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My favorite historical novel books
16
items Yes, I know, I read a lot. And I love nothing more than a great adventure novel with an accurate historical background so that you learn about history while having fun. Hopefully I'll make you discover some new authors too.
There are 20 books in the series and I think I've read them all 6 times. This is the first one. Patrick O'Brian is one of my favorite writers of all times! Characters have depth, the plots are different in each book, there is a lot of adventure and e...
Master and Commander| Patrick O'Brian
#2 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. The second one is very different from the first, which is what I like so much about O'Brian. There's no “recipe” to his writing.
Post Captain| Patrick O'Brian
#3 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. I'm listing the first 4 separately because I think they make a whole, the story weaving through all four to reach a sort of climax.
H. M. S. Surprise| Patrick O'Brian
#4 of the Aubrey / Maturin series. I love how deep into the historical reality of the time you get.
The Mauritius Command| Patrick O'Brian
If you've never read Mary Renault, you're in for a treat. Her books are set in a historical era and bring back to life an antique character. Her writing is absolutely riveting. This one is about mythological figure Theseus.
The King Must Die: A Novel| Mary Renault
Part 1 of the romanticized version of the life of Alexander The Great. Riveting, as all Mary Renault's books are.
Fire from Heaven: A Novel of Alexander the Great| Mary Renault
#2 of the life of Alexander The Great, here seen through the eyes of his Persian slave Bagoas. It really feels like a plunge into the antique Greek era.
The Persian Boy| Mary Renault
I wish more people knew about Mary Renault. This is a riveting plunge into the world of ancient Greece.
The Last of the Wine| Mary Renault
I read it (in French) maybe 35 years ago but I still remember it vividly. Plunge into the fight for the independence of India. Written like a great adventure novel.
Freedom at Midnight| Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins
These two can write! They have a knack for telling historical events in a totally riveting adventurous way. How to have fun while learning about the formation of the Israel state.
O Jerusalem| Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins
Again masterful suspense writing for this novel set in the US with a threat of a nuclear bomb.
The Fifth Horseman| Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins
This was my favorite book when I was a teenager.. almost made me want to become an egyptologist. It's only in French though.
Les Vergers D'Osiris| Guy Rachet
A classic for a reason. How to build a cathedral!
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge Series #1)| Ken Follett
A fascinating plunge into the Dutch world of Vermeer. I learned so much about that era!
Girl with a Pearl Earring| Tracy Chevalier
I read that one only a few months ago. Spies during WWII in France, chilling yet riveting.
The Alice Network| Kare Quinn
Just delightful. I love reading about the daily life of English villages.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel| Mary Ann Shaffer