Know of any good historic fiction?

[Orlion]

I prefer the time setting to be before the 1600s. The idea of the genre always appealed to me, but I have only been able to find a couple good ones (Eaters of the Dead and The Pillars of the Earth). I'd also like to avoid books that are obsessed with penises, thank you (Mailer's Ancient Evenings.....I get it, Norm, you don't have to bring it up every page!:x)

Thanks for your help![/img]

[Vraith]

Generally, I abhor historical fiction...it's fantasy without the cool shit.
That being said, two that weren't so bad [may be others, same author, whose name I can't recall, related to each other]
"Sarum" and "London"

Follet also has at least one work related to "Pillars" "World Without End."

Also, my wife is constantly trying to get me to read Tracy Chevalier...I'm not sure if they're pre 1600 or not, probably not...at least one "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is a [fictional] story about the life of the girl in an actual existing painting [heh...she's a girl with a pearl earring, that might even be the name of the painting]. I think all of them are about people in actual paintings.

edited to add: not a big Michner fan, but I kinda liked "Hawaii"

[wayfriend]

Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle comes to mind. 1650 to 1725, which isn't quite what you asked for, but if your not too picky, I could not recommend it more highly. Don't ask what it's about though: "science and money" sort of covers it, but doesn't do it justice, it is in the end indescribable.

[Avatar]

World Without End isn't as good as Pillars, but it's readable.

Louis L'Amour's The Walking Drum is awesome. Set about 1,000AD, from Bretony to Constantinople via the Russian steppes.

Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom series is great, the Danish invasion of Britain. He also has an Aurthurian series which I haven't read, but Ali or Duchess recommend it. Oh, and a 100 years war series about an English longbowman, the Grail Quest series is pretty good.

Gemmel's Troy series, although that might be stretching it a touch, but a great re-telling of the Illyiad.

Noah Gordon wrote a great book, The Physician, set around 900AD with a medical theme. It's the first of a series of 3, but the other 2 are set later, one in the 1800's, and one contemporary.

All I can think of off-hand. Oh...Ellis Peters wrote a great medieval whodunit series set in the 1500's odd.

Oh, and most Morgan Llywellen...pre-Roman-ish Celtic historical fiction.

--A

[Menolly]

Oh...Ellis Peters wrote a great medieval whodunit series set in the 1500's odd.

I was going to ask if you meant Cadfael, Av. Which I love. But that is set in the 12'th century, not 16th.

I also really enjoyed the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne, for a Celtic church take on the who-dun-it.

[aliantha]

Another vote for the Sister Fidelma mysteries. The author's real name is Peter Berresford Ellis and he's quite the Celtic scholar -- I've also read his Brief History of the Druids.

I'd vote for Sarum and London as well, both by Edward Rutherford. He also wrote The Forest, about England's New Forest, and a couple of books on Irish history -- The Princes of Ireland was really good.

Must've been Duchess who read Cornwell, Av. I haven't picked up anything by him.

Vraith, I read that Tracy Chevalier book, and yup, the book's name is also the name of the painting. It was okay.

[Fist and Faith]

GATES OF FIRE

[Avatar]

I was going to ask if you meant Cadfael, Av. Which I love. But that is set in the 12'th century, not 16th.

Those are the one's I meant. Been 15 years probably, hence the time lapse.

Ali, I was gonna mention London as well, but couldn't remember the author. (And my copy is not in visual range of where I'm sitting. ) Good, although a bit long-winded, and keeping track of all the descendants...

As for Cornwall, do yourself a favour. Very good historical fiction. I'm just about to reread his Sharpe series, about the peninsular wars. My father, who has them all, is posting them to me one a month.

(Actually, thanks to his prequels, the now start with the establishment of the British Raj, India 1799. They end witin a couple of years after Waterloo. Really excellent, as is the Danish series I mentioned above.)

He's big on historical accuracy, and in the afterword of each book he tells you exactly where he took liberties, and what had actually happened at those points.

And for the peninsular wars, he paid a lot of attention to Elizabeth Longford's Wellington: The Years of the Sword, which is the peninsular wars text on which I cut my own teeth. (Thanks again to my father, who's very keen on military history. (Perhaps partly because an oppressive governments draconian regulations kept him in the army himself for several years.) )

--A

[lucimay]

GATES OF FIRE

what he said.

[lucimay]

GATES OF FIRE

what he said.

also if anyone mentions historical fiction to me i always have to bust out Diana Gabaldon. its a little later than what you mentioned (1746 and forward) but her historical accuracy is beyond reproach and brilliantly done. its got everything, time travel, pirates, adventure, mystery, sex, you name it, its in there. takes place around the Jacobite Rising in Scotland. freakin brilliant. and great writing.

[3rd warrior on the left]

The 'Falco' series by Lindsey Davis.
A private dic (informer) in ancient Rome (Vespasian era). Strangely compelling in spite of some mushiness (bloke's POV, no apologies!)
20 books in the series now (I've got 7 in hardback, that compelling!)

[Woofdog2]

poul anderson - the last viking trilogy. historical fiction of the life of harald hardraada aka harald III who died at stamford bridge.

[Mr. Broken]

The Last of the Mohicans, or The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper. Although they werent exactly considered " historical " when they were written.

[lucimay]

oh! how serendipitous! thanks for bumpin this thread mr. broken!!

on of my wow pals was asking me about historical fiction the other day and i knew that avatar had mentioned some writer but couldn't remember who it was and just hadn't got around to looking for the thread. (turns out it was bernard cornwell that i couldn't remember)

yay! i've sent all your suggestions on to my friend.

[Orlion]

Thanks for the suggestions, Wolfdog2 and Mr. Broken!

[danlo]

I generally don't like the genre either--but stuff like Slaughter House 5, The Golden Bough, I Claudius and the Mary Renault Greek stuff is fun.

One of the neatest series out there, that not many people have heard, of are The Anasazi Mystery series by Kathleen and William Gear. They're both part time anthropologists and these books are a really cool kind of historical murder mysteries, that swing back and forth from real life---like right by my house, ABQ Intn'l airport, Page One Bookstore and up to Chaco Canyon. It's really about the offshoot survivors of the demise of Anasazi culture and their predators. the books are: The Visitant, The Summoning God and Bone Walker.

Unfortunately William has since turned into a kind of schlock profiteer writing civil War and other alternate histories with, believe it or not Newt Gingrich! LOL

[Woofdog2]

Thanks for the suggestions, Wolfdog2 and Mr. Broken!

If you like that trilogy, anderson did some other works either based on saga material (e.g. Hrolf Kraki's saga) or simply set in the saga world, with normal saga-type plots, though the only character/story with much real footprint to study historically was Harald hard-reed, mentioned above.

[Holsety]

I highly recommend the adventures of Aubrey and Maturin by Patrick O'Brian. Starts with Master and Commander and proceeds forward through several more entries. I haven't actually read more than the first and Post Captain, the second, but I liked what I read.

I also recommend Patricia Mckillip's books, at least the ones that I have read (Antichrist, Kings in Winter and especially Until the Sun Falls, a story about Mongols post-Genghis invading Russia). I have heard that some of her other stuff sucks, however.

[aliantha]

I also recommend Patricia Mckillip's books, at least the ones that I have read (Antichrist, Kings in Winter and especially Until the Sun Falls, a story about Mongols post-Genghis invading Russia). I have heard that some of her other stuff sucks, however.

<googling -- well, amazoning> Aha, it's not Patricia McKillip you're thinking of, it's Cecelia Holland. She's written a ton of stuff -- mostly historical fiction but some fantasy as well.

[Holsety]

I also recommend Patricia Mckillip's books, at least the ones that I have read (Antichrist, Kings in Winter and especially Until the Sun Falls, a story about Mongols post-Genghis invading Russia). I have heard that some of her other stuff sucks, however.

<googling -- well, amazoning> Aha, it's not Patricia McKillip you're thinking of, it's Cecelia Holland. She's written a ton of stuff -- mostly historical fiction but some fantasy as well.

Oops...I'm stupid.

Ya. Patricia Mckillip wrote the Riddlemaster and stuff like that. She's also good but I don't think she wrote any/much historical fiction.