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Historical Fiction

D

Dashers

master brummie
I have read most of the Bernard Cornwell books (apart from the Sharpe series) and have enjoyed every page. For those that like a good story based on a historical event he has some great novels and on Amazon I have found some bargains.

It's not all 19th Century warfare, as he has written about the Saxons, the Hundred Years war and his novel on Stonehenge was an excellent story with a different take on the monument.

Other authors that I like and recommend are Simon Scarrow and his series about two Roman Centurions and more recently Conn Iggulden and his series on Genghis Khan. Jjust about to start the 4th in the series and it has bought a whole new chapter of history to life for me (and possibly changed my management style at work :p )

I would love to hear of any recommendations in the same vein.

Paul
 
just reading "lords of the North" this is the 3rd book in the saxon saga's of alfred the great I have just recieved the last 2 which I am looking forward to great writer.
 
Try Robert Low's Viking books (Whale Road through to Prow Beast). Strongly recommended by Bernard Cornwell. They are also written in a similar style to Cornwell but a little more difficult to read because of the high content of Norse within the text. Great reading.
 
Conn Iggulden also does a series on Julius Ceaser - Brilliant!

Bernard Cornwell is also a great speaker - heard him a few times. His only failures (for me) were the Starbuck ones in the Amercian Civil War - very wordy and heavy reading - yet they go down great in the USA

Richard Howard does a nice series based on a Frenchman - the other side of the coin to Sharpe!

and Allan Mallinson does a series on a British Light Dragoon that starts at Waterloo and moves forward.

C j sansom is very good - Henry VIII period, C J young & Jack White - Crusades (Templers)

New one on the block - Peter Youlds - Another good napoleonic peninsular writer just got going.

Brian
 
It seems some of these historical fiction writers do so much research,they are a better read, and probably just as accurate as stuffy old history books.

Ken Follett... Pillars of the Earth...
Sharon Kay Penman.....The Sunne in Splendour...
Nigel Tranter.... The Bruce Triology...
 
I would like to see Sansom write a historical novel based in Birmingham. He was connected to our city but its to create intrigue in a London set novel.
 
Here are two books that might interest. Both history but easy and interesting reads not dull at all:

'British Sea Power' by David Howarth
How Britain became sovereign of the seas.

'To Rule The Waves' by Arthur Herman
How the British nation shaped the modern world.
 
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