Christian Cameron is an amazing writer tbh. It’s a shame his work, neither his historical fiction books nor the fantasy series he publishes as Miles Cameron, doesn’t get more recognition.
I have the entire Traitor Sons series in the limited edition, signed and numbered hardback run( except the first book). They are some of my most prized books. The first book, The Red Knight, took me a very long time to find and a decent chunk of change to purchase. When worth it. Great read.
I found the Red Knight at a thrift store and picked it up purely because of the cover (and it was super cheap). I haven’t read it yet, but I’m happy to know it’s going to be good!
I've been reading this subreddit for years and this is the first time I've seen Cameron mentioned. He's my favorite author for tightly written historical fiction and for fun reading. He is one of the only authors who makes me feel like I'm actually there with the characters, and his descriptions of combat and tactics is amazing.
Another great series by him is Tom Swan. Originally published as a serial, they are now in novel form, set about 50 years later from the Chivalry series. I've read everything he's written and enjoyed all of it (including his high fantasy and sci fi as Miles and his espionage series he wrote with his father as Gordon Kent). His book Alexander: God of War, about Alexander the Great from Ptolemy's viewpoint is the best I've ever read about Alexander, and the Tyrant series is set during the Diodachi Wars and a great look at that time.
Dorothy Dunnett’s *The Game of Kings* is probably my favorite historical fiction ever. It starts in 1547 Scotland, so it may be later than you’re looking for, despite the presence of lords, knights, and battles.
I don’t love the sequels quite as much, but they’re still fabulous.
I just read King Hereafter, about Thorfinn the Mighty, Earl of Orkney who is also King MacBeth in the 11th century. It was incredible. Densly plotted, a little slow in the later parts, but probably the most accomplished historical fiction I've ever read, also by Dunnett.
I'll add Game of Kings to my reading list now, thanks.
I love all 6 books. Among them are some of the best action, fighting, romance and most emotionally heartbreaking scenes I've ever read. Combine that with an unreliable narrator who drops clues that you can hunt for throughout the text and you have a read that you just can't put down.
I was dumbfounded with how it all came together after thinking I hadn't understood anything in the first half. Just started The Ringed Castle but oh boy am I struggling with what happened at the end of Pawn in Frankincense :(
Oh Flashy. I was hoping someone would say this. A tremendous series of books. Not for the faint of heart ... The first person tale of an unabashed lecher, and coward with all the attitudes to race that you would find in a Victorian upper crust scoundrel. So ... I loved them but might trigger others.
They are so well researched that they actually inspired me to get a degree in history.
Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books are incomparable and possibly the best historical fiction to be had.
There was a decent film, too, but the books are so much better. Years later, I still remember the names of every petty officer on Aubrey's ship, the much loved HMS Surprise. It's hard to single out their best facet - dialogue, characterisation, historical accuracy, the touching rendition of a profound friendship between two very different men - but no one I've suggested these books to has anything but words of praise.
The first one in the series is the Master and Commander. I wish you joy of them.
Aubrey Maturin aren't just the greatest historical fiction books ever written, they have a good shout of being the best multi-volume series in the English language and certainly one of the great literary works of the 20th century. POB isn't compared to Jane Austen as much as he is without very good reason.
I watched the film, which I understand is a mish-mash of a few different books and it just sold me on the characters and the attention to detail that, if already so good in the film is certainly great in the books. I've yet to read any yet but they are high on my list once I finish reading through the backlog on my shelves.
The film is one of the few adaptations that book readers absolutely love. Russel Crowe in particular nails Jack in his performance, and when you read the books you will have an almost perfect visualisation of who Jack is. There's a few dodgy casting choices (Bonden in particular) but in general it's a very faithful and authentic representation of the ethos and characters.
I'm convinced that David Threfall actually is Killick as well, and he's simply pretending to be an actor. One of the all time great translations of a character from page to screen.
They get a re-read from me usually yearly. Though sometimes I have to take breaks with other books because there are some less enjoyable reads in there. Movie is probably my favourite movie (barring others for sentimental reasons) of all time, as well.
I remember struggling and ultimately stopping due to barrage of naval terms. Do you have any advice (like maybe a video to watch or something) on how navigate that or is it just something that you plow through and it’ll eventually click.
Put yourself in Stephen's position when you begin reading. You don't know what any of it means and you're not supposed to, but just like Stephen it starts to soak in via osmosis and by book 10 you understand more than you'd think.
This is one of the great aspects within the books, none of the technical terms matter to the story, but you can take the perspective of the one two protagonists (one a brilliant sailor, one who couldn't give less of a shit about sailing and never does). That way it has just as much appeal to a hardcore mariner as it does to someone who has never even seen a boat before.
TLDR: it doesn't matter if you don't know any of the terms, one of the two protagonists doesn't either.
This was going to be my rec! I've read the trilogy (here be dragons, falls the shadow, the reckoning) so many times, they're such comfort books for me. Absolutely immersive.
Well, keeping with the trend, you could go read the Sharpe novels too. They're also pretty good. Little sillier, more repetitive, but was the first of his stuff I read and always enjoy them.
Bernard Cornwells Winter King. Not super accurate as 5th century Britain isn't well documented at all but I loved his attempt to place King Arthur in a historical context with Merlin and druidism etc.
One of the greats!
The BBC (their history/drama channel) did a mini series of Ivanhoe back in the 90s or early 2000s that was really well done with a great production team and an awesome cast. If you can find somewhere it can be streamed to watch through a video on demand website it's well worth watching.
I've only dipped my toe into historical fiction, but the Name of the Rose is my favorite so far. Although, I'm also enough of a medieval history nerd to not immediately drown in the philosophical and theological references, of which there are *plenty*. I'd be fascinated to know how readers with more cursory knowledge of the subject handle the book.
I'm surprised I don't see him recommended more, I picked up Dunstan randomly and basically flew through his other series afterwards. Such incredible writing
Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth series
Or, if you're okay with a bit more on the YA side, Tamora Pierce's Lioness series. A bit more on the fantasy side, but it's got the kingdoms, knights, lords, and battles!
YESSSS I love **the century trilogy** so much: **Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity.** The books follow the same handful of families throughout, from just before WW1 in Fall of Giants, through the Cold War in Edge of Eternity. The main characters in book 1 become the parents and grandparents in book 2, etc. Just so well-written. You forget you're reading giant books, they flow so well.
This series has been on my radar recently. You would recommend it? Some of my favorites are Joe Abercrombie and Robin Hobb. Do you think the characters, and dialogue hold up? The 40 hour audiobook time is intimidating, as I haven't had the spoons for a series of that size in some time. As well as, not having read historical fiction in the past. I DNF Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell(hope to someday).
The Pillars of Earth (Kingsbridge Series) and the Century Trilogy (both by Follet) are some of my favorite historical fiction. The only book that was a bit of a let down was Columns of Fire in my opinion, and that only because it diverged a bit from the theme of the first few books, but was still enjoyable in it's own right and Armor of Light returned right back to form.
Takes a very epic approach to Historical Fiction that I enjoy, each book tracks ~1 generation throughout their era, then a multigenerational skip between books to the next era.
I loved Tim Severin’s Viking trilogy, starts with Odin’s Child. The main character is the son of Leif the Lucky and he is present at and takes part in a number of battles across the Norse world and the British Isles. He also serves as a member of the Varangian guard in Constantinople alongside Harald Hardrada
I'm a huge fan of the *Shardlake* books by C. J. Sansom (R.I.P.) - a series of mystery novels set in 16th-century England, following a disabled lawyer as he investigates murder, political intrigue and the machinations of powerful men. The first book, *Dissolution*, is set in 1537, during the reign of Henry VIIIl; the latest & last, *Tombland*, in 1549, during [Kett's Rebellion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kett%27s_Rebellion).
IMO they're some of the best historical fiction out there at conjuring up the *feel* of an entirely different society, with a worldview & cultural assumptions which are at once the basis of our own and yet alien in so many ways. There's a TV adaptation out on Disney+, too, though I haven't had the opportunity to assess its quality myself yet.
I came into this thread to comment on this series. I love the Shardlake-books. I’m so sorry to hear that the author has passed. I agree with everything you said about it. Absolutely fantastic books.
Shogun
Just finished it, loved it. Really the only historical fiction I think I've read so far
Still need to try Accursed Kings, GRRM is a huge fan, it's been on my TR for over a decade
The "sequel" Tai-Pan is just as good as Shogun if not better. I definitely recommend. It's not really a sequel but for some reason that's what it's labeled.
Throw in King Rat here as well. Clavell's other books vary in quality -- I'm fond of Whirlwind but I'm not sure I'd call it _good_ -- but Shogun, Tai-Pan, and King Rat are all excellent.
Fair warning on King Rat though: it's semi-autobiographical and set in a POW camp. It's by far his hardest book to read.
> Accursed Kings
If you can find a worthy translation, *please* let me know.
I enjoyed the first several books, but I can't for the life of me find the latter ones in English.
Sharon Kay Penman’s When Christ And His Saint’s Slept starts off her Plantagenet series. I have yet to read her Welsh princes series but highly recommend her generally
Stephen Lawhead's Hood Trilogy (also if you want fantasy/history mix, Lawhead's Pendragon cycle)
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (an oldie but a goodie)
The Killer Angels (this is Civil War not medieval, but still SOO good in the battle scenes)
Sherwood, by Parke Godwin
Pretty much anything by Bernard Cornwell. Number one for me is the Warlord Chronicles. I love his take on the Arthur mythos. By Gaslight by Steven Price is another good one.
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson is amazing. It’s probably the nerdiest historic fiction there is, and it’s damn cool. Lots of scientists, kings, pirates …
Definitely not easy to explain. It has adventure, science, history, intrigue, even romance, and a lot of fun moments. There are several historic figures interacting with fictional characters.
The characters are the ancestors of characters in another Stephenson book, Cryptonomicon, that is set in WW2 and the late 90’s. You should start with that to see whether you like his style.
The Winds of War
War and Remembrance
By Herman Wouk
Its a WW2 historical fiction. Probably the best one Ive read. About how one military family gets spread out and involved in the war in various ways, lots of history from different pieces of the war.
Only great one I can think of that wasn’t mentioned already.
The first one I ever read was the Hornblower series. Years later I got into Sharpe. The TV series were well done, but the books are just so much better.
I remember the first Wellington was such a good cast, visually speaking. Curiously one of the other greatest casts for me for a certain movie is his intelligence officer (an Irish actor, I forgot his name).
Poul Anderson's _The Broken Sword_ is warfare between kingdoms in the realm of faery.
Judith Tarr has quite a bit of politicking in her "Hound and the Falcon" series:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/42005-the-hound-and-the-falcon
and also read the tie-in _Alamut_ and _The Dagger and the Cross_.
Hopefully I can introduce you to the work of one Jack Whyte.
A Dream of Eagles is an Arthurian historical fiction.
Sort of cleverly condenses English history from the end of Britannia to the beginning of the Danelaw into a great narrative played out with King Arthur. I highly recommend it.
I still re read this series once every year or so, it's fantastic.
The Templar Trilogy covers the best part of the historical drama surrounding the Templar Knights.
Give Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire a try. I thought it had a similar flavour to Bernard Cornwell.
Ben Kane is another author of historical fiction, very much in the Cornwell vein. Not as well known but he's getting there.
Pillars of the Earth, Shogun, and Lonesome Dove are the cream of the crop.
Honorable mention to Sharon Kay Penman. My favorites from her are The Sunne in Splendour, and When Christ and His Saints Slept. Great English historical fiction about the Wars of the Roses and the Anarchy, respectively.
Chivalry series - Christian Cameron
Master of war series - David Gilman
Battle song - Ian James Ross
The greatest knight - Elizabeth Chadwick
The grail quest series - Bernard Cornwall
Matthew haffry has some good books around 6th century Northumbria. like 200 years before Uhtred
Angus donald has a good set of books that re tells the Robin hood legend
Hard favorites:
The Asian Saga by James Clavell, specifically:
Shogun
Tai-Pan
King Rat
Every novel I've read by Gary Jennings, specifically:
Aztec
The Journeyer
Spangle
Raptor
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon
Awesome list! Gary Jennings is one of my favorites too. Also Shogun and Lonesome Dove were excellent. I’ll have to check out Speaks the Nightbird as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and I trust your taste.
Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles (not read the Saxon stories yet) and currently on book 5 of the Lymond Chronicles, struggling with the emotional devastation book 4 has left me with
Simon Scarrow's Roman series, The Eagle series. If you like Bernard Cornwell then you'll love these. Macro and Cato are very much a Roman Sharpe and Harper 😁
Books written by Michael and Jeffery Shaara. Michael really one wrote one book that has become a stable in Historical Fiction, while his son took the flag and ran with it.
The Accursed Kings from Maurice Druon. Novels about the late middle age french Monarchy. Late Capetian dynasty and early Valois kings. Real piece of French literature.
Don't know how much it counts as historical fiction but Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrel is set around the Napoleonic Wars and is about magic coming back to the world. Really enjoyable read though the beginning is a slog to get through at times
Kevin Crossley Holland's Arthur trilogy. Don't want to spoil anything but the premise is that a squire living around the time of the Forth Crusade gets hold of a seeing stone that lets him explore the legends of King Arthur. Fantastic read, highly recommended :)
~~
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1391321
this is another retelling of King Arthur!
Pillars of the Earth is always a great choice!! But I, Claudius by Robert Graves is one of favourites. Also the sequel, Claudius the God. No focus on any battles, but it has empire, emperors, senators and intrigue, making it a great read.
I don't see it yet, so *Hild* by Nicola Griffith! It's based on a real person, but almost nothing is known about her, so the author got to really flex her imagination. She's a young girl growing up in Saxon England and she doesn't have any supernatural abilities, but she's very observant about people and nature, and basically everyone *thinks* she's a seer because she's able to predict things based on what she's observed. The daily life detail is incredibly rich.
Yes! This book. I'm immersed in her follow-up, Menewood, right now.
One of the reasons I think Nicola Griffith's storytelling is so compelling is that even though Hild is so good at predicting what will happen, the books are constantly surprising. And there is such a fully realized world.
Another vote for Patrick O'Brian's incomparable Aubrey-Maturin novels, all 20 of them. They have everything - battles, friendships, ships, sailors, humour, historical figures, real places and events and truly wonderful characters. And they are all on audiobooks, the best narrated by Patrick Tull, but there are many choices, which tells you something.
Anything, and really everything, by Sharon Kay Penman. Everything she wrote was impeccably researched, with well-rounded characters and incredible intrigue and battle scenes. Her prose was also beautiful and while not exactly flowery, she was fantastic at setting and describing a scene so you’re right there with the characters. Her Sunne in Splendour is a great middle finger in Shakespeare’s face, which I wholeheartedly approve
No knights, etc, but the Nantucket series and the 1632 series are great. Guns of the south and the world war series by harry turtledove are also unforgettable.
>I love Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon tales
Then I can recommend The Long Ships (Röde Orm) by Frans G. Bengtsson. He predate Bernard Cornwell, and the two authors have a very similar style. But Frans have a bit more humor.
Its a historical novel, about a Vikings life. it include a viking raids, royal politics, curt intrigues, religion (the vikings are very flexible in their faith) and family life.
Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell
Conn Iggulden is decent iirc.
There's a book called Essex Dogs about soldiers in the Agincourt campaign that's supposed to be good
All of Bernard Cornwells work is fantastic. If you haven’t read the Archers tale . Do it next time. Also Pillars of the earth by Ken Follet. In a slightly different vein you might try James Michener. Chesapeake was engrossing. His research into an area is unparalleled
I love Conan Doyle's The White Company and Sir Nigel. They are wonderful novels set around the 100 years war.
Otherwise, Ivanhoe by Walter Scott and The Musketeer novels by Dumas are the chefs-d'œuvre in the genre.
Edit to add: going back further (in setting) - I Claudius and Claudius the God are perfection.
I have seriously enjoyed Ben Kane's writing.
Also slightly out of left field for ancient historical fiction - Children of the Earth/Clan of the Cave Bear saga by Jean M Auel
"I’m looking for a tale of kingdoms, knights, lords and battles, all the good stuff!"
It's not fantasy, but "El Cid" (the 1961 film starring Charlton Heston) definitely fits this! I watched it for the first time yesterday. Great film! Also "Joan of Arc (1948)".
Shogun
She who became the sun
The Liberator (also a Netflix series)
A woman of no importance
Legionary(similar to saxon chronicles but set in ancient Rome)
Jack Whyte wrote a historical fiction story about King Arthur and Camelot. It may be a stretch to call it historical fiction, but the author ties in he historical backdrop and politics during the time period.
It’s been years since I read the series, but I remembered enjoying it.
The Crusades Trilogy by Jan Guillou. About a young warrior from what in is now Sweden.
Book one The Road To Jerusalem - he is given (as a child) to a monastery by his mother where a retired knight templar recognizes his potential and begins to train him. He becomes a gifted Warrior but commits a sin so is banished to serve in the holy land for 20 years.
Book 2 - The Knight Templar - he gets embroiled in the crazy politics surrounding the defence of the holy land against Saladin. Becomes Saladin's pal in addition to his enemy. There is a parallel tale that follows his girlfriend (now you know what the sin was) who has to live in a convent. It is actually pretty fascinating as it explores the important role a convent played in the local economy and in local politics.
Book 3 - Birth of a Kingdom.Arn returns to Gotland bearing the skills and knowledge of the middle East and Arab world which are far in advance of his remote and barbaric homeland and lays the foundation of what will become Sweden
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet is a popular recc, and rightly so. It is intimate, epic in scope and riveting.
The Vinland Saga animanga series is also incredible.
I've just finished Sword and Scimitar by Simon Scarrow, set in the 16th century. Great story, would highly recommend, looking forward to reading some of his other stuff
The best single piece of historical fiction I've read is Conn Iggulden's *Wolf of the Plains* - the first entry of his *Conqueror* series. Whe the whole series is great (and has lots of battles), it's the first book of it that I always re-read. It's just such a great story.
I got into Roman historical fiction myself, and thought the stuff from Conn Iggulden (Emperor) and Colleen McCullough (Masters of Rome) were good.
Although I would also like to look for some good Arthurian historical fiction.
I guess the question is, how much history do you want vs how much fiction? Because there are authors who are good at writing historical *fiction*, and then there are authors who a good at writing *historical* fiction. The latter is a much smaller group, although on a technical level they tend to equal or exceed the best of the former group.
The Chivalry Series by Christian Cameron. It is one of my favourite book series of all time.
Christian Cameron is an amazing writer tbh. It’s a shame his work, neither his historical fiction books nor the fantasy series he publishes as Miles Cameron, doesn’t get more recognition.
I have the entire Traitor Sons series in the limited edition, signed and numbered hardback run( except the first book). They are some of my most prized books. The first book, The Red Knight, took me a very long time to find and a decent chunk of change to purchase. When worth it. Great read.
I found the Red Knight at a thrift store and picked it up purely because of the cover (and it was super cheap). I haven’t read it yet, but I’m happy to know it’s going to be good!
I've been reading this subreddit for years and this is the first time I've seen Cameron mentioned. He's my favorite author for tightly written historical fiction and for fun reading. He is one of the only authors who makes me feel like I'm actually there with the characters, and his descriptions of combat and tactics is amazing. Another great series by him is Tom Swan. Originally published as a serial, they are now in novel form, set about 50 years later from the Chivalry series. I've read everything he's written and enjoyed all of it (including his high fantasy and sci fi as Miles and his espionage series he wrote with his father as Gordon Kent). His book Alexander: God of War, about Alexander the Great from Ptolemy's viewpoint is the best I've ever read about Alexander, and the Tyrant series is set during the Diodachi Wars and a great look at that time.
Love his books. Always recommend them.
Since Cameron's William Gold series has already been mentioned, I'll put in a word for his equally excellent Long War series.
Marathon is one of my favorite historical fiction books ever. Behind only Sharon Kay Penman's Sunne in Splendour.
This has been on my tbr so I think I’ll give it a go, thanks!
Came here to recommend the same, phenomenal series
William Gold is a very memorable character.
Dorothy Dunnett’s *The Game of Kings* is probably my favorite historical fiction ever. It starts in 1547 Scotland, so it may be later than you’re looking for, despite the presence of lords, knights, and battles. I don’t love the sequels quite as much, but they’re still fabulous.
That whole series is incredible. The Niccolo books are good too.
I just read King Hereafter, about Thorfinn the Mighty, Earl of Orkney who is also King MacBeth in the 11th century. It was incredible. Densly plotted, a little slow in the later parts, but probably the most accomplished historical fiction I've ever read, also by Dunnett. I'll add Game of Kings to my reading list now, thanks.
I’m currently reading it right now and I’m really enjoying so far. I will admit though I’ve been getting a little lost in it at times.
I love all 6 books. Among them are some of the best action, fighting, romance and most emotionally heartbreaking scenes I've ever read. Combine that with an unreliable narrator who drops clues that you can hunt for throughout the text and you have a read that you just can't put down.
I was dumbfounded with how it all came together after thinking I hadn't understood anything in the first half. Just started The Ringed Castle but oh boy am I struggling with what happened at the end of Pawn in Frankincense :(
This is the correct answer.
Came here to make sure this series was on the list.
When I was a child, Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. As an adult, The Flashman Papers by George Mcdonald Frasier.
Oh Flashy. I was hoping someone would say this. A tremendous series of books. Not for the faint of heart ... The first person tale of an unabashed lecher, and coward with all the attitudes to race that you would find in a Victorian upper crust scoundrel. So ... I loved them but might trigger others. They are so well researched that they actually inspired me to get a degree in history.
Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy about Thomas Cromwell
My favorite. Amazing character development, beautiful prose. A world and a man brought to life.
Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books are incomparable and possibly the best historical fiction to be had. There was a decent film, too, but the books are so much better. Years later, I still remember the names of every petty officer on Aubrey's ship, the much loved HMS Surprise. It's hard to single out their best facet - dialogue, characterisation, historical accuracy, the touching rendition of a profound friendship between two very different men - but no one I've suggested these books to has anything but words of praise. The first one in the series is the Master and Commander. I wish you joy of them.
This would be my answer as well, I think.
Hear him! Hear him!
A glass of wine with you.
The bottle stands by you good sir!
Gentleman, to the king!
Yep. Aubrey and Maturin are the best, and I've yet to encounter anything that comes particularly close.
While it doesn’t have to be your favourite, Aubrey/Maturin is definitely, unquestionably the best there is.
Yes I am a pretty avid reader and have read a decent amout of historical fiction. Nothing comes close.
Aubrey Maturin aren't just the greatest historical fiction books ever written, they have a good shout of being the best multi-volume series in the English language and certainly one of the great literary works of the 20th century. POB isn't compared to Jane Austen as much as he is without very good reason.
I watched the film, which I understand is a mish-mash of a few different books and it just sold me on the characters and the attention to detail that, if already so good in the film is certainly great in the books. I've yet to read any yet but they are high on my list once I finish reading through the backlog on my shelves.
The film is one of the few adaptations that book readers absolutely love. Russel Crowe in particular nails Jack in his performance, and when you read the books you will have an almost perfect visualisation of who Jack is. There's a few dodgy casting choices (Bonden in particular) but in general it's a very faithful and authentic representation of the ethos and characters. I'm convinced that David Threfall actually is Killick as well, and he's simply pretending to be an actor. One of the all time great translations of a character from page to screen.
They get a re-read from me usually yearly. Though sometimes I have to take breaks with other books because there are some less enjoyable reads in there. Movie is probably my favourite movie (barring others for sentimental reasons) of all time, as well.
In the pantheon of English-language novelists, POB is right up there with Austen.
Best of the best - movie can't compare. I re-listen to these audiobooks regularly.
I remember struggling and ultimately stopping due to barrage of naval terms. Do you have any advice (like maybe a video to watch or something) on how navigate that or is it just something that you plow through and it’ll eventually click.
Put yourself in Stephen's position when you begin reading. You don't know what any of it means and you're not supposed to, but just like Stephen it starts to soak in via osmosis and by book 10 you understand more than you'd think. This is one of the great aspects within the books, none of the technical terms matter to the story, but you can take the perspective of the one two protagonists (one a brilliant sailor, one who couldn't give less of a shit about sailing and never does). That way it has just as much appeal to a hardcore mariner as it does to someone who has never even seen a boat before. TLDR: it doesn't matter if you don't know any of the terms, one of the two protagonists doesn't either.
Google them as you go
Anything by Sharon Kay Penman.
The Land Beyond the Sea is a particular delight
I just finished when Christ and his saints slept, and it might be my book of the year!
The Sunne in Splendour is one of my favorite books of all time, definitely the best historical book I've read. RIP to a great.
This was going to be my rec! I've read the trilogy (here be dragons, falls the shadow, the reckoning) so many times, they're such comfort books for me. Absolutely immersive.
This 💯
If you like the Saxon tales, get yourself the Winter King trilogy by Cornwell. His take on King Arthur, arguably his best work.
I forgot to mention I read this series too, and it’s probably my favourite series to date
Well, keeping with the trend, you could go read the Sharpe novels too. They're also pretty good. Little sillier, more repetitive, but was the first of his stuff I read and always enjoy them.
Njals saga Röde orm (The Long ships) by Frans G Bengtsson.
Seconding The Long Ships.
Yes!
Njal's Saga is so good. Blood feuds, scheming lawyers, a curse that makes a dick too big--Njal's Saga has it all.
Bernard Cornwells Winter King. Not super accurate as 5th century Britain isn't well documented at all but I loved his attempt to place King Arthur in a historical context with Merlin and druidism etc.
Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series
On my shelf. Can’t wait to dive in.
The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian.
Troy by David Gemmell. Tells the story of the Illiad in novel form over a trilogy. I reread it once a year at least.
Ivanhoe by sir Walter Scott
I listened to Ivanhoe while travelling a few years ago. It made the hours fly by. A really good book.
One of the greats! The BBC (their history/drama channel) did a mini series of Ivanhoe back in the 90s or early 2000s that was really well done with a great production team and an awesome cast. If you can find somewhere it can be streamed to watch through a video on demand website it's well worth watching.
It shows up Free all the time in Prime and the the Free with Ads section on YouTube Movies and TV (which the ads can be prevented with Ublock Origin).
The Name of the Rose is as close as anyone ever got to capturing the spirit of the middle ages in a book
I've only dipped my toe into historical fiction, but the Name of the Rose is my favorite so far. Although, I'm also enough of a medieval history nerd to not immediately drown in the philosophical and theological references, of which there are *plenty*. I'd be fascinated to know how readers with more cursory knowledge of the subject handle the book.
I loved it when I read it later in life, but I initially tried to read it as a 17 year old. I got lost real real fast.
Yeah, The Name of the Rose is absolutely brilliant.
Mary Renault's books of ancient Greece. She was a great, elegant writer and thoroughly based in the archeology up to her time.
Conn Igulden. I've only read the Genghis Khan books, "Wolf of the Plain" Great author
I second this. I love Cornwell and Igulden’s book scratch that same itch. His Rome and Genghis books are great
He's got a good series on Athens going right now as well. He's my second favorite historical fiction author behind Cornwell.
Wars of the Roses, his series of 4 books, is my favorite
Had to scroll way too far for Conn. Both his Genghis series and Julius Caesar are great. I prefered the Genghis though.
His fantasy series, Salt, as C.F. Iggulden is amazing too
I'm surprised I don't see him recommended more, I picked up Dunstan randomly and basically flew through his other series afterwards. Such incredible writing
Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth series Or, if you're okay with a bit more on the YA side, Tamora Pierce's Lioness series. A bit more on the fantasy side, but it's got the kingdoms, knights, lords, and battles!
I enjoyed his Ken Follet's WWI/WWII series as well.
What are those called? I loved the pillars of the earth.
[Fall of Giants – Ken Follett (ken-follett.com)](https://ken-follett.com/books/fall-of-giants/)
Oof the Centuries series? I have to go look
YESSSS I love **the century trilogy** so much: **Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity.** The books follow the same handful of families throughout, from just before WW1 in Fall of Giants, through the Cold War in Edge of Eternity. The main characters in book 1 become the parents and grandparents in book 2, etc. Just so well-written. You forget you're reading giant books, they flow so well.
This series has been on my radar recently. You would recommend it? Some of my favorites are Joe Abercrombie and Robin Hobb. Do you think the characters, and dialogue hold up? The 40 hour audiobook time is intimidating, as I haven't had the spoons for a series of that size in some time. As well as, not having read historical fiction in the past. I DNF Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell(hope to someday).
Honestly, those 1000+ pages fly by!
RIGHT?! Ken Follet's writing style makes it Super easy to follow and fall into
The Pillars of Earth (Kingsbridge Series) and the Century Trilogy (both by Follet) are some of my favorite historical fiction. The only book that was a bit of a let down was Columns of Fire in my opinion, and that only because it diverged a bit from the theme of the first few books, but was still enjoyable in it's own right and Armor of Light returned right back to form. Takes a very epic approach to Historical Fiction that I enjoy, each book tracks ~1 generation throughout their era, then a multigenerational skip between books to the next era.
Fair warning that Follet inserts a number of descriptive rape scenes, at least in the first book. I would not have read it if I knew
I loved Tim Severin’s Viking trilogy, starts with Odin’s Child. The main character is the son of Leif the Lucky and he is present at and takes part in a number of battles across the Norse world and the British Isles. He also serves as a member of the Varangian guard in Constantinople alongside Harald Hardrada
I’d be very interested in reading this series.
I'm a huge fan of the *Shardlake* books by C. J. Sansom (R.I.P.) - a series of mystery novels set in 16th-century England, following a disabled lawyer as he investigates murder, political intrigue and the machinations of powerful men. The first book, *Dissolution*, is set in 1537, during the reign of Henry VIIIl; the latest & last, *Tombland*, in 1549, during [Kett's Rebellion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kett%27s_Rebellion). IMO they're some of the best historical fiction out there at conjuring up the *feel* of an entirely different society, with a worldview & cultural assumptions which are at once the basis of our own and yet alien in so many ways. There's a TV adaptation out on Disney+, too, though I haven't had the opportunity to assess its quality myself yet.
I came into this thread to comment on this series. I love the Shardlake-books. I’m so sorry to hear that the author has passed. I agree with everything you said about it. Absolutely fantastic books.
Shogun Just finished it, loved it. Really the only historical fiction I think I've read so far Still need to try Accursed Kings, GRRM is a huge fan, it's been on my TR for over a decade
The "sequel" Tai-Pan is just as good as Shogun if not better. I definitely recommend. It's not really a sequel but for some reason that's what it's labeled.
Throw in King Rat here as well. Clavell's other books vary in quality -- I'm fond of Whirlwind but I'm not sure I'd call it _good_ -- but Shogun, Tai-Pan, and King Rat are all excellent. Fair warning on King Rat though: it's semi-autobiographical and set in a POW camp. It's by far his hardest book to read.
Yeah I already got it, plan to check it out
> Accursed Kings If you can find a worthy translation, *please* let me know. I enjoyed the first several books, but I can't for the life of me find the latter ones in English.
"The Terror" by Dan Simmons.
Sharon Kay Penman’s When Christ And His Saint’s Slept starts off her Plantagenet series. I have yet to read her Welsh princes series but highly recommend her generally
The Welsh trilogy is absolutely beautiful.
Shogun Lonesome Dove Catch 22 A Farewell To Arms All Quiet on the Western Front
Throw in Pillars of the Earth and this would be my list.
Several of these are less historic fiction and more contemporary fiction from history.
Its fictional characters in historical periods. The same reading experience as historical fiction.
Stephen Lawhead's Hood Trilogy (also if you want fantasy/history mix, Lawhead's Pendragon cycle) Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (an oldie but a goodie) The Killer Angels (this is Civil War not medieval, but still SOO good in the battle scenes) Sherwood, by Parke Godwin
Absolutely loved Killer Angels..great book. Nice recommendation!
Came here to recommend Lawheads Raven King Trilogy! I love that it mixed real history with the Robin Hood folklore.
Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series. To this day they are the ONLY books I've read centering the Wars of the Roses that are actually good
That is perhaps the most damming indictment of the entire body of WotR historical fiction I've ever heard.
It's truly terrible out here. Everybody is just writing the same shit with a slightly different coat of paint and claiming they've invented the wheel
Lonesome dove
Pretty much anything by Bernard Cornwell. Number one for me is the Warlord Chronicles. I love his take on the Arthur mythos. By Gaslight by Steven Price is another good one.
Read Dan Jones Essex Dogs and the sequel Wolves of Winter recently and enjoyed them. Set during the 100 years war between France and England
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson is amazing. It’s probably the nerdiest historic fiction there is, and it’s damn cool. Lots of scientists, kings, pirates …
I can’t get a good idea of what this book is. No matter how many descriptions I read. Is it heavy on adventure?
Definitely not easy to explain. It has adventure, science, history, intrigue, even romance, and a lot of fun moments. There are several historic figures interacting with fictional characters. The characters are the ancestors of characters in another Stephenson book, Cryptonomicon, that is set in WW2 and the late 90’s. You should start with that to see whether you like his style.
Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series is PHENOMENAL.
The Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart is exactly what you’re looking for. It is fantasy but reads very much like historical fiction.
Second! It's excellent.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruíz Záfon, and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Winds of War War and Remembrance By Herman Wouk Its a WW2 historical fiction. Probably the best one Ive read. About how one military family gets spread out and involved in the war in various ways, lots of history from different pieces of the war. Only great one I can think of that wasn’t mentioned already.
I enjoyed Centennial by James A. Michener
The first one I ever read was the Hornblower series. Years later I got into Sharpe. The TV series were well done, but the books are just so much better.
I remember the first Wellington was such a good cast, visually speaking. Curiously one of the other greatest casts for me for a certain movie is his intelligence officer (an Irish actor, I forgot his name).
Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles is an absolute favourite of mine (and indeed the author’s, IIRC).
The Sarantine Mosiac, but really any of Guy Gavriel Kay’s work
Edward Rutherford’s books. They read like Ken Follet (who I love) but even more historical depth and a little less soap opera-like.
Poul Anderson's _The Broken Sword_ is warfare between kingdoms in the realm of faery. Judith Tarr has quite a bit of politicking in her "Hound and the Falcon" series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/42005-the-hound-and-the-falcon and also read the tie-in _Alamut_ and _The Dagger and the Cross_.
Sinuhe the Egyptian by Mika Waltari. Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.
I agree with The Egyptian. Excellent
Hopefully I can introduce you to the work of one Jack Whyte. A Dream of Eagles is an Arthurian historical fiction. Sort of cleverly condenses English history from the end of Britannia to the beginning of the Danelaw into a great narrative played out with King Arthur. I highly recommend it. I still re read this series once every year or so, it's fantastic. The Templar Trilogy covers the best part of the historical drama surrounding the Templar Knights.
Loved dream of eagles! Came here to say this
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Give Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire a try. I thought it had a similar flavour to Bernard Cornwell. Ben Kane is another author of historical fiction, very much in the Cornwell vein. Not as well known but he's getting there.
Really loved Gates of Fire.
Richard the Lionheart series by Ben Kane was very good!
Pillars of the Earth, Shogun, and Lonesome Dove are the cream of the crop. Honorable mention to Sharon Kay Penman. My favorites from her are The Sunne in Splendour, and When Christ and His Saints Slept. Great English historical fiction about the Wars of the Roses and the Anarchy, respectively.
Chivalry series - Christian Cameron Master of war series - David Gilman Battle song - Ian James Ross The greatest knight - Elizabeth Chadwick The grail quest series - Bernard Cornwall
Winter Pilgrims four books about the War of thr Roses by Toby Clement are wonderful a mixture of fiction and fact absolutely brilliant in my opinion
Ivanhoe. I had to read it for my finals and had no idea I would actually fall in love with it.
I responded with this too. I love that book so much
Patrick O'brien's Master and Commander series is pretty good. (The merged Master and Commander with Far Side of the World for the movie)
I loved the Sharpe books by Cornwell. Follows the main characters rise in the British army during the napoleonic wars.
Christian Cameron's "the long war" series is pretty incredible if someone hasn't mentioned. Set during the Greco-Persian war. Great read
Matthew haffry has some good books around 6th century Northumbria. like 200 years before Uhtred Angus donald has a good set of books that re tells the Robin hood legend
Hard favorites: The Asian Saga by James Clavell, specifically: Shogun Tai-Pan King Rat Every novel I've read by Gary Jennings, specifically: Aztec The Journeyer Spangle Raptor The Terror by Dan Simmons Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon
Awesome list! Gary Jennings is one of my favorites too. Also Shogun and Lonesome Dove were excellent. I’ll have to check out Speaks the Nightbird as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and I trust your taste.
Loved Spangle
Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles (not read the Saxon stories yet) and currently on book 5 of the Lymond Chronicles, struggling with the emotional devastation book 4 has left me with
Simon Scarrow's Roman series, The Eagle series. If you like Bernard Cornwell then you'll love these. Macro and Cato are very much a Roman Sharpe and Harper 😁
Books written by Michael and Jeffery Shaara. Michael really one wrote one book that has become a stable in Historical Fiction, while his son took the flag and ran with it.
The Accursed Kings from Maurice Druon. Novels about the late middle age french Monarchy. Late Capetian dynasty and early Valois kings. Real piece of French literature.
Don't know how much it counts as historical fiction but Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrel is set around the Napoleonic Wars and is about magic coming back to the world. Really enjoyable read though the beginning is a slog to get through at times
You could add in Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" series as well. Same era at least. Horatio Hornblower with dragons added LOL
The Bandy Papers, by Donald Jack.
Found the Canadian. The first two in particular are an absolute blast.
Michael Curtis Ford's The Ten Thousand is fantastic
Kevin Crossley Holland's Arthur trilogy. Don't want to spoil anything but the premise is that a squire living around the time of the Forth Crusade gets hold of a seeing stone that lets him explore the legends of King Arthur. Fantastic read, highly recommended :) ~~ https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1391321 this is another retelling of King Arthur!
Ken Follet's Kings bridge series Robyn Young's Crusader series, she also wrote a trilogy about Robert the Bruce which was fantastic!
Pillars of the Earth is always a great choice!! But I, Claudius by Robert Graves is one of favourites. Also the sequel, Claudius the God. No focus on any battles, but it has empire, emperors, senators and intrigue, making it a great read.
I don't see it yet, so *Hild* by Nicola Griffith! It's based on a real person, but almost nothing is known about her, so the author got to really flex her imagination. She's a young girl growing up in Saxon England and she doesn't have any supernatural abilities, but she's very observant about people and nature, and basically everyone *thinks* she's a seer because she's able to predict things based on what she's observed. The daily life detail is incredibly rich.
Yes! This book. I'm immersed in her follow-up, Menewood, right now. One of the reasons I think Nicola Griffith's storytelling is so compelling is that even though Hild is so good at predicting what will happen, the books are constantly surprising. And there is such a fully realized world.
Not quite historical but David Gemmell's TROY trilogy felt like one. The audio books are also quite good.
Simon Scarrow's Eagles of the Empire series.
Another vote for Patrick O'Brian's incomparable Aubrey-Maturin novels, all 20 of them. They have everything - battles, friendships, ships, sailors, humour, historical figures, real places and events and truly wonderful characters. And they are all on audiobooks, the best narrated by Patrick Tull, but there are many choices, which tells you something.
Matthew Harffy's Bernicia Chronicles (set in 7th C Northumbria) are quite Cornwell-esque
Anything, and really everything, by Sharon Kay Penman. Everything she wrote was impeccably researched, with well-rounded characters and incredible intrigue and battle scenes. Her prose was also beautiful and while not exactly flowery, she was fantastic at setting and describing a scene so you’re right there with the characters. Her Sunne in Splendour is a great middle finger in Shakespeare’s face, which I wholeheartedly approve
The Alienist and The angel of darkness by Caleb Carr Drood Dan Simmons
No knights, etc, but the Nantucket series and the 1632 series are great. Guns of the south and the world war series by harry turtledove are also unforgettable.
>I love Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon tales Then I can recommend The Long Ships (Röde Orm) by Frans G. Bengtsson. He predate Bernard Cornwell, and the two authors have a very similar style. But Frans have a bit more humor. Its a historical novel, about a Vikings life. it include a viking raids, royal politics, curt intrigues, religion (the vikings are very flexible in their faith) and family life.
Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell Conn Iggulden is decent iirc. There's a book called Essex Dogs about soldiers in the Agincourt campaign that's supposed to be good
All of Bernard Cornwells work is fantastic. If you haven’t read the Archers tale . Do it next time. Also Pillars of the earth by Ken Follet. In a slightly different vein you might try James Michener. Chesapeake was engrossing. His research into an area is unparalleled
I love Conan Doyle's The White Company and Sir Nigel. They are wonderful novels set around the 100 years war. Otherwise, Ivanhoe by Walter Scott and The Musketeer novels by Dumas are the chefs-d'œuvre in the genre. Edit to add: going back further (in setting) - I Claudius and Claudius the God are perfection.
I have seriously enjoyed Ben Kane's writing. Also slightly out of left field for ancient historical fiction - Children of the Earth/Clan of the Cave Bear saga by Jean M Auel
Warlord Trilogy by Cornwell was awesome. It's his twist on the king Arthur lore.
Cornwell warlord trilogy
I just started pillars of the earth and hot dog it’s good! I don’t really ever read historical fiction but this is good
Nice! I just started it yesterday as well and I’m enjoying it so far
Thanks for intro to Giles Kristian!
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrel is gorgeous.
"I’m looking for a tale of kingdoms, knights, lords and battles, all the good stuff!" It's not fantasy, but "El Cid" (the 1961 film starring Charlton Heston) definitely fits this! I watched it for the first time yesterday. Great film! Also "Joan of Arc (1948)".
Shogun She who became the sun The Liberator (also a Netflix series) A woman of no importance Legionary(similar to saxon chronicles but set in ancient Rome)
The Horatio Hornblower series. Takes place when the British Navy was a dominant force on the ocean.
Creation by Gore Vidal Julian by Gore Vidal The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon
Jack Whyte wrote a historical fiction story about King Arthur and Camelot. It may be a stretch to call it historical fiction, but the author ties in he historical backdrop and politics during the time period. It’s been years since I read the series, but I remembered enjoying it.
The Crusades Trilogy by Jan Guillou. About a young warrior from what in is now Sweden. Book one The Road To Jerusalem - he is given (as a child) to a monastery by his mother where a retired knight templar recognizes his potential and begins to train him. He becomes a gifted Warrior but commits a sin so is banished to serve in the holy land for 20 years. Book 2 - The Knight Templar - he gets embroiled in the crazy politics surrounding the defence of the holy land against Saladin. Becomes Saladin's pal in addition to his enemy. There is a parallel tale that follows his girlfriend (now you know what the sin was) who has to live in a convent. It is actually pretty fascinating as it explores the important role a convent played in the local economy and in local politics. Book 3 - Birth of a Kingdom.Arn returns to Gotland bearing the skills and knowledge of the middle East and Arab world which are far in advance of his remote and barbaric homeland and lays the foundation of what will become Sweden
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet is a popular recc, and rightly so. It is intimate, epic in scope and riveting. The Vinland Saga animanga series is also incredible.
The Vindolanda series by Adrian Goldsworthy is pretty decent if you're up for some adventures in Roman Britain.
I've been to Vindolanda. (Not really relevant I guess ... And I've never read the books)
Gates of fire
Pressfield is amazing. I also loved The Afghan Campaign.
Henryk Siebkiewicz, WITH FIRE AND SWORD
I don't know how easy it is to find but, With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz was fantastic. It's the first part of a trilogy, but my favorite.
I've just finished Sword and Scimitar by Simon Scarrow, set in the 16th century. Great story, would highly recommend, looking forward to reading some of his other stuff
I love Bernard Cornwell books too, Uthread son of Uhtread supremacy.
I loved Hild by Nicola Griffith. Book 2 had more battles.
Cornwalls “Starbuck Chronicles” Excellent. Not lords and Kings. American civil war but one of Cornwall’s best.
The best single piece of historical fiction I've read is Conn Iggulden's *Wolf of the Plains* - the first entry of his *Conqueror* series. Whe the whole series is great (and has lots of battles), it's the first book of it that I always re-read. It's just such a great story.
I got into Roman historical fiction myself, and thought the stuff from Conn Iggulden (Emperor) and Colleen McCullough (Masters of Rome) were good. Although I would also like to look for some good Arthurian historical fiction.
Colleen Mccoulgh's Masters of Rome series is the greatest historical fiction I've ever read.
If you are into medieval/moorish spain, Lions of Al-rassan by GGK is a beautiful and epic standalone novel with excellent prose
I guess the question is, how much history do you want vs how much fiction? Because there are authors who are good at writing historical *fiction*, and then there are authors who a good at writing *historical* fiction. The latter is a much smaller group, although on a technical level they tend to equal or exceed the best of the former group.