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Historical Novels of AsiaHistorical novels are no recent invention in Asia, where people enjoyed them as early as the fourteenth century during the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Modern authors are especially interested in how Asian women lived in past centuries. In Imperial China, women underwent the painful tradition of foot-binding and were expected to be subservient to their husbands, yet more than one Chinese woman rose to become Empress and de facto ruler of China. During the early twentieth century, the Chinese Revolution brought immense change to the country and is the focus of many historical novels. Medieval Japan was ruled by emperors. The samurai, an aristocratic warrior class which developed during the twelfth century, and their more sinister counterparts, the ninja, have long fascinated readers and novelists. Jesuit missionaries from Portugal reached Japan in the sixteenth century, but their efforts to spread Catholicism led to violence, after which Japan closed its ports to foreign ships until the nineteenth century. The shipwreck of an English sailor on the Japanese coast in 1600 has been the subject of several novels, including James Clavell's bestselling Shogun. Historical novels set in Korea, Mongolia, Tibet and Nepal are grouped together in one section below. For novels about Marco Polo's travels, see the European Continent section of the Medieval Europe page. Novels are listed alphabetically by author within the following categories: China China
Pearl S. Buck, Sons, about the sons of a village farmer in revolutionary China; set during Buck's lifetime and technically not historical fiction; #2 in the House of Earth trilogy Pearl S. Buck, A House Divided, about the descendants of a village farmer in revolutionary China; technically not historical fiction; #3 in the House of Earth trilogy Pearl S. Buck, East Wind, West Wind (1930), about a family facing cultural change in early twentieth century China; technically not historical fiction; Buck's debut novel Pearl S. Buck, The Mother (1933), about a poor Chinese village woman during the transition from imperial times to communism; technically not historical fiction Pearl S. Buck, Dragon Seed (1942), about Chinese peasants during World War II; technically not historical fiction, as Buck was writing about the very recent past Pearl S. Buck, The Promise (1943), about Chinese and American soldiers during World War II; technically not historical fiction, as Buck was writing about the very recent past Pearl S. Buck, Peony (1948), about a bondmaid in a nineteenth century Chinese household who falls in love with the family's son Pearl S. Buck, Imperial Woman (1956), about Tzu Hsi, China's last empress, who ruled during the nineteenth century Pearl S. Buck, The Three Daughters of Madame Liang (1969), about woman in the early days of Communist China who survives on her own after her husband takes a concubine; technically not historical fiction, as Buck was writing about a period she lived through Pearl S. Buck, Kinfolk, about a Chinese family during the early twentieth century; technically not historical fiction Pearl S. Buck, Pavilion of Woman (1946), about a woman in early twentieth century China who decides to retire from married life and present her husband with a concubine; technically not historical fiction
Bartle Bull, China Star, a thriller with an international cast of characters; sequel to Shanghai Station Eleanor Cooney, The Court of the Lion, about life in the imperial court of the eighth century T'ang Dynasty Robert Elegant, Manchu; about an Englishman in seventeenth century China at the end of the Ming Dynasty Robert Elegant, Mandarin; set in nineteenth century China Robert Elegant, From a Far Land; about three young British women in Shanghai during the years of revolution from 1921 to 1949 Simon Elegant, A Floating Life: The Adventures of Li Po, about a T'ang Dynasty poet Jennifer Cody Epstein, The Painter from Shanghai, a novel based on the life of Pan Yuliang, a child prostitute who became a celebrated and controversial painter in early twentieth century China Kate Furnivall, The Russian Concubine, about a young Russian woman in 1928 China Anthony Grey, Peking; set in China during the Revolution Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel, about the three warring kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty in the third century B.C.; written during the fourteenth century Ming Dynasty Kathryn Harrison, The Binding Chair: or, A Visit from the Foot Emancipation Society, about a Chinese woman's experiences of foot-binding in late nineteenth century China. Review Justin Hill, Passing Under Heaven, about China's most famous woman poet, a rebellious concubine who lived during the ninth century Tang Dynasty Barry Hughart, Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was, historical fantasy based on ancient Chinese myths, folk-tales, poems and history; #1 in the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox trilogy Barry Hughart, The Story of the Stone, historical fantasy based on ancient Chinese myths, folk-tales, poems and history; #2 in the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox trilogy Barry Hughart, Eight Skilled Gentlemen, historical fantasy based on ancient Chinese myths, folk-tales, poems and history; #3 in the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox trilogy Barry Hughart, The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, an omnibus edition of Hughart's historical fantasy trilogy Jeanne Larsen, Bronze Mirror, about a maidservant to a group of Chinese gods and goddesses; based on Chinese legends Jeanne Larsen, Silk Road, historical fantasy set in eighth century China Jeanne Larsen, Manchu Palaces, about the servant girl to an empress in seventeenth century China Jean Levi, The Chinese Emperor; a fantasy novel about the terracotta soldiers buried with the third century B.C. Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang Jean Levi, The Dream of Confucius; set in China during the third century B.C. Bette Bao Lord, Spring Moon; about five generations of a Chinese family during the period of war and cultural change from the late nineteenth century into the twentieth Ruthann Lum McCunn, God of Luck, about a young Chinese man forced into slavery in nineteenth century Peru Anchee Min, Empress Orchid, about an emperor’s concubine in nineteenth century China Anchee Min, The Last Empress, about China's last empress; sequel to Empress Orchid Anchee Min, Wild Ginger, about growing up during the Cultural Revolution; technically not historical fiction Anchee Min, Becoming Madame Mao, about the wife of Mao Tse Tung; technically not historical fiction Annette Motley, Green Dragon, White Tiger, about an imperial concubine and her rise to power in seventh century China Robert B. Oxnam, Ming: A Novel of Seventeenth Century China; a story of love and adventure during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty Shan Sa, Empress, about the first empress of China, in the seventh century T'ang Dynasty Shan Sa, The Girl Who Played Go, a literary novel about a Japanese soldier and a young Manchurian woman in 1930s China John Schettler, Taklamakan: The Land of No Return, about an eighth century Chinese tea and spice trader who leads a caravan across the western rim of the Taklamakan Desert Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, about two women friends who communicate using a secret women's form of writing Lisa See, Peony in Love, about a woman in seventeenth century China Jonathan D. Spence, The Death of Woman Wang, about a runaway wife murdered by her husband in seventeenth century rural China Jonathan D. Spence, The Question of Hu, about a Chinese peasant brought to Paris by a Jesuit missionary in 1722 and left in an insane asylum Tong Su, Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas, set in China before and after the Revolution Amy Tan, The Hundred Secret Senses, about a girl who learns about her much older sister's life in nineteenth century China Gail Tsukiyama, The Samurai's Garden, about a Chinese painter's friendship with a Japanese gardener during the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930s Gail Tsukiyama, Women of the Silk, about village women who work in a silk factory in 1926 China Gail Tsukiyama, The Language of Threads, about a Chinese woman who travels to Hong Kong in the 1930s; sequel to Women of the Silk; forthcoming in July 2008 Tzu Yang Tao Jen, Flower Shadows Behind the Curtain (English translation published in 1959), a bawdy novel about a group of scoundrels and the virtuous wife of a deceased lecher; set in twelfth century China and written in the seventeenth century Keith West, Winter Cherry: A Novel of the T'ang Dynasty (also titled Ma Wei Slope) (1944), about a concubine in the imperial palace and her love for the nephew of a great poet Adam Williams, Palace of Heavenly Pleasures, about an American nurse and a young Chinese woman during the Boxer Rebellion in 1920s China Cao Xueqin (also spelled Tsao Hsueh Chin), Dream of the Red Chamber (also titled A Dream of Red Mansions and The Story of the Stone), a tragic love story amid the decline of an aristocratic family; contemporary when it was written in the eighteenth century (and therefore technically not historical fiction), it has been considered one of the greatest of all Chinese novels. More info Mo Yan, Big Breasts and Wide Hips, about a woman born in 1900 who lives through the dramatic changes of revolutionary China Hong Ying, The Concubine of Shanghai (2008), about a girl sold to a brothel in 1907 who rises to become the mistress of a powerful figure in Shanghai's crime world Ye Zhaoyan, Nanjing 1937: A Love Story, about an alcoholic university professor in an unhappy marriage who declares his love for a woman he glimpses on her wedding day and continues to pursue her until they finally consummate their affair the day Japan invades, the infamous "Rape of Nanjing"
China: MysteriesEleanor Cooney and Daniel Alteri, Deception: A Novel of Mystery and Madness in Ancient China, a mystery which borrows characters from Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries
Robert van Gulik, The Chinese Gold Murders, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates the murder of his predecessor while a tiger stalks the district; #1 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1959 Robert van Gulik, The Lacquer Screen, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates why a lacquer screen was altered to show a man stabbing his lover; #2 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1964 Robert van Gulik, The Chinese Lake Murders, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates three difficult cases; #3 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1960 Robert van Gulik, The Haunted Monastery, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates a series of death in a Taoist monastery; #4 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1961 Robert van Gulik, The Chinese Bell Murders, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates the murder of a butcher's daughter; #5 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1958 Robert van Gulik, The Red Pavilion, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates a series of murders associated with an island devoted to prostitution; #6 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1964 Robert van Gulik, The Emperor's Pearl, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates the death of a rower during an annual boat race; #7 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1963 Robert van Gulik, Poets and Murder, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates a series of murders among a group of scholars; #8 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1968 Robert van Gulik, Necklace and Calabash, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates the murder of a corpse fished out of a river; #9 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1967 Robert van Gulik, The Chinese Maze Murders, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates three linked mysteries, the solution to which is hidden in a garden maze; #10 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1957 Robert van Gulik, The Phantom of the Temple, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates the disappearance of a wealthy merchant's daughter; #11 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1966 Robert van Gulik, The Chinese Nail Murders, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates a series of murders; #12 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1961 Robert van Gulik, The Willow Pattern, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates murder during a plague epidemic; #13 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in English in 1965 Robert van Gulik, Murder in Canton, about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who goes to Canton in disguise to investigates the disappearance of a court official; #14 (chronologically) in the Judge Dee mystery series; published in 1966 Robert van Gulik, Judge Dee at Work, short stories about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates cases of murder Robert van Gulik, The Monkey and the Tiger, two novellas (The Morning of the Monkey and The Night of the Tiger) about a T'ang Dynasty Chinese magistrate who investigates cases of murder
JapanFor more detailed reviews of most of the following novels by an expert in Japanese history, see Nikki White's Japan in Historical Fiction webpage. Max Abelard, Magnficent Samurai, about a samurai's son seeking vengeance on the lord who took his father's lands Nobuko Albery, House of Kanze, about noh drama in fourteenth century Japan Sadako Arioshi, The Doctor's Wife, about the wife of the first doctor to use anesthesia in Japan in the late eighteenth century, and her conflicts with her mother-in-law Sadako Arioshi, The Kabuki Dancer, about the woman who created kabuki in late sixteenth century Japan Ellis Avery, The Teahouse Fire, about a woman practitioner of the tea ceremony in late nineteenth century Japan Douglass Bailey, Shimabara, about a Christian revolt in seventeenth century Japan Nancy Baker, Blood and Crysanthemums, about a Japanese vampire Pat Barr, Kenjiro, about an Englishwoman who falls in love with a young samurai in nineteenth century Japan Richard Blaker, The Needle-Watcher, about a shipwrecked Englishman stranded in Japan during the seventeenth century William Butler, The Ring in Meiji, set in late nineteenth century Japan as the country began entering the modern era David Charney, Sensei, a pampered young man learns the arts of war in twelfth century Japan David Charney, Swordmaster, a sequel to Sensei, set in twelfth century Japan James Clavell, Shogun, about an Englishman shipwrecked on the Japanese coast in the seventeenth century James Clavell, Tai-Pan, about the British seizure of Hong Kong during the opium wars in the 1840s James Clavell, Gai-Jin, about the heir to a Scottish trading company in 1860s Japan Liza Dalby, The Tale of Murasaki, about the eleventh century author of The Tale of Genji Kara Dalkey, Genpei, historical fantasy about twelfth century Japanese clan warfare Lesley Downer, The Last Concubine, about a nineteenth century concubine who falls in love with the man who rescues her during a time of civil war, though no word exists in her language to name the feeling. More info Fumiko Enchi, A Tale of False Fortunes, a love story set in the eleventh century Japanese imperial court Shusaku Endo, The Samurai, about contacts between Japan, Spain and Mexico in the seventeenth century Shusaku Endo, The Silence, about seventeenth century Portuguese priests who risk their lives to go to Japan in search of a Jesuit missionary Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha, about the daughter of a Japanese fisherman who becomes a geisha during the 1930s Lynn Guest, Yedo, about Englishmen in Japan during the nineteenth century when the ports were finally opened to foreigners Lynn Guest, The Sword of Hachiman, set in twelfth century Japan Lynn Guest, Children of Hachiman, about the rivalry between two brothers in twelfth century Japan Judith Jedamus, The Book of Loss, about the rivalry of two ladies of the tenth century imperial court William Jennings, The Ronin, a darkly humorous novel based on the zen story of the man who achieves enlightenment by digging a tunnel through a mountain with his bare hands Kij Johnson, The Fox Woman, historical fantasy about a fox who turns into a woman in medieval Japan Kij Johnson, Fudoki, about a twelfth century Japanese woman who writes a tale of a cat who turns into a woman Shinichi Kano, Ninja Men of Iga, about a feud between two Japanese warlords in 1600 Elizabeth Kata, Kagami, about a samurai family during the decade before Admiral Perry's 1854 arrival in Japan Bruce Lancaster, Venture in the East, about westerners in Japan during the seventeenth century Shimabara rebellion; published in 1951 Stephen and Ethel Longstreet, Geisha, about a geisha, two artists, and a western surgeon in eighteenth century Japan; published in 1960 Richard Lupoff, Sword of the Demon, a fantasy novel based on myths and legends of medieval Japan Takashi Matsuoka, A Cloud of Sparrows, an adventure story about a man cursed with the power of prophecy in nineteenth century Japan Takashi Matsuoka, Autumn Bridge, about a nineteenth century western woman who discovers mysterious references to herself while translating a fourteenth century Japanese manuscript; a sequel to A Cloud of Sparrows Asataro Miyamori, Katsuno's Revenge and Other Tales of the Samurai, a collection of short stories about samurai; originally published in 1920 William Morrell, Daimyo, about a former samurai who serves as bodyguard to a Dutch woman with numerous enemies; #1 in the Daimyo series William Morrell, Daimyo's Revenge, about a former samurai in Scotland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I; #2 in the Daimyo series William Morrell, Daimyo's Conquest, about a former samurai's adventures in the Ottoman Empire; #3 in the Daimyo series Ken Noyle, The Geisha Diary, about a modern American novelist in Kyoto who falls in love with a time-traveling nineteenth century geisha Donald Richie, Memoirs of the Warrior Kumagai, about an aging former samurai who writes his memoirs in order to tell the truth about a past he feels is being romanticized Lucia St. Clair Robson, The Tokaido Road, historical romance set in early eighteenth century Japan Nina Schuyler, The Painting, an unhappily married woman creates paintings of her lover in 19th century Japan Susan Fromberg Schaeffer, The Snow Fox, about an aristocratic woman in medieval Japan Robert Shea, Shiké: Time of the Dragons, about the son of a Mongol father and a Japanese mother; the story borrows events from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries for a story of warfare set in a generalized medieval Japan Robert Shea, Shiké: Last of the Zinja, about the son of a Mongol father and a Japanese mother; the story borrows events from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries for a story of warfare set in a generalized medieval Japan; sequel to Time of the Dragons David Stacton, Segaki, about the mystical spiritual journey of a fourteenth century Japanese priest Robert Standish, The Three Bamboos, about a samurai family from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century Junichiro Tanizaki, The Secret History of the Lord of Musashi, a novella about a samurai obsessed with the mutilated heads of enemy warriors Katsumi Toda, Shadow of the Ninja, about a samurai being stalked by a group of ninja in 1600 Katsumi Toda, Revenge of the Shogun's Ninja, sequel to Shadow of the Ninja Edward Tolosko, Sakuran: A Novel of Medieval Japan, about a samurai and the lady who loves him Kunio Tsuji, The Signore: Shogun of the Warring States, a sympathetic view of a sixteenth century Japanese warlord, narrated by an Italian adventurer Gail Tsukiyama, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms, about two brothers raised by their grandparents and their lives in Japan before, during and after World War II Christopher Wood, John Adam, Samurai, about a British sailor shipwrecked in sixteenth century Japan Shugoro Yamamoto, The Flower Mat, about the daughter of a samurai in eighteenth century Japan who becomes a weaver after rival samurai threaten her family Inoue Yasushi, The Roof Tile of Tempyo, about Ganjin, the eighth century Chinese priest who brought the orthodox version of Buddhism to Japan; published in 1957 Eiji Yoshikawa, Musashi, about a man who renounces his ambition to become a samurai after being captured by a weaponless Buddhist monk Eiji Yoshikawa, The Heike Story, about clan warfare in twelfth century Kyoto Eiji Yoshikawa, Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan, about the warfare during the collapse of the shogunate in the late sixteenth century
Mysteries: JapanMax Abelard, Night of the Ninja, a man tries to find out who is using ninja to kill the members of a seventeenth century Japanese clan. Dale Furutani, Death at the Crossroads, a wandering ronin tries to find out who murdered a samurai; #1 in the Matsuyama Kaze series Dale Furutani, Jade Palace Vendetta, a wandering ronin tries to find the missing daughter of his dead lord and lady; #2 in the Matsuyama Kaze series Dale Furutani, Kill the Shogun, a wandering ronin tries to find out who tried to assassinate a shogun; #3 in the Matsuyama Kaze series
I.J. Parker, Rashomon Gate, a minor official in eleventh century Japan investigates a case of blackmail that turns to murder; #2 (in chronological order) in the Ancient Japan mystery series I.J. Parker, Black Arrow , a minor official in eleventh century Japan runs into trouble when he must serve as provisional governor of a hostile northern province; #3 (in chronological order) in the Ancient Japan mystery series I.J. Parker, Island of Exiles, a minor official in eleventh century Japan investigates the death by poison of a disgraced prince; #4 (in chronological order) in the Ancient Japan mystery series I.J. Parker, The Hell Screen, a minor official in eleventh century Japan encounters a frightening murder while on his way to visit his dying mother; #5 (in chronological order) in the Ancient Japan mystery series I.J. Parker, Death and Cherry Blossoms , a short story featuring the sleuth from the author's Ancient Japan mystery series
Laura Joh Rowland, Bundori, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates a series of beheading murders; #2 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Way of the Traitor, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the murder of a member of the Dutch trading colony; #3 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Concubine's Tattoo, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the murder of the shogun's favorite concubine; #4 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Samurai's Wife, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman assisted by his wife in investigating a man's death by kiai, the powerful shout of a jujitsu master; #5 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, Black Lotus, about the conflicts between a seventeenth century Japanese policeman and his wife over his investigation of a police chief's murder; #6 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the murder of a nephew of the shogun in a courtesan's room; #7 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Dragon King's Palace, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the kidnapping of the shogun's mother, as well as his own wife; #8 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Perfumed Sleeve, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the death of a member of the Council of Elders; #9 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Assassin's Touch, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the death of the shogun's chief intelligence officer at a horse race; #10 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, Red Chrysanthemum, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the murder of the shogun's heir; #11 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series Laura Joh Rowland, The Snow Empress, about a seventeenth century Japanese policeman who investigates the disappearance of an eight-year-old boy and the murder of an Ainu woman in the far north of Japan; #12 in the Sano Ichiri mystery series
Ann Woodward, Of Death and Black Rivers, a twelfth century Japanese lady trained in the healing arts investigates the deaths of two treasury ministers; #2 in the Lady Aoi series
Korea, Mongolia, Tibet and NepalJunghyo Ahn, Silver Stallion, about a small Korean village and the disasters that befall it after American troops set up a military base nearby Alai, Red Poppies, set in twentieth century Tibet Pearl S. Buck, The Living Reed, a romanticized novel about a family in Korea at the turn of the twentieth century; published in 1963 Taylor Caldwell, The Earth is the Lord's, about the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan Don Dandrea, The Snow Warrior, about Genghis Khan's most important general Frederick Dion, The Blue Wolf: The Epic Tale of the Life of Genghis Khan and the Empire of the Steppes, about Genghis Khan, from the time he was sixteen and his father was murdered. Moo-Sook Hahn, Encounter: A Novel of Nineteenth Century Korea, about a Confucian scholar persecuted because of his interest in Catholicism and the West Cecelia Holland, Until the Sun Falls, about a thirteenth century Mongol general Sheri Holman, Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars, set in seventh century Korea Conn Iggulden, Genghis: Birth of an Empire, about the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan; #1 in the Conqueror series Conn Iggulden, Genghis: Lords of the Bow, about the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan; #2 in the Conqueror series Yi In-Hwa, Everlasting Empire, a murder mystery set in nineteenth century Korea Ch'ae Man-Sik, Peace Under Heaven, about Korea under Japanese colonial rule Sheeba Shivangini Shah, Loyals of the Crown, about the nineteenth century King Ranjendra of Nepal and his wives Don Southerton, A Yankee in the Land of the Morning Calm: Golden Rail, about an American merchant in nineteenth century Seoul Karma Ura, The Hero With a Thousand Eyes, a biographical novel about an official in the twentieth century royal court in Bhutan, by a Bhutanese author. Xinran, Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet, about a Chinese woman in the 1950s who goes to Tibet to search for her soldier husband and is rescued by a family of nomads
Southeast AsiaNovels exclusively about the Vietnam War are beyond the scope of this website, since most were written by authors with personal experience of the war and are not historical novels. For a list of 39 novels about the Vietnam War, see the Northbrook Public Library website (Northbrook, Illinois). Links to other lists are available at Library Booklists.
Axel Aylwen, The Falcon of Siam, about a Greek-born English merchant in seventeenth century Siam; #1 in the Falcon trilogy Axel Aylwen, The Falcon Takes Wing, about a Greek-born English merchant's rise to power in seventeenth century Siam; #2 in the Falcon trilogy Axel Aylwen, The Falcon's Last Flight, about a politically powerful merchant in seventeenth century Siam confronted with an English child who resembles him; #3 in the Falcon trilogy Thomas J. Barnes, Tay Son: Rebellion in 18th Century Vietnam, about the Vietnamese military hero Nguyen Hue, who led an army that drove the Chinese from Vietnam in 1789 Christophe Bataille, Annam, about a group of French monks isolated in Vietnam where the country transforms them during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries Hugh Clifford, The Downfall of the Gods, about the overthrow of the thirteenth century Khmer Empire in Cambodia; published in 1903 Uyen Nicole Duong, Daughters of the River Huong: A Vietnamese Royal Concubine and Her Descendants, about four generations of Vietnamese women beginning in 1910 J.G. Farrell, The Singapore Grip, about colonial Singapore on the eve of World War II Anthony Grey, Saigon, about three Saigon families, one American, one French and one Vietnamese, from the 1930s through the end of the Vietnam War. Review by Bill Bradley Thich Nhat Hanh, Hermitage Among the Clouds: An Historical Novel of Fourteenth Century Vietnam, about a fourteenth century Vietnamese princess Claire Keefe-Fox, Falcon of Ayutthaya, about a Greek adventurer who travels to Siam with the British East India Company in the seventeenth century Claire Keefe-Fox, King Taksin, about the rise and fall of a powerful military leader in seventeenth century Siam Margaret Landon, Anna and the King of Siam, about the nineteenth century British schoolteacher the King of Siam hired to translate for him and teach English to his children and concubines; published in 1944 Suchen Christine Lim, A Bit of Earth, about the rise of a Chinese immigrant in Malaysia during the nineteenth century Vyvyane Loh, Breaking the Tongue, about a man of Chinese descent in Singapore during the World War II flight of the British Kien Nguyen, The Tapestries, about a boy with royal Vietnamese blood sold into slavery at the turn of the twentieth century Geoff Ryman, The King's Last Song, about Cambodia's first Buddhist king in the twelfth century and a modern archaeologist who discovers a book he wrote on leaves of gold Darin Strauss, Chang and Eng, about the conjoined twins born in Siam in 1811 and their lives in Siam and the United States
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