Pick Your Battles: 23 Must-Read Military Historical Fiction Novels

This is one of the best novels written about World War I. It’s an examination of the horrors of war, told through the eyes of a decorated British officer who is sent to a hospital after he refuses to continue serving in the war.

And this is a masterful piece of work about two young Irish men who meet in the U.S. and fall in love. Barry follows their story as one of them fights in the Indian Wars and the U.S. Civil War, and they work to build a home for themselves away from judgment.

We’re going waaaaaaaay back, to the 5th century, with this novel about the fall of the Roman empire. The focus is on General Maximus and his lone Roman legion trying to fight off the invaders by the Reine.

Based on true events, this novel of the Spanish Civil War is considered a classic. Cercas investigates the story of Rafael Sánchez Mazas, who claims to have escaped a firing squad and was spared by the enemy when he was found hiding in the woods. But was that what really happened?

And this is the beginning of the famous series about soldiers and military action. Richard Sharpe is a member of His Majesty’s Royal Army, the regiment of the 95th Rifles. Fighting is his whole life, and he does it well. This first of more than 20 books takes place during the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799.

Diop’s debut novel is about soldiers in the trenches in WWI. It received the International Booker Prize, the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens, and many, many more accolades. It’s a gut-punch of a story about a Senegalese soldier in the French army who is slowly overcome with madness due to the horrors surrounding him.

This award-winning, best-selling novel follows General Sherman and his troops. Doctorow details their infamous march through the state of Georgia during the U.S. Civil War in 1864.

This fantastic historical novel flew under the radar when it was released. It’s about love in the time of war, specifically the love that grows between an Irish soldier and a Mexican army nurse during the Mexican-American War in 1846.

And this is another excellent story that examines a side of war, this time from the perspective of a Chinese soldier in an American P.O.W. camp. When a member of Mao’s army is captured during the Korean War, his knowledge of English makes him the go-between in the camp, a job that will expose him to the humanity and the horrors of the place.

Another aspect of military work is the dangerous job of being a spy. This is based on the true story of an Australian expat in France. Nancy Wake was a socialite when the Germans invaded Paris. She decided to join the resistance and became an intrepid spy and smuggler, who thwarted the Germans at every turn and became a hero.

Vietnam veteran Marlantes spent three decades working on this war epic, about the Bravo company. During the Vietnam War, these young men in the jungle have to fight the enemy, the horrible living conditions, and even each other, to survive.

When Rosetta’s husband leaves to fight in the U.S. Civil War, she disguises herself as a man and enlists to fight beside him. This powerful novel was inspired by the true accounts of women fighting in the war.

Colleen McCullough is probably best known for her massive hit The Thorn Birds. But she also penned this seven-book epic series about Rome, starting with this tale of legendary figures Marius and Sulla.

And this remarkable novel is based on the little-known true story of the women in Ethiopia who took up arms and fought back against Mussolini’s 1935 invasion at the start of WWII.

This novel is often considered to be the greatest Vietnam War novel in existence. A Vietnam veteran himself, O’Brien’s account of the war and the effect it had on the people who fought is now widely taught in schools and colleges.

And speaking of classics, this 1928 autobiographical novel about a German soldier on the front lines during World War I was an early example of what had yet to be labeled as ‘PTSD’. More recently, it was adapted for a second time into an award-winning film.

Captain Cleve Connell is a pilot sent to fight in the Korean War. His goal is to shoot down the most enemy planes and be a big hero. But when he fails to accomplish bringing down even one, it strikes doubt and fear into his heart.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is considered the greatest novel about the U.S. Civil War. Set over the three days of fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg, it is such an amazing, detailed work that it reads like nonfiction.

This much-lauded novel is about the Vietnam War, but told through the eyes of three photographers assigned there. Helen, Linh, and Sam are living and loving dangerously during the last days of the fall of Saigon.

Stone’s gritty classic novel of the Vietnam War describes a different side of battle: the opportunists and criminals who profited from the war, both in Vietnam and back home in the United States.

This absorbing novel about World War II is a moving story of love, family, and loss. When Juliet’s brother goes missing in action, she enlists as an army nurse to be sent overseas and makes it her mission to find out what happened to him.

Wein’s amazing novel about best friends and World War II is a new classic. It’s about two young women who become pilots and are later shot down in France by the Germans; and expands on their friendship and how they came to be in that situation.

And last but not least, this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic tells the story of a navy warship sailing the Pacific during World War II, the mutiny of its crew, and the fallout.