Hi, the best books for ias mains history optional:-
Indian Heritage & Culture
Gazetteer of India – Volume II
L. Basham: The wonder that was India
S. A. A Rizvi : The wonder that was India (volume II)
Books on Indian dance, painting, temples etc of Publications Divisions and National Book Trust (NBT)
Modern Indian History & Post Independent India
NCERT: Modern India
Tarachand – History of Freedom Movement in India, Vol- I to IV, (Publications Division).
Surendernath Sen: 1857 (Publications Division)
Ancient India-Collection of Article (Publications Division)
NBT- Freedom Struggle
Bipan Chandra: India’s Struggle for Independence
Bipan Chandra-Post Independence India
Sumit Sarkar-Modern India
Gazetteer of India- Volume II
World History
NCERT: The Story of Civilization (2 Volumes)
NCERT: Contemporary World History
L. Mukherji: A History of the World