10 Stories That Use Historical Events as Backdrops

History often hosts the greatest tales. That fact becomes apparent with the wealth of movies, books, and TV shows dramatizing famous events. Many of these stories focus on the real people of the time, which is understandable. After all, they’re the ones making decisions, and those deeds define the whole period. What about the guys on the ground level, though?

Some historical adventures follow original characters. These new protagonists may meet their real-life peers and influence events in small ways. At the end of the day, though, they’re just trying to get by in tumultuous times. The pivotal events of human history serve as mere backdrops to establish the setting. That approach might seem counterintuitive, but it sometimes breeds more personal drama. These tales let audiences see the common man’s struggle, reckoning with circumstances beyond their control. Such scenarios are more relatable to everyday viewers. As a result, these nameless heroes can resonate more strongly than history’s greatest icons.

Related: 10 Things History Gets Totally Wrong about the Black Plague

10 The Cadfael Chronicles

You wouldn’t typically picture monks as detectives, but Cadfael is no ordinary monk. As a former soldier, he’s seen the worst that the world has to offer. He now seeks to heal through medicinal herbs and the grace of God. However, that’s not the only way his worldly experience comes in handy.

Murder is sadly common in 12th-century England. That’s because of the Anarchy—a period of civil war over who should inherit the throne from Henry I. The main competitors were his nephew Stephen and his daughter Maud. This conflict threw the country into chaos, practically dissolving law and order. Desperate people could rob and kill without consequence. Those crimes inform much of The Cadfael Chronicles, as the eponymous monk strives to solve the killings plaguing his area. He’s not the only one, though.^[1]

9 The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth also includes men of God. This epic tale revolves around a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. Characters from all walks of life come together to build this holy structure—both to honor the Almighty and to create something beautiful and enduring. That goal becomes increasingly difficult due to the Anarchy.

The war of succession rages throughout the story. The rampant crime affects many of the characters, bringing them to Kingsbridge for a fresh start. That’s not the end of their troubles, though, as the constant power shifts repeatedly throw their plans into turmoil. The heroes must adapt to those changing circumstances to secure the money, resources, and security to grow their home into something great.^[2]

8 Shardlake

Among the most infamous English kings was Henry VIII. On top of going through six queens (and beheading two of them), this monarch was the center of substantial shifts in power. Henry bounced between Catholicism and Protestant faiths. Although his actions earned the Church’s ire, he only grew bolder with his radical political and religious reforms. Those huge changes split the country down the middle.

Bearing firsthand witness to that unrest is Matthew Shardlake. As a lawyer under the king’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, this hunchback hero personally handles much of his master’s agenda. Shardlake believes in the Reformation and goes to great lengths in pursuit of justice. He solves various crimes to accomplish that goal, but punishing the king’s enemies soon becomes more important than finding the truth. The same dilemma probably plagued most of England’s citizens. If you choose the wrong side, you could literally lose your head.^[3]

7 Gojira

Godzilla may be famous for blockbuster battles with other kaiju, but his roots are far less enjoyable. 1954’s Gojira is a dour disaster film where the eponymous monster wreaks havoc on Japan. His unstoppable strength and atomic breath reduce the country’s greatest cities to flaming ruins. The imagery is eerily familiar.

Godzilla himself exists as a metaphor for nuclear holocaust. The atomic bombs were still fresh in people’s minds after World War II, leading the creature’s rampage to mirror the devastation heaped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even Godzilla’s origins reflect that fear, as he awakens due to U.S. hydrogen bomb testing in Japanese waters. These tests had recently affected an unsuspecting fishing ship, so their inclusion here couldn’t be more topical. In short, this fictional film was a horrifying reality for local viewers.^[4]

6 Outlander

This time-traveling romance gives fans two historical backdrops for the price of one. The first is World War II. Claire Randall serves as a British Army nurse during this global conflict. That service gives her a wealth of knowledge regarding the sick and wounded. Little does she know how valuable such knowledge will be in her coming adventures.

During a routine visit to Scotland, Claire finds herself transported back to 1743. She falls in love with a highland warrior named Jamie Fraser and soon becomes embroiled in his clan’s fight for freedom. That fight leads to the fabled Jacobite uprising, where various Highland clans unite in a final battle against their British oppressors at Culloden. Although this effort ends in failure, Jamie and Claire live to witness the American Revolution and other historical perils. Claire’s knowledge of the future helps in that respect. However, Outlander is hardly the only family tale during this tumultuous period.^[5]

5 The Patriot

A family man is always endearing. The Patriot depicts a widowed father in colonial America. After fighting in the French and Indian War, he just wants a quiet, peaceful life for himself and his children. Sadly, that humble aspiration becomes impossible with another war on the horizon.

Enter the American Revolution. In the face of increasing tyranny from Great Britain, the colonies rose in rebellion against their foreign ruler. The promise of liberty inspired many young men to take up arms. The hero’s sons are among them. Their deaths at the hands of a sadistic British officer inspire the hero to action once again. Yeah, the story takes plenty of liberties, but it captures the struggle and sense of duty that many colonists faced during America’s birth. Of course, the other side suffered as well.^[6]

4 Poldark

The Revolution also affected the English. Ross Poldark is a British soldier who serves in the war. Although he gains a few lifelong friends, the experience takes more than it gives. Combat leaves him with a scar and a limp. That’s admittedly mild as far as war wounds go, but the blows keep coming.

Upon returning to Cornwall, Ross discovers his home in shambles. His father is dead, his house is in disrepair, and his lady love is set to marry his cousin. He doesn’t let these setbacks keep him down, though. Instead, he spends the story picking up the pieces and restarting his family mine to provide for both himself and his neighbors. Even that noble drive is a constant effort due to the people in power continuing to oppress the commoners. Poldark’s plight likely echoes that of many returning troops of the time.^[7]

3 Sharpe

Another English soldier has better luck. Richard Sharpe is a scrappy grunt whose valiant actions propel him to a command position. On the one hand, that promotion lets him rise higher than anyone thought possible with his low birth. The downside is that it makes him an outsider. The officers consider him an upstart brute, and the troops see him as holier than thou and unfit for command. Only by reconciling with his new position can he earn the respect of his men. The setting offers plenty of chances to do just that.
The Sharpe stories unfold in the Napoleonic Wars. As the name suggests, these conflicts concerned Napoleon Bonaparte. The militaristic genius strove to consolidate France as a feared empire. His campaign spread over much of Europe during the early 1800s, which prompted several nations to unite against him. Britain was key to the opposition, and Sharpe’s regiment is one of many fighting for that end. Author Bernard Cornwell isn’t done with historical adventures, though.^[8]

2 The Last Kingdom

The writer also dabbles in Vikings with The Last Kingdom (or The Saxon Stories). These tales take place during the Norse invasion of England. In these years, Vikings poured into the unsuspecting country in search of new opportunities—seizing slaves, treasure, livestock, and land. The native Saxons desperately scrambled to meet this new threat. Chief among them was King Alfred of Wessex. His dream was to not only end the war but to unite the disparate territories into a single kingdom of England.

Helping him achieve that dream is the story’s protagonist, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. As a Saxon noble raised by Danish Vikings, he’s ideal to further Alfred’s agenda. Taking him across the divided land, his missions involve rallying the English kingdoms, brokering peace with the Danes who listen, and battling those who don’t. He does all of this with the promise of reclaiming his ancestral home of Bebbanburg. Despite himself, though, Uhtred comes to believe in Alfred’s vision. He just has to decide how much of his life he devotes to it.^[9]

1 Indiana Jones

Here’s a man whose whole life is history. Indiana Jones is an archaeologist who travels the world in search of ancient artifacts. Examples include the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. These relics all have great power imbued by legendary events in human history. What’s more is that Indy seeks out these treasures during times of great upheaval. Adolf Hitler is obsessed with collecting these items for the Third Reich, so the hero frequently fights Nazis in his journeys. Of course, his ties with history grow stronger once you factor in his TV show.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles details the hero’s quest to find himself. His journeys take him to countless countries, where he witnesses the most significant events of the early 1900s and meets pivotal people from those events. Highlights include Teddy Roosevelt, T.E. Laurence, and Winston Churchill. The lessons he gains from these guys stick with him for the rest of his life. Truly, Indiana Jones is the ultimate love letter to history.^[10]