History Buffs United discussion

My favourite is... anything well written really :-)

The good stuff I enjoyed reading:

* Ancient Rome, particularly late republic and early empire
by writers such as Colleen McCullough, Lindsey Davis and Steven Saylor.

* Late 19th century / early 20th century Russia
In Boris Akunin's absolutely amazing Erast Fandorin series. It's so awesome I'm tempted to learn Russian because I can't wait for the translations of the newer books.


I also write about Ancient Rome, though I do it in a fantasy setting both because I wanted magic, but also because I was afraid I'd sink into research paralysis about any particular period in the Roman eras. Once I made this decision I tried to see how I could stretch and play with what-ifs in Roman history and culture. Fun exercise :)

Medieval. It's always been medieval; used to be Europe, these days it's Asia. Funnily I like the same span of centuries though, about the 5th-13th. Fascinating centuries.

Asia doesn't in fact have a 'medieval' post-Rome, so, still a little confused as to what terminology to use. As the scholars are.

As a reader of American historical fiction, any time other than the Civil War (too much time spent reading about it when I was young). As a writer, a unique event or situation at a time well in the past that other writers have ignored.

What Bryn said, only I go up to about 1830. Definitely prefer Eurasia ca. 800–1600, though. Russia and the steppe lands to the south and east, especially.

Congrats on knowing about Erast Fandorin, Assaph. There can't be a handful on GR who do! I loved the first few. The Sister Pelageia novels too.

C.P. wrote: "Congrats on knowing about Erast Fandorin, Assaph. There can't be a handful on GR who do! I loved the first few. The Sister Pelageia novels too."

Thanks C.P. :)
I agree he doesn't deserve the recognition in the West he deserves. My wife says that in Russia he sells more than Harry Potter. She does have all of his books at home... in Russian :-/
My Russian is limited to saying "Hello, where is the Red Square" so I have a bit more to go before I can attempt them.

I did try the first Sister Pelagia, though didn't quite get into it. Perhaps the change of pace from the Fandorin novels was so great, that it was just my expectations that were disappointed. I'll give it another try soon, now that some time has passed.

Gosh, yes. The Russian J.K. Rowling, indeed. His last nonfiction book was even published under his pen name to boost sales. The other, less well-known Russian authors are frothing at the mouth. Celebrity will do that.

I like Pelageia because she is less passive than Fandorin, although she does have a tendency (which annoys me) to run down deserted alleys at midnight so that the murderer can be in hot pursuit. I think the two characters appeal to different audiences, though, so don't be surprised if your opinion of her doesn't change. Even in Russia she is less popular than Fandorin.