Historical Fiction
DUMAS, Alexandre
The Count of Monte Cristo 1844
CLARKE, Susanna
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell 2004 Fantasy / Historical Fiction
A triumph – plotting, pacing, characters, tone, faery, historical fiction, interplay, humour, tragedy – really enjoyable book.
HESSE,
Hermann
Siddhartha 1922
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet 2010 Historical Fiction
Ably integrated research, rich characters, interesting plot lines, satisfying and engaging from start to finish
The Fortune Of War (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 6) 1979 Historical Fiction/Action
Thoroughly enjoyable
The Fencing Master 1999 (trans.) Historical Fiction/Crime
Sophisticated. Stunning climax
DUMAS, Alexandre
The Three Musketeers 1844
Action, flawed but heroic personalities, fascinating alternate historical values
The First Casualty 2005 Historical Fiction/Crime
Alternate political characters enhance rather than overwhelm WW1 crime story
Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 1) 1970 Historical Fiction/Action
Impressive sense of another (intriguing) time, people and place
Post Captain (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 2) 1972 Historical Fiction/Action
Engaging and fascinating characters, settings and action
Treason's Harbour (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 9) 1983 Historical Fiction/Action
Exotic locations and people, interesting twists of plot, fascinating historical perspectives, and all within an utterly satisfying frame
Regeneration 1991 Novel/War/Historical Fiction
Fatherland 1992 Thriller / Historical Fiction
Lake Wobegon Days 1985 Short Stories/Historical Fiction/Humour
Nostalgic, languid, imaginative,
warm, whimsical, indulgently tangental
McINTYRE, Vonda N.
The Moon and the Sun 1997 Historical Fiction/SF
Cleverly evoked ‘What If’ SF/French court romance
hybrid. Condescending historical revisionism
HMS Surprise (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 3) 1973 Historical Fiction/Action
Impressive weaving of professional and private lives in breathing detailed historical context
The Ionian Mission (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 8) 1981 Historical Fiction/Action
Keeps up the high standard
The Far Side of the Word (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 10) 1984 Historical Fiction/Action
More extremes of luck in this episode, but much was out of your control in the open sea
The Reverse of the Medal (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 11) 1986 Historical Fiction/Action
Just
keeps on delivering the goods, extraordinary
VIDAL, Gore
Creation 1981
5th Century BC celebrities. Scholarly, able, but hardly a page turner
Doomsday Book 1992 SF / Historical Fiction
Two concurrent storylines: one mired in triviality and stereotype; the other powerful and affecting
AUEL, Jean M.
The Clan of the Cave Bear 1980
Epic around a Homo sapiens heroine raised by Neanderthals
People of the Book 2008 Novel/Historical Fiction
Clever enough idea competently realised – but not really for me
DOYLE, Arthur Conan
Sir Nigel 1906
The 14th
century semi-quixotic adventures of a starry-eyed teen gaining knighthood
DUMAS, Alexandre
The Black Tulip 1850
Melodramatic romance, skulduggery thwarted at the 11th hour
KENEALLY, Thomas
The Playmaker 1987
Time and setting overwhelm characters
KENT, Alexander
The Flag Captain 1971
Adventure on the high seas. Not Patrick O’Brian, but not bad either
Atonement 2001 Novel/Historical Fiction
Too much setup, evocative war scenes, dubious dénouement
The Wine-Dark Sea (Aubrey/Maturin, Book 16) 1993
Still good, but perhaps more one for the fans
The Leper of Saint Giles 1981 Crime/Historical Fiction
Competent medieval whodunit
Katherine 1954
Dramatisation of common girl’s actual rise to mistress then wife of a 14th C. Duke
The Sound of Thunder (Sean Courtney series) 1966 Action/Historical Fiction
Engaging Boer war action, dubious ‘heroic’ character
Ordinary Heroes 2006 Historical Fiction (WW2)
Unconvinced by the frame, but some powerful characters and battle accounts
BARKER, Pat
Silence of the
Girls 2018 Historical Fiction (?)
Pedestrian retelling of The Illiad from female POV
Sharpe’s Company 1982 Historical Fiction/War
Authentic Napoleonic wars props and setting; absurd pantomime characters
Batavia 2012 Historical Fiction
A bit pointless: poor fictional elements impede the fascinating non-fictional ones
Captain Alatriste 1996 (trans. M.S. Peden, 2005) Historical Fiction/Action
Disappointing: more jingoism than intelligent historical action
C+
WOLFE, Gene
Soldier of the Mist 1986
Unusual, based around several interesting ideas but rarely gripping
C
DAVIS, Lindsay
Scandal Takes a Holiday 2004 Crime/Historical Fiction
Some OK research maybe, but
overwhelmed by contemporary cliché characters and glib voice
C–
The Vesuvius Club 2004 Historical Fiction/Humour
Farcical Moore-type Bond characters and plot; obscenity overdressed in big words
The Gryphon’s Skull (Hellenic Traders #2) 1975 Historical Fiction
Typical B-grade fantasy style characters: supposedly rough, capable, worldly commercial sailors in a dangerous trade talk like high schoolers