Books by Elodie Harper
Boudicca's Daughter
by Elodie Harper
⭐ Shortlisted for the 2026 Wilbur Smith Prize for Adventure Writing
“The only thing I knew about Boudicca’s daughters was that they were raped. That was the inciting incident for Boudicca’s revolt. They’re never named, and you never hear anything about their story in the sources.What I really loved about this book is that it brought to life somebody who was just a footnote. It builds a whole world and a life for this person we know nothing about. It’s done in such a way that, as long as you accept that it’s fiction, it was a really good way of trying to step into the shoes of someone who has found themselves on the edge of two worlds.” Read more...
The Best Adventure Novels: The 2026 Wilbur Smith Prize
Alex Bescoby, Film Director
Interviews where books by Elodie Harper were recommended
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1
Carthage: A New History of an Ancient Empire
by Eve MacDonald -
2
Alexander: God, King, Man
by Edmund Richardson -
3
The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World
by Selena Wisnom -
4
Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History
by Moudhy Al-Rashid -
5
Babylon: The Biography of a Metropolis
by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones -
6
Agrippa
by Robert Harris
New in Ancient History
New in Ancient History
We love books about ancient history at Five Books. Not only is it relaxing to escape from the present by reading about events several millennia ago, but the brutality of that period also helps put our modern challenges in perspective. One exciting trend in the past few years is a move away from accounts of ancient Rome and Greece to other ancient civilisations. Here’s a roundup of some of the books published recently.
The Best Adventure Novels: The 2026 Wilbur Smith Prize, recommended by Alex Bescoby
What makes a great adventure novel? For Alex Bescoby, filmmaker, traveller and judge of the 2026 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, it’s the ability to transport readers to unfamiliar worlds and bring history vividly to life. Here, he discusses the six shortlisted novels, from ancient Britain to revolutionary India, exploring stories of endurance, rebellion and remarkable perseverance in the face of hardship.
