Any advice for a Hilary Mantel 'style' historical fact/fiction book?

[CheCheChe]

Hi all - My partner loved the Hilary Mantel 'Wolf Hall' Trilogy of books.
She has kind of hinted that if I could find a similar style, well written, historical fictionalised story of the time before that Wolf Hall era, then it would be gratefully accepted as the best Christmas present in years.
Could anybody recommend one or more please?
Thanks in advance

Doesn't exactly fit your brief, but Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety is written in the same style (her other books that I've read are different in style).

I'm not quite sure what you mean by the style here. Just that it's more 'serious' historical fiction rather than say Philippa Gregory-style?

I liked Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series, which is set time-wise a little after Mantel's series (still 16th century). It's more broad geographically - the first book is in Scotland, the second in France, later on our protagonist goes to the Ottoman Empire. There are real historical characters as side characters, but the mains are all fictional.

As well as another series set in the mid-15th century, she also has a single-book called King Hereafter, which is on my TBR list - 11th century Scotland, based around the theory that Thorfinn Sigurdsson of Orkney corresponds to Macbeth.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - I think that is 12th century setting (it's one of a series)

Some of the Phillipa Gregory are good, but not the literary level of Mantel (in my opinion). Some are set in tudor times, she has others from earlier.

Mary Renault for more ancient history settings.

The Man on a Donkey by H. F. M. Prescott is the answer! Hilary Mantel loved it and cited it as an inspiration. It’s MAGNIFICENT. Maybe even better than the Wolf Hall trilogy (which I adored). I also second the recommendation for A Place Of Greater Safety, it’s wonderful and very similar.

Also recommending Dorothy Dunnett Lymond series. Incredibly dense and literary, highly accurate and densely plotted.

Yes, by 'style' , my partner likes the historical accuracy, but also not just a straight recounting the facts (the story telling is important). She tells me Hilary Mantle is absolutely incredible in that department.

Thank you so much for that recommendation

Thank you all- very helpful and I am sure there is probably more than one book I can buy from that list.
Much appreciated

Norah Lofts The House At Old Vine trilogy. ranges from the end of the feudal period to the 1700s and is a fantastic well-written retelling of history through riveting stories and characters.

any of Norah Lofts books fit the bill actually. I'm rereading Knight's Acre right now.

Also In A Dark Wood Wandering by Hella Haasse - a novel of the middle ages - is wonderful.

Matthew Shardlake Tudor mystery series wore good. I’ve read one of them and you really get a sense of the Tudor tense atmosphere. They’re a detective type novels with Shardlake doing the sluicing. I think there are six books in the series.

It’s so sad that Hilary Mantel died and there won’t be any more of her wonderful books. I feel she didn’t get enough acknowledgment when she died. Anyway that’s an aside and so is this really, because these two recommendations are from the modem era but I love them the way I loved the Wolf Hall trilogy: Apeirogon Colum McCann, sadly very topical at the moment and also My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor. Hope you won’t mind me going a bit off topic 😊

I read Hilary Mantels autobiography in the summer. I can recommend that.

It's not before the period but I felt that Hamnet had strong similarities to Wolf Hall, and was a cracking read.

Conn Iggulden series of books about the Wars of the Roses are great and would fit the bill as set just before the Tudor period. I’ve read most of these and can highly recommend.

Maybe Elizabeth Chadwick - she writes about historical figures from the medieval period. A couple of books on Eleanor of Aquitaine, others on William Marshal.

I also rate Katherine by Anya Seton which is set in time of Edward III/Richard II and tells the story of John of Gaunt’s mistress/third wife.

I think Little by Edmund Carey is very similar stylistically. The Wolf Hall books use such deep detailed descriptions of not much action very well and Little is similar, something to luxuriate in (it's a fictionalised biography of Madame Tussaud).

I also find Susannah Clarke books similarly written, with the same richness, but they aren't historical fiction as such.

Ken Follet and the Shardlake Series are good historical fictions, but really not stylistically similar to Wolf Hall. Hamnet is closer, and a good read, but the Marriage Portrait by the same author is probably closer and also a very good read.

Ooh yes, Hamnet was wonderful.

Perfect recommendations!

The Daughter of Time is based on a modern investigator looking into the "crimes" of Richard 3rd. It's on my to-read list but was recommended to me.

Any book by Edward Rutherfurd. He writes (at length) about fictionalised families living in a particular place over time. Some of his books go from the Stone Age to the present day.

Anything by Phillipa Gregory

Ken Follet Pillars of the Earth

Its got a wordy title, but ‘For thy great pain have mercy on my little pain’ is a historical novel by Victoria MacKenzie. It’s much shorter than Mantel(!) but stylistically similar to Wolf Hall being told in the present tense, quite earthy and dealing with some of the religious themes Mantel touches. It’s about Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe in the 1400s. I found it fascinating!

This is the correct answer!