Through the study of the volumes consulted by Elsa Morante while she was writing "History" (1974), a typology of the writer's various approaches to her literary and historical sources can be suggested. Firstly, the consistency of Elsa Morante's personal library is redefined based on the bibliographical references that she used to write down on her manuscripts while writing her novels. Secondly, by examining the books annotated by Elsa Morante (such as Leonetta Cecchi Pieraccini, Peter Weiss, Robert Katz, William Shirer), the essay explains how the writer cross-referred her sources and how iconographic, historical, and literary sources were reconsidered in order to create a realistic setting for her novel.