He's already been mentioned but I think it bears repeating, Bernard Cornwell's stories are excellent and very thoroughly researched. I'd recommend Cornwell's Grail Quest. (a series of books about an English longbow man in the Hundred Years War)
Recommend Me (sorta) Some Historical Fiction
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I'm surprised no-one has recommended the Flashman novels by George MacDonald Fraser. A bit politically incorrect, rather funny and full of action.
If your looking for something more cerebral, perhaps the I, Claudius series by Robert Graves. Framed as the autobiography of Roman emperor Claudius (the one before Nero). Very heavy on the intrigue and politics. Might be heavy going for some, but if you can handle Umberto Eco you can handle Graves.
If your looking for something more cerebral, perhaps the I, Claudius series by Robert Graves. Framed as the autobiography of Roman emperor Claudius (the one before Nero). Very heavy on the intrigue and politics. Might be heavy going for some, but if you can handle Umberto Eco you can handle Graves.
Hilary Mantel's Bringing up Bodies and Wolf Hall are both critically acclaimed books set in the tudor period. I didn't like them because they didn't fit with my interpretation of the period but it takes all sorts. Philippa Gregory's work goes from late medieval to early tudor and has been adapted for tv, again not my bag but other people like it. Personally I would hesitate to describe it as historical fiction but Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels set in the 1930s-1950s Germany are good.
I liked to second the McCullough recommendation, they are reasonably accurate versions of the late Roman Republic. I would like to add Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa novels. Also set in the late republic but with a detective fiction crossover. The last thing on Rome, is real old school. Rosemary Sutcliff's elage of the ninth series, set in Roman Britain it deals with with end of Roman power and what comes after.SckizoBoy said: