Help! Historical fiction?

[KinkyDorito]

I want to get my Dad a book or two for Fathers' Day rather than just copping out and sending cash. I am fast running out of ideas for him. Things I've bought in the past that he says he enjoyed:

Hilary Mantel's Cromwell books
Pillars of the Earth and others by same author
C J Sansom Shardlake books

Any ideas will be very gratefully received

My Dad likes books about WW1 and WW2 (novels, in particular rather than non-fiction). I've bought him Birdsong and Charlotte Grey both by Sebastian Faulks and he said he liked both of them.

Has he read the Patrick O'Brien books? Big favorites with my DF and DH

Have a look at Day by AL Kennedy - great story of a rear-gunner's experiences.
Also That Summer (sorry can't recall the author) dealing with the Battle of Britain and the relationship between one of the young pilots and a radar operator.
My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young is set during WW1. Partly a love story but also lots about the early days of plastic surgery to treat war injuries. Don't be put off by the girly cover - it's a beautifully written serious novel.
Enigma by Robert Harris is a fascinating account of code-cracking at Bletchley, and Fatherland by the same author is an imaginary account of what might have happened if the Nazis had won.
Finally, having enjoyed Shardlake, has your dad read CJ Sansom's book set in the Spanish civil war, Winter in Madrid? Also really good.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far - I will look into them.

Also, has anyone tried SJ Parris - is she a poor second to CJ Sansom?

Conn Iggulden writes cracking historical series - the Emporer series is about Caesar, the Conqueror series about Ghengis Khan.

Operation Certain Death by Damien Lewis (not that one) is a brilliant non-fiction book.

I'll second Conn Iggulden as great historical reads. Also what about Bernard Cornwell? There are various series from different periods.

My DH really enjoyed Pompeii by Robert Harris. Also Fatherland.

What about English Passengers by Matthew Kneale and This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson. The first one is about early settlers to Australia and the second is about the voyage of The Beagle and the effect it had on the captain of the ship.

Both very good and excellent Father's Day type books.

Phil Rickmans Elizabethan ones are good, The Bones of Avalon and The Heresy of Doctor Dee. Dorothy Dunnetts books are wonderful, beautifully detailed and well worth a read. she is the best writer of historical fiction I have ever read.

The SJ Parris books are OK, not as good as Shardlake (please please please write another one soon Mr Sansom), but Giordano Bruno is a likeable character.

I'll also second the Genghis Khan series by Conn Iggulden - The Conqueror series, particularly Wolf of the Plains is outstanding.