Historical Fiction (books)

[sckeener]

I'm looking for good Historical Fiction books. I loved I, Claudius and I'm interested in finding some more. In particular, I'd like to find some WWII historical fiction as I have a grandfather who likes to read about that period. Personally I would love to hear about other interesting time periods...civil war, the american revolution, french revolution, The Czars...anything that is good and fun...

Can anyone recommend some?

Thanks

 

[elawai]

http://www.angelfire.com/il2/ofagespastring/fiction.html
Here is a good list of historical fiction. I went searching around on the net until I found a list that included my first favorite historical fiction novel - Katherine by Anya Seton. It includes some of my favorites from my youth like the Kent Chronicles).

 

[Rykion]

You might check out Michael and Jeff Shaara's books if you haven't already. They have books covering the American Revolution, the US Civil War, World War I, and Jeff is 2 books into a World War II trilogy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Shaara
There is always Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels set in the Napoleonic Wars, but he also has books covering the US Civil War and the Dark Ages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Cornwell

For the Nautical you have C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower set during the Napoleonic Wars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Forester
Finally there's Patric O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series also set at sea around the Napoleonic Wars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_O%27Brian

 

[Eosin the Red]

Conn Iggulden has some great Caesar vs Brutis stuff. I hear his Atilla series is shaping up nicely as well.

 

[Klaus]

Me and my wife both loved the first two series by Christian Jacq: Ramses The Great and The Stone of Light.

I enjoyed Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire (about the Thermopylae) immensely.

 

[horacethegrey]

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. Forget the lame movie adaptation starring Johnny Depp, the original graphic novel's where it's at. It's probably the most well researched piece of fiction on the Whitechapel Murders ever written.

Yes, it's a comic book, but it's probably one of the best comics ever written, and equal to any historical fiction that's been published to date.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

I'd definitely second Cornwell's work. Love his Sharpe novels, though they do tend to get repetitive after a while. My favorite of his is actually The Gallows Thief, set around the same time period as the Sharpe series. In addition to the aforementioned Napoleonic, Hundred Years' War (the Grail Quest series), and Civil War series, Cornwell has also written historic fiction on Stonehenge, King Arthur, and King Alfred the Great.

If you like mysteries, there are a ton of historic fiction series that my dad keeps turning me onto:

Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series (7th century Ireland)

Jason Goodwin's Ottoman series (19th century Istanbul)

Bernard Knight's Crowner John series (12th century Britain)

Sharon K. Penman's Queen's Man series (12th century Britain)

I. J. Parker's Sugawara Akitada mystery series (11th century Japan)

Among many others that I can't think of offhand.

 

[Graybeard]

I second the nomination of the various books by Jeff and Michael Shaara. Also, I recommend the series written by Stephen Saylor. They are detective mysteries set in ancient Rome.

 

[Mark]

I'm looking for good Historical Fiction books. I loved I, Claudius-

Stop right there. If you have not read them, then stick with that ancient civilization you have come to love and read Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. It rules.