Historical Fiction

[Mrs Darcy]

I'm looking for some recommendations for historical fiction.

I have looked through all the online lists, or so it seems, and I'm looking for some books that you have found to be good that are not on any lists. What are you secret gems?

Any reading age up to high school level and any era will be great.

[plimsoll]

We haven't read any books by G.A. Henty yet, but he's on our list -- I'd welcome hearing from others who have read his books.

My son read and enjoyed Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus. In addition to these two books, she has written a large collection of historical fiction.

[OhElizabeth]

TruthQuest, the guides cost money, but they're the best place I've found when looking for gems.

[Mrs Darcy]

I've been wondering about the G. A. Henty books as well. He wrote so many, and covered such a wide range of history, it's hard to know where to start.

[OhElizabeth]

You could find one at a used bookstore and see. The reading level is a bit up. Is this for a boy? Have you looked at the listings in the VP catalog? I noticed in your other thread you're looking for secular. Although the commentary in TQ is religious, the books themselves are secular. We've found amazing gems through the guides that we wouldn't have found elsewhere. They tend to be older, oop.

[Mrs Darcy]

Yes, I am looking for my son. I'm not worried about the reading level of the books. My son reads older books quite a lot. He seems to prefer older books than newer books.

One of the books that he is reading at the moment is King Solomon's Mines.

[elise1mds]

I really liked Edward Rutherfurd. He does write tomes, though. I'm also fond of a newer book by Sarah Dunant called "The Birth of Venus," set in Florence at the time of the Medicis, but you may want to preread for content.

[CherylG]

We haven't read any books by G.A. Henty yet, but he's on our list -- I'd welcome hearing from others who have read his books.

My son read and enjoyed Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus. In addition to these two books, she has written a large collection of historical fiction.


I bought our Henty books from
https://www.prestonspeed.com/cart/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=2

and we hated the Featherweight type. I also bought the Tradepaper kind with the Study Guides for young and middle school and we loved them. I think the paper quality affected how we liked the books. I bought all the Featherweights that they sell and we struggled with them.

Has anyone used Progeny Press? http://www.progenypress.com/ I'd love to hear your opinions.