She wrote in the 1950s-70s I believe (could be slightly out on that) and had ridiculously detailed notes on everything to do with Regency society - from carriages to fashion to language to politics and so on. Her books are usually described as romance (because they are, really) but tbh I read them because they're funny; it's hard to see, when you're reading one, that it's written so recently. They're hard at first if you're not used to her language but meh after three pages it's easy.
I'm trying to turn my favourite of her books - The Grand Sophy - into a tv drama script but I can't really do it justice. Everyone seems to disagree on which of her books (there are a good twenty or so) it's good to start with though.
Anyway. The reason I class her as historical fiction as opposed to historical romance is because her book about the battle of Waterloo - 'An Infamous Army' or something like - was so detailed and so well-researched (she was reknowned for the quality of her research) that it's been referred to many times as an excellent account of the battle. I've not got round to that one yet but my history teacher at school had it on our reading list one year, never forgot that.
I'm trying to turn my favourite of her books - The Grand Sophy - into a tv drama script but I can't really do it justice. Everyone seems to disagree on which of her books (there are a good twenty or so) it's good to start with though.
Anyway. The reason I class her as historical fiction as opposed to historical romance is because her book about the battle of Waterloo - 'An Infamous Army' or something like - was so detailed and so well-researched (she was reknowned for the quality of her research) that it's been referred to many times as an excellent account of the battle. I've not got round to that one yet but my history teacher at school had it on our reading list one year, never forgot that.
I like things to be as accurate as possible and I don't mind detail. (I liked the Waterloo and sewer parts of Les Miserables)
"An Infamous Army." I will watch for that one.
Thanks Perdita!
Tash
Historical Fiction?
31/08/2009 03:27:30 PM
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Why would you make that assumption?
31/08/2009 03:33:59 PM
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I'm guessing the title of the MB.
31/08/2009 06:28:13 PM
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If you look at the categories before posting you see that there are more options than just SF/F *NM*
31/08/2009 06:30:39 PM
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Historical fiction is great.
31/08/2009 05:06:06 PM
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Those Troy books were fun.
31/08/2009 09:36:29 PM
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Re: Those Troy books were fun.
01/09/2009 06:26:51 PM
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David Gemmel.
01/09/2009 06:50:50 PM
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Hurrah, it's begun already
31/08/2009 06:43:28 PM
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Anything that you want to pimp, Elaine? Nobody pimps better than you do. *NM*
31/08/2009 09:37:30 PM
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Mr Elaine says he's the pimp, but never mind him and what he thinks.
14/09/2009 01:37:22 PM
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And I will happily write them down and look for them. Thank you Elaine. *NM*
15/09/2009 04:21:04 AM
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i love it!
31/08/2009 07:18:46 PM
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Intense but genius - I loved it but in a "it nearly blew my mind" sort of way *NM*
01/09/2009 02:30:29 AM
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yeah, but Stephenson calls that SF *NM*
01/09/2009 06:27:50 PM
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well, ok... i don't really care what it's called so much, though. *NM*
01/09/2009 09:57:34 PM
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lol, was just sayin, although I know his reasoning, I still think of it as HF myself *NM*
02/09/2009 01:45:23 AM
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Talk to me. Tell me your picks. I love historical fiction.
31/08/2009 09:28:35 PM
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Georgette Heyer. I have to get her name in this thread, because her books rock. *NM*
01/09/2009 02:31:22 AM
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Would you like to tell me more? I would be interested. *NM*
01/09/2009 03:40:07 AM
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Oh would I ever!
02/09/2009 12:45:32 AM
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You sold me with the research part
02/09/2009 04:09:45 AM
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I have a rec for you Tash
01/09/2009 04:46:10 AM
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What an interesting idea for a novel. I bet that hasn't been done before.
01/09/2009 07:49:47 AM
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Mb for Hf
31/08/2009 10:36:54 PM
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No, we really shouldn't.
01/09/2009 10:57:16 AM
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just add HF as a "topic" for new posts, but keep it on this MB. Easy enough right? *NM*
01/09/2009 06:30:25 PM
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Does Dumas count as historical fiction?
01/09/2009 05:50:24 AM
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Love historical fiction.
01/09/2009 09:33:48 PM
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All I have to say is: Edward Rutherfurd. *NM*
02/09/2009 01:03:52 AM
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Only read Sarum, but that was good enough. *NM*
02/09/2009 05:00:50 PM
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Has anyone read The Road to Jerusalem by Jan Guillou?
02/09/2009 02:54:58 AM
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No. What did you like about it?
02/09/2009 04:11:25 AM
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Yep... it's rather good, although the first book is the most uninteresting one.
02/09/2009 05:00:19 PM
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