# Any historical fiction recommendations?



## KateHewitt (Aug 18, 2011)

I love historical fiction, but I am a bit of a stickler about really feeling like the author knows the time period without it feeling like a text book. I don't care about the time period, I love reading all different ones, although I especially love fourteenth century anywhere (Sharon Penman, etc) and nineteenth century New York City (Caleb Carr, etc). Anyone have any good recs?


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

This is an interesting request.  Because I don't read historical fiction, I would also be interested in knowing if there is a superb example to start with.


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

Check out C. J. Samson. Matthew Shardlake will give you. A nice story if you like mysteries. The author (Samson) is an English lawyer who knows his history and writes about English history ithe era of King Henry the 8th.

A very good read.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I was going to suggest the Horatio Hornblower series, though the two reviews of the Kindle version of the first book both indicate a pretty sub-standard job of transcription to e-book, so depending on your tolerance of such things, you might want to check out a print copy from your library, instead.  These were favorites of mine when I was in my late teens/early twenties.


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## Grady Hendrix (Sep 8, 2010)

I love historical fiction that feels like the author knows his or her stuff, but doesn't show it off too much. Some of my favorites:

_Dream of Scipio_ and _An Instance of the Fingerpost_ - both by Iain Pears. Some people find _Fingerpost_ slow going, but I really loved drowning myself in it. It's set in the 17th Century and if you're willing to go with it for a while, you'll come away happy once you realize where it's going. _Dream_ is set in three time periods: the 5th Century, the 14th Century and WW II. It's incredibly engaging, but you don't have a clue as to how the story is going to come together until the last chapter and then, suddenly, it all snaps into focus. It's one of my favorite books of all time - incredibly sad, passionate and very, very smart.

_The Baroque Cycle_ - I've met plenty of people who can't stand Neal Stephenson's massive (2000 + pages), three volume historical novel and there's nothing wrong with that. As for me, I couldn't put it down. Full of swashbuckling, algebra, lost innocence, Thief Kings, plots to topple the crown and the invention of money it's one of the biggest and most satisfying historical novels that really earns the title "epic" that I've ever read.

_Tipping the Velvet_ and _Fingersmith_ - both by Sarah Waters. When she's on her game, no one does historical potboilers better than Sarah Waters. Fast-moving, page-turning and dishing out some of the most authentic female characters in historical fiction, these are like candy bars for historical fiction lovers, only they're low in calories and high in nutritional value.


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

A few of my favourites, not necessarily available on Kindle (yet):
- Several by Mary Renault, including "The King Must Die" and "The Bull From  the Sea", set in ancient Greece
- Edith Pargeter's "Heaven Tree" trilogy, set in the English-Welsh borderland in the 12th century (she's more famous for her "Brother Cadfael" books, written as Ellis Peters). I also liked her "Brothers Gwynedd" quartet, but found it too heartbreaking to re-read.
- Ursula Le Guin's "Lavinia", set just after the Trojan War


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## jherrick (Apr 1, 2011)

Right now, I'm reading The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl. Don't know if it's well researched or not, but it's a great read so far.


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## jackz4000 (May 15, 2011)

Bernard Cornwell.  He must have a dozen titles.  His trilogy of The Saxon Series is excellent and he does many other periods too.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Consider, Ralph Cotton's "While Angels Dance", months and years directly after Civil War. 

Book was nominated for a Pulitzer in 1994. 

It was written first person. Book one in a series of six. Powder River is book two, very funny... I find Cotton's books well-researched and dialog second to none for westerns.

He just started releasing is older title under Western Classic, doing the hybrid Indie for older titles and Traditional Publishing for his newer ones. He is a bestselling author.


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## KateHewitt (Aug 18, 2011)

Shayne Parkinson said:


> A few of my favourites, not necessarily available on Kindle (yet):
> - Several by Mary Renault, including "The King Must Die" and "The Bull From the Sea", set in ancient Greece
> - Edith Pargeter's "Heaven Tree" trilogy, set in the English-Welsh borderland in the 12th century (she's more famous for her "Brother Cadfael" books, written as Ellis Peters). I also liked her "Brothers Gwynedd" quartet, but found it too heartbreaking to re-read.
> - Ursula Le Guin's "Lavinia", set just after the Trojan War


Thanks for the recs, Shayne. I just devoured your Sentence of Marriage series--loved reading about New Zealand.


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## KateHewitt (Aug 18, 2011)

Thanks so much for all the recs! CJ Sansom and Sarah Waters I've already read and enjoyed, but the others are new to me. Will have to look them up. 

Thanks again,

Kate


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## JimJ (Mar 3, 2009)

I'm not much a historical fiction guy, but I loved this book. It's set in Boston in 1918/1919.


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

KateHewitt said:


> Thanks for the recs, Shayne. I just devoured your Sentence of Marriage series--loved reading about New Zealand.


Thanks, Kate! That's great to hear.


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## KateHewitt (Aug 18, 2011)

JimJ said:


> I'm not much a historical fiction guy, but I loved this book. It's set in Boston in 1918/1919.


I've read that one... I loved it too


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

If you like Sharon Kay Penman, you might like Helen Hollick, I found their writing styles and accuracy similar. Check out:


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## KateHewitt (Aug 18, 2011)

history_lover said:


> If you like Sharon Kay Penman, you might like Helen Hollick, I found their writing styles and accuracy similar. Check out:


Thanks! I'll have a look.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Anything by Jack Whyte.


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Lehane's The Given Day is excellent, the reader is sorry to reach the end.

E. Rutherfurd wrote of New York (not just 19th century) in his novel of that name; of course there is the classic, Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow.

Am about to begin reading Clara and Mr. Tiffany (2011 pub date) by Susan Vreeland and assume it will be very good, atmospheric without being too obvious with the details.


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## DGFall (Jul 7, 2011)

I'm reading the 6 volume set about the French and Indian War by Altshaler. Wonderful read.


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2011)

I liked Sarum a lot.


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## mlouisalocke (May 14, 2010)

Hi,

There is an enormous amount of historical fiction out there, and more and more of it is making it into Kindle and other ebook formats.

_--- sorry  no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## apbschmitz (Apr 22, 2011)

Another little shout-out for Geraldine Brooks: her novel, Year of Wonders, is a great treatment of the Black Plague, is that's your cup of tea.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I strongly recommend Robert Low's _Oathsworn_ series, at least part of which is available for Kindle. It is extremely well researched and well written, which is unusual when it comes to Viking culture. In fact, it is by far the best series of Viking novels I've ever read, a bit dark and violent at times and no romantic nonsense.


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## Kerry Greene (Aug 11, 2011)

Seconding Edith Pargeter's Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet if you like Sharon Kay Penman. It's a very different style of writing, but tells the story of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd and his brothers, so it's interesting to compare with Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning. Pargeter also wrote the Brother Cadfael series of historical mysteries under the name Ellis Peters, which are kind of fun if you like historical mysteries.

For something a bit more Penman-like in tone, I recommend _Legacy_, by Susan Kay, which is a really excellent and sadly overlooked Elizabeth I novel.


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## Iain Manson (Apr 3, 2011)

I have a problem with historical fiction: so much of it seems to me to be irredeemably of the time of writing, and thus no more than contemporary fiction in period dress.

This fault, I think, is not to be found with any of the following:

*Patrick O'Brian: The Aubrey-Maturn series*
Set on a British warship during the Napoleonic Wars. O'Brian's knowledge of his subject was encyclopaedic, yet he wears his learning lightly.

*William Golding: To the Ends of the Earth trilogy*
A young upper-class Englishman keeps a journal of his voyage to Australia in 1812. Smells of salt and ship's tar, and was a thoroughly deserved winner of the prestigious Booker Prize.

*Joseph O'Connor: Star of the Sea*
Eighteen forty-seven. To escape the famine raging in Ireland, a group of refugees take ship to America. If you want to learn about the Irish potato famine without having to plough through anything too academic, this is where you should go. A wonderful and heartbreaking novel.

*George MacDonald Fraser: The Flashman series*
Fraser resurrects the bully Flashman of _Tom Brown's Schooldays_, and makes him an officer in Queen Victoria's army. Though a cad and a coward, events always conspire to make him look a hero. Meticulously researched, exciting and hilarious. But be warned: when the first volume was published, one American reviewer in three took the work for fact.


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Iain Manson said:


> I have a problem with historical fiction: so much of it seems to me to be irredeemably of the period of writing, and thus no more than contemporary fiction in fancy dress.


I agree completely with this. Or when the author uses a period term and proceeds to define it. Ugh. I'll look it up if I need to.

I've been wanting to try the Flashman series. I think I was too dumb to understand the Aubrey-Maturin books--sometimes I actually wasn't completely positive what was happening--something about some woman riding a horse??


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

No one has mentioned Hilary Mantel's _Wolf Hal_l. As someone who normally loathes Tudor fiction (talk about over-done about a loathsome royal family *eye roll*), the fact that I would recommend this one says something.



Iain Manson said:


> I have a problem with historical fiction: so much of it seems to me to be irredeemably of the period of writing, and thus no more than contemporary fiction in fancy dress.


Any 'historical fiction' that is "contemporary fiction in fancy dress" is simply BAD historical fiction, in my opinion. There is some good historical fiction out there though. It's more work than other fiction, so it isn't as common but it is there.


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## Linda Andrews (Aug 16, 2011)

I love Amanda Quick's books. They're Victorian England (Romances, some with paranormal elements).

Linda


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## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

I'd recommend every novel Elizabeth Chadwick has written, as well as all of Helen Hollick's, Bernard Cornwell and Jeanne Kalogridis' work.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Susan Howatch is my favorite author. Her writing is excellent and she does her research. She uses the historical stories and sets them in the late in different time periods and settings.

The Rich Are Different and Sins of the Fathers - Julius Caesar through Octavian set in New York and Norfolk
Penmarric - Henry II through John I set in Cornwall
Cashelmara - Edward I through Edward III set in New York, London and Ireland
Wheel of Fortune - Edward III through Henry V set in Wales


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## 41419 (Apr 4, 2011)

I love historical fiction; I can't get enough of it.

These are my favorites.

Mario Vargas Llosa - he just won the Nobel Prize. My two favorites are "Who Killed Palomino Molero?" by Mario Vargas Llosa - a noirish mystery set in 40s rural Peru, and "The Feast of The Goat" by Mario Vargas Llosa - tense, lyrical, vivid novel set during the dictatorship of Batista in the Dominican Republic

Jorge Amado - his books aren't historicals in the strictest sense. They were written in the 40s/50s depicting the 20s, but they read like historicals, so I am going to include them. They are set in North-eastern Brazil. "Gabriella, Clove & Cinnamon" is amazing and I loved "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands"

Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Anything by him. He is a master. Especially recommended are "100 Years of Solitude", "Love In The Time of Cholera", and "Chronicle of a Death Foretold."

Louis de Bernieres - he wrote a South American trilogy which was a homage to Garcia Marquez in many ways, and very, very good. Even better are "Corelli's Mandolin" set on a Greek island during WW2, and his masterpiece "Birds Without Wings" set in Western Turkey during WW1 and its aftermath.

Hmm. I appear to have a Latin American thing going on.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

And of course, there is the marvelous Mary Renault. My own favorite (although it wasn't a historical novel when it was written) is _The Charioteer_. However, a close second is her fantastic trilogy on Alexander the Great beginning with _Fire From Heaven_.

Edit: And anyone who hasn't read _I, Claudius_ should immediately go out and do so, but I always assume that historical fiction fans have already read it. It is not only one of the best historical novels ever written; it is one of the best novels ever written, whatever the type.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I just started On Falcon's Wings by Lisa J. Yarde. I have no recollection as to why it's on my Kindle, but I'd finished my previous read and it was just sitting there on my home page -- I hadn't even categorized it yet. I think it must have been free earlier this summer, though now it's priced at $2.51.

ANYWAY. . . . it's definitely a historical. I'm still in the 'set up' stage, only about 11% in, but it's well written so far. It will ultimately be a romance, it seems, and is set in the 20 years or so leading up to the Battle of Hastings. I am enjoying it.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

JRTomlin said:


> And of course, there is the marvelous Mary Renault. My own favorite (although it wasn't a historical novel when it was written) is _The Charioteer_. However, a close second is her fantastic trilogy on Alexander the Great beginning with _Fire From Heaven_.
> 
> Edit: And anyone who hasn't read _I, Claudius_ should immediately go out and do so, but I always assume that historical fiction fans have already read it. It is not only one of the best historical novels ever written; it is one of the best novels ever written, whatever the type.


I never read I, Claudius but the I have the DVD's with Derek Jacobi and a wonderful cast. The series is fantastic. To be honest, I never thought about reading the books. now I'm going to have to.


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## journeymama (May 30, 2011)

This is a great thread!

I was also going to recommend Geraldine Brooks.

I LOVED The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, by David Mitchell. I love historical fiction because I come away knowing something I didn't know about a period (and often a place) I have never been able to be myself. But it's true- has to be well-researched. 

I'm looking forward to checking out other books recommended here.


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

I don't know if it's your thing, but I read Timeline by Michael Crichton. Total fiction, but he seems to have researched the time period to a good degree. I found it enjoyable.


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## Isabella (Aug 11, 2011)

For Victorian set page turners I would heartily recommend Michael's Cox's two novels _The Meaning of Night_ and _Glass of Time_. Influenced by Victorian sensation fiction and mysteries they make for a gripping read.

Cox was an editor at Oxford University Press and really knew his period. Sadly he died in 2009 and so there won't be any more, but he was a superb writer.


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## yomamma (Feb 10, 2011)

If you like Ancient Egypt, Pauline Gedge is a totally overlooked but absolutely wonderful author. Her book Child of the Morning is about Hatshepsut, and she writes in other time periods of ancient Egypt as well. She doesn't sugarcoat, though, or clean up historical accuracy for a modern audience.  Love her books.

I'm also really fond of Philippa Gregory, but am told hers are more dramaticized than historically accurate?


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## unitbit (Jul 22, 2011)

Iain Manson said:


> I have a problem with historical fiction: so much of it seems to me to be irredeemably of the time of writing, and thus no more than contemporary fiction in period dress.


I could not agree with you more on this. Perfect.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

I'm a huge, huge fan of Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Chronicles (_The Last Kingdom, Sword Song, Lords of the North, The Pale Horseman_). They are Dark Ages Britain and if you like action and an intriguing antihero, they're fascinating, but if battle scenes are not your thing, maybe not.

For something tamer with internal conflict and man (or woman) vs. nature, I enjoyed both _The Personal History of Rachel DuPree_ (Dust Bowl era Badlands) and Kathleen Shoop's _The Last Letter_ (late 19th century Dakotas).



> I'm also really fond of Philippa Gregory, but am told hers are more dramaticized than historically accurate?


I've enjoyed several of hers, too, Jill. My favorite was _The Boleyn Inheritance_, although The Other Boleyn Girl seems to be the more popular one. Interestingly, she not only has an undergraduate degree in history, but a PhD in literature.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

Hands-down; _The Outlander_. Wonderfully researched and a real "flavor" for the period in which the author writes. Highly recommend. I also heard _The Bluebells of Scotland_ is fantastic.


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## Grady Hendrix (Sep 8, 2010)

> George MacDonald Fraser: The Flashman series
> Fraser resurrects the bully Flashman of Tom Brown's Schooldays, and makes him an officer in Queen Victoria's army. Though a cad and a coward, events always conspire to make him look a hero. Meticulously researched, exciting and hilarious. But be warned: when the first volume was published, one American reviewer in three took the work for fact.


Just want to echo Iain's recommendation of the Flashman books. Some of the first historical fiction that I really loved, and well worth your time.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I never read I, Claudius but the I have the DVD's with Derek Jacobi and a wonderful cast. The series is fantastic. To be honest, I never thought about reading the books. now I'm going to have to.


Seriously, as great as the PBS series is (I also own the DVDs), the novels are even better.


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

I'm reading The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans at the moment.  It's set in Victorian England and is about a young woman who becomes the fashion guru of her time.  It's warm, heartfelt and filled with lovely lush descriptions.  It's not my favourite historical by any means but I do recommend it.  Not sure if it's on kindle though.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I will tentatively recommend this book which spans four generations of women against the backdrop of the construction of Versailles through The Terror.



There is one major error that I recall and that's how long Athenais de Montespan was Louis XIV's mistress. I haven't read the book in a long time so I'm not positive. It was one of first books I bought for my Kindle for a whole 32 cents. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great story.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

How about *The Name of the Rose*? It's a murder mystery set in a 13th century monastery (I think, it's been a while). By Umberto Eco.


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## Tommie Lyn (Dec 7, 2009)

One book I read recently was not considered historical fiction by the author, but _I_ consider it to be.

It is _Lorna Doone_, by Richard Blackmore. I enjoyed that book more than any I'd read in a long time...since I started writing, as a matter of fact. Critiquing had become such a habit that I couldn't enjoy recreational reading anymore. But working to get into the mindset required to read _Lorna Doone_ (a story set in the late 1600s written by Blackmore in the late 1800s) cleansed my reading palate, so to speak, and restored my ability to enjoy reading fiction.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

Can't remember if I already posted, so if I did forgive the senior moments. Three of my all-time favorites:

The Source, James Michener
Shogun by James Clavell
The Killer Angels by Michael Scharra


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## BSquared18 (Apr 26, 2011)

I'm a bit more than half way through Alexander Kent's (aka Douglas Reeman) 30 novels about Richard Bolitho, who rises through the British naval ranks during the American Revolutionary War, post French-Revolution conflicts, and Napoleonic Wars. At some point, which I haven't reached yet, Richard dies and is replaced in the series by Adam Bolitho. The series is available on Kindle.

The author definitely knows his naval history and how the windjammers and naval battles of the 19th Century worked.

At times, his surprise twists are predictable, and sometimes his prose gets a bit too cloying for my taste. Also, once he finds a good image, such as one of the ship seeming to bleed from its scuppers, he uses it over and over.

But these are minor complaints. On the whole, the stories are enthralling (or I wouldn't have made it through sixteen of them) and the characters fascinating.

I wholeheartedly recommend these books for anyone interested in naval history of that time. Definitely read them in chronological order.

Bill


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks a lot, people, for the expansion of my ridiculously long TBR list.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Oh, and I would suggest checking out N. Gemini Sasson's historical novels which have received excellent reviews. I'll read them as soon as I'm not writing about the same period.


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## AnnieOldham (Sep 1, 2011)

If you like reading YA, Elizabeth George Speare writes superb historical fiction. Two immediately come to mind: The Bronze Bow (set in Israel during the time of Jesus Christ) and The Witch of Blackbird Pond (about a girl suspected of being a witch in New England during the late 1600s).


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

The Street of A Thousand Blossoms. I read this a couple of years ago and then listened to the audio version. Great book.


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## Loren DeShon (Jun 15, 2011)

+1 to the Aubrey/Maturin series (starts with Master and Commander), by Patrick O'Brian. In a eulogy for the author George Will called the series 'one of the great literary achievements of the 20th century'.

+ 1 to the Flashman series (starts with Flashman) by George McDonald Fraser. Flashy is my personal hero.

Two suggestions not yet mentioned:

Shogun by James Clavell. His masterpiece.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. Pulitzer Prize winner.


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## henryandhenrybooks (Sep 6, 2011)

I enjoyed Austin Brigg's book about a character during the Aztec's reign


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## henryandhenrybooks (Sep 6, 2011)

If you haven't read C.J.Sansom's four-part Matthew Shardlake series in the time of Henry VIII, or if you haven't read David Liss's series involving 17th century thief-taker Benjamin Weaver, you haven't walked the offal and excrement filled streets of 17th century London. You should try it.


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

Mmmmm... Caleb Carr...  His Alienist stands as one of the greatest historical fiction books I have ever read.

So, these aren't historical fiction, but they're historical and read like fiction... Have you read The Poisoner's Handbook or Devil in the White City?  They remind me of Caleb Carr and are just as engaging.


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## Edie Claire (Jun 25, 2011)

I love historical fiction, and the late Catherine Cookson is one of my all-time favorites. She writes late 19th & early 20th century books set in England, and I just noticed that a lot of her earlier works are now available for Kindle. What makes her books unique is (1) much of her insight comes from her own life growing up and from family stories--so it is wonderfully authentic, and (2) she writes about average people, rather than just the rich or politically/historically important. Whenever I read one of her books I feel like I have a real glimpse into what life might have been like back then -- rather than just a rehash of the history books. Highly recommended!


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I don't think I mentioned Nigel Tranter. His Bruce trilogy is a must-read for anyone who has any connection to Scotland.


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

+1 for "Lonesome Dove."

+1,000,000 for the Aubrey/Maturin books. If you read nothing else in this thread, read those.

And Georgette Heyer's books are scrupulously researched, though the only ones truly worth reading are her Regencies. Austen as screwball comedy.


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## herocious (May 20, 2011)

I always likes "How the Irish Save Civilization"

Put it on your TBR if you haven't read it already.

Trust me.


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## Collin Moshman (Sep 1, 2011)

Anything by Davis Liss, particularly:

​


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## Austin_Briggs (Aug 21, 2011)

dgaughran said:


> I love historical fiction; I can't get enough of it.
> 
> These are my favorites.
> 
> ...


This is an outstanding list. I just re-read "100 years of Solitude", still walking around under its spell.

Never read Louis de Bernieres, will look him up.


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## Austin_Briggs (Aug 21, 2011)

henryandhenrybooks said:


> I enjoyed Austin Brigg's book about a character during the Aztec's reign


Man, I just fell out of my chair. I didn't notice your post until scrolling up.

Thanks!

Hope my reaction doesn't violate the decorum...


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

JimJ said:


> I'm not much a historical fiction guy, but I loved this book. It's set in Boston in 1918/1919.


Yes! The Given Day is a wonderful book by a favorite author.


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

GerrieFerrisFinger said:


> Yes! The Given Day is a wonderful book by a favorite author.


_Deja vu _ all over again -- I mentioned this on page one above!


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## Carly Carson (Mar 4, 2011)

"Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles - the border state of Missouri during the Civil War

"The Dante Club" by Matthew Pearl (mentioned above) - the book is about the Cambridge (Harvard, not England) men who first translated "The Inferno" into English around the mid-19th century.

"Shadow of the Moon" by M. M. Kaye - a romance taking place during the British Raj and The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 in India. The author was born and raised in India. The history is the part that will stick with you.


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna.

Takes place on a US gunboat on the Yangtze River in the early 1900s.


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

There are a few historical murder-mysteries I read. Michael Jecks templar mysteries (e.g.The Leper's Return (Knights Templar Mystery)) are very well-researched and take place around the period of the English Tyranny (Edward II). For Irish history Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma's series is extremely detailed about the history and culture of the time as he's a scholar of the period in his day-job, although I always prefered his short story collections (e.g. An Ensuing Evil and Others: Fourteen Historical Mysteries).


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## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

_"Shadow of the Moon" by M. M. Kaye - a romance taking place during the British Raj and The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 in India. The author was born and raised in India. The history is the part that will stick with you._

Also "The Far Pavilions" by the same author. Takes place after the rebellion in India and concerns the British attempts to establish a mission in Afghanistan in the late 19th century. Also a great romance.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Susan Howatch is my favorite author. Her writing is excellent and she does her research. She uses the historical stories and sets them in the late in different time periods and settings.


My mother loved Susan Howatch, and I do too, especially the historical novels (Cashelmara is a particular favorite of mine). I love how she switches POVs to give the reader multiple characters' perspectives.

I also second all the recs for _I, Claudius_. What a great story about political intrigue and skullduggery.

Right now, I'm reading Tracy Chevalier's _The Lady and the Unicorn_ and Judith Merkle Riley's _In Pursuit of the Green Lion_. If you're interested in artists during the Renaissance, _The Lady and the Unicorn _ has been very interesting so far -- a nice mixture of family drama, tapestry making, and the wild life of an artist in 15th century Paris. _In Pursuit of the Green Lion_ is more of a medieval romance--I love the main character's voice--she's a bit of a witch and very charming and funny, a woman with nine lives who seems to land on her feet wherever she goes.


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## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

I finished Sarah Poole's The Borgia Betrayal yesterday and can't stop recommending it. The protag is a female poisoner in the time of the Borgia pope Alexander VI. Lots of action and mystery. It's a follow-up to Poole's Poison, which is next on my TBR list.


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## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

The title pretty much speaks for itself.    I just need some new suggestions! Sharing your own titles are fine too, if it's permitted in this forum. Thanks!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I refer you to this thread: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,80510.0.html

And, in fact, I'm going to merge this request with it to bring it back to life. . . .

There's also this thread: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,63555.0.html

(authors please do NOT suggest your own work here in the Book Corner, thanks.  but note there is also this thread in the Book Bazaar where member authors have listed their own work: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,66131.0.html)


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Mandy said:


> The title pretty much speaks for itself.  I just need some new suggestions! Sharing your own titles are fine too, if it's permitted in this forum. Thanks!


Well, if you're enjoying The Heretic's Daughter, be aware that there's a prequel to it called The Traitor's Wife: A Novel. The author also has a new novel coming out soon: The Outcasts: A Novel

If you're interested in another novel on witch trials, check out Daughters of the Witching Hill


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

If you are looking for historical fiction with actual historical figures, then any Jean Plaidy book from her history series is good. She did almost all of the British monarchs and a few of the French. My particular favorites are the ones on Catherine DeMedici of France and the Plantagenet series in England which range from Henry II to bad King John.

If you just want fiction in an historical era, Taylor Caldwell is good and manages to capture the feel of an era. My favorite is Captains and the Kings, which was a mini-series but it bore no relationship to the book except superficially, changing even the story lines of some of the characters. The book is much less of a bodice ripper than the mini-series was and is darker in tone, being almost brooding at times as it traces a family loosely based on the Kennedys with a hint of an ancestral curse bringing tragedy at every turn.


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## MrKnucklehead (Mar 13, 2013)

for historical fiction it's hard to beat Gore Vidal's 7 book American Chronicals, starting from the Revolutionary War with Burr and ending with the Cold War Era with Golden Age...

he hinted in an interview a few years ago that an 8th book bringing the series up-to-date would be published after his death...he died about a year ago...


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## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

Some of my favorite HF:

Dreamers of the Day: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell - the creation of the modern Middle East at the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka - the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as "picture brides" nearly a century ago.

Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen - a traveling circus during the Great Depression


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## 67499 (Feb 4, 2013)




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## Roman_writer (Jul 3, 2013)

I recently read The Handfasted Wife by Carol McGrath. It's set in the time just before the Norman Conquest and tells the story of Edith Swan-Neck, King Harold's wife. Well-researched, good period detail and a narrative that moves along nicely.


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## jkkelley (Jul 3, 2013)

KateHewitt said:


> I love historical fiction, but I am a bit of a stickler about really feeling like the author knows the time period without it feeling like a text book. I don't care about the time period, I love reading all different ones, although I especially love fourteenth century anywhere (Sharon Penman, etc) and nineteenth century New York City (Caleb Carr, etc). Anyone have any good recs?


James Michener (Centennial, Texas, Chesapeake, Alaska, etc. consistently did a good job. Leon Uris (QB VII, Trinity, the lamentable Redemption, etc.) suffered from rather overt biases that made one question his historical takes and potential selectivity. A lot of people pan James Clavell (Tai-Pan, Gai-Jin, Shogun, etc.) over his interpretations of Asian cultures, but I'm fairly sure that's like Quebec: if you aren't from it, it's elusive to really 'get it.' I enjoyed all of Michener, some of Uris with caveats, and all of Clavell.


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

I finished up Peeler by Kevin McCarthy the other day.


It takes place in 1920s Ireland and is about a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary investigating a murder. Gritty and in places graphic.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in this time or in mystery/thrillers.

Deckard


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Thanks Deckard, I had been wondering about that one.

In the literary vein, try Colum McCann's _Transatlantic_ .


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## Ed Robinson (Oct 8, 2013)

I will second Michener, he is the king of historical fiction. Chesapeake and Caribbean are Classic must reads. I also highly recommend The Honor Series, by Robert Macomber. Civil War era, nautical settings. These books are superb.


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