Historical Novels & History Books

I mentioned before that I'm reading "The WInthrop Woman" by Anya Seton, and think it's fascinating. I'm going to read the other books she's written, and then hope to start on some more historical novels of this calibre...

any suggestions? Anyone here read historical novels? I thought I'd ask here instead of the Reading Room, since it's a specific request...

Also, I've recently bought a book called "The English Myth", all about how during the reign of King Henry VIII the way English History was taught changed significantly, basically a lot of lies, and the book explores what really happened in history rather than what school kids are taught. I read a similar book in the US called "Lies my Teacher Told me"... a great, great read!!!

I think I speak for most of us when I tell you to run right out and by anything you can get your hands on by Sharon Kay Penman, she's fantastic!
I also like Anya Seton, and I'm starting a bio of Bloody Mary by a wman named carolly Erickson that I'm enjoying so far.  I wasn'r crazy about Robin Maxwell's books though.  (About Elizabeth I-The Secret Diary of Ann Boleyn wasn't bad, but I could never really get into Virgin.)  (Pun unintentional.)

Sharon Kay Penman... gotcha!

I echo SAF.  Sharon Kay Penman is a brilliant writer.  Run, don't walk, to the bookstore, grab a few, then settle back for an excellent read.

If you are into the Arthur/Merlin/Knights of the Round Table thing, the absolute best writer for this story is Mary Stewart.  She did four books* on Arthur, through the eyes of Merlin.  The interesting thing is that she portrays Merlin not as the wizard with the pointy hat and heaps of magic tricks, but a learned and wise man, with but bit of magic.  Most of the 'magic' attributed to him is the result of his advanced learning.  This is by far the most believable story about Arthur and Merlin that I've read (and I've read loads of them).

If you are looking for a history book, I would recommend Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century.  This covers life in the 14th century and such events as the 100 Years War, the Black Death, the schism of the Roman Catholic church, the Crusades and various other topics.  Whilst more a history book than a story, her history parallels the life of an obscure French nobleman named Enguerrand de Coucy.  Might be a bit of dry reading for those not truly into medieval history, but I found the book fascinating.

I've also enjoyed a book called Baudolino by Umberto Ecto.  The book is an irreverent look at the Middle Ages through the eyes of a consummate liar named Baudolino.  Whilst the book is a work of fiction, it does cover some true events and real people (ie The Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa).  Bits of it are very funny and quite cheeky.


The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment and The Wicked Day

To mention some of my favourites from other eras:

1.  Any of Mary Renault's novels set in Ancient Greece, but particularly The Last of the Wine and Mask of Apollo

2.  Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God

3.  Robert Graves' Wife to Mr Milton.  (About John Milton's wife and the Civil War, it's written absolutely convincingly in the English of that period)

4.  Thomas Keneally's Confederates.  (Keneally is Australian, so I'd be glad to know if he gets the lingo that he puts into the mouths of his characters right - any of you Americans read it?)


But goodness me, I could go on and on listing!

Liza Picard has done two very good social histories of the seventeenth and eighteenth senturies in England full of interesting anecdotes and little known facts.  The titles evade me ...

Hey Jess ... thanks for the recommendation.  I had a look at a few of her books on Amazon and they look quite interesting.

 Ta for the suggestions everyone.I have them written down

 I have read Mary Stewart's books as well and she is an excellent writer.Another good writer of that genre is Bernard Cornwell."The Winter King",Enemy Of God",and "Excalibur" are excellents reads.My fave writer though is Marion Zimmer Bradley,she puts a whole new spin on Arthur,and a more Pagan friendly as well  

Another good writer is Edward Rutherfurd.He has three book that you might be interested in :"London","Sarum" and "Russka"

If you like to read about the Roman Empire,then I would suggest Colleen McCullough

If you like to read about WW2,then I would suggest "The Fall Of Berlin" by Antony Beevor.That book got me intersted in reading about the war.

As I have said I love to read about different historical time periods! Once we get back,if anyone would  be interested in trading books then let me know.I think that Gordy will have to build me a couple more book cases though,as Iam running out of room for my books

I can tell you a name to avoid, though, and that's Allison Weir.

I've read two books by her, one a bio of Eleanor of Aquitaine, which wasn't too bad, and the other "The Princes in the Tower" which was a pile of GARBAGE.  
And no, Howard,  , I didn't hate it because I didn't agree with it per se.  I hated it because she contradicts herself, because she's illogical, there's no footnotes, there's no references, and she has a tendency to state things as fact without telling us why this would be fact.
So I'm very wary of anything else written by her, because the book was so shoddily done.  Anyone who wants to call themselves a serious historian should be able to keep their dates straight.
So avoid her!

I have read Mary Stewart's books as well and she is an excellent writer.Another good writer of that genre is Bernard Cornwell."The Winter King",Enemy Of God",and "Excalibur" are excellents reads.

I've read those too!  I liked the Saxon slave (name escapes me now), who told the story, but I thought that Arthur was too wishy-washy, and Merlin and Niniane a travesty

BTW, did you read Cornwall's Harlequin series?

My fave writer though is Marion Zimmer Bradley,she puts a whole new spin on Arthur,and a more Pagan friendly as well  

Read that one too.  Interesting take on the story.

Another series I liked was by Persia Woolley, which were written through the eyes of Gwenhwyfar.  I think the books are out of print, but it was quite interesting to hear the tales told by a woman.

The Once and Future King was a rather odd read.  Very whimsical and strange.  In this one, instead of Merlin aging, he's growing younger and mentions lawnmowers.  V v v weird.

I can tell you a name to avoid, though, and that's Allison Weir.

So I take it you won't be reading her book on the War of the Roses?  

I read one by her on Henry VIII and his six wives.  Wasn't too bad.  But then again, I didn't really check the dates for contradictions.

I read one on Eleanor of Aquitaine ages ago called Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings by Amy Kelly, but this was before I read Penman's series on Henry and Eleanor, so I'd like to re-read Kelly's book again.

BTW, did you see Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close in the re-make of A Lion in Winter?  I've been dying to see it for ages, then stumbled across the last hour of it during the Xmas period.  I was very bummed to have missed so much of the movie.

 "I liked the Saxon slave (name escapes me now),"

  Derfel,I didnt remember either,but cheated and looked in one of the books
  "BTW, did you read Cornwall's Harlequin series?"
  No,but interested,what are those about then?

No,but interested,what are those about then?

It's about an English archer during the 100 Years War whose family is linked with the Holy Grail.  It was pretty good, but I'm not a huge fan of Cornwell's writing because I find it a bit 'wooden'.

The titles are: Harlequin, Vagabond and Heretic.

 Ta for info.I took a peek over at Amazon,and might buy "Harlequin" used to see what I think.

 "but I'm not a huge fan of Cornwell's writing because I find it a bit 'wooden' "
Do you? Its been awhile since I read the Arthur series,but I liked it ok.
 
" The Once and Future King"
You know for the life of me I remember the book,but its been so long Iam not sure if I read it or not  
 "In this one, instead of Merlin aging, he's growing younger and mentions lawnmowers.  V v v weird."
 Is the whole book like that as well?Modern references.I dont generally like the mixing of the old and new.


 

but I'm not a huge fan of Cornwell's writing because I find it a bit 'wooden'

Do you? Its been awhile since I read the Arthur series,but I liked it ok.

There was a really good quote in one of the Persia Woolley books about the difference in the way in which women and men tell stories.  I wish I could remember all of it, because it really sums up how I feel about Cornwell's writing.  I don't think he's a bad writer at all.  I just tend to enjoy stories told by women much more than those told by men; women just seem to look at things differently.

The Once and Future King"  You know for the life of me I remember the book,but its been so long Iam not sure if I read it or not  

 "In this one, instead of Merlin aging, he's growing younger and mentions lawnmowers.  V v v weird."
 Is the whole book like that as well?Modern references.I dont generally like the mixing of the old and new.

It's a very fantastical book; all swords, sorcery, magicians in pointy hats and mythical beasts.  As far as Merlin and the modern references, like I said Merlin is living his life back to front ... growing younger instead of older.  By doing this, it's like he's lived in the future and is regressing to the past,  but is aware of things like lawnmowers.  It's been a while since I read the book, but I do remember him referring to a few modern things that stopped me right in my tracks.  I also remember Merlin using modern place names too.