Historical Info for Historical Fiction Readers discussion

mine s 1000 -1200

Victorian/Edwardian.

I love anything well researched and well written. Nothing more annoying than anachronisms or just poorly depicted periods :)

The good stuff:
Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome, Steven Saylor (late Roman republic) and Lindsey Davis (1st century CE).
Boris Akunin's Fandorin series in late 19th century Russia is absolutely awesome.
The Name of the Rose is a classic - it's a great depiction of monastic life in the 14th century.

My stuff (because I'm afraid of sinking into analysis paralysis :), is set in a fantasy depiction of Ancient Rome. I do have ideas for writing in other eras - just waiting to get the time to do the proper research :)

High Middle ages, especially 13th century, but like Assaph I enjoy any era as long as it is well researched and well written with believable characters and without modern day sensibilities.

Adriana wrote: "High Middle ages, especially 13th century, but like Assaph I enjoy any era as long as it is well researched and well written with believable characters and without modern day sensibilities."

Modern sensibilities are the hardest of all the points you mentioned. Authors have always to balance historical accuracy with the expectations of their modern readers.

How can we, as modern readers, identify and enjoy reading about a a hero who's an historically-accurate, slave-owning, misogynistic bastard? We need to have some empathy with the protagonist, in order to like the book.

It's doable... but it's not easy. I find the best way is to do the research on the period, filter out 19th century romanticism abotu earlier periods, and find examples that could justify a particular outlook. In all eras there were men would not abuse slaves for the principle of it, or women strong enough to leave their mark.

It then becomes a matter of balancing those aspects with the
rest of the story and setting.

Assaph wrote: "...Authors have always to balance historical accuracy with the expectations of their modern readers. ..."
As a modern reader I must be out of luck then. It is true I have been dumping most of the books lately because the stories are too soft. Even the antiheroes are saving lives!

There are no solid borders between evil and good and no one is perfectly good or perfectly evil. Make the good guy slap a woman and suddenly I am intrigued and wonder about this good guy, what makes him tick, what secretes lie beneath his skin. If he does nothing questionable, then why bother reading about him.

I can tolerate superficial embellishments like having a beautiful heroine or a tall hero but I get bored when their personalities are without blemish or worse if they have childish flaws like stubbornness, and willfulness.

My favorite time period is the Wiemar Period in Germany between the World Wars. The clash between Hitler and his opponents is quite fascinating, with many people who later became quite influential in America, such as Marlene Dietrich, Fritz Lang, Peter Lorre, etc. It was a fascinating time.

1750-1850 is by far my favorite, though I do like to read and dabble in 1890-1915 as well.

civil war era

Civil War era for me too - but English, not American. The period 1642 to 1670. And I only stop at 1670 because I haven't started researching past that date yet.
Honour, passion, fire, principle, a fierce desire for ideas, and splendid corsetry.

Latin Syria from the 11th-13th centuries. Nothing captures my imagination like the Middle East, and the Crusading movement is part of a paradigm that is so unique to that one place and time. it is without compare to anything else that has ever happened in history.

As with all my favorites, I couldn't pick a single 'best'. Still, Europe from 900-1400 is an especially interesting time to me.

Post Dark Ages (mostly), but pre-Renaissance. Much progress, yet many lingering effects of the preceding age - many parallels to contemporary times. Primarily outside the more well-known places of France and England, though.

My latest novel reflects that preference: a re-telling of the William Tell legend and the founding of Switzerland. Incredibly complex culture and politics in this time and place.

Similar comments could easily be made about the Age of Discovery - beginning in Portugal and shifting to Holland - with many characters and events that shaped Europe. The opening of the spice trade routes around Africa to India changed Europe significantly, for example.

Classical history, primarily the Roman Empire, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. my three novels, THE SIGN OF THE EAGLE, THE WOLF OF BRITANNIA, PART I & II, take place between 27 - 69 A.D.

The 12th century is hugely underestimated as something of a turning point for Europe. The boundaries between Christianity and Islam were shifting in both modern Spain and the Middle East. Philosophy and science, such as it was, were exploring new ideas.

Don't be put off by crude characterisations of the Middle Ages as uniformly dark and superstitious. There were great advances in scholarship, architecture and literature. Hopefully - I've managed to convey this between the lines in my medieval epic Quest for the True Cross!

1100s to 1300s from Europe to... India! :) I know I have vampires in my new series, but it's historical fantasy, and the history is as accurate as I could make it (northern India 1301-1585)! Writing book 2 this year (back to 12th century Europe, but I'll have to take her to India and back and forth until 1585...)

Jeffrey wrote: "As with all my favorites, I couldn't pick a single 'best'. Still, Europe from 900-1400 is an especially interesting time to me.

Post Dark Ages (mostly), but pre-Renaissance. Much progress, yet ma..."

You might find this worth reading. A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World from Prehistory to Today

Stan wrote: "Jeffrey wrote: "As with all my favorites, I couldn't pick a single 'best'. Still, Europe from 900-1400 is an especially interesting time to me.
[bookcover:A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the..."

I will definitely look into that, Stan. Thank you. It will very likely dovetail superbly with the book I just picked up today: A History of Medieval Business 1200-1550 by Edwin Hunt.

(Research for my next novel, revolving around the Hanseatic League.)

Looking back I don't know of a period I'd prefer lining in to this one, but I've written about the first c. BCE, Rome at that pivot point just before Julius Caesar and the civil wars that led to the Empire. The Getorix boox: The Eagle and the Bull and Games of the Underworld, are superficially YA, but have deeper elements.

No favourite period. If it's before my birth year it's fine for me. Looking on the shelves. Rome around 75AD, 11th/12th century England. Germany between '33 and '45. WWI, Vietnam. Anything. Focus, at the moment, 12th century Europe, monastery.

Judging by what I've read,
1. 800-1000 CE England
2. 18th dynasty Egypt
3. 19th Century Peninsular and Napoleonic wars, spies especially
4. 16th-17th Century England
5. 13th & 14th Century Italy
but I'm writing about proto-Celtic cultures of 2300 BCE, two books, maybe a third.

I have a couple. 18-19th century Ireland, pre-Anglo Ireland, pre-Celtic Ireland, pre-Roman Britain, and Imperial Rome. I am also gaining an interest in medieval Icelandic culture and the Viking Age.

You are all so impressive - I love every single period of history from the dinosaurs to the 2nd World War - but I have too little expertise to claim them as special interest. My great favourite is mid 15th to mid 16th cs and have studied this time period for many years.

Christy wrote: "I have a couple. 18-19th century Ireland, pre-Anglo Ireland, pre-Celtic Ireland, pre-Roman Britain, and Imperial Rome. I am also gaining an interest in medieval Icelandic culture and the Viking Age."

If you like early Irish history check out books by Kristin Gleeson, especially 'Song of the Bees'. Well recommended for historical details and beautifully written.

M.J. wrote: "Civil War era for me too - but English, not American. The period 1642 to 1670. And I only stop at 1670 because I haven't started researching past that date yet.
Honour, passion, fire, principle, a..."

I'm writing about the 1640 period in Spain, Portugal, Goa and England at this moment and each time I check up on details I find some more fascinating titbits. Europe was in a period of rapid change in ideas and attitudes - and the monarchs were all in a state of chaos - as I say, fascinating, and tremendous fodder for historical fiction.

J.G. wrote: "Christy wrote: "I have a couple. 18-19th century Ireland, pre-Anglo Ireland, pre-Celtic Ireland, pre-Roman Britain, and Imperial Rome. I am also gaining an interest in medieval Icelandic culture an..."

Thanks! I hadn't heard of Kristin Gleeson. I'll check her out!

The Classical period, primarily ancient Rome with emphasis on the imperial era and Roman Britain. Interested in the U.S. Civil War and World War II.

My favorite is Late Georgian and Regency. My mom and dad both read Georgette Heyer novels and I began reading them too in my early teens. In my early twenties I aspired to write Regency novels--gave that up for some time, but now I figure with modern technology making it easy to self-publish I might as well publish what I once wrote so maybe a handful of people who stumble across my work can enjoy them. I am now beginning to read a lot more novels written in that time period too beyond just Jane Austen.

I've recently begun researching that era again too and I am remembering how much fun it was to research and learn about that different time (sometimes it is depressing too though). So much information is now online that it is much easier to find interesting things than there was when I first started around 20 years ago.

I have so many! Medieval England (Robin Hood, the Crusades), Tudor England, ancient Rome, Renaissance Italy, US Civil War, American Revolution, late 1800's US with westward expansion and immigration themes, WWI, and WWII

I have a few also...the 11th century in Europe ; Roman empire, Napoleonic period...

Although I'm interested in most anything historical my 3 favorite areas are:

15th Century specifically central Europe/E Mediterranean c 1450
17th Cent Europe c1618-48 The Thirty Years War/Ottoman wars
WW II Eastern Front

I write about the Napoleonic wars and about mid-19th century Britain and British colonialism, so I am naturally attracted to reading those periods as well.

My absolute favorite time period is Heian Period, Japan (794-1185), and I've drawn a lot of inspiration from it for my fantasy writing.

My favorite time period to read about (/and am heavily influenced by in my science ficiton writing) is WWII Pacific Theater (primarily seige and POW memoirs).

I like anything to do with history in the states, but the Civil War and Wild West eras are my favorites.
For England, I like anything from the Tudor era to the Victorian era.
For Europe as a whole, my preferences are from Medieval times to the Age of Enlightenment.

I'm willing to give any era a try, but it's difficult if I don't have any knowledge of that era.

Probably the 17th, 18th and 19th century fiction. Though I also enjoy the early 20th century's fiction. But everything that's old captures my attention, it doesn't matter from which era it is just as long as it is interesting!
Because I'm from Finland I have to read old finnish fiction, which I also quite enjoy. It's very entertaining.

Felicity wrote: "Probably the 17th, 18th and 19th century fiction. Though I also enjoy the early 20th century's fiction. But everything that's old captures my attention, it doesn't matter from which era it is just ..."

Felicity, start perfecting your writing skills, you sound as though you are on your way to being an author one day. I think a lot of published authors can relate to your comments. This is exactly how I started, although I didn't start to write fiction professionally until I was much, much older.

J.G. wrote: "Felicity wrote: "Probably the 17th, 18th and 19th century fiction. Though I also enjoy the early 20th century's fiction. But everything that's old captures my attention, it doesn't matter from whic..."

Oh! You really think so? :-) I love writing stories...

I have a few favorites:
1. Victorian Era
2. Czars of Russia (1893-1918)
3. President Kennedy (1961-1963)
4. 1980s

My favorite is Czars of Russia. I am like Felicity in that I enjoy the historical fictions from any time period.

I like the Victorian era! :)

I like the last part, too.

As I understand it, historical fiction can concern a period fifty years or more ago. This being so, I like placing my stories in the Second World War, because as well as doing research into this time, I can also draw from memory.

Meanwhile, age overtakes us, Melina...

The Minoan period.

My interests grow and develop as I discover facts about my ancestors via ancestry.com. Learning about an ancestor and what hi or her life was like is thrilling to me. I find that making history personal is very exciting and is what great historical novels and movies are made of. Its also a way to learn about things that you may not have spent the time studying without the added emphasis.

My dads side of the family are immigrants from Galway about 1915, so any historical information about Ireland, what life was like then and why they left is of interest to me.. Im also researching the Irish family name, which, as I have learned, is an old Pagan Goddess name. Where "we" came from and how we got this name and why there is nobody else in Ireland by this name now is one of my greatest searches. Hopefully I will be able to write a book about this history one day....

On this side of the family, my grandmother told me her great grandfather was a general in the Irish Army..which would have been about 1850-70s. I spend a great deal of time researching the British and Irish military system trying to find out which one he was actually in, who he was, where he worked, what he did etc.

On my moms side of my family are those who immigrated to Exeter, New Hampshire in 1628 from York, England. So, of course, Im interested in what was going on in York, and Britain at that time. Two of my moms ancestors immigrated from France to Quebec in 1650 and I've been reading and learning a lot about that time period and history lately as well.

My husbands great grandfather was in the British military stationed in India c. 1860. I was planning a trip to India to complete my training program in traumatology. Before going, my husband recommended I read a wonderful historical book entitled, The Great Mutiny, Indian1857. I was so glad I did. As we travelled through the city of Delhi and down the old road to Agra I had scenes from the book in my mind. It was exciting to envision the battles, murders and family trials happening to the British Officers stationed in that country. Knowing that my spouses ancestor was there immediately after the mutiny was especially cool and we can imagine the clean up and prepare work he had to do.

I feel that there is a natural connection between ancestry.com, he TV history channel and history educators that needs to be exploited. The learning would be remarkable.

Thank you for this interesting post, Elaine. To my mind, genetic inheritance is a much overlooked element of our characters: How and why we make decisions, choose where we do or do not want to live . . . It is an important theme in my novels too - not least because as an adult (and not a young adult) I have learned so much about my own ancestors and realised I have crossed many of their paths without ever knowing it at the time. The Empress Emerald

My interest is 20th century Europe. 'The Reign in Spain' by Galician author W. Kristjan Arnold is well researched and offers a fascinating look at the period.

I love the late Victorian and early Edwardian periods.
I write historical fiction set in New Zealand loosely based on true stories of pioneers in a new country from the mid-1800s up to the First World War.

Vicky Adin

Melina wrote: "Debra wrote: "Victorian/Edwardian."

It's nice meeting someone with shared interests."

That's my favourite period too. I'm glad to find other lovers of that period. My stories are set in New Zealand about immigrants to a new country seeking a new life.

My favorite historical era is the Victorian Era and the nineteenth century in general. For historical fiction, I focus on Victorians, but read more widely about WWI, Roman Britain, and 17th and 18th century history as well. I'm not much of a medievalist, although I've enjoyed the Brother Cadfael mysteries and have listened to a few audiobooks set in the 13th century.

I'm so fascinated by Venice in the 1600s, England in the Regency period, America in the 20s as well as the 60s, and anything during the two world wars are so addicting.