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Quick answer: If you loved Wolf Hall, read C.J. Sansom's Dissolution, then Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen, then Robert Graves's I, Claudius, and Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth and James Clavell's Shōgun. All are rich historical fiction about power.
Hilary Mantel's 2009 novel follows Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII. It won the Booker Prize. These picks explore the Tudor world and beyond.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolution | C.J. Sansom | Adult | Tudor mysteries |
| The Other Boleyn Girl | Philippa Gregory | Adult | Tudor intrigue |
| The White Queen | Philippa Gregory | Adult | readers who like historical fiction |
| I, Claudius | Robert Graves | Adult | readers who love scheming families |
| The Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett | Adult | readers who like epics |
| Shōgun | James Clavell | Adult | readers who like long sagas |
| March | Geraldine Brooks | Adult | Pulitzer winner |
| The Name of the Rose | Umberto Eco | Adult | readers who love libraries |
| Girl with a Pearl Earring | Tracy Chevalier | Adult | art and class |
| Alice I Have Been | Melanie Benjamin | Adult | the real Alice |
| The Game of Kings | Dorothy Dunnett | Adult | Scottish adventure |
| Year of Wonders | Geraldine Brooks | Adult | plague village |
| Sarum | Edward Rutherfurd | Adult | epic of a place |
| The Last Kingdom | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | readers who like action |
| Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | Susanna Clarke | Adult | patient readers |
1. Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
Lawyer Matthew Shardlake investigates a murder at a monastery in Tudor England. Rich historical atmosphere.
Best for: Tudor mysteries.
2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Mary Boleyn tells her story at the court of Henry VIII. Dramatic and juicy.
Best for: Tudor intrigue.
3. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
Elizabeth Woodville rises from a commoner to Queen of England during the Wars of the Roses. Historical romance with politics.
Best for: readers who like historical fiction.
4. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
Claudius narrates the poisonings and plots of the early Roman emperors. A witty, dark classic.
Best for: readers who love scheming families.
5. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
A master builder, a monk and a noble family struggle over a cathedral in 12th-century England. Long, gripping and emotional.
Best for: readers who like epics.
6. Shōgun by James Clavell
An English pilot arrives in feudal Japan and gets caught in a power struggle among warlords. Epic in scale and detail.
Best for: readers who like long sagas.
7. March by Geraldine Brooks
The absent father from Little Women recounts his experience in the Civil War. Moving and thoughtful.
Best for: Pulitzer winner.
8. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
A monk investigates murders in a medieval abbey with a secret library. Rich and learned.
Best for: readers who love libraries.
9. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
A maid works for the painter Vermeer. Quiet and visual.
Best for: art and class.
10. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
A novel about Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired the book. Gentle and moving.
Best for: the real Alice.
11. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
A Scottish nobleman returns home in the sixteenth century. Dense, witty and daring.
Best for: Scottish adventure.
12. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
A village isolates itself during the plague in 1666. Gripping and moving.
Best for: plague village.
13. Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
The story of Salisbury Plain from the Ice Age to modern times. Sprawling and rich.
Best for: epic of a place.
14. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Uhtred, a Saxon boy raised by Danes, fights in the wars to create England under King Alfred. Fast battle scenes.
Best for: readers who like action.
15. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Two magicians revive English magic during the Napoleonic wars. Long, dry-witted and rich.
Best for: patient readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Wolf Hall: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Wolf Hall. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For more Mantel, read Bring Up the Bodies. For Tudor history, try The Other Boleyn Girl. For mystery, pick Dissolution. For more literary history, read I, Claudius.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Wolf Hall?
Hilary Mantel, in 2009.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the Booker Prize.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, a BBC series starring Mark Rylance.
Which book here is best for patient readers?
Try Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, which suits readers looking for patient readers.
Which book here is best for readers who like action?
Try The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, which suits readers looking for readers who like action.
Which book here is best for epic of a place?
Try Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, which suits readers looking for epic of a place.
Which book here is best for plague village?
Try Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, which suits readers looking for plague village.