Big Historical Fiction

Another vote for Ken Folletts Century trilogy - much better than the pillars of the earth one (where I must admit I didn't bother beyond the first book!). The Century trilogy follows various characters and their descendents in Britain, USA and Russia from before the first World War all the way through to the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was worried I'd find the final book (about the Cold War) a bit boring but it was absolutely brilliant and I learnt a lot about that period I wasn't aware of before.

Weir's Tudor stuff is ok but stay away from her books about Eleanor of Aquitaine! Chadwick's are far superior, as is Sara Cockerill's biography.

I love Alison Weir. She's writes historical fiction and proper history books. They're all about the tudors.

Another vote for Anya Seton. Katherine is my all time favourite historical novel. I also loved MM Kaye, Alison Weir, Barbara Erskine and Penny Vincenzi.

Another vote for anything by Alison Weir (her six queens series about all of Henry viii's Wives is fab (and she writes non-fiction too).

Tracy Borman is also writing historical fiction I think.

Just about an hour before you.

King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett is epic. I have a copy I keep meaning to reread but it's so meaty that I've not gotten around to it yet. It seems perfect for a winter night so maybe in the next few months.

Speaking of DD, no one has mentioned the Lymond Chronicles yet!

I like the Genghis Khan and Caesar series by Conn Iggulden. I also really enjoyed the Troy series by David Gemmell. Trying to think of other suggestions not already mentioned. A long time ago I liked the Robert the Bruce trilogy by Nigel Tranter

Geraldine Brooks has also written March, which is the story of the March girls’ father from Little Women. SPOILER

There is a bit where he and Marmee have, er, pre-marital intimacy . I was genuinely horrified!

I keep starting Year of Wonders but it gets so tragic and I have to put it down in tears.

Absolutely, BalloonSlayer.
I read a biography of Margaret Mitchell and it seems what motivated her to write the book was that the past was being romanticised. As a child she had known Civil War veterans and had some idea of how bloody the whole thing was.
Ironically the film then romanticised the book with its too fancy pillared porticoes and pretty dresses.

I loved the Daughters of England series as a teen but it just doesn't compare to the Morlands!

@Doomscrolling it's definitely an apologia for slavery, and that's what makes it interesting historically. The title refers to the whole society (which was appalling) being swept away and how people struggled to cope . I expect others have read better examples but I found it a fascinating account of the arrogance of the confederates , convinced they were going to win a glorious war, as they had God on their side then meeting defeat, humiliation and poverty. History is usually written by the winners, I thought the novel being from the losers' perspective was fantastic. Of course Scarlett is a bitch, but she is so well written.

Another vote for Jean Plaidy’s/Victoria Holt/Phillips Carr.

PCs “Daughters of England” series is similar to CHEs moorlands - follows a family, through the centuries.

Dorothy Dunnett - Lymond books. Possibly the best historical fiction ever written.

Robert Graves - I Claudius and Claudius the God. Brilliantly written. Was a TV series back in the 70s, starring a young Derek Jacobi.

I lost interest in the Outlander books after about the fourth one but I do love the series!

Another vote for Outlander. 8, soon to be 9 huge books and the TV series as well.

Ellis Peters / Edith Pargeter

Best known probably for the Cadfael series, but had already written a contemporary police detective series under the Ellis name and a whole lot of stuff under Edith, including
The Heaven Tree trilogy - featuring a stonemason working on a fictional cathedral and his relationship with Prince Llewellyn
The Brothers Gwynnedd quartet - Sunrise in the West being the first
The Marriage of Megotta (title character being real-life daughter of nobleman Hubert de Burgh)

Not to mention the KKK as honourable men protecting the white ladies from the evil negroes.

Not a book that aged well…

That's not tone-lowering, it's supposed to be one of great american novels. A classic you might say!

Turns out Scarlett is an unlikeable bitch & the Great Civil War is thoroughly depressing to read about.

Too many books & too few years left for that one!

How about Sarah Dunant for her novels set in Renaissance Italy? Birth Of Venus, Blood and Beauty, In the Company Of The Courtesan etc. I think there are about 6 of them, all stand alone Books.

Or Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk-Cross.

Pat Barker’s Silence Of The Girls (the Trojan war from the perspective of one of the captured Trojan women) is absolutely outstanding.

Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances are a perennial delight. I’ve got 25 of them.

Was just coming on to add Alison Weir and Anne O'Brien if you like the Wars of the Roses era. They concentrate on the royal women mainly.

Oooh goody, so many I haven't read that sound wonderful!

I just remembered 'Medieval Woman' by Ann Baer. Found it in a 2nd-hand bookshop and was entranced by the pretty cover... it was bloody awesome, devoured it.

I honestly think Scarlett O'Hara is one of the most complex and curiously modern characters ever written.

Hope this doesn't lower the tone, but have you ever read Gone With The Wind?

Thanks for the Penny Vincenzi recommendation, that's one for my Christmas list!

[quote GrandPrismatic]@CallMeRisley I love that you took your name inspiration from the series 😁[/quote]