# Historical fiction



## HistoryChick624 (Sep 22, 2003)

Does anyone have any suggestions to read in the genre of historical fiction (like John Jakes, not romance) I really like reading historical fiction set in the Civil War and Revolution.


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## Rage2Fury (Sep 22, 2003)

Oh I know one, but I forget the name.  Darn it.  It was a really good book too.  I will post it here if I find out what the book was called.


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## Elphaba (Sep 23, 2003)

I don't know if it'd be your cup of tea, but there's a suspense thriller by Robert McCammon called "Speaks the Nightbird".  It's pre-Revolution (1699), concerning a Portuguese woman accused of witchcraft in a small Southern town.   The details are perfect (although he admitted he couldn't get the speech cadence perfect); he spent a year researching it.


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## Fantasia (Sep 23, 2003)

Ah, couldn't exactly help you there.  I've only delved on medieval and post-medieval historical fiction, all of them by Jennifer Roberson.  

"Lady of the Glen: A Novel of 17Th-Century Scotland and the Massacre of Glencoe" ~~self explanatory.

"Lady of the Forest" and "Lady of Sherwood" ~~both of them about a darker, more realistic Robin Hood but set in historical medieval-England during King Richard's war in the Holy Land.

"When We Were Orphans" by Kazuo Ishiguro (also wrote "Remains of the Day" is set in the late 1930s.  It's an interesting read (I must admit, it had mixed reviews.)


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## AdamR (Sep 23, 2003)

HistoryChick624 said:
			
		

> I really like reading historical fiction set in the Civil War and Revolution.



May I suggest the Civil War Trilogy by Jeff and Michael Shaara? The series goes in the *written* order of:

The Killer Angels
Gods and Generals
The Last Full Measure

The Killer Angels was written back in the 70's which covers the battle of Gettysburg. Then, over 20 years later, the author of The Killer Angels' son took over and wrote the prequil to The Killer Angels, Gods and Generals. Then he wrote the The Last Full Measure to finish off the Civil War.

The books stick extremely well to what truly happened during the Civil War. Excellent books, IMHO.

You may have seen the movies made based on these books? Gettysburg was made in 1994 and based on The Killer Angels. Then, in 2002, Gods and Generals came out based on it's own title. Also excellent movies....that is, if you have 4 hours to spare for each one.

I also believe that there will be the third movie, The Last Full Measure coming out sometime in the region of 2005-06, but am unsure.


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## HistoryChick624 (Sep 24, 2003)

AdamR said:
			
		

> [May I suggest the Civil War Trilogy by Jeff and Michael Shaara?



I've read The Killer Angels and Gods and Generals...but I haven't yet read The Last Full Measure. I have seen Gettyburg and most of Gods and Generals.

Right now I'm almost done with Gone With The Wind which is very good. After that I plan on reading On The Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons. I have't read anything by her yet, but I've heard her books are excellent.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. While I prefer the Civil War and Revolution, I try not to limit myself.


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## BookwormA (Nov 1, 2004)

There is a Maine author named James L. Nelson.  He has several books about the navy in times of teh Civil War.  Glory in the Name is very good (what I have read of it so far.  My stack of reading books is killing me).  He has several other books as well, though I cannot remember the titles off teh top of my head.  He has a nonfiction book out as well about the Moniter and the Merrimack

Ironically, he's a professional sailor and his last name coincides with a famous admiral, Horatio Nelson.


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