Best Historical Fiction

Katherine had been married to Henry for 20 years but was pushed out by Anne Boleyn. “Thomas Cromwell was the son of a blacksmith with no royal blood, and his father sent him to a priest to learn how to read. His father abused him, so he went to Italy.  

As America and the world experience an explosion of mainstream contemporary and imaginary fiction, historical fiction is still alive and well. Do a little digging to find some great, if lesser known, classics by both recent and older authors.Contributor: Douglas SchrockPublished: May 22, 2012  

(MANASSAS, Va.) – Author B.N. Peacock has just released the first book of the next must-read historical fiction, adventure series -- A Tainted Dawn: The Great War (1792-1815) Book I. It’s August 1789. The dawn of a new age. The Rights of Man.  

The American Ambassador’s residence in Prague was built in the late nineteen-twenties by Otto Petschek. The Petscheks were among the wealthiest families in Czechoslovakia, and the mansion was lavish: long curving corridors, ornate bathrooms, a swimming pool in the basement. The Petscheks were also German-speaking Jews . . .  

Mitchell James Kaplan, author of "By Fire, By Water" answers 10 questions about his favorite time period in history, his favorite figures from history, and the age old question of coffee or tea. 1. If you could go back in time and be any figure ...  

Discover three historical fiction authors that deserve more attention and respect.Contributor: Jessica F.Published: May 21, 2012  

Historical fiction is a great way to learn while being entertained. Lauren Willig, Susan Carroll, and Anne Easter Smith are three authors I would highly recommend to those interested in this type of fiction.Contributor: Kacey MulgrewPublished: May 17, 2012  

Bring Up The Bodies -- A Novel by Hilary Mantel, Holt '12, $28, 432 pages, ASIN # 0805090037. She's written nine novels, a few which have had critical success but none of which could really pay the rent. Should I just pack it in?, she asks you. Before you answer,...  

Reading a good historical fiction novel is both enjoyable and educational. Getting totally absorbed by a story sets historic events or time periods in very memorable contest.Contributor: R.B. McNEILPublished: May 14, 2012  

Historical fiction may be read for entertainment, but it also has to be accurate; authors gain the reader's suspension of disbelief only if they recreate a realistic time period. Understanding the line between history and fiction, the need for accuracy, and the degree of detail required will make the difference in creating convincing and engaging historical fiction.  

The Sense of an Ending -- A Novel by Julian Barnes, Knopf '11, $23.95, 163 pages, ASIN # He has been compared to Henry James. Contemporary readers, particularly of things British, may find a truer comparison in the work of Ian McEwan. Whichever, few serious readers of British fiction would...  

CHICAGO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Older than Rome, this port city on the south coast of Spain served as the key hub for the discovery of America, the global Wall Street of 18th and early 19th centuries, and the birthplace of Civil War General Gordon Meade, the 1863 hero of the...  

Satantango by Laszlo Krasznahorkai, translated from the Hungarian by George Szirtes, New Directions '12, $25.95, 274 pages, ASIN #0811217345. The New Yorker's James Wood has an interesting take on the new translation of Krasznahorkai'a 1985 book: "'Reality examined to the point of madness. What would this look like in contemporary...  

The O'Briens -- A Novel by Peter Behrens, Pantheon '11, $25.95, 384 pages, ASIN #0307379930. Author Peter Behrens offers the outlandish claim that his new book is "a family story unlike any told before...," although in this bizarre election season, I guess there are no limits. He describes protagonist Joe...  

Richmond is a popular setting for many books, and there is no shortage of books about the Civil War.  Rarely, though, does a piece of historical fiction come along that combines the history of Richmond and the Civil War with a female slave as ...  

Love Historical Fiction? Looking for your next great read? Check out these three phenomenal historical fiction authors and their works!Contributor: Amanda ZiebaPublished: May 14, 2012  

Afterwards Andrew and I went over to Ireland ... Barbara Tuchman, and, of course, Alison Weir; Alison, in particular, makes the details of past lives so accessible. And, as to the rest of authors by whom I've been inspired - where do I begin???  

Eva Stachniak, author of "Necessary Lies", "Garden of Venus", and "The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great" answers 10 questions about her favorite time period in history, her favorite figures from history, and the age old question of coffee or tea.  

The Utah Heritage Foundation is sponsoring a writing workshop ion May 21 with author Steve Berry on writing historical fiction. Steve Berry will teach the craft of writing, including the Four "C's" of story structure, effective dialogue ...  

It's also the new home of Dr. John Henry Holliday, better known as Doc Holliday. In 1878 Holliday was a skinny, sickly 26-year-old dentist who wanted nothing more than the chance to practice his profession. The infamous gunfight at the O.K ...  

Bernard Cornwell's solder Richard Sharpe returns from duty ... Incidents in Dreams often seem framed to make Obama seem special, even heroic to the target reader, a subset of urban elite opinion-makers obsessed with race. Obama, the multiracial ...  

Julianne Lee, author of "Her Mother's Daughter ... James Michener and Margaret Mitchell. Mitchell for the American South and Michener for everywhere else. 6. Who was more dashing and interesting, King Henry VIII of England or King Louis XIV of France?  

Already well established as a writer of free, online fiction, Letitia Coyne is one of a growing number of authors making the successful transition to print and commercial ebooks. “Letitia’s historical romance novel ‘Petra’ received great feedback ...  

Gabrielle Kimm, author of "His Last Duchess" and "The Courtesan's Lover" (available May 1st) answers 10 questions about her favorite time period in history, her favorite figures from history, and the age old question of coffee or tea. 1.  If you could go ...  

Sarah Miller brings to life the story of the four doomed sisters and Russian grand duchesses: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, daughters of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in "The Lost Crown".  Miller told not only the story of how political unrest in ...  

A classic of African writing and a book of world stature, Chinua Achebe’s novel is set in a Nigerian village in the 1890s, where traditional society and the individual’s role falters in the face of modern and western influence. It is a ...  

Susan Spence has always been intrigued with life in the west in the 18...  

Central to this tale are Isaac Newton, Edmond Halley and Robert Hooke, whose professional rivalries come perilously close to undoing so much good work. Has Newton actually been stealing Hooke’s research? Stuart Clark has once again invoked the great ...  

Winner of the Tyler R. Tichelaar Award for Historical Fiction, as part of the Reader Views Literary Awards, Sarah Bruce Kelly’s newest novel is sure to satisfy all lovers of historical fiction, and especially those interested in the personal lives behind ...  

The shortlist for the third Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction has been announced in the Scottish Borders. Sebastian Barry, Patrick de Witt, Esi Edugyan, Alan Hollinghurst, Andrew Miller and Barry Unsworth are this year's contenders for the award.  

Books about the people who never made the history books even though they were the ones making history.Contributor: Vicki NikolaidisPublished: May 15, 2012  

His novel paints a compelling picture of the passionate and turbulent ... the spotlight he has deserved for hundreds of years. Osman Kartal is an international scholar who specializes in history and religion. While he splits his time between Istanbul ...  

In an effort to help listeners step back in time to first century Jerusalem during the week of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth; Scripture on Stage of Livonia, Michigan (http://www.scriptureonstage.com) has just completed ...  

The Civil War provides a smoky background for this debut novel that delves into the uncomfortable friction that exists between the waning power of the Southern plantation ... Clif served as the Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts where he established ...  

Author, Osman Kartal is pleased to announce the release of his new book, The Prophet’s Scribe. History and religion combine in this prophetic novel. Legend has it that an unconventional monk, Sergius, lover and champion of the people, helped shape the ...  

One girl finds herself thrust into the heart of the Romanov family at a perilous time and years later wonders if she was the cause of their tragedy.