History/adventure books

[Rumpelteazer]

Although this month I only allow myself to read public domain books I'm already looking for a good book to start October with and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for something similar to Kate Mosse's novels. History (fictional or not) mixed in with adventure. I don't mind it if it's a long novel but preferably not a book that part of a series, it's hard enough to keep track of the ones I'm currently reading.

I've recently read Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" which came close and I also really liked "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. I've tried reading "Pillars of the Earth" but put it aside after 100 pages or so because I couldn't get into it.

Any suggestions are welcome!

[ATDrake]

Disclaimer: I only have Kate Mosse's Winter Ghosts as an audiobook and have not finished it yet, and have not read the other two you mentioned liking, so my recs may be very off.

But you seem to like those personal stories of people just trying to live their own lives, but being caught up within a grand sweeping world-changing epic event. So on that basis, perhaps you might like to try:

James Clavell, Shogun. While this is technically part of his Asian Saga, it can be read perfectly well standalone and doesn't directly tie into anything else.

It's thinly-veiled history, with Blackthorne standing in for the real life Will Adams, who really did become a samurai shipbuilder etc. for Tokugawa Ieyasu. And his Jesuit opponent is based upon Joaõ Rodrigues, who had a very interesting life and came up with the first truly usable Japanese/European-language instruction book and dictionary and escaped a Manchu raid at the end of the Ming dynasty. It is pretty long, but quite good, and basis of a rather good televised miniseries with Toshiro Mifune in it.

Shorter, but still good reads, are by authors Judith Tarr and Susan Shwartz. Tarr herself has a number of Masters' degrees in medieval and other history, I believe. No idea about Shwartz's qualifications.

But they've both written some fairly good and accurate historical adventures that are available in e-book format. Mainly Norman/medieval/Crusades and Byzantium, though also some ancient Greece/Egypt/China.

Have a look through their various listings and see if there's any with a time period that interests you. I'll warn you that Tarr's also written a couple of ones that are more weighted towards being historical fantasy romances, but those should be easy enough to spot from the descriptions.

You can read some of Judith Tarr's short stories and novellas free on her BookViewCafé page and while Susan Shwartz doesn't keep any samples on her website, you can read the first chapters of several books over at her author pages at Baen's Webscription and Fictionwise.

I personally especially enjoyed Shwartz's Imperial Lady (unwanted Han dynasty concubine sent as a treaty-offering to the Hsiong-Nu tribes), Judith Tarr's Queen of Swords (Queen Melisande of Jerusalem during the Crusades), though neither seems available in e-book format yet, unfortunately.

Some of their books have sequels, but those two are standalone, and the writing is a little lower-key (more personal focus) than Clavell.

In a similar vein, Morgan Llywelyn's written quite a lot about ancient-to-medieval Ireland/English Isles (Brian Boru, pirate queen Grace O'Malley, druids under Roman invasion, etc.), and was fairly good in those books of hers that I've read, most of which incorporated a hefty amount of adventuring to go along with the history. I think I liked Grania and Druids the best of those that I remember.

If you're not averse to fantasy, both Guy Gavriel Kay's non-Fionavar Tapestry/Tigana/Ysabel novels and Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion (a series, but each readable standalone, and very good, loosely Spanish Reconquista) might suit.

GGK is standalone for most books, and his earlier ones do tend to be better. Lions of Al-Rassan is basically El Cid and very much historical adventure. A Song for Arbonne the Provencal Courts of Love, the Sarantine Mosaic (1 story in 2 volumes) Byzantium, both a little heavier on the get-to-one-place-and-political-machinations style.

Happy reading!

[HarryT]

If you like adventure stories set in what is now a historical context, I'd recommend the books of Sir Henry Rider Haggard. "King Solomon's Mines" would be the best place to start.

[birdbrainbb]

You might like Freedom & Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust! It's a historical fiction (with a bit of fantasy) novel told in letters, with sword fights and chases and other exciting things.

Unfortunately I just realized it's not available as an ebook, but...um...it's still really good!

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Disclaimer: I only have Kate Mosse's Winter Ghosts as an audiobook and have not finished it yet, and have not read the other two you mentioned liking, so my recs may be very off.

But you seem to like those personal stories of people just trying to live their own lives, but being caught up within a grand sweeping world-changing epic event.

Your guess is right. Looking at my favorite books (It, The Stand, Lord of the Rings) those are the type of books I enjoy. I'm now just looking for one with a more historical and less horror and fantasy one.

Originally Posted by ATDrake

So on that basis, perhaps you might like to try:
...
Happy reading!

Thank you thank you thank you. After having a quick look it I'll probably read "Shogun" first but the others also look good. Those that aren't available as ebook I added to the list of possible pbooks/books I check regularly if the ebook has been released.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If you like adventure stories set in what is now a historical context, I'd recommend the books of Sir Henry Rider Haggard. "King Solomon's Mines" would be the best place to start.

I've read that a couple of years ago for a literature course, but it's a good story. Since it's a public domain book and I've nearly read all PD books I've downloaded for this month I added it to my list to read next.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I've read that a couple of years ago for a literature course, but it's a good story. Since it's a public domain book and I've nearly read all PD books I've downloaded for this month I added it to my list to read next.

Its sequel, "Allan Quatermain", although not as well known is, I think, even better. They are both included in my "Haggard Anthology Vol 1" here at MR.

[foreverjuly]

How about The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien? It's one of my all-time favorites!

[bill_mchale]

Since you specifically mentioned historical adventure novels... Quite a bit of Rafael Sabatini's Novels qualify. The most famous are Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk and Scaramouche. All Three, I believe are available right here at MR.

Of course, you can also turn to the more famous authors of historical adventure novels like Walter Scott and Alexander Dumas...

--
Bill

[rlparker]

I'm really enjoying the work of Stanley J. Weyman, available here on MR. Stories of the French court around 1600. But if you're read most of the PD stuff, you might have already read these.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by rlparker

I'm really enjoying the work of Stanley J. Weyman, available here on MR. Stories of the French court around 1600. But if you're read most of the PD stuff, you might have already read these.

Well, its possible we might be overlapping with some of what the OP has read. That being said, there is so much out there, its likely that many here have their own discoveries that few others on here have had a chance to read. I for one had never heard of Weyman.

--
Bill

[Luke King]

You might like something by Anya Seton. Dragonwyck and Green Darkness are the only ones I've read, though she has written more than a few.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Well, its possible we might be overlapping with some of what the OP has read. That being said, there is so much out there, its likely that many here have their own discoveries that few others on here have had a chance to read. I for one had never heard of Weyman.

I hadn't heard of Weyman either, going to take a look later. I don't mind overlaps; HarryT suggested books I've already read but which I want to reread.

At the moment I'm getting rather tired of public domain books, probably because of the old fashioned language so in October I first want to focus on some newer works.

I'm now annoyed that two books I had on my wishlist to buy next week were Hachette's and have disappeared from stores because they have introduced the Agency Model for Europe and are reorganising. I can't remember only one book, the other I don't remember because I spend my Sunday looking for interesting books and I've seen so many.

[BenG]

A new book with a setting similar to Shogun is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. I'm thinking about reading it.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...-jacob-de-zoet