The historical fiction genre has some of my all time favorite books. They are well-written and who doesn’t like to read about the past? That is why we have created a list of the 10 must read historical fiction books of all time. Keep reading to see which books made the list!
By limiting this list to only ten books means that many amazing novels will be left off. That just means that this list has to be good enough to justify that. Unfortunately, I think this genre is a lot more difficult to judge than other ones.
With so many amazing historical fiction books, it ultimately comes down to preference. And I think these ten novels deserve making this list. There are old classics as well as newer novels that I would recommend to anyone that loves reading. You can see the full list below!
The 10 Must Read Historical Fiction Books of All Time
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Lots of Books to Choose From
There are a bunch of new and old classics on the list. Some of the new ones are The Book Thief, The Nightingale, War and Peace, and Beloved. I believe the genre is in good hands as many new authors have made a name for themselves.
We can’t forget the books that have come to define the genre over the decades. Novels such as Gone with the Wind, All the Light We Cannot See, and Outlander are books new readers should read. To understand this genre, reading the best books is a must.
Conclusion
That concludes this list of the 10 must read historical fictions books of all time. What books should we include in the next list? Let us know in the comments below!
How about James Michener – The Covenant, Hawaii…
A great selection and some authors I’ve
missed, thank you.
May I suggest Julian Rathebone ?, Always a rip roaring adventure with a lot of humour and tongue in cheek.
Kind regards.
Don’t forget to read Alma Katsu ~ The Fervor, Hunger, The Deep
Crime and punishment
War and Peace is a *new* classic?
How are “The Winds of War” and War and Rembrance” not on thos list?
Also “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts. I couldn’t lay my hands off it, with its 933 pages. I felt so sad hsving finished it.
Michael. Just about to write those two. I read them both once a year.
Grossman’s books Stalimgrad and Life and Fate are truly deserving of being included on this list.
Get rid of “Gone With the Wind”. It’s a racist novel that is not even historically accurate.
War and Peace is a *new* classic?
What happened to John Jakes and Ken Follett? 2 best historical authors of all time!