Waged from 1861 to 1865, the Civil War was a major event in U.S. history. In addition to changing the course of the country, this epic struggle still serves as an inspiration for many novels. If you’re interested in reading fiction set during this turbulent time, here are a dozen lists to get you started.
Historical Novels.Info--The U.S. Civil War
A list of 120 novels with brief annotations and some publication dates compiled by free- lance writer Margaret Donsbach whose website, Historicalnovels.info, contains over 5000 titles.
Historical Novels.Info--Civil War Mysteries
Thirteen mysteries taking place during the Civil War complete with short descriptions, also created by Margaret Donsbach.
Overbooked--Civil War Fiction Booklist
A list of novels, many of which received at least one starred review (indicating a work of unusual merit) from the following review sources: Booklist (BL), Publisher's Weekly (PW), Kirkus, and Library Journal (LJ). Titles are listed by date, then alphabetically by author.
Reader's Advice--Historical Fiction: Civil War
An alphabetical list of over 100 titles compiled by members of Reader’s Advice, librarians throughout the U.S.
Reader's Advice--Dixie Triumphant
Also from Reader’s Advice, stories in which the South won the Civil War, Civil War events happened differently, or Lincoln was not assassinated.
Some Place in Time: Suggestions for Reading Historical Fiction
Approximately 45 books suggested by librarians from the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System.
Daniel S. Burt's Recommended Historical Novels
Scroll down to "The Civil War," 22 titles recommended by Daniel S. Burt, author of The Chronology of American Literature, as part of his Recommended Historical Novels site.
LibraryThing: Tag: Civil War Fiction
Tagged by LibraryThing.com members as Civil War fiction, there are almost 250 novels listed, all with capsule reviews.
Civil War Institute--About the Michael Shaara Prize
Description of the Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction, given annually by the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College. Click “Previous Winners” on the left to see the winners from 1997 through 2010. 2011 winner is Robin Oliveira for My Name is Mary Sutter.
The Christian Science Monitor--10 Best Novels about the US Civil War
A list compiled by The Christian Science Monitor. Click “Next” to see each selection.
Goodreads--Best Civil War Books
Three hundred twenty-nine novels voted on by members of Good Reads.com and including ratings and reviews.
Shelfari--Civil War Historical Fiction
An expandable list of novels recommended by contributors to Shelfari, a community of book lovers.
© Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland.
