Historical fiction

ReacherCreature

Slightly outside the strand of what the OP wants but John Birmingham's Final Impact series is a brand of alternative what-if historical fiction. Entertaining stories about the present going back to the past - in this vein, a modern military force being transported to the Pacific in World War 2. Drags at times but entertaining nevertheless.

IvyTheTerrible

patff wrote: »

Alexandre Dumas, The Black Tulip.

I didn't expect it to actually be about tulips, but it was. Historically relevant, Dumas wrote this to highlight events of the day. The lovely "King Billy" plays a prominent role.

It's a great illustration of a bubble economy too!

Paddy Samurai

Top notch Historical Fiction IMO.This book Introduced me to the San Patricios ,and for that I am grateful.Since finishing it I have reads lots more about them.

.Dubious about why they were fighting a Catholic country and fed up with mistreatment by their Anglo-Protestant officers, hundreds of Irish, German and other immigrants deserted Taylor's army and joined forces with Mexico.

Led by Capt. John Riley of Co. Galway, they called themselves the St. Patrick's Battalion (in Spanish, the San Patricios) and fought against their former comrades in all the major campaigns of the war.
The history of the San Patricios is a woeful tale of angry, bewildered, naive, or calculating young men, from varied backgrounds, who deserted for a myriad of reasons and paid a fearful price.

VIVA Los San Patricios!!!!

Blake (The Pistoleer, 1995, etc.) again demonstrates his talent for mingling historical fact with fiction, in the case here of the Mexican War and the antebellum frontier. Brothers John and Edward Little return to their remote north Florida farm from a search for their runaway sister only to find their father on a murderous rampage. The boys defend themselves and kill their father. Their mother, meanwhile, has fled. Left alone, the teenagers set out for Texas, but they become separated in New Orleans. John, who can't control his violent nature, kills a man and, to escape hanging, joins Zachary Taylor's Mexican Warbound army. Edward, in the meantime, also commits murder but flees to Texas and after several bloody adventures ends up in Mexico. He first joins a company of scalp-hunters, then takes up with a band of Mexican bandits who are ultimately impressed into US Service as the infamous Spy Company.

This book contains lots of gore and bloodshed,so as other reviewers have said be warned its not for the fainthearted .

patff

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

It's a great illustration of a bubble economy too!

explain please

IvyTheTerrible

patff wrote: »

explain please

An early example of a bubble, was that in which the craze for tulip bulbs caused the prices to rise way way above the "intrinsic" value.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

This novel was illustrating that (the crazy search for a black tulip).

patff

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

An early example of a bubble, was that in which the craze for tulip bulbs caused the prices to rise way way above the "intrinsic" value.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

This novel was illustrating that (the crazy search for a black tulip).

Thanks, see what you mean. Although the historical element that I was referring to was the lynching of the DeWitt Bros., a significant event that was largely unknown until Dumas highlighted it.

IvyTheTerrible

patff wrote: »

Thanks, see what you mean. Although the historical element that I was referring to was the lynching of the DeWitt Bros., a significant event that was largely unknown until Dumas highlighted it.

Ah I wasn't even thinking about that! Thanks yourself!

pavb2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruce-Trilogy-Steps-Throne-Coronet/dp/0340371862

The Bruce Trilogy

Robert the Bruce

Read this many years ago and will probably get it again colourful story,fantastic reviews and if I remember correctly his battle strategies were brilliant.

Just read the reviews

chasmcb

pavb2 wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruce-Trilogy-Steps-Throne-Coronet/dp/0340371862

The Bruce Trilogy

Robert the Bruce

Read this many years ago and will probably get it again colourful story,fantastic reviews and if I remember correctly his battle strategies were brilliant.

Just read the reviews

Thats sounds great, think I'll check it out. Thanks for the heads-up!

Monty Burnz

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Slightly outside the strand of what the OP wants but John Birmingham's Final Impact series is a brand of alternative what-if historical fiction. Entertaining stories about the present going back to the past - in this vein, a modern military force being transported to the Pacific in World War 2. Drags at times but entertaining nevertheless.

That's sci-fi, really. 'The literature of what if' was one of the working definitions of sci-fi when I was in college. 'The Plot Against America' by Philip Roth is another good example of the genre.

Paddy Samurai

If you like historical fiction....................
This book about Vlad the Impaler is well worth reading.Apart from a couple of minor Hiccups ,Humpreys brings Vlad, his life and times back to life .

Good review here.
http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2009/03/vlad-last-confession-by-cc-humphreys.html

Chiliroses

Einhard wrote: »

I'm a bit of a history nerd, and am especially partial to good historical fiction. Only problem is, it's quite difficult to distinguish the good historical works from the derivative muck which uses history as an "exotic" background for essentially modern stories, and not particularly good ones at that. Add to that the fact that I'm terrified of buying anything to do with Ancient Rome for fear it will just be historical hokum, the literary equivalent of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and my choice is somewhat limited! So, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I prefer pre-modern settings, but am really after quality. To give an idea of what I like, and to throw a few suggestions of my own out there, I enjoyed Robert Harris' Cicero novels, and also Fatherland. Pompeii was was quite good but nowehere near the standard of Imperium and Lustrum. The Shardlakenovels by CJ Sampson are excellent, and I'm about to launch into Wolf Hall.

Id recommend The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles set in 19th Century Victorian times, I'm reading it at the moment.

Denerick

pavb2 wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruce-Trilogy-Steps-Throne-Coronet/dp/0340371862

The Bruce Trilogy

Robert the Bruce

Read this many years ago and will probably get it again colourful story,fantastic reviews and if I remember correctly his battle strategies were brilliant.

Just read the reviews

I'm after purchasing the trilogy, based on your recommendation. If it doesn't work out I'm holding you personally responsible

Went through a serious phase of Scottish medieval history about six or seven years ago, read numerous history books. Historical fiction should be a nice and light re-introduction to an old passion of mine.

pavb2

Denerick wrote: »

I'm after purchasing the trilogy, based on your recommendation. If it doesn't work out I'm holding you personally responsible

Went through a serious phase of Scottish medieval history about six or seven years ago, read numerous history books. Historical fiction should be a nice and light re-introduction to an old passion of mine.

Uncanny, nearly a year to the day since I posted that, I did get it again currently reading about 100 pages to go.

Powerful opening with Edward Longshanks riding his horse into the church, I loved the scene where Bruce & his men go to the castle of the Isles but so many other good parts.

Aside from the history 'lesson' what the author achieves is to bring to life a character who has been dead for nearly 700 years.

Anyhow hope you enjoy it, at about 900 pages I won't get my coat just yet.

Chiliroses

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Just finished this epic trilogy by Roybn Young .IMO it is top notch historical fiction,that is well researched with great characters both real and imagined.


http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4961567.ece

Sounds like my kind of read thanks

pavb2

1453 Constantinople - Roger Crowley

Not exactly fiction but this is a great story about the siege of Constantinople in 1453.

Characters that fascinated me were the Sultan's Hungarian cannon maker and a Scots man tasked with detecting enemy tunnelling under the walls.

The naval battle and Constantine's last stand all make this an excellent read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571221866/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0DZJVRPT9GPZA7ACZ599&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294

Paddy Samurai

pavb2 wrote: »

1453 Constantinople - Roger Crowley

Not exactly fiction but this is a great story about the siege of Constantinople in 1453.

Characters that fascinated me were the Sultan's Hungarian cannon maker and a Scots man tasked with detecting enemy tunnelling under the walls.

The naval battle and Constantine's last stand all make this an excellent read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571221866/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0DZJVRPT9GPZA7ACZ599&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294 ]

+1
Yeah I read a while back and found it to be well worth reading.

MarchDub

I don't think it's been mentioned on the thread - but Strumpet City by James Plunkett is a great historical novel.

It's set in Dublin during the 1913 lockout and gives a very valid description of the social life of the city then and the economic decisions that people had to make. Especially interesting is the portrait it paints of James Larkin as a labour leader.

Paddy Samurai

Einhard wrote: »

I think the best novels are those where the characterisation is so strong that you finish feeling a tinge of regret that the characters are no longer part of your life.

For me that would be Paulinus Gaius Maximus in Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem

'Wallace Breem belongs to that very short list of writers whose work elevates historical fiction and sets it alongside the best writing of any kind, in any period' - Steven Pressfield

Setun

Didn't quite look through the whole thread but I'm sure The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco has already been mentioned. Wonderful story with a central murder mystery that will keep you reading, all set to an important period in the 1300s when Christianity was undergoing major changes - namely the importance of material wealth to those at the top of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the role of the Franciscan order of monks in relation to this. It's a fascinating way to read about the middle ages, it is incredibly well researched and very detailed, as you would expect from Eco. The book is also famous as an exploration of semiotics - essentially how we construct meaning from language - but in a very non-academic way, the narrative drives these concepts, not the other way around.

Denerick

Name of the Rose is a very well regarded piece of fiction in the wider literary community. Much more than mere genre fiction. Excellent book by a brilliant writer.

Giselle

Daddio wrote: »

Didn't quite look through the whole thread but I'm sure The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco has already been mentioned.

This is the title that springs to mind whenever historical fiction is mentioned. I loved this book - although some descriptive passages are the longest I've ever encountered in fiction!

There's an movie of the book starring Sean Connery, that some seem to prefer although as usual its not quite true to the book.