American Historical Fiction discussion
Introductions
Hi everybody, I'm Lila, I'm originally from Poland and even though I came to the U.S. 11 short years ago, I've fallen in love with the country and its history especially. It's hard for me to decide which historical period I like best but among them are definitely post-Civil War, the years between WWI and WWII and the early frontier life. The one period I'm not very keen on is the Vietnam War era.
I've read many posts in this group, love it and am happy to be a member.
I've read many posts in this group, love it and am happy to be a member.
Hi Lila, My wife and I spent a week in Poland a few years ago and had a great time in Warsaw and Krakow (loved the "Commie Tour"!).My American history favorites are similar to yours. My interest ends in the late 1950s (BTW, I'm 70 years old).
Jenny wrote: "Welcome to our group, Lila!"
Thank you, Jenny.
Thank you, Jenny.
Joe wrote: "Hi Lila, My wife and I spent a week in Poland a few years ago and had a great time in Warsaw and Krakow (loved the "Commie Tour"!).
My American history favorites are similar to yours. My interest ..."
Hi Joe,
it's so nice to hear that in light of outrageous prices for going to Europe and many fascinating places to choose from to visit, your wife and you chose Poland. Brings a smile to my face. I'm from the southwest of Poland, Wroclaw (Breslau, one of the main contention points between Germany and Poland throughout history as to whether it belongs to Poland or Germany) which to me of course is the second most beautiful Polish city, giving way only to Krakow (you must have had a really great time there!).
I'm happy to hear also that our reading interest in American history are similar. Are you by any chance a Vietnam War Veteran? Although simply growing up and living in those time is cause enough to not really have much interest in it (I lived through the most tumultuous times under communism, the eighties, witnessed the victory of democracy but somehow I've never read anything set in that period and I doubt I ever will).
My American history favorites are similar to yours. My interest ..."
Hi Joe,
it's so nice to hear that in light of outrageous prices for going to Europe and many fascinating places to choose from to visit, your wife and you chose Poland. Brings a smile to my face. I'm from the southwest of Poland, Wroclaw (Breslau, one of the main contention points between Germany and Poland throughout history as to whether it belongs to Poland or Germany) which to me of course is the second most beautiful Polish city, giving way only to Krakow (you must have had a really great time there!).
I'm happy to hear also that our reading interest in American history are similar. Are you by any chance a Vietnam War Veteran? Although simply growing up and living in those time is cause enough to not really have much interest in it (I lived through the most tumultuous times under communism, the eighties, witnessed the victory of democracy but somehow I've never read anything set in that period and I doubt I ever will).
Hi Lila,Welcome to the group and I'm glad you're enjoying your new home. Compared to your own homeland and other European nations, we're still very young so don't have the expanse of history. Still, we have had some interesting periods. You will find many other lovers of historical fiction here who will be glad to make recommendations.
Hi again Lila,Being in college, and then in the Army Reserves, kept me out of going to Vietnam. I guess you would call that "legal draft dodging". A few of my highschool friends were killed in that awful war, and I don't want to read about it.
Our trip to Poland was a visit with my son and his wife. She is with the U.S. Dept. of State, and was working out of our embassy in Warsaw for 2 years. By that time they really knew their way around (public transportation, dining with the "locals", etc.). It was great!
Hi, I'm Patti and I write about colonial America. My first novel, Hope of Israel, began in London as a set up for the characters moving to Newport, RI in the 1660s. My second novel takes places in New Amsterdam and Newport and concerns King Philip's War. I've been told by several agents that American fiction is not selling now. People apparently want European royals or WWII novels. That is too bad because I'd much rather read about ordinary people than royalty. I'm looking forward to discovering new titles in this group.
Mod
Patti, I'm just finishing the non-fiction book "Mayflower, a Story of Courage, Community, and War," by historian Natheniel Philbrick. What an excellent, factual, well written book! Some of my ancestors were involved in King Philip's War. What is the title of your second novel? I'd like to check it out. I've written a novel about the Battles of Lexington and Concord. As you say, there doesn't seem to be much interest in American historical fiction, especially before the Civil War. This appears to be true even among my friends.
Harold, my novel is called Legend of the Dead. I've not published it yet - it still needs some revisions according to my awesome editor, G.S. Johnston (who is a goodreads author). I'm going to publish it on kindle direct hopefully this summer.
I loved Philbrick's Mayflower. There is a great history channel tie-in called Desperate Crossings. Also, PBS has a super documentary on King Philip's War. It is the first part of the We Shall Remain series.
What is your novel? I have not written much about Boston even though I'm from there. My Revolutionary War novel is about the occupation of Newport, RI and how the Jewish community there coped with it. That novel is currently with beta readers. After another edit I'll need to send it off for professional editing.
Hi Patti. Welcome, you'll find a great mix of readers and writers in this group. My own series seems to be selling, albeit slow and steady. It's U.S. Historical Fiction. One has to be patient as historical fiction readers seem to like to savor their books instead of galloping through them. I know I do when I'm reading.Your book sounds very interesting. I'm always on the lookout for Colonial Historical Fiction.
Beverly, I just downloaded book one of your Black Knights of the Hudson series. I'm looking forward to reading it. I also liked your blog post about self publishing. Do you have any advice regarding the process of publishing through Amazon? I self-published my first novel with another company. I really liked the final product, but I'm thinking of re-working Hope of Israel so that I can publish it direct to Amazon. I really like the idea of controlling the price myself. I think nothing of buying books less than $5.00 on kindle. When I buy a physical book or an e-book that is more, i.e. usually traditionally published, I expect something really polished and engaging to read. Unfortunately that is not generally the case. I'm moving more and more to just buying indie books for that reason.
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#378Patricia, I've made a note to look for it this summer. My book is called "Crossing the River."
Hi again Patti,Thanks so much for taking a look at my book. I really appreciate it. I'll meet you over on the new discussion Jenny set up to discuss publishing.
Hello everyone, I'm Haley. I have a history degree and no surprise historical fiction is my favorite genre. I like books with underdog protagonist I can cheer for. My favorite time period is the Civil War era. I am very connected to the 1800s.
Hi Haley. I have my degrees in history, too. If you enjoy the 1800s, be sure to check out the Western threads. Some wonderful books are listed there.Civil War turns up on a lot of our bookshelves too.
Thank you for the welcome, Jenny. I'm excited to be in this group. :)
Beverly wrote: "Hi Haley. I have my degrees in history, too. If you enjoy the 1800s, be sure to check out the Western threads. Some wonderful books are listed there.Civil War turns up on a lot of our booksh..."
I will be sure to check out the Western threads and the bookshelves soon. What is your favorite time period, Beverly?
I took my degrees in U.S. and British History, specialising in Military, Cultural, and the History of Technology. I'm not sure I have a favorite, per se (although, I've always had a soft spot for the Civil War and the Revolutionary War periods). I do prefer pre-1920 back to Colonial though (sorry, that's backwards but I'm researching WWI right now so I'm sort of emphasizing that in my though pattern).
We have several writers in this group so don't hesitate to check out the Billboard where their announcements are located (in the interest of full disclosure, yes, I'm one of them). However, I fell in love with historical fiction as a reader at an early age which is why I majored in history and then decided to write it. Always on the lookout for new books to read so don't hesitate to recommend your favorites as I may not have found them yet.
Beverly,Your Shadow of the Flags novel has got me interested. I am a college graduate with a bachelor's degree in history, have taught it, and have read many, many books (fiction and mostly non-fiction) about the Civil War. I especially appreciate a historical novel that informs me about events and the time as much if not more than the inevitable romance story embedded in the narration (I'm not against a romance element; just don't make that most of what the novel is about). I have pledged to read at least two historical novels by Goodreads authors. Afterward, I think I'd like to read yours.
Mod
Thanks for the information, Beverly. It is wonderful to get to know you. I write historical fiction as well and will be sure to check out the Billboard. My interest in history started at an early age as well. My obsession with the Civil War began in the 5th grade. I wish there was a local reenactment group where I lived. I would join!
Hi Harold,Thanks very much. Although the wives and sweethearts are integral to the saga (for military wives live by Milton's words, "They also serve who only stand and wait"), the series does focus primarily on the young men of the family, particularly the graduates of West Point.
It got amusing the other day. I received an email from a gentleman who liked the books but "wanted more battle scenes and less mushy stuff" (I got the impression that he far preferred true war fiction to historical fiction). A few hours later, one of the Goodreads reviewers indicated that, while she liked the first book, she would have preferred more love stoy and less battle.
My favorite part of historical fiction, as opposed to historical fact, is the ability to take an ordinary character and plunk him or her down in an historical setting to see how events can affect an individual.
I'll look forward to your comments when you get the chance to read it. You'll have to let me know if it is "too mushy".
Glad to get to know you too, Haley. I've attended some of the re-enactments. The participants take their history very seriously and it is really something to watch them re-enact a battle.
Mod
Beverly,It's a balance I like to see regarding historical fact and imagined romance. Being a male, I look more for the fact. I want to learn something while reading a good story.
Characters are very important to me. I want historical figures portrayed in more human terms and I want to see ordinary people struggling with recognizable conflicts and I want to be able to care about them. I agree entirely with your third paragraph. This is what I've done in my own book.
I'm definitely going to mark your book to read.
Have you read The Killer Angels, Harold?
Susanna, I did, many years ago. A superb book. Pulizer prize winner.
Chris, thanks for the recommendations. I've written them down. Have you read Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor? Another Pulitzer Prize winner. I read that eons ago.
Bruce Catton wrote some wonderful Civil War books back in the '60s and '70s. He was a journalist by profession and his skills of observation were excellent. Yes, Jenny, several years ago I saw a wonderful re-enactment (it was one of the larger events up in Michigan). Not only did they have a full complement of Northern and Southern Cavalry, they had several artillery pieces and even a couple of ambulances and surgeons tents.
Harold wrote: "Susanna, I did, many years ago. A superb book. Pulizer prize winner."Indeed it is.
Bruce Catton is excellent.
He is. I remember writing my graduate history class paper on Thomas Nelson, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and trying to begin it in the Catton style.
I'm interested in American southern history, the Mississippi Delta--history and fiction, late 1800s to present. Also interested in experiences of Buffalo soldiers, especially during WW II, and their treatment back in this country. Race relations, constructions of race. I teach creative writing in Los Angeles, though I'm not from here. My recent novel, Sweet Hope, tells of the bittersweet friendship between one Italian and one African American family 1901-1906 when Italians were illegally imported to the Mississippi Delta and held in a contract labor system that put and mostly kept them in debt, part of the little-known "Italian Colony Experiment."
Hi Mary,Welcome.
The 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments (Buffalo Soldiers) have a long and storied history. There are quite a few books about them in several wars; including the Spanish-American where there is some indication that the 9th breasted Kettle Hill at the same moment as Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.
Mod
Hi,I have loved reading about American history, both fiction and non-fiction for most of my life. Right now I am reading a lot of books about WWII.
Seeing the last couple posts, I want to mention a terrific book I read about ten years ago that mentions the Buffalo Soldiers and Kettle Hill. Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America by J. Anthony Lucas. Lucas claims the black troops cleared the way up the hill, suffering huge casualties, while Teddy and his Rough Riders came along behind. I don't have the book, and can't give you his sources, but if I remember correctly the book has extensive footnotes.
Anyway, excited to join the group!
Thanks Jenny! Glad to be here.Chris, thanks for the tip. Going to check out "Remember Santiago"
I enjoy books that are woven around " The Depression" World War II , The San Francisco earthquake.. The Titanic.. ( late 1800's to now ) I love following generations of families in a book. Usually Sagas.Susan
Hello, my name is Rachel, and I enjoy reading and writing about American history. I belong to a writers' group, and several members belong to GoodReads. They introduced me to this site, and they encouraged me to join a "group." Well, here I am, and I'm not sure what to do next. Anyway, the last book I read in this general genre was a biography of Patrick Henry (not historical fiction,that's for sure!). The book was copyrighted in 1887. Guess what? The local library didn't mind that it took me 3 months to read because no one was asking for such an "old" book. The biography was written by William Wirt. It was one of the most thoroughly researched book I've ever read. Some parts were tedious...but I'm glad I got through it. I worry about books today that seem only to skim the surface of the subject.
Rachel wrote: "Hello, my name is Rachel, and I enjoy reading and writing about American history. I belong to a writers' group, and several members belong to GoodReads. They introduced me to this site, and they e..."Hi Rachael!
welcome to this site! I found it a couple of months ago love it! I like reading what other people have to say about book rather just rely on a synopsis of one person.
~ Susan from Ohio
It's really nice having people discussing American historical fiction!
American Historical Fiction
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I majored in history in college and taught English and American history to 8th grade students in California until 1991. I've always loved historical fiction and have written "Crossing the River," a novel that focuses on the Battles of Lexington and Concord. I'm looking forward to participating in the group's discussions.