I'm a big history nut and by extension, I absolutely love historical fiction. Probably one of my favourite genres and I've been devouring books in this category for years. I feel like I've read all of the best ones already so I'm looking for some suggestions.
Here's what already I've read and loved:
– Shogun + the Asian Saga novels by James Clavell
– Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel
– The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell
– Aubrey and Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian
– Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell
– Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough
– The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
– The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
– Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
– Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
– The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
– The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
– I, Claudius by Robert Graves
– The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
– Assorted novels by James Michener (Hawaii, Alaska, Centennial etc.)
– The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett
– Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
– Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel
What else would you recommend?
by keepfighting90
13 Comments
Damn. You’ve already devoured some of the absolute titans of historical fiction.
“The Winter Sea” by Susanna Kearsley; “An Instance of the Fingerpost” by Iain Pears; “Kristin Lavransdatter” by Sigrid Undset
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee! My all time favorite.
Lisa See also writes interesting historical fictions- my favorites from her are Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Island of Sea Women.
I’ve heard positive things about Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi but haven’t finished it yet because it’s a heavy read. It’s worth looking into though.
A man of culture I see
I look forward to reading Aubrey/Maturin series again
Relatively modern especially in comparison to some of those already on your list, but *Slaughterhouse-Five* by Kurt Vonnegut is one that I’d consider to be a can’t-miss as far as historical fiction is concerned.
It can be a fairly eccentric take on historical fiction at times, but a must-read WWII-era historical fiction for my money. In a general sense it’s about the Dresden bombing told from the perspective of the fictional character Billy Pilgrim. But the influence of Vonnegut having actually been there in Dresden as an American soldier POW during the bombing itself offers so much texture and richness to the novel.
G. T. di Lampedusa, The leopard
The Haiti trilogy by M. Smartt Bell
Might be too much of a change for you, but 11/22/63 by King
I see Wouk’s epically great Winds of War very rightfully listed. Have you read his even better sequel, War and Remembrance?
Gary Jennings
Aztec
The Journeyer
Raptor
Spangle
Pachinko
[The conqueror series by Conn Iggulden (Genghis Khan)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1279686)
Anything by this author tbh
Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo.
Sarum by Edward Rutherford
Hawaii by James Michener
Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine
Far Pavillions by M.M. Kaye.
Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald
Kristen Lavrandsatter by Sigrid Undset
The Red Heart by James Alexander Thom (or others by this author)
Non-Fiction that reads like Fiction – Nicholas and Alexandra by [Robert K. Massie](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40882.Robert_K_Massie)
I don’t see the Flashman Papers on this list, so you ain’t read all the best yet 🙂