Historical Fiction my recommends - please add yours

[andyxxx]

I am terrible at searching out books and hate it!

Would anybody like to recommend and share any historical fiction for me to try?
I like realistic graphic fiction with very little romance and particularly like ancient/Napoleonic/westerns but have enjoyed some WWI and II

Some of my favourites that I would mark 5 out of 5:

Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurty) my fave book - and pretty much all his writing
Legion (William Altimari)
Dawn of Empire (Sam Barone) a great series of books
The Falcon of Sparta (Conn Iggulden)
Angels in Iron (Nicholas C Prata)
Sons of Zeus (Noble Smith)

Happy to recommend some more if anybody is interested.

[andyxxx]

Thanks for the suggestions – please keep then coming.

I have read a number of Rutherfurd books and only really enjoyed New York and actually gave up on Sarum.
I will look into James A Michener – I’ve not read any.
I have enjoyed most of the Ken Follet books, but they are a bit slow for me and lack action.
Have read loads of Bernard Cornwell and have enjoyed most of it.
Again I think I have read all of Simon Scarrows books and though I find them a bit YA I have enjoyed them all.
I thought the Sharpe books were OK (although for me a bit repetitive) but could not get into Flashman.

As I say, I like realistic graphic books - I have tried several times to read Cormac McCarthy - but never finished any of his books as I can't get on with his style of writing.

[andyxxx]

Thanks NovaPower for the suggested author.

I don’t really enjoy mystery/whodunit but did actually read The Ashes of London a couple of months ago (which I thought was OK-ish, but didn’t interest me enough to read the other books in the series)

[andyxxx]

sjwb said:

Off the wall a bit, but try Dennis Wheatley - the Roger Brook series. Historically I believe they are accurate.
He was a superb writer, far beyond his occult books.

Thank you for the recommend
I have just read The launching of Roger Brook. I thought it a bit slow with too much romance and didn't like the over detailed French pre-revolution political aspect.

[andyxxx]

irocfan said:

can I suggest the Lord of the Silver bow trilogy? David Gemmell's take on Troy

Thanks for the recommend. I read a number of his books many years ago – but I can’t remember if I enjoyed them! It’s before I started keeping a record so I will indeed give him a try again.

[andyxxx]

^^^
That is really not my cup of tea!

Historical romance that I think my wife may enjoy.

[andyxxx]

irocfan said:

can I suggest the Lord of the Silver bow trilogy? David Gemmell's take on Troy

Thanks. I read them ages ago but gave them away so had to re-purchase. (Just finished book 1- Birth of an Empire and enjoyed it again so am presently reading book 2 - Lords of the Bow) Anybody liking these will probably enjoy the S Barone books in my OP recommend, which I think are better.

[andyxxx]

irocfan said:

Not historical fiction, alt-history may appeal?


Harry Turtledove may be worth digging out for 'alternative history' shenanigans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videssos_cycle was the first of his I read)

Island in the Sea of Time SM Stirling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_in_the_Sea_of_Time) modern Nantucket gets moved to c.1250BC

1632 series by Eric Flint (small US town somehow transported to middle ages Europe)

Leo Frankowski - Flying Warlord series (bloke gets stranded in 1231 Poland https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cross-Time-Engineer-Adven...

I may give them a go, but they may be a bit too far fetched for me. I certainly never really get into fantasy

[andyxxx]

OK - for anybody interested. I have just read Saving Private Ryan. Excellent 5 star from me.

[andyxxx]

I don’t really like ‘whodunnit’ books. I have read most of the Shardlake books and find them a bit slow.

Wolf Hall leaves me cold. I have tried numerous times to read it but never get far with it
.
I have read just about all Bernard Cornwells books and most are OK, with the odd one (like Agincourt) being superb.

[andyxxx]

Taita said:

Has anyone read Gates of Athens by Conn Iggulden (of Conqueror series)

Got a few days off coming up so might give it a go.

I have just finished the book and I’m not sure how it gets such good reviews – I nearly stopped reading it half way through.
The second half is a bit more interesting.

Not enough action for me and too much’ political intrigue’
4 out of 10

[andyxxx]

If anybody likes pirate adventure I am enjoying this series (which get better after the first book)

The Guardship (Thomas Marlowe, #1)

[andyxxx]

I have read well over one hundred books since last posting. Any more suggestions would be good.
I have just enjoyed this book: Siege by Alistair Tosh