What is an Historical Novel, to you?

[Old TexMex]

Captain Marooner by Louis B. Davidson & Eddie Doherty

Voyage by Sterling Hayden

Both are fictionalised stories of real events. Marooner told of the Globe mutiny which resulted in the end of flogging in the U.S. Maritime fleet.

Skeletons of the Zahara deals with the true story,(compiled and written recently) of treatment of shipwrecked "Infidels" by north and Western desert Africans.

Historical as can be, because, perhaps, as William Wallace said "History is written by the victors who have hung the heroes."

 

[6thtexas]

The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester followed the real history of the Royal Navy throughout the Napoleonic era. Very interesting if you want to learn about life aboard a naval vessel in the age of sail.

Though known by most people for the Conan stories, Robert E. Howard wrote many historical fiction pieces set in the Middle Ages. The character Red Sonya (that Hollywood turned into a sword & sorcery character) is actually from a story called "The Shadow of the Vulture" set in the Christian defense of Vienna against the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century.

Forester is good (he also wrote "The African Queen") but Patrick O'Brian's "Master and Commander" series is better. O'Brian did a monumental amount of research into his books and it really shows.

 

[Old TexMex]

Oh yeah, I just read one pretty good:
"U.S. Marshals" by Mike Earp

Historical....

"Homicidal Humor" by Vonn Auld Kopp is Houston history.

 

[6518John]

I have always wanted to write something and have a few ideas. The biggest thing that stops me is thinking about where to start? Think about it. Most movies and book plots just cover maybe a few days or just a month of the subjects life. Its hard to cover much more than that in a readable book on someones life. Westerns are a popular interest but really that era isnt a short eye blink of history relatively speaking.
To most people "westerns" are the short time span of the colt single action army, 1872 to about the late 1880`s. To me it would be more like the 1820`s (mountain man era up to past the civil war). I would like to see a TV series about LEO centered around the late 1920`s to world war two. Thats the era that has my favorite guns, cars, airplanes and motorcycles. If I was a producer I would scour museums etc to try and make everything very authentic. Okay, the hero would have been raised in the west, been a pilot in world war one, got out and got elected a sheriff somewhere in alaska, fly his area, come back to the western lower and etc. I got to think about this.

Mr. Merril--I think you have alreday crossed two of the most important touchstones for any aspiring writer--an attention to detail and a roadmap of where you want to go.

Your talk of scouring museums, focusing on the authentic, etc. jumps out in what you write on here. I don't get to read a lot on the forum because of my work, but I notice your posts--the authenticity, vibrancy, the western spirit.

You have an outline of your manuscript above and may not realize it:
I. Genesis in the American West.
II. Flying through the War Years.
III. North To Alaska (with a Badge and a Plane).
IV. Home Again.

 

[feralmerril]

I am not into science fiction or tin hat type writing yet the one book that I really got into was Lucifer's Hammer. A big part of what kept my interest was some of the book was located in central california in the sierras little towns that I knew well and could relate to. Its a huge book, about 500 pages.
Lucifer's Hammer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[pineappleshooter]

My favorite book is a good example of historical fiction:
From Wikipedia:

Lion of Ireland, by the American-Irish author Morgan Llywelyn, is a novel about the life of the Irish hero and High King Brian Boru.

The story begins with Brian as a child of around 8 or 9 and it ends with him as an 88 year old man. The book shows his rise to power and his struggle to maintain it. His personal life is an important part of the plot, because Brian's war against Máel Mórda (leader of the Leinstermen) and Sihtric (king of Dublin) was to be inextricably connected with his complicated marital relations, in particular his marriage to Gormlaith, Máel Mórda's sister and Sihtric's mother, who had been in turn the wife of Amlaíb Cuarán, king of Dublin and York, then of Máel Sechnaill. Even though the book is based on a historical figure, most of it is fiction.

 

[the ringo kid]

Not a novel, a movie.

Titanic with Decaprio and Winslet. Seriously. As a boy I discovered a copy of A Night to Remember by Walter Lord (still have it too) and I swear I knew that book line by line, I read it so many times. And, everything at the local library. Later I found 1912 newspapers on microfilm and read them, some stuff I copied. It was my first experience with microfilm.
Anyway the screenplay was written following pretty much to a T the actual events of that night. Its probably legend that the first officer really shot himself, it was more a rumor I think without a lot of fact behind it. A few survivors said so, but most had no knowledge of it. But otherwise, it was pretty much right on, the real people depicted in the movie really did those things that night just as they were portrayed.
I am not sure I've read any historical novels that covered the true events like this movie did.

Joan of Arc I find really interesting, but being over 500 years ago, who knows what are the real facts versus the myths. I think there is too much going on there for it to be mostly legend, I am inclined to believe most of what we are told really happened. Nobody even knows what she really looked like, as there are no known portraits of her that survived.

A Night To Remember and, Miracle At Dunkirk--are two of the best books ive ever read. Both by Walter Lord.

 

[the ringo kid]

I have always wanted to write something and have a few ideas. The biggest thing that stops me is thinking about where to start? Think about it. Most movies and book plots just cover maybe a few days or just a month of the subjects life. Its hard to cover much more than that in a readable book on someones life. Westerns are a popular interest but really that era isnt a short eye blink of history relatively speaking.
To most people "westerns" are the short time span of the colt single action army, 1872 to about the late 1880`s. To me it would be more like the 1820`s (mountain man era up to past the civil war). I would like to see a TV series about LEO centered around the late 1920`s to world war two. Thats the era that has my favorite guns, cars, airplanes and motorcycles. If I was a producer I would scour museums etc to try and make everything very authentic. Okay, the hero would have been raised in the west, been a pilot in world war one, got out and got elected a sheriff somewhere in alaska, fly his area, come back to the western lower and etc. I got to think about this.

Problem solved. Make the book into a series. I want to do something like that involving charaters from different nations who you get to meet before the start of, through and till they meet towards or at the very end of--WWII. I already even have a main title for the series--called: Counterparts. It involves Americans, Germans, British, Russians, French and some others. The premise starts during the depression-which makes the main American character join the Army who eventually rises to a top Sergeant rank. He fights through various battles through th e war--and will eventually end up fighting or meeting the main German character-who would also be a Sergeant. But before that happens (where Ami meets the Geman) they have to make their way through the war till the units they are in (in the book) actually HAVE to have met historically-wise. In other words--if I place these guys in certain units, they will have actually HAD to be in units fighting in whatever battles they fought in-and the actual American unit--HAS to meet up with the actual German unit they really did go up against. A LOT, of war fiction books dont do that.

 

[the ringo kid]

Based on real events and people only filling in conversation, feelings, thoughts, etc. by the author.

My wife reads historical novels (that I don't) like, that are based on a real event, like the Revolutionary War, but the characters and situations are all made up, with maybe a reference a famous person or place.
One thing that I will give historical fiction authors is that they can elucidate an obscure event to where I want to learn more about it.

Louis L'Amore was a fiction writer, albeit a great one.

I wonder if she is reading the seies done by: John Jakes?? If so? ive read every one of them and thought they were excellent.

 

[the ringo kid]

Some of my favorites - I read a bunch of historical fiction.

Herman Wouk
Bernard Cornwell
Wilbur Smith

The Winds of War and War and Remembrance were excellent works. Love them both on book and on TV. Same thing with: The Blue and the Gray and North and South books I-and II--never saw or read book III.

 

[the ringo kid]

Best Historical Fiction / Horatio Hornblower series. C.S Forrester

Ill almost second that. The only reason I say that--is because I liked: The Sergeant by: Gordon Davis (aka) E. Howard Hunt) better. The reason for that is because it took place in WWII. Others I find excellent--Casca by: Barry Sadler and The Black Eagles by: John Lansing. The Black eages takes place during Nam.

 

[mg357]

With the old breed at Peleliu & Okinawa by Eugene sledge

China Marine by Eugene Sledge

 

[ACP230]

Books by Kenneth Roberts.

"Rabble In Arms," "Arundel," and "Oliver Wiswell" are a few of those I like.

Roberts wrote from both perspectives/sides of the American Revolution.
Also, in "The Lively Lady" about the "privateer war" in 1812.