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Best Historical Fiction
The best of historical fiction. Historical fiction are novels that re-create a period or event 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.
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 301 |
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Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)
by
Julia Quinn (Goodreads Author)
3.88 avg rating — 416,591 ratings
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| 302 |
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The Widow of the South
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3.78 avg rating — 18,390 ratings
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| 303 |
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Wolf's Head (The Forest Lord, #1)
by
Steven A. McKay (Goodreads Author)
4.04 avg rating — 2,653 ratings
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| 304 |
|
Hello Beautiful
by
Ann Napolitano (Goodreads Author)
4.14 avg rating — 509,887 ratings
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| 305 |
|
Oil and Marble
by
Stephanie Storey (Goodreads Author)
4.08 avg rating — 11,310 ratings
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| 306 |
|
Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, #1)
by
Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author)
3.92 avg rating — 43,064 ratings
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| 307 |
|
A Time for Swords (A Time for Swords, #1)
by
Matthew Harffy (Goodreads Author)
4.33 avg rating — 2,682 ratings
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| 308 |
|
Kidnapped (David Balfour, #1)
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3.79 avg rating — 67,355 ratings
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| 309 |
|
The Echo of Old Books
by
Barbara Davis (Goodreads Author)
4.26 avg rating — 119,192 ratings
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| 310 |
|
Lady, in Waiting (The Tudor Court #3)
by
Karen Heenan (Goodreads Author)
4.36 avg rating — 688 ratings
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| 311 |
|
What the Wind Knows
by
Amy Harmon (Goodreads Author)
4.36 avg rating — 107,688 ratings
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| 312 |
|
Son of Mercia (Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, #1)
by
M.J. Porter (Goodreads Author)
4.22 avg rating — 1,906 ratings
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| 313 |
|
Where the Crawdads Sing
by
Delia Owens (Goodreads Author)
4.37 avg rating — 3,516,979 ratings
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| 314 |
|
My Name Is Red
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3.87 avg rating — 60,424 ratings
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| 315 |
|
The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris
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4.32 avg rating — 21,642 ratings
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| 316 |
|
The Tuscan Child
by
Rhys Bowen (Goodreads Author)
4.02 avg rating — 100,070 ratings
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| 317 |
|
The Princes of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, #1)
by
Edward Rutherfurd (Goodreads Author)
3.88 avg rating — 17,637 ratings
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| 318 |
|
Genghis: Lords of the Bow (Conqueror, #2)
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4.37 avg rating — 24,942 ratings
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| 319 |
|
Burial Rites
by
Hannah Kent (Goodreads Author)
4.04 avg rating — 121,862 ratings
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| 320 |
|
Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)
by
Penn Cole (Goodreads Author)
4.18 avg rating — 232,483 ratings
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| 321 |
|
The Keeper of Happy Endings
by
Barbara Davis (Goodreads Author)
4.46 avg rating — 124,721 ratings
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| 322 |
|
The Disorderly Knights (The Lymond Chronicles #3)
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4.58 avg rating — 4,108 ratings
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| 323 |
|
Whispers in the Reading Room (The Chicago World's Fair Mystery, #3)
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3.79 avg rating — 1,464 ratings
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| 324 |
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Out of the Dust
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3.77 avg rating — 78,963 ratings
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| 325 |
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Queens' Play (The Lymond Chronicles, #2)
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4.45 avg rating — 4,745 ratings
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| 326 |
|
Esperanza Rising
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4.04 avg rating — 112,029 ratings
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| 327 |
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The Invisible Bridge
by
Julie Orringer (Goodreads Author)
4.18 avg rating — 53,821 ratings
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| 328 |
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The Winthrop Woman
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4.12 avg rating — 6,731 ratings
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| 329 |
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The Poisonwood Bible
by
4.11 avg rating — 783,784 ratings
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| 330 |
|
The Remains of the Day
by
Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author)
4.14 avg rating — 348,252 ratings
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| 331 |
|
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
by
Robin Maxwell (Goodreads Author)
3.84 avg rating — 7,660 ratings
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| 332 |
|
The Romantic
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4.15 avg rating — 8,886 ratings
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| 333 |
|
Horatio Hornblower 1 - 11
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4.46 avg rating — 1,743 ratings
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| 334 |
|
Vagabond (The Grail Quest, #2)
by
Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author)
4.14 avg rating — 20,548 ratings
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| 334 |
|
La catedral del mar (La catedral del mar, #1)
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4.17 avg rating — 62,752 ratings
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| 336 |
|
Second Son (Second Son Chronicles #1)
by
Pamela Taylor (Goodreads Author)
4.29 avg rating — 1,675 ratings
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| 337 |
|
The Diamond of London
by
Andrea Penrose (Goodreads Author)
3.73 avg rating — 1,829 ratings
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| 338 |
|
His Forefathers and Mick 2nd Edition
by
Michael G. Kramer (Goodreads Author)
4.31 avg rating — 8,801 ratings
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| 339 |
|
Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
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3.97 avg rating — 22,334 ratings
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| 340 |
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The Kommandant's Girl (The Kommandant's Girl, #1)
by
Pam Jenoff (Goodreads Author)
4.02 avg rating — 31,062 ratings
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| 341 |
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Checkmate (The Lymond Chronicles, #6)
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4.70 avg rating — 3,749 ratings
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| 342 |
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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
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4.02 avg rating — 214,713 ratings
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| 343 |
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Green Darkness
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3.97 avg rating — 6,932 ratings
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| 344 |
|
Noble House (Asian Saga, #5)
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4.27 avg rating — 42,184 ratings
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| 345 |
|
Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)
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4.34 avg rating — 15,905 ratings
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| 346 |
|
Dreams of Joy (Shanghai Girls, #2)
by
Lisa See (Goodreads Author)
4.10 avg rating — 67,958 ratings
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| 347 |
|
The Great Train Robbery
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3.89 avg rating — 34,309 ratings
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| 348 |
|
Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey, #1)
by
Deanna Raybourn (Goodreads Author)
3.91 avg rating — 27,298 ratings
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| 349 |
|
By the Unholy Hand (Executioner Knights, #1)
by
Kathryn Le Veque (Goodreads Author)
4.41 avg rating — 1,665 ratings
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| 350 |
|
Mutiny on the Bounty
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4.01 avg rating — 15,356 ratings
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| 351 |
|
Unexpected Gifts
by
S.R. Mallery (Goodreads Author)
3.92 avg rating — 278 ratings
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| 352 |
|
Imperium (Cicero, #1)
by
Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)
4.14 avg rating — 39,872 ratings
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| 353 |
|
The Consequence of Anna
by
Kate Birkin (Goodreads Author)
4.13 avg rating — 12,289 ratings
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| 354 |
|
Caesar (Masters of Rome, #5)
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4.40 avg rating — 8,294 ratings
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| 355 |
|
Cry to Heaven
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3.88 avg rating — 21,502 ratings
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| 356 |
|
A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1)
by
Libba Bray (Goodreads Author)
3.80 avg rating — 225,280 ratings
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| 357 |
|
Middlesex
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4.04 avg rating — 658,921 ratings
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| 358 |
|
Christy
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4.25 avg rating — 56,622 ratings
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| 359 |
|
Pawn in Frankincense (The Lymond Chronicles, #4)
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4.62 avg rating — 4,015 ratings
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| 360 |
|
Of Human Bondage
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4.15 avg rating — 60,708 ratings
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| 361 |
|
English Passengers
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4.07 avg rating — 7,509 ratings
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| 362 |
|
The Victory Garden
by
Rhys Bowen (Goodreads Author)
4.22 avg rating — 48,229 ratings
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| 363 |
|
Tatiana and Alexander (The Bronze Horseman, #2)
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4.28 avg rating — 46,525 ratings
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| 363 |
|
No. 23 Burlington Square
by
Jenni Keer (Goodreads Author)
4.19 avg rating — 11,602 ratings
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| 365 |
|
In Farleigh Field
by
Rhys Bowen (Goodreads Author)
4.01 avg rating — 71,051 ratings
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| 366 |
|
The Regeneration Trilogy (Regeneration, #1-3)
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4.37 avg rating — 2,844 ratings
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| 367 |
|
Heretic (The Grail Quest, #3)
by
Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author)
4.18 avg rating — 18,731 ratings
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| 368 |
|
Sharpe's Rifles (Sharpe, #6)
by
Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author)
4.26 avg rating — 19,442 ratings
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| 369 |
|
Half of a Yellow Sun
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4.34 avg rating — 178,508 ratings
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| 370 |
|
All Quiet on the Western Front
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4.10 avg rating — 509,118 ratings
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| 371 |
|
Forty-Ninth
by
Boris Pronsky (Goodreads Author)
4.12 avg rating — 128 ratings
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| 372 |
|
Rose Under Fire
by
Elizabeth Wein (Goodreads Author)
4.12 avg rating — 23,912 ratings
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| 373 |
|
The Eagle of the Ninth
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3.94 avg rating — 11,873 ratings
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| 374 |
|
The Distant Hours
by
Kate Morton (Goodreads Author)
3.89 avg rating — 83,913 ratings
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| 375 |
|
The Things We Cannot Say
by
Kelly Rimmer (Goodreads Author)
4.54 avg rating — 254,535 ratings
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| 376 |
|
Gai-Jin (Asian Saga, #3)
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3.91 avg rating — 18,466 ratings
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| 377 |
|
Time and Again (Time, #1)
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3.94 avg rating — 24,777 ratings
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| 378 |
|
New York
by
Edward Rutherfurd (Goodreads Author)
4.19 avg rating — 43,452 ratings
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| 379 |
|
The Count of Monte Cristo
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4.32 avg rating — 1,000,207 ratings
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| 380 |
|
An Echo in the Darkness (Mark of the Lion, #2)
by
Francine Rivers (Goodreads Author)
4.64 avg rating — 62,047 ratings
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| 381 |
|
Where the Lost Wander
by
Amy Harmon (Goodreads Author)
4.40 avg rating — 75,036 ratings
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| 382 |
|
The Huntress
by
Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)
4.30 avg rating — 203,445 ratings
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| 383 |
|
A Thread of Grace
by
Mary Doria Russell (Goodreads Author)
4.02 avg rating — 15,006 ratings
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| 384 |
|
Salt to the Sea
by
Ruta Sepetys (Goodreads Author)
4.35 avg rating — 247,548 ratings
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| 385 |
|
Suite Française
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3.86 avg rating — 77,330 ratings
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| 386 |
|
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by
Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author)
4.45 avg rating — 1,696,992 ratings
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| 387 |
|
The Passion of Artemisia
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3.91 avg rating — 19,846 ratings
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| 388 |
|
Farmer Boy (Little House, #2)
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4.10 avg rating — 73,394 ratings
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| 389 |
|
Mistress Suffragette
by
Diana Forbes (Goodreads Author)
4.29 avg rating — 4,571 ratings
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| 390 |
|
The Haj
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4.05 avg rating — 14,401 ratings
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| 391 |
|
The Last of the Wine
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4.05 avg rating — 6,365 ratings
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| 392 |
|
The Terror
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4.09 avg rating — 71,421 ratings
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| 393 |
|
Dragon Seed
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4.11 avg rating — 3,543 ratings
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| 394 |
|
Battle Cry
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4.17 avg rating — 10,237 ratings
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| 395 |
|
The Ringed Castle (The Lymond Chronicles, #5)
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4.57 avg rating — 3,645 ratings
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| 396 |
|
Byzantium
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4.21 avg rating — 5,365 ratings
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| 397 |
|
Captain Blood
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4.18 avg rating — 17,480 ratings
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| 398 |
|
The Lady of the Rivers (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #1)
by
Philippa Gregory (Goodreads Author)
4.05 avg rating — 91,462 ratings
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| 399 |
|
The Paris Wife
by
Paula McLain (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 303,448 ratings
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| 400 |
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The Song of Troy
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3,419 ratings
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3511 likes · Like
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 334 (334 new)
message 1:
by
Celeste
(new)
Aug 21, 2008 01:09PM
The classic historical fiction novel. Couldn't put it down!
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The best. Couldn't stop until I had read the entire series.
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?
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.
Flags of Our Fathers. Definately not fiction.
Where are the Norah Lofts books? She writes great historical fiction.
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.
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.
Win Blevins's STONE SONG dserves to be recognized as a great book
I am ashamed that I even have read historical fiction.
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.
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.
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.
Rusty wrote: "I am ashamed that I even have read historical fiction. "Why? Have you read any Shakespeare? Or perhaps Homer? 
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.
"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.
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.
I really like the concept of the book cementary and given the responasbily to keep the books safe..
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"?
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
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?
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).
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.
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.
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.
I did see that, but I thought it was just for the intro description. Makes sense though!
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.
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. =/
A work of historical fiction is a novel that is set in the past, Catherine.
Thank you for the comment I guess. =D
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.
Most all of these are NOT historical fiction, IMO. Historical fiction novels are fictional accounts about real people in historical situations. Most mentioned here are simply period pieces. Examples of historical fiction include Mary Renault's The Persian Boy about Alexander the Great's chamberlain and catamite Bagoas; Family Favorites by Alfred Duggan, a fictional biography of Elagabalus; I, Claudius by Robert Graves about the 1st 5 Caesar's and Julian]by Gore Vidal about Julian II, a 4th century CE Roman emperor...
Some like The Mists of Avalon mentioned above and many other modern Arthurian tales are mythic fiction, not historical fiction.
Definitions vary; they clearly have here.
Susanna wrote: "A work of historical fiction is a novel that is set in the past."Not just our past but the past of the author too. Many of the examples in the list are simply books that are not contemporary to us and are, by no stretch of the imagination 'historical fiction.' The works of Jane Austen, for instance, are not historical fiction because she was writing about her own times. For a work to be historical it has to be set by the author in a time that precedes their own. It is arguable too that a book set in the author's imagined future does not belong in this category, like 1984. Such works are wholly imagined and not related to an historical reality.
As so do I Susanna, but maybe the author of this here list put Pride and Prejudice in because it is history to us now. I think that is something authors of the past and future sometimes forget funnily enough, unless you mock whole nations, the works you create will be around for a very long time. Susanna wrote: "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."
Antonia Fraser's The Wives of Henry VIII isn't even fiction! It's straight biography, and a very good one.
I look to historical fiction to take the facts (Henry VIII had 8 wives, most of whom died) and put real faces and real people behind those facts, explain how a real person could do the things they did or make the decisions they madeWhich historical fiction book is this an outline of please?
The Devil in the White City is NOT historical fiction. Eric Larson writes NON-FICTION!And some of these others I question whether they are "historical fiction" - they take place at a certain time in history and they are fiction. But that doesn't make them "historical fiction."
Maybe I just take my historical fiction too literally.
Jan wrote: "The Devil in the White City is NOT historical fiction. Eric Larson writes NON-FICTION!And some of these others I question whether they are "historical fiction" - they take place at a certain ti..."
Well, Larson does write fiction as well...
:O)
... but I get your point on this particular work - 300+ readers have it on the fiction shelf. I bet he's nearly as mad about it all as you are.
I guess it's sort of a compliment, as people "who don't read non-fiction" always want "non-fiction that reads like fiction."
To the best of my knowledge (and Wikipedia's as well) Erik Larson does not write fiction. He has worked for newspapers, he has taught non-fiction writing and, as far as I can tell, as only written non-fiction.
People may well read him as though he is fiction. Many think that non-fiction is dry and dull. I know many though Seabiscuit by Hillenbrand was fiction. But maybe these books can help bring people into the light. (jk)
Jan wrote: "To the best of my knowledge (and Wikipedia's as well) Erik Larson does not write fiction. He has worked for newspapers, he has taught non-fiction writing and, as far as I can tell, as only writ..."
Jan , is his profile on GR wrong? It states that he writes mysteries and thrillers as well but I cannot see any publications along those lines.
Colonel Charles Dahnmon Whitt has a new (Historic-Fiction) out. It is a 580 page hardback relating to the years from 1836 to 1900. It is based on an appalachian and his family as they live in the 1800's in Virginia and Kentucky. It also covers his service as a Confederate in Company H, of the 29th. Virginia Infantry. It is a day to day history where the folks come to life and keep you wondering, What's next? "Legacy, The Days of David Crockett Whitt" is the name of this narrative. Get it at dahnmonwhittfamily.com
WILL SOMEONE WITH SMARTS AND SKILLS PLEASE PLEASE PRUNE THIS LIST DOWN TO HISTORICAL FICTION. Without limitation, no definition. As Alan Turing famously said, Information is Entropy (Boundless information eventually becomes no information at all).Sadly, we must either cut The Crucible and Inherit the Wind......or let in ALL of Shakespeare's history plays.
Animal Farm is historical fiction?I cleaned out a lot of the non-fiction.
Stephanie wrote: "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. "Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell is historical fiction. The fictional elements including the historical use of magic in Britain, and the use of magic at that time in Britain. But the rest of the book is historical in setting and events, including the Napoleonic Wars. Remember, these aren't history books, but works of fiction that use history as a basis.
Is it historical fiction if it was contemporary at the time it was written? Some stuff on this list really confused me.
To my mind - if it was contemporary at the time it was written, it is not historical fiction.
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