Historical fiction recommendations

[TerrysNo2]

Hello all

In the last 12 months I have really enjoyed the following historical fiction books:

• Company of Liars, Karen Maitland
• Guernica, Dave Boling
• Winter in Madrid, C J Samson

I am currently reading Pompeii by Robert Harris but will probably finish it today.

I am enjoying this genre of fictional characters / storylines set around factual events.

Can you recommend any others for me, especially if they are available on Kindle?

Thanks!!

Have you read Sansom's others, set in the time of Henry 8th? V good indeed.

Ariana Franklyn's series, beginning with Mistress Of The Art Of Death are pretty good, as they feature a female with medical expertise.

Frank Tallis' Vienna ones begin v well indeed, though they get a bit samey.

Lots of people rate Ian Pears but I've not been terribly impressed with him tbh. All a bit long-winded and trying to be clever.

Have just finished Stone's Fall and 'longwinded' sums it up! Very disappointing.

Wolf Hall?
For medieval fiction I like Elizabeth Chadwick a lot - not her early books which are a bit bodice-ripper in style but her most recent ones such as The Scarlet Lion and The Greatest Knight. Also the Henry II/Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy by Sharon Penman which starts with When Christ and his Saints Slept.

I also like the Elizabeth Chadwick books and Jean Plaidy is good if you like the kings and queens type stories. Also Phillipa Gregory, very easy to find.

Ooh I have just finished the Owl Killers by Karen Maitland it was amazing, but too scary to read at night! She has also had a new book the gallows curse published this week.

Scape gallow based around the life of Margeret Catchpole was also great really interesting for me as based in areas of Suffolk and australia both where i've lived.

I'm not generally keen on this sort of stuff, but Hilary Mantel A Place of Greater Safety about the last weeks of Danton during the French Revolution was brilliant.

Harris has written two other Roman novels, Imperium and Lustrum.
Then there's Coleen McCullough's Roman series - First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown etc.

Wolf hall is terrific.

If you like to get your teeth into a hefty series like McCullough's then there is always Dorothy Dunnett, the queen of historical fiction. There's the House of Niccolo series and The Lymond Chronicles. There's also a one-off novel, King Hereafter, which is a fascinating take on Macbeth.

How about 'The Lacuna?' Lots of discussions about it on here - my view is it's a long but great read, and ideal for taking on holiday.

Revolves around Mexico and the era of Communism, characters such as artists/activists Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, and Trotsky.
Then moves on to encompass post-war America and the 'threat' of the Iron Curtain, leading to the McCarthy witch-hunts.

All wrapped around a first-person account of loneliness,longing and sexual and artistic integrity.

Agree about The Lacuna and also recommend The Poisonwood Bible.

best historical fiction of all time is the Lymon Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett.

Set in Scotland and elsewhere during the reign of MAry Queens of Scots.

Much "realer" in tone and accuracy than much of this genre, and superbly written characters (I defy you not to fall in love with Lymond) and suspenseful plots.

Yes yes yes to Lymond!!

Checkmate - Greetings, fellow Dunnetter. Your name says it all. 'Scotland and elsewhere' is an understatement! We could mention France, Malta, North Africa, Turkey, Russia and England even before we start on the Niccolo series.

Have you tried the Morland Dynsty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles? And also I'm sure someone will remember who wrote Sarum, London, Dublin, all amazing books

Hi Shipscat and unitarian. I always try to have Dunnett-related names on here, to find the others like me!

It worked! I'm now wondering if I've met you or Shipscat in real life.

Edward Rutherfurd wrote Sarum etc. His most recent are Dublin and New York. Excellent!

Anyone mentioned This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson? About the Darwin and Fitzroy expedition to South America. Very good.

I couldn't get on with New York but London was excellent!

I've never been to any of the meet-ups unfortunately.

Sorry for hijack, OP, one of us will start a separate thread to discuss DD, perhaps? (Read them and then join us OP!)

The rose of sebastapol is good.

Ooh ooh YES to This Thing of Darkness - it's one of my favourite books ever.

It's worth having a little poke around here especially on the forums.

Thanks all - I was disheartened by the lack of responses when I left work today but chuffed at them now!!

Will bookmark this thread and go off to Amazon.

Thanks!!

I love edward Rutherford
Also, try Ulverton; great novel in a similar spanning-the-ages format.

Yes, agree, This thing of Darkness v good. So sad about Harry Thompson.
The Crimson Petal and the White is also good if you like mad Victorian gothic style historical fiction.