Historical Fiction Index

Classified By Type

Based Strictly on Real Historical People and Events

300 Graphic Novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley ,

Alexander the Great Trilogy by Mary Renault

--Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault 

--The Persian Boy by Mary Renault, 

--Funeral Games by Mary Renault,

Alexander the Great Trilogy by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,

--Alexander: Child of a Dream by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,

--Alexander: The Sands of Ammon by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,
--Alexander: The Ends of the Earth by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, 
An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris,
Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min

Cicero Trilogy by Robert Harris

--Imperium by Robert Harris

--Conspirata by Robert Harris,
--Dictator by Robert Harris,
Claudius the God by Robert Graves ,
King Richard III by William Shakespeare ,
The Last Card by Hans Hellmut Kirst ,
The Last Shogun by Ryotaro Shiba ,

Masters of Rome Series by Colleen McCullough
--Caesar by Colleen McCullough

--The October Horse by Colleen McCullough

Thomas Cromwell Trilogy by Hilary Mantel

--Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel ,

--Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel ,

--The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks ,

Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong translated by Moss Roberts, 

Tyrant by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,

(For my definition of historical fiction, see HERE)

Fictional Characters and Historical Figures are Mixed Together

Flashman Series by George MacDonald Fraser

--Tom Brown's Schooldays

--Flashman
--Royal Flash
--Flash for Freedom
--Flashman at the Charge
--Flashman in the Great Game
--Flashman's Lady
--Flashman and the Redskins
--Flashman and the Dragon
--Flashman and the Mountain of Light
--Flashman and the Angel of the Lord 
--Flashman and the Tiger
--Flashman on the March
--Mr American by George MacDonald Fraser
--Black Ajax by George MacDonald Fraser

Kidnapped and Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson

Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo

Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis

Rosa by Jonathan Rabb

The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Butterfly in Amber by Kate Forsyth

The Three Musketeers Series by Alexander Dumas

--The Three Musketeers 

--Twenty Years After

--The Vicomte De Bragelonne

--Ten Years Later

--Louise de la Valliere

--The Man in the Iron Mask

The Voice of the People by Jean Vautrin

The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore

Tides of War by Steven Pressfield

To Kill a Tsar by Andrew Williams

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Set During Historical Events or Time Periods, But Mostly Fictional Characters

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles,

All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

Sweden by Matthew Turner

The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz

--Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz

--Palace of Desire by Naguib Mahfouz

--Sugar Street by Naguib Mahfouz

The Debacle by Emile Zola

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

The Gods Will Have Blood by Anatole France

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

The Map of Lost Memories by Kim Fay

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

The Time of the Dragons by Alice Ekert-Rotholz

Inspired by Real History

Bakunin, An Invention by Horst Bienek 

Beloved by Toni Morrison (inspired by Margaret Garner)

Buddha by Osamu Tezuka ,

-- Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka

-- Buddha, Vol. 2: The Four Encounters by Osamu Tezuka 

-- Buddha, Vol. 3: Devadatta by Osamu Tezuka

-- Buddha, Vol. 4: The Forest of Uruvela by Osamu Tezuka

-- Buddha, Vol. 5: Deer Park by Osamu Tezuka

-- Buddha, Vol. 6: Ananda by Osamu Tezuka

-- Buddha, Vol. 7: Prince Ajatasattu by Osamu Tezuka

-- Buddha, Vol. 8: Jetavana by Osamu Tezuka

Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en (inspired by Xuanzang)
The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow (inspired by Michael Meeropol and Robert Meeropol)

Shogun by James Clavell (inspired by William Adams)

(See also: Mythology)

Alternative History

1632 by Eric Flint

Anno Dracula Series by Kim Newman

--Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

--Anno Dracula 1918: The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

U.S.! By Chris Bachelder,

Classified by Subject

The Bible

King David

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks ,

Ancient Greece

Persian Wars

300 Graphic Novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley ,

Peloponnesian War

Tides of War by Steven Pressfield

Tyrant by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,

Alexander the Great

Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault 

The Persian Boy by Mary Renault, 

Funeral Games by Mary Renault,

Alexander: Child of a Dream by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,

Alexander: The Sands of Ammon by Valerio Massimo Manfredi,
Alexander: The Ends of the Earth by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, 

Roman Empire

End of the Roman Republic

Imperium by Robert Harris

Conspirata by Robert Harris,
Dictator by Robert Harris,

Caesar by Colleen McCullough

The October Horse by Colleen McCullough

Julio-Claudian dynasty

Claudius the God by Robert Graves ,

British History

War of the Roses

The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

King Richard III by William Shakespeare ,

Tudors

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel ,

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel ,

The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

English Civil War

Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis

The Butterfly in Amber by Kate Forsyth

Twenty Years After by Alexander Dumas

The Vicomte De Bragelonne by Alexander Dumas

British Empire

Flashman Series,

Kim by Rudyard Kipling,

Burmese Days by George Orwell,

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster,

Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz

French History

Louis XI

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Louis XIII and Louis XIV

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

Twenty Years After by Alexander Dumas

The Vicomte De Bragelonne by Alexander Dumas

Ten Years Later by Alexander Dumas

Louise de la Valliere by Alexander Dumas

The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexander Dumas

The French Revolution

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy,

Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo,

The Gods Will Have Blood by Anatole France

The Paris Commune

The Debacle by Emile Zola,

The Voice of the People by Jean Vautrin,

The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore,

The Insurrectionist by Jules Valles (possibly roman a clef memoirs)

Japanese History

Shogun Era

Shogun by James Clavell 

The Last Shogun by Ryotaro Shiba ,

World War II

The Last Card by Hans Hellmut Kirst ,

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

Student Movement 1960s

Sweden by Matthew Turner

Historical Fiction Playlist HERE: