# Favorite historical fiction?



## grahampowell (Feb 10, 2011)

Something put me in the mind of Stephen Pressfield's GATES OF FIRE today, so I thought I'd see what historical fiction the rest of you enjoy.

Pressfield is best known for THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, because of the movie, but I prefer GATES OF FIRE.  It's a retelling of the battle of Thermopylae, in which a force of 5,000 Greeks held out for three days against 100,000 Persians, told through the life of a young man who becomes a servant to the Spartans.

It's a remarkable achievement, keeping you desperately flipping the pages despite the fact that the outcome is well known.

Another book I liked was the novel WAR OF THE RATS, which retold the sniper war in Stalingrad during WWII.  Also a great read.


Graham


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)




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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Side question:  How far back in history does a book need to be to be considered Historical Fiction?  Or is there different criteria?


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I think the most agreed upon number is 50 years ago but just as a rough, unofficial guideline - technically, it can be any time in the past. Different people have different ideas of where to draw the line. Personally, for my blog, I roughly follow the 50 year guide - I tend to draw the line after the Civil Right Movement in the US whereas this website seems to draw it a little earlier after WWII: http://www.historicalnovels.info/20th-Century.html


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## johnnylemuria (Jun 23, 2011)

The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles, by Robert Anton Wilson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Historical_Illuminatus_Chronicles
A sort of prequel to the Illuminatus Trilogy (some of my favorite bookes ever), perfect if you like your history with a strong dash of WTF.
The Baroque Cycle, by Neal Stephenson http://www.amazon.com/Quicksilver-Baroque-Cycle-Vol-1/dp/0380977427
Rip-roaring adventures in books big enough to kill a badger with. Manages to make stories of ancient inventions read like good sci-fi.
The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, by Lindsey Davis http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Marcus-Didius-Falco-Mysteries/dp/031235777X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309450927&sr=1-1
Good detective stories, good history.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

johnnylemuria said:


> The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, by Lindsey Davis http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Marcus-Didius-Falco-Mysteries/dp/031235777X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309450927&sr=1-1


I'm reading the first one at the moment - it's not bad but kind of slow paced. I thought Still Life With Murder was better. (I don't normally read historical mysteries so they were both freebies I picked up).


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

While Angles Dance, aftermath of civil war, James - Younger gang...


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I did enjoy Stephenson's _Baroque Cycle_ even though I kept expecting it to break out into a Steampunk novel .....


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## grahampowell (Feb 10, 2011)

johnnylemuria said:


> The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, by Lindsey Davis


I can't remember the series name now, but I remember enjoying one of the Roman mysteries by Steven Saylor.

Graham


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

For people who like Scottish historical fiction, of course, there is Nigel Tranter. His novel _Hope Endures_ is available on Kindle. Unfortunately what most people consider his best work, _The Bruce Trilogy_, is not. Frankly, character development was not one of Mr. Tranter's strengths but he was amazing good at showing the political and social development of the times he wrote about.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Wow, I don't think I can pick a favorite. Maybe...no, not that one. Possibly _that_ one... Will have to revisit this thread when I make up my mind.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I see that the Horation Hornblower novels (Napoleonic wars) are finally being made available for Kindle, so I'll add those to the list. There are about a dozen of them, starting with...


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

How about the original historical fiction novel - *IVANHOE!* - http://www.amazon.com/Ivanhoe-ebook/dp/B000JQUYI8

Still a great read, in my opinion.


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## gingerdehlinger (Feb 7, 2011)

_The Other Boleyn Girl_. I could not stop reading it. I also enjoy historical fiction written by Jane Kirkpatrick.


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## ColinJ (Jun 13, 2011)

I've always preferred Robert E. Howard's historical adventures over his more popular fantasy stuff like Conan and Solomon Kane.


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## dabnorfish (Jun 30, 2011)

Whilst on holibobs, I read two historical novels that I rather enjoyed.:

The Book Thief (I know, everyone's probably aware of this anyway, but it's bloody marvellous)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Book-Thief-ebook/dp/B0031R5K72/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309474922&sr=8-2

The Book of Unholy Mischief
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Unholy-Mischief-Elle-Newmark/dp/0552775215/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1309474988&sr=1-1


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

Favorite: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry


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## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

Hard to pick just one favorite...I love those sweeping historical epics by James Michener and Edward Rutherfurd.  

Have to agree with TWErvin too - Lonesome Dove is terrific read.


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## LucieSimone (Jun 30, 2011)

My favorite historical fiction book, and one of my overall favorite books period, is Tracy Chevalier's Falling Angels.


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## ChrisHoward (May 14, 2010)

It's been years since I last read them, but I love Mary Renault's ancient Greek books, including The Mask of Apollo, Fire from Heaven, The Praise Singer, Funeral Games.

I'm also a a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series.

Chris


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes, especially the Revolutionary War era entries, are still among my favorites.


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

I, too, enjoy the epics by Edward Rutherford and also R.F. Delderfield.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Tatiana said:


> I, too, enjoy the epics by Edward Rutherford and also R.F. Delderfield.


I would LOVE to have _Sarum_ on my kindle.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

history_lover said:


> I think the most agreed upon number is 50 years ago but just as a rough, unofficial guideline - technically, it can be any time in the past. Different people have different ideas of where to draw the line. Personally, for my blog, I roughly follow the 50 year guide - I tend to draw the line after the Civil Right Movement in the US whereas this website seems to draw it a little earlier after WWII: http://www.historicalnovels.info/20th-Century.html


Somehow I have difficulty thinking of an era that I grew up in as historical fiction.  Personally, I'll go with WW II and before.

My favorite historical fiction author is Susan Howatch. Her series on the Church of England was recently kindleized so I have high hopes that the other books won't be far behind.

Cashelmara - Edward I to Edward III
Penmarric - Henry II to John I
Wheel of Fortune - Edward III to Henry V

The Rich are Different - Julius Caesar to Octavian
Sins of the Father - Caesar Augustus


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Geoffrey said:


> I would LOVE to have _Sarum_ on my kindle.


You and me both. Some of his book are kindleized and I don't see why Sarum isn't. My PB is in pretty bad shape.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Just thought about one of my favorite trilogies. The Bounty Trilogy has been sitting on my Kindle waiting patiently for me to get to it. Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall 

Mutiny on the Bounty
Pitcairn Island
Men Against the Sea

I was going to link them but I see they're no longer available for Kindle. I'd better check to see if they are still in my archives.


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## Laura Lond (Nov 6, 2010)

One of my favorites is Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead. Unfortunately, I don't see it available on Kindle.


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

Love Lonesome Dove.


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

The First Man of Rome series. I read that in my teens and fell in love. I'd re-read it again, but fearful that mid-30s Krista will not like it as much as mid-teens Krista


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

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


> Somehow I have difficulty thinking of an era that I grew up in as historical fiction.  Personally, I'll go with WW II and before.


as an aside, when I was a student in the 70's and early 80's, our American history classes all seemed to end after WWII with an 'and they all lived happily ever after'. No mention of the Eisenhower years, McCarthyism, Camelot, Bay of Pigs, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, the Summer of Love ... but now that I'm in my 40's I'm seeing more and that even though it's 30 years ago, the Reagan Era is just something that happened; just like the AIDS protests were things I participated in when I was fighing the good fight - and certainly not history.

But, even though I remember Nixon's resignation, Vietnam is most certainly history .... And sad as it may seem to admit, to a college freshman, the dot com boom is probably history....


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm happy to report that my Bounty Trilogy is still in my archives. Now if I could only find time to read it.

Lonesome Dove was outstanding and I really don't like Westerns at all. I almost put it down when it started out with pigs eating rattlesnakes but I quickly got into the characters and was hooked from then on.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Mary Renault, especially her Alexander trilogy is one of the best. And _The Chariotee_r would now be considered historical although it was written as a contemporary novel. None of them, sadly, are available on Kindle.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

gingerdehlinger said:


> _The Other Boleyn Girl_. I could not stop reading it. I also enjoy historical fiction written by Jane Kirkpatrick.


Totally agree with _The Other Boleyn Girl_, and the sequel _The Boleyn Inheritance_, though I didn't like _The Queen's Fool_ (#3) nearly as much. Another favorite that comes to mind is Sharon Kay Penman's _The Sunne in Splendour_. And just started Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles, which looks promising.

   

N


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

Geoffrey said:


> I would LOVE to have _Sarum_ on my kindle.


So would I and also *London*.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Neekeebee said:


> Totally agree with _The Other Boleyn Girl_, and the sequel _The Boleyn Inheritance_, though I didn't like _The Queen's Fool_ (#3) nearly as much. Another favorite that comes to mind is Sharon Kay Penman's _The Sunne in Splendour_. And just started Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles, which looks promising.
> 
> 
> 
> N


Would have been nice if they'd had just a tiny bit ore history in them though which is my usual b!tch abaout historical romances. I admit I'm a purist in that regard, not to mention finding people's belief that the Tudors were romantic a bit baffling.

Penman's _The Sunne in Spendour_ is a fantastic novel though, and the research that went into it is amazing.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

JRTomlin said:


> Would have been nice if they'd had just a tiny bit ore history in them though which is my usual b!tch abaout historical romances. I admit I'm a purist in that regard, not to mention finding people's belief that the Tudors were romantic a bit baffling.


My beef with Philippa Gregory is not historical inaccuracy - it's just that I find her characters really one dimensional.


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## ChrisClyde (Jul 4, 2011)

My favorite historical fiction is  "Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks".  This is a novel about a small village in England who quarantines themselves during the plague.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Neekeebee said:


> Totally agree with _The Other Boleyn Girl_, and the sequel _The Boleyn Inheritance_,


I did like those two but not _The Constant Princess_ and one other of Gregory's that I read.



JRTomlin said:


> Would have been nice if they'd had just a tiny bit ore history in them though which is my usual b!tch abaout historical romances. I admit I'm a purist in that regard, not to mention finding people's belief that the Tudors were romantic a bit baffling.


Can't stand the Tudors starting with Henry VII.


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## Eve Yohalem (Apr 1, 2011)

Anyone else a Dorothy Dunnett fan?


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

I'm going with the_ Outlander_ Series...loved that!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Tamara Rose Blodgett said:


> I'm going with the_ Outlander_ Series...loved that!


We did an _Outlander _book club here on KB. All 7 books. Thank goodness they are all available for Kindle. Drop by the club and browse through if you feel like it. I still respond to comments.


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## Steven Slavick (May 15, 2011)

My favorite historical novel is Gone With the Wind. I've read it twice and I hope to read it a few more times in my life. Second best is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. The dialogue and characters are so fantastic that I never wanted the book to end. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is another favorite. The dialogue was great, the characters were mysterious, and the reader has no idea what types of twists and turns to expect. John Jakes is also a favorite, particularly the North and South series: North and South, Love and War and Heaven and Hell. The characters are all well delineated and the pace never flags.


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## gingerdehlinger (Feb 7, 2011)

I read all of the John Jakes books so long ago I forgot to mention them, but _yes_ to the Kent family chronicles.


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## Bob Mayer (Feb 20, 2011)

The Winds of War
Once an Eagle is a classic
Used to live down the street from John Jakes on Hilton Head Island.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

ColinJ said:


> I've always preferred Robert E. Howard's historical adventures over his more popular fantasy stuff like Conan and Solomon Kane.


Whoa! are you suggesting that Conan the Cimmerian is fictional? Howard said that he didn't make up those stories, they were narrated to him by the spirit of Conan, which visited him on a regular basis. Unless you don't believe in ghosts now either...


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## VioletVal (Jul 26, 2010)

Eve Yohalem said:


> Anyone else a Dorothy Dunnett fan?


I learned about her Lymond Chronicles series from the historical romance thread and got the first book in the series, but I haven't read it yet. I heard it's a challenging read, but it sounds interesting.


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## Eve Yohalem (Apr 1, 2011)

> I learned about her Lymond Chronicles series from the historical romance thread and got the first book in the series, but I haven't read it yet. I heard it's a challenging read, but it sounds interesting.


It's challenging but worth it. It's my mother's favorite historical fiction series. I loved it, too, but my heart belongs to Patrick O'Brian.


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## Telchine (Jun 1, 2011)

Here's my contribution:

The highly atmospheric novels of Alan Furst which all take place in Europe during the early years of World War 2.
Zoe Oldenbourg's novel of the Crusades; "The Cornerstone".
Mary Renault's novels of ancient Greece, especially "Funeral Games".
Gore Vidal's novels of 19th century America, ancient Rome ("Julian") and ancient Greece/Persia.
Hillary Mantel's "Wolf Hall".
William Kennedy's Albany novels which mostly take place in the 1920s and 30s.
E.L. Doctorow's novels, especially "Billy Bathgate".

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


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## Andrew Ashling (Nov 15, 2010)

grahampowell said:


> I can't remember the series name now, but I remember enjoying one of the Roman mysteries by Steven Saylor.
> Graham


Catilina's Riddle?


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> Whoa! are you suggesting that Conan the Cimmerian is fictional?


I don't think that's what the writer was suggesting. Though mainly known today for his fantasy work, Howard wrote much more. His El Borak stories were a mix of Westerns and foreign-adventure tales, and then there was Howard's Steve Costigan tales which focused on a boxing sailor who traveled the globe. Howard also wrote straight Westerns and a handful of tales in yet more genres.

Also, there are those who could argue Howard was moving away from fantasy toward the end of his life, mainly because he was finding better paying markets in other genres.


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## Julie K. Rose (Jul 5, 2011)

Hands down, the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin series. I swear, the man had a time machine.

I also love The Soldier of Raetia by Heather Domin and Seal Woman by Solveig Eggerz.


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## VioletVal (Jul 26, 2010)

My favorite work of historical fiction so far has been Ken Follett's _Pillars of the Earth_. It's a long book but the story is engaging from start to finish.


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## originsean (Apr 27, 2011)

It's for a younger audience, but I've always enjoyed Johnny Tremain.  I don't know if this counts because of the fantasy elements, maybe more of an alternative history, but Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorites.


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