Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

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message 1: by GeneralTHC (new)

GeneralTHC | 22 comments Anyone know of any HF with Issac Newton? Quicksilver is about all I've came up with.


message 2: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments I have not seen a single one with Newton in it, but then again, I don't read a lot of books set in the 17th and 18th centuries so I won't have been exposed to any. :)


message 3: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments They should. I've just been reading about him in Tower: An Epic History of the Tower of London His feud with William Chaloner was fascinating.


message 4: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Oh, what a coincidence that you happened to be reading one with Newton in it at the same time as Chuck needs a rec.


message 5: by Darcy (new)

Darcy (drokka) | 2675 comments Didn't he also have ideas appropriated by...drafts can't remember his name but the first president of the Royal Society?
He's certainly fascinating. He was such a recluse though, that it might be difficult to write a story with him as an active character without making him breakout from his self-imposed isolation.


message 6: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments I would have imagined he'd be very boring in a historical fiction. :) A stuffy type.


message 7: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Terri wrote: "Oh, what a coincidence that you happened to be reading one with Newton in it at the same time as Chuck needs a rec."

It's actually non fiction about the Tower of London. Newton is in it because he was Master of the Royal Mint for a time. He came up with the idea of milled edges on coins to prevent people shaving silver and gold from the edges of the coins.


message 8: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Terri wrote: "I would have imagined he'd be very boring in a historical fiction. :) A stuffy type."

So did I, until I read about the war he waged against coiners and counterfeiters. He ran a spy-ring to bring them down. He was intelligent, crafty and unscrupulous.


message 9: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)


message 10: by GeneralTHC (new)

GeneralTHC | 22 comments Margaret wrote: "Terri wrote: "Oh, what a coincidence that you happened to be reading one with Newton in it at the same time as Chuck needs a rec."

It's actually non fiction about the Tower of London."


I appreciate it all the same. I've added it to my TBR. I've been trying to up my non-fiction to fiction ratio this year as well.

I find Newton incredibly interesting. He was probably one of the smartest people that ever lived, but yet he believed in alchemy. Maybe I should be looking for fantasy books, lol.


message 11: by GeneralTHC (new)

GeneralTHC | 22 comments Terri wrote: "I found this one..

Dark Matter The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton by Philip KerrDark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton"


Fantastic! Thank you.


message 12: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Thanks Terri. I've made a note of that for myself. :)


message 13: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Happy to have helped....both of you!


message 14: by Kuido (new)

Kuido If you do go for fantasy, then there is steampunk by Greg Keyes called "Newton's Cannon" which features him as a hero I believe. :)


message 15: by Darcy (new)

Darcy (drokka) | 2675 comments Here is the link to the book mentioned Newton's Cannon


message 16: by Hudson (new)

Hudson (bostonrich) | 8 comments Wow, what a timely post for me to see as I just read about Newton last night in Cosmos There are only a few pages on Newton, basically Carl Sagan pays homage to several notable scientists and ancient astronomers.
But the few pages were enough to peak my interest, I will check out Dark Matters and Tower. Thanks!


message 17: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments A friendly word from your mod..:-)
Sorry to be a stick in the mud...No more fantasy recs please. Try to stick with straight historical fiction.

Thanks peoples. :-)


message 18: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Hudson wrote: "Wow, what a timely post for me to see as I just read about Newton last night in Cosmos There are only a few pages on Newton, basically Carl Sagan pays homage to several ..."

Let us know what you make of Dark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton. Even I like the look of it. Sort of looks like a Dr Watson/Sherlock Holmes type dynamic.


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