Top 10 Historical Fiction Novels That Entertain and Educate – Listverse
Reading books is a great way to learn new things, but when we think of educational literature, the image that most comes to mind is that of dusty old textbooks. However, reading for educational value doesn’t have to be boring. There is an entire genre devoted to fictional stories set in real historical locations, often involving historical figures.
These stories, when done right, can be both wildly entertaining and unexpectedly enlightening, as the reader is plunged back in time and given the opportunity to experience people and places as they once were long ago. This list aims to highlight the best historical fiction novels that will captivate you from the first page and leave you more knowledgeable by the end.
Related: Top 10 Most Confusing American Novels
10 The Given Day – Dennis Lehane (2008)
Boston native Dennis Lehane is known for writing detective stories set in his hometown, some of which he likes Gone baby gone And mystical river, have become hit films. In The given dayLehane tries something different, changing not the place but the time of the novel and taking us to Boston just after the First World War – a turbulent, rarely explored piece of history.
The story is told from the perspective of a family of Irish-American police officers navigating the troubled world of Boston in 1919. Real historical events, such as the flu epidemic, racial tensions, political maneuvering by the city government, the growing fear of socialism, and the infamous Boston police strike provide the backdrop to this highly enjoyable story. Some real historical figures make brief appearances. Lehane’s work is always very readable The given day also has great educational value.[1]
9 Black Cross-Greg Iles (1995)
World War II makes a great setting for historical fiction. We know the outcome of the conflict, but many mysteries remain as to why exactly things turned out the way they did. One such mystery is why Hitler did not resort to chemical warfare, even though the Nazis had invented the deadly nerve agent sarin. Its use would have killed millions of people if unleashed on the battlefield and changed the course of history as we know it. This is the topic that Greg Iles has deftly explored in Black Cross.
The story weaves an intriguing mix of fact and fiction into a stunning narrative tapestry that grips the reader early on and only lets go at the end, as scientist and pacifist Mark McConnell and Zionist terrorist Jonas Stern undertake a secret mission behind enemy lines to prevent the Nazis from using their ample supplies of sarin. Iles skillfully plays with the reader as the events in the story may not have happened, but could have, leaving one with a very plausible explanation for at least one of history’s many mysteries.[2]
8 Wolf Hall-Hilary Mantel (2009)
History has left many with prejudices about right and wrong, good and evil, and heroes and villains. Most people familiar with 16th-century England consider Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s prime minister, to be one of the bad guys of the time. He is credited with orchestrating the execution of Thomas More, dissolving the monasteries and bringing about the king’s ill-fated union with Anne Boleyn. Yet, in her award-winning 2009 novel Wolf HallHilary Mantel throws this view out the window and portrays Cromwell as one of history’s unlikely heroes.
The author handles this difficult task skillfully, delving into Cromwell’s difficult childhood and his deep love for his family and faith, giving the man a very human side that we can all relate to. Mantel’s in-depth research into the period gives the story a high degree of historical accuracy, detailing the exciting events that made Henry VIII one of the most famous monarchs of the time. Readers who enjoy the story (which most, if not all, will be) will be happy to hear that Wolf Hall is the first part of a trilogy, and the books that follow are just as good.[3]
7 Spartacus: The Gladiator-Ben Kane (2012)
Most will be familiar with the name Spartacus, the Thracian gladiator who brought the mighty Roman Republic to its knees in the Third Servile War (73-71 BC). The legendary figure inspired Karl Marx and Che Guevara, among others, and has been immortalized on screen. These cinematic representations tend to make liberal use of creative freedom, as very little has been written about Spartacus in historical documents. Fortunately, Ben Kane, something of an expert on all things ancient Rome, sticks as close to the historical record as possible Spartacus: The Gladiator.
Kane describes the gladiator’s time as a slave, his escape, and the remarkable events that followed when Spartacus raised an army and defeated not only entire legions but also consular armies. For details lost to history, such as the Thracian’s time before his captivity and certain parts of his epic campaign, the author reconstructs what might have happened in a suspenseful story in this first novel of a two-part series.[4]
6 Company of Liars – Karen Maitland (2008)
Karen Maitland is an expert when it comes to writing gripping historical fiction Company of liars is one of her most beloved novels. The Black Death takes place in England in 1347 and has the population in panic. It is against this backdrop that nine individuals work together to avoid the plague, but none are quite who they appear to be. They all have a story to tell, and with each revelation the plot thickens.
The author perfectly captures the feeling of that period: the story is hauntingly atmospheric and full of intrigue. The emphasis here is not on historical details, but rather on the characters and the chilling story that contains horror elements and ends with a twist that leaves readers stunned and desperate for more. Company of liars is historical fiction at its finest and should not be missed by fans of the genre.[5]
5 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks (1993)
War is hell. This is something everyone knows, and it is brought out powerfully in Sebastian Faulks’ novel about the First World War bird song. The First World War was far less publicized than later conflicts and had no shortage of carnage and bloodshed. Faulks brings this dark part of our history to life with his almost detached description of death and destruction, leaving the reader with the feeling that death is commonplace and can be visited upon any character at any time.
However, the story is not just about loss and tragedy. Interspersed between the gory scenes we get a gripping look at the home lives of soldiers, and the central theme of the novel is the main character, Stephen Wraysford’s secret love affair with Isabelle. The reading, dripping with atmosphere, is in turn gripping, exciting and heartbreaking, transporting the audience back to the bloody trenches of the Somme and the tunnels for which men risked their lives.[6]
4 The Alice Network – Kate Quinn (2017)
Kate Quinn is another author who specializes in historical fiction, and her excellent stories are thoroughly researched and stick close to the established facts. The Alice Network is heavily based on a true story about a group of female spies operating in occupied France during World War I. The book begins with a time jump to 1947, where the story focuses on Charlie St. Clair, an American socialite who travels to France to find her cousin who disappeared during the Nazi occupation.
Along the way, Charlie meets Eve Gardiner, who joins the search and along the way reveals her role as a spy in World War I, part of the historic Alice Network. Quinn covers two wars, switches seamlessly between past and present and fascinates the reader along the way. In this excellent story, Quinn proves her authority on the genre. Not a one-hit wonder: the author has since written three additional novels in the same vein, firmly securing her place on this list.[7]
3 The Terror-Dan Simmons (2007)
Known for his refusal to be pigeonholed into one genre, Dan Simmons has written an impressive range of novels, from science fiction to crime and horror. In an unusual move, The terror combines historical facts with pure, heartbreaking horror. In his characteristic way, Simmons realizes this ambitious project in a commendable manner.
Franklin’s ill-fated journey to find the Northwest Passage in 1845 ended tragically when both ships, The terror And The Erebus, became stuck in the Arctic ice and the crews were forced to abandon ships. We don’t know what became of them, and here Simmons comes into his own, weaving a chilling tale of evil, both human and alien.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, some of whom were real historical figures on the expedition, ensuring that the reader is thoroughly immersed in the story. The story is long, impressive on every page and also incredibly scary.[8]
2 Fall of Giants – Ken Follett (2010)
The first episode of The Century Trilogy, Fall of giants is a true masterpiece from one of the world’s greatest historical fiction authors, Ken Follett. Rather than taking a story idea and grounding it in a historical setting, Follett takes historical facts and skillfully combines them with a fictional story in which the characters experience, influence, and are defined by real-world events.
Fall of giants describes the run-up to the First World War, the conflict itself and the years that followed in great detail. The author’s research is so comprehensive and the facts are so faithfully presented that the novel could easily be used as a textbook for this definitive period in history. The difference is that this isn’t a boring quest through endless pages, but a breathtaking story colorfully brought to life by one of the best in the business.[9]
1 New York – Edward Rutherfurd (2009)
New York, Edward Rutherfurd’s epic historical fiction novel, is not a story about people, but about a place: the city from which the book takes its name. Of course there are characters, spanning generations, but the story is about the essence of a great city as it is built and shaped by world events.
Beginning in the 17th century, when Manhattan was a Dutch colony, and ending with the terrorist attacks of September 11, the story features the Revolution, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Depression, and many other real events that shaped the development of the world certain. the lively city.
Each new generation of characters is colorfully depicted against the historical backdrop, and Rutherfurd dispenses countless little-known facts about both time and place. New York is breathtaking in both scope and depth and is undoubtedly the perfect historical fiction novel for both educational and entertainment value.[10]