Historical fiction

Just remembered another author, Edward Rutherford who writes historical fiction, the two books I've read of his are London and Sarum. In which he takes several families, starting way back around the time of the building of Stonehenge, and charts their descent through the generations and how their fortunes fare, set against pivotal periods in history every few hundred years or so. Finally ending at the end of the 20th century. I think that's his formula for most of his books. They're very long though!

As mentioned by Sarah up thread, I have also read a couple of Barbara Erskine's and enjoyed them.

What about the Morland dynasty books by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles? They are about a family based in Yorkshire from the time of the Wars of the Roses until the 1930s, and there are 35 books in the series. That sound pretty daunting, but they are well-written and sweep you in so that you really want to know what happens to them all. You also learn a lot about history, and as the family spread out to places including London and the USA, it's not just the history of Yorkshire.

I hated history at school. Never studied and failed history exams. Then a work colleague in education brought me in Katherine by Anya Seton and said I should read it.. It changed my mind completely . I loved it.

MaizieD I remember reading the Angelique books as a teenager, thought they were quite racy at the time, but they’re probably innocuous compared to today’s standards. She was “with” a pirate in at least one of them.

One of my late Mum’s favourite writers was Frank Yerby, his books were all historical fiction, but he seems to have gone totally out of fashion now.
Edward Rutherford is an historical fiction writer I do enjoy. His books are based on geographical areas, and chart the evolution of a few families within that area.
Two series of books I really enjoyed were Ken Follett’s Century trilogy and his Kingsbridge quartet. The first is about families in various countries and spans the 20th century up to not long after the fall of the Berlin Wall, plus a wee epilogue. The Kingsbridge books tell the story of a small town and it’s inhabitants and a cathedral and those associated with that within the town. The first three books are good, but don’t waste your time with the 4th (which is actually a prequel to the first), it’s very poor in comparison.

Sara1954

Yammy
I’m impressed by your memory, I can see the books in front of me, remember that they meant a lot to me at the time, but couldn’t have told you what they were about.

Sara I remember the Katherine Swineford book because I read it on lots of nights as a young wife when my husband was on call.One of the families favourite Northumbrian castles is Dunstunburgh. I'm glad you can still picture them.
Some one as mentioned Sarah Dunnet I have read her books as well and that is one author I forgot about.

Witzend

Does anyone else remember reading Forever Amber? Set in the time of plague, as I recall.
I seem to recall it being passed around rather furtively in the biology lab at school (we were about 14) so we could read the Rude Bits!

There was a series written about the court of Louis 14th which also had mildly 'naughty' bits in it. That was popular when I was a teenager. Was it Angelique?

Yup, just googled them. As I recall she ended up as one of his mistresses for a while...

Does anyone else remember reading Forever Amber? Set in the time of plague, as I recall.
I seem to recall it being passed around rather furtively in the biology lab at school (we were about 14) so we could read the Rude Bits!

I've also just remembered Sharon Penman wrote some historical but much lighter detective stories where the detective works for Eleanor of Aquitaine that I quite enjoyed. I think the first one was called 'Queens Man'.

The first book of hers I read was The Morning Gift. I’m not sure if it’s still in print, but it gave me a taste for her work I’ve never lost.

This is so good. Thanks greyduster you should try the author writing as Diana Norman. A catch of consequence is about the American rebellion against the British Government and is the first of a trilogy about Makepeace Burke.

Georgette Heyer is one of my comfort reads too ? I've never read her detective ones but love many of the regency ones. My favourite though is 'My Lord John' about John of Bedford, brother to Henry V. Sadly she died before she finished it, but just as interesting is the epilogue added by her husband explaining how she spent many years researching armaments, costumes and cultures, visiting all the sites she wrote about and how she learnt to read medieval English so that she could read original texts.

I really enjoyed Alison Weir's books on the wives of Henry VIII. S.J. Perry writes what I would call historical thrillers very much like C.J. Sansom.

Thank you everyone for your recommendations, I will be making a long list! My comfort read is Georgette Heyer and I also like Stella Riley (especially the Rockcliffe series) Lynd x

Barbara Erskine also gets my vote, love all her books

I loved any of the books by Anya Seton, especially "Katherine"
As John of Gaunt was also at one time the Duke of Bedford, where I live has long had a connection with him.
Sadly I think that the Anya Seton books are now out of print.
Currently I enjoy Phillipa Gregory. "A Respectable Trade " about the slave trade is well worth reading as is the Wideacre series.
Barbara Erskine also gets my vote - many of her novels begin in today and then go back in time through a family connection, "Child of the Phoenix" is one I go back to time and time again.
Elizabeth Chadwick's books are always good that I have trouble putting down !

The Giordano Bruno series by S J Parris is really good as is the Seeker series by S G McLean.

There is a Historical Novels Society, which has loads of recommendations and ideas, as well as many thousands of reviews of historical fiction publications, and non-fiction too. Have a look at our website
I'm the UK Reviews Editor - please PM if you, or anyone else, need more information.

Lozania Prole was Ursula Bloom’s pen name.

This is such an interesting thread with lots of ideas, thank you. I was reminded of an author I used to read as a teenager, a bit like Jean Plaidy. I had to look her up.

Lozania Prole. I loved her books. Surely a made up name!!

Like many people here I loved Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet. Talking of that author, just had one of the frequent emails I get from Waterstones advertising new books. Those who enjoyed Hamnet may be interested to know she has a new one coming out, The Marriage Portrait, and it seems she is continuing with the historical theme this book is set in the Italian Renaissance, which has remined me of another book set in that time that I enjoyed, Sarah Dunant's, The Birth of Venus.

I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction, but this is giving me an appetite for it.

I read all the Mistress of the Art of Death books, Lynd1952, and they were brilliant. The last one in the series was finished by her daughter as she died before finishing it. It was almost seamless. Elizabeth Chadwick’s Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy is very good. She brings both her and Henry to life. If you like the period, Manda Scott’s Boudicca series is unputdownable. I can also recommend S.W. Perry’s ‘Jackdaw Mysteries’ a series set in Elizabethan England.

Yammy
I’m impressed by your memory, I can see the books in front of me, remember that they meant a lot to me at the time, but couldn’t have told you what they were about.

I’m not a massive historical fiction fan, but I do enjoy Alison Weir, and I’ve read a few Philippa Gregory, didn’t like Tidelands though.
As for Hamnet, I thought that was wonderful, and so far, I’ve enjoyed all her other books.

For something a bit different, I’d recommend the Eagles of the Empire series by Simon Scarrow. The two main characters are Macro and Cato. They are Legionnaires, and as they are posted to different parts of the Roman Empire, you also meet real people, eg. Boudicca, Claudius, Nero.
Another series by SS I enjoyed is his Revolution Quartet, these are about Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington.