What Best Selling Books Historical Fiction Won Major Awards?

I get a little giddy when people ask about historical fiction that both topped bestseller lists and walked away with the big prizes — it’s like catching two rare Pokémon at once. For me, a few standouts always pop up: 'Wolf Hall' and its companion 'Bring Up the Bodies' by Hilary Mantel each won the Man Booker Prize, and they feel like immersive Tudor court dramas that are also impeccably researched. Another one that hit mainstream hard is 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr, which snagged the Pulitzer Prize and spent months on bestseller lists; it’s heartbreaking, atmospheric, and perfect if you want a WWII story that’s poetic rather than propagandistic.

I also keep returning to 'The Underground Railroad' by Colson Whitehead — it won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and it’s a brilliant example of historical fiction that isn’t afraid to bend the form (it literally reimagines the railroad). Then there are classics like 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison, a Pulitzer winner that has been both influential and widely read, and 'The English Patient' by Michael Ondaatje, which won the Booker Prize and later became that lush film you probably saw in school. If you like sweep and ceremony, 'Gone with the Wind' also won a Pulitzer and remains a cultural touchstone.

If you want a binge list: start with one Booker winner like 'Wolf Hall', then jump to a Pulitzer like 'All the Light We Cannot See' or 'The Underground Railroad' depending on whether you want lyrical prose or a more confrontational take on history. These books show how prize committees and readers sometimes agree — and when they do, it’s glorious.

When someone asks for bestselling historical novels that also won major prizes, I default to a short, sharp list: 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up the Bodies' (Booker Prize), 'All the Light We Cannot See' (Pulitzer Prize), 'The Underground Railroad' (Pulitzer and National Book Award), 'Beloved' (Pulitzer), 'The English Patient' (Booker), 'The Luminaries' (Booker), and 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' (Pulitzer). These books span centuries and styles — Tudor courts, WWII, antebellum America, and metafictional experiments — so you can pick by era or tone.

If you want a recommendation: start with whatever historical period fascinates you, then choose the prizewinner that matches the mood — lyrical, political, experimental, or classic — and let that lead you to the rest.

I've kept a running stack of prizewinning historical novels on my shelf and I often recommend specific titles depending on what mood someone’s in. For rich, character-driven Tudor politics there’s 'Wolf Hall' (Man Booker Prize). For sweeping wartime prose that still reads like poetry, 'All the Light We Cannot See' won the Pulitzer. If you’re after something that rethinks history in a bold way, 'The Underground Railroad' won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer and plays with historical reality to sharpen its moral punch.

For older classics that shaped the genre, 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison took the Pulitzer and is essential reading for its exploration of slavery’s legacy. 'The English Patient' (Booker Prize) made post-war memory feel cinematic on the page. And if you want a literary oddball with a big prize, 'The Luminaries' by Eleanor Catton won the Booker and is architecturally clever. These are all bestsellers that also earned major critical recognition, so they’re a safe bet if you want both readability and heft.

My bookshelf gets crowded fast because I love historical fiction that’s been both beloved by readers and lauded by critics — those are the books people keep recommending at parties. One of my all-time favorites to mention in conversation is 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' which won the Pulitzer and places the Golden Age of comics inside the larger story of WWII-era America; it’s perfect for someone who likes history mixed with pop culture. I’ve also been repeatedly floored by 'All the Light We Cannot See' (Pulitzer) for its luminous prose and by 'The Underground Railroad' (Pulitzer and National Book Award) for how it blends harrowing realism with inventive metaphor.

Sometimes I pick a Booker winner when I want more formal playfulness — 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up the Bodies' both took the Booker and feel like being dropped into a living history painting. For canonical weight, 'Beloved' (Pulitzer) still haunts me; its sentences work like memories. If you’re compiling a reading list, aim for a mix: one Booker for craft, one Pulitzer for emotional gravity, and maybe one National Book Award winner for contemporary edge. Your future self will thank you for the variety.