Historical fiction books are some of my favorite books to read. There are tons of amazing novels and the amount of research authors do makes these story feel real. That is why we will be listing the 30 must read historical fiction books of all time. Keep reading to see which books made the list!
With so many amazing books to choose from, this list was a bit difficult to create. A lot of modern novels cracked this list and some authors have established themselves as instant classics. You can see the full list below!
The 30 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
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
- The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Aztec by Gary Jennings
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Atonement by Ian McEwan
- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
- Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
- The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
- The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews
- She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
- The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
- The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Book Thief
One of my favorite novels of all time is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It tells a chilling story about a family that hides a Jewish man in Germany during World War II. The writing is incredible but what I love the most is using death as a narrator. If you haven’t read this timeless classic, then you are missing out.
Beloved
A powerful novel that everyone should read is Beloved by Toni Morrison. It is a story of a former Kentucky slave that is haunted by her past life. The novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is considered one of the best works of fiction and there is no other novel like it.
A Gentleman in Moscow
One of my personal favorite books on this list is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. The setting, attention to detail, and storytelling make this a must read. I know little of Russian history and was fascinated with this world since the first page.
Pachinko
A novel that I could not put down was Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It is a historical novel that follows four generations of a Korean family as one decision by Sunja, a pregnant teenager, changes the trajectory of her life and her descendants. This is a beautiful novel that will evoke many emotions and even shed a few tears.
The Kite Runner
A novel that has stayed with me ever since I read it is The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini. It is a powerful novel about two unlikely friends that takes place in Afghanistan, where the regime is collapsing. Hosseini tackles heavy subjects as love, betrayal, family, identity, and redemption. Find out yourself why this novel is one of the best selling historical fiction novels of all time.
Conclusion
That ends this list of the 30 must read historical fictions books of all time. How many of these books have you read? What books should we include in the next list? Let us know in the comments below!
The EXODUS by Leon Iris changed the way I see the world and is accurate and historically relevant, even to this day. Lynn L.
Yes, I can’t believe that Leon Uris is not on this list? “EXODUS” and “TRINITY”. Would include “The Orphan Master’s Son” as well
“The Prophet” by Gibran Kahlil Gibran.
Kristin lavransdatter
I would love some Historical Mystery recommendations. I am reading book 2 of Susan Elia Macneal’s book and it was awesome, and learning so much about London in WWII. Would love to find a history murder mystery set in Sweden too.
Wanted to write the same thing. You beat me to it.
The book is titled Exodus and the author is Leon Uris.
So true.and they also forgot Shogun, by James Clavell!
Read Conn Iggulden’s Conqueror series before exercising judgement
The Personal Librarian
The Postcard
Shogun by James Clavell
“The Prophet” by Gibran Kahlil Gibran.
Herman Wouk’s books: The Winds of War and War and Remembrance; The Hope and The Glory are four of the finest researched books written. The Winds of War and War and Remembrance were made into a TV Mini Series that is still popular.
Herman Wouk’s four historical novels are some of the finest ever published. “The Winds of War and War and Remembrance” were made a TV Mini Series in the late ’70’s and are still extremely popular.
His two historical novels on Israel: “The Hope and The Glory” are superbly written and well researched. A Shane these were omitted.
Where is les mis????
My first thought!
Clan of Cave Bear by Jean Auel
Left out 1 uncle toms cabin 2 Exodus 3 For whom the bells toll, by hemingway,4,dr zhivago by Paste nak, Quiet Flows the Don, by Sholokov, , 5, james michener’s masterpieces, the source, hawaii, Centenial,
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. Published in 1849 it is a highly readable, witty and sometimes scathing portrait of society and manners set against the backdrop of The Napoleonic Wars and The Regency. The anti-heroine, Becky Sharpe, being the first such in popular literature, preceded Scarlett O’Hara by almost 100 years.
Recommend Killer Angels, civil war.
1876 and Burr by Gore Vidal
How could you have left out the Lymond Chronicles (6 books) by Dorothy Dunnett?
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye, Ride The Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson,
I Claudius by Robert Graves
How could you not include “To Kill A Mockingbird”?
You completely left out the best historical fiction writer of the 21st Century- Eric Larsen.
Any list like this that doesn’t include Gravity’s Rainbow is a joke. I’ve read every book on this list. 25 of them don’t hold a candle to Gravity’s Rainbow. This is what is wrong with modern readers. They think every book should be a walk in the park. Some books are Mt. Everest. GR is the greatest WW2 book of all time. Period. It has unique status in literary fiction. It is the only book that has ever been awarded supreme status by NOT being given the Pulitzer, but instead leaving a void where the book should be (a theme of the novel.) the Pulitzer had never done that before and will never do it again. (1974) look it up.
What about Trinity and Exodus by Leon Uris?
Nice Book