The Best in Historical Fiction - Part II

[HexMachina]

Sharon Penman

[mankytoes]

20 hours ago, Darth Richard II said:

Conn Iggulden books are about as historically accurate as Star Wars. I also find him to be one of the worst writers of prose that has ever lived, so, uh, no, not a fan.

There's a section at the back which tells you want was embellished for storytelling purposes, I think it's generally accepted you can do that in historical fiction, as long as you're open about it, right? Otherwise you might just as well read history books. I do like history books, but I think fiction can be better when it's times we lack strong sources on. You can get into names and orders of events, but I think he captures how incredible the rise of Genghis was.

One thing I do think he's screwed up a bit is the raping. I think he wants to keep Genghis at least a bit sympathetic, so he's white washing all the brutal rape (except when it happens to his wife). Pretty distasteful, especially when these were real people.

I guess I can't refute a comment on prose, but they seems pretty highly rated generally.

[Mark Antony]

11 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Sharon Penman

Love her.  Sunne and Splendour and her Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine books are some of my favorites.

[ljkeane]

If you liked the Last Kingdom books The Warlord Chronicles are similar but better, the best thing Bernard Cornwell has written for me. Miles Cameron, who seems to be quite popular here, is a pen name for Christian Cameron who has written quite a few historical novels, most of them on the Greeks. They're generally pretty decent but they can get a bit samey. Given how often he churns them out perhaps it's not too surprising. I've quite liked the Steven Pressfield books I've read but I understand he can be a bit hit and miss.

And, yeah, Conn Iggulden's terrible. Sorry.

[Darth Richard II]

1 hour ago, mankytoes said:

There's a section at the back which tells you want was embellished for storytelling purposes, I think it's generally accepted you can do that in historical fiction, as long as you're open about it, right? Otherwise you might just as well read history books. I do like history books, but I think fiction can be better when it's times we lack strong sources on. You can get into names and orders of events, but I think he captures how incredible the rise of Genghis was.

One thing I do think he's screwed up a bit is the raping. I think he wants to keep Genghis at least a bit sympathetic, so he's white washing all the brutal rape (except when it happens to his wife). Pretty distasteful, especially when these were real people.

I guess I can't refute a comment on prose, but they seems pretty highly rated generally.

I;ve never seen him highly rated anywhere outside of places where you see Dan Brown also highly rated. And I can't speak to that specific book but his books about Rome are so fantastical that I consider them almost SFF. He doesn't just change some stuff for story telling purposes, he just complete makes shit up and changes things in a way that makes no sense. Imagine a Civil War book where Lincoln and Robert E Lee grow up on a farm together, invent hot dogs, then get into a fight over a sassy black girl. It's that bad.

 

52 minutes ago, ljkeane said:

If you liked the Last Kingdom books The Warlord Chronicles are similar but better, the best thing Bernard Cornwell has written for me. Miles Cameron, who seems to be quite popular here, is a pen name for Christian Cameron who has written quite a few historical novels, most of them on the Greeks. They're generally pretty decent but they can get a bit samey. Given how often he churns them out perhaps it's not too surprising. I've quite liked the Steven Pressfield books I've read but I understand he can be a bit hit and miss.

And, yeah, Conn Iggulden's terrible. Sorry.

The one Pressfield I read, Gates of Fire, is fantastic.

[ljkeane]

37 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said:

The one Pressfield I read, Gates of Fire, is fantastic.

Yeah, I’ve read Gates of Fire, which most people seem to recommend, and The Afghan Campaign, which I enjoyed. I have seen some people say some of his books aren’t great though but since I haven’t read any others I couldn’t say.

A quick google search reveals he wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance though so there’s that.

[maarsen]

1 hour ago, Darth Richard II said:

I;ve never seen him highly rated anywhere outside of places where you see Dan Brown also highly rated. And I can't speak to that specific book but his books about Rome are so fantastical that I consider them almost SFF. He doesn't just change some stuff for story telling purposes, he just complete makes shit up and changes things in a way that makes no sense. Imagine a Civil War book where Lincoln and Robert E Lee grow up on a farm together, invent hot dogs, then get into a fight over a sassy black girl. It's that bad.

 

The one Pressfield I read, Gates of Fire, is fantastic.

The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford is one you might enjoy also. 

Alan Furst does a great job of writing WWII historical novels. Bernard Cornwell is a go to for me for just about anything he writes. 

Arthur Conan Doyle did a good job with The White Company. Hope this expands your reading list. 

[BigFatCoward]

I can't strongly enough recommend Masters of Rome, i'm currently doing my 3rd re-read.  However, skip the 7th one, its a massive drop off in quality.

[BigFatCoward]

23 hours ago, Darth Richard II said:

On a non caustic note: for Rome you want Robert Harris.

Cicero in the Harris trilogy compared to Masters of Rome, apples and oranges.

[mankytoes]

2 hours ago, Darth Richard II said:

I;ve never seen him highly rated anywhere outside of places where you see Dan Brown also highly rated. And I can't speak to that specific book but his books about Rome are so fantastical that I consider them almost SFF. He doesn't just change some stuff for story telling purposes, he just complete makes shit up and changes things in a way that makes no sense. Imagine a Civil War book where Lincoln and Robert E Lee grow up on a farm together, invent hot dogs, then get into a fight over a sassy black girl. It's that bad.

The one Pressfield I read, Gates of Fire, is fantastic.

I've just read a bit about that series, and yeah, it sounds a lot more "Hollywood". He definitely doesn't do anything in Plains that's on the level of making Ceaser and Brutus childhood friends.

[Philokles]

Christian Cameron - especially his Tyrant series, which has a superior narrative structure and is set in an under-appreciated period of history, but the Long War is good too.

If you like historical fantasy, Lion of Macedon and the Dark Prince by David Gemmell are great too

[Darth Richard II]

The Warlord Chronicles is one of my all time favorite series, but it's not really historical fiction.

[Darth Richard II]

Shit I need to get to those too!

[Darth Richard II]

Never! Publication order always!

[Zorral]

You might want to look at the recs in previous historical fiction threads:

 

[Spring Bass]

I strongly recommend both Golden Hill and Red Plenty by Francis Spufford. The former is set in 1750s colonial New York City, the latter in the postwar Soviet Union. Both are very interesting and readable.

[SeanF]

I don't know where Conn Iggulden was going with his stories about Caesar.  Some historical licence is reasonable.  Making stuff up that bears no relation to what took place in a pretty well-documented period of history is not, particularly when the made-up stuff is much less interesting than the truth.  I did enjoy his first three Mongol stories, where it looks like he did the research, 

Other than this, I endorse the other recommendations.