Historical Fiction Books

[Apache]

If you like Bernard Cornwell try Sworn Sword by James Aitcheson and Keane's Company by Iain Gale.
Apache

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by cassidym

My favorite Historical Fiction series is the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser.

Apparently they were inspired by the Brigadier Gerard books by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. They're set around the Napoleonic Wars, so about 100 years before the preferred time period, but the OP did say he'd consider other periods Gerard was a Hussar officer during the Napoleonic Wars, and the stories are written as recollections of his life. Gerard doesn't quite say that his absence from the Battle of Waterloo is the reason the French lost:

At Waterloo, although, in a sense, I was present, I was unable to fight, and the enemy was victorious. It is not for me to say that there is a connection between these two things. You know me too well, my friends, to imagine that I would make such a claim. But it gives matter for thought, and some have drawn flattering conclusions from it.

I highly recommend them, and they're both in the Patricia Clarke Memorial Library:
The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard
The Adventures of Gerard


For early twentieth century, I recommend John Biggins' Otto Prohaska series (A Sailor of Austria; The Emperor's Coloured Coat; The Two-Headed Eagle; and Tomorrow the World). I've only read the first two, the last two are on my to-read list. They're the recollections of an Austro-Hungarian sailor (in the first book he captains a U-boat). They're well written, amusing, and at least in the areas where my knowledge is good enough to judge, historically accurate.

[tch65721]

Originally Posted by maxbookworm

Just wanted to put in a plug for Shogun by James Clavell.

Clavell is very good and he did several. I also liked Tai-Pan.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by Akai

...I'm most interested in the time period of 1900 - 1950. (Does that count as 'historical enough'? ...) ...

I guess 60 years is enough time. You will find that many (most?) books set in that time period were (are?) better thought of a comtemporary fiction as they were written during or close to the time period in which they are set. One such that I would recommend is Michner's Sayonara. It was a contemporary novel when published but today it reads more like historical fiction.

If you can stand to read books set a millenium or two earlier and like detective novels I would recommend both Ellis Peters' Cadfael series and Lindsay Davis' Falco series. The former set in the 12th century during the first English civil war and the latter during the reign of Emporor Vespasian during the latter part of the 1st century CE.

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by Akai

I've just picked up Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell, which will be my first foray into the historical fiction genre. (My usual adventures with the 'historical' tag involve coffee-table encyclopaedias of warfare - most especially maps and artillery.) It'll be my first foray into romance, too, but the focus here is on the time and the place.

Would you folks be willing to suggest some of the 'best of the best' historical fiction, in your opinions? I'm most interested in the time period of 1900 - 1950. (Does that count as 'historical enough'? It does to me; I'm an early '90s child.) However, that doesn't rule out anything earlier - it only serves to highlight my main area of interest.

Thank you for any and all suggestions. I look forward to abusing my already-too-large collection of unread books.

If you are interested in WW2, then Herman Wouk's The Winds of War and War and Remembrance are excellent for WW2 and the immediate pre-war period from a U.S. perspective

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by bfisher

If you are interested in WW2, then Herman Wouk's The Winds of War and War and Remembrance are excellent for WW2 and the immediate pre-war period from a U.S. perspective

Speaking of WWII, I've been considering Jeff Shaara's trilogy: The Rising Tide, The Steel Wave, No Less Than Victory. Any opinions on these?

[Apache]

I liked them.
Also try Gone For Soldiers. This is the Mexican and US War of 1847-1848.
Rise to Rebellion. this is a Pre Revolutionary War.
The Glorious Cause is The American Revolutionary War.
To The Last Man is WWI.
Apache

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Apache

I liked them.
Also try Gone For Soldiers. This is the Mexican and US War of 1847-1848.
Rise to Rebellion. this is a Pre Revolutionary War.
The Glorious Cause is The American Revolutionary War.
To The Last Man is WWI.
Apache

Thanks. I'm not much on wartime stories in general, but I'm fascinated by WWII.

[NickyWithNook]

Sarah's Key and The Book Thief are both very good books set during WWII. Also, The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is pretty good too.

Anyway, a few more recently published titles there.

[Apache]

Try To The Last Man. It was my favorite.
Apache

[BreezyDay]

xxxxx

[gmw]

I see someone has already suggested it, but I second the recommendation for Noah Gordon. I really enjoyed the The Physician and have been meaning to get more by this author.

A slightly different suggestion are many of the books by Robert Goddard. These are not historical fiction in the sense I think you mean (though a few of them are), but most have a significant historical aspect to them - with some parts told in the past and some in the "now". Among my favourites of his are "Past Caring", "In Pale Battalions" and "Take No Farewell" - but they are all very very good.

[ucfgrad93]

I would also recommend The Eagle series by Simon Scarrow. It follows the lives of 2 Roman soldiers in the first century.

[drofgnal]

I'd add also "In the Shadow of the Banyan". A gut wrenching tale of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge.

[Gazella]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Not 20th century but Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are fantastic. His 20th century work Fall of Giants might be good but I haven't read it yet.

I'm particularly interested in two series of his; The Pillars of the Earth and The Century Trilogy. But I'm not sure which one to start with. This would be my first time reading anything by this author.