The best historical fiction books you've read

Cat-Cat- Posts: 7,611
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I've loved everything Tudor or Plantagenet that i've managed to get my greedy hands on.

But Ive missed a fair few.

Do you have a favourite historical period and author of choice to depict it?

Do you prefer reading fact only or doused by a bit of fiction? :)
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Comments

  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett are the best historical fiction ever written. Read them and you will never be the same again. The downside is, they spoil you for anything else, as nothing you read will ever be that good.

    But they are set in the mid 16th century, and "my" period is the 18th, so I love the Outlander series (not straightforwardly historical, I know, but brilliantly detailed about 18th century life). The spin-offs are the Lord John novels, which are just plain historical.

    And in anticipation of the new Poldark series starting on TV I'm currently re-reading the Poldark novels.

    I'm always on the lookout for good historical stuff. Preferably series rather than one-offs as I like to get really involved with the characters and their lives. After reading the Outlander books, ordinary books seem almost like short stories to me!

    I loathe books about kings and queens and their megalomaniac paranoiac affairs. I want to know how ordinary people lived, what they thought and felt. So stuff like Wolf Hall and Philippa Gregory doesn't appeal.

    And I like a good story, so it's fiction rather than non-fiction for me.
  • Sue_CSue_C Posts: 1,459
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    I must have read hundreds over the years, everything from light historical romance to medieval mysteries to more serious stuff. I've been through phases of reading loads of Bernard Cornwell (not Sharpe), countless books about the Tudors and more recently have binged on the Wars of the Roses to name but a few.

    At the moment I've gone off fiction about major historical figures a bit, and prefer books about fictional characters in authentic historical situations. I think that Karen Maitland's Company of Liars and The Gallows Curse, set in medieval times, were both very good.

    My absolute favourite from last year was The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth. It was hard work at first with its made-up language, but so atmospheric and Buccmaster of Holland was a quite unique character.
  • Miss C. DeVilleMiss C. DeVille Posts: 6,025
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    My favourites are by C J Sansom (Shardlake series) set in Henry VIII's time.
    The way he describes those times really makes you feel you're there in the story. I also think he's quite accurate with facts about that time in history.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    My favourites are by C J Sansom (Shardlake series) set in Henry VIII's time.
    The way he describes those times really makes you feel you're there in the story. I also think he's quite accurate with facts about that time in history.

    A bit lacking in humour, though. I do like writers who mix tragedy and comedy, so that you're giggling one minute and sobbing the next.
  • timebugtimebug Posts: 18,320
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    Bit out of fashion nowadays,but I loved the 12
    Roger Brook Novels By Dennis Wheatley. Brook
    statrs the series as a youth and the series takes
    him into middle age,as he works as a spy for
    William Pitt during the lead up to, and all through
    the french Revolution, and the rise and fall of
    Napoleon Bonaparte. Gripping stuff in its own
    way!
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    timebug wrote: »
    Bit out of fashion nowadays,but I loved the 12
    Roger Brook Novels By Dennis Wheatley. Brook
    statrs the series as a youth and the series takes
    him into middle age,as he works as a spy for
    William Pitt during the lead up to, and all through
    the french Revolution, and the rise and fall of
    Napoleon Bonaparte. Gripping stuff in its own
    way!

    Thank you very much for that. It sounds just up my street. I've just ordered the first book of the series from the library. :)
  • MandarkMandark Posts: 47,930
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    There's a huge market thats grown up in the last 10 years based on the Roman Empire. Some like Simon Scarrow focus on life in the army with a bit of espionage thrown in. Can seem a bit boys own. Other writers prefer the shenanigans around an emperor using real history in their stories.
  • SecretLifeoBeesSecretLifeoBees Posts: 50,667
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    I loved The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland.

    I am currently reading The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory which is pretty good so far, set in Henry VIII's court and written from the perspectives of Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Don't know if anyone else's perspective in included. I haven't got that far yet. :D
  • damianswifedamianswife Posts: 1,203
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    The Sunner in Splendour by Sharon K Penman. A massive book covering the life of Richard III, it's brilliant.
    Also can I recommend Rosemary Hawley Jarman's books, in particular, "The King's Grey Mare", a novel about Elizabeth Woodville and "We Speak no Treason"- has me in tears every time.
  • clm2071clm2071 Posts: 6,637
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    I've recently got into books set around the Roman era.

    Douglas Jacksons 'Gaius Valerius Verrens' series and Anthony Riches 'Empire' series are both great and highly recommended.

    Also have to give Flashman his obligatory mention in any historical fiction thread.
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
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    The Dinosaur Hunters by Deborah Cadbury. A gripping account of the fossil discoveries in the 19th Century and the subsequent battles between religious and scientific authorities. It is a factual account, although it is written in such a way that it captures your imagination like a major novel.
  • MandarkMandark Posts: 47,930
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    barbeler wrote: »
    The Dinosaur Hunters by Deborah Cadbury. A gripping account of the fossil discoveries in the 19th Century and the subsequent battles between religious and scientific authorities. It is a factual account, although it is written in such a way that it captures your imagination like a major novel.
    Thanks, you've reminded me about this one. Always intended to get it. Now on Kindle! :D
  • misha06misha06 Posts: 3,378
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    I've always enjoyed the Richard Sharpe books. Far more so than the tv dramas, particularly Sharpes Sword (But don't get me started on that)

    Obviously, particular bits with the characters are fictional, but the amount of research Bernard Cornwell did, to put them in an accurate context was great.
  • planetsplanets Posts: 47,784
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    The Sunner in Splendour by Sharon K Penman. A massive book covering the life of Richard III, it's brilliant.

    i LOVED that book!!!!

    I've also really enjoyed the Shardlake series by CJ Sansom (Dissolution is the first)
    the John Shakespeare series by Rory Clements (i think Martyr is the first)
    and i'm currently reading some more tudor era, the Giordano Bruno series by SJ Parris (Heresy is the first in the series)

    i'd like to read stuff set in either the roman era (loved Pompeii by Robert Harris) or with a viking setting if anyone knows of anything!
  • couchpotato2011couchpotato2011 Posts: 1,090
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    The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.


    AMAZING!!
  • elliecatelliecat Posts: 9,890
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    My favourites are by C J Sansom (Shardlake series) set in Henry VIII's time.
    The way he describes those times really makes you feel you're there in the story. I also think he's quite accurate with facts about that time in history.

    I second this, I think he is great at describing what it could have been like back then.
  • DJW13DJW13 Posts: 4,274
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    I like detective style historical fiction, so as well as the authors above, I like:

    Michael Jecks - starting from 1314.

    S J Parris - from 1583

    Ellis Peters - the Cadfael series starting from 1137

    Mary Stewart - the Merlin trilogy (but there are actually 5 books!). You need to choose your own start date because it is not really history (or is it?)! :)
  • DJW13DJW13 Posts: 4,274
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    The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett are the best historical fiction ever written. Read them and you will never be the same again. The downside is, they spoil you for anything else, as nothing you read will ever be that good.

    Thank you for this recommendation - I see that her first book was written in 1961. Unfortunately my library only has a couple of her books, none of them the Lymond Chronicles. They are for sale at Amazon, even on the Kindle, but I will look out for them in local charity shops.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    DJW13 wrote: »
    Thank you for this recommendation - I see that her first book was written in 1961. Unfortunately my library only has a couple of her books, none of them the Lymond Chronicles. They are for sale at Amazon, even on the Kindle, but I will look out for them in local charity shops.

    I doubt if you'll find them in charity shops. I bought mine from Amazon. Buy the first and see if you like them. They are quite complicated reading, you need to pay attention, but they are worth every effort. The history is impeccably researched. They will break your heart. And make you laugh out loud!

    Francis Crawford of Lymond. What can I say? He is a very, very bad boy indeed, but I would give him my soul in a blackberry pie and a knife to cut it with.
  • Residents FanResidents Fan Posts: 9,204
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    I quite enjoyed "Tros of Samothrace" by Talbot Mundy, a long historical novel
    about the titular Greek who helps the native Britons battle the Romans.

    Also loved "Thunder of Valmy" by Geoffrey Trease, about a boy growing up in the
    time of the French Revolution.
  • AliU2maniacAliU2maniac Posts: 1,874
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    P.F Chisholm, who also writes under the name of Patricia Finney, has written six Tudor era novels featuring Sir Robert Carey, the real life cousin to Elizabeth I.His grandmother was Mary Boleyn, sister to Anne and mother of Henry Carey, Lord Hunsdon.Some historians say that Henry Carey was the illegitimate son of Mary & Henry VIII and P.F Chisholm has taken that rumour and expanded on it.

    Sir Robert Carey was an adventurer, a soldier and a March Warden in Carlisle.He kept watch on the borders and reported to the Queen.He had to deal with the Scottish surnames and clans, the Tudor court and foreign spies.He had a very interesting life!

    Chisholm manages to put the reader in the thick of the action and the books are full of humour and fantastic characters.I absolutely love them!

    Here's a link information on the real Sir Robert Carey;

    http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FRobert_Carey%2C_1st_Earl_of_Monmouth&ei=Dz7_VMC_LIjfap7WgugM&usg=AFQjCNHAHC5em4c4CvdyMkeY63vsCy26aw&sig2=IB4Kx-L-FzQYzItXrXz-ug&bvm=bv.87611401,d.d2s&cad=rja
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 23
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    planets wrote: »
    i LOVED that book!!!!

    I've also really enjoyed the Shardlake series by CJ Sansom (Dissolution is the first)
    the John Shakespeare series by Rory Clements (i think Martyr is the first)
    and i'm currently reading some more tudor era, the Giordano Bruno series by SJ Parris (Heresy is the first in the series)

    i'd like to read stuff set in either the roman era (loved Pompeii by Robert Harris) or with a viking setting if anyone knows of anything!

    Have to agree with all of these. Have you tried Robert Low or Giles Kristian? I love their Viking sagas
  • BagovBagov Posts: 142
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    I've read all 20 of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books, about a Royal Navy Captain and his best friend, nominally a naval surgeon, but actually a kind of Georgian James Bond. I'm on my eighth read through, and every time I get a something new and fresh out of them.
  • clm2071clm2071 Posts: 6,637
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    planets wrote: »

    i'd like to read stuff set in either the roman era (loved Pompeii by Robert Harris) or with a viking setting if anyone knows of anything!

    I'm a recent convert to the Roman era genre.

    Douglas Jacksons Gaius Valerius Verens series is absolutely fantastic. The first one is Hero of Rome, there is also Defender of, Avenger of, Sword of and Enemy of.

    Anthony Riches Empire series is great too, set (initially) on Hadrian's Wall.

    There's also Ben Kane who is well worth a go
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