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Not the centuries you mentioned. Harry Turtledove's alternate history books are mainly set in the 1900s and early to mid 2000s. But give them a try anyway. My favorite story was what if a time traveler went back and supplied the South with AK-47s. Absurd, but...
Not the centuries you mentioned. Harry Turtledove's alternate history books are mainly set in the 1900s and early to mid 2000s. But give them a try anyway. My favorite story was what if a time traveler went back and supplied the South with AK-47s. Absurd, but...
That does sound absurd I tend not to read contemporary fiction. I live in this world and its not always so great, so reading about it doesnt really interest me as much. I like fantasy and historical. But I will check it out anyway because that sounds an awful lot like fantasy and I think I would enjoy that.
The first book, which is my favorite as far as "steaminess" goes isnt the greatest example of the series. It reads kind of like Diana G was getting her legs under her about this story. Hashing things out and not following through on everything but I love it non the less. The second book was actually hard for me to read but I pushed through. Once I got through to the other side though the books, in my opinion got better. She developed the characters more, figured out their archs, set up the world more completely and did actually explain a bit more of the history.
It isnt the greatest example of a historically accurate writing but what I have found is that most historical fiction is a little bit fact, a little bit fiction and a lot of grey in the middle. But for me personally they give a really interesting jumping off point for doing my own research.
I also just read all of Allison Weirs Tudor wives books. She gives a long lesson at the end telling where she drew truth and where she embellished and recommended people read biographies to formulate their own conclusions with the evidence. Which is basically what I do, I use fiction to find an interesting back story and use research to learn about it.
The first book, which is my favorite as far as "steaminess" goes isnt the greatest example of the series. It reads kind of like Diana G was getting her legs under her about this story. Hashing things out and not following through on everything but I love it non the less. The second book was actually hard for me to read but I pushed through. Once I got through to the other side though the books, in my opinion got better. She developed the characters more, figured out their archs, set up the world more completely and did actually explain a bit more of the history.
The first one was the selection for our book group years ago. People were raving about it. I love time travel books, but all I can remember is that this one did not hold my interest at all. I never read any of Gabaldon's others.
Oh yes, and this will keep you busy for a long, long time.
ETA: Just realized that someone else recommended this.
Read Sharon Kay Penman's books. She is truer to history than Phillipa Gregory, but her books are also longer and more involved.
She has one stand-alone book about the Wars of the Roses, called The Sunne in Splendour. It is excellent.
The majority of her books take place in the 12th and 13th centuries and involved the Plantagents. They were not written in chronological order, but you can read them that way. I first read Here Be Dragons, about the marriage of King John's illegitimate daughter to the then Prince of Gwynned/Wales during a period of truce between the two countries. It was a true love match, but the truce didn't last long, and Joanna was caught between her father and her brother. It is the first of a trilogy (Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning) follow.
However, Penman then went back in time and wrote the stories of what happens before that, beginning with When Christ and His Saints Slept, about the wars between Matilda and Stephen. Then Time and Chance, absolutely fascinating about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and then on to The Devil's Brood, about their children, who included Richard Lionheart and John, and then Lionheart, finishing with A King's Ransom, about Richard's capture on his way home from the Crusades.
When I first began to read her novels in the 1980s and read her notes on her research in the Afterword, I thought she was this brilliant Brit or Welshwoman. Turns out that like me, she is from New Jersey, a former lawyer turned novelist.
I have read all of her books except for a few mystery novels that are set in the medieval time period.
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Not the centuries you mentioned. Harry Turtledove's alternate history books are mainly set in the 1900s and early to mid 2000s. But give them a try anyway. My favorite story was what if a time traveler went back and supplied the South with AK-47s. Absurd, but...
I forgot to give the name of that book. The Guns of the South.
Roberta Gellis older, more historical novels have been turned into Kindles format
I can’t deal with the small print used in paper books, hardback or not
So I am glad to buy ones I reread...
Will again mention the novels of Christian Cameron who has several series
One set in Ancient Greece about Arimnestos a warrior/slave/adventurer and his adventures
One set during the time of the Black Prince about William Gold a commoner who becomes a knight and famous condotierre, based on actual person
One set in Italy in the time of the Medicis and warring city states with Tom Swan an illegitimate son w/noble blood who spies for a Cardinal, becomes a great student of the sword and antiquities
Dan Simmons' The Terror was an outstanding read. At the top of my to date best reads of the year. Based on Franklin's lost expedition. It's a long ride; > 700 pages.
I found Phillip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels to be very well researched and entertaining reads. Especially the film noir trilogy that takes place during WW2 and the post WW2 one set in south of France.
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I tend not to read contemporary fiction. I live in this world and its not always so great, so reading about it doesnt really interest me as much. I like fantasy and historical. But I will check it out anyway because that sounds an awful lot like fantasy and I think I would enjoy that.
