses", praised the album's lyricism, highlighting Fallon's "fervour and gift for an apposite metaphor.