Big Historical Fiction

[GrandPrismatic]

It started with Margaret George then discovered the joy that was Sharon Kaye Penman. Devoured all of her epics over the course of last year. Have enjoyed Philippa Gregory, Madeline Miller, Robert Harris (especially Cicero trilogy), Lisa See.

I’m at a loss where to go next…any suggestions?
I love epic engaging stories and series that I learn history from. I can’t believe I hated history at school…making up for it now! I’ve not read any Bernard Cromwell or Conn Iggulden which feel like a similar vein…not sure why but they feel a bit more brutal perhaps? I may have been put off by the quite masculine looking covers.

Help me find my next Sharon Kaye Penman!

PF Chisholm (it's Finney under a different name). Elizabethan based on some real people based around Carlisle and The Marches and Scotland.
Bernard Cornwell did a short series on American Civil War. Copperhead is the second. Very good, gave me an idea of what warfare is really like including the effects on the families at home.
Cornwell has now come back from the Arthurian stuff, hooray!

The Cadfael books are good unless you try and read them one after another when they do get confusing and samey. Cadfael is an ex-soldier, a mercenary, he is less cuddly than on TV.

Well reporting back…I’ve just finished my first Edward Rutherfurd after these recommendations China….it hit the spot nicely! I’ve bought Russka now and will get stuck in to that today. @Citygirlinwellies I didn’t find any gratuitous violence or sex which considering it was dealing with elements of wars and concubines etc it was well done. There were some grim descriptive parts around what I will call local cultural practices but it was factual and not done gratuitously.

Shogun, by James Clavell?

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell?

The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough?

Myself as Witness, James Goldman?

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff trilogy is fabulous. Only read them recently and loved the series. People for some reason dismiss them as children's books but the subject - Romans in Britain until the last Roman ship leaves is absolutely fascinating and serious historical detail included.

Brazil

This thread reminded me of the book, Brazil, a fictional saga featuring the history of Brazil. I loved it when I read it many moons ago.