Inspired by watching Mary Queen of Scots film, any historical novel recommendations?

[DavidRose]

I just finished watching the Mary Queen of Scots film on Netflix and really enjoyed it but it hammered home to me how embarrassingly little I know or understand of history. Any history. It wasn't really taught to any great extent at my school and I've not read much around the subject.

I'm looking for any recommendations of historical novels, preferably fairly accurate. I don't really mind what period of history as I'm equally clueless about everything but the Mary/Elizabeth story did seem interesting.

If it centres women I'm particularly on board - the historical fiction books I have read are My Dear Hamilton (his wife's life story) and The Red Tent.

Nothing too intellectual for which I'm using Covid as an excuse - escapism wanted!

Thanks!

Alison Weir has written a novel on Lady Jane Grey, Innocent Traitor. All of her books are very easy to read even the factual ones.
There's a series of books which begin at the start of the War of the Roses, The Moreland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod Eagles. It follows the Moreland family and how their family gets caught up in the power struggle for the throne.
Anything by Jean Plaidy is fairly decent, Phillipa Gregory is a good writer but not strong on historical accuracy.

This film was just like braveheart ......... historically inaccurate but still a decent film

Have a look at books by Margaret George, she has done a book about Henry VIII, one about Elizabeth 1 and another about Mary Queen of Scots that would be exactly what you’re looking for.

Philippa Gregory has lots of books set in the Tudor period.

Should also have said, if you don’t mind which period in history, she’s also written a Memoirs of Cleopatra and one about Mary Magdalene. Both brilliant, although obviously the further you go back the more artistic licence is needed. I still learned a lot from both books though, and enjoyed reading them.

Pitching in to second Innocent Traitor, it was a really good book and I believe she's written at least one more about the Tudor period (about Elizabeth I). Alison Weir is an actual historian so it's as accurate as a novel can be. Personally I enjoyed the Philippa Gregory Tudor series but as PP mentioned they are pretty inaccurate and the witchcraft element annoys me; very female centric though. She also wrote a series called The Cousins War (about the wars of the roses) which you can read in order - you will get a basic overview of the history but the same caveat applies to the accuracy of the minuatae :)

I started a book called The Summer Queen about Eleanor of Aquitaine which I was really enjoying before I lost it during a house move!

A lot of people rave about The Sunne in Splendour (about Richard III) - it's very romanticised but a good yarn. I prefer Daughter of Time which is a sort of detective novel about the Princes in the Tower... Also one called The Virgin Widow by Anne O Brien - haven't read any of her other stuff but she seems to specialise in writing novels about medieval queens.

That's all I can think of, off the top of my head. Watching this thread with interest!

Thank you all! I'll definitely check these out and enjoy the recommendations.

Philippa Gregory recommendation from me too!

You could try the Outlander books by Diana Gabledon. Much more detailed than the series and historically fairly accurate.

Pilates of the Earth by Ken Follet.
That book will stay with you forever.

I love the series about William Marshall by Elizabeth Chadwick.

Pilates although I second the Ken Follet novels. Pillars was great, the second one (set I think 100 years later?) was a bit of a slog and I gave up, but I think that was more my mood at the time, rather than any fault of the novel.

Katherine by Anya Seton ticks your box for being female focussed. Set in Plantagenet times - Edward III and Richard II reigns. One of my favourite books.

Pilates??? 😁

Bloody phone, that autocorrect seem to be ruling my phone!

I just changed to pillars and has corrected it to “polars” 🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh gosh I cried when I finished pillars of the earth because I was so gutted it was over. Amazing trilogy!

Although it's not fiction, John Guy's 'My Heart is My Own' is brilliant and very readable, even though he's an academic.

Oh I have an unread copy of Pillars of the Earth actually - I may start there.

John Guy wrote the book that the film is based on so I had wondered about checking out what else he's written.

I love Philippa Gregory for a bit of Tudor titillation it's a bit like a book version of The Tudors tv series with Jonathan Rhys Meyers - well worth a watch -ooof.

Katherine as recommended above was my favourite book, for years! Also love the Elizabeth George book about Henry The eighth. Couldn’t get on with her one about Mary Queen of Scots though. Used to love Jean Plaidy, but not read for years now. Might try again...

Oh mdh2020 I forgot about those, I've such a crush on William Marshall. In my head he's got the looks and fighting skills of Jaime Lannister with the loyalty, wisdom and integrity of Ned Stark.

The Boudicca books are good
Dreaming the eagle is one.

Phillips Gregory

Sharon Penman is my favourite historical fiction writer.
Jean Plaidy is good for fairly simple easy to read plots- I ate them up as a teenager but returning to a few last year thought how they were very simplistic. She churned out hundreds, under her name and others, and it kind of shows.
Philippa Gregory is like reading the book version of a costume drama I always think- bit too much heaving bosoms and not quite enough historical detail, but readable nonetheless.

Place marking to check back later. But here are mine.

Year of wonders by Geraldine Brooks. It’s not new but I reread it last year and loved it again. It’s set in the time of the plague and has a female lead.
Another that I love is The Seige by Helen Dunsmore. Again it’s fiction but set against the backdrop of the Leningrad seige. Harrowing in places but amazingly written. Love Helen Dunsmore.

outlander is fab !

Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt/Philippa Carr. They are all pseudonyms for the same author. She just used different techniques.