Historical Fiction (Gates of Rome)

#1 Guest_bluesman_*

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Posted 29 July 2005 - 04:26 PM

Reading this at the moment and I find it to be quite good. It's by Iggulden and it's apparently a 3 series set.

I know it emphasises the fiction part rather than the historical. Quite some liberties taken with known Roman history Posted Image

. Personally I don't mind; Since the point with these type of books is to get a "taste" of what life could have been in an era, rather than number/fact crushing excersises. The book covers Julius Caesar but apparently alot of changes have been made to relatives etc. Though I don't think his aim was to replace Shakespeares version but rather to make an exciting adventure book set in these times.

I have a question too. Are there any other similar historical fiction books covering Roman or Mideaval period? I don't mean those alternative/scifi versions - but books which somewhat realistically covers various events, preferably with some sort of adventure plot. Maybe something set in Black Death or Crusades period? Preferably recent books too (like released in the 90:s or so)

Thanks in advance
bm

#2 vaiski

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Posted 29 July 2005 - 04:46 PM

quote:
Are there any other similar historical fiction books covering Roman or Mideaval period?

The Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough

1. The First Man in Rome (1990)
2. The Grass Crown (1991)
3. Fortune's Favourites (1993)
4. Caesar's Women (1995)
5. Caesar: A Novel (1997)
6. The October Horse

#3 Guest_Grunthos_*

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 12:38 PM

You could also try the Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries by Lindsey Davids:
The dying light in Corduba
Time to depart
The iron hand of Mars
Poseidon's gold
Last act in Palmyra
Venus in copper
The silver pigs
Shadows in bronze
Two for the Lions
Three Hands in the Fountain
One Virgin Too Many
Ode to a Banker
The Course of Honour
A Body in the Bath House
The Accusers
The Jupiter Myth
They are set in ancient Rome during the time of the Emperor Vespasian.

#4 cowl

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 05:48 PM

@ bluesman there are three books already out the other two are

Death of kings
Field of swords

think there are more to come int the series but dont know ny details.

4th book listed on amazon as Emperor "Gods of War" release 3rd Jan '06

#5 Guest_bluesman_*

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 11:58 PM

I know cowl but thanx anyway

.

Lot's of good suggestions there btw. I'll go check in the store/library. Got hungry for more of this type of litterature

.

BM

#6 Guest_sirl_*

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Posted 05 August 2005 - 02:08 AM

My favourite historical fiction authors are Pressfield (Gates of Fire his best i reckon) and Manfredi, although they tend to set most of their books in ancient greece.

For the roman era i recommend Imperial Governer by George Shipway and Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem.

I havent read many medieval fiction books, but i did enjoy Bernard Cornwells series on the 100 years war, cant remember what they are called though.

hope that helps you

just remembered, i read another book on rome only a couple of months ago that is more modern then Shipway or Breem, called A Song for Nero by Holt i think, its quite amusing and the author like Iggulden plays around with the history of the period.

#7 Guest_Alric seVinta_*

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Posted 05 August 2005 - 05:21 PM

Well, one of the absolute best historical fiction novels is Pressfield's Gates of Fire, which is an account of the Battle of Thermopylae, during which a few hundred Spartans, plus allies, faced down the entirety of the million man Persian army. It's a great and gritty novel. Pressfield's Tides of War, which is an account of the Pellopenesian War, is pretty good as well.

If you'd like a taste of high quality medieval historical fiction... Umberto Eco's In the Name of the Rose (set during the early reformation)and Baudalino (Crusades) are pretty hard to beat.

#8 Imperial Historian

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Posted 05 August 2005 - 05:49 PM

I read A Song for Nero by tom holt, and I thought it was ok... bit of a departure from his normal comic fantasy books though.

Bernard Cornwall's series set in the hundred years war is called the grail series i believe...

All of pressfields novels are generally pretty good, and i have to say ecos baudolino was highly enjoyable...

EDIt oh and I seem to remember another series of books set in the roman period by a guy called simon scarrow i think it was which was quite good...

#9 Guest_bluesman_*

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Posted 06 August 2005 - 12:46 AM

Many good suggestions here(have them written down). I have already read the Name of the Rose but that was a while ago, great book.

Another book I liked even though it touches the Sci Fi part, is the Doomsday Book. If you forget the time machine part and the modern story, then there's a very atmospheric(and sad) description of mideaval Europe(or England rather) during the Black Plague. I kept wishing that the author spent less time in modern times and more in the mideaval era, recomended for those interested in that.

There's also the Lebanese author Amin Mahlouf. I can recommend two books. One is Samarkand which tells a dramatized version of Omar Khayyams life - a famous Persian mathematician and poet. It really gave me insight on events I knew little about.

The other is called Leo Africanus.

"Written in the form of a memoir, this historical novel explores the meeting of two worldsIslam and Christendomthrough the adventures of real life Arab traveler and geographer Hassan al-Wazzan."

I found it to be a very colorful and insightful story focusing around the life of ordinary men(and some less ordinary men) in a place and era seldomly described by other authors. I can really recommend these two books for anyone interested in historical fiction. Especially Samarkand, the story about the assasin order was especially interesting

.

BM

#10 Guest_Alric seVinta_*

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Posted 11 August 2005 - 06:38 PM

Have you ever read The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson? I'd certainly recommend it. While it is technically a alternate history novel, it is quite remarkable in it's historical and cultural commentary. That, and it's a brilliant novel.

#11 Guest_bluesman_*

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Posted 11 August 2005 - 07:47 PM

I've only read Red Mars but not this title. I might look into it if It crosses my path

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