Leon Uris was a master of the historical epic. With landmark novels like Exodus and Trinity, he didn't just write about history—he plunged readers into it. His signature style combines meticulous, journalistic research with a powerful, driving narrative and characters who embody the struggles and triumphs of their nations. Uris’s stories are vast in scope yet intensely personal.
If you're searching for authors who deliver a similar experience, this guide is for you. We've organized our recommendations based on what you love most about Uris's work.
These authors share Uris's talent for crafting deeply researched, character-driven novels set against the monumental events of the 20th century.
Like Uris, Wouk was a giant of post-war historical fiction who turned his personal experiences and exhaustive research into unforgettable epics. His focus on World War II is the perfect parallel to Uris's work. He excels at showing how global conflict shapes the lives of individuals and families.
Where to start: The Winds of War and its sequel, War and Remembrance, are a monumental achievement in historical fiction, offering a panoramic and deeply human view of WWII.
Ken Follett is a modern master of the popular historical epic. If you love the sheer scale and narrative momentum of Uris's novels, Follett is a natural fit. He weaves together the lives of dozens of characters from different social classes to tell the story of a specific era, with a particular focus on the 20th century.
Where to start: The Century Trilogy (starting with Fall of Giants) is his most direct answer to Uris, following five interconnected families through World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.
Uris's most famous works are foundation myths—stories about the birth or struggle of a nation. These authors share that focus on culture, place, and identity, though often over a much longer timescale.
Clavell's "Asian Saga" offers the same kind of deep cultural immersion that Uris provides in Exodus and Trinity. He masterfully depicts the clash of civilizations, exploring themes of power, honor, and destiny against a meticulously detailed historical backdrop. His novels are sprawling, immersive, and unforgettable.
Where to start: Shōgun is his masterpiece, a brilliant epic set in feudal Japan that explores the collision of Eastern and Western cultures.
While Uris tends to focus on a specific generation-defining event, Michener takes the long view, making geography itself the protagonist. His multi-generational sagas trace the history of a single place from its geological beginnings to the modern day. If you love the deep research and sense of place in Uris's work, you'll appreciate Michener's incredible scope.
Where to start: Hawaii follows the islands' history from their volcanic birth to statehood, while The Source mirrors Exodus by exploring the history of a single site in Israel over millennia.
Uris powerfully chronicled the struggles and triumphs of the Jewish people in the 20th century. While stylistically different, these authors explore similar themes of faith, identity, and perseverance with great depth and humanity.
Potok offers a more intimate and introspective look at Jewish life. Where Uris paints on a vast canvas of war and nation-building, Potok focuses on the internal conflicts of faith, family, and modernity within Orthodox communities in America. It's a different scale, but the emotional intensity and cultural richness will resonate.
Where to start: The Chosen is a beautiful and moving story about the friendship between two Jewish boys from different worlds in post-war Brooklyn.
Gordon writes sweeping historical adventures with a focus on medicine, science, and ethics. His famous Cole trilogy follows generations of a family of physicians. The second book, specifically, deals with Jewish identity and persecution in a way that will appeal to readers of Uris's work.
Where to start: The Physician is a grand adventure following a man's quest for knowledge in the 11th century. For themes closer to Uris, continue with its sequel, Shaman.
The enduring appeal of Leon Uris lies in his ability to make history feel personal and urgent. Whether you're drawn to his detailed portraits of 20th-century warfare, his passionate sagas of national identity, or his profound exploration of the Jewish experience, there are authors who carry on that legacy.
For the most direct match, start with Herman Wouk or Ken Follett. If you crave cultural immersion on an epic scale, turn to James Clavell. And if you wish to explore the themes of identity from a more personal angle, Chaim Potok's work is essential. Happy reading!