I would like to read books about the Middle Ages, or earlier

Elizabeth Chadwick for medieval fiction.

Femina by Janina Ramirez is good non-fiction on medieval women, there’s a lot of Anglo-Saxon and Viking examples in there with a bit of later medieval too.

Hild by Nicola Griffiths is a fictional version of the story of Hild of Whitby (Anglo-Saxon abbess), a little heavy-handed writing style but brilliant world-building. There is a sequel that I haven’t got round to yet.

Bernard Cornwall’s Warlord and Saxon novels are great as everyone else has said!

I don't know how close it was to historical accuracy but I used to enjoy reading Jean Plaidy 30 odd years ago. Her writing style was very easy.

EDIT - Oh crikey, apparently she had a few pen names 😮
Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr, Eleanor Burford, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Ellalice Tate, Anna Percival

It’s later than you’re looking for, but The Man On A Donkey by HFM Prescott is a book so magical I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain By Victoria Mackenzie is another incredible one.

Thanks for this thread, this is my favourite genre of fiction and non-fiction and there are a few here I haven’t read yet.

"I will also give Unruly by David Mitchel a go - I'm a bit worried that I'll read it in his sardonic, deadpan voice, though."

On the audiobook, he does read it himself. It works very well.

I've just started Powers and Thrones by Dan Jones. It's on audible, but only until 25 October. Already very interesting so would recommend, but I'm only at the start 😁

If you don't mind non-fiction, try Montaillou by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie. "An enthralling account of day-to-day life in a medieval French village. Using records gathered by the Catholic Church in its pursuit of heretics, the book recreates the lives of a rich cast of village characters."

Second Bernard Cornwall Arthurian trilogy
norah lofts wrote much historical fiction in that period, I recommend her 'house trilogy, starts with the house at Old Vine. Not at home at present so can't offer any more titles.
rosemary Sutcliffe, loads of great books. The Rider on the White Horse comes to mind, but many set before the Civil war, which I prefer.

One book that I can recommend is "Unruly: A History of England's Kings and Queens" by David Mitchell.

It's available in paperback and also as an audiobook as well.

He starts with King Vortigern in the 400s (well, actually with King Arthur and a warning that he didn't actually exist) and then goes up to the end of Elizabeth I in 1603.

It covers 39 monarchs, although it does group some of the early ones together.

So, it covers the period you're interested in but it does go further as well.

If.you don't mind fiction aimed at older children rather than adults, Rosemary Sutcliff's The Shining Company is a good read. It's set in around 600 AD, and is about the post-Roman Britains fighting Saxon invaders.

For the Anglo Saxon period, I'd second Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom. Also, if it's still in print, Avalon by Anya Seaton. It's a bit dated, very enjoyable.

King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett is set in the 11th century and is based on the historical record rather than on Shakespeare's Macbeth.

A couple of centuries later Kristin Lavrandatter by Sigrid Undset is the life of a fictional noble woman in 14th century Norway.

Unruly by David Mitchell covers this - readable and witty non fiction.

'1215 The Year of Magna Carta' by Danny Danziger & John Gillingham is very easy to read and informative. It's non-fiction, but I enjoyed it a lot.

Just came to recommend this as I also love it. I reread it over summer and think about it a lot. It's unclear in the book exactly when or where it is set which is realistic. A woman living in a small.village wouldn't know the wider geography of England. I get the feeling it's between 1100 and 1300. It's just so vivid in it's depiction of her life and the villagers.

Also recommended the Pillars of Earth Series, the first two books in the series especially. Again totally engrossing and you can feel as if you're there. Ken Follett is quite fond of a quivering bosom as I recall but the overall plotting and world building is amazing

Just to say I agree with previous posters - anything from Bernard Cornwell (particularly the Saxon series) and Ken Follett are amazing books - really immersive

I am currently reading The Anglo-Saxons by Marc Morris and really enjoying it.

I also recently read Britain After Rome by Robyn Fleming which covers the same period in more detail but is a much heavier read.

Also for Plantagenet anything Sharon Penman. The sunne in splendor is an incredible book.

Love this thread and love historical fiction. One of my favourite books every is Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages by Ann Baer. Its so readable and its is fascinating and very realistic

Haven’t read Hilary Mantle, that should say

Joanna Hickson is good for the Tudors too.
And I haven’t heard Hilary Mantle yet but people rave about Wolf Hall.

Fiction - Edward Rutherford’s Sarum which IIRC is set near Stonehenge over hundreds of years and he’s written one set in London too as well as others in China and Russia.
And Patricia Wright - I Am England.
For monarchies, Philippa Gregory has written a lot about the Tudors.

Pillars of the Earth is a fantastic book and there are several sequels and at least one prequel. I was really ill for several months a few years ago and reading was a great distraction.

Just saying thanks OP for starting this thread as many of these books will be of interest to me too.

I really enjoyed Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott. It's set mainly around London just after the Romans left. The idea came from a brooch ( I think) that was found and is now in the Museum of London. And it mentions the Temple of Mithras that you can now visit ( in the City, under the Bloomberg building) that is fabulous and has lots of other finds, like ancient shoes.