Need Anniv. Gift of Book for B/F--Advise, Pls!

Folks, my incomparable b/f (whom I’ll call “Max D”) is taking me out of town this weekend for our 6-months-of-dating anniversary, and I’d like to gift him with a book for the occasion. Max D loves historical fiction, or any kind of thriller along the lines of Grisham/Follett, etc., or even current political non-fiction, if liberal in viewpoint. I’d prefer a somewhat recent release, as he reads voraciously and has read everything he can get his hands on, including new releases, in his categories of interest all summer long. He is enraptured by what he calls “page-turners”, but really doesn’t like supernatural thrillers (more my area of interest). I got him “An Inconvenient Truth” for Father’s Day, so that’s already been done, & was duly appreciated.

What tome would you advise me to buy for my adorable Max D, who will be kept far too busy to actually start it over the weekend, but who will want to be engrossed by it once we are home again?

Thanks for once again coming to my aid, fellow Dopers.

–Beck

The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow was published in March this year. It’s historical fiction, a page-turner, and even has some political stuff.

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.

Deliciously nerdly, historical fiction (about historically nerdly people) and some swashbuckling to boot!

Unfortunately, not “new” :frowning: (2003)

Dick Francis has a new book out that I just bought for my husband’s birthday. It was exciting to find it since I thought Francis had retired. Definite page turners.

By the same author, Zodiac. Far more liberal, and IMO Stephenson’s best novel (of course, I read it while I was working for Earth First!, which may have influenced my opinion :wink: ).

Page turner historical fiction? Go for The Three Musketeers or The Count of Monte Cristo, if he’s not read them. They’re both incredible, although the Count’s better by a hair, I think–I’ve read that it’s the definitive adventure novel, and I believe it.

Daniel

Check Amazon for recent Bernard Cornwell books. He wrote the Sharpe series and writes about European history. I would suggest Edward Rutherford, but he tends to get bogged down and drawn out sometimes.

Dick Francis is good, he usually writes about horse racing, not historical fiction.

I was going to suggest some Dumas, but I see someone has beaten me to it. Does he like detective novels? The Name of The Rose, by Umberto Eco, is a fun read.
Possession by A. S. Byatt is a combination “detective” novel / historical novel which I though was well worth the read.
For a view of post-civil-war and early 20th century life in the American midwest, there’s “And Ladies of the Club” by Helen Hooven Santmyer, which I also found fascinating, though the members of the ladies club are mostly staunch republicans, but the politics is kept to a minimum.

Those three are off the top of my head, I could like in my library for more suggestions.

(For you) If you like supernatural thrillers, try The Dumas Club by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Supernatural thriller with many references to the most famous Dumas novel (The Three Musketeers.)

I really liked The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova (2005).

May I suggest The Lion of Ireland

1632 by eric flint.

this book can not be put down. it is in the sci fi section, but not much science in it. abso. gripping read. there are follow up books for when he is well hooked.

Thanks, folks!

AuntiePam, I just finished “The Last Witchfinder” myself, and he had recommended it to me. So I casually asked him if someday he’d like to add it to “our” library in hardcover, and he said he doubted he’d ever re-read it. I would, however, so I may buy it for MYSELF.

freckafree, “The Historian” is what I have asked for, for Christmas, from him. We both loved it, but if I got it for him, he’d think I was actually buying it more for me, since I did ask for it already.

Told ya he was a hard one!

He’s read most of Dumas, and we have discussed all of them ad nauseum. He already has “Count of Monte Cristo” in hardcover. He just mentioned to me last weekend that he cannot stomach Umberto Eco, who writes too flowery for him. I have to admit I have a difficult time with Eco for that very reason–I’m constantly re-reading paragraphs because I am not sure I got his full meaning, which makes it a very slow read!

I’ll check out Neal Stephenson for sure, sounds like his kind of thing! Bernard Cornwell I have heard of, and will try that as well. “1632” bears checking out, and “The Lion of Ireland” as well.

Does anyone know anything about Bob Woodward’s new book from personal experience? Or how about “Thirteen Moons” by Charles Frazier of “Cold Mountain” fame?

And Arnold Winkelried, thanks for suggesting a book for ME. You can be sure I will get information on it today!

You guys are too good!

–Beck

If he likes Dumas, he may be interested in the works of Paul Feval. Strangely enough, I can’t seem to find an english translation of Paul Feval’s most famous work, the epic swashbuckler “Le Bossu” (a story of a swordsman named Lagardère who disguises himself as a hunchback to avenge the death of his friend), but I see that this publisher
http://www.blackcoatpress.com/feval.htm
has translated several other of his works - I can’t vouch for any of them, having only read Le Bossu.

And let’s not forget a classic: Don Quixote de la Mancha. This edition is very nice, a small hardback volume about paper-back sized (but more than a 1000 pages).

One last word - I read The Historian and enjoyed it. But when I bought it, I also purchased at the same time this other novel, which I think is much much more interesting, well-written, and with fascinating “fake” historical footnotes:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
Not for your husband necessarily, but an elegant view of what 19th century life would be in England if magic were really possible.