Good authors: phillipa gregory
By Ophelia
@Ophelia (88)
United States
November 15, 2007 9:25am CST
So, I am almost fully through Phillipa Gregory's novels. She writes fiction about 16th century english history. Sounds boring but is really quite intriguing. She uses real facts and events and creates a story around them. She has done much research and it is quite believable that some things DID happen the way she explains. The life of the english court back then was very deceitful and corrupted. VERY good reads.
Does anyone have any suggestions of other authors with this sort of theme? Or even along this same sort of writing: historical fiction I think it would be? Using real facts and putting a story around them, as in The DaVinci Code, etc.????Let me know!
1 person likes this
2 responses
@Nerophile (72)
• United States
15 Nov 07
It's funny I was just wondering a few weeks ago if Phillipa Gregory was a author I would enjoy. I've often seen her books at the used bookstore I frequent. I've enjoyed historical type novels in the past but they usually centered around a mystery of some sort. Several of them are The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, The Alienest by Caleb Carr. And one that is actually non-fiction but reads like fiction and is full of fascinating details about the turn of the century is Devil in the White City. I can't remember the author.
I think Babara Tuchman is another well known historical fiction writer who is renowned for her attention to detail but I've never read anything by her.
I am interested to know, though, some of the other books you have read so I can get an idea of how your taste run before I run out and get a Phillipa Gregory book. Thank you.
@Nerophile (72)
• United States
16 Nov 07
addendum:By Barbara Tuchman, I meant Collen McCullough. I always get those two confused. Tuchman is non-fiction history. But both are some of the best in their fields.
@Ophelia (88)
• United States
19 Nov 07
yes, well, I really like Historical Fiction novels. I have found that I do like Dan Brown (DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons) and Philipa Gregory (the Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance).
I'm looking for more authors like them. I like how they use real facts with a story that quite possibly could be true. It's the possibility that exciting.
I will def check out some of those titles and authors you mention.
Thank you very much.
@unusualsuspect (2602)
• United States
16 Nov 07
Her books sound very interesting. I'll look her up next time I go to the library.
The only historical series I've read is the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell. They take place mostly during the Napoleonic Wars, but the first three are set in India, when England was still in competition with other nations for control of India. They're all extremely well-researched and quite detailed, and exciting. It doesn't hurt that the hero of every one is a handsome and dangerous fellow. reread those every once in a while. :-)
I've read several of the Caedfael mysteries, which were televised and starred Derek Jacobi. Some day I should get around to finishing those.
