One should certainly read such books (if you care enough). They almost certainly have useful information in them.
But read them critically. Most such books are written by "natives" rather than by dispassionate observers. A book on "history of education" is almost certainly written by an educator who is interested in history. Such a person will tend be less critical about the value of education than an outsider.
There are similar problems in some other subfields (e.g. history of labor/unions), and of course anthropology (most people studying the Navajo tend to like Navajo culture and have "gone native" in some sense).
[edit: emphasized word Most in response to next comment]
But read them critically. Most such books are written by "natives" rather than by dispassionate observers. A book on "history of education" is almost certainly written by an educator who is interested in history. Such a person will tend be less critical about the value of education than an outsider.
There are similar problems in some other subfields (e.g. history of labor/unions), and of course anthropology (most people studying the Navajo tend to like Navajo culture and have "gone native" in some sense).
[edit: emphasized word Most in response to next comment]