Ideas on novels?

I'm reading the Simon Scarrow "Eagle Series" it's very good but it seems a bit Miss Marple and takes too many liberties with the history. Anyone got any ideas of History Drama Novels I should read?

Thanks

Anything my Alexandre Dumas

Or Maurice Druon's "The Accursed Kings" novels

The Sharpe series.

The Gettysburg trinity - that's Gods and Generals, the Killer Angels, and the Last Full Measure.

I like the new Cornwell series about 7-8th century England, they follow King Alfred. It starts with The Last Kingdom.

Originally Posted by Evan_Kikla

The Sharpe series.

Right thats convinced me I will get Sharpes Tiger on my way home today... that is the first one right :hmmm:

If you like Romans I suggest the books from Conn Iggulden like "the doors of rome". It 6 or 7 books about Julius Cesar life (but they' rent factual books, they are a collection of novels). if you like the ancient greeks read some of the steven pressfield like "gates of fire" (its about the termophilae battle) or "the virtues of war" (its about alexander the great).

Chronologically Sharpe's Tiger is the first one - the first one he actually wrote was Sharpe's Eagle. Reading them by the order he wrote them in has some advantages, which is that you can begin to track where it became horribly and uselessly formulaic - his last four Sharpe books have been cut-and-paste from the text in previous books in the series. He should just leave it the hell alone, for pity's sake.

And if you dislike Simon Scarrow because of its historical silliness, you definitely should NOT read Conn Iggulden's 4-book Caesar series, because it is historical garbage from beginning to end. They're more like Conan-the-Barbarian style heroic-fantasy novel that just happen to use Julius Caesar as its main character.

Originally Posted by Cluny the Scourge

Chronologically Sharpe's Tiger is the first one - the first one he actually wrote was Sharpe's Eagle. Reading them by the order he wrote them in has some advantages, which is that you can begin to track where it became horribly and uselessly formulaic - his last four Sharpe books have been cut-and-paste from the text in previous books in the series. He should just leave it the hell alone, for pity's sake.

I'll read Sharpe's Tiger then see how I feel, lucky for me I don't know the formula he uses yet.

I read all Conn's books on Caesar,I thought they were ok apart from the Servillia bits, I also read Hannibal although I forgot the author and gates of fire which has been my favourite so far. It seems the main advice is to read the sharpe books,I will also try the virtues of war. Thanks Guys

I've finished a ton of good historic novels over the past six months or so. I recomend Michael Curtis Ford's books, my personal favorite is "The Last King", if you like any real ancient Mediterranean history. If you like Rome, try Conn Iggulden's Emperor series, following the life of Julius Caesar from his childhood to... uh, I don't know, probably when he dies. There are a lot of interesting novels from Ancient and Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. PM me if you're want to know about any more of them.

Originally Posted by LLXerxes

PM me if you're want to know about any more of them.

Thanks for the ideas and the offer

Thanks to all you guys for your ideas

I for one don't mind a little liberty being taken with my historical fiction..Withing reason of course... I'm currently reading Iggulden's Emperor series and i'm enjoying it. I mean as long as when Julius Caesar invades Gaul he's actually fighting Gallic tribes and not Dark Elves and Hobbits..then i'm good..

I'd recommend anything by Pressfield. The Masters of Rome series is pretty good...I believe the author is Colleen Mccullough. Pardon if i did not spell that correctly.

If you want something totally original..this is not historical fiction...rather..it's total sci/fi with a historical twist...try Dan Simmons..Ilium...great book.

I recommend Gods and Legions by Michael Curtis Ford. Its actually, in my opinion actually quite historically correct, or at least as accurate as you can get in historical fiction novels (as much as I love them, I never expect them to be accurate in all honesty). Gods and Legions is about Julian the Apostate, and is written from the perspective of his (Christian) Personal Surgeon.

Miss Marple? Historical Inaccuracy? Explain yourself man.

Yar har har!!! If ye's be thar REAL Simon Scarrow; Da Captain read thar first too boooks o' yurs, but tha series failed ta 'old me tight ta tha stickin' post. Yur centurion wuz fun ta read aboot, but 'is so called optio was a bloody mincing tart!
Fer dar original pooster, if ye be likin' a real 'istorical meal, ye moight want ta try Colleen McCullough's.
Cornwell's trilogy o' thar 'istorical Arthur be bloody fine too. Bloody fine!!!
**FART**
s'cuse me, too much bloodsausage fer breakfast.

Originally Posted by Simon Scarrow

Miss Marple? Historical Inaccuracy? Explain yourself man.

I mean that Cato and Macro seemed to have sorted out Germania on their own,and beat the brits and captured their leader singled handed (bit like a sly and arnie film) . As for miss marple ,the books seem to have a scooby do mystery in each of them.

Don't think it classifies a novel but has any one read Persian Fire or Rubicon by Tom Holland? I thought they were excellent. I'm not very proficient with computers so I don't know how to put a link in to an online bookshop but I'am interested in seeing what others have made of them.