Recommended Historical Fiction (3649 books)

This is the list for your recommendations of good fiction set in a time before the author was born --NOT any old book set in a time that's now past, nor books about modern people who happen to be researching the past! :-) Okay? (Also, let's NOT include alternate world scenarios --just actual settings.)

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1	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,867,382 ratings score: 46,549, and 472 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,255,277 ratings score: 35,369, and 364 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 827,794 ratings score: 33,757, and 346 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 3,011,423 ratings score: 29,435, and 305 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 1,010,414 ratings score: 24,382, and 250 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 1,150,587 ratings score: 22,189, and 228 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 4.14 avg rating — 394,525 ratings score: 18,597, and 192 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 4.16 avg rating — 2,106,457 ratings score: 15,607, and 167 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9) by Philippa Gregory (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 512,623 ratings score: 15,466, and 161 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.44 avg rating — 917,159 ratings score: 14,123, and 149 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley 4.45 avg rating — 164,680 ratings score: 14,047, and 147 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Shōgun (Asian Saga, #1) by James Clavell 4.41 avg rating — 211,764 ratings score: 13,896, and 149 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 779,555 ratings score: 13,657, and 145 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 4.17 avg rating — 364,868 ratings score: 12,914, and 137 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) by Larry McMurtry 4.57 avg rating — 238,094 ratings score: 12,421, and 132 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 630,667 ratings score: 11,385, and 121 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 275,125 ratings score: 11,198, and 120 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 4.10 avg rating — 346,227 ratings score: 10,927, and 117 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, #1) by Jean M. Auel 4.10 avg rating — 282,229 ratings score: 10,918, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 1,964,790 ratings score: 10,163, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	I, Claudius (Claudius, #1) by Robert Graves 4.24 avg rating — 72,989 ratings score: 10,105, and 109 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2) by Michael Shaara 4.33 avg rating — 91,724 ratings score: 9,110, and 97 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1) by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 111,751 ratings score: 8,518, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 358,093 ratings score: 8,469, and 91 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy 4.07 avg rating — 141,469 ratings score: 8,110, and 87 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Master & Commander (Aubrey & Maturin, #1) by Patrick O'Brian 4.07 avg rating — 63,352 ratings score: 8,089, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 4.12 avg rating — 1,100,194 ratings score: 8,072, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Katherine by Anya Seton 4.21 avg rating — 35,720 ratings score: 7,939, and 86 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone 4.09 avg rating — 96,573 ratings score: 7,896, and 89 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.08 avg rating — 873,302 ratings score: 7,485, and 80 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1) by Caleb Carr 4.06 avg rating — 181,230 ratings score: 7,163, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Ivanhoe by Walter Scott 3.76 avg rating — 98,979 ratings score: 7,121, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2) by Philippa Gregory (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 182,430 ratings score: 7,119, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) by Hilary Mantel 3.91 avg rating — 232,633 ratings score: 6,986, and 79 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Last of the Mohicans (The Leatherstocking Tales, #2) by James Fenimore Cooper 3.70 avg rating — 102,097 ratings score: 6,919, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Here Be Dragons (Welsh Princes, #1) by Sharon Kay Penman 4.29 avg rating — 24,989 ratings score: 6,903, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman 4.41 avg rating — 22,684 ratings score: 6,508, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare 4.03 avg rating — 160,114 ratings score: 6,234, and 68 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Centennial by James A. Michener 4.26 avg rating — 44,966 ratings score: 6,169, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Hawaii by James A. Michener 4.22 avg rating — 81,504 ratings score: 6,143, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Once and Future King (The Once and Future King, #1-5) by T.H. White 4.07 avg rating — 117,615 ratings score: 6,038, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes 3.70 avg rating — 51,185 ratings score: 5,831, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 9,863 ratings score: 5,814, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1) by Emily A. Duncan (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 32,901 ratings score: 5,700, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1) by Rachel Gillig (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 634,756 ratings score: 5,687, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter 3.90 avg rating — 12,584 ratings score: 5,684, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2) by Rachel Gillig (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 482,711 ratings score: 5,473, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind 4.04 avg rating — 550,386 ratings score: 5,445, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Pompeii by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 53,467 ratings score: 5,434, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain 3.87 avg rating — 125,282 ratings score: 5,298, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 102,571 ratings score: 5,241, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 384,382 ratings score: 5,146, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Treasure Island by Fiona Macdonald (Adapter) 3.68 avg rating — 533 ratings score: 5,121, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Glow (The Plated Prisoner, #4) by Raven Kennedy (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 184,131 ratings score: 4,932, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 346,396 ratings score: 4,923, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Book of Night (Book of Night, #1) by Holly Black (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 86,526 ratings score: 4,921, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 3.30 avg rating — 109,923 ratings score: 4,908, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author) 4.65 avg rating — 2,073,321 ratings score: 4,888, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Winter King (The Warlord Chronicles, #1) by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 54,843 ratings score: 4,853, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 28,617 ratings score: 4,844, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley 4.13 avg rating — 212,709 ratings score: 4,731, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 3.89 avg rating — 249,784 ratings score: 4,700, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome, #1) by Colleen McCullough 4.13 avg rating — 24,295 ratings score: 4,663, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Lincoln by Gore Vidal 4.25 avg rating — 9,829 ratings score: 4,646, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Burr by Gore Vidal 4.09 avg rating — 10,631 ratings score: 4,610, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough 4.25 avg rating — 364,321 ratings score: 4,573, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) by Toni Morrison 3.98 avg rating — 488,966 ratings score: 4,447, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake, #1) by C.J. Sansom 4.06 avg rating — 61,406 ratings score: 4,364, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Lust for Life by Irving Stone 4.28 avg rating — 31,578 ratings score: 4,207, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Source by James A. Michener 4.30 avg rating — 45,494 ratings score: 4,097, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 31,831 ratings score: 4,081, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas 4.24 avg rating — 27,161 ratings score: 4,069, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Hild (The Hild Sequence, #1) by Nicola Griffith (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 12,801 ratings score: 4,038, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #1) by Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 87,622 ratings score: 4,009, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 198,694 ratings score: 3,895, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2) by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 61,591 ratings score: 3,892, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Raven and the Nine (The Viking Blood and Blade Saga, #6) by Peter Gibbons (Goodreads Author) 4.51 avg rating — 1,735 ratings score: 3,887, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	His Forefathers and Mick 2nd Edition by Michael G. Kramer (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 8,565 ratings score: 3,770, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 43,550 ratings score: 3,686, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Kidnapped (David Balfour, #1) by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.79 avg rating — 67,960 ratings score: 3,682, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo 4.02 avg rating — 217,690 ratings score: 3,676, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories, #3) by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 52,624 ratings score: 3,640, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Tai-Pan (Asian Saga, #2) by James Clavell 4.31 avg rating — 58,845 ratings score: 3,626, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children, #3) by Jean M. Auel 3.96 avg rating — 77,658 ratings score: 3,598, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Victor's Blessing by Barbara Sontheimer (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 6,182 ratings score: 3,567, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Valley of Horses (Earth's Children, #2) by Jean M. Auel 4.04 avg rating — 96,036 ratings score: 3,481, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Game of Kings (The Lymond Chronicles, #1) by Dorothy Dunnett 4.14 avg rating — 10,095 ratings score: 3,463, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 622,260 ratings score: 3,406, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Chesapeake by James A. Michener 4.22 avg rating — 27,306 ratings score: 3,390, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Huntress by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 210,821 ratings score: 3,351, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow 3.90 avg rating — 46,456 ratings score: 3,299, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Evening and the Morning (Kingsbridge, #0) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 133,478 ratings score: 3,214, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #1) by Ellis Peters 3.96 avg rating — 44,380 ratings score: 3,209, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 387,139 ratings score: 3,179, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Possession by A.S. Byatt 3.90 avg rating — 84,302 ratings score: 3,170, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Painter's Apprentice (Venetian Artisans, #1) by Laura Morelli (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 1,104 ratings score: 3,167, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 11,574 ratings score: 3,162, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Silas Marner by George Eliot 3.69 avg rating — 93,468 ratings score: 3,149, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles 3.88 avg rating — 55,474 ratings score: 3,111, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester 4.18 avg rating — 19,238 ratings score: 3,109, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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3,649 books · 3,591 voters · list created January 18th, 2009 by Werner (votes) .

Tags: fiction, historical-fiction

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 77 (77 new)

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message 1: by Seth (new)

Jun 21, 2010 02:58PM

Several of these don't seem to fit the requirement of "set before the author was born." Should some librarian go through and prune, or just live with it?

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message 2: by Werner (new)

Jun 21, 2010 04:27PM

Seth, I'm the list's creator/moderator (and also a Goodreads librarian); but because of limited time, I don't monitor it as closely as I probably should, and I also haven't read a number of the listed books, so can't make that kind of call in most of those cases. I'll give it a going-over now, and delete anything I see that shouldn't be there; but maybe any other librarians who read this will want to help, too? Thanks for letting us know about the problem!

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message 3: by Seth (new)

Jun 21, 2010 04:49PM

I'm happy to note any books that don't seem right (1984 by Orwell springs to mind... certainly not *historical* to him!). I'm a librarian as well but I don't want to go removing people's votes from a list without either consensus or the list creator approving.

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message 4: by Werner (last edited Jun 21, 2010 05:01PM) (new)

Jun 21, 2010 05:00PM

Yes, 1984 was one of the five books I just deleted. I jotted down four more titles with 20th- century settings that are "iffy," but I'll need to check the author's birthdates; and I'll be leaving on vacation tomorrow for a week, so can't do that until I return. In the meantime, Seth, you have my permission to remove anything that you know was set in the author's own time; I created this list for genuine historical fiction, in the genre sense!

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message 5: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jun 22, 2010 10:41AM) (new)

Jun 22, 2010 10:33AM

Ones that are not historical fiction, in my view:

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (set in 1860s and 70s, LMA was born in 1832)
Fatherland, by Robert Harris (I am very dubious. Hitler wasn't still Fuhrer in our 1961.)
What is the What? by Dave Eggers (set in very recent Sudan)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Set, I believe, in the 1850s, when Mr. Twain was a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi.)

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message 6: by Werner (new)

Jun 29, 2010 05:14PM

Susanna, thanks for your helpful feedback! (And sorry I took so long to respond; you posted on the day I left on vacation, and I haven't been back long.) Someone else must have deleted the Eggers book, and I evidently got Little Women when I went through the list last week; but I can't believe I missed Huckleberry Finn! I've just deleted that one, and the Harris book as well.

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message 7: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jun 30, 2010 12:43PM

Little Women is still there, I see, so I'll just remove it.

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message 8: by Werner (new)

Jun 30, 2010 04:12PM

Thanks, Susanna! I've now missed it twice; mea culpa. :-)

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message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 09, 2011 11:54AM

Is Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story history, or historical fiction? It looks like history to me from the description, but I haven't read it.

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message 10: by Werner (new)

Mar 09, 2011 12:57PM

Susanna, I have the same question, but I haven't read it either. I'll do some more checking on that!

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message 11: by Werner (new)

Mar 09, 2011 04:35PM

Susanna, the Library of Congress' assigned subject headings for the Shurtleff book identify it as fiction, and so does the catalog record for it in World Catalog. So I'd say that it does belong here.

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message 12: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 10, 2011 08:52AM

OK - I honestly couldn't tell from the description! Thanks.

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message 13: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 10, 2011 09:02AM) (new)

Mar 10, 2011 08:59AM

I didn't think The Jungle was historical fiction; didn't Sinclair set that novel in his own time?

ETA: Northanger Abbey is historical fiction??

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message 14: by Werner (new)

Mar 10, 2011 09:10AM

No, Susanna, neither of those are historical fiction! I haven't checked over this list lately; I see I need to do that ASAP. Since I posted clear guidelines at the top, when I created the list, for what goes on it and what doesn't, I never expected a problem; but I guess not everybody actually reads that part. (Sigh!)

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message 15: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 10, 2011 09:23AM) (new)

Mar 10, 2011 09:19AM

I'm just shocked Twilight hasn't crept on.

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message 16: by Misfit (new)

Mar 10, 2011 09:28AM

Susanna wrote: "I'm just shocked Twilight hasn't crept on."

It will eventually :p

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message 17: by Werner (new)

Mar 10, 2011 09:32AM

Well, I'm a Twilight series fan myself; but if anyone tries to claim it's historical fiction and puts it on here, either of us that catches it can delete it on sight! :-) Okay, I've deleted the two books you spotted, as well as What Is the What and Elie Wiesel's Night. (I didn't check the last two pages this time, but hopefully they're free of any anomalies.) I'll try to do a more thorough check later.

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message 18: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 10, 2011 09:34AM

It's like weeding a garden.

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message 19: by Werner (new)

Mar 10, 2011 09:47AM

Very true! :-)

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message 20: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 10, 2011 10:27AM) (new)

Mar 10, 2011 10:25AM

I think I also saw North and South by Mrs. Gaskell on here; I am dubious about that one as well. Written in 1855; set, I think, a little earlier than that (like a lot of Dickens), but within the author's lifetime (b. 1810). (The same reason I didn't vote for Vanity Fair, a superb novel.)

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message 21: by Werner (new)

Mar 10, 2011 12:45PM

Thanks, Susanna! I'll be on the lookout for those two.

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message 22: by Werner (new)

Mar 10, 2011 05:35PM

Susanna, I've checked over the rest of the list, and Vanity Fair was apparently deleted already. North and South is on here; but it turns out to be the one by John Jakes (set during the Civil War), not the one with the same title by Mrs. Gaskell. So, we're in good shape for the moment!

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message 23: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 11, 2011 10:39AM

Alrighty then!

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message 24: by Bill (new)

Apr 07, 2011 09:42AM

FYI, Gaskell's North and South is back in, along with Jakes's.

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message 25: by Werner (new)

Apr 07, 2011 09:51AM

Thanks for the heads-up, Bill. I've just tracked it down and deleted it --again. (Sigh!) It's a never-ending job.

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message 26: by [deleted user] (new)

Jul 22, 2011 08:13PM

I just spotted The Hunger Games number 343 which needs to be deleted.

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message 27: by Werner (new)

Jul 23, 2011 12:50PM

Done! Thanks for catching that, Alice.

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message 28: by [deleted user] (new)

Jul 23, 2011 04:44PM

Werner wrote: "Done! Thanks for catching that, Alice."

I was going down the list last night to see what I missed.

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message 29: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jan 24, 2013 01:26PM) (new)

Jan 24, 2013 01:18PM

I see Pride and Prejudice has crept on (currently #51). Miss Austen was writing about her own time. You want me to delete it, Werner?

ETA: Also, Seabiscuit (#69) is non-fiction. As is John Paul Jones: Finding the Forgotten Patriot (#177).

Little Women is back, at #96.

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message 30: by Werner (new)

Jan 24, 2013 03:07PM

Yes, Susanna, you can delete all four of those! Thanks for your help; it's much appreciated. (Tending to these lists is like keeping a garden weeded; it's a never-ending task!)

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message 31: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 24, 2013 03:31PM

No problem.

I just noticed that All Quiet on the Western Front is at #139.

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message 32: by Werner (new)

Jan 24, 2013 03:40PM

Thanks for catching that, Susanna! I just deleted that one, too.

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message 33: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 24, 2013 04:15PM

What about To Kill a Mockingbird, which is in the 360s?

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message 34: by Werner (last edited Feb 07, 2013 11:18AM) (new)

Jan 24, 2013 04:23PM

That's not historical fiction either; Harper Lee was born in 1926, and sets the novel in the mid-1930s, when she was about Scout's age. I'll delete that one too, Susanna, thanks for catching it!

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message 35: by Peter (new)

Feb 07, 2013 10:08AM

How on Earth is the entire Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell on this list, but none of the Sharpe series?

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message 36: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Feb 07, 2013 01:51PM

You could add them; it's easy to add books to lists. At the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 37: by Werner (new)

Feb 07, 2013 02:40PM

Yes, Peter, by all means add the Sharpe series, if you've read the books and can recommend them! My guess is that whoever added the Saxon series hadn't read the Sharpe books --I haven't either, though I've seen and really liked a couple of the adaptations on DVD. (I do have the first three books of yet another Cornwell series, his Starbuck Chronicles, on my to-read shelf; they were a gift from my son-in-law.)

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message 38: by Ankit (new)

May 22, 2013 11:35PM

I am a great fan of historical fiction. Its my favorite genre along with family saga's. Glad I found this list. It would be my pleasure to contribute to this list and learn from it as well.

Werner and Susanna, you two seem to be doing a great. I would like to help as well.

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message 39: by Ankit (new)

May 22, 2013 11:39PM

I was quite surprised not to see Kane and Abel on the list. So I added that. Its one of my favorites of all time.

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message 40: by Werner (new)

May 23, 2013 04:29AM

Thanks for the encouragement, Ankit! Yes, by all means add any good historical fiction you've read that you'd like to recommend to others; that's how this list (and other lists on here) get built up. (You don't need anybody's permission to add books to a Goodreads list. :-) )

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message 41: by Mary (new)

Feb 22, 2014 11:01AM

Misfit wrote: "Susanna wrote: "I'm just shocked Twilight hasn't crept on."

It will eventually :p"

That is hilarious, but sadly true!

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message 42: by Jeannie (new)

Mar 15, 2014 10:31PM

Someone who's read THE RED TENT, what did you think?

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message 43: by Jeannie (new)

Mar 15, 2014 10:34PM

Jeannie Hudson Jeannie Hudson

This my own historical suspense. One of the best! No
kidding. I have the reviews to prove it.

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message 44: by Jeannie (new)

Mar 15, 2014 10:34PM

Someone who's read THE RED TENT, what did you think?

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message 45: by Werner (new)

Mar 16, 2014 05:50AM

Jeannie, if you think your book(s) should be on this list, go ahead and add it. Any member of Goodreads can add books to lists, as well as vote for ones that are already here.

I've never read The Red Tent, though it's been recommended to me. But hopefully some of the other people who've commented on this list have!

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message 46: by Jeannie (new)

Mar 16, 2014 05:00PM

Thanks, Werner. I appreciate your comments.

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message 47: by Jeannie (new)

Mar 16, 2014 05:01PM

Jeannie Hudson

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message 48: by blueemerald (new)

Oct 14, 2014 01:07PM

Hello~
Wanted to mention a revised reading list that folks might enjoy. It is a Historical Fiction Series list. It is lengthy and well organized into various sections (military, nautical, ancient world, family saga, set in Europe....).

I'm putting this link out there with enthusiastic hopes that someone(s) will discover a new series to dive into!

http://1mpages.com/HistoricalFiction....

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message 49: by Mitch (new)

Dec 27, 2015 06:58AM

I scrolled through the first 500 on this list, surprised not to find anything by Susanna Gregory (two great historical series - one set in the mid 1300's in Cambridge, England and another series during restoration England) or Paul Doherty (loved his series set around 1300 featuring crime fighter working for the king, Hugh Corbett)

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message 50: by Werner (new)

Dec 27, 2015 10:46AM

Mitch, anytime you find a Goodreads list that's lacking some books you think should be there, you can add them! Any Goodreads member can do that; you don't have to be the list creator, or a Goodreads librarian. I haven't read any of Gregory's or Doherty's books myself (and I only add books to lists if I've read them), but I'm sure they'll be worthy additions for this list.

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