Here’s a simple, dependable “from the start” reading path on Jainism with a focus on history. These are widely respected and stay close to authentic Jain sources.

Start here (clear overviews for beginners)

• The Jaina Path of Purification — Padmanabh S. Jaini
• The Jains — Paul Dundas
• Jainism: An Introduction — Jeffery D. Long

History-focused (origins, development, community)

• Jainism: The World of Conquerors (2 vols.) — Natubhai Shah
• Jain Community: A Social History — Vilas Adinath Sangave
• Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in India — John E. Cort

Primary scriptures that also preserve early history/biography

• Acaranga Sutra (life and practices of Mahavira)
• Kalpa Sutra (lives of the Tirthankaras, especially Mahavira and Parshvanatha)
• Uttaradhyayana Sutra (teachings, with historical glimpses)

Note: Śvetāmbara canon preserves these in Prakrit; reliable English translations are available. Digambara tradition preserves early history through narrative purāṇas (below).

Classical Jain historical-narrative works

• Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra — Āchārya Hemacandra (Śvetāmbara) — comprehensive lives of great personages including the 24 Tirthankaras
• Ādipurāṇa and Mahāpurāṇa — Āchārya Jinasena and Āchārya Guṇabhadra (Digambara) — foundational narrative history of Tirthankaras and universal history
• Harivaṃśa Purāṇa — Āchārya Jinasena (Digambara)

Doctrine+history together (excellent context for how ideas evolved)

• Outlines of Jainism — J. L. Jaini
• Jainism — Helmuth von Glasenapp

Art, archaeology, and material history (to see the tradition on the ground)

• The Peaceful Liberators: Jain Art from India — Pratapaditya Pal et al.
• Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History — John E. Cort

For young readers or visual learners

• Illustrated lives of the 24 Tirthankaras (various Jain community publications)
• Simple introductions published by Jain educational trusts and temples

How to read (a clean sequence) 1) Overview: Jaini or Dundas 2) Early sources: Read Acaranga Sutra and Kalpa Sutra (with a reliable translation) 3) Narrative history: Hemacandra (Śvetāmbara) and/or Jinasena–Guṇabhadra (Digambara) 4) Community and social history: Sangave; then Cort 5) Deepen with Natubhai Shah for a broad, two-volume synthesis

Notes on traditions

• Śvetāmbara and Digambara tell Tirthankara lives with small differences (e.g., chronology, life-events). When you read Hemacandra (Śvetāmbara) alongside Ādipurāṇa/Mahāpurāṇa (Digambara), you will see both lineages’ historical memory preserved respectfully.
• For scriptural biography, Śvetāmbara canons (like Acaranga/Kalpa) are central; for Digambara, the Mahāpurāṇa tradition is central.

If you want easy background articles before buying books, you can explore basics and Tirthankara life-summaries here: