Historical Fictionistas discussion

I love HF, particularly US Civil War HF. My favorite book is "Gone With The Wind". I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for HF in this general vein. Thanks!

Maybe The Widow of the South?
I also loved March

Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "Rifles for Watie by Forbes
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara"

If you do go for Killer Angels (I highly recommend it as well) then follow it up with the 2 by his son Jeff Shaara One is God's & Generals but I do not remember the title of the second.

The Handsome Road by Gwen Bristow - one of the best, though not very well known. A poor Southern girl and a rich plantation owner's young wife, both struggling to survive in the Civil War and Reconstruction, and their differing ways of doing so. Superb.

Jesse wrote: "If you do go for Killer Angels (I highly recommend it as well) then follow it up with the 2 by his son Jeff Shaara One is God's & Generals but I do not remember the title of the second.
"

The Last Full Measure

byThomas Keneally
is the most realistic depiction of the Southern army during the Civil War and it was written by an Australian. He must have had a past life as a Civil War soldier :).

The North and South trilogy by John Jakes is pretty good. Maybe not the most literary work on the civil war but still quite riveting reading. I loved it.

Laurie wrote: " byThomas Keneally
is the most realistic depiction of the Southern army during the Civil War and it was written by an Australian. He must have had a ..."

I have to agree with you Laurie. I really enjoyed that one. And being an Aussie with a keen interest in the American Civil war it was great reading a fellow Aussie's take on this subject.

The Titans and The Warriors both by John Jakes are the Civil War part of his series, The Kent Family Chronicles and are both quite good.

Owen Parry has a series of Civil War books that are enjoyable - the Abel Jones Series of six books.

The Lonnie Coleman series of three books which starts with Beulah Land is also good.

Or the 4 Starubuck novels by Bernard Cornwell Rebel
Copperhead
Battle Flag
The Bloody Ground

I enjoyed Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

Shaman by Noah Gordon. It's a sequel, but it's not necessary to read the first one. (Although it's wonderful! That one is The Physician.)

I enjoyed The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot, though it has had slightly mixed reviews. It centres around a notorious prison camp for Union prisoners of war, and the efforts of civilians, against the odds, to improve conditions. It's set in the South, so may appeal to your penchant for Gone With The Wind.

Kate wrote: "The Handsome Road by Gwen Bristow - one of the best, though not very well known. A poor Southern girl and a rich plantation owner's young wife, both struggling to survive in the Civi..."

I love Gwen Bristow! I've read 2 of her books and they were both so good. I'm adding this one to my tbr.

I just finished Jeff Shaara latest

The Smoke at Dawn - excellent read - #3 in his series on the War in the West - about the Campaign of Chattanooga in the fall of 1863

Ralph Peters has a couple under his own name that are really good



and



Personally I think they are every bit as good as the Sharras. He also wrote a mystery series as Owen Parry that I liked

https://www.goodreads.com/series/list...

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles and My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira are both excellent.

I see a few of my suggestions Blood Red Roses by Elizabeth Boatwright Coker

The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini

Deborah wrote: "Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles and My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira are both excellent."

Those are my favorites as well, Deborah!

A couple of my favorites are listed here - March, My Name is Mary Sutter and Cold Mountain. For a different perspective check out Fragments of the Ark by Louise Meriwether. And remember that Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a Civil War novel too.

As is The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Matthew wrote: "As is The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane"

THE civil war novel :)

You might like Eugenia Price. Her Savannah quartet is a family saga with a love story, set in the years leading up to the civil war, about 1820s to 1850s. A bit Christian. Gorgeous feeling of old time Savannah, Georgia - you really feel the author's knowledge of and love for the town. First book is Savannah.

She wrote some other books set in that area/era also. But I never got around to reading them (yet).

I second Michele's suggestion. I just came across a stash of used Eugenia Price paperbacks in a museum store when visiting St. Augustine, and I learned she wrote a Florida trilogy set in 19th-century.

At least one is set in St. Augustine. I haven’t read any, though I plan to . . . one day.