Listopia


Best Historical Fiction
The best of historical fiction. Historical fiction are novels that re-create a period or event in history and often use historical figures as some of its characters. To be deemed historical, a novel must have been written at least fifty years after the events described.
Tags: fiction, historical, and historical-fiction

1
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden 455 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
2
Gone With The Wind
Gone With The Wind
by Margaret Mitchell 362 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
3
The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett 346 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
4
Outlander
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon 312 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
5
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
by Philippa Gregory 296 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
6
The Red Tent
The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant 265 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
7
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens 181 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
8
The Good Earth
The Good Earth
by Pearl S. Buck 174 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
9
Les Misérables
Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo 148 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
10
The Historian
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova 141 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
11
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
by Lisa See (Goodreads author) 129 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
12
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Clan of the Cave Bear
by Jean M. Auel 124 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
13
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Tracy Chevalier 120 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
14
The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon
by Marion Zimmer Bradley 116 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
15
Year of Wonders
Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks 110 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
16
Shogun
Shogun
by James Clavell 106 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
17
The Book Thief
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak 102 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
18
The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to the Name of the Rose
The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to t...
by Umberto Eco 101 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
19
The Alienist
The Alienist
by Caleb Carr 96 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
20
The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara 94 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
21
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee 95 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
22
A Thousand Splendid Suns
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini 90 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
23
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne 91 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
24
The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds
by Colleen McCullough 90 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
25
I, Claudius: From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Born 10 B.C., Murdered & Deified A.D. 54
I, Claudius: From the Autobiography of Tiberius...
by Robert Graves 83 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
26
Number the Stars
Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry 82 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
27
War and Peace
War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy, Henry Gifford (editor) 83 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
28
The Joy Luck Club
The Joy Luck Club
by Amy Tan 82 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
29
Dragonfly in Amber
Dragonfly in Amber
by Diana Gabaldon 78 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
30
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo
by Alexandre Dumas, Robin Buss (Translator) 78 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
31
Voyager
Voyager
by Diana Gabaldon 74 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
32
The Shadow of the Wind
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Lucia Graves (Translator) 73 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
34
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen 71 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
35
Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain
by Charles Frazier 71 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
36
The English Patient
The English Patient
by Michael Ondaatje 69 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
37
Snow Falling on Cedars
Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson 66 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
38
Roots
Roots
by Alex Haley 61 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
39
Alias Grace
Alias Grace
by Margaret Atwood 59 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
40
Here be Dragons
Here be Dragons
by Sharon Kay Penman 59 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
41
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë 56 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
42
Katherine
Katherine
by Anya Seton 55 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
43
Pope Joan: A Novel
Pope Joan: A Novel
by Donna Woolfolk Cross (Goodreads author) 54 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
44
The Sunne in Splendour
The Sunne in Splendour
by Sharon Kay Penman 52 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
45
Possession: A Romance
Possession: A Romance
by A.S. Byatt 51 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
46
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry 50 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
47
Drums of Autumn
Drums of Autumn
by Diana Gabaldon 48 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
48
Sarum: The Novel of England
Sarum: The Novel of England
by Edward Rutherfurd 44 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
49
The Fiery Cross
The Fiery Cross
by Diana Gabaldon 45 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
50
All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque 44 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
51
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain 43 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
52
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
by Diana Gabaldon 44 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
53
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke 42 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
54
Night
Night
by Elie Wiesel 42 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
55
The Secret Magdalene: A Novel
The Secret Magdalene: A Novel
by Ki Longfellow 38 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
56
March
March
by Geraldine Brooks 38 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
57
World Without End
World Without End
by Ken Follett 36 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
58
The First Man in Rome
The First Man in Rome
by Colleen McCullough 35 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
59
The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels
The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels
by Patrick O'Brian 35 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
60
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith 35 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
61
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
by Jim Fergus 34 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
62
Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of T...
by Steven Pressfield (Goodreads author) 31 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
63
The Game of Kings: First in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles
The Game of Kings: First in the Legendary Lymon...
by Dorothy Dunnett 32 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
64
The French Lieutenant's Woman
The French Lieutenant's Woman
by John Fowles 30 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
65
When Christ and His Saints Slept
When Christ and His Saints Slept
by Sharon Kay Penman 29 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
66
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
by Walter Scott 30 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
67
The Queen's Fool
The Queen's Fool
by Philippa Gregory 29 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
68
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and...
by Erik Larson, Tony Goldwyn (Narrator) 29 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
69
The Crucible
The Crucible
by Arthur Miller 28 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
70
Forever Amber
Forever Amber
by Kathleen Winsor 28 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
71
Lincoln: A Novel
Lincoln: A Novel
by Gore Vidal 25 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
72
Doomsday Book
Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis 25 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
73
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut 25 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
74
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas 26 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
75
Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago
by Boris Pasternak 25 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
76
The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo
The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel...
by Irving Stone 25 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
77
Tai-Pan
Tai-Pan
by James Clavell 23 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
78
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
by John Steinbeck 24 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
79
Moloka'i
Moloka'i
by Alan Brennert 22 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
80
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel
by Emmuska Orczy 23 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
81
Caddie Woodlawn
Caddie Woodlawn
by Carol Ryrie Brink 22 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
82
Nefertiti: A Novel
Nefertiti: A Novel
by Michelle Moran 21 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
83
The Birth of Venus: A Novel
The Birth of Venus: A Novel
by Sarah Dunant 23 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
84
An Instance of the Fingerpost: A Novel
An Instance of the Fingerpost: A Novel
by Iain Pears 21 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
85
The Boleyn Inheritance
The Boleyn Inheritance
by Philippa Gregory 21 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
86
In the Time of the Butterflies
In the Time of the Butterflies
by Julia Alvarez 20 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
87
Centennial
Centennial
by James A. Michener 23 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
88
Aztec
Aztec
by Gary Jennings 20 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
89
Daughter of Fortune: A Novel
Daughter of Fortune: A Novel
by Isabel Allende 20 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
90
The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence
by Edith Wharton 21 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
91
A Fine Balance
A Fine Balance
by Rohinton Mistry 19 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
92
Middlesex
Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides 19 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
93
Tipping the Velvet
Tipping the Velvet
by Sarah Waters 18 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
94
Rebecca
Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier 20 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
95
Pompeii
Pompeii
by Robert Harris 17 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
96
Exodus
Exodus
by Leon Uris 18 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
97
London: The Novel
London: The Novel
by Edward Rutherfurd 17 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
98
Niccolo Rising: The First Book of The House of Niccolo
Niccolo Rising: The First Book of The House of ...
by Dorothy Dunnett 17 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
99
The Josephine Bonaparte Collection: The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, and  The Last Great Dance on Earth
The Josephine Bonaparte Collection: The Many Li...
by Sandra Gulland (Goodreads author) 16 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
100
Falls the Shadow
Falls the Shadow
by Sharon Kay Penman 16 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
List started by: MBP (votes)
Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds



Heidi
Heidi
69 books
2 friends
Marykay
Marykay
206 books
18 friends
C
C
11 books
0 friends
Julesp
Julesp
3 books
1 friend
Seashell
Seashell
3 books
0 friends
Christy
Christy
1065 books
35 friends
Bridget
Bridget
89 books
1 friend
Megan
Megan
464 books
12 friends

More voters…


comments (showing 1-35 of 35) (35 new)

dateDown_arrow    newest »

message 1: by Celeste (new)
08/21/2008 01:09PM

Nophoto-f-25x33 The classic historical fiction novel. Couldn't put it down!


message 2: by Evelyn (new)
09/28/2008 07:40PM

1573981 The best. Couldn't stop until I had read the entire series.


message 3: by Charlotte (last edited 11/11/2008 07:43AM) (new)
11/11/2008 07:41AM

1702042 The Whiskey Rebels (by David Liss) should be on the list. Though I must say the list itself is sketchy. Just because a book takes place in some moment of time past does not make it historical fiction. The Kite Runner? What is that doing on here?



message 4: by Susanna (new)
11/17/2008 08:54PM

1109068 Good point, Charlotte.

For example, I love Pride and Prejudice, but I didn't vote for it, as it is not a historical novel - Jane Austen was writing about her own time.


message 5: by Paulie (new)
11/21/2008 12:33AM

1722366 Star of the Sea


message 6: by Lindsey (new)
11/21/2008 12:16PM

733035 Flags of Our Fathers. Definately not fiction.


message 7: by deleted member (new)
11/21/2008 01:07PM

Where are the Norah Lofts books? She writes great historical fiction.


message 8: by Jen (last edited 11/29/2008 07:56AM) (new)
11/29/2008 07:55AM

124360 I don't think people are understanding what historical fiction is. If a book was written in the 1800's and it is based in that time frame, then would you consider it historical fiction? I would not. Historical fiction takes historical events (or figures)and creates fictionalized stories either centering on them or surronding them.


message 9: by Coalbanks (new)
12/03/2008 05:48PM

934580 Agreed. Historical fiction refers to a time not your own featuring people, events & movements of the time & place re-created in a fictional story of your making. A generation before is time enough, IMHO.


message 10: by Caleb (new)
01/01/2009 10:38AM

Nophoto-m-25x33 Win Blevins's STONE SONG dserves to be recognized as a great book


message 11: by Nan (new)
01/07/2009 11:39AM

933486 Unfortunately a poll such as this is more likely to result in a list of people's favorites not the best. But that's a good thing to know as well.

Nan Hawthorne
Author: An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England
www.shield-wall.com


message 12: by Nan (new)
01/07/2009 11:50AM

933486 No Bernard Cornwell listed? I know you can't list everything, but his collected works are immense and magnificent. I wound up boting for five of the books listed, but it does not represent my actual preference.. there are also several books published independently I would like to see on this list.

Nan Hawthorne
That's All She Read
Reviews and insights into accessible reading for print impaired people
http://allsheread.blogspot.com


message 13: by Rusty (new)
01/11/2009 08:56AM

1063645 I am ashamed that I even have read historical fiction.


message 14: by Lola (new)
01/13/2009 04:37PM

Nophoto-f-25x33 I came here to vote after finding so many brilliant works of art on The Worst Book list. And here I find so many books that are in no way "historical." As already said, many of the above books (and many I love) were written in and of their times. So I could not vote for them. I read all genres (pretty much) but what to me is the best of that genre, so I am in no way embarrassed to read this one.


message 15: by Stephanie (new)
01/17/2009 08:14PM

312923 Middlesex? Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell? Like Water for Chocolate? Who made this list? Oh well, I enjoyed perusing it and found many new books to add to my "to-read" list.


message 16: by Travis (new)
02/02/2009 07:05PM

1729891 It was made by the people, or at least the people here on this site who bothered to take the time to contribute. Obviously a massing of individual minds isn't going to match your personal tastes. These lists would be boring and hardly worth looking at if they did.


message 17: by Sparky (new)
02/20/2009 03:16PM

Nophoto-u-25x33 Rusty wrote: "I am ashamed that I even have read historical fiction. "Why? Have you read any Shakespeare? Or perhaps Homer?



message 18: by Myra (last edited 02/27/2009 01:13PM) (new)
02/27/2009 01:12PM

Nophoto-f-25x33 I (and my husband) read, or actually listened to audio recordings, of all the Sharp series, and just loved them. Cornwell is the only author who ever made me "see" a battle.


message 19: by Mrs. (new)
03/05/2009 10:02AM

617853 "Night" is NOT historical fiction. It's not even fiction ... it's the true story of Elie Wiesel's experiences during the Holocaust. So historical non-fiction would be a better category for it, evne though it doesn't technically exist. Please remove it from this list- I LOVE that book, but it doesn't fall in this category.


message 20: by Nona (new)
03/14/2009 06:37AM

1521956 well I saw several historical fiction books I've read and though not my favorite I understand why they are on the list and I see a few I plan on reading shortly, I think it's great that someone compiled this list.


message 21: by Manuel (new)
03/14/2009 04:33PM

Nophoto-m-25x33 I really like the concept of the book cementary and given the responasbily to keep the books safe..


message 22: by Stephanie (new)
03/16/2009 10:59AM

312923 Manuel wrote: "I really like the concept of the book cementary and given the responasbily to keep the books safe.."

Are you talking about the Cemetary of Books in the "Shadow of the the Wind"?


message 23: by Bettie (Goodreads Reader!) (last edited 04/08/2009 02:39AM) (new)
04/07/2009 12:25PM

1108123 Lordy Lordy but this list is well out of kilter.

ETA I am talking about the objective scoring, not the subjective comments. *waves white flag at Alice, who thought I was dissing a viewpoint* lol


message 24: by Shannon (new)
04/07/2009 12:52PM

395599 And here I find so many books that are in no way "historical."

Lola, I noticed that too. Despite the clear definition/description of "historical fiction" at the top there, I'm seeing all kinds of odd books here - Alexandre Dumas, for example, while one of my favourites, was writing not all that long after the Napoleonic War.

Books written during or shortly after the period in which they were set, but 50 years before our own, are generally termed "classics", not historical fiction.

I don't know how these lists work - is there a way of editing it?


message 25: by Susanna (new)
04/07/2009 01:53PM

1109068 Well, some of Dumas is historical fiction - like The Three Musketeers - but a lot of it isn't. The Count of Monte Cristo, for example.

Shannon - I think only the creator of the list can edit it (excluding changing one's own votes, of course).


message 26: by Kiwiria (last edited 04/07/2009 11:37PM) (new)
04/07/2009 11:33PM

168347 Any librarian can edit the list in order to remove books. However, GoodReads is REALLY strict about only removing books that without a doubt don't fit the category, as they don't want people to just remove books they don't like.

I've removed "Anne of Green Gables" and "The Little House" collection. While both great books/series, they were written close to the time they took place and therefore don't fit the definition of historical fiction. There are a LOT of others I'm unsure about though.


message 27: by Shannon (new)
04/08/2009 05:26AM

395599 Count of Monte Cristo was the one I was thinking of, Susanna, and his book on Napoleon. I actually forgot about the Musketeers!!

Since anyone can add a book to a list, it stands to reason it could be removed as well. I don't see that function but I'm seeing far fewer non-historical books here than yesterday. Some are more science fiction than historical fiction, not that you can't straddle genres, but a lot of these are giving me a double-take. I personally don't want to change anything, unless it was glaringly obvious.


message 28: by Kiwiria (new)
04/08/2009 11:41PM

168347 Shannon, at the very top of the list, immediately following the list description, there is a small (edit) link - very non-descript, very easy to miss.

This link allows you to delete books one at a time.


message 29: by Shannon (new)
04/10/2009 08:39AM

395599 I did see that, but I thought it was just for the intro description. Makes sense though!


message 30: by Susanna (new)
04/10/2009 09:35AM

1109068 All Quiet on the Western Front is historical fiction? It was written in the 20s, about the teens. Great book, but I wouldn't vote for it here.


message 31: by Alwi (new)
05/08/2009 04:54PM

1672419 The Last Shogun  The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu


message 32: by Catherine (new)
05/27/2009 07:51AM

Nophoto-f-25x33 What exactly is a "historical fiction" book? I thought all those books Courtney put down were historical and so I voted for the one I liked best. I don't really have a big vocabulary, so I am not sure what most of you guys were saying. =/


message 33: by Susanna (new)
05/27/2009 11:20AM

1109068 A work of historical fiction is a novel that is set in the past, Catherine.


message 34: by Catherine (new)
05/27/2009 01:39PM

Nophoto-f-25x33 Thank you for the comment I guess. =D


message 35: by Lindsey (new)
06/18/2009 01:51PM

Nophoto-u-25x33 I didn't read through everyone's comments, so I'm not sure if this was mentioned already, but Elie Wiesel's "Night" is not historical FICTION. In fact, it was based on his own experiences in the Holocaust. It is a very touching, beautifully written book for anyone else who likes WWII non-fiction.


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