The standard of writers in this genre make these novels some of the top fiction books you can read….. simply as reading for pleasure or to learn more of times past in a fun way… which is reading books-4fun!

As you would guess from my previous article “Historical Fiction”, historical novels are some of my best loved books – I have always found them a good read. The authors are usually on my must read list when I check out bookstores.

Browsing bookstores to discover that ‘gem’ or finding the latest from a favourite author is a pleasurable way to spend time. And, now that most good bookstores are also online bookstores, it is easier to obtain books – especially if one cannot access them physically – like me because of where I live.

Of the ancient world – up to the Fall of the Roman Empire – possibly 3 main characters have had more historical novels written about them than any others:

• Alexander the Great
• Cleopatra
• Julius Caesar

The immortal story of Troy perhaps being up there with them., although how historical the characters were is left to your imagination.

Such is immortality!

Of them all, it’s perhaps Alexander the Great who is the most fascinating, enigmatic and complex character of them all – even if more is known about Caesar and Cleopatra…. though not much more unfortunately.

Egypt

We can add to this list novels about the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. – particularly Ramses 11 and Hatshepsut. Of course there are other yarns about other pharaohs, but these two seem to feature a lot more.

Fascination with ancient Egypt has been bubbling away since Napoleon visited and Belzoni excavated. It of course became fully fledged with the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and treasure.

Despite this the boy king is not an exciting focal point for many historical novelists – when appearing, it is usually transitional or a by-line almost.

The first historical novel I remember reading as a boy is “The Egyptian” by Mika Waltari – it is the story of Sinuhe the (fictional) royal physician to Akhenaten. Essentially a story of reign of Akhenaten – it also features his predecessors on the throne, Nefertiti his Queen, and his successors Tutankhamun, Ay and Horemheb.

It came more alive when I eventually saw the movie starring Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Jean Simmons with Edmund Purdom as Sinuhe.

I must admit I loved all those old epics by film makers such as Cecil B DeMille, Samuel Bronston et al. They haven’t all aged well – in light of today’s filmic realism, but when I was younger they were fresh and vivified in me a love of the ancient world.

Alexander and Ancient Greece

Time and again, authors have turned to Alexander and taken us back into a world long gone, but only distant in time – ancient Greece being a source of our Western society.

The legendary stories and myths surrounding Alexander evoke ancient Greece in a way that it becomes vibrantly alive for us today when told through the penmanship of modern writers, like:

Mary Renault,

David Gemmell,

Steven Pressfield

Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

Nocholas Nicastro

Margaret George

Lindsey Davis

Scott Oden

Robert Harris

Speaking of old epics, as I was above, I even loved those one with Steve Reeves as Hercules – gee, I cringe when I see them now! But then, any movie epic was good fare!

The Trojan War has been popular since Homer first told of it in the “Iliad” and, in our time, has held been the subject of many historical fiction books and movies…. underlining an inherent belief by Homer that this was indeed an immortal tale.

While Hollywood has made the story fit its own ends, and sometimes rarely rising above the trite… not so for many of the great books that are available now.

The following authors each have a unique take on what is really an endlessly varying tale. They bring the story alive again for us with skillful writing, realistic dialogue and characterisations and different perspectives which, although we know the tragedy of it, still keep us enthralled – as it has since Homer first held his audiences spellbound.

• David Gemmell
• Colleen McCullough (her “Song of Troy” is one of the best – re-readable!)
• Sarah B Franklin
• Margaret George

Rome and Caesar

Colleen McCullough’s “Master of Rome” series is almost definitive (for me) when wanting the best novel about pre-imperial Rome and then up to Caesar. Her concluding novel “Antony and Cleoptra” is not quite as satisfactory – I suspect she didn’t really like ‘Cleo’ much!

Also good:

Imperium by Robert Harris (Cicero’s rise) and Pompeii

The Pillar of Iron by Taylor Caldwell (Cicero)

Caesar, Anthony by Alan Massie

Memoirs of Hadrian by Margaret Youcenar

Of course “I Claudius” and “Claudius the God” by Robert Graves ( I recommend the TV series instead)

When to read a good book?

Anytime – as long as it is often or regular! Books are such great entertainment – be it summer reading, beach reading or whiling away time on a rainy day – or an alternative to the idiot box.

Would you like more information?
If so, go to my personal site http://www.readingbooks-4fun.com – and click on the historical section in the menu.
Peter Damien Ryan
I am also as passionate about gardening as I am about reading – get my FREE e-book “The Better House and Garden” at http://bit.ly/643P6R.

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