Historical Fiction - Literature

Literature

For more details on this topic, see historical novel.

Historical literature includes the works of authors that epitomize a specific period in history. Historical literature has been written since at least the 20th century BC:

• Ancient Egyptian Story of Sinuhe (20th century BC)
• Ancient Egyptian Story of Wenamun (11th century BC)
• Chariton's Callirhoe (mid-1st century AD; set 500 years earlier)
• Augustan History (4th century AD)
• The Waverley Novels, by Sir Walter Scott (over 40 distinct books)
• Pharaoh, by Bolesław Prus
• Mr. Tucket, by Gary Paulsen
• I, Claudius, by Robert Graves
• The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck
• Eric Ambler a series of spy novels set in Europe before World War II, starting with The Dark Frontier.
• Borislav Pekic: most of his books are historical fiction, including Time of Miracles, How to quite a Vampire and his masterpiece The Golden Fleece.
• Ars Magica, by Nerea Riesco
• Margaret Atwood: Penelopiad
• Jean M. Auel: The Earth's Children - Series set in pre-historic Europe
• Julian Barnes: Arthur & George
• Caleb Carr: The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness
• Willa Cather: Death Comes for the Archbishop, Shadows on the Rock, My Antonia
• James Clavell: The Asian Saga
• Frans G. Bengtsson: The Long Ships Viking saga
• James Lincoln Collier: "My Brother Sam is Dead", takes place during the American Revolution
• Bernard Cornwell: Sharpe series set in 19th century Europe and India, the Starbuck Chronicles, set during the American Civil War, the Saxon Stories set in Alfred the Great's pre-England, the Grail Quest Novels set in mid-14th century England/Normandy, and The Warlord Chronicles, set in Arthurian Britain.
• Stephen Crane: The Red Badge of Courage
• Kurt Vonnegut: "Slaughterhouse-Five" real life World War II events, written from the perspective of characters. Considered Vonnegut's autobiography.
• Charles Dickens: Barnaby Rudge and A Tale of Two Cities
• E. L. Doctorow: Ragtime
• Maurice Druon: The Accursed Kings series
• Alexandre Dumas: The Three Musketeers and sequels in the d'Artagnan series.
• Dorothy Dunnett: The Lymond Chronicles, The House of Niccolo series, King Hereafter
• Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa, 1980)
• Shusaku Endo: Silence
• J. G. Farrell: Troubles, The Siege of Krishnapur (1973 Booker Prize Winner) and The Singapore Grip
• Ken Follett: most of his books are historical fiction, including his bestseller The Pillars of the Earth.
• Ford Madox Ford: The Fifth Queen, a trilogy about Katherine Howard in the court of King Henry VIII.
• C. S. Forester: Horatio Hornblower series and others
• George Macdonald Fraser: The Flashman Series
• Alan Furst: a series of spy novels set in Europe before World War II, starting with Night Soldiers.
• Michael Cawood Green: For the Sake of Silence
• Patricia Reilly Giff: Nory Ryan's Song
• Noah Gordon: The Physician, The Shaman
• Philippa Gregory: The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess set in the Tudor era; Earthly Joys set in 17th century England, and other works.
• W.E.B. Griffin: The Corps Series - Historical fiction series taking place shortly before WWII, through to Korea.
• Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: The Morland Dynasty - Historical fiction series from the War of the Roses currently to World War I
• Angela Elwell Hunt: Legacies of the Ancient River series, The Keepers of the Ring series, The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor series, Magdalene
• Conn Iggulden: Emperor series; Conqueror series; The Dangerous Books for Boys series and Blackwater.
• Gary Jennings: Aztec, The Journeyer
• Jonathan Littell: The Kindly Ones
• Morgan Llywelyn: author of books set mostly in Ireland
• Frederick Marryat: Children of the New Forest
• Colleen McCullough: Masters of Rome series—novels about the last years of the Roman Republic
• Carolyn Meyer: Young Royals series and others
• James Michener: 40+ epic novels, including Tales of the South Pacific.
• Anchee Min: Chinese-themed sagas Empress Orchid, The Last Emperor
• William Napier: Attila trilogy
• Mary Novik: Conceit, a novel about the family of John Donne, set in 17th century London
• Patrick O'Brian: Series of novels featuring Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin in the British Navy set in the Napoleonic Wars
• Charles Whistler: Historic fiction between 600 and 1100 AD, of English/Saxon chronicles involving the Norse or Danish and archeological discoveries
• Orhan Pamuk: My Name is Red
• Arturo Pérez-Reverte: Spanish author of a number of historical novels, including the Captain Alatriste series. His books are written in Spanish, but a number have been translated into English.
• Jean Plaidy: several books, mostly about European queens and princesses
• H. F. M. Prescott: The Man on a Donkey - set during the dissolution of the monasteries
• Linda Proud: The Botticelli Trilogy - set in Renaissance Florence.
• Mary Renault: The Bull from the Sea and other novels set in ancient Greece
• Ann Rinaldi: 40+ young adult historical fiction novels, primarily set in the United States.
• Laura Joh Rowland mystery novels set in feudal Japan.
• Edward Rutherfurd: several epic novels including Sarum, Russka, and London
• Steven Saylor: Roma Sub Rosa series set in ancient Rome.
• Simon Scarrow: Eagle series of Roman military fiction
• Henryk Sienkiewicz: Quo Vadis
• Anne Easter Smith: Wars of the Roses series
• Wilbur Smith: The Courtney and Ballentyne series and independent adventure novels set in Africa in between the 17th and 20th centuries and the Ancient Egypt series
• Indu Sundaresan: The Twentieth Wife and sequel The Feast of Roses, fictionalized story of the Mughal empress Noor Jehan, set in 16th and 17th century Mughal Empire, India.
• Beverly Swerling: City of Dreams, City of Glory, Shadowbrook, and City of God - novels set in early days of the Mid-Atlantic States.
• Leo Tolstoy: War and Peace
• Mark Turnbull: Decision Most Deadly, a novel set in London during 1641, as England plunged into civil war.
• Harry Turtledove: Alternate history fiction
• Mark Twain: various works of historical fiction about the American South.
• Mika Waltari: numerous works of historical fiction, best known for his magnum opus The Egyptian (Finnish: Sinuhe egyptiläinen)
• Jack Whyte: Camulod Chronicles, A Dream of Eagles, set in early fifth century Britain; also Templar Trilogy.
• Lauren Willig: Pink Carnation series about spies during the Napoleonic wars
• Marguerite Yourcenar: Memoirs of Hadrian
• Julian Stockwin, Thomas Kydd series set in the Age of Fighting Sail
• Alan Fenton, The Return of Arthur Series set in Modern day
• Sean Chandler, The Notice, set in Bosnia & Herzegovina during the 1990s Bosnian War.
• Bevis Longstreth, Spindle and Bow and Return of the Shade, set in Ancient Persia.
• Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, set in 1863 during the American Civil War.
• Christopher Paul Curtis, The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963, set in 1963 during civil rights movement.
• Walter Dean Myers, Sunrise over Fallujah, set in the 2003 Iraqi War. Follows Civil Workings company.
• Phil War, Raiding Forces Series, set during World War II in France. Follows the British Commandos.
• Richard Zimler, The Warsaw Anagrams, The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, The Seventh Gate, Guardian of the Dawn and Hunting Midnight
• Tong Hua, Bu Bu Jing Xin, set in 18th century Qing Dynasty China, within Kangxi Emperor's later reign and Yongzheng Emperor's ascension.