10 books with gripping stories based on true events

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Life itself dictated the plots of these books to writers and journalists.

1. "I Eat Silence with Spoons" by Michael Finkel

An American journalist and author of books tells the true story of a man who spent almost 27 years in complete solitude. Christopher Knight - the average citizen without any special signs - voluntarily left society and family. He is not a psychopath, not a maniac, he is not hiding from punishment, he does not commit crimes - he is simply fed up with modern society. At the age of 20, without prior training and appropriate equipment, Christopher comes to the forest and decides to stay there forever. The hard-to-reach meadow will be his home for the next 25 years.

The impartial narrative of the modern hermit is a lot to think about. Does a society like him make a man a man? Why do we need other people? And why do we either reach out to them or, on the contrary, avoid them? Where does freedom begin? And what about the silence? Each reader will find his own answers to these questions.

2. "The Story of a Real Man", Boris Polevoy

Boris Polevoy wrote a story about a real-life pilot-ace Alexei Maresyev in 1946. The main character of the book became the idol of millions both in the USSR and far beyond its borders. During the Great Patriotic War, Meresiev was wounded in battle, lost both legs, but found the strength and courage to return not only to ordinary life, but also to aviation. This path was very long and difficult. The author truthfully described how the hero had to survive in inhuman conditions and at the same time managed to remain a real person.

Courage, willpower and lust for life without unnecessary pathos and narcissism - heroes are found in reality.

3. "She's Grace," Margaret Atwood

A brutal crime committed in 1843 in Canada by a young girl inspired Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood to create her own version of events.

The author with great skill leads the readers into the world … A cold-blooded killer? An innocent victim of circumstance? Unhappy insane creature? This is the main mystery of history. Unexpected turns of events, unpredictable denouement, bright, masterfully written characters - the old story in the hands of Margaret Atwood has acquired a topical sound.

4. "White on Black", Ruben David Gonzalez Gallego

Ruben Gallego, grandson of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain, was born in 1968 in Moscow. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, separated from his mother and sent to a Soviet orphanage. The author described his wanderings in shelters in the book. The childhood spent in the care of the state did not embitter the author. The world did not become an enemy and a traitor for him.

The book was written with great love, and this work is about good, joy and victory. Each chapter is a victory. Victory over oneself, circumstances, evil, hatred. The author is a real hero, worthy of perpetuation. The book will force you to reconsider your views on life and begin to appreciate what seems to be taken for granted.

5. "Babi Yar", Anatoly Kuznetsov

Anatoly Kuznetsov as a teenager saw the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. He witnessed how the Nazis cracked down on the Jewish population in Kiev in 1941. What he saw not only horrified him - yesterday's carefree boy suddenly became an adult who had to take care of his family, get food, and hide from the Nazis.

The real, unadorned history of the extermination of peoples is shocking. It is difficult to refrain from asking how such atrocities could have taken place in the 20th century in Europe with the shameful silence of neighbors around the globe. The book will change the worldview of readers once and for all.

6. "Murder in cold" by Truman Capote

Truman Capote has been hailed as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. The author took as the basis of the novel a real crime committed in 1959 by a pair of young people. Capote saw an article in a newspaper, became interested in the case and even came to the crime scene to collect eyewitness accounts.

In the novel, the author masterfully reveals the nature of evil and violence: what pushes people to commit crimes and what social factors become the prerequisites for turning ordinary people into villains.

7. "The Zoo Keeper's Wife" by Diana Ackerman

During World War II, the owners of the Warsaw Zoo - the Zhabinski couple - hid people from the Jewish ghetto in their pets' enclosures. In total, they managed to save almost 300 people. This story became the basis of the book by Diana Ackerman, who decided to tell the world about heroism, courage and hope.

Real heroes can be very close. They are indistinguishable from others in the crowd; they do not wear armor and insignia. Their strength, kindness and faith inspire to be better and walk towards the light, no matter how difficult the path may be.

8. “12 years of slavery. The real story of betrayal, abduction and fortitude ", Solomon Northup

Solomon Northup - a free American citizen, farmer and musician - spent 12 years in slavery. It happened in the middle of the 19th century. Solomon was kidnapped by slave traders. For more than 10 years, he wandered around different plantations, trying to prove his right to freedom. His memories prompted Americans to think about the need to abolish slavery in the country and the right of all people to freedom, regardless of their skin color.

9. "Miracle on the Hudson," Chesley B. Sullenberger, Jeffrey Zaslow

A person's whole life can be preparation for something very important. And even a few seconds can make a huge difference when it comes to human life. The story described in the book actually happened. The 57-year-old pilot in difficult conditions managed to land the liner with passengers on the water. He had only 208 seconds to think about it. Professionalism, self-confidence and belief in success helped Captain Sullenberger accomplish the feat and save people.

The book, written by the protagonist of the story in collaboration with the famous American journalist and writer Jeffrey Zaslow, captivates with the truthfulness and maximum frankness of a first-person story.

10. “Shelter. Diary in Letters ", Anne Frank

Teenage girl Anne Frank, a resident of Amsterdam, did not suspect that the Second World War would drag on and she would meet her 14th birthday in a shelter. So she named the house on the factory grounds in which she and her family hid from the Nazis for several years.

All this time, Anna kept a diary, in which she frankly shared her thoughts, worries and fears. The girl did not have time to finish it - the Nazis found a refuge and arrested Anna's family. The author of the diary died in a concentration camp from typhus in 1944. Her father posted the notes. Today, Anne Frank's diary is considered a UNESCO Memory of the World Register.