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If you love historical fiction, please
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'I've
just read Solander - it's a triumph!' - Bernard Cornwell.
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your favourite titles!
9/28/08:
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati
The characters and events are totally captivating; the writing flows
and keeps you interested the whole time. I had not read many books
before this and was quite overwhelmed by its size, but before I knew
it I was hooked and not only on this book but on historical novels
in general. I have since become a avid reader and in particular
cannot wait for each of the series installments. Elizabeth is
totally lovable and a inspiration to women. I fell in love with
Nathaniel, Hawkeye, Hannah, and all of the people of Lake in the
Clouds.
-- recommended by Cindy Hughes
9/21/08:
The Winter King,
by Bernard Cornwell
A historical and captivating look at King Arthur. Set in the Dark
Ages, this book enchants the reader until the very end of the
trilogy. Many unforgettable moments and realistic characters.
Probably the best historical fiction.
-- recommended by George McGee
9/12/08:
The French Lieutenant's Woman, by John Fowles
Like all of Fowles novels, The French Lieutenant's Woman can
be read on different levels. The structure is post-modern, spanning
two eras, with a narrator outside the action. At the same time a
contemporary tale with a twist and a 19th century romance, the novel
benefits from careful reading; or you can just enjoy the love story.
If you know the story only from the film by the same name, get the
book--and vice versa. Both are excellent.
-- recommended by Jeanne Greene
8/31/08:
Dream West, by
David Niven
This is an incredible novel that spans American history in the 19th
century, including the taming of the West, the rush for gold, and
the Civil War--all through the eyes of John C. Fremont, the first
governor of California. It combines history with romance and the
life story of a very interesting person and his family.
-- recommended by Dianne Safford
8/18/08:
Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldon
This series is the best I have found, so far, that includes the day
to day life of the characters without being boring or too much. You
become so caught up in the lives of these characters that you cannot
wait to see what will happen to them next. I look forward to each
and every one, reading and listening to them many times. I have done
research into my own family and came to realize that while these
people may be fictional, others have lived through these times and
experienced some of these experiences. Being a lover of history I
love any insight into the life and times of other time periods.
-- recommended by Aimee Williams
8/1/08:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Diamant gives the women of the Bible a long ignored voice. It is
beautifully written, and enthralling from beginning to end. One of
my all time favorites!
--recommended by Lesa A. Holley
7/23/08:
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Amazing book with a lot of adventure, romance, and powerful
words by Dumas that play with our hearts.
--recommended by Hessamoddin Shafeian
Outlander
Series, by Diana Gabaldon
Great character development, exciting, full of adventure, and
historically accurate. Gabaldon is an expert storyteller.
-- recommended by Colette Cefalu
7/16/08:
The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff
This author is usually confined to the ghetto of "youth fiction," but her
scholarship in this and a whole cycle of novels of Roman
Britain is marked by serious scholarship, unflinching
realism, and the high, bardic style of a harper telling
old tales of ancient strife, sorrow, and bittersweet
triumph. There is nothing here that needs excusing.
-- recommended by Nancy Pyle
7/11/08:
I, Claudius, by
Robert Graves
This novel avoids ridiculous romanticism by realizing that, in
ancient Rome, the truth was often more intriguing. Many novels and
films depicting the period add too much unlikely romanticism and
adventure. Graves keeps strictly faithful to the historical accounts
while using his considerable gifts as a writer to bring long-dead
characters to psychologically complex life.
-- recommended by Ken
7/7/08:
Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset
An epic novel of the life of a woman in medieval Norway. Sigrid
Undset's Nobel Prize winning novel is completely relevant today. It
explores so many aspects of life: childhood, relationships with
parents, friends, lovers, children as well as politics and
spirituality. All set against the panorama of the Middle Ages. I
loved it so much I named my daughter Kristin!
-- recommended by Gail Lanpher
5/30/08:
Falls the Shadow, by Sharon Kay Penman
This one and all Penman's novels mix real historical figures with
fictional characters in a very believable way. They include history,
politics and romance in equal measure and are true to their times.
Penman is one of the best I have read!
-- recommended by Julie Rosica
My Name is Red,
by Orhan Pamuk
Great characters and detail.
-- recommended by Ken Hoffman
5/26/08:
The Winds of War, by Herman Wouk
Love story + WWII. Can't beat it!
-- recommended by Nancy Turner
5/23/08:
Caribbean, by James Michener
This book is absolutely outstanding. The scholarly research and
descriptions of politics and history are created in such a way that
you feel you are living in history. All the way from Spain's
support of Columbus to the settling of the Caribbean and how it took
place on the islands to the present-day settling of Miami, Florida.
This is one of the most informative, and interesting books I ever
read. It was like taking the best of the best of college history,
foreign policy, and the life of the islands. I have a BA in history,
by the way. I spoke to an elderly woman who had read all of
Michener's novels, and she said I believe he is the best writer.
This book is outstanding! I would say that a person who reads this
book will have a great understanding of the major powers of the
world from 1492 to the present day and will educate themselves
greatly!
-- recommended by Jeff Chicoine
The Crystal Cave,
by Mary Stewart
With respect, I have to disagree with another nomination - if you
read any Arthurian novel, this book and series is the ultimate. Ms.
Stewart's writing style is both intelligent and "readable," and her
interpretation of the Arthurian myth (of Geoffrey, I think) is truly
excellent. This is an addictive read - the whole series - which I
return to every few years. If you haven't read it, you're really in
for a treat!
-- recommended by Judy
5/12/08:
The Quest, by Wilbur Smith
This is my favorite historical novel because he goes so far in depth
that you can feel smell, hear, and see everything he puts out there.
It's as if he knows what we need to visualize the situation. It must
have took him months of research to make this novel. As far as I
know all he has done is historical novels -- this is why I admire
him, because historical novels in my opinion are the hardest to
write. He has written at least a dozen historical novels and still
retains the quality and dazzling attention to detail.
-- recommended by Silas Lackey
5/7/08:
Cry, The Beloved
Country, by Alan Paton
Lyrical in its prose, this novel tells the story of life in South
Africa around the time of WWII. It's an accurate portrait of the
struggles of the South African nation in that time as it tried to
define itself in the 20th century. One of the most accurate and
beautiful novels ever written in the English language. Alan Paton
used his own experiences in South Africa to write a riveting story
of one man's personal and family journey.
-- recommended by Amy Ferguson
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