History books are great. They take us back in time to relive stories that happened hundreds of years ago. Then there are fiction novels, also great, taking us to crazy worlds and characters that exist solely for narrative value, providing us with some of the wildest stories that wouldn’t be possible in real life. But historical fiction is the best of both worlds. These are fictional stories inspired by real events, set against the backdrop of actual historic times.
This adds a touch of realness that makes you go, “Whoa, this could’ve totally happened!” Whether these books are tales of epic love, heart-wrenching betrayals, or survival stories, they hit harder because they feel real. So, read on as we list the five best historical fiction books of all time. These books span different periods, regions, and themes, but they all have one thing in common: they are masterpieces of storytelling that will have you hooked from the very first page.
1. ‘The Luminaries’ by Eleanor Catton
Set in New Zealand during the gold rush of the 1860s, The Luminaries follows the intertwined fates of 12 men who find themselves involved in a series of mysterious events — a prostitute has tried to commit suicide, a wealthy man has disappeared, and an enormous fortune has been found in the home of a luckless drunk. As accusations of murder are thrown around and hidden agendas come to light, Eleanor Catton masterfully blends Māori folktales with psychological suspense, making it a must-read if you love historical fiction layered with mystery and suspense.
2. ‘The Underground Railroad’ by Colson Whitehead
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Cora, a young slave who tries to escape her plantation in Georgia using a network of safe houses and secret passages known as the Underground Railroad. Along the way, she encounters different versions of America, each with its own horrors and challenges. Colson Whitehead’s masterfully crafted prose brings the 19th-century Antebellum South to life, portraying the inhumanity of slavery with unflinching honesty while celebrating the courage of those who risked everything for freedom. It has also been adapted into a live-action miniseries which has an impressive 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
3. ‘I, Claudius’ by Robert Graves
I, Claudius is written in first-person, from the point of view of the Roman Emperor Claudius. It tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC to Caligula’s assassination in 41 AD. The novel is based on the historical accounts of Suetonius and Tacitus but also adds fictional elements and interpretations. Claudius’s self-deprecating humor and witty observations about his family’s downright hilarious, violent, and lustful power struggles make this a delightful read.
4 .‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr
Set in World War II, All the Light We Cannot See tells the story of two young people whose lives are wrecked by the war. Marie-Laure is a blind French girl who flees with her father from Paris to the coastal town of Saint-Malo. Werner is a German orphan who has a talent for fixing radios and joins the Nazi army to escape his bleak future. The novel switches between their perspectives as they try to survive and find meaning in a world of darkness and violence.
Anthony Doerr paints vivid landscapes of a war-torn Europe and tells very raw stories of individuals caught in one of the worst events in human history. This book has wholesome moments that’ll make you smile wide and heart-wrenching moments that’ll make you sob like a child. Moments that’ll make you close the book and moments that’ll keep you up all night, reading page after page. The story has also been adapted by Netflix into a live-action miniseries starring Mark Ruffalo, but the show wasn’t as well-received as the book.
5. ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy
Widely regarded as one of the best novels of all time, War and Peace is set in the years just before, during, and after the Napoleonic wars in Russia. It depicts the lives, loves, and losses of five aristocratic families and the historical events that shaped their destinies. But be warned: War and Peace is not an easy read. With 1400+ pages and hundreds of characters with hard-to-read names, it is definitely one of the more difficult books to get into. Interested in more than just historical fiction, here are six intriguing books that got movie adaptations.
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