Historical fiction

Einhard

I'm a bit of a history nerd, and am especially partial to good historical fiction. Only problem is, it's quite difficult to distinguish the good historical works from the derivative muck which uses history as an "exotic" background for essentially modern stories, and not particularly good ones at that. Add to that the fact that I'm terrified of buying anything to do with Ancient Rome for fear it will just be historical hokum, the literary equivalent of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and my choice is somewhat limited! So, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I prefer pre-modern settings, but am really after quality. To give an idea of what I like, and to throw a few suggestions of my own out there, I enjoyed Robert Harris' Cicero novels, and also Fatherland. Pompeii was was quite good but nowehere near the standard of Imperium and Lustrum. The Shardlakenovels by CJ Sampson are excellent, and I'm about to launch into Wolf Hall.

Manach

I'd recommend Patrick O'Brians Aubrey–Maturin series, (the Russel Crowe Film Master and Commander based on a novel thereof).

PhiloCypher

Wallace Breems Eagle in the snow is worth a look It follows the efforts of General Maximus(book was written in 70's so they're not aping Gladiator with the naming here) and the Single legion under his command as he tries to hold the Rhine Frontier against all the odds .

Steven Pressfields Gates of Fire

losthorizon

The Long Ships By Frans G Bengtsson - A Viking Tale which has the added bonus of having some real life characters involved in it. Dont be put off by the terrible cover as its a great read plus some of the story takes place in Ireland.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/000612609X/ref=oss_product

clouds

Good luck with Wolf Hall OP. It's long, rambly and confusing. All the characters are called Thomas and referred to as 'he'. It's not a couple of pages before turning out the light sort of book, you need to give it good solid chunks of time.

Saying that, it was excellent. I found it's the type to go back to and reread in a few months, and there's even more in it then.

I'm stuck in another of hers at the moment 'A Place of Greater Safety', about the French Revolution. Long rambly and confusing, but.... you get the picture.

You seem to have more military tastes then me, so you mightn't enjoy my other recommendation, but for anyone who is partial to a bit of a bodice ripper except with excellent writing and very atmospheric try The Other Boleyn Girl. I don't make a habit of recommending Phillipa Gregory but it's warranted there, I think.

Jimmy the Wheel

You need look no further than Neal Stephenson's 'The Baroque Cycle', which covers from about 1660 to 1720, and which, at nearly 3000 pages, should keep you going for a while.

And the writing and characterizations are simply sumptuous, to boot.

Kevin Duffy

Loved the Shardlake books too.
Not clued in enough to be sure of the historical accuracy of all of them, but Bernard Cornwell's take on Arthurian legend is a great read (well, that doesn't have to "accurate", does it?), as is his series on the birth of England, about Alfred The Great as narrated by an English lord with Danish loyalties. Maybe the "facts" would make your teeth itch, but they're well written stories.
Simon Scarrow has a fairly lighweight series on the Roman legions. Again, perhaps the inaccuracies, or lack of much real historical context may grate, but they're an easy read. I'm halfway through his series on Napolean v Wellington, which is maybe a little more framed by reality, but written as novels with a fair bit of licence.

HTH

jam_mac_jam

I would recomend Q by Luther Blisset, I loved it. If you are into history you should like it. Another one that I read more recently is Every Man dies alone, very depressing but very good and quite historicaly accurate.

clouds

'Depressing' and 'Historically Accurate' do seem to go together alright. Hard old world and all that.

Paddy Samurai

PhiloCypher wrote: »

Wallace Breems Eagle in the snow is worth a look It follows the efforts of General Maximus(book was written in 70's so they're not aping Gladiator with the naming here) and the Single legion under his command as he tries to hold the Rhine Frontier against all the odds .

Eagle in the snow is historic fiction at its best,in my top ten.

Azincourt by Beranard Cornwell and The Religion by Tim Willocks are pretty good as well.

Einhard

Everyone gets a thanks 'cos I'm in such a good mood!!

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely be adding a few to my To Read list. As regards historical accuracy, I'm not a stickler for it, as long as the narrative is credible.

ReacherCreature

PhiloCypher wrote: »

Steven Pressfields Gates of Fire

I picked this up cheap online but found the first few chapters decent if a little tedious. Is it worth sticking with throughout? I want to but the first bit has little relevance to Sparta and the like.

sxt

These are also very good

Memoirs of Hadrian

http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Hadrian-Marguerite-Yourcenar/dp/0374529264/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297733145&sr=1-1-spell

I Claudius

http://www.amazon.com/I-Claudius-Robert-Graves/dp/0140003185

Denerick

Harris' Cicero books are interesting, good choice.

I myself just bought the I, Claudius novels.

Patrick O'Brien is certainly someone to consider, though I find his prose notoriously difficult to follow (it is at least authentic to the time in which it is set) I've only read the first 3 of that series, am still considering whether to go back to it.

In my youth I read a few Jean Plaidy novels. I think it may be fair to say that they are as much romance as history.

Walter Scott was the original historical novelist and 'Rob Roy' is probably one of the greatest feats of that genre. I highly recommend it. Prepare to push your way through some tricky dialogue though. (I'd also recommend 'The Talisman', if only for the lolz. You'll understand if you ever get round to reading it )

Must say, I thought Wolf Hall was quite poor and Mantel to be a distinctly muddled writer. Something very... vanilla... about it. Can't quite pin it. I struggled through it nonetheless. THomas More kept me interested, if nothing else.

On another note, I've been meaning to read Ken Follet's 'Pillars of the Earth'. I loved the miniseries on TV. Anyone ever read it?

clouds

I just finished Pillars of the Earth last week.

It was quite good and absorbing. But not great though, imo. It felt like a modern story with modern characters in a historical setting, if you follow me, I don't think you really get a sense of the time. The best historical novels show how people are products of their time, and how human nature stays the same, and you are wondering where is the line. This one doesn't do that.

One of the best things about it was the development of surnames, which I am assuming is accurately portrayed. Did you know that a fuller is someone who treats woven cloth to make it more waterproof? I did not know that and I like picking up those sorts of facts.

But then you migt want to totally disregard my opinion, as I think Mantel is great.:pac:

Anonymous1987

Some day, when I'm feeling brave, I'll get around to reading Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace". The Napoleonic era might not be what you are looking for though?

Monty Burnz

Manach wrote: »

I'd recommend Patrick O'Brians Aubrey–Maturin series, (the Russel Crowe Film Master and Commander based on a novel thereof).

I've read all 20 of these. Superb.

Monty Burnz

Anonymous1987 wrote: »

Some day, when I'm feeling brave, I'll get around to reading Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace". The Napoleonic era might not be what you are looking for though?

I found it an easy read. It's just long.

theholyghost

Not set in ancient times but to my mind the greatest writer of historical fiction is Rafael Sabatini. Scaramouche is an incredible novel about the French Revolution and Captain Blood is a very stylish jaunt about an Irish doctor who becomes a pirate in the Carribean. He wrote many other novels. His last was The Gamester about the man who introduced paper money to France to solve its finance crisis, it has some eerie parrallels with our current situation. As a novel it is not his best but it is fascinating when you study it and see how he manipulates real events to construct the story.

Anonymous1987

Monty Burnz wrote: »

I found it an easy read. It's just long.

Did it live up to the hype?

Monty Burnz

Anonymous1987 wrote: »

Did it live up to the hype?

Well, I was quite disappointed when I finished it, I would have happily read on - that's quite an endorsement I guess. Having said that, I read it in about 6 days - I had a lot of free time and nothing else to do.

On the other hand, it wasn't quite as literary as I was expecting, in the sense that say Crime and Punishment is literary. In the case of a book that long, that's probably a good thing.

Anonymous1987

Having read half way through Crime and Punishment I was expecting a similar hard slog through War and Peace but I guess not.

Monty Burnz

Not at all - War and Peace is more of a ripping yarn than an existentialist meditation.

mikemac

I'm a fan of Bernard Cornwell

Read all the Sharpe series.
They're excellent though of course all pretty similar.

Devious nemises, everyone against him but he wins in the end and seduces the beautiful girl. Sounds like a James Bond film
Well not every novel but it's a common theme

The Starbuck series was good

But the best was Azincourt, it's been linked by another poster further back

Paddy Samurai

feelingstressed wrote: »

I'm a fan of Bernard Cornwell

Read all the Sharpe series.
They're excellent though of course all pretty similar.

Devious nemises, everyone against him but he wins in the end and seduces the beautiful girl. Sounds like a James Bond film
Well not every novel but it's a common theme

The Starbuck series was good

But the best was Azincourt, it's been linked by another poster further back

"The Saxon Chronicles" by Cornwell are also top notch.

See they are making Azincourt into a film.

mikemac

Can't wait for an Azincourt film.
If it's half as bloody and violent as the book it'll be an 18 cert

Wasn't mad about the Saxon books. Read the first one and didn't follow up. But that's just me

The Emperor Series is good too
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conn_Iggulden#Emperor_series
Very long books, would keep you going for a while OP

The Killer Angels is another, the film Gettysburg was loosely based on it

Paddy Samurai

feelingstressed wrote: »

Can't wait for an Azincourt film.
If it's half as bloody and violent as the book it'll be an 18 cert

Wasn't mad about the Saxon books. Read the first one and didn't follow up. But that's just me

The Emperor Series is good too
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conn_Iggulden#Emperor_series
Very long books, would keep you going for a while OP

The Killer Angels is another, the film Gettysburg was loosely based on it

The Saxon books while slow to start off get alot better as they go along and overall are a great read as the main character develops.


I liked The Emperor series alot ,i am currently in the middle of his Genghis Khan series.

Shogun by James Clavell is a must read for anyone who likes historic fiction.

Denerick

Can't believe I forgot to mention J.G. Farrell in my post. Farrels 'Empire Trilogy' is must read stuff. Troubles (Based during the Irish War of Independence), The Siege of Krishnapur (Based during the Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857) and Singapore Grip (WWII) are meditations on the fall of the British Empire, as well as profoundly witty literature. I haven't gotten round to Singapore Grip yet.

losthorizon

theholyghost wrote: »

Not set in ancient times but to my mind the greatest writer of historical fiction is Rafael Sabatini. Captain Blood is a very stylish jaunt about an Irish doctor who becomes a pirate in the Carribean.

Also made into a film in the 1930s starring Errol Flynn.

Bearhunter

No mention of the Flashman series yet? Without doubt the best - and funniest - historical fiction in print. Brilliantly researched and full of wonderfully spiteful asides.

Grievous

I, Claudius and Claudius The God by the poet Robert Graves.

Close the thread.:)

Einhard

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Eagle in the snow is historic fiction at its best,in my top ten.

Azincourt by Beranard Cornwell and The Religion by Tim Willocks are pretty good as well.

Azincourt was my first Cornwell novel and I was pretty disappointed. It seemed to be all about the action, with everything else just filled in almost incidentally. I think the best novels are those where the characterisation is so strong that you finish feeling a tinge of regret that the characters are no longer part of your life. Probably sounds awful ghey. The protagonists in Azincourt just irritated me. I was willing the French on just to rid myself of Nicolas Hook!

Denerick wrote: »

On another note, I've been meaning to read Ken Follet's 'Pillars of the Earth'. I loved the miniseries on TV. Anyone ever read it?

It's always slightly embarassing that, whenever that question about which work changed your life is asked, everyone else mentions Ulysses, 1984, and the like, and I have Pillars of the Earth as my choice!:o

I was 14 when I read it, and I imagine it was more to do with my age
than the quality of the book (I haven't read it since because it mightn't live up to my memory of it), but I was blown away by it. Nothing I've read since has had such a dramatic impact on me. I had always had an interest in history, but once I had read Pillars I was hooked. So, the fact that, over a decade later, I'm an unemployed History grad is all down to that book. Ken Follett has a lot to answer for!!:D

OwenRua

For some brilliant Roman historical fiction you cannot get much better than Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. It traces Rome through the last years of the Republic to reign of Augustus. The series is impeccably researched. Be warned though all of the books are in the 800-1,000 page range. I have not being able to read any other Roman HF since reading her books.

Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Saga is outsanding.

Anything by Steven Pressfield, but especially Gates of Fire and Tides of War.

fontanalis

Probably more pseudo-historical but Jim Fitzpatricks Book of Conquests is an almost graphic novel telling of the Book of Invasions.

Ulysses Gaze

Edward Rutherford's books are good if lengthy. Engaging and very well researched. Reading New York at the moment.

OwenRua

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

Edward Rutherford's books are good if lengthy. Engaging and very well researched. Reading New York at the moment.

I read Dublin a number of years ago and enjoyed it.

Gneez

Ken follett's 'eye of the needle' and 'triple' are both good books, eye of the needle is historical fiction about a german spy in england during ww2 who is trying to get information about the fake army across the channel from calais back to germany, triple is about mossad stealing uranium from a ship. Neither books are fact but you can well imagine these things could have taken place.

muireann50

+1 for Pillars of the Earth, really really loved it.

Also really enjoyed the Conn Iggulden Genghis Khan trilogy, he even has a chapter at the end of each book outlining what was fact and where he embellished the story a little.

Manach

Bearhunter wrote: »

No mention of the Flashman series yet? Without doubt the best - and funniest - historical fiction in print. Brilliantly researched and full of wonderfully spiteful asides.

"fiction" surely not, history as it should be .

pavb2

http://www.amazon.com/Mutiny-Bounty-Novel-Charles-Nordhoff/dp/0316611689

I found this book fascinating we all know about the Bounty mutiny but that is only the beginning. This book tells the background to the mutiny and details Captain Bligh's epic journey after he was cast away .

The events are seen through the eyes of a fictional character

It then follows the story of the mutineers led by Fletcher Christian on Tahiti and Pitcairn Island incredible what happened to them almost biblical.

As the blurb says about 3 stories in one and fantastic reviews

Edit I think my link refers to the first in the trilogy you can get all 3 in one volume

Paddy Samurai

Just finished this epic trilogy by Roybn Young .IMO it is top notch historical fiction,that is well researched with great characters both real and imagined.

The Brethren trilogy is a long, bloody journey. The first book follows the progress of Scottish-born protagonist Will Campbell from teenage apprentice to Knight Templar in the wartorn Holy Land. The sequel, Crusade, recounts the Christians' loss of their stronghold at Acre, effectively ending the crusades and rendering the Templars divided and directionless. In Requiem the battleground shifts back to Europe as England attempts to crush Scotland, and France plots to usurp the papacy and squeeze the wealthy Templars dry.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4961567.ece

As mentioned above, Patrick 'O Brian is well worth checking out, but you must read them in order. Mary Renault is another exceptional author.
My personal fave, though has to be Julian Rathbone, his erudition, wit and readability are unparallelled.

dots03

I have not read too may historical fiction books, but of those I have read, I would highly recommend This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson.

It's the story of Fitzroy, Darwin and their journey on the Beagle...I loved it and found it a very rewarding read.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Thing-Darkness-Harry-Thompson/dp/0755327144/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

monkey9

There was an article in the books section of today's Sunday Independent about historical fiction and mentioned some books of the genre. Here's a link to it that the OP and others here might find interesting.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/fiction-takes-rightful-place-in-history-2577447.html

ZorbaTehZ

"The Siege"- Ismail Kadare.

Based around the Ottoman invasion of Albania, and the first castle that they lay siege to. Excellent book - bit short though.

RDM_83 again

The interesting thing about "the siege" is how its a historical book making a point about Albania at the time written in such a way to avoid censorship. "The Bridge" is also good. A good book set in the early modern period is Timothy Mo's "an Insular possesion" (not really the same as the books talked about on thread but still historical).

When i was a kid used to love Rosemary Sutcliff and her books about Roman britain.

Tried to read some Melvynn Braggs books but just couldn't get into them unfortunatly but maybe others might like him and they seem pretty historically accurate.

RDM_83 again

Also not sure if its been mentioned yet but Umbert Eco's "In the name of the Rose"

Denerick

I would just like to recommend Robert Grave's book I, Claudius, which I finished today. It has been mentioned already as perhaps the most significant book of the genre ever written.

I don't think anyone else has so far mentioned the father of historical fiction, Walter Scott. Rob Roy is excellent, and Ivanhoe is meant to be as well (Its in my to-read list)

marienbad

War And Peace-Leo Tolstoy, still the greatest.

The Name of The Rose- Umberto Eco , a complete original and a brilliant movie.

The Alexander Trilogy- Massimo Manfredi, , excellent retelling of the life of Alexander The Great.

Alone In Berlin- Hans Fallada, a terrifying account of life in Nazi Berlin , a truly awesome book and one that will stay long in the memory.

Any of the Alan Furst novels set in Europe just before and during WW2.

REPSOC1916

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I would recomend Q by Luther Blisset, I loved it. If you are into history you should like it. Another one that I read more recently is Every Man dies alone, very depressing but very good and quite historicaly accurate.

It's a great analogy for the rise and fall of the 'New Left' movement and student radicalism during the 1960's to the 80's.

Manituana (Wu Ming - same group of Bologna based left wing authors as Luther Blisset minus one member who left) was also good. It's set around the American War of Independence and takes the point of view of the Mohawk Indians who sides with the British for pretty much the same reasons as why the Americans fought for their independence. Only issue I have with it is some of the prose is hard to follow at parts.

Only other novel by Wu Ming is 54 - not technically historical fiction (set in post war PCI controlled Bologna around a group of grump former Italian partisans. Part of the novel also deals with Cary Grant who's being persuaded by MI6 to come out of retirement and produce a film on the life of Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia, essentially a propoganda exercise designed to get Tito to firmly break with the Warsaw Pact) but probably their best. It soaks up the tensions of the Cold War. It like the epigraph at the beginning of the novel:
"Post war means nothing. What fools call peace means simply moving away from the front"

scrotty

Just reread ' Sarum The novel of England ' epic read i strongly recommend it http://www.shvoong.com/books/novel-novella/2038671-sarum-novel-england/