History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary discussion
Getting Started: Introduce Yourself
Mod
Ed - I myself prefer the McCullough series to the Aubrey-Maturin; but they're all good reads.
Hello,I'm new to Goodreads and I'm still trying to find my way around. Loving it though! I'm a writer and have just had my first historical novel published and have a sci-fi/futurist novella coming out (e-book) sometime this month. I'm a single mother with 3 teenaged daughters (do you feel sorry for me?)and 3 hairless Sphynx cats. I'm busy trying to market my book,so if anyone has any ideas about how to do that, please let me know. I absolutely love history, especially ancient history (Egypt, Rome, Greece, Celtic, etc), but also the history of women's equality and rights (or lack thereof!). So, hello everyone!!
Hello Sofia, and welcome.As to marketting books, you and me both. My hope is, if you have something different to say people will listen - who knows?
True, Mike. I'm still trying to figure out who to send press releases to.
Sofia: May I suggest you contact Bobbie Crawford-McCoy, who is a member of Goodreads - mention I suggested it.
Hi All,I'm Gordon and I've just joined. I'm finding this site really encouraging in that it seems to be heavily used, and I look forward to chatting with you all.
I'm a historical fiction addict. I love to read David Gemmell, Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and many others. I love it so much I've published my first e-novel 'Legionary' in a meld of the above authors' styles. I actually find writing as addictive as reading these days!
Cheers again!
Gordon
PS, Sofia, regarding marketing: for me social networking seems to be the way ahead, and submitting your book to review sites for exposure.Hope that helps?
Gordon
Hi Gordon, Just one of the enormously good points about Goodreads is it gives staggering access to all kinds of books.I'm new here also, and I'm sure you will enjoy the wonderful welcome from other book lovers.
I do have all the social media venues up and running, but steering people there is difficult. I've handed out bookmarks with my Facebook, twitter and blog site listed on it when I had a recent book signing and reading, so hopefully that'll help. Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have any other ideas about promoting?
Thank you Ed. and all of you who have shared your messages.What little I have done is on my profile.
What I am doing is learning the craft of writing, and, more importantly, reading. I'm learning this from the members of Goodreads.
Mod
Good luck, too, with your efforts. Breaking into the publishing industry is not easy, though e-book publishing has eased the entry process, somewhat.
Hi everyone - historical fiction is my favorite genre so I'm glad to be part of this group now!I'm from Germany, which is why most of the historical fiction I've read so far has been in German (and also mainly by German authors) but since I'm a Spanish major with a minor in English I've been also reading books in those languages, lately.
Topic-wise, I'm rather interested in historical personalities than a particular era, for instance.
Hello, everyone, it's such a pleasure to find a group for history and historical fiction. The two world wars (and fictional variants thereof) captured my interest first, but Napoleonic nautical adventures weren't far behind and recently the Wars of the Roses and the Princes in the tower have captured my attention. A sort of subgenre I've found is the history of forensics, stuff like the first practical use of fingerprints and the history of ballistics discoveries. Great for historical mysteries.
Cheers!
J with your love of forensics have you looked at Sir Bernard Spilsbury, he's considered to be the father of forensics and was involved in cases in the UK at the the start of the 20th century. Two books about him are The Magnificent Spilsbury and The Brides in the Bath, the other is The Father of Forensics.Spilsbury was involved with Dr Crippen, the acid bath murders, the body in the trunk and the brides in the bath to name a few.
Hey, Deanne, Spilsbury is famous and in the Donald Merrett case, infamous. Besides solidifying much of the modern field of forensics, including the role of expert witness, Spilsbury also became enamored of his own infallibility and freed a killer, who killed again.A Question of Evidence: The Casebook of Great Forensic Controversies, from Napoleon to O.J.But not familiar with these two books. I'll check them out, thanks!
And the TBR list grows even longer.
Gunnar
My name is Cindy, Coming back after almost 10 months of just collecting Good Reads Emails. Due to personal factors and a job switch I may finally get around to starting my reading list again and looking back at all of my filed EMails and suggestions from all of you! What a great way too spend a summer. I am also a teacher. I teach Historical Sociology, so a lot of what I read is class prep, mostly based in the Middle East,including Biblical Archaeology (Secular please!!!) Central Asia and North Africa. My topics of interest are the Ancient Near East, Minoan Crete, Archaic, Classical, Hellenic and Byzantine Greek, The Mediterranean in general, then a leap to 18th C Europe through WWI. I am also a lover and student of Popular Culture in any era. Right now I am reading Patti Smith's autobiography "Just Kids" and the Penguin Classic version of "The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh". Both are fascinating as windows both into their time periods and into the life of the artist. Among my recommendations would have to be Vasari's "Lives of the Artists" which I believe Penguin also publishes an edition.
Hi Lucinda,Fascinating. How do you maintain such eclectic interests?
Hello! I've just joined and look forward to getting to know you all and discovering and discussing some great books. I'm an illustration major in school, but books are my first love. Starting with bios of Davy Crockett and such as a kid, I've long loved history -- fact and fictional. My favorite is history of the british isles. Favorite authors include Morgan Llywelyn and Elizabeth Chadwick, who I just recently started reading. So many friends have recommended her books to me and they're right, she's amazing.
I adore Robin Hood and read everything I can get my hands on. The writing project I'm working on is a Robin Hood time travel story, so lots of research there as well. Currently I'm reading Stephen Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy, doubly fun with Robin Hood and learning something about Welsh history.
Hello Laure!If you write about Robin Hood, for pity's sake do the research, I mean the real medieval research of contemporary ballads and stories. There has been so much piffle in cinemas - I blame Richard Greene and Errol Flynn.
oh, absolutely! I do hereby swear to studiously avoid piffle in all my work. lol. I couldn't write it any other way. I can put up with a certain amount of inauthentic detail when I read, but find it too annoying to willingly skimp on my own stories. Besides, the research is at least as engrossing, if not moreseo than the writing at times.
Laure you are after my own heart, a good and worthy author.I insist on reading your work.
Hi,I'm a big fan of historical fiction and non-fiction. I've just posted a quick review of Roger Crowley's 'Last Great Seige', a cracking book if you are interested in the fall of Constantinople:
Constantinople: The Last Great Siege, 1453
Generally, I am keen on Bronze age, Classical Rome and especially the late Roman Empire (The fall of the West and then the evolution of Byzantium). In this vein, I've written an HF novel (Legionary) that was an absolute pleasure to write, as it meant lots and lots of research into this era :)
Cheers!
Gordon
Laure wrote: "oh, absolutely! I do hereby swear to studiously avoid piffle in all my work. lol. I couldn't write it any other way. I can put up with a certain amount of inauthentic detail when I read, but f..."
You made my day, Mike. Thank you for the vote of confidence. :)
Hi everyone! I love all History but my fav is Ancient Near East! I am getting a master's in Ancient Near East Archaeology and join dig in the summer. I am also the author of the paranormal/suspensful/romnace/with historical twist Novel Pulse Of Heroes! Glad to be part of this group and looking forward for discussions!
Ancient Near East? Oh nice. Ottoman Empire, Greek civilization, interesting topics.Welcome A! Very short username :D
And Gordon, welcome as well. I've never read a history book on Byzantium, would love to discuss with you if I find a copy.
Hello! Having been berated & 'removed' from one group for not introducing myself before posting, I am fearful of not saying "Hi!" wherever I go!!! So "HI!!!"As a result though, I serendipitously found you guys - and the description & group rules seem to encompass most of my reading & my views on discussing it with fellow readers!
I read almost anything with an element of history - and you are so right, sometimes historically based fiction can be more educational than straight non-fiction & sometimes non-fiction proves more entertaining than fiction!
I like both in equal measure, with a preference for anything nautical, maritime, travel or exploration based; but pretty much anything that grabs my interest at the time & from which I might learn something. If I am entertained, all the better.
Am currently embarking on a voyage with Patrick O'Brian
& his Maturin/Aubrey series. Soon to read
. But my guilty pleasure is a bit of Flashman - currently as part of an ongoing group read - for July:
I am in Berkshire in the UK (ex Pompey - hence the maritime bent...)
I'm a student of history and author of historical nautical fiction. Patrick O'Brien is one of my favorite novelists. (I'm convinced that he too, is a time-traveler...) What I like about O'Brien's writing is how he brings the characters to life; I could give a fig about the naval battles themselves. I enjoy reading well-researched historical nonfiction about just about any era.
Linda wrote: "I'm a student of history and author of historical nautical fiction. Patrick O'Brien is one of my favorite novelists. (I'm convinced that he too, is a time-traveler...) What I like about O'Brien's..."Hello Linda. I like the idea of time-travelling authors!! Do you include yourself in that...??
Strey wrote: "Linda wrote: "I'm a student of history and author of historical nautical fiction. Patrick O'Brien is one of my favorite novelists. (I'm convinced that he too, is a time-traveler...) What I like a..."Yes, I do a bit of time-travelling. So many parallel lives to explore and relive...
Wow! I had better check out some of your writing, with that kind of insight! And If you see Mr O'Brien on your travels say "Hi!y
Strey wrote: "Wow! I had better check out some of your writing, with that kind of insight! And If you see Mr O'Brien on your travels say "Hi!y"Thanks Strey. Like you, I enjoy nautical settings and stories of exploration. Are you also a writer?
Linda wrote: "Strey wrote: "Wow! I had better check out some of your writing, with that kind of insight! And If you see Mr O'Brien on your travels say "Hi!y"Thanks Strey. Like you, I enjoy nautical setting..."
Hi. Not really, not an author at least - more of an occasional poet & artist, if anything - with precious little time to do either! More a simple sailor boy who loves messing about in boats & reading about it; but I love the artistry of language & admire those who can make words dance on a a page, like sunlight on ripples (or catspaws if you're a sailor)!!! I guess that's why I like O'Brian.
Hi! I'm new to goodreads - I only joined yesterday! I live in California where my husband is going to grad school, and although I am an electrical engineer, I've always loved reading about history and historical fiction. I'm excited to be part of this group and hear what everyone has to say!
Hello all, I'm fairly new goodreads, and I stumbled upon this group. I currently going to school for history, and I spend a lot of my leisure time reading about it as well. I love all sorts of history and historical fiction, but I'm particularly interested in early American history (revolutionary war and early republic), ancient Russian history, and modern Chinese history. I've already browsed a few discussions in this group and it looks like there are a lot of intelligent history buffs here. I'm looking forward to good discussions and finding more great books.
Hi everyone! I saw this great club and had to join! I love learning as much as I can about history, and devour any books on the subject (history, historical fiction, biographies of historical figures, etc.). I am especially interested in American History and Ancient History/Archaeology.
Hello all.I'm Jeremy. Currently working on my PhD in virology, but I love history and historical fiction. I have a particular affinity for the British Regency history, Heian Japan, and China, but I tend to like almost anything historical.
Also glad to see so many Patrick O'Brian fans. :)
Snow: the double life of a world war II spy Hello all and what a relief to find a group that encourages debate. I wrote this book which tells the true story of a Nazi spy whose daughter became a Hollywood film star. I would love to discuss its broader theme which is ordinary people getting mixed up in the world of espionage and the moral dilemmas they face. I am from the U.K. and am interested in the different outlook from both sides of the Atlantic. Was Agent Snow a hero or a villain? Were his actions for the good of his country, his family, or just himself? All feedback or questions welcomed.
Hi all,I write Historical Fiction with a particular interest in 19th century European and U.S. History. For example, my latest novel is Neo-Victorian. But I've read a good deal beyond that era in both non-fiction and fiction.
I'm currently reading Thackeray's "Pendennis," which is a great source of information for anyone interested in English culture and society ca. 1830-1840.
Gary
Hi. This is the first discussion group I've joined so bear with me until I get the hang of it. I love reading historical fiction covering any era but am particularly interested in ancient history, particularly Roman, Greek and Etruscan. I love historical trivia and the 'hard' stuff as well. My all time favourite author is Mary Renault. Looking forward to chatting about all things historical.
Elisabeth wrote: "Hi. This is the first discussion group I've joined so bear with me until I get the hang of it. I love reading historical fiction covering any era but am particularly interested in ancient history, ..."I read The Last of the Wine many years ago, and enjoyed it. Sorry I never read more of Renault; she's definitely worth reading. I also liked Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God, although I thought Livia got a bad rap. But the idea of her poisoning all of Augustus's preferred heirs so her son Tiberius could rule was quite compelling.
I think I Claudius was a masterpiece. The BBC TV series is worth viewing as well even though it must be over 20 years old by now. Serial poisoning is always a good hook to a story:)You might like to try Renault's The Persian Boy. It's my favourite in the Alexander The Great trilogy.
I agree. BBC produced some excellent series back in the 1970's and 80's, and I Claudius was one of the best. And thanks for the recommendation!
Hi everyoneI'm currently writing a cross-over fantasy & historical novel. While it's initially set in a post-apocalyptic future through past life regression, the story veers off into five historical episodes within the main story. So far I've written sections set in the Roman, Saxon/Dark Ages and Crusades. I'm just polishing off the English Civil War before I go back and try to stitch it all together into one piece.
I've been finding the research fascinating although I tend to avoid authors writing in the same period as I'm writing in case I end up subconsciously copying them!
Oh and on the boring side of things, I'm 42, live in South Wales, and I'm a house-husband to three boys when I'm not writing.
Graham
Sounds very interesting. FYI, a few years ago I serialized a Sci-Fi Fantasy novel incorporating Greco-Roman culture, the Carolingians and Arthurian legend.Best of luck with your novel!
Hi everyone. I’ve just completed a labor of love that’s taken me more than 10 years to finish due to lack of a sufficient market and health issues.
Times have changed and far more people are now interested in history-based time-travel stories.
My book, The Rebellion, slated to be the first in a time travel series: ESCape Into History will be available as an EBook and other formats by Thanksgiving, just in time for holiday gifting.
The series revolves around two former military Special Operators travel back in time to prevent occurrences that could alter the timeline of history.
The Rebellion involves Frank Souza and Bob Ponte as they head off a Tory conspiracy to prevent completion of the Declaration of Independence. Will they succeed? Will history be altered?
The book is newly available on Nook and Kindle and should be out as a large format paperback within the next two weeks - just finalizing the layout.
You're also invited to visit my website: http://www.larrymonizbooks.com/
Hi everyone. I’ve just completed a labor of love that’s taken me more than 10 years to finish due to lack of a sufficient market and health issues.
Times have changed and far more people are now interested in history-based time-travel stories.
My latest book, The Rebellion, slated to be the first in a time travel series: ESCape Into History is available as an EBook and other formats just in time for holiday gifting. The book is newly available on Nook and Kindle and should be out as a large format paperback within the next two weeks - just finalizing the layout.
The series revolves around two former military Special Operators travel back in time to prevent occurrences that could alter the timeline of history.
The Rebellion involves Frank Souza and Bob Ponte as they head off a Tory conspiracy to prevent completion of the Declaration of Independence. Will they succeed? Will history be altered?
You're also invited to visit my website: http://www.larrymonizbooks.com/
History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Jo Walton (other topics)
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I'm Paul and I just joined this group recently. I like all history apart from Modern History and only recently have managed to find the time (and money!!) to pursue my knowledge of it in my spare time. Atm I'm reading the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sampson and although it's fiction, it gives a great portrayal of life in Tudor England.
I'm always looking for new books on history so I'm glad I found this group!