I’m not sure what to call these books exactly, they read a lot like like a novel but are non-fiction.
Examples would be The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz, Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand and, to some extent, Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley although this felt less like a novel imo.
by gamingaway
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The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes is one of the best written books I have ever read. It’s the only book I can think of to have won the the Pulitzer, The National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Edit: Re-reading the prompt, I’m realizing you might have been looking for something more narratively based. This book is still (surprisingly) a page turner, though!
The term you are looking for is Narrative Nonfiction or Creative Nonfiction or Literary Nonfiction.
I’m only familiar with, and can recommend Hiroshima by John Hersey.
I really enjoyed Code Talker by Chester Nez and Judith Schiess Avila! it’s a memoir about one of the Navajo code talkers and his experiences
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer
Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland.
Guadalcanal Diary
Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie is an excellent memoir from a US Marine who fought in the pacific