Historical fiction is a great way to capture an era, whether it is the elegant Victorian era or the swinging pace and sizzle of the Jazz era. Unlike contemporary novels or even fantasy where all a writer needs is their imagination, historical fiction requires meticulous research and often the options are overwhelming. Here are five research titles to discover the world of the 1960s.

Vietnam: A History 2nd Edition by Stanley Karnow

A text that clarifies, analyzes, demystifies, and deconstructs the Vietnam war. Filled with compassionate human portrayals, Karnow's work draws from secret documents and exclusive interviews with participants from all sides of the war: from French and American to Vietnamese and Chinese, along with diplomats, military commanders, high government officials, jounalists, nurses, workers, and soldiers. The text is also a great companion to Ken Burns's ten-part documentary series, The Vietnam War.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll: The Rise of America’s 1960s Counterculture by Robert C. Cottrell

Offering a unique examination of the cultural movement that enveloped the United States during the sixties and the postwar decade, Robert C. Cottrell provides a view of counterculture, reaching back to the birth of the American bohemian movement to the Beat Poets, the hippies and the hipsters. Great for authors looking to discover how much of that influence affected the youth of the time.

King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero by David Remnick

With the recent death of the icon Muhammad Ali in 2016, and parallels to his protest appearing once again in the sports world, King of the World explores the pivotal night in 1964 when Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) stepped into the ring with Sonny Liston. Widely dismissed for his Civil Rights views and so-called anti-Americanism, Ali ended the night not only the new world heavyweight boxing champion, but as a new kind of black man who spoke his mind and stuck to his convictions to eventually grow to become an American hero.

The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from the Black Freedom Struggle by Clayborne Carson

A comprehensive anthology filled with primary sources and spanning the entire history of the American civil rights movement. The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader is essential for any author interested in learning how far the American civil rights movements has come and how far it has to go. Starting with the Supreme Court's Brown vs Board of Education decision and filled with speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr., an interview with Rosa Parks, as well as selections from such figures as Malcolm X, Black Panther founder Bobby Seale, Ralph Abernathy, Harold Washington, Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela, and much more. This text is sure to give an author a deeper understanding of the era and the thought process of its leaders at the time.

Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC by Faith S. Holsaert

Presenting a sweeping personal history of SNCC from early sit-ins, to voter registration campaigns, and freedom rides; the 1963 March on Washington, the Mississippi Freedom Summer, and the movements in Alabama and Maryland; and Black Power and antiwar activism, all from the perspective of the women in the movement. Most of the women spent time in the Deep South, where it was considered safer for them to go than for the Black men in the organization. Many also describe risking their lives through beatings and arrests and witnessing unspeakable violence. These intense stories depict women, many very young, dealing with extreme fear and finding the remarkable strength to survive.