Historical Fiction Recommendations

kerry431 · 08-20-2009, 06:13 PM

I was wondering what could be suggested for Historica fiction. I really like most of Bernard Cornwell books and also Simon Scarrow's Rome series as well as Conn Iggulden emporer series. I would like to find more along these lines if I could. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

jgray · 08-20-2009, 10:03 PM

These two authors are not new, but if you like biographical/historical pseudo-fiction, Irving Stone is good. For murder mystery set in historical England, the Cadfael stories by Ellis Peters are very good (it helps if you read all 20 in order).

ludo · 08-20-2009, 10:46 PM

I liked the Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Sailor, nice mysteries with good characterization and they make ancient Rome come alive. Also mysteries set in Rome, but more humorous and less realistic are Lindsey Davies' novels in the Falco series.

kerry431 · 08-21-2009, 12:00 AM

It seems the ones I try to get are US only (Roma for example) or just not listed at the Sony Store like the Cadfael series.

Ea · 08-21-2009, 01:01 AM

Colleen McCoullough's Master's of Rome series is very good. Serious and detailed, not light reading, but if you're interested in ancient Rome, they are very interesting and supposedly fairly historically accurate.

AlexBell · 08-21-2009, 01:32 AM

Rafael Sabatini and Stanley J. Weyman were prolific authors in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and were very popular in their day. Many of their books are available on this forum.

Scaramouche is probably the best known of Rafael Sabatini's books, and A Gentleman of France or Under the Red Robe were probably the best known of of Stanley J. Weyman's

Regards, Alex

ahi · 08-21-2009, 03:22 AM

Read Casanova's memoirs!

It is (doubtless occasionally embellished) non-fiction, but even more interesting than any historical novel that I have read to date. And while--in addition to all the adventures, misadventures, and travels--certainly carnal matters figure large in the book, they are (as far as I can tell after the first 700 pages) always described in amusingly non-vulgar ways.

- Ahi

pdurrant · 08-21-2009, 03:31 AM

For Rome, there's the ones beginning with I, Claudius by Robert Graves. There's also the splendid "Falco" series by Lindsey Davies, starting with The Silver Pigs

The Hornblower books by C S Forrester are also excellent

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry431

I was wondering what could be suggested for Historical fiction. I really like most of Bernard Cornwell books and also Simon Scarrow's Rome series as well as Conn Iggulden emporer series. I would like to find more along these lines if I could. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Sweetpea · 08-21-2009, 03:39 AM

The books by Stephen R. Lawhead are a great read too. He has several series, The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and his latest (which are only in Kindle book available): King Raven Trilogy.

Elsi · 08-22-2009, 05:54 PM

Sarah Dunant and Philippa Gregory come to mind -- most, if not all, of their books are available for electronic readers.

corroonb · 08-22-2009, 06:14 PM

The Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel is an interesting series of historical fiction set 25,000 years ago. The first 3 are reasonably good but the quality deteriorates thereafter. They are quite sexually graphic in places if that sort of thing bothers you.

cassidym · 08-22-2009, 08:46 PM

Try the Flashman series. Very funny and , historically, very accurate.

AlexBell · 08-23-2009, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassidym

Try the Flashman series. Very funny and , historically, very accurate.

They are indeed. I just wish they were available as ebooks.

Regards, Alex

Sweetpea · 08-24-2009, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corroonb

The Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel is an interesting series of historical fiction set 25,000 years ago. The first 3 are reasonably good but the quality deteriorates thereafter. They are quite sexually graphic in places if that sort of thing bothers you.

There is another series from Kathleen and Michael Gear. They are about the native Americans, the first book of the series: People of the Wolf starts with the crossing of the Bering Straight.

Namtar · 08-24-2009, 05:14 AM

Try Dawn of Empire and Empire Rising by Sam Barone.

It's set right back in about 4000BC at the dawn of cities and the transition from villages to walled cities. Both books available on fictionwise. I certainly enjoyed them.

08-20-2009, 06:13 PM	#1
kerry431 Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: 505	Historical Fiction Recommendations I was wondering what could be suggested for Historica fiction. I really like most of Bernard Cornwell books and also Simon Scarrow's Rome series as well as Conn Iggulden emporer series. I would like to find more along these lines if I could. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

08-22-2009, 05:54 PM	#10
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,374 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	Sarah Dunant and Philippa Gregory come to mind -- most, if not all, of their books are available for electronic readers. __________________ Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all. -- Henry David Thoreau Currently reading: *Kiln People* by David Brin (MM Paperback) ... *A Play of Isaac* by Margaret Frazer (Kindle) ... *Birthright* by Nora Roberts (Audio CD) Books read in 2009: 117

08-22-2009, 08:46 PM	#12
cassidym Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,395 Karma: 5213134 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Northern Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPhone 5, Sony T1, iPad 3	Try the Flashman series. Very funny and , historically, very accurate. __________________ I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. - Jorge Luis Borges

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08-20-2009, 10:03 PM	#2
jgray Fanatic Posts: 512 Karma: 1018067 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Galaxy Tab 10.1 & Note II	These two authors are not new, but if you like biographical/historical pseudo-fiction, Irving Stone is good. For murder mystery set in historical England, the Cadfael stories by Ellis Peters are very good (it helps if you read all 20 in order).

08-20-2009, 10:46 PM	#3
ludo Member Posts: 13 Karma: 12 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Milan, Italy Device: Xperia Arc	I liked the Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Sailor, nice mysteries with good characterization and they make ancient Rome come alive. Also mysteries set in Rome, but more humorous and less realistic are Lindsey Davies' novels in the Falco series.

08-21-2009, 12:00 AM	#4
kerry431 Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: 505	It seems the ones I try to get are US only (Roma for example) or just not listed at the Sony Store like the Cadfael series.

08-21-2009, 01:01 AM	#5
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,498 Karma: 5169119 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad 2\|iPhone 4\|Sony 600	Colleen McCoullough's Master's of Rome series is very good. Serious and detailed, not light reading, but if you're interested in ancient Rome, they are very interesting and supposedly fairly historically accurate.

08-21-2009, 01:32 AM	#6
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 1,847 Karma: 2836850 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS 650, Kindle3, iPad2, Sony PRS T1, Sony PRS T2	Rafael Sabatini and Stanley J. Weyman were prolific authors in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and were very popular in their day. Many of their books are available on this forum. Scaramouche is probably the best known of Rafael Sabatini's books, and A Gentleman of France or Under the Red Robe were probably the best known of of Stanley J. Weyman's Regards, Alex

08-21-2009, 03:22 AM	#7
ahi Wizard Posts: 1,792 Karma: 507333 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	Read Casanova's memoirs! It is (doubtless occasionally embellished) non-fiction, but even more interesting than any historical novel that I have read to date. And while--in addition to all the adventures, misadventures, and travels--certainly carnal matters figure large in the book, they are (as far as I can tell after the first 700 pages) always described in amusingly non-vulgar ways. - Ahi

08-22-2009, 06:14 PM	#11
corroonb Groupie Posts: 161 Karma: 1012609 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Ireland Device: Sony Reader PRS-505, Kobo eReader Touch	The Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel is an interesting series of historical fiction set 25,000 years ago. The first 3 are reasonably good but the quality deteriorates thereafter. They are quite sexually graphic in places if that sort of thing bothers you.

08-24-2009, 05:14 AM	#15
Namtar Member Posts: 14 Karma: 476338 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Surrey, UK Device: Google Nexus 7, Kobo Touch, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Elonex EB500	Try Dawn of Empire and Empire Rising by Sam Barone. It's set right back in about 4000BC at the dawn of cities and the transition from villages to walled cities. Both books available on fictionwise. I certainly enjoyed them.


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