dragons in the flower bed Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I'll take any setting except the U.S. (Pre-U.S. North America is okay.) I just don't want romance. I can not stand stories that are mostly about two people having a relationship. Yick. The last historical fiction I really liked was The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone. I also don't want YA fiction. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I just don't want romance. I can not stand stories that are mostly about two people having a relationship. Yick. What else is there??? That is the quality I most look for in something to read - add some suspense and mystery and what else do you need? I'm sorry I have no suggestions to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Some I've enjoyed: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley & Livingstone by Martin Dugard In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester And a few that are more biographies, but really good books: Dancer by Colum McCann Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark by Jane Fletcher Geniesse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I love books by Anya Seton. Particularly The Winthrop Woman. Also loved The Hearth and the Eagle. Her books are throughly researched and as accurate historically as they can be. The Winthrop Woman actually includes excerpts of letters from her FIL, John Wintrop who was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. There is some romance, but that isn't the main part of the story. I just thought it was fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I enjoyed While Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman. It's about the war for the English Throne in the 12th century and was quite entralling. There is some romance, though. Not enough to be annoying to me. Check it out on Amazon and see what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 In 2006, Bookmarks magazine featured an article on historical fiction including notes on their favorites. Here, also, is a list of historical fiction from the same magazine. Click on the book's title for the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 21, 2009 Author Share Posted February 21, 2009 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 His are mostly set in the post WWII through early Cold War period. They do involve some romance, but it doesn't overpower the narrative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I like James Clavell's books, even though there is some romance involved. "Poland" by James Mitchener is another of my favourites. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 How about The Other Boleyn Girl ? I haven't read it, but its on my list and came highly recommended by a friend. Have you read Pillars of the Earth? Or something more classic, when is the last time you read Dickens? I hated reading him in high school, but started reading him again when my ds was doing British Lit. I loved A Tale of Two Cities there is a reason we torture kids with this stuff. Something more modern, I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns you could almost call it historical fiction. It covers the lives of two women in a household in Afghanistan starting before the Russians came and ending after the Americans came. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 My vote would be The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl. Both are really good historical fiction. When you are finished reading them, buy The Tudors, the showtime miniseries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I'll take any setting except the U.S. (Pre-U.S. North America is okay.) I just don't want romance. I can not stand stories that are mostly about two people having a relationship. Yick. The last historical fiction I really liked was The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone. I also don't want YA fiction. Any suggestions? OHHH you are so up my alley here! Sarah Dunant is a great author - somebody already mentioned 'In the Company of a Courtesan,' but her first one, 'The Birth of Venus,' is one of my all-time favorites. Edward Rutherfurd is a great historical novelist; he writes sagas that begin in ancient times and typically end today (light on the 'today' part). Robert Harris has written a couple of historial fiction books that aren't half-bad though not my favorites. I adored Conn Iggulden's books on Caesar, and I really want to get around to reading his novels on Genghis Khan. You said pre-US history would be okay... I'm not sure how this would count in your book, but there's a book by Christian Cameron called 'Washington and Caesar' that I really liked. It's set during the Revolutionary War. OK, hope those are helpful. Enjoy :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 My husband read two by Jeff Shaara, Glorious Cause and Rise to Rebellion. He is not a big reader and he loved them both. I believe they are both from the American Revolution time period. I'm going to read them on our upcoming vacation. Through my book club, I have enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl and The Red Tent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 My favorites: Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, by Ken Follett The Source by James Michener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkett Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 My favorites:Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, by Ken Follett Ditto the two listed above. While they are very long books, the are very readable and really grab your interest. Both of these were books I could not put down. Someone else mentioned The Other Boleyn Girl. Excellent book. Snowflower and the Secret Fan is also very good and very informative. Enjoy! Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) I'll take any setting except the U.S. (Pre-U.S. North America is okay.) I just don't want romance. I can not stand stories that are mostly about two people having a relationship. Yick. The last historical fiction I really liked was The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone. I also don't want YA fiction. Any suggestions? Imperium by Robert Harris. It's an account of the earlier days of Cicero as told by his scribe / slave. It's rather interesting and exciting -- although at first glance one would not think that possible of a book concentrated on Roman politics. Dh and I both enjoyed it very much. Robert Harris has also written other good historical fiction. Pompeii springs to mind as another good one of his. I love Umberto Eco, and was not disappointed in his novel Baudolino. It is a tale of a traveler in early Medieval times. Steven Saylor writes on Roman history as well. His books are a kind of detective story / historical fiction blend. Oh, and I recently read Sepulchre by Kate Mosse. It is excellent. A blend of historical, contemporary and mystery with a dash of the occult thrown in for good measure, two alternating plot lines that collide, a solid character development and well researched history. Edited February 21, 2009 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Somehow I don't think any of these will completely fit all your criteria, but here are some titles to consider. BEST of luck finding some reading material! Warmly, Lori D. Non-Fiction - The Bog People: Iron Age Man Preserved (P.V. Glob) -- fascinating glimpse into Celtic times through modern discoveries Modern Times - Swallows of Kabul (Yasmina Khadra) -- well written tragic accounts of several couples living under the repressive Taliban in Afganistan - A Year in Provence (Mayle) -- humorous antecdotes of the English author trying to live in a small French town - A Heard the Owl Call My Name (Craven) -- very moving account of a young terminally ill priest who goes to minister to (and be ministered by) Canadian Native Americans in a very rural area World War 2 - The Hiding Place (Cory TenBoom) -- such a moving autobiography! - Escape From Colditz -- combo of 2 books by same author who was an English POW in the German castle converted into a prison camp - The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II (Gregory A. Freeman) -- I haven't read this myself, but have heard it was a fascinating little known true story 1930s - All Creatures Great and Small (and sequels) (Herriot) -- these are humorous and sometimes poignant 1910-12 - A Day of Pleasure (Singer) -- autobiographical sketches of life in pre-WW1 Jewish ghetto of Warsaw Poland US Colonial - John Adams (McCullough) -- fascinating non-fiction autobiography of Adams (and his wife Abigail) 1500s Japan - Silence (Endu) -- well written tragic historical fiction; European missionary priest in Japan loses his faith - The Samurai (Endu) -- well written tragic historical fiction; a minor Japanese samurai becomes a Christian, endures an amazing journey across the Pacific, central America and the Atlantic to visit the Pope, then all the way back to Japan -- only to be martyred by his Japanese warlord 1100s - Cadfael series (Peters) -- soldier/sailor turned monk who solves mysteries; a lot of historical, political, societal elements in these detective stories Ancient Rome - Ben Hur (Wallace) Edited February 21, 2009 by Lori D. added info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The Living, by Annie Dillard. It's the story of the first settlers to the northern Pacific region of the USA (Washington State, nearby islands). It starts with a family on a wagon train, and follows several generations. She's a wonderful author, and this book is difficult to put down. I don't remember any romance, but there is raw reality of living (and dying) in the wilderness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Imperium by Robert Harris. It's an account of the earlier days of Cicero as told by his scribe / slave. It's rather interesting and exciting -- although at first glance one would not think that possible of a book concentrated on Roman politics. Dh and I both enjoyed it very much. Robert Harris has also written other good historical fiction. Pompeii springs to mind as another good one of his. I second Imperium - I blazed right through that one. Pompeii was pretty good, but I only hung on to read about Vesuvius blowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Oh, and I guess this counts as historical fiction.... I, Claudius by Robert Graves. Excellent book. Love it. I haven't read the sequel yet, but plan to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Sarah Dunant is a great author - somebody already mentioned 'In the Company of a Courtesan,' but her first one, 'The Birth of Venus,' is one of my all-time favorites. ... I really want to get around to reading his novels on Genghis Khan. LOL. See, I liked "In the Company of the Courtesan" much better than "The Birth of Venus". "The Birth of Venus" had some great parts, but overall I wasn't thrilled with the book. Hmmmm. I need to look up the Genghis Khan books. Those sound very interesting. Thanks for mentioning them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Sarem is one of my absolute favorites. It's a history of the Salisbury Plain area of England, encompassing prehistoric history, the building of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, and so much more. Great read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Snowflower and the Secret Fan is also very good and very informative. Enjoy! Val I was going to suggest that one! It is fabulous! I am reading The Street of A Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama, and it is great! It is set in Tokyo during WWII. I love it so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 A series I really enjoyed is the Williamsburg novels by Elswyth Thane. By Dawn's Early Light is one of them. There were 7 altogether following a family through time from the American revolution up to WWII. They are set mainly in America and England. I know you said you didn't want American, but that is the only one I could think of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 People of the Book was very good! I really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 The Maturin/Aubrey novels (Master and Commander) by Patrick O'Brien are great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Thank you! I have read most of Penman's books. They are are quite good. I really enjoyed the series about Simon de Montfort's family. De Montfort battled with the king for years to make him hold up his end of the Magna Carta. She does have a lighter series that I enjoyed much less. They are mysteries set in the court of Eleanor of Acquitain. I think the first is The Queen's Man. If you're not a romance person, they would probably appeal less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Anything by Mary Renault. She writes about Ancient Greece, so there is lots of mention of male/male and sometimes female/female relationships, but nothing too explicit. The novels are primarily cultural/political, rather than romantic. My interest in the ancient world stems directly from reading her novels as a teenager, but I've re-read a few recently, and they stand up well as adult reads too. I second the recommendation of Robert Harris. I also like Conn Iggulden, although they are less complex and can be brutal. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I really enjoyed: A Fine Balance - "a splendid tale of contemporary India that, in chronicling the sufferings of outcasts and innocents trying to survive in the 'State of Internal Emergency' of the 1970s, grapples with the great question of how to live in the face of death and despair." The Good Earth - "A poignant tale about the life and labors of a Chinese farmer during the sweeping reign of the country's last emperor." Wild Swans - a biography/autobiography of a grandmother, mother, and daughter (written by the daughter) who lived during and after the communists took power in China. The Red Tent - "Skillfully interweaving biblical tales with events and characters of her own invention, Diamant's sweeping first novel re-creates the life of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from her birth and happy childhood in Mesopotamia through her years in Canaan and death in Egypt. When Dinah reaches puberty and enters the Red Tent (the place women visit to give birth or have their monthly periods), her mother and Jacob's three other wives initiate her into the religious and sexual practices of the tribe." Not much romance in any of these. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeathenMom Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 http://www.amazon.com/Eifelheim-Michael-Flynn/dp/0765319101/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235341276&sr=8-1 sorry for the sloppy link! i just finished Eifelheim by Michael Flynn and it is a VERY unique historical fiction...and absolutely no bodice ripping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 It's a lot of battles & blood which is a bit more than I care for but I'm enjoying them. http://www.bernardcornwell.net/index2.cfm?page=1&seriesid=10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I'll take any setting except the U.S. (Pre-U.S. North America is okay.) I just don't want romance. I can not stand stories that are mostly about two people having a relationship. Yick. The last historical fiction I really liked was The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone. I also don't want YA fiction. Any suggestions? There is a good portion of history in most of Anne Perry's books. They are almost all set in Victorian England. While sometimes something like a romance is weaved into the plot it's never the main aspect. Don't know what YA is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 (edited) My vote would be The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl. Both are really good historical fiction. When you are finished reading them, buy The Tudors, the showtime miniseries. To get the history leading up to the Tudors--"The Sunne in Splendour" by Sharon Kay Penman. Covers the War of the Roses & has a different take on Richard III. Also "London: The Novel" by Edward Rutherfurd. Covers the history of the city from the VERY beginning. Paperback has 1500 pgs so it'll keep you busy for a while too. Edited February 22, 2009 by K-FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 There is a good portion of history in most of Anne Perry's books. They are almost all set in Victorian England. While sometimes something like a romance is weaved into the plot it's never the main aspect.Don't know what YA is? YA is Young Adult in Library Parlance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 YA is Young Adult in Library Parlance. I was just clicking through to say the same thing! Sorry. Didn't realize it was library parlance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Anything by Mary Renault. She writes about Ancient Greece, so there is lots of mention of male/male and sometimes female/female relationships, but nothing too explicit. Queer positive fiction is fine with me. Also, I don't mind sex but I'd rather avoid gore. ETA - On 2nd thought, sex without romance sounds kind of lousy too. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Someone else mentioned it but I'll throw another vote for People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. It was really fabulous. I've also liked the others by Geraldine Brooks, March (the story of the father in Little Women from his perspective away fighting the Civil War) and The Year of Wonders (about one small town during the plague in England). Of the three I liked People of the Book the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 What a wonderful list to choose from! Thank you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I was just clicking through to say the same thing! Sorry. Didn't realize it was library parlance. Thanks for the clarification. Anne Perry is not what I would categorize YA, in fact some subject matters may not be suitable for young adults. While Perry is not very explicit, I would not want a young person reading some of her books, other may be all right. Either way, all of them deal with historical customs / events of the time period depicted. (YA: I am thinking of 15-16 yrs and up???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Alright.....I know you said no romance but I just had to throw this in here because it is also wonderful historical fiction. Sorry if this was already mentioned as I don't have time to read all the posts. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Wonderful. She really knows the time period and the places she writes about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 One I really enjoyed but haven't seen mentioned here is The Passion of Artemesia by Susan Vreeland, which in spite of the title is not a romance at all, but about the Italian Renassance painter Artemesia Gentileschi. I have The Other Boelyn Girl on my shelf but haven't read it yet - I thought it was a romance, or at least fairly soapy? The movie made from it certainly got reviews that led me to think in that direction... This is a great thread. I'm also not big on romance as the main theme, and really dislike any bodice-ripping. The only stories with romance as the main theme that I really liked were the ones by Mary Stewart - girl gets boy, but very clean. I read those in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 The Memoirs of Hadrian by M. Yourcenar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunkirst Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Queer positive fiction is fine with me. Also, I don't mind sex but I'd rather avoid gore. ETA - On 2nd thought, sex without romance sounds kind of lousy too. :/ Don't skip Mary Renault! The relationships portrayed are not at all what we might consider "stereo-typical" GLB. Renault has such a complete feel for ancient Greece that the relationships are in no way reminiscent of our modern era - even the typical hetero stuff. They're just "Greek." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 The Maturin/Aubrey novels (Master and Commander) by Patrick O'Brien are great fun. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slug hollow Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I've really enjoyed Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380710811/ref=nosim/dannyyeesbook-20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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