The best historical books of all time, according to Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory has spent her career bringing history vividly to life. Best known for The Other Boleyn Girl and her many other million copy bestselling novels about the Tudor court and beyond, she’s a master of blending rich historical detail with gripping storytelling. But what makes her books so beloved is that they don’t just recreate the past – they reframe it, often from the perspective of women left out of traditional histories. So which historical books has she loved as a reader? Here, Philippa Gregory shares her five favourites which have shaped her life and writing… (‘Boleyn Traitor’ is published on 7 October by HarperCollins, £25)

The Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer

“The greatest historical novelist in my opinion was Georgette Heyer. Her book on the Peninsular War, The Spanish Bride, is brilliant and I also adore her classic regency romance, Sylvester: Or the Wicked Uncle. But I’m going to recommend The Devil’s Cub because amazingly, this is the first historical novel that I ever read, and I fell in love with the hero and the spirited heroine at the age of about 11. I could not have started with a greater author; whether she is writing historical romance, or historical fiction which is wide-scale and rooted in historical events, Heyer sets a very high bar. If you like Bridgerton, you will love this Regency-set romance novel.” (Arrow, £9.99)

Simple Gifts by Joanne Greenberg

“Published in 1986, this novel follows an eccentric, very poor family in remote Colorado, paid to create a ‘heritage’ experience by making their farm into a pioneer homestead of the 1880s. It is a terrific social comedy in which the question of heritage versus history is played out over the course of the story. It is also very poignant on the past we have lost. I don’t know why this book is not universally adored.” (Henry Holt & Co, £16.99)

Perkin: A Story of Deception by Ann Wroe

“This is a history written in the style, and with the elegance, of fiction. It concerns a deception – the young man who returned to England claiming to be one of the princes who disappeared from the Tower. Is his story true? Is Wroe’s enthralling re-telling true? Judge for yourself.” (Vintage, £17.99)

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

“I love a lot of Virginia Woolf’s work but I’m going to choose Orlando because of the way in which its time-travelling, time-free and even gender-free hero leads the reader from one brilliantly imagined and described period to another. The ice-fair on the Thames is a masterpiece of storytelling which inspires me still. This novel is complex but brilliantly satirical and the witty sections are glorious.” (Penguin Modern Classics, £7.99)

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

“When I first read this fantastic book, I sent a fan letter to Hilary Mantel via her agent. Wolf Hall is the first – and my favourite – of the masterly trilogy which follows the rise of Thomas Cromwell, adviser to Henry VIII. Cromwell’s advice to Henry and his perspective is such an interesting part of the Tudor story and it makes for an extraordinary novel. I went on to work with the late Dame Hilary on a number of occasions and each time we talked unstoppably about our approach to history and to fiction, the overlaps of the two disciplines. Her contribution to the literary world was outstanding.” (Fourth Estate, £10.99)