# Historical Fiction for reading list .....need answer fast
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 29, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124 "2017-06-29T11:39:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/1 "2017-06-29T11:39:03Z")
Leaving on a long flight tomorrow and then back in 2 weeks. Total flying time of 40 hours about. Need some good reading along the way. Historical Fiction is the genre of the flights. Any good suggestions ? Stuff I have liked in the past.
Much of **James Michener**. I like the stories from ancient times to modern.
**Clan of the Cave Bear** and the one after.
**The Animal Wife** and **Reindeer Moon** by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
**James Clavell.** Like all of his novels.
Look forward to your suggestions and thanks in advance.
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### Author:  [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/2 "2017-06-29T12:20:42Z")
The obvious answer is Patrick O’Brian’s [Aubrey-Maturin novels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey%E2%80%93Maturin_series) - 21 books (though really, it’s one long novel) about a British sea captain and his physician-slash-naturalist-slash-intelligence officer friend, set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Fantastic novels, albeit they plunge you right in to the jargon of navigation, ship rigging, and 18th century naval warfare.
Neil Stephenson’s [The Baroque Cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baroque_Cycle)is another good series, set in the late 17th and early 18th century. They’re more or less about the scientific revolution and the birth of the modern world, but they’re a gripping read. Three novels - _Quicksilver, The Confusion,_ and _The System Of The World_ - but, like the Aubrey-Maturin stories, they’re really just one long 20,000 page novel.
If you like military fiction, Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe novels are another choice, about a British army officer in the Napoleonic War of the Peninsula.
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### Author:  [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/3 "2017-06-29T13:02:11Z")
[Edward Ruthurfurd](https://www.amazon.com/Edward-Rutherfurd/e/B000AQ11FC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1498740907&sr=8-1) has written a whole series of books similar to those of Michener.
I really enjoyed the classic [Katherine](https://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Anya-Seton-ebook/dp/B008454XNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498741074&sr=8-1&keywords=Katherine) about 14th century England.
For something a little bit lighter, there’s Lindsey Davis’s series of mysteries set in Ancient Rome. Start with [The Silver Pigs](https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Pigs-Marcus-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0041T51DC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498743012&sr=8-1&keywords=silver+pigs).
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### Author:  [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/4 "2017-06-29T13:03:06Z")
If you’d like some fantasy thrown in to your historical fiction I can suggest Naomi Novik’s “Temeraire” series. At least the first three books anyway (all I’ve read so far). The series is about the relationship between a captain in the British aerial corp, during the Napoleonic Wars, and his dragon.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/5 "2017-06-29T13:14:58Z")
Aztec by Gary Jennings
Musashi a historical novel by a Japanese author I can’t remember
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### Author:  [@DeepLiquid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepLiquid)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/6 "2017-06-29T13:24:00Z")
Anything by [Lucia St. Clair Robson](https://www.amazon.com/Lucia-St.-Clair-Robson/e/B000AQ3XXA) Her historical fiction is so well researched and presented, very enjoyable reads.
The[Diana Gabaldon](https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Gabaldon/e/B000APXMEG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1498742481&sr=1-1) Outlander series. Kind of an endless love story, but if need good long boks, you’re in luck, most of hers are well over a thousand pages.
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### Author:  [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/7 "2017-06-29T13:52:58Z")
[Visibility by Boris Starling](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1280531.Visibility)
A murder mystery novel set in 1950’s London surrounding the events of post WWII Josef Mengele horrors and the discovery of DNA. A phenomenal read.
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### Author:  [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/8 "2017-06-29T14:46:11Z")
I, Claudius by Robert Graves
Women of the Bible series by Orson Scott Card
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/9 "2017-06-29T14:49:53Z")
Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough. She did 12 years of research before writing. Excellent series…starts with Gaius Marius and goes through the beginning of Augustus’ rise to power.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/10 "2017-06-29T14:50:01Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#):
>
> The obvious answer is Patrick O’Brian’s [Aubrey-Maturin novels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey%E2%80%93Maturin_series) - 21 books (though really, it’s one long novel) about a British sea captain and his physician-slash-naturalist-slash-intelligence officer friend, set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Fantastic novels, albeit they plunge you right in to the jargon of navigation, ship rigging, and 18th century naval warfare.
>
> Neil Stephenson’s [The Baroque Cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baroque_Cycle)is another good series, set in the late 17th and early 18th century. They’re more or less about the scientific revolution and the birth of the modern world, but they’re a gripping read. Three novels - _Quicksilver, The Confusion,_ and _The System Of The World_ - but, like the Aubrey-Maturin stories, they’re really just one long 20,000 page novel.
>
> If you like military fiction, Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe novels are another choice, about a British army officer in the Napoleonic War of the Peninsula.
Seconding all three of these, and also note that Cornwell has novel series in several other time periods as well and they’re all good.
For another take on British military life, try George MacDonald Fraser’s _ **Flashman** _ series. You’ll either love or hate (or both) the main character, but the footnotes are the real gems here.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/11 "2017-06-29T14:51:21Z")
Have you read Herman Wouk? His Winds of War and the sequel War and Remembrance are two excellent and lengthy works of World War II historical fiction.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/12 "2017-06-29T15:34:55Z")
Winston Graham’s _ **Poldark** _ novels, set in Cornwall in the late 18th–early 19th century. There are twelve books in the series.
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### Author:  [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/13 "2017-06-29T19:18:11Z")
**Ragtime** by E.L. Doctorow.
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### Author:  [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/14 "2017-06-29T19:19:54Z")
Thanks everyone, and I do appreciate the timely responses. I have downloaded 8 of the above novels and believe I have plenty of reading material now. I will report in upon return.
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### Author:  [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/15 "2017-06-29T19:49:30Z")
> [@davida03801](#):
>
> Thanks everyone, and I do appreciate the timely responses. I have downloaded 8 of the above novels and believe I have plenty of reading material now. I will report in upon return.
Which did you download?
(aka…who won :D)
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### Author:  [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/16 "2017-06-29T22:34:34Z")
> [@Jack\_Burden](#):
>
> Seconding all three of these, and also note that Cornwell has novel series in several other time periods as well and they’re all good.
>
> For another take on British military life, try George MacDonald Fraser’s _ **Flashman** _ series. You’ll either love or hate (or both) the main character, but the footnotes are the real gems here.
Can’t believe I forgot about Flashy! My favorite bounder, rotter, and all-around cad. Good catch, **Jack Burden**.
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/17 "2017-06-30T00:26:11Z")
My first suggestion for this is always [Piece of Cake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piece_of_Cake_(novel)) by Derek Robinson. It follows an RAF fighter squadron from the beginning of WWII through the Battle of Britain. He wrote a few others which were good too, but POC is one of my all time favorite books.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/18 "2017-06-30T20:39:44Z")
Gary Jennings’s _Aztec_ is my all-time favorite historical novel. It’s a sprawling epic that follows Mixtli, a peasant with a particular talent for languages, from his humble birth to eventually joining the court of Revered Speaker Montezuma just before the Spanish arrive. Lots of fighting, sex, adventure, court intrigue, diplomacy, exploration, sex, espionage, revenge, human sacrifice, and (oh, yeah) sex. Good stuff.
_The Killer Angels_ by Michael Shaara, about the Battle of Gettysburg, won the Pulitzer Prize and is also well worth a read.
Ditto _Coal Black Horse_ by Robert Olmstead, about a young Southern man trying to find his father during the Civil War.
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### Author:  [@DeepLiquid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepLiquid)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/19 "2017-07-01T01:06:22Z")
I forgot to mention Phillipa Gregory, if you like stories set in the Middle Ages.
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### Author:  [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-fiction-for-reading-list-need-answer-fast/790124/20 "2017-07-01T03:19:03Z")
I’d classify Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian” as historical fiction, and possibly the greatest American novel written in my lifetime.
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