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Originally Posted by Lutraa

I'm also a huge O'Brian fan. I've spent many weeks at sea as did the author -- he really nails both nautical and historical detail, and his character development is wonderful.

My favorite overall writer of historical fiction is Dorothy Dunnett. Her Lymond Chronicles series, set in mid-16th century Scotland with forays to France, Russia and elsewhere, is very complex. The stories' hero is a fully-formed, flawed man who, I think, readers of all orientations would find fascinating. Dunnett's works require a bit more of the reader than do books by Follett et al., but she's worth it.

Thanks for that, I'll give her a try.