Looking for a new book to read...

[Desdichado]

I'm really enjoying Bernard Cornwell's pseudo-historical account of King Arthur. Pseudo-historical, of course, because we know little of the true history of about 400-450 or so Britain, but the story is very plausible and realistic and does what it can to be realistic, even if it is definately fiction.

I'm actually looking for something like that on the trojan war -- anyone know if such a book has ever been written?

 

[Sarigar]

I had a few books I was trying to get to about the Trojan War. They're all boxed up, but I don't know if they were realistic versions or not.
I did want to ask if you have read Jack Whyte's Arthur books They are also pseudo-historical. Good books, but I wanted to see how they compared to Bernard Cornwell's Arthur books.

 

[Desdichado]

Sorry, I haven't read any Jack Whyte.

 

[Faraer]

I think David Gemmell is writing a series based on the Trojan War right now. Dan Simmons's Ilium is a more torqued and divergent treatment of the Iliad material.

 

[Wombat]

I have read Whyte's books -- not very good in my opinion. Doesn't know his time period as well, comes up with horrible ideas about Roman politics, is able to hide armies with a bit of shrubbery, abuses my scant knowledge of metalurgy, and, well, the less said about his sex scenes, the better.

It's funny about Troy, though. You would think that there would be a fair amount of historical fiction based on it, but I know of little. Mainly I know of retellings of the stories, minus the gods, which isn't really what I would look for in historical fiction. Sad, really

 

[Sarigar]

I have read Whyte's books -- not very good in my opinion. Doesn't know his time period as well, comes up with horrible ideas about Roman politics, is able to hide armies with a bit of shrubbery, abuses my scant knowledge of metalurgy, and, well, the less said about his sex scenes, the better.

Not great, but not that bad. I like some of the ideas about how the legends could have formed based on actual events. His sex scenes are a bit much. I've never been to jolly ol' England, so how are the shrubberies? Monty Python thinks highly of them.
I was just wondering how he compares to other authors with similar pseudo-historical versions of Arthurs tales.

 

[Wombat]

There are a LOT of "Historical Arthur" books, most of them quite terrible.

Some good historical fiction versions of the Arthur legends:

Bernard Cornwell, but that's already been said
Parke Godwin's Firelord (but not the sequels)
Mary Stewart's Merlin books are okay, but a little vague in many stretches
Cathrine Christian Pendragon is generally good (very Celtic, if that is to your tastes)
Edison Marshall The Pagan King, but it feels a bit "dated" nowadays
Victor Canning The Crimson Chalice -- it is a very anti-romantic view, very violent, lots of fleas, very little nobility from anyone

Most others are highly questionable on their history; these at least seem to have done some decent research, or restrict themselve enough so the research flaws don't show through as much.

 

[Faraer]

On Arthurian fiction, Rosemary Sutcliff's Sword at Sunset is remarkable; and nonfictionwise I should mention Chris Gidlow's just-released The Reign of Arthur.

I don't know about any shrubberies.

 

[Express]

Rage -Goddess, sing of Peleus' son Achilles...

For the Trojan War, I cannot highly enough recommend Robert Fagles translation of The Illiad (and The Odyssey). Its in verse, and has a modern sensibility while still keeping the spirit and epicness of Homer. It has a great preface and introduction. I think theres an abridged audio book version of it somewhere which would rock.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I think David Gemmell is writing a series based on the Trojan War right now. Dan Simmons's Ilium is a more torqued and divergent treatment of the Iliad material.

Um, Faraer, where'd you hear that about David Gemmell? Not that I don't believe you (some of his earlier novels were set around Alexander the Great), but I mostly want to know where you found it so I can go there. :-D

Brad