Good Historical Fiction?

[Spear Dog]

All good books, I've read many of the above - I envy those that haven't read Patrick O'Brian yet, you have such a 20 novels treat awaiting you.

Robert Graves is something of a supremo when it comes to dramatised historical fiction and I would recommend 'Wife to Mr.Milton: the story of Marie Powell' as one of the most detailed insights into the events that led up to the execution of Charles I. Marie Powell was the wife of John Milton who wrote the epic poem Paradise Lost. It is the most amazing reconstruction of life in that pre-civil war period of early to mid 17th century London I've come across (a period that is a particular favourite of mine when it comes to historical fiction, encompassing as it does the execution of the Monarch, the English Civil War, the Great Plague and the Fire of London rounding out with the Restoration of Charles II finally ushering England, belatedly, into renaissance).

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Everyone brings up Bernard Cornwell because of the Sharpe series, The Last Kingdom or the Warlord Chronicles.

[Commissar Caligula_]

Everyone brings up Bernard Cornwell because of the Sharpe series, The Last Kingdom or the Warlord Chronicles.

His Grail Quest series was ok. His books aren't spectacular, they all follow the same style pretty much (although that complaint applies to a lot of series).

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

His works are mostly the one man adventure in a given historical setting.

[Condottiere 40K]

Samuel Pepys' diary.

[Commissar Caligula_]

Samuel Pepys' diary.

I see we've got a mad lad over here. Its strange because just yesterday I was listening to a podcast with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington talking about Pepy's diary.

[Spear Dog]

George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series, my go-to man for Victorian military history - extremely humorous and one of my all-time favourite authors based on this series. He does factual, fully referenced reconstructions of famous moments from the British Empire's mid to late Victorian era military history. Usually based on first hand accounts, with a few v.minor, subtle twists to masterfully insert his anti-hero Flashman right into the centre of the action. Historical accuracy is his trademark.

Samuel Pepys' diary.

Not fiction.

[Condottiere 40K]

[TheDarkKnight]

Has anyone watched Our World War? Pretty good WWI miniseries on Netflix.

Surprisingly emotional for how they structured the series with only one story per episode rather than doing a full "season" with the same characters.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

I came across Three Kingdoms TV series which is publically avaiable on YouTube, +90 episodes so there's a lot to enjoy of. At the beginning I found the fantasy fight scenes with ridiculously OP superheroes funny but eventually I got used to it. What I really liked this show compared to the most other series out there was that the screentime had less love triangles but more the real stuff like plotting, warfare, Sun Tzu... Basically GoT without boobs in a nutshell.

That's pretty much how I would describe it. Closest thing we have to a love triangle is the Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Diaochan stuff and that ends about as well as you would think given that the two guys are Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo... interpret that as you will.

[TheDarkKnight]

I'm really...REALLY...trying to like Frontier on Netflix. It's only six episodes a season (and already renewed for a third) but I find it so difficult to follow. It's not really bad in any way, it's just so forgettable on an episode by episode basis.

The only real saving grace is Jason Momoa and I'm still not sure he can save it really.

[TheDarkKnight]

I'm really...REALLY...trying to like Frontier on Netflix. It's only six episodes a season (and already renewed for a third) but I find it so difficult to follow. It's not really bad in any way, it's just so forgettable on an episode by episode basis.

The only real saving grace is Jason Momoa and I'm still not sure he can save it really.

Ahahaha

Here I am a year later.

After a promising start this season was just...eh?

The annoying thing is...Momoa's involvement makes me feel like this show should be better. He's not the best actor in the world but he always has a commanding presence. And while the show has excellent (though still limited) production values and films on location in Canada it just does not click with me. The writing this season was all over the place and it ends in just such an awkward way.

I know I should give up on this show because it always takes too long to get through but I like them cause they are short seasons and cover an interesting time period. It kind of scratches the itch that shows like Hell on Wheels leave behind...Shows that depict living on the edge of civilization.

But...eh. 6 episodes every year isn't a huge commitment. If it gets renewed, great. If not, no big loss.

Though between the three historical fiction seasons released on Netflix this past month (Last Kingdom, Narcos, and this) this was easily the weakest.

[TheDarkKnight]

Whelp...i have downloaded Deadwood to my kindle for gym visits.

This ought to be a fun ride. Should be done in time for the revival movie

[King Athelstan]

The Lost Legion trilogy by Ben Kane is a good read, quite entertaining.
Valerio Massimo Manfredi is one of my favourite authors, I started reading his books a couple of years back and found them very enjoyable.
Simon Scarrow too I like, and Bernard Cornwell.
Another book I quite enjoyed was Roma by Steven Saylor. It's very unique, as instead of following just a few people, it follows a family for several generations, going through the history of Rome

[Morifea]

@King Athelstan: I`ve read Manfredis Books about Alexander, very enjoyable indeed! Do you have other recommendations of this author?

[King Athelstan]

@King Athelstan: I`ve read Manfredis Books about Alexander, very enjoyable indeed! Do you have other recommendations of this author?

The Lost legion was the first I read, I loved it. Ides Of March is good if you're into hardcore political plotting. Tyrant is also one of his better books, and so is Empire of Dragons. Those are the ones I remember off the top of my head, been some time since I read a lot of him, currently reading The Wheel of Time series. Oh, And Pharaoh was one of the books I liked less

[The Wandering Storyteller]

I have so many historical fiction book recommendations - there's a lot of diverse periods. Indian, Japanese, Egyptian, Roman, not much on China.

I have some great shows - Ministry of Time. Seriously, you're missing out on this fantastic Spanish Historical Sci-fi series. Brilliant!

[TheDarkKnight]

Generation Kill

Finally watched it.

Twas great, but I find it difficult to really feel moved by it in the same way as Band of Brothers or the Pacific.

Anyone else feel this way?

[Pinarius]

I recommend James Clavell's Shogun which is set before Tokugawa shogunate was formed. While the book may overexaggerate japanese culture, it will offer good life lessons. I wonder if there are similar books like this.

I've read that book , too, after having seen the mini-series from 1980 with Toshiro Mifune, John Rhys-Davies and Richard Chamberlain. Seems that there's a new adaption in the making: https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/fx-...un-1202894554/

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Shogun but its pornographic Game of Thrones. Please no.

I saw the original Shogun. It was an okay adventure story but the lack of historicity annoyed me.