Swashbucklers
547 books ·
482 voters ·
list created November 25th, 2009
by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (votes) .
Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)
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message 1:
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Deb
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Dec 10, 2009 08:21AM

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The only book by Mr. Mawhinney currently in the database would seem to be "English Oak and Spanish Gold."
So I added it to the database.


What do you mean by that ? Many of those are adventure swashbucklers.
I cant believe though that people added Sharpe books but not Hornblower. We two have to do something about that Mike ;)



Hornblower does have some books that have alot Swashbuckling action,elements. I dont think the word stands for the actual meaning its just a word these days for historical adventure like the books you mentioned.
I agree many of the books in the list are not. Solomon Kane is the right age for historical adventure but its more horror,fantasy.
Too many books are there because they are famous historical books but they are not actual adventure books.



So...you can "swash and buckle" thus being a 'swash, buckler'. Or you can buckle the buckles on your "pirate/Musketeer clothes" thus being a "swash buckler".
My mind's a junk yard.

Wow, Mike! I'm impressed by this informative answer. Thank you!


I won't tell if you won't. :)

You might have to do some swashing to defend your honor.

Then maybe you need a buckler (lol).

Referring to blade work there, not building fences.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/09/07...

I have read most of the true Swashbucklers on this list and many more not on this list that should be on it in lieu of misplaced others .
What is the best Swashbuckler. It depends.
The best "Classically' written to the definition of a Swashbuckler are the Adventures of Captain Alatriste series books. They are on center target for the genre (written by a known worshiper of the genre): they are intellectually fulfilling at the same time (with the quality research found in the best of other more serious historical fiction novels); they possess the requisite humor of wit and circumstance balanced against the mandatory lone hero's fight against those who abuse others and are evil; and they are all always, of course, cliffhangers. The great Sabatini and Dumas have lead us to Perez Reverte.
Note*** Sabatini's work is starting to disappear at the libraries - demand his return to the shelves.
As a stand alone Swashbuckler, for me, it has always been the Prince of Foxes. Perfection in the genre. Shellabarger's work is disappearing too. Sabatini's - "The Sword of Islam" is a must read for Shellabarger fans
My personal favorite Swashbuckler series ever is Dewey Lambdin's, The Alan Lewrie Naval series. Starting with a "The King's Coat" on through 20 more novels in the series> All are superbly researched and with series linkage in detail (without the being repetitive - the C&P feel). Over 7000 pages of it now and still going strong. He has put all Age of Sail writers who came before him in his wake. E.G. Forster, O'Brian, Kent and the rest of the fleet of the authors and characters. The books are swashbucklers with a more modern adult twist. The libertine Lewrie is the most flawed of all Swashbuckler hero's to ever take to the page. I have loved these books for 25 years now. A new one is out this month - O' boy!
Robin Hood books are all great, I wish, there were more of them - even bad ones.
The "Religion" is a modern adult Swashbuckler, And great one IMO. For the many who didn't like it, I can only tell them, they are reading the wrong genre (go back to your stuffy old moldy and fart stink filled room HF reading). Willocks has finally started writing again. Mattias Tannhause Trilogy continues with "The Twelve Children Of Paris" is out in Europe - Not in USA - and may not make it here given the publishing house turf wars... A double bummer, that
Enough past read ruminating for me now. Off to study up on the forthcoming MLB season. Baseball and reading go great together - like cereal and milk.

Plus, I enjoy commenting. It makes me read what others have to say about given reads and then allows me the opportunity to complain about it.
If MLB and reading are like cereal and milk, then complaining is like the honey on top for me.


It comes off quite sinister, you know. Perhaps, that is the intent.
It works. It scares the bejeues out me. I keep looking over my shoulder while typing comments like this, now.

To me, if a book doesn't compare favorably to Sabatini at his worst (The Shame of Motley, The Vicar and the Actress) it wouldn't belong on the list.
If something fits into the same category as Dumas (Three Musketeers, natch) at his best and Sabatini at his best (take your pick: Captain Blood, Scaramouche, The Lion's Skin...) then it's a treasure.

The biography of Howard Zinn does sound a bit odd for this list - where on the list is it?
Anyone else think that should go?



I totally agree that many of these works are not swashbucklers. IO also concur that many of the greats such as Sabatini do not get any shelf space any more. I talked with a used book dealer and she said that she wouldn't buy my Sabatini books even in pristine condition.
Missing from the list is my favourite regency romance and pyrate (yes, with a "y") writer Jeffery Farnol. BLACK BARTLEBY'S TREASURE, MARTIN CONISBY'S VENGEANCE, and ADAM PENFEATHER, BUCCANEER are about as pure as the genre gets.


Stuff like Leslie Turner White's The Highland Hawk or Lord Johnnie - swashbucklers for Young Adults - are now going away into the recycle bin of reading history - never to be read again.
I would make an exception for the currently being written and wonderful historical fiction mystery "Medicus" series by Ruth Downie as almost being fitting for listing here as a swashbuckler read.
Downie has had these books take on a cliffhanger aspect = page to page, "how will they ever manage get out of this one". They are almost of a swashbuckler bent and they have a humorous bent as well in her stories of the Roman Army doctor (medicus) Ruso (who has managed to get involved with the Roman Imperial security apparatus along the way) and his presumptuous and self assured British (his ex-slave) wife, Tilla. She fulfills the role of the doctor's swashbuckler-esque sidekick in the stories). I do believe, she has done this on purpose -duh!
The two are somehow always forced into discovering why the world is falling apart about them (often to save their very lives) and help save the day for everyone else too. Great dialogues, super characters (many returning), outrageous situations, male/female - husband/wife interplay and a modern day like twist within the view she presents to us of everyday Roman provincial life (this really works well).
They are a pleasure to read - often LOL - and they are exciting too. Downie has created a near perfect HF series here IMO. Give them a spin, I'm sure you will like them.
Thanks for writing a comment


Same goes for The Last of the Mohicans (#30) (but I have to add it's over 30 years ago since I read it).
Seems to me the earlier comment(s) made by Mike (the Paladin) is/are true...


I started re-reading the comments and as a result have also removed Ivanhoe (didn't seem to me like it belonged on this list either, and it seems I was not the only one who thought so).
By the way, a creator of a list can't remove books from his/her list (apart from his/her own votes), unless he/she is a librarian as well. Odd, I admit, but that's how it is.
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