Accurate historical fiction suggestions?

[Joules]

I'm looking for a variety of historical fiction for ds16.  He wants options that are well researched and accurate for the time period.  He already knows more history than I do, so I'm not much help.  I don't know (or always care) if the details are exactly right. 

 

Could I get recommendations of favorite authors and historical novels that you or your teens have enjoyed?  Or great lists online of options?

 

 

Thanks!

[SarahW]

Does he want modern-written HF, or fiction written during a historical period? There's a difference.

 

Which time period?

 

As far as accuracy, imo what passes for historical fiction these days (Philippa Gregory and et. al.) doesn't deserve to have the word "historical" in them, they are so awful.

 

For high school studies, I think a selection of historical literature would be appropriate.

[Lori D.]

Well, if accuracy is most important, then I'd suggest non-fiction rather than historical fiction. Good fiction is about telling a gripping story and developing character; when put together with history, in order to create better fiction, facts often get fudged or completely changed in order to better serve the themes and characterizations that the author is trying to develop. JMO. :)

 

Some engaging non-fiction ideas:

- works by Albert Marrin are highly recommended on this Board

- The Forgotten 500: Untold Story of Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of WWII (Freeman)

- Escape From Colditz (Reid) -- autobiography of British WW2 POWs in Germany

- Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (Lansing)

- "Creating a high school non-fiction reading list"

- "If I loved the book Unbroken, what other historical non-fiction books?"

- "Non-fiction titles you have thoroughly enjoyed" (a mix of history-based and other types of non-fiction)

 

 

If you do decide to go with historical fiction, I strongly recommend avoiding GA Henty's works -- JMO, but I find them to be historically inaccurate and poorly written (lack of character development, horrible ethnic/racial stereotyping…).

 

Is there a particular time period DS is interested in? That may spark more ideas. And, hopefully others will jump in with more ideas for you! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

[Liza Q]

The King Must Die by Mary Renault. But you may want to preread it - several racy bits! I read it in High School English and it was one of my favorites as a teen.

 

The Daughter of Time by Jospehine Tey. Another favorite from my teen years.

 

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. The historical bits are better than the sci-fi bits, I think, but it is a good read altogether. Won the Hugo and Nebula awards.

 

I believe that these are all well-researched...but they are fiction, so they can't exactly be accurate, kwim? My older daughters particularly enjoyed these as teens.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Joules]

I guess I should have given more information, but it seemed to get rambling so I cut it short. 

 

First, he's read lots of fiction, but more sci-fi and fantasy, and lots of "literature," and that includes things written in the time written about and books written about past times (which I guess fall under historical literature?).  I don't want to paste a long reading list, but everything from Homer and Dante to Dickens, Fitzgerald and Faulkner. 

 

Sometimes I don't exactly understand what he is looking for or why, but these are my thoughts:  He's interested for two reasons: He wants to branch out and read more in different genres and he is a budding author.  He writes fantasy which is in a made-up world, but wants to see how good authors integrate accurate historical settings and details with interesting characters and stories. 

 

I think the best case of what he's looking for is great historical fiction written by a historian (similar to Kathy Reichs writing about forensic anthropology.)  He's open to any time periods, but the ones he threw out were the history of the Indus Valley, Greece after Alexander, and Germany when it was still a large number of city-states.  The other interest was Athens or any other area during a rapid period of intellectual growth.  (I think I miss the days when we wanted a book on dinosaurs. Period.)

 

He does like non-fiction and I'm passing on the lists you posted, Lori, but it isn't quite what he's looking for.

 

I hope that helps, it seemed like a simple question when I asked, but historical fiction really is a broad term.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I watched a Coursera class last year on historical fiction, and here are some of the books it covered:

 

Jane Alison, The Love Artist - about Ovid
Geraldine Brooks, Year of Wonders - set in England during the plague year of 1665. based on true events (i.e. plague villages).  This author has a bunch of other good historical fic, too.
Yangsze Choo, The Ghost Bride - set in Malaysia in 19th century
Katherine Howe, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - goes back and forth between present day and early 1600s in New England
Mary Beth Keane, Fever - story of Typhoid Mary, turn of century New York

 

Of these, I liked Year of Wonders and Fever best.  But they were all very well-researched books.  

 

ETA: Given what you described about him, I think he might really enjoy this course, it discusses a lot of his interests, includes interviews with the authors, and discusses several other authors and books.  I don't know when it will be offered again, but it was a really good course.

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I get it.  Historical fiction by actual historians can be fantastic.  I like Allison Weir's novels about the Tudor dynasty for this reason.  I also liked the Hilary Mantel books (Wolf Hall and others) set in the reign of Henry VIII.  But that's the wrong time period for your son.  

[Cosmos]

The King Must Die by Mary Renault. But you may want to preread it - several racy bits! I read it in High School English and it was one of my favorites as a teen.

 

The Daughter of Time by Jospehine Tey. Another favorite from my teen years.

 

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. The historical bits are better than the sci-fi bits, I think, but it is a good read altogether. Won the Hugo and Nebula awards.

 

I believe that these are all well-researched...but they are fiction, so they can't exactly be accurate, kwim? My older daughters particularly enjoyed these as teens.

.

 

Ooh, Daughter of Time and Doomsday Book are two of my favorite books, so I will definitely look for the other one. Send me more of your suggestions, Liza Q. I think we have similar taste. :)

 

OP, your request is perfectly reasonable! Historical fiction is a popular genre with many folks. No need to justify it. And as with other genres, some is really good and some is really awful. I'm a mystery fan myself, and it's difficult to find the good stuff sometimes when there are so many awful mystery books flooding the market.

 

When I think of big names in historical fiction, I think of Ken Follett, Edward Rutherford, and James Michener. I know they are popular, but I don't know how authentic their books are. Has he tried any of those?

[Joules]

I watched a Coursera class last year on historical fiction, and here are some of the books it covered:

 

ETA: Given what you described about him, I think he might really enjoy this course, it discusses a lot of his interests, includes interviews with the authors, and discusses several other authors and books.  I don't know when it will be offered again, but it was a really good course.

 

That course sounds great.  I'll see if it is still listed to put on my watch list.

[Joules]

 

 

And as with other genres, some is really good and some is really awful. I'm a mystery fan myself, and it's difficult to find the good stuff sometimes when there are so many awful mystery books flooding the market.

 

When I think of big names in historical fiction, I think of Ken Follett, Edward Rutherford, and James Michener. I know they are popular, but I don't know how authentic their books are. Has he tried any of those?

 

The awful books do make it hard.  I've definitely read my share of bad historical fiction (and probably some I liked and didn't realize was inaccurate.)  I didn't want to turn him off the genre with my suggestions.

 

Michener is the one I suggested.  I don't have the time to get lost in a long book like that nowadays, but I loved his books when I was younger.

 

[Liza Q]

Leon Uris? I did like Exodus and Trinity as a teen.

[Lori D.]

I think the best case of what he's looking for is great historical fiction written by a historian (similar to Kathy Reichs writing about forensic anthropology.)  He's open to any time periods, but the ones he threw out were the history of the Indus Valley, Greece after Alexander, and Germany when it was still a large number of city-states.  The other interest was Athens or any other area during a rapid period of intellectual growth.

 

Stumbled on this lengthy downloadable article by an author who writes historical fiction set in the Indus Valley. Your DS may enjoy the full Google books version of Vasant Davé explaining How I Wrote a Pre-Historic Novel (his research, his influences, etc.).

 

Don't know how historically accurate, but here are historical fiction works set in the Indus Valley of the Bronze Age:

- Trade Winds to Meluhha (Vasant Davé)

- Winter on the Plain of Ghosts: A Novel of Mohenjodaro (Eileen Kernaghan)

- Shiva trilogy: The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, Oath of the Vayuputras (Amish Tripathi)

[Cosmos]

Leon Uris? I did like Exodus and Trinity as a teen.

 

Oh, yes! Me too.

 

And that reminds me of Herman Wouk, one of my favorite authors of all time. I'm not sure his books qualify as historical fiction, though, since his books are about times he lived through. And they aren't the right era for the OP's son, anyway. Scratch that thought!

[HS Mom in NC]

I like Bernard Cornwell when it comes to adult level historical fiction.  He has a reputation for being well researched, but I have no way of knowing if it's warranted or not beyond my own non-fiction historical reading, which is probably higher than average for an American but in no way qualifies as expertise. I read his Saxon Tales (from the time of the Vikings in Northern England when Alfred was king) and it seemed very solid to me.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bernard-Cornwell/e/B000APAB68/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1403650666&sr=1-2-ent

[Liza Q]

Cosmos - I haven't read Wouk....just put him on the list. Tx!

 

And HSMominAZ, thanks for reccing Cornwell. I read some Sharpe books when my children were little, but I did not realize that he had written so much. The Saxon Tales look like great fun! More for the list! I have 5 entire weeks with no school and, hopefully, no planning, in July and I have a nice stack of books to get through!

 

Joules ..maybe Brother Cadfael? I realize that none of my recommendations are in his eras/areas, but I figured it was worth throwing them out there.

[Kareni]

These are not at all what you asked for, but I wonder if they might be of interest anyway given your son's interest in writing.

 

What If?: The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been by Robert Cowley

 

 

What If? II: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been by Robert Cowley

 

What Ifs? Of American History: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been by Robert Cowley

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Jamee]

I learned more about World War II from Herman Wouk and Leon Uris than any history book. Winds of War and War and Remembrance are amazing--good miniseries too.

 

For earlier history, I've really been enjoing Cornwell's Anglo Saxon series.

 

Need to follow this thread for more suggestions. LOVE historical fiction.

[Joules]

Wow! Some absolutely fabulous suggestions. I'm wishing I didn't have so much on my plate and could curl up with some of these books.

 

Thank you!

[maize]

I enjoyed books by Cynthia Harnett.

[basketcase]

So these might be on the girly side for some guys, but my husband reads them as much as I do - 

 

Georgette Heyer's research is legendary. Her more serious works deal with actual historical events, and her more popular lighter works are simply set in historical periods - For one that features real events, I'd start with An Infamous Army (about the Battle of Waterloo) http://www.amazon.com/An-Infamous-Army-Wellington-Waterloo/dp/1402210078/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&qid=1403715111&sr=8-43&keywords=georgette+heyer For fun, there are lots of choices. Yes, they're historical romances, but they're clean, beautifully paced, and the history is perfect. All the others are just trying to recreate her magic, in my biased opinion. Try These Old Shades or The Grand Sophy. (I don't recommend The Black Moth, even though it's free on Kindle. It was her first novel, and she got much better later.)

 

Elizabeth Peters is another expert. She's an archaeologist who mostly writes about late 19th century excavations in Egypt. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the best place to start on the series (plus, it's funny and adorable), and Tomb of the Golden Bird might be another interesting one. While the other books mostly have events happening in the background, this novel's plot is focused on the discovery of King Tutankhamon's tomb. It's interesting to see how she carefully weaves her story to remain historically accurate and true to her characters.  http://www.amazon.com/Crocodile-Sandbank-Amelia-Peabody-Book/dp/1455572357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403715440&sr=8-1&keywords=elizabeth+peters

 http://www.amazon.com/Tomb-Golden-Amelia-Peabody-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B000OVLK0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403715641&sr=8-1&keywords=elizabeth+peters+golden+bird

 

Maybe the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters? They're mysteries set in medieval England.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I love Georgette Heyer!  :001_tt1:  I started reading these when I was 11 or 12 and I think I've read everything she wrote, multiple times.  I often attribute my large vocabulary to a steady diet of Georgette Heyer novels!  The romances do strike me as more girly, but the more historical works - The Conqueror, about William, My Lord John, set in the late 1300s, and Royal Escape, about Bonny Prince Charlie - would be equally interesting to boys, i think.  The main characters are male, at least, and the main focus isn't the love interest, but the lives of the characters.

[Liza Q]

I love Heyer...but I 2nd the more historical books. My son would not be pleased if I handed him The Corinthian lol!!

 

Elizabeth Peters' The Jackal's Head was another huge favorite when I was a teen but I think it is pretty romantic - chicklit in a marvelously real Egypt, kwim?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I guess I should have given more information, but it seemed to get rambling so I cut it short. 

 

First, he's read lots of fiction, but more sci-fi and fantasy, and lots of "literature," and that includes things written in the time written about and books written about past times (which I guess fall under historical literature?).  I don't want to paste a long reading list, but everything from Homer and Dante to Dickens, Fitzgerald and Faulkner. 

 

Sometimes I don't exactly understand what he is looking for or why, but these are my thoughts:  He's interested for two reasons: He wants to branch out and read more in different genres and he is a budding author.  He writes fantasy which is in a made-up world, but wants to see how good authors integrate accurate historical settings and details with interesting characters and stories. 

 

I think the best case of what he's looking for is great historical fiction written by a historian (similar to Kathy Reichs writing about forensic anthropology.)  He's open to any time periods, but the ones he threw out were the history of the Indus Valley, Greece after Alexander, and Germany when it was still a large number of city-states.  The other interest was Athens or any other area during a rapid period of intellectual growth.  (I think I miss the days when we wanted a book on dinosaurs. Period.)

 

He does like non-fiction and I'm passing on the lists you posted, Lori, but it isn't quite what he's looking for.

 

I hope that helps, it seemed like a simple question when I asked, but historical fiction really is a broad term.

 

Michael Shaara has written several very good books about the US Revolution, the Civil War and the Mexican War. 

 

Rick Atkinson has written a few books, which are vividly written.  His most recent are a trilogy on World War II.  These aren't actually fiction, but the writing in them is lush.  Atkinson has a couple sample chapters up on his website.

 

Sharon Kaye Penman has a number of books set in medieval England.  She tends to set a couple fictional characters in amongst all the historical figures.  I particularly liked the book about the war between King Stephen and Empress Maude and the Simon de Montfort trilogy.

 

Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series - shorter mysteries also set during the Stephen/Maude war

 

Les Miserables I didn't make it too far into this book. But every single chapter was a delight

 

Patrick O'Brien Master & Commander series.  Suggested with reservations.  I think this is a better series for adults than youth. Not because there is anything particularly graphic in it (although the captain is a womanizer and the doctor has an ongoing unrequited love interest through several books), but because there is so much in the books that revolves around disappointment in life (professionally and  romantically) that I found as much as I appreciated the language when I was younger, I really didn't love the books until I'd had many more trips around the sun.

 

M. M. Kaye  - The Shadow of the Moon and The Far Pavilions  (India during the British colonial period)

 

1632 SF series by Eric Flint.  This is an alternate history series where a West Virginia town from our time is transported to Thüringen during the 30 Years' War.  It is a delightful romp. Very fictional, but respectful of history.  I very much like the short story collections, some of which are written by other SF writers and some of which are well done fan fiction that were collected by Flint.  The series does a lovely job of exploring the historical consequences of the town's movement (Yes they have trucks, but fuel is limited. Ditto with bullets. The high school library is an intelligence treasure trove that the French send spies to infiltrate.) 

 

 

 

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thought of a couple more

 

Harris. Pompei

Wouk. Winds of War

Uris QBVII

[MicheleinMN]

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - Hands down one of the best books I've read.

[FloridaLisa]

James Michener has some great books like Poland and Hawaii.

I loved Leon Uris when I was in high school. 

 

Lisa

 

[basketcase]

I love Georgette Heyer!  :001_tt1:  I started reading these when I was 11 or 12 and I think I've read everything she wrote, multiple times.  I often attribute my large vocabulary to a steady diet of Georgette Heyer novels!  The romances do strike me as more girly, but the more historical works - The Conqueror, about William, My Lord John, set in the late 1300s, and Royal Escape, about Bonny Prince Charlie - would be equally interesting to boys, i think.  The main characters are male, at least, and the main focus isn't the love interest, but the lives of the characters.

Yay, another fan! My Georgette Heyer shelf is often looking a little thin, because all the books are next to my bed!

 

I agree - the histories are going to go over better with a boy. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I loved Leon Uris in high school too, and I really do think I learned a lot of history from him - Exodus and Trinity in particular.  

[basketcase]

A couple more - Connie Willis might be right up his street. She has several sci-fi books dealing with historical settings. A time machine - I can't remember a lot of details, except some pretty intense descriptions of the plague in one. 

 

Take this one for what it is, but Orson Scott Card's books fictionalizing women of the Old Testament (the Women of Genesis series) are pretty interesting. Mostly for the way he fleshed out such brief stories into contemporary novels. Frankly, they're a little too similar to each other, so reading one would give you the picture.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

Of these, I liked Year of Wonders....

 

I did too, except the very end. Did you find it odd?  It seemed rushed or stilted or something, if I remember correctly...it's been several years...

[Chrysalis Academy]

I did too, except the very end. Did you find it odd?  It seemed rushed or stilted or something, if I remember correctly...it's been several years...

 

Yeah, it was . . . different.  Odd and not entirely believable.  Endings are hard, right? I can't tell you how many books I really liked . . . except the end.

 

SPOILER ALERT!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was at least glad it didn't end with the boy and girl getting together . . . I like perverse endings to my books, but this was a little exotic and improbable, I admit.

[Liza Q]

A couple more - Connie Willis might be right up his street. She has several sci-fi books dealing with historical settings. A time machine - I can't remember a lot of details, except some pretty intense descriptions of the plague in one. 

 

 

 

That is Doomsday Book - powerful. To Say Nothing of the Dog was a scream, with a hysterical riff on Three Men in a Boat.

 

I really enjoy Willis - sc-fi, drama or comedy, and historical fiction all together. I remember when Blackout came out, and SWB commented that she was annoyed that it just stopped halfway - we had to wait several months for the sequel and she disapproved lol.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

That is Doomsday Book - powerful. To Say Nothing of the Dog was a scream, with a hysterical riff on Three Men in a Boat.

 

I really enjoy Willis - sc-fi, drama or comedy, and historical fiction all together. I remember when Blackout came out, and SWB commented that she was annoyed that it just stopped halfway - we had to wait several months for the sequel and she disapproved lol.

So I have this image of an author stand off. I'll publish a sequel when you finish the next history book or writing level.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I can only second several of the suggestions here...

 

Daughter of Time is one of my favorites.  Biased history but well researched.  Recent archeological evidence may change how one reads this now though... good basis for analysis.

 

Penman, Peters, and Shaara are also all wonderful. 

 

Margaret George plays a little more fast and loose with historical fact but does it quite well.

 

And for goodness sake--don't think that Phillipa Gregory is history -- it is fiction in a historical setting.