These historical fiction books don’t just tell stories—they transport you to another time and stay with you long after you finish reading.
Historical fiction books make for some of the best reads. But it isn’t easy to always find the right book. The good news is that there are thousands of great historical fiction novels that you can easily find on the internet. We decided to narrow it down and list the 5 best historical fiction books of all time.
Choosing only five books for this list is a difficult task but not an impossible one. There are some historical fiction books that jump out and made making this list a little less stressful. I imagine not everyone is going to agree but that is always going to be the case as these lists are subjective. You can see the list below.
5 Best Historical Fiction Books of All Time
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
A classic historical ficiton novel that everyone has to read at least once is Gone with the Wind. It is set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction and follows Scarlett O’Hara as she tries to adapt while the world around her is rapidly collapsing.
This is an important event in American history and this novel does it justice. The novel has unforgettable characters and emotional depth that make this novel one of a kind and a must read in my opinion.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Considered by many critics as a masterpiece and one of the best novels ever written, War and Peace is a novel that is considered the gold standard. The novel takes place during the Napoleonic Wars in Russia and Tolsey brings the novel to life with personal stories with sweeping historical events that captures what it means to be human.
This is a longer read but once you start reading it, you will lose track of time. Few classic novels age well but this one only seems to get better over time.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
A historical fiction novel that is unlike any other you will read but is a must read is Things Fall Apart. The novel takes place in pre-colonial Nigeria and follows Okonkwo, aambitious man that takes pride in the traditions of his Igbo community. But when start to arrive and start changing years of culture that has defined the village, Okonkwo must figure out how to navigate this new world while holding onto his culture and traditions.
You don’t get many books that are able to capture the impact of colonization so well. It is a powerfull and deeply moving novel and is a short read that will give insight to culture, identity, and change.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
There are tons of histroical fiction books that take during World War 2 but one that stands out from the rest is Outlander. The novel follows Claire Randall, a World War II nurse who has been transported to 18th-century Scotland. Now, she must navigate an unfamilair with with political unrest and must form expected alliances and relationship.
This is a popular historical ficton and has impressive storytelling that brings this time period come to life. Gabaldon has etched her name in hisotry with this incredible novel that highlights a lesser known time period.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
One of my favorite novels that I revisit often is The Book Thief . 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.
As many of you know by now, this is one of my favorite novels of all time. If it wasn’t for The Book Thief, I don’t think I would be as big a fan of historical fiction and constantly sharing my love for them.
Conclusion
I love a good historical ficiton novel and always try to find the next incredible historical fiction book to read. That led us to think about the five best historical books and this is the list that we came with.
There are so many amazing historical fiction books out there but these five are the ones that stood out the most. While we can make an argument for some of the books left off the list, these are the ones we felt needed to be included. Without these books, this genre would look a lot different.
All these books highlight the magic of this genre and the endless possibilites of a historical ficiton novel. Just as this list shows, each book is very different and often times, combines different genre while making important commentary.
That is all for our five best historical fiction books of all-time list. What novels would you have had on the list? Let us know in the comments below! Until next time, happy reading!
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The book thief is brilliant!
What about the brilliant “Clan of the Cave Bear” since series. Like your list, but surprised by “Outlander”???
Where are I Claudius and Claudius the God?
I definitely agree on The Book Thief and Gone with the Wind! I’m not so sure about Outlander though…and where is A Tale of Two Cities?!?
So The Great Gatsby is “over-hyped” but that scrap of racist propaganda masquerading as fine literature called Gone With the Wind is considered by the author of this article(and apparently some of it’s readers) to be one of the greatest works of fiction .. ever? 😂😅😆😂😂
Nice job omitting The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. She did only win the Nobel for literature.
Things Fall Apart, really? China Achebe will sure be amused.
He did say his list wouldn’t be everyone’s. But way to be a nice person…
The Samurai’s Garden and Life and Death in Shanghai would be on my list.
I agree since Gone With the Wind is NOT historical fiction at all. Mitchell is not a writer, but far worse is the fact that her book omits the real history of that peiod, focusing instead on Melanie’s relationships. The only book that challenges …Wind… is Jubilee by Margaret Walker. Read it to see why.
Shogun
Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy–none better!
The Sot Weed Factor, by John Barth.
One of my favorite books. Good choice.
The Tin Drum, by Gunter Grass.
Brilliant!!
In German even better !
Beloved by Toni Morrison. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Outlander over To Kill a Mockingbird or All the Light We Cannot See or Tale of Two Cities? Best lists are so subjective.
Agreed
Umm the man who killed the king??
I would have added Nightingale
A greatly underrated book:
Raintree County (American Civil War)
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
The Killer Angeld
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
These lists reveal the lack of breadth of your reading. Outlander?? Really?! Why not Fred Flintstone in book form?
Shogun. Tale of Two Cities. Patrick O’Brian’s sea novels. Colleen McCullough’s Rome novels.
You’d be better off surveying readers and taking a poll.
Calling “Gone With The Wind” historical fiction is oxymoronic. It isn’t historical, it’s fantastical racist propaganda, perpetuating the myth of the benevolent slaveholder and the loyal, willing slave — and oh yeah rationalizing the post-war terrorism against innocent, law abiding black citizens.
Are you serious? Books of brilliance? Most of these are inaccurate shlock, good for escapism if you can relax into cultural dominance but hardly historical
I hope you would consider Grossman’s Stalingrad and its sequal Life and Fate.
Thank you for these amazing suggestions. I’ve already read most of them and can’t wait to try those left. I recently came across a book called The Adventures of Yadel the Dreidel by Andy Lazris and I was hooked. It is a fiction that is based on some chilling stories. I am hooked to Andy Lazris’s book collection after this.
The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett (6 books), or. I Claudius by Robert Graves or The Bull From the Sea by Mary Renault, instead of Outlander.
Gone With the Wind is not historical fiction. It is an alternative world’s fantasy novel. The world it is set in is the Lost Cause fantasy world.