For the people you know who love to have their head in history all of the time, here are some great historical fiction novels you can gift them! Each one of these stories would be considered an epic: they’re long, they have a lot of characters, they span a long time, and they’re incredibly immersive.

1. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Ken Follett is the master story teller, and this novel proves it. There’s a reason this was Oprah’s book club pick a while back – it’s EXCELLENT. If you haven’t read this yet, or you know a family member who hasn’t, I’d recommend getting this one for them! Even my dad, who almost exclusively reads political non-fiction, enjoyed this book! It takes place in the 1100s in England.

2. Shogun by James Clavell 

This is the first book in the Asian Saga series that is set in feudal Japan in 1600. Guys, this book is freaking awesome. Sine the story is an epic, it’s bound to appeal to almost any reader. You get all the fighting and violence and torture (oh my!), love stories and prostitution (scandalous!), fascinating cultural details of 1600 Japan, and so much more. The series is 6 books long, but each book can stand alone, so you don’t have to read them all.

3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 

Don’t be intimidated by this book’s size or its label as a “classic” It’s incredibly readable and appeals to all varieties of fiction readers: those who enjoy love stories, the war-junkies, and history aficionados. This book takes place between 1805-1812 during the Napoleonic Wars in Russia.

the bronze horseman

4. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

This is a WWII novel that takes place mostly in Leningrad Russia during the infamous Leningrad blockade. It’s a beautifully told love story that is the perfect mix of a heart-wrenching relationship between two flawed characters and historical facts. This is easily one of my favorite reads of all time.


What are some of your favorite historical fiction novels? What would you recommend I read?