Historical Fiction Fanfare
Explore the best historical fiction books with our curated list of fanfare favorites. Dive into captivating tales of bygone eras and legendary characters today!
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I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince
by Rosanne E. Lortz
A Tale of ARMS, of DEATH, of LOVE, and of HONOR Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Hundred Years' War, I Serve chronicles the story of Sir John Potenhale. A young Englishman of lowly birth, Potenhale wins his way to knighthood on the fields of France. He enters the service of Edward, the Black Prince of Wales, and immerses himself in a stormy world of war, politics, and romantic intrigue. While campaigning in France, Potenhale develops an interest in Margery, a spirited lady-in-waiting with a close-kept secret. He soon learns that Sir Thomas Holland, a crass and calculating baron, holds the key to unlock Margery's mystery and possesses the power to overturn all of his hopes. When the Black Death strikes Europe, however, Potenhale realizes that the fiercest enemy does not always appear in human form. Seeing the pestilence as a punishment for the sins of his generation, he questions his calling as a knight and considers entering the cloister. Margery or the monastery? Torn between losing his soul and losing the love of his life, he finds friendship with a French knight who might-just possibly-help him save both.
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Ben-Hur
by Lew Wallace
A bestseller since 1880... The classic saga of the Roman Empire From a thrilling sea battle to its famous chariot race to the agony of the Crucifixion, this is the epic tale of a prince who became a slave and by a twist of fate and his own skill-won a chance at freedom.
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The Mark of the Horse Lord
by Rosemary Sutcliff
Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the now blind displaced King of the Scots, former gladiator and slave Phaedrus impersonates the Horse Lord to regain from the Picts the control of the Scottish kingdom.
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Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow
by Allen French
Rolf, son of Hiarandi the Unlucky, is a character who exemplifies the effect of Christ's teachings upon the Icelandic people during their heroic age. The book is set in Iceland in the days when Christianity has come to the island though the old customs still linger. Hiarandi, at the urging of his wife, does an unprecedented thing: he lights a signal fire on a dangerous point of his land, thereby challenging the accepted custom which places lucrative salvage at higher value than the saving of life. However, the life that is saved that night causes his own death and the unjust outlawing of his son Rolf. Rolf's response to this injustice creates a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale difficult to put down.
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One Corpse Too Many
by Ellis Peters
An ingenious killer disposes of a strangled corpse on a battlefield. Brother Cadfael discovers the body, and must then piece together disparate clues--including a girl in boy's clothing, a missing treasure and a single flower--to expose a murderer's black heart.
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Ivanhoe
by Sir Walter Scott
In 1166, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight, returns from the Crusades to a chaotic England ruled by the enemies of the absent King Richard the Lion-Hearted. He finds himself disowned and dishonored, forced to fight for his name and the people he loves.
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The Black Rose
by Thomas Bertram Costain
Walter of Gurnie, bastard son of an English peer, is forced to flee from Oxford for his part in the university riots of 1273. Inspired by Friar Bacon, he determines to travel to China. With his friend Tristam, he fights his way to the heart of the fabulous Mongol Empire, and returns famous, to find that he must choose between the first love he thought lost and the exotic flower that he found in the East.
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The Brothers of Gwynedd
by Edith Pargeter
An epic quartet of novels telling the dramatic tale of Llewelyn, the first true Prince of Wales. Llewelyn has a burning vision: one Wales, united against the threat of the English. But, before he can realise his dream, Llewelyn must tackle enemies closer to home. Llewelyn's three brothers all stand in the way of his ambition to create an independent state. The best-loved of the three, David, was brought up at the English court. Restless, charming and torn between loyalties, David is fated to be his brother's undoing. Despite the support of Llewelyn's beloved wife, Eleanor, Llewelyn finds himself trapped in a situation where the only solution is his own downfall and a tragic death... Here, in one volume, is the entire saga of the Brothers of Gwynedd, including: SUNRISE IN THE WEST THE DRAGON AT NOONDAY THE HOUNDS OF SUNSET AFTERGLOW AND NIGHTFALL
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A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury
by Edith Pargeter
Examines England's history during the early 15th century, detailing the key players including Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, and Owen Glendower
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Prince of Foxes
by Samuel Shellabarger
Set in Renaissance Italy, this classic of American popular fiction is the story of Andrea Orsini, a peasant boy who rises to perform delicate political, military and romantic missions for Cesare Borgia. When first published in mid-20th century, Orson Welles was cast as Borgia in the film version. Tyrone Power as Orsini.
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The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas
The classic adventure from the author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask. In this swashbuckling epic, d’Artagnan, not yet twenty, sets off for Paris in hopes of joining the Musketeers, that legion of heroes highly favored by King Louis XIII and feared by evil Cardinal Richelieu. By fighting alongside Athos, Porthos, and Aramis as they battle their enemies, d’Artagnan proves he has the heart of a Musketeer and earns himself a place in their ranks. Soon d’Artagnan and the gallant trio must use all their wits and sword skills to preserve the queen’s honor and thwart the wicked schemes of Cardinal Richelieu. With this classic tale, Dumas embroiders upon history a colorful world of swordplay, intrigue, and romance, earning The Three Musketeers its reputation as one of the most thrilling adventure novels ever written. An Unabridged Translation, Revised and Updated by Eleanor Hochman With an Introduction by Thomas Flanagan and an Afterword by Marcelle Clements
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Captain Blood
by Rafael Sabatini
Peter Blood is a physician and an English gentleman who becomes a pirate out of a rankling sense of injustice. Barely escaping the gallows after his arrest for treating wounded rebels who were fighting the oppressive King James, Blood flees England and becomes enslaved on a Barbados plantation of buccaneers. When he escapes, no ship sailing the Spanish Main is safe from Blood and his companions. Abounding with adventure, color, romance, and strong social commentary on the evils of slavery and the dangers of intolerance, this classic adventure is a story about how oppression drives men to desperate actions, how fate plays a hand in everyone's life, and how love is ultimately the greatest power of all. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
