5 Historical Fiction Books Written by Expert Historians

February 9 2023
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Historical fiction in the wrong hands is something we’ve likely all experienced as readers. It’s not an easy genre to master, requiring near-perfect understanding of a point in history, the intense imagination to dream up characters that would inhabit such an era, and an ingenious plot that plays upon the historical elements of the time without sacrificing storytelling. It’s the reason we seek out expert authors to create these novels, and nobody’s considered more of an expert than an actual historian. After all, they know the people, the period, and the most intriguing, real-life story lines to play upon.

To solidify my case for historians as some of the best historical fiction writers, I’ve compiled a list of the genre’s best work written by expert historians.

One Night in Winter
by Simon Sebag Montefiore

British professor of history, author of several nonfiction books, and the creator of ONE NIGHT IN WINTER, Montefiore uses his expert knowledge of Soviet Russia, World War II, and Joseph Stalin to write a story of forbidden love in Moscow, just weeks after the end of WWII. The inciting incident is the death of two teenagers by gunshot, only a short distance from the Kremlin. From there, readers are treated to a dynamic story of the causes and consequences of those adolescent deaths—including Stalin’s personal involvement. Labeled “The Children’s Case,” Stalin insists upon a ruthless investigation, which entails interviewing students at the school for the privileged and their parents. The result? More secrets and suspicions than anyone could have ever imagined, leading us to the fateful day when two young lives were taken. With Stalin pulling the strings, readers are given a compelling political thriller from a rich historical saga that is expertly executed by a gifted writer and historian.

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One Night in Winter
Simon Sebag Montefiore

Inspired by a true story, New York Times bestselling author Simon Sebag Montefiore explores the consequences of forbidden love in this heartbreaking epic childhood, danger, and betrayal that unfolds during the bleak days after WWII. As Moscow celebrates the motherland's glorious victory over the Nazis, shots ring out on the crowded streets. On a nearby bridge, a teenage boy and girl—dressed in traditional nineteenth-century costumes—lie dead. But this is no ordinary tragedy, because these are no ordinary teenagers. They were the children of high-ranking Soviet officials. Was it an accident, or murder? Is it a conspiracy against Stalin, or one of his own terrifying intrigues?On Stalin's instructions, a ruthless investigation begins into what becomes known as the Children's Case. Youth across the city are arrested and forced to testify against their friends and their parents. As families are ripped apart, all kinds of secrets come spilling out. Trapped at the center of this witch-hunt are two pairs of illicit lovers, who learn that matters of the heart exact a terrible price.By turns a darkly sophisticated political thriller, a rich historical saga, and a deeply human love story, Montefiore's masterful novel powerfully portrays the terror and drama of Stalin's Russia.

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MENTIONED IN:

5 Historical Fiction Books Written by Expert Historians

By Chris Gaudio | February 9, 2023

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The New Life
by Tom Crewe

With a PhD in nineteenth-century British history from the University of Cambridge, Tom Crewe is more than equipped to write a good historical novel. Instead, he writes a great one. Set in, you guessed it, nineteenth-century London, Crewe captures the lives of two men as they collaborate on a book in defense of homosexuality. There’s John Addington, a married father of three girls, who also happens to have a lover, Frank, a working-class man. And there’s Henry Ellis, a virgin studying to become a doctor with an academic interest in sex. He’s married to Edith, a bisexual writer whose own lover Angelica is soon invited into Henry and Edith’s relationship. The two men, despite never meeting face-to-face, connect over a shared love of Walt Whitman and begin a correspondence about the subject of gay British men, eventually completing a book on homosexuality as a natural variation of human sexuality. But when poet and playwright Oscar Wilde is arrested for “gross indecency,” the two men must decide whether publishing it is worth becoming pariahs. Richly plotted, wholly engaging, and beautifully written, THE NEW LIFE is historical fiction at its finest.

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The New Life
Tom Crewe

A brilliant and captivating debut, in the tradition of Alan Hollinghurst and Colm Tóibín, about two marriages, two forbidden love affairs, and the passionate search for social and sexual freedom in late 19th-century London.

In this powerful, visceral novel about love, sex, and the struggle for a better world, two men collaborate on a book in defense of homosexuality, then a crime—risking their old lives in the process.

In the summer of 1894, John Addington and Henry Ellis begin writing a book arguing that what they call “inversion,” or homosexuality, is a natural, harmless variation of human sexuality. Though they have never met, John and Henry both live in London with their wives, Catherine and Edith, and in each marriage there is a third party: John has a lover, a working class man named Frank, and Edith spends almost as much time with her friend Angelica as she does with Henry. John and Catherine have three grown daughters and a long, settled marriage, over the course of which Catherine has tried to accept her husband’s sexuality and her own role in life; Henry and Edith’s marriage is intended to be a revolution in itself, an intellectual partnership that dismantles the traditional understanding of what matrimony means.

Shortly before the book is to be published, Oscar Wilde is arrested. John and Henry must decide whether to go on, risking social ostracism and imprisonment, or to give up the project for their own safety and the safety of the people they love. Is this the right moment to advance their cause? Is publishing bravery or foolishness? And what price is too high to pay for a new way of living?

A richly detailed, insightful, and dramatic debut novel, The New Life is an unforgettable portrait of two men, a city, and a generation discovering the nature and limits of personal freedom as the 20th century comes into view.

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The Immaculate Deception
by Iain Pears

Art historian Iain Pears’s THE IMMACULATE DECEPTION is the seventh novel in his Jonathan Argyll series. If you haven’t read any of the previous novels in the series, don’t worry, this book operates well as a standalone featuring Jonathan’s wife, Flavia di Stefano, most prominently as she seeks to return a stolen Claude Lorrain painting taken from the Louvre. But the thing about Landscape with Cephalis and Procris being taken is that, despite a ransom being demanded, it’s actually against the law in Italy to make such a payment. As a result, Flavia, the acting head of Rome’s art-theft squad, must go a little “off the book” to solve this case. Meanwhile, Jonathan, an art historian studying an Immaculate Conception painting that was stolen many decades ago, is finding surprising revelations in its history that connect it to an old adversary and the current case that Flavia is undertaking. It seems that this search for an art thief might be far more deadly than first imagined. Fast-paced, high-spirited, and just downright fun, this book explores Rome from an art historian’s perspective and dives deep into the intriguing art-theft trade.

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The Immaculate Deception
Iain Pears

From internationally bestselling author Iain Pears comes the seventh in his Jonathan Argyll series -- an intriguing mystery of love, loss, and artistic license.
For newlywed and Italian art theft squad head Flavia di Stefano, the honeymoon is over when a painting, borrowed from the Louvre and en route to a celebratory exhibition, is stolen. Desperate to avoid public embarrassment -- and to avoid paying a ransom -- the Italian prime minister leans hard on Flavia to get it back quickly and quietly.
Across town, her husband, art historian Jonathan Argyll, begins an investigation of his own, tracing the past of a small Renaissance painting -- an Immaculate Conception -- owned by Flavia's mentor, retired general Taddeo Bottando. Soon both husband and wife uncover astonishing and chilling secrets, and Flavia's investigation takes a sudden turn from the search for an art thief to the hunt for a murderer.

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The Intelligencer
by Leslie Silbert

Renaissance scholar turned private investigator Leslie Silbert is more than suited to craft a completely compelling work of historical fiction. And that’s exactly what she’s done in THE INTELLIGENCER. The plot is split between two periods: 1593 London, where a playwright and spy in Queen Elizabeth I’s secret service has been murdered and present-day New York City, where a renaissance scholar turned private eye (sound familiar?) named Kate Morgan investigates a heist and murder involving an antique manuscript recently found in London. The scribblings appear to be that of Christopher Marlowe—the aforementioned playwright and spy—who kept extensive records of blackmail, arms smuggling, and off-the-book deals with foreign powers. Nearly all of these actions have consequences that manifest in modern forms as Kate travels the world trying to find out who wants this dirty laundry list badly enough to kill for it. From sixteenth-century London to modern-day US intelligence offices, THE INTELLIGENCER offers dual narrative twists that keep readers on edge until its ultimate, satisfying conclusion.

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The Intelligencer
Leslie Silbert

London, 1593: It is three weeks before the murder of Christopher Marlowe, playwright and spy in Queen Elizabeth I's secret service -- a crime that remains unsolved to this day. Marlowe is hoping to find his missing muse as he sets off on a new intelligence assignment...and closes in on the secret that will seal his fate.
New York City, present day: Renaissance scholar turned private eye Kate Morgan investigates a shocking heist and murder involving a mysterious, antique manuscript recently unearthed in central London. What secret lurks in those yellowed, ciphered pages...and how, centuries later, could it drive someone to kill?
Propelling us from the shadows of the sixteenth-century underworld to the chambers of a clandestine U.S. intelligence unit, from the glitter of the Elizabethan court to the catacombs of ancient Rome, The Intelligencer's dual narratives twist, turn, and collide as they race toward a stunning finale.

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The Last White Rose
by Alison Weir

British author and public historian Alison Weir’s THE LAST WHITE ROSE explores the life of Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth of York, the first queen of the Tudor dynasty. And, boy, it doesn’t disappoint. The eldest daughter of King Edward IV, Elizabeth is the family favorite, living a happy life until tragedy strikes. When her father suddenly dies, her uncle, Richard III, springs into action to profit from his death, mainly by taking control of the throne. But that’s not all he desires, as he seeks to make Elizabeth his bride. Thankfully, Henry Tudor challenges Richard’s position, defeating him in battle and ascending to power himself. A dramatic life captured in incredible detail, THE LAST WHITE ROSE depicts every nuance of Elizabeth of York en route to her mothering the son who would go on to become Henry VIII. Engaging throughout, Alison Weir’s historical fiction work is the ultimate example of how an expert in the field can turn a well-known period and personality into an engrossing novel.

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The Last White Rose
Alison Weir

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Photo credit: iStock / Albert Cabezas

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