Historical Fiction reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 182 Reddit reviews across 7 subreddits and 21 posts to rank the best Historical Fiction brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/suggestmeabook, r/booksuggestions, r/Tudorhistory, r/ancientrome, r/HistoricalFiction. Top-rated brands include Ken Follett (5.0/5), James Clavell (4.9/5), Umberto Eco (5.0/5).
Stats
Reviews182
Subreddits7
Posts21
Brands86
Products94
182 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Ken Follett
5.0
(12)
"It's amazing."
"I second The Pillars of the Earth."
"Ken Follett: Pillars of the Earth."
"Pillars of the Earth — Ken Follett (Medieval historical fiction. This is a great series, the first three where my favorites.)"
"Ken Follett: Pillars of the Earth."
"The 4 books in the Kingsbridge Series by Ken Follett."
"The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett."
"Ken Follett: Pillars of the Earth"
"King Hereafter is a retelling of Macbeth and is brilliant."
"Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett."
#2
James Clavell
4.9
(9)
"Is fantastic and is fine as a stand-alone read."
"Love Shogun by James Clavell"
"Shogun"
"Shogun by James Clavell."
"Shogun by James Clavell."
"King Rat by James Clavell."
"Shogun by James Clavell."
"King Rat by James Clavell."
"James Clavell: The Asian series (Noble House, Shogun, Tai-Pan, King Rat, Whirlwind, Gai-Jin)."
#3
Umberto Eco
5.0
(6)
"Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose."
"Historical fiction: Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose."
"Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose"
"Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose."
"If you love the Middle Ages and havent read it already, please RUN to get 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco."
"The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco."
#4
Larry McMurtry
5.0
(6)
"Larry McMurtry: Lonesome Dove."
"Lonesome Dove — Larry McMurtry (A Western fiction. The first book is one of the best I've ever read.)"
"Larry McMurtry: Lonesome Dove."
"Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry"
"McMurty is a top tier author. Lonesome Dove is a phenomenal epic."
"Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry."
#5
Min Jin Lee
5.0
(5)
"Min Jin Lee: Pachinko."
"Pachinko!"
"Just finished pachinko and can’t recommend it enough!"
"Pachinko by Min Jin Lee."
"Pachinko, Babel!"
#6
Mary Renault
5.0
(5)
"Seconding Mary Renault! I love her works and love when I see them recommended!"
"The Alexander Trilogy by Mary Renault."
"Anything by Mary Renault."
"Books set in ancient Greece by Mary Renault."
"No Rome, but how about Greece? Mary Renault is extremely knowledgeable."
#7
Diana Gabaldon
5.0
(5)
"Outlander by Diana Gabaldon."
"The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is fantastic! I think she’s a fantastic writer and storyteller."
"Outlander by Diana Gabaldon"
"Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series."
"I feel like ‘Outlander’ by Diana Gabaldon is probably the heaviest hitter for historical fiction."
#8
Bernard Cornwell
5.0
(5)
"The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell."
"Anything by Bernard Cornwell, my favorite is the Winter King, it definitely reads as historical fiction and offers a great look at the dark ages."
"Love Bernard Cornwell"
"Anything from bernard cornwell! My favorite is azincourt"
"Bernard Cornwell has some really good ones."
#9
Neal Stephenson
4.8
(5)
"Quicksilver by Niel Stephenson is excellent."
"The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson is a trilogy I can't recommend enough."
"The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson."
"The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson."
"Stephenson - Baroque Cycle (3 books, technically sequels to his Cryptonomicon)"
#10
Kristin Hannah
4.8
(5)
"The women by Kristin Hannah"
"The Women and The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah"
"A lot of her books have some kind of historical plot and they’re all heckin amazing. the women (Vietnam war)"
"A lot of her books have some kind of historical plot and they’re all heckin amazing. Four winds (dust bowl era)"
"The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, about the dust bowl and very accurate to history."
#11
Anthony Doerr
5.0
(4)
"All the light we cannot see by anthony doerr. i love history and this book is set in ww2 following a young, french blind girl and a boy from the hitler youth."
""All the Light We Cannot See" is probably one of the best historical fiction books ever."
"All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr"
"All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr"
#12
Hilary Mantel
5.0
(3)
"Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall."
"Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall."
"Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel."
#13
Edward Rutherford
4.7
(3)
"Have you read Sarum by Edward Rutherford?"
"Sarum being my first read."
"Sarum by Edward Rutherford."
#14
John Williams
4.7
(3)
"Augustus by John Williams."
"Augustus by John Williams"
"John Williams's 'Augustus' and 'Butcher's Crossing' come to mind."
#15
Noah Gordon
4.7
(3)
"The physician by Noah Gordon."
"The Physician by Noah Gordon."
"The physician by Noah Gordon, The book thief, The guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."
#16
Conn Iggulden
4.7
(3)
"Love Conn Iggulden"
"All of Conn Igguldens series are very good."
"My wife really enjoyed Conn Iggulden's books."
#17
Gary Jennings
4.7
(3)
"Aztec by Gary Jennings."
"Aztec by Gary Jennings."
"Spangle - Gary Jennings"
#18
Matt Killen
4.0
(3)
"Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killen."
"Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killen."
"Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killen."
#19
Elizabeth Gilbert
4.0
(3)
"City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert."
"City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert."
"City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert."
#20
Lex Croucher
4.0
(3)
"Reputation by Lex Croucher."
"Reputation by Lex Croucher."
"Reputation by Lex Croucher."
#21
Rosella Postorino
4.0
(3)
"Le Assaggiatrici by Rosella Postorino."
"Le Assaggiatrici by Rosella Postorino."
"Le Assaggiatrici by Rosella Postorino."
#22
Stephanie Dray
5.0
(2)
"The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray"
"The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray."
#23
Jean Plaidy
5.0
(2)
"Jean Plaidy Tudor and Plantagenet books are classics."
"These are older authors but they wrote books about Anne Boleyn."
#24
Markus Zusak
5.0
(2)
"+ the book thief."
"The Book Thief by Markus Zusak."
#25
George MacDonald Fraser
5.0
(2)
"To combine historical fiction and satire, the Flashman Papers series by George MacDonald Fraser and the Otto Prohaska series by John Biggins are both great."
"The Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser. An admitted cad and coward is always reluctantly thrust into some of the 19th centuries most infamous moments."
#26
Donna Woolfolk Cross
5.0
(2)
"Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross"
"Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross."
#27
Robert Harris
5.0
(2)
"Robert Harris' Cicero Trilogy (Imperium etc)"
"The Cicero trilogy by Robert Harris."
#28
C.J. Sansom
5.0
(2)
"The Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom."
"The Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom."
#29
Simon Turney
5.0
(2)
"The Marius Mules series by Simon Turney are top notch."
"Marius' Mules series by Simon Turney"
#30
Sarah Dunant
5.0
(2)
"I love The Birth Of Venus by Sarah Dunant"
"The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant."
#31
Connie Willis
5.0
(2)
"Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. It is a meticulously researched historical fiction novel."
"Blackout / All Clear by Connie Willis. Best WW2 story I’ve ever read, absolutely incredible."
#32
James Alexander Thom
5.0
(2)
"I’m a fan of James Alexander Thom’s historical fiction. All true stories of early America from different perspectives."
"Follow The River about Mary Draper Ingals."
#33
Orhan Pamuk
4.5
(2)
"See the novels of Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, starting with My Name is Red."
"My Name is Red is a great read! Nevertheless, OP, you should note that key elements of the book are distinctly historically incorrect."
#34
Dan Simmons
4.5
(2)
"The Terror by Dan Simmons."
"The Terror by Dan Simmons."
#35
Kathleen Winsor
4.5
(2)
"Kathleen Winsor's Forever Amber."
"Set in 17th century Europe and includes details about the plague."
#36
John Steinbeck
4.5
(2)
"*The Grapes of Wrath* by John Steinbeck."
"The Grapes of Wrath might seem heavy, but it’s a powerful story about a family’s struggle during tough times."
#37
Ursula le Guin
4.5
(2)
"Lavinia by Ursula le Guin retelling the Aeneid."
"Lavinia by Ursula le Guin."
#38
Sarah Waters
4.5
(2)
"If not I definitely recommend {Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters}."
"Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. Set in the 19th century, it follows an oyster girl's adventures when she leaves home."
#39
Amor Towles
4.5
(2)
"Have you read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles?"
"The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towels. There are some touchy subjects but handled in a PG way."
#40
Lisa Wingate
4.0
(2)
"Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate."
"“Shelterwood” or “Before We were Yours” by Lisa Wingate. Based on significant USA historical events using composite characters."
#41
Christopher Buckley
4.0
(2)
"Also second the recommendation for Christopher Buckley."
"Christopher Buckley's books which are both satire and mostly historical at this point."
#42
Barbara Smucker
5.0
(1)
"Set more than 50 years ago, but Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker. Read it when I was about 11."
#43
Jill Jones
5.0
(1)
"Emily’s Secret by Jill Jones. She’s written a bunch of historical fiction. Great writer, stories are immersive and believable."
#44
Margaret Mitchell
5.0
(1)
"Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell"
#45
Octavia Butler
5.0
(1)
"Kindred by Octavia Butler."
#46
Arthur Golden
5.0
(1)
"Arthur Golden: Memoirs of a Geisha."
#47
Melanie Benjamin
5.0
(1)
"Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin"
#48
David Grann
5.0
(1)
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
#49
Nicola Griffith
5.0
(1)
"Hild and Menewood by Nicola Griffith. ~6th century Anglo saxons. An imagining of the life of St Hilda. Couldn’t put them down"
#50
Laurent Binet
5.0
(1)
"HHhH by Laurent Binet is simultaneously a historical fiction novel about the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich."
#51
Ferdia Lennon
5.0
(1)
"Give Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon a try. It was my fave book of last year."
#52
Kate Manning
5.0
(1)
"My Notorious Life by Kate Manning"
#53
Jean M. Auel
5.0
(1)
"Absolutely sublime; riveting reads, every one of them."
#54
Charles Frazier
5.0
(1)
"Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier"
#55
Gore Vidal
5.0
(1)
"I love Burr and Lincoln by Gore Vidal. Such fun reads."
#56
John Jakes
5.0
(1)
"John Jake’s North and South trilogy"
#57
Kenneth Roberts
5.0
(1)
"I highly recommend any historical fiction written by Kenneth Roberts, most famous are Rabble in Arms and Northwest Passage."
#58
Sir Walter Scott
5.0
(1)
"Rob Roy and Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott more or less invented the genre."
#59
James Clavell, James Michener, Leon Uris
5.0
(1)
"I’ve loved all of James Clavell’s Asian series and Shogun is my favorite book of all time. Centennial by James Michener. Trinity by Leon Uris as well as Mika 18."
#60
Emma Donoghue
5.0
(1)
"Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. Fantastic story that's based off of the existing facts of a young woman's life in the 1700s."
#61
Anita Diamant
5.0
(1)
"The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant"
#62
Jan Guillou
5.0
(1)
"The crusades series by Jan Guillou. Road to Jerusalem, knight Templar and new kingdom is a really 10/10 read."
#63
Connie Schultz
5.0
(1)
"The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz"
#64
Erik Larson
5.0
(1)
"The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen"
#65
Ann Leary
5.0
(1)
"The Foundling by Ann Leary"
#66
James Michener
4.0
(1)
"The Drifters, by James Michener."
#67
Orson Scott Card
4.0
(1)
"If "alternate history" is acceptable, I'd highly recommend Seventh Son and Red Prophet, by Orson Scott Card."
#68
Jason Goodwin
4.0
(1)
"The Janisarry Tree, an historical mystery by Jason Goodwin. It’s the first of series but a good standalone book, too."
#69
Phillips Gregory
4.0
(1)
"The Lady of the Lakes, by Phillips Gregory."
#70
Alison Weir
4.0
(1)
"Alison Weir’s novel “The Last White Rose.”"
#71
Alison Weir, Tony Riches, Philippa Gregory, David Field, Jean Plaidy
4.0
(1)
"The Last White Rose- Alison Weir, Henry- Tony Riches, The White Princess by Philippa Gregory, Tudor Dawn- David Field, To Hold the Crown- Jean Plaidy"
#72
Ellen Klages
4.0
(1)
"The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. It's set in White Sands, New Mexico in the late 1930s/early 1940s."
#73
Mario Puzo
4.0
(1)
"The Godfather by Mario Puzo"
#74
Claire North
4.0
(1)
"The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North."
#75
Steven Runciman
4.0
(1)
"Steven Runciman's trilogy of the Crusades. Easy to find, cheap Penguin edition"
#76
Phillipa Gregory, Alison Weir, Anita Diamant
4.0
(1)
"Phillipa Gregory's books. The Constant Princess is my favorite. Also a fan of Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant is also really good."
#77
Eric Walters
4.0
(1)
"The Bully Boys, Eric Walters"
#78
Paula McClain
4.0
(1)
"The Paris Wife by Paula McClain is a story about Hemingways first wife when they were poor in Paris."
#79
Ken Grimwood
4.0
(1)
"Replay by Ken Grimwood."
#80
Alex Grecian
4.0
(1)
"I just finished Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian and it was great immersive storytelling. It’s set in the old American west."
#81
Tim Powers
4.0
(1)
"Tim Powers is a writer who uses actual events as starting point for his novels. A mixture of historical fiction and fantasy."
#82
John Cribb, Colson Whitehead, Mary Doria Russell
4.0
(1)
"Old Abe by John Cribb, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Doc and Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell (novels about the O.K. Corral)"
#83
Kate Albus
4.0
(1)
"Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus"
#84
Rex Stout
4.0
(1)
"If he likes mysteries, the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout might interest him. They were written between 1930 and 1977, so they all now count as historical."
#85
Randall Garrett
4.0
(1)
"Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett."
#86
Susan Azim Boyer
4.0
(1)
"Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer"
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