Riveting Historical Fiction
Dive into riveting historical fiction with our curated list of captivating books. Explore vivid eras, unforgettable characters, and epic tales that bring history to life.
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The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read #1 New York Times Bestseller Oprah's Book Club Selection The “monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career. Look out for the prequel, The Evening and the Morning, coming from Viking in September 2020. “Follett is a master,” extolled the Washington Post on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.
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Rose
by Martin Cruz Smith
The year is 1872. The place is Wigan, England, a coal town where rich mine owners live lavishly alongside miners no better than slaves. Into this dark, complicated world comes Jonathan Blair, who has accepted a commission to find a missing man. When he begins his search every road leads back to one woman, a haughty, vixenish pit girl named Rose. With her fiery hair and skirts pinned up over trousers, she cares nothing for a society that calls her unnatural, scandalous, erotic. As Rose and Blair circle one another, first warily, then with the heat of mutual desire, Blair loses his balance. And the lull induced by Rose's sensual touch leaves him unprepared for the bizarre, soul-scorching truth. . . .
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Unicorn's Blood
by Patricia Finney
A tale narrated by a defrocked nun explores the realm-shattering possibility of a stolen journal kept by the young Princess Elizabeth falling into the wrong hands.
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The Daughter of Time
by Josephine Tey
A hospitalized English policeman reconstructs historical evidence concerning Richard III's role in the murder of Edward IV's two sons.
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Quo Vadis
by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Translated by Stanley F Conrad. Set around the dawn of Christianity with amazing historical accuracy Quo Vadis? won Sienkiewicz the Nobel Prize. Written nearly a century ago and translated into over 40 languages, Quo Vadis, has been the greatest best-selling novel in the history of literature. Now in a sparkling new translation which restores the original glory and splendour of this masterpiece, W S Kuniczak, the most acclaimed translator of Sienkiewicz in this century, combines his special knowledge of Sienkiewicz's fiction with his own considerable talents as a novelist. An epic saga of love, courage and devotion in Nero's time, Quo Vadis portrays the degenerate days leading to the fall of the Roman Empire and the glory and the agony of early Christianity.
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The Eight
by Katherine Neville
Computer expert Cat Velis is heading for a job to Algeria. Before she goes, a mysterious fortune teller warns her of danger, and an antique dealer asks her to search for pieces to a valuable chess set that has been missing for years...In the South of France in 1790 two convent girls hide valuable pieces of a chess set all over the world, because the game that can be played with them is too powerful....
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Jerusalem
by Cecelia Holland
The extraordinary author of The Bear Flag and Pacific Street returns to print at last with a remarkable novel. Set in the Holy Land in 1187 A.D., Jerusalem is an epic of war and political intrigue, of passion and religious fervor.
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The First Man in Rome
by Colleen McCullough
On New Year's Day of 110 B.C., two men whom "Fortune" favors stand with a vision and courage that will force change upon the Roman Empire.
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The Grass Crown
by Colleen McCullough
An aging, ailing Gaius Marius, heralded conqueror of Germany and Numidia, longs for that which was prophesied many years before: an unprecedented seventh consulship of Rome. It is a prize to be won only through treachery and with blood, pitting Marius against a new generation of assassins, powerseekers and Senate intriguers.
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Fortune's Favorites
by Colleen McCullough
In the midst of a disintegrating Republic, the dictator of ancient Rome, Sulla, retires, the brutally ambitious Pompey appoints himself Magnus, and a young Caesar emerges as a towering figure to his people, with his wife, Cimilla, by his side. Reprint.
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The October Horse
by Colleen McCullough
Now in paperback--the sweeping epic of ancient Rome from the #1 bestselling author of "The Thorn Birds" that brings to life Gaius Julius Caesar during the last days of the Roman Republic.
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A Dangerous Fortune
by Ken Follett
A breathtaking thriller featuring "political and amorous intrigues, cold-blooded murder, and financial crises" (San Francisco Chronicle), from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Column of Fire In 1866, tragedy strikes the exclusive Windfield School when a young student drowns in a mysterious accident. His death and its aftermath initiate a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many lives. From the exclusive men’s clubs and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London’s upper class to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world’s wealth, one family is splintered by a shared legacy. But greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy’s death, must be stopped, or the dreams of a nation will die. Praise for A Dangerous Fortune “A terrific page-turner.”—Los Angeles Times “Political and amorous intrigues, cold-blooded murder, and financial crises . . . old-fashioned entertainment.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Breathlessly plotted . . . relentlessly suspenseful.”—The New York Times “Gripping, complex plot . . . sexual intrigue . . . fascinating characters . . . You won’t be able to put down this exciting page-turner.”—Lexington Herald-Leader “Follett [builds] to a dramatic climax with the same masterful control that guided Eye of the Needle and The Pillars of the Earth.”—Playboy “I don’t usually enjoy historical thrillers but admit to being totally captivated by Ken Follett’s A Dangerous Fortune.”—Chicago Tribune “Highly entertaining . . . Follett’s characters are drawn with broad, realistic strokes . . . this story of greed and retribution should win Follett new fans.”—Publishers Weekly “Rich, complex, thrilling, suspenseful, well plotted . . . A Dangerous Fortune is dangerous reading. You won’t be able to put it down.”—Authors and Critics
