History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary discussion
Getting Started: Introduce Yourself
Hello, all. My wife is the founder and moderator of a book club where she picks the titles. Fortunately, she has impeccable taste. We just finished "A Long, Long Way" by Sebastian Barry. Great WWI story about the Irish and how they suffered both at home and on the front. Steph wants to add my own novel to the club's reading list, but I told her I'd go have coffee while they discuss it.
I look forward to being part of the group.
I like the fictional/factual crossover in the group description. Actual, Fictional and Legendary: each with its own truths, and I'm into the three of them. I've become an obsessive researcher for my historical on the Mongols, and since I discovered this fab site a month ago, have been busily putting up my research library here. Ambition to add and comment on every book I've used, in the nine years so far of research.
Like historical fiction too, and as you say, at times you learn more from the fiction. It has a scope strict history doesn't have and... art can get where scholarship can't. In rare cases, I guess, but that's the ideal at least. Always on the search for historical fiction like that.
Aside from Mongols I'm keen on epic, romance (in the medieval sense) and most societies that did them. Um, that means a lot. The Iliad, Orlando Furioso, Beowulf. My interest tails off after the 16th century perhaps, unless we're in Tashkent or the Hijaz.
Lee wrote: "I am interested in reading more alternate histories. I haven't tried the ones you mentioned in the intro but I have read a couple of Jo Walton's books and enjoyed them. "The Bow of Heaven
Lee, have you tried "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi? This is one of the best dystopian novels of the near future I have ever read. Try it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
The Bow of HeavenHi. Many of you (there were over 1400) entered the recent giveaway. Forgive me for interrupting the discussion, but I don't know how to reach people otherwise. If you entered but did not win, please go to http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... for a special offer.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Robert wrote: "you may also want to check out conn Iggulden's mongol series. It's a decent read"Hi Robert. I don't think he's my kind of novelist to be honest. But more importantly, his first came out when I was 3-4 years into mine, and I felt I had to stay away - to keep my own interpretations clear, if that makes sense to you? I've only dipped into him since, inquisitively.
In case you're interested, Tom Shanley has also done a set of two novels - Ascent - lesser known, but I believe with more concern for accuracy. (I believe, because I'm not allowed to read those either. I look forward to them when I can).
Hi, I'm new to this group. I don't really have a particular interest with regards to historical eras. I do like to read memoirs and historical fiction though.
Hello there. I just found your group. I have my M.A. in history and love books of historical fiction and fact. I've been a technical writer/technical editor at several engineering firms for many years. I indulge my historical/and research yens via reading and writing. I look forward to seeing recommendations of authors I have missed.I am also a writer but will place that information in the AUTHOR'S CORNER discussion per Ed's direction. Thanks very much.
Hello to all, I am Rebekah, an American expat who lives in rural Spain. I have been a history reader and writer for many years -- especially if you believe "journalism is the first draft of history." I worked on newspapers and magazines for 22 years before I moved to the Camino de Santiago pilgrim trail six years ago. Local history is my favorite kind, and here in Castile there are thousands of years of it -- I have begun writing novels based on the local stories: the first is "The Moorish Whore," which is listed here on GoodReads. I am most interested these days in medieval Europe, especially in the interplay of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Still, I am also into World War 1 and the Spanish Civil War. I look forward to learning from all your experiences!
!Saludos Rebekah! Make yourself at home here. Good company abounds. :)Sounds like you're loving Spain. Have you ever heard of the novel Death of a Nationalist by Rebecca Pawel? It's set in Spain immediately after the Civil War and involves a married couple. The husband is Nationalist and his wife comes from a Republican background.
All the best.
KOMET wrote: "!Saludos Rebekah! Make yourself at home here. Good company abounds. :)Sounds like you're loving Spain. Have you ever heard of the novel Death of a Nationalist by Rebecca Pawel? It's set in S..."
Thanks, Komet! I really do love Spain. I haven´t heard of Pawel, but I have put her book on my list of Books to Get Next.
Hi all,I almost graduated History at Uni (well... only had four years to go ;). There's no period that I would not find anything interesting in - it comes in waves, ancient Rome, medieval Central Europe, Meiji Japan (that's currently, because of a book I've written *shameless plug*)
I've moved to London five years ago and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of all the history that's in and around this city. It's like the whole world in a pill. I've recently discovered mudlarking in Thames - something like archaeology for kindergarteners and very lazy adults.
Hello ever'body,Thanks for the invite by the way.
I love Greek Mythology and the old Folklore tales and legends - I find them quite fascinating. I love the 18th-19th Century Era and believe I am reincarnated from that time as I am very old-fashioned. I love ancient artefacts and historical places that hold great meaning e.g. Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, England, etc. People find me weird but I just love old stuff - from the smell of old books to old nick-nacks and more. I love the old art work found in all the museums - Donatello, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Raphael Sanzio, etc. :D
Hi Everyone,I'm excited to be joining this group and happy to find both lovers and writers of books about history. I love a gripping, well-researched historical novel and I'm equally taken by creative nonfiction with historical themes. I like social history, the minutia of day-to-day life. What did the 19th century wife and mother think about? What were her values? Her dreams? I've written a couple local history books that have given me the opportunity to research some wonderful people from Maine's past, to explore their lives and try to get into their heads. Would love to talk to others with similar interests. Any other social history/local history writers and readers out there?
Hello all!I am a huge history nerd and write historical fantasy/alternate history with my coauthor. My areas of interest are modern British history and Native American history for totally self-centered reasons-- my family being Scottish Celtic and Caribbean native.
@Luann-- I LOVE social histories! One of my favourite parts of research is primary sources. It's endlessly interesting to see what people where thinking, and how people have changed. Which, often, is 'not at all'.
@S.B.--Primary sources are great fun. Lately I've been reading a lot of old newspapers on microfilm and suffering from "microfilm headache" by the end of the day...
Hello everyoneI'm a new writer, first effort is a teen/young adult historic fiction Runaway!. Work in process: a historic fiction set in the 16th century.
I'm intrigued by a guy who's a minor character in Runaway!... Jim Lane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H..... Like Doc Holliday only psychotic.
Dennis Maley
Hi Dennis,Congratulations on Runaway! Best wishes on your current project.
Hi everyone, I just joined. I've always enjoyed history and tend to jump around a bit! My current interests are focused on the 20th century (WWI - Cold War) and Russian and Irish history. I also have several books to read on the various founding fathers and American Revolution era. My family is of Irish descent, so that explains that, but I'm not sure on the Russia connection. I'm currently reading The First Circle and am hoping to finish it this week.
Hi thanks for letting me join this site, I've been adding a list of books I've read so far and the many that I want to read. These days I tend to read a mixture of historical crime/fiction as well as historical fact. I am a big fan of C.J. Sansom's Shardlake books as well as Simon Scarrow's Eagle series. More recently I've read the first John Shakespeare story, Martyr and Andrew Pepper's first Pyke story, The Last Days of Newgate, both of which were very good. Currently I'm reading The Elizabethan Renaissance:The Life of The Society by A.L. Rowse which gives a good all round history of the period.
Hi - Walt here - so happy I found this group.
Hi everyone,My name is Adam Alasdair. I'm a historian and author. I just published my first popular history, "The Cat: A Short History," which is as it sounds, a history of cats and people since antiquity. I have a Ph.D. in Roman and Mediterranean history (so I'm technically Dr. Alisdair...I currently teach at the University of Arizona). My professional research involves slave and peasant rebellions, especially in Italy and Sicily. By inclination I'm a social historian, so I'm interested in social classes and economics and so forth. I'm gradually rating my way through most of the Roman/ancient/Mediterranean history texts I find here, so please feel free to check those out, if you're interested...I'm currently reading George RR Martin's "A Clash of Kings," since I'm teaching and I need a break from the straight history. I have my eye on "A History of Trust in Ancient Greece" by Steven Johnstone (a former advisor of mine, and an excellent historian). I'm finishing up a second book (it's about zombies...historians can be nerds too), and after I publish that ("Weapons and Warfare in the Zombie Apocalypse," which contains a lot more history than Max Brooks' "Zombie Survival Guide") I'm headed back into the sources for another history. I have my eye on writing a book about citizen militia systems in Ancient Greece, as a counter to Victor Davis Hanson, who I despise (If you like his work, you shouldn't, it's terrible...his first scholarly book about warfare and farming wasn't that bad, but all his popular books are trash of the worst sort. And that's my professional opinion...). Anyway, hello everyone, and cheers,
Adam Alasdair
I admit that I like learning about different times ans places but I really find history books borig. I realize that I don't always get the facts about a history from historical fictio but I ejoy it. Right now I'm enjoying Louis Bayard books. I just got The School of Night which I first encountered in Shadow of Night. I'm looking forward to Louis' take on this particular group which may or may not have existed.
I am an author of historical fiction as well as a avid reader of that genre. Yes, I read other genres, but always feel unfaithful when I do.My interests began with American and maritime history, thus the mention of O'Brien's works at the head of this group caught my eye. For anyone else interested in the Jack Aubrey series, let me recommend that you trace its origins back through the writings of Forrester (Hornblower) and Marryat (an actual British frigate officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars with Lord Cochran - the real life model of Hornblower and Aubrey. Also, read the biography of Cochran - he's even more exciting than his fictional progeny.
I use my blog for several purposes, but the one that may interest students of history is that I frequently post the history I have studied to prepare for writing a novel. Thus, my blog may look like the "cutting room floor" of a movie production where you find tidbits of history that didn't make it into the book.
I look forward to "meeting" y'all here...
My name is R.E. Carter, and I’m an Emmy Award winning journalist and the author of Memoirs of a Slave that I’m releasing on November 5th. You can read a synopsis, and check out one of the covers that an artist is playing with just by typing the title in the search box. I will also have a preview on my blog at http://memoirsofaslave.blogspot.com/. On September 26th I will be looking for reviewers so if you are interested, and would like a free copy just follow me on my blog or send me a message. All I ask is that you write a review….thank you.
My Name is David E. Huntley, author of "Death Watch Beetle, A Historical Post WWII Spy Thriller" http://deathwatchbeetle.net I will let the Foreword speak for itself.“Here is an engaging novel of historical fiction, with rapidly developing plots and thrilling scenarios of espionage. David Huntley has accurately captured the times and tensions of global intelligence operations of post-World War II Eastern and Western Europe, the escalating concerns of the Allied Powers dealing with the rising Communist Bloc nation in the Soviet Union and Russia, the blooming Cold War, and the proliferation of the nuclear threat to the world. What I loved most about the story-line is that it places you in the middle of the action, as a participatory reader. In many cases, while reading David Huntley’s work I relived much of my own personal adventures as a military veteran of war and post-war actions. Huntley is to be commended for having written a thought-provoking, suspenseful account of one of the most dynamic moments in history. As this novel takes you over several continents, through several adventures, with various individuals, you will undoubtedly come to appreciate the great critical thinking and rhetorical talents of David Huntley.”
James L. Williams, Major General, US Marine Corps (retired)
sounds intense...I might have to check it out.
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Susanna wrote: "David and Russell - have you considered claiming your author pages here at GR?"I'm trying to do it right now, thanks for the heads up. Any suggestions?
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Thank you so much for helping me out. If there is anything I can do for you just let me know.
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I am a debut author whose book is doing well.Celtic Blood
It all seems very lucky, though I think the concept for my novel and style of writing is interesting, of course, i think that.
When I'm not writing I'm trying to keep for and hanging with my family doing daggy Dad things.
Hello everyone! I'm from Nashville and love to learn something while engrossed in a story so tend toward historical fiction but do like straight history too. I have a Civil War era book out but not sure if that is mentionable here or not. Looking forward to seeing what you guys have been reading. I love a "can't put it down - who needs to sleep anyway" book.
Hi, I like historical fantasy and alternate history. eg 'The Burning Times' by Jean Kalogridis, or 'The Oracle Glass' by Judith Merkle-Riley. Seventeenth century preferred, bu all eras interesting. eg The Roman fantasy, Euryale, Kara Dalkey.
Aloha to all, and greetings from Hawaii! I love history, and reading historical fiction set in Italy (my sister Rosie, a botanical artist, lives and paints in Perugia, a Papal stronghold for centuries until Garibaldi’s triumph in 1870), and I get to bella Italia as often as I can. I just finished a novel of my own inspired by the true life of Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918), a fiery-tempered, erotic, middle-aged Neapolitan peasant woman who levitated tables and conjured up spirits of the dead in dimly-lit séance rooms all across Europe at the end of the 19th century. (Really!) I’m also hoping you veteran Fictionistas can suggest some entertaining historical novels set in colonial Southeast Asia. My two all-time favorites are Orwell’s “Burmese Days” and Graham Greene’s “The Quiet American.” During the Vietnam War I spent three years in Thailand as a Peace Corps Volunteer -- the first year teaching English to middle school students in Bangkok at the royal Buddhist monastery of Wat Bowonniwet, and the subsequent two years writing and producing a Sesame Street-inspired educational television series for the Thai Ministry of Education, complete with puppets, animation, and Richard Lester-inspired cinematic tricks. I can still speak some Thai, but my Italian is better, and I’m working on Hawaiian. A hui hou kakou!(less)
Hi, my name is Efrat Israeli and I'm interested in American History and how it's combined with Jewish and Israeli history (I lived in both places…). This is what my new novel HER PROMISED ROAD is about. It is inspired by the chronicles of Golda Meir’s early life sent in 1931 to the United States on behalf of the Women Worker's Council in Palestine, to raise funds for Palestine’s pioneer women giving their blood, sweat and tears to the revival of the Jewish National Homeland. American Judaism, in the throes of a boiling revitalization post the massive immigration of the early twentieth century, is the significant backdrop to Devorah Abramson's traveling all over the States in her mission to raise money, while leaving her two young kids behind. The economic crisis is in its pick yet the heroine is determined to fulfill her mission; her enthusiastic and compelling speeches make the audience donate to the cause while she encounter some of America’s most fascinating figures of the period.
https://www.amazon.com/author/efratis...
Jinnik
Howdy Ya’ll
My Name is Gideon Asche, I am basically an old worn out Paratrooper who became a Spook then turned author. I recently published “JINNIK” a firsthand account of my time as a team Commander working behind the Iron Curtain.
I don’t want to come off as a Jerk trying to promote my own work but I obviously want to promote my own work so I invite you to take a look and see if “JINNIK” might be a book you would enjoy.
It is an accurate a narrative of almost 9 years as a Clandestine Intelligence Operator behind the Iron Curtain; as accurate as the US State Dept. would allow.
Some parts were adjusted to appease the DOS screeners and is the reason it is published as fact based fiction vs an autobiography.
If you are a moderator and would like to take a look at JINNIK and decide if it would interest your group please message me or E-mail me at Gideonashce@volcano.net and I’ll provide you with an E-book.
Thanks
Enjoy.
Hi, I’m Larry Moniz, a retired Journalist and Publicist with more than 45 years experience as a writing professional and numerous journalism, PR and fiction writing awards.I still write. It’s not what I do but who I am. I’ve written both fiction and non-fiction books as well as an archeological research paper on the source from which (at least) some of The Americas first migrant populations. Hint: It wasn’t Beringia, despite die-hard archeologists who built careers on a now disproven hypothesis. Widely known as the “Clovis First” theory, timelines at more than a dozen other locations show a land bridge migration couldn’t have happened when claim.
I’ve also been a student of American Indian History for more than half a century and am currently working on what, hopefully, will become an epic-length fictionalized tale of the history and demise of one of the Northeastern Woodlands Indian Tribes great nations. After four years of research I’m finally confident with my understanding of their culture and history to begin writing.
Some of you may ask why the book is fictionalized. It’s very simple. While there are lots of archeological tomes written by highly respected archeologists and anthropologists, their research is based on artifacts. Only a few Europeans who lived during the peak years of their existence wrote about those First Nations and much of that was colored by their prejudices, including religion, a desire to usurp their lands and, perhaps most of all, a perception that Native Americans were sub-human “savages.” Far from it, they just had a different and, in some cases, highly sophisticated culture.
Hi All,This group's been around for ages, so I'm a member infant.
I've loved history since junior year in high school, thanks to a history teacher who I still call my favorite. He's the reason I love the subject. Before then, I always said that I loathed it.
I enjoy reading historical fiction the most: Austen, Tolstoy, a bit of Dostoyevsky, and of course, Dumas. My favorite book of all time is The Count of Monte Cristo, specifically the Lorenzo Carcaterro translation edition. I've read it 3 times. It used to be my regular summer reading until last year, when I wrote my first book.
I'm a month out from releasing my second book in the series. It's time travel from past to present. In book one, Harriet Tubman travels to 2014. In the second book, the mystery of Hoffa is solved - he time traveled to 2010, except the public doesn't know about it.
I've enjoyed all the research involved in writing these novels. It was important to me to paint the historical figures accurately, so I spent a lot of time and notes and bookmarking web pages.
That's all for now. I'll be seeing you in the various discussion topics!
Quoleena
Hello I'm Nick with a free Ebook download, Sea Tales South Beach Miami, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/nick+...The old South Beach, interesting facts, from where I spent many years surfing and being a kid in the 1960s'.
This is a prequel to Sea Tales The Guardianship, where mythology, sci-fi, true historical events and current times clash...................
I'm Jim and just joined this group because I like history. No one invited me; I invited myself. The last alternate history I read was The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century which I found quite interesting. What if....?Jim
I wrote ‘Letter from Alabama’ to say ‘thank you’ to heroes who saved a little boy and his sister – and to inspire new generations with the true story of children orphaned and abandoned, then saved by grace and a family’s love. I had no idea that the book would also lead me to an older sister I didn’t know I had. On July 30, the Stanford KY newspaper published an article (below) that led several cousins from my birth father’s family to reach out to me, and connect me with Anna. Neither she nor I have any personal memory of our birth father. Until a week ago, neither of us knew of the other – nor our brother-sister relationship. Now we have more than six decades of catching-up to do. This is the second time that the published word has united me with my family. The first was 1952 when a Letter from Alabama was published in a Dayton OH newspaper. That letter has given its name to my new book. Find the book here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQIIODK. Here’s the article that led Anna and me to find one another: http://www.centralkynews.com/theinter...
Hi, i am new. I am a chinese. I love history. I read many history books and fiction in my county. I am an journalist in my county. I wrote many articles focus on culture, people, etc. Now, I am here, it is really a big challenge to read in English. I came here for i love reading books about history and i love learning western countries history though its own language. There is so so many books. I really have no idea about how to begin. I came here hope to find some good books. I hope some friend can give me some advice. Also, if some friends are interest in chinese history, i think i can give some help to.
History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, PhotographyI am reading this book now. I think it is quite a good one of modern art.
I wrote ‘Letter from Alabama’ to say ‘thank you’ to heroes who saved a little boy and his sister – and also to inspire new generations with the true story of children orphaned and abandoned, then saved by grace and a family’s love. I had no idea the book would also lead me to an older sister I didn’t know I had. On July 30, a newspaper in KY published an article that led cousins from my birth father’s family to reach out to me, and to connect me with Anna. Neither she nor I have any personal memory of our birth father. Until a week ago, neither of us knew of the other. Now we have more than six decades of catching-up to do. This is the second time the published word has united me with my family. The first was 1952 when a letter was published in an Ohio newspaper. That letter has given its name to my new book. Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQIIODK. Here’s the article that led Anna and me to find one another: http://www.centralkynews.com/theinter...
History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary
Books mentioned in this topic
I, Lafayette (other topics)Apocalypse Of The Realm: The Wrath Of The Elephant (other topics)
Deare Sister (other topics)
From Waterloo to Water Street (other topics)
Priests of War (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gore Vidal (other topics)Erik Larson (other topics)
Louis Bayard (other topics)
Rebecca Pawel (other topics)
Jo Walton (other topics)
More...
Best wishes,
Murdo Morrison