A Book That Examines or Takes Place in a Time Before the 18th Century

Updated January 13, 2026
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Beowulf : a new translation
Headley, Maria Dahvana 1977-
Paper Book
Named one of the Best Poetry Books of 2021 by The Guardian Longlisted for the 2021 National Translation Award in Poetry. Picked for Kirkus Reviews' Best Fiction in Translation of 2020. Named a Book of the Year by NPR, Vox, and The New Statesman. Picked for...
The Odyssey
Homer
Paper Book
Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative...
SHOGUN
CLAVELL, JAMES
Paper Book
FX/Hulu's Shōgun has won nineteen Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, and four Critics Choice Awards, among many other accolades. The most talked about and awarded series on television. Read the book that started it all! The classic epic novel of feudal Japan that captured the heart of a...
Hamnet
O'Farrell, Maggie
Paper Book
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Now a major motion picture starring Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn, directed by ACADEMY AWARD® winner Chloé Zhao. The bestselling author of The Marriage Portrait...
The three musketeers
Dumas, Alexandre 1802-1870
Paper Book
Alexandre Dumas's most famous tale-- and possibly the most famous historical novel of all time-- in a handsome hardcover volume. This swashbuckling epic of chivalry, honor, and derring-do, set in France during the 1620s, is richly populated with romantic heroes, unattainable heroines,...
The name of the rose
Eco, Umberto.
Paper Book
Who is killing monks in a great medieval abbey famed for its library - and why? Brother William of Baskerville is sent to find out, taking with him the assistant who later tells the tale of his investigations. Eco's celebrated story combines elements of detective fiction, metaphysical thriller, post...
LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN
SEE, LISA
Paper Book
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!* From "one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot" (The New York Times Book Review) an immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China--perfect for fans of...

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