Favorite Historical Fiction?
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Michener relocated to Sitka, Alaska to research his novel. He only utilized the local librarian to assist. I've never even heard a rumor that he had people writing for him. He's a favorite author of mine, I love the facts contained. A few critics maligned him for just such wealth of history. For me, that's why I read them over and over. But, strangely enough, not one of his books, with the exception of South Pacific, mostly autobiographical, make my to 10 or 20.
Historical Literature most of the time is really trashy, tacky stuff, no I don’t like it. But then I remembered a real master of the genre: Per Olov Enquist and his marvellous and deep “The Book About Blanche and Marie” where he dives into the fascinatingly complex relationship between two of the twentieth century's most remarkable women: Blanche Wittman, the famous hysteria patient of Professor J.M. Charcot at Salpetriére Hospital outside Paris, and Marie Curie, the Polish physicist and Nobel Prize winner.
His earlier work “The March of the Musicians” is also great not to forget his most famous work “The Royal Physicians Visit”.
The language he uses is superb and his topics are like from another world or maybe found in the depths of our unconsciousness.
His earlier work “The March of the Musicians” is also great not to forget his most famous work “The Royal Physicians Visit”.
The language he uses is superb and his topics are like from another world or maybe found in the depths of our unconsciousness.
Thomas Costain is a good one, contemporary of Shellabarger, I believe. Set his books in a variety of historical settings and is pretty accurate. Lawrence Schoonover is another one.
Books by Thomas B. Costain (Author of The Silver Chalice)
Thomas B. Costain has 111 books on Goodreads with 36584 ratings. Thomas B. Costain’s most popular book is The Silver Chalice.
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I liked 'The Wisest Fool' by Nigel Tranter about King James the 6th/1st.
I read Costain's novel The Black Rose. It was pretty good but not as good as Shellabarger IMHO. His four books on the Plantagenet family (The Conquering Family, etc) are great. Even though history, it reads like a good novel.
Nigel Tranter wrote a lot of historical fiction, especially about the Scots. I still want to read his book about Robert the Bruce. I read the one about the throne of Scotland (I don't recall the name) and it was very good.
I actually didn’t care for Where Eagles Dare. I haven’t read his others however.
System of the World is the same plot and families as Cryptonomicon, just 400 years earlier.
My current favorite is 'From Double eagle to Red Flag' by General P.N. Krassnoff.
Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov (1869-1947) was Lieutenant General of the Russian army when the revolution broke out in 1917 and one of the leaders of the counterrevolutionary White movement afterward. According to its introduction, From Double Eagle to Red Flag "was born of the debris of Imperial Russia, conceived in the shadow of Leo Tolstoy's historical narrative, by a Russian General with exceptional opportunities." This "monumental" novel "has a naked, a terrible fascination."
Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov (1869-1947) was Lieutenant General of the Russian army when the revolution broke out in 1917 and one of the leaders of the counterrevolutionary White movement afterward. According to its introduction, From Double Eagle to Red Flag "was born of the debris of Imperial Russia, conceived in the shadow of Leo Tolstoy's historical narrative, by a Russian General with exceptional opportunities." This "monumental" novel "has a naked, a terrible fascination."
You can't go wrong with Ken Follet. Start with Fall of Giants.
1. A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphries
2. The William Marshall series by Elizabeth Chadwick
3. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty
4. The Bruce trilogy by N. Gemini Sasson
5. The Ill Made Knight by Christian Cameron
6. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell
7. The Bernicia Chronicles by Mathew Harffy
8. The Norsemen Saga by James L. Nelson
If you need more, let me know, lol!
1. A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphries
2. The William Marshall series by Elizabeth Chadwick
3. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty
4. The Bruce trilogy by N. Gemini Sasson
5. The Ill Made Knight by Christian Cameron
6. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell
7. The Bernicia Chronicles by Mathew Harffy
8. The Norsemen Saga by James L. Nelson
If you need more, let me know, lol!
Geraldine Brooks is one of my favorite authors. Caleb’s crossing is a pretty wonderful piece of historical fiction set in 17th century New England. Year of wonders is another by her that is about a small village in England that quarantined itself when it’s inhabitants started getting the plague.
