Historical Fictionistas discussion

Does anyone have suggestions for historical fiction set in Ancient Greece? I am travelling to Europe and doing a Classical Greece tour in June

I have just read



Looking for somethings with less emphasis on wars. I have been recommended Mary Renault books, but these do not appear to be available in kindle editions from Amazon.

Thanks very much.

The Song of Troy of McCullough is a great, very educational read, on Ancient Greece. Very entertaining too :)
(but dealing with the whole Trojan mess, it does have a lot of war in it ;))

Odette wrote: "Does anyone have suggestions for historical fiction set in Ancient Greece? I am travelling to Europe and doing a Classical Greece tour in June

I have just read

by Taylor Caldwell. It's set in Athens during the golden age, and follows the lives of the rhetorician and courtesan Aspasia, and the statesman Paracles. I found it an absorbing read, thoughtful and thought-provoking rather than violent.

I have an ancient Greece list that you can take a look at: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

You may be able to find something there.

If you like (or like the idea of) historical mysteries, The Pericles Commission.

Thanks very much for all your recommendations. I was able to purchase a kindle version of
and the Mary Renault books look interestingm but are not available to read on kindle, will need to order.

Odette wrote: "Does anyone have suggestions for historical fiction set in Ancient Greece? I am travelling to Europe and doing a Classical Greece tour in June

I have just read

[bookcover:Gates of Fire: An Epic ..."

Where do you live? Mary Renault's books do appear to be on Kindle in the US but I can't say whether they are available in other countries.

I would recommend my book, (Set during Alexander the Great era) but it's a month until I publish it. If you're still looking at that time I may come around and post a recommendation.

Good luck on your search! :)

Robin, I live in Australia and can only purchase kindle books from amazon.com.au However, I can order hard copies (new and used) from amazon.com but takes a week or so to arrive here.

Caitlin, thanks for recommending your book - will look out for it.

Odette wrote: "Robin, I live in Australia and can only purchase kindle books from amazon.com.au However, I can order hard copies (new and used) from amazon.com but takes a week or so to arrive here.

Caitlin, t..."

Oh, ha ha, thank you. I hope I can get it published on schedule. :)

Helen of Troy by Margaret George is long, but very well-written and engaging so despite its length, reading it does not feel tedious at all.

While not necessarily about Ancient Greece, as it's a retelling of the Aeneid, Black Ships by Jo Graham may strike your fancy.

There is another book called "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield, and also "Tides of War" by the same author. I was pretty impressed with both of them. He has also written fiction set in the time of Alexander the Great.

Christian Cameron's "Killer of Men" is set in the run up to the Persian invasion of Greece, and is the first of his "Long War" series. I haven't yet had time to read any of the follow-up stories.

I'm reading another book by Steven Pressfield set in the future, The Professional. It has a lot of technical details. I didn't know he wrote about ancient Greece. This is helpful as I am writing a YA on the Roman-Sassanid wars at Nisibis (Turkey).

There is also Victor Davis Hansen's , about when the rest of the Greeks decided they had had enough of being bullied by the Spartans. Well written, but not a light book.

My publisher, Hadley Rille Books, has a series of short archaeological novels. One of these - The Priestess and the Slave by Jenny Blackford - is set in the Peloponnesian War, and follows the stories of two women, a priestess at Delphi, and an Athenian slave (publisher, Hadley Rille Books). It's well worth reading, but I personally would have preferred it to be longer! Also, if you can get hold of The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault, I'd really recommend that one.

I would recommend my books, Knossos and Helen's Daughter if you're interested in Mycenae and Crete. Also the books of Victoria Grossack and Alice Underwood if Thebes is your thing.

I think Lindsay Davis may have done a few Historical fiction novels set in ancient Greece I could be wrong but she's a good author if you like crime set in ancient periods :)

You might enjoy my novel, The Plot to Save Socrates - time travel, but most of it is set in Ancient Greece.

Not exactly Ancient Greece but the same time period. Till We Have Faces

finally, evidence emerges of what happened in The Plot to Save Socrates


illo by Tom Gauld, from Guardian Review

Chuckles.

Odette wrote: "Does anyone have suggestions for historical fiction set in Ancient Greece? I am travelling to Europe and doing a Classical Greece tour in June

I have just read

[bookcover:Gates of Fire: An Epic ..."

I really liked Valerio Massimo Manfredi's 'Spartan'- a fast-paced, evocative, well-written novel. And 'The Song of Achilles' more recently by Madeleine Miller. Further back, Henry Trease's 'Electra' about the ill-fated daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. I've also written a novel, Trojan Tales: Voices from Afar about the vivid and moving story of Andromache, wife of Hector. Best wishes, Ed

Just keep in mind that Manfredi's "Sparta" is just a card-board stereotype society with little historical basis. Pretty cartoon-like actually.

Helena wrote: "Just keep in mind that Manfredi's "Sparta" is just a card-board stereotype society with little historical basis. Pretty cartoon-like actually."

Even so, I enjoyed it. That one I felt was the best of Manfredi.
I still think your Spartan novels are the best though, Helena. Any plans to write more? Maybe carry on with your fictional family or fill in with Niko or Sandy's story, for instance?
I hope you're not abandoning them! :)

Thanks, Jane, but for the foreseeable future I'm "stuck" in the Holy Land and the Third Crusade.

Helena wrote: "Thanks, Jane, but for the foreseeable future I'm "stuck" in the Holy Land and the Third Crusade."

Oh goodness, that's disappointing. :( Don't abandon the Agesandros/Alethea clan; maybe you'll pick up with other family members or descendants in the future. Or maybe secondary characters like say, Eudora or Kolotes.