Most Brilliant Historical Novels in the past 45 yrs

1.
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1) 4.35 avg rating — 809,455 ratings
2.
The Book Thief
The Book Thief 4.39 avg rating — 2,802,167 ratings
3.
Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1)
Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 227,522 ratings
4.
The Help
The Help 4.47 avg rating — 2,962,090 ratings
5.
Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2)
Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) 4.30 avg rating — 102,601 ratings
6.
World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)
World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2) 4.32 avg rating — 268,995 ratings
7.
Outlander (Outlander, #1)
Outlander (Outlander, #1) 4.26 avg rating — 1,131,988 ratings
8.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring 3.93 avg rating — 768,685 ratings
9.
All the Light We Cannot See
All the Light We Cannot See 4.31 avg rating — 1,904,575 ratings
10.
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) 4.56 avg rating — 222,348 ratings
11.
Atonement
Atonement 3.95 avg rating — 551,972 ratings
12.
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants 4.11 avg rating — 1,680,822 ratings
13.
The Sunne in Splendour
The Sunne in Splendour 4.41 avg rating — 22,485 ratings
14.
Year of Wonders
Year of Wonders 4.01 avg rating — 171,880 ratings
15.
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1)
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1) 4.32 avg rating — 340,737 ratings
16.
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha 4.16 avg rating — 2,082,561 ratings
17.
The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees 4.10 avg rating — 1,337,508 ratings
18.
The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1)
The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1) 4.27 avg rating — 109,097 ratings
19.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 4.19 avg rating — 793,965 ratings
20.
The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1)
The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 179,476 ratings
21.
The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day 4.14 avg rating — 344,054 ratings
22.
Here Be Dragons (Welsh Princes, #1)
Here Be Dragons (Welsh Princes, #1) 4.29 avg rating — 24,740 ratings
23.
The English Patient
The English Patient 3.86 avg rating — 137,382 ratings
24.
Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake, #1)
Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 60,126 ratings
25.
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1)
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) 3.97 avg rating — 476,949 ratings
26.
Regeneration (Regeneration, #1)
Regeneration (Regeneration, #1) 4.02 avg rating — 33,024 ratings
27.
Possession
Possession 3.90 avg rating — 83,121 ratings
28.
The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2)
The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2) 3.96 avg rating — 180,700 ratings
29.
Alias Grace
Alias Grace 4.04 avg rating — 153,258 ratings
30.
When Christ and His Saints Slept (Plantagenets #1; Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)
When Christ and His Saints Slept (Plantagenets #1; Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1) 4.26 avg rating — 17,210 ratings
31.
Pompeii
Pompeii 3.88 avg rating — 51,571 ratings
32.
The Light Between Oceans
The Light Between Oceans 4.04 avg rating — 473,458 ratings
33.
The Red Tent
The Red Tent 4.20 avg rating — 623,977 ratings
34.
The Kitchen House
The Kitchen House 4.23 avg rating — 295,478 ratings
35.
Terra Feliz: Vanity
Terra Feliz: Vanity 4.66 avg rating — 70 ratings
36.
Sarah's Key
Sarah's Key 4.18 avg rating — 489,783 ratings
37.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet 4.03 avg rating — 66,779 ratings
38.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1) 3.82 avg rating — 176,375 ratings
39.
The Nightingale
The Nightingale 4.64 avg rating — 1,894,598 ratings
40.
The Forgotten Garden
The Forgotten Garden 4.15 avg rating — 234,165 ratings
41.
The Lady of the Rivers (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #1)
The Lady of the Rivers (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #1) 4.05 avg rating — 90,905 ratings
42.
An Instance of the Fingerpost
An Instance of the Fingerpost 3.94 avg rating — 26,660 ratings
43.
The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles 4.31 avg rating — 1,861,583 ratings
44.
Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake, #2)
Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake, #2) 4.30 avg rating — 31,749 ratings
45.
The Reader
The Reader 3.78 avg rating — 226,225 ratings
46.
The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, #3)
The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, #3) 4.45 avg rating — 9,636 ratings
47.
The Snow Child
The Snow Child 4.01 avg rating — 166,411 ratings
48.
The Boleyn Inheritance (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #10)
The Boleyn Inheritance (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #10) 3.91 avg rating — 94,356 ratings
49.
The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome, #1)
The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome, #1) 4.13 avg rating — 23,948 ratings
50.
Life After Life
Life After Life 3.78 avg rating — 237,984 ratings
51.
Fingersmith
Fingersmith 4.02 avg rating — 115,233 ratings
52.
The Invention of Wings
The Invention of Wings 4.26 avg rating — 328,059 ratings
53.
Falls the Shadow (Welsh Princes, #2)
Falls the Shadow (Welsh Princes, #2) 4.40 avg rating — 10,557 ratings
54.
Sarum
Sarum 4.08 avg rating — 45,868 ratings
55.
London
London 4.09 avg rating — 33,576 ratings
56.
Pope Joan
Pope Joan 4.10 avg rating — 73,856 ratings
57.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
by: Lisa See
4.09 avg rating — 382,946 ratings
58.
The Crimson Petal and the White
The Crimson Petal and the White 3.89 avg rating — 44,667 ratings
59.
Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake, #3)
Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake, #3) 4.26 avg rating — 32,090 ratings
60.
Genghis: Birth of an Empire (Conqueror, #1)
Genghis: Birth of an Empire (Conqueror, #1) 4.39 avg rating — 36,858 ratings
61.
Company of Liars
Company of Liars 3.86 avg rating — 16,325 ratings
62.
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible 4.11 avg rating — 779,770 ratings
63.
Fatherland
Fatherland 4.02 avg rating — 53,934 ratings
64.
Caesar's Women (Masters of Rome, #4)
Caesar's Women (Masters of Rome, #4) 4.29 avg rating — 7,613 ratings
65.
Time and Chance (Plantagenets #2; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine #2)
Time and Chance (Plantagenets #2; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) 4.30 avg rating — 9,291 ratings
66.
Corelli’s Mandolin
Corelli’s Mandolin 4.03 avg rating — 91,609 ratings
67.
Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1)
Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1) 3.93 avg rating — 120,556 ratings
68.
Heartstone (Matthew Shardlake, #5)
Heartstone (Matthew Shardlake, #5) 4.36 avg rating — 22,227 ratings
69.
Lionheart (Plantagenets #4; Richard the Lionheart #1)
Lionheart (Plantagenets #4; Richard the Lionheart #1) 4.11 avg rating — 7,729 ratings
70.
Daughter of Fortune
Daughter of Fortune 3.94 avg rating — 138,054 ratings
71.
Birdsong
Birdsong 4.11 avg rating — 82,676 ratings
72.
Revelation (Matthew Shardlake #4)
Revelation (Matthew Shardlake #4) 4.37 avg rating — 26,667 ratings
73.
The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9)
The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9) 4.09 avg rating — 508,938 ratings
74.
Caesar (Masters of Rome, #5)
Caesar (Masters of Rome, #5) 4.40 avg rating — 8,267 ratings
75.
An Officer and a Spy
An Officer and a Spy 4.22 avg rating — 32,174 ratings
76.
Loving Frank
Loving Frank 3.77 avg rating — 100,844 ratings
77.
Gates of Fire
Gates of Fire 4.40 avg rating — 42,073 ratings
78.
Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2)
Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) 4.34 avg rating — 378,237 ratings
79.
The Grass Crown (Masters of Rome, #2)
The Grass Crown (Masters of Rome, #2) 4.33 avg rating — 13,048 ratings
80.
The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1)
The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1) 4.13 avg rating — 129,521 ratings
81.
Doc
Doc really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17,360 ratings
82.
The Children's Book
The Children's Book 3.68 avg rating — 18,832 ratings
83.
Devil's Brood (Plantagenets #3; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3)
Devil's Brood (Plantagenets #3; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3) 4.38 avg rating — 8,085 ratings
84.
The Invisible Bridge
The Invisible Bridge 4.18 avg rating — 53,715 ratings
85.
The October Horse (Masters of Rome #6)
The October Horse (Masters of Rome #6) 4.33 avg rating — 6,481 ratings
86.
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Flavia de Luce, #2)
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Flavia de Luce, #2) 3.99 avg rating — 58,091 ratings
87.
Slammerkin
Slammerkin 3.75 avg rating — 17,131 ratings
88.
True History of the Kelly Gang
True History of the Kelly Gang 3.83 avg rating — 23,798 ratings
89.
A Place of Greater Safety
A Place of Greater Safety really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11,444 ratings
90.
The Sisters Brothers
The Sisters Brothers 3.85 avg rating — 101,541 ratings
91.
The Forest
The Forest 4.05 avg rating — 10,191 ratings
92.
Fortune's Favorites (Masters of Rome, #3)
Fortune's Favorites (Masters of Rome, #3) 4.40 avg rating — 8,603 ratings
93.
The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco, #1)
The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco, #1) 3.90 avg rating — 15,445 ratings
94.
Voyager (Outlander, #3)
Voyager (Outlander, #3) 4.39 avg rating — 325,469 ratings
95.
Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution 3.97 avg rating — 22,304 ratings
96.
Imperium (Cicero, #1)
Imperium (Cicero, #1) 4.14 avg rating — 39,321 ratings
97.
The Red Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #3)
The Red Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #3) 3.82 avg rating — 76,902 ratings
98.
Innocent Traitor
Innocent Traitor 3.98 avg rating — 34,674 ratings
99.
Remarkable Creatures
Remarkable Creatures 3.89 avg rating — 54,481 ratings
100.
Winter in Madrid
Winter in Madrid 3.87 avg rating — 18,765 ratings
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