108 results for "Historical Fiction"

The Forty Days of Musa Dagh

Franz Werfel
"In every sense a true and thrilling novel."-- New York Times Book Review The heroic story of resistance during the Armenian genocide. When the Turkish government ordered the deportation of Armenians, several villages in the mountains chose not to obey. Instead, they fortified a plateau on the slopes of Musa Dagh and repelled Turkish soldiers and military police during the summer of 1915 while holding out hope that the warships of the Allies would save them. An international bestseller when first published in 1933, and the first novel in modern times to capture genocide by a state, Franz Werfel's masterpiece brought the world's attention to this devastating crime against humanity and the Armenian people.
David R. Godine Publisher 2025-11-18 936 pages

I am Abraham: a novel of Lincoln and the Civil War

Charyn, Jerome
Narrated in Lincoln’s own voice, the tragicomic I Am Abraham promises to be the masterwork of Jerome Charyn’s remarkable career. Since publishing his first novel in 1964, Jerome Charyn has established himself as one of the most inventive and prolific literary chroniclers of the American landscape. Here in I Am Abraham , Charyn returns with an unforgettable portrait of Lincoln and the Civil War. Narrated boldly in the first person, I Am Abraham effortlessly mixes humor with Shakespearean-like tragedy, in the process creating an achingly human portrait of our sixteenth President. Tracing the historic arc of Lincoln's life from his picaresque days as a gangly young lawyer in Sangamon County, Illinois, through his improbable marriage to Kentucky belle Mary Todd, to his 1865 visit to war-shattered Richmond only days before his assassination, I Am Abraham hews closely to the familiar Lincoln saga. Charyn seamlessly braids historical figures such as Mrs. Keckley—the former slave, who became the First Lady's dressmaker and confidante—and the swaggering and almost treasonous General McClellan with a parade of fictional extras: wise-cracking knaves, conniving hangers-on, speculators, scheming Senators, and even patriotic whores. We encounter the renegade Rebel soldiers who flanked the District in tattered uniforms and cardboard shoes, living in a no-man's-land between North and South; as well as the Northern deserters, young men all, with sunken, hollowed faces, sitting in the punishing sun, waiting for their rendezvous with the firing squad; and the black recruits, whom Lincoln’s own generals wanted to discard, but who play a pivotal role in winning the Civil War. At the center of this grand pageant is always Lincoln himself, clad in a green shawl, pacing the White House halls in the darkest hours of America’s bloodiest war. Using biblically cadenced prose, cornpone nineteenth-century humor, and Lincoln’s own letters and speeches, Charyn concocts a profoundly moral but troubled commander in chief, whose relationship with his Ophelia-like wife and sons—Robert, Willie, and Tad—is explored with penetrating psychological insight and the utmost compassion. Seized by melancholy and imbued with an unfaltering sense of human worth, Charyn’s President Lincoln comes to vibrant, three-dimensional life in a haunting portrait we have rarely seen in historical fiction.
Liveright Publishing Corporation, A Division of W.W. Norton & Company 2014-02-03 456 pages

G.

Berger, John
"In this Booker Prize-winning classic, a Casanova-esque young man searches for philosophical and sexual fulfillment as he seduces his way across Europe on the eve of World War I. John Berger's picaresque work, one of the author's best novels, is an inspired exploration of intimacy and loneliness set at the turn of the 20th century. In this luminous novel about a modern Don Juan, John Berger relates the story of G., a young man forging an energetic sexual career in Europe during the early years of the last century as Europe teeters on the brink of war. With profound compassion, Berger explores the hearts and minds of both men and women, and what happens during sex, to reveal the conditions of the libertine's success: his essential loneliness, the quiet cumulation in each of his sexual experiences of all of those that precede it, the tenderness that infuses even the briefest of his encounters, and the way women experience their own extraordinariness through their liaisons with him. Set against the turbulent backdrop of Garibaldi's attempt to unite Italy, the failed revolution of Milanese workers in 1898, the Boer War, and the dramatic first flight across the Alps, G. is a brilliant novel about the search for intimacy in the turmoil of history"-- Provided by publisher.
New York Review Books 2026-06-16 366 pages

The Rabbi's Cat

Joann Sfar
Tells the unique story of a rabbi, his daughter, & their talking cat -- a philosopher brimming with scathing humor & surprising tenderness. In Algeria in the 1930s, a cat belonging to a widowed rabbi & his daughter, Zlabya. The cat eats the family parrot & gains the ability to speak. The rabbi vows to educate him in the ways of the Torah, while the cat insists on studying the kabbalah. Zlabya falls in love with a rabbi from Paris, & soon master & cat are accompanying the newlyweds to France to meet Zlabya¿s in-laws. Their trip invites countless opportunities for the rabbi & his cat to grapple with all the important -- & trivial -- details of life. Rich with the colors, textures, & flavors of Algeria¿s Jewish community, this book brings a lost world vibrantly to life. Illus.
DIANE Publishing Company 2007-08 142 pages

The book of Abraham

Halter, Marek
In 70 A.D., when Roman forces sack Jerusalem, the scribe Abraham flees the city carrying little more than the scroll that documents his family history. For the next 19 centuries, one member of each new generation inherits this scroll along with the admonition that the record must be kept up to date. From Alexandria to Toledo, from Strasbourg to the Warsaw ghetto, Halter provides a moving account of Jews in exile. Abraham's descendants continue to work as scribes and eventually as printers. Since they are loyal to the word, it serves as their defense against oppression and solace in time of pain. This novel, much celebrated in Europe, has been aptly compared to Roots since it is based on records of the Halter family dating back to 1480 and on detailed historical research for the earlier centuries.
Toby Press 2003-09-01 797 pages

Sumerian Mythology

Samuel Noah Kramer
Samuel Noah Kramer (1897-1990) was an American Assyriologist and one of the foremost scholars in the field of Sumerian studies. He made significant contributions to the decipherment and understanding of ancient Mesopotamian texts and culture. In "Sumerian Mythology," Kramer provides a detailed exploration of the mythology and religious beliefs of the Sumerians. He examines the pantheon of Sumerian gods and goddesses, their attributes, roles, and relationships. The book also covers the creation myths, epic tales, and other mythological narratives from Sumerian literature. Kramer's work draws from a wide range of ancient Sumerian texts, including hymns, prayers, incantations, and mythological narratives. He provides translations and analysis of these texts, shedding light on the religious cosmology, rituals, and beliefs of the Sumerians. "Sumerian Mythology" has become a classic in the field of ancient Mesopotamian studies, offering valuable insights into the mythological worldview of one of the earliest civilizations in human history. It remains an essential reference for scholars and enthusiasts interested in Sumerian religion and mythology.
Zinc Read 2023-07-31 146 pages

The Florentine Dagger

Ben Hecht,Wallace Smith
Unravel a chilling mystery in Ben Hecht's "The Florentine Dagger," a gripping novel for amateur detectives steeped in historical intrigue. Journey into the depths of the human psyche as this classic work of historical fiction explores the complex intersection of crime and insanity. Hecht, a master storyteller, crafts a tale where the line between sanity and madness blurs, challenging readers to question what they believe. A timeless exploration of psychological suspense, "The Florentine Dagger" delves into the dark corners of the mind. This meticulously prepared print edition offers a new opportunity to experience Hecht's masterful prose. Perfect for fans of classic detective stories and those fascinated by the intricacies of psychological thrillers, this novel remains a compelling and thought-provoking read. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2025-03-29 134 pages

Matters of Choice (The Cole Trilogy)

Gordon, Noah
A woman physician confronts the moral issues of her time in the third novel in the New York Times–bestselling author’s historical medical trilogy. Roberta Jeanne d’Arc Cole is favored to be named associate chief of medicine at a Boston hospital. She is married to a surgeon. They own a trophy residence on historic Brattle Street in Cambridge and a summer house in the Berkshire Hills. Everything melts away. Her gender and her work at an abortion clinic cost her the hospital appointment. Her marriage fails. Crushed, she goes to the farmhouse in Western Massachusetts, thinking to sell it, and finds an unexpected life. How she continues to fight for every woman’s right to choose, while acknowledging her own ticking clock and maternal yearning, makes this prize-winning third story of the Cole trilogy as relevant as tomorrow.
Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. 2026-02-03 392 pages

Les Rois Maudits Roman Historique

Maurice Druon
Les Rois maudits, celebre fresque historique en sept volumes: 1. Le Roi de fer. 2. La Reine etranglee. 3. Les Poisons de la Couronne. 4. La Loi des males. 5. La Louve de France. 6. Le Lis et le Lion. 7. Quand un roi perd la France, font revivre le xive siecle, entre le proces des templiers et les debuts de la guerre de Cent Ans. Traduits dans le monde entier, Les Rois maudits ont remporte un succes exceptionnel et sont consideres comme un des modeles contemporains du roman historique. Les Poisons de la Couronne ressuscite, presque jour par jour, les conflits, les intrigues, les haines et les crimes du regne de Louis X le Hutin, qui ne dura que dix-huit mois, mais dont les consequences devaient etre capitales pour la monarchie francaise. Lorsqu'il meurt empoisonne, en juin 1316, c'est la premiere fois depuis plus de trois siecles qu'un roi de France decede sans laisser un heritier male.
Plon-Del Duca 1987

The Director A Novel

Daniel Kehlmann
A New York Times Notable Book • An NYPL Best Book of 2025 • A Washington Post Notable Book A Late Show with Stephen Colbert Book Club Pick “Nothing short of brilliant.” — The Wall Street Journal From “a surpassingly gifted storyteller” ( The New York Times ), a visionary novel inspired by the life of film director G.W. Pabst, who fled to Hollywood to resist the Nazis only to return to his homeland to create propaganda films for the German Reich. An artist’s life, a pact with the devil, and the dangerous illusions of the silver screen. G.W. Pabst, one of cinema’s greatest directors of the 20th century, was filming in France when the Nazis seized power. To escape the horrors of the new and unrecognizable Germany, he fled to Hollywood. But now, under the blinding California sun, the world-famous director suddenly looks like a nobody. Not even Greta Garbo, the Hollywood actress whom he made famous, can help him. When he receives word that his elderly mother is ill, he finds himself back in his homeland of Austria, which is now called Ostmark. Pabst, his wife, and his young son are suddenly confronted with the barbaric nature of the regime. So, when Joseph Goebbels—the minister of propaganda in Berlin—sees the potential for using the European film icon for his directorial genius and makes big promises to Pabst and his family, Pabst must consider Goebbels’s thinly veiled order. While Pabst still believes that he will be able to resist these advances, that he will not submit to any dictatorship other than art, he has already taken the first steps into a hopeless entanglement. Kehlmann’s latest oeuvre explores the complicated relationships and distinctions between art and power, beauty and barbarism, cog and conspirator.
S&S/Summit Books 2026-05-12 352 pages

The Cabala

Bernhard Pick
Kabbalah is a mystical and esoteric system of Jewish thought and spirituality, which dates back to ancient times and has continued to evolve throughout history. It involves the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible and the quest for understanding the hidden meanings and secrets of the universe. In "The Cabala," Bernhard Pick explores the origins, history, and development of Kabbalah within Judaism. He also examines how Kabbalistic ideas and concepts have influenced Christian mysticism and esotericism over the centuries. The book delves into various aspects of Kabbalah, including its teachings on the nature of God, the Sephirot (emanations or attributes of the divine), the concept of Ein Sof (the infinite and unknowable divine essence), and the use of mystical symbols and diagrams. Bernhard Pick's work on the Cabala is considered significant in the study of Jewish mysticism and the transmission of Kabbalistic ideas beyond Jewish circles into Christian thought.
Zinc Read 2023-07-31 66 pages

Far From the City of Class, and Other Stories

Bruce Jay Friedman
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2021-09-10 232 pages

Bronshtein in the Bronx

Robert Littell
A wry, thought-provoking fictional portrayal of ten pivotal weeks in the life of Leon Trotsky, inspired by the Russian revolutionary's exile in New York City in 1917, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Company January 12, 1917: An ocean liner docks in New York Harbor. Among the disembarking emigrants is one Lev Davidovich Bronshtein—better known by his nom de guerre, Leon Trotsky. Bronshtein has been on the run for a decade, driven from his beloved Russia after escaping political exile in Siberia. He lives for—and is ready to sacrifice his life for—a workers’ revolution, at any cost. But is he ready to become an American? In the weeks leading up to the February Revolution that will eventually see Lenin’s Bolsheviks seize power, Bronshtein haunts the streets, newspaper offices, and socialist watering holes of New York City, wrestling with the difficult questions of his personal revolutionary ideology, his place in his own family, his relationship to Lenin, and, above all, his conscience. Master of the espionage novel Robert Littell brings to life the world-famous revolutionist’s sojourn in the Bronx in this extraordinary meditation on purpose, passion, and the price of progress.
Soho Press Inc 2026-02-17 208 pages

Songs for the brokenhearted: a novel

Tsabari, Ayelet
"1950. Thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to the newly founded Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha'ayin, Yaqub, a shy young man, happens upon Saida, a beautiful girl singing by the river. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they fall in love. But they weren't supposed to; Saida is married and has a child, and a married woman has no place befriending another man. 1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida's daughter, has been living in New York City-a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing her skin were lighter, her illiterate mother's Yemeni music quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn't looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni's childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket. Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family-including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future"--
Random House 2025-09-02 339 pages