These are the best types of videos that you do. This seems to be your niche. No one does this better than you.
@HalfBloodOtter11 ай бұрын
Gotta love it when he shares his wealth of knowledge on books 🤩
11 ай бұрын
What @thespaminator said.
@rasmus749311 ай бұрын
I just want to thank you for these "Essentials" lists. They either reveal books to me that I have never heard of, or give me a push to pick up books I really should have read a while ago. I just ordered "The once and future king" due to the fantasy list. Keep making them!
@laracroft182911 ай бұрын
Here is the list Steve mentioned on the video. 1.Aubrey and Maturin novels - Patrick O'Brian 2. The Cruel Sea - Nicholas Monsarrat 3. Dear and Glorious Physician - Taylor Caldwell 4. Entered from the Sun - George Garrett 5. Epitaph - Mary Doria Russell 6. Forever Amber - Kathleen Windsor 7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo 8. I, Claudius and Claudius the God - Robert Graves 9. Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott 10. The Journeyer - Gary Jennings 11. Julian - Gore Vidal 12. The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara 13. Kristin Lavransdatter - Sigrid Undset 14. Lyman Chronicles - Dorothy Dunnett 15. Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa 16. The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco 17. The Persian Boy - Mary Renault 18. The Thin Red Line - James Jones 19. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas 20. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy 21. Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
@sarap80033 ай бұрын
Thank you! #14 for who's interested are the Lymond Chronicles :)
@B00kMaidenАй бұрын
We're still going to need that chronological list of BEST historical fiction through the ages 😊 pleeeeeease?? Obviously you can't include them all- just some of your favorites
@nathanfoung234711 ай бұрын
It made my heart sing that "Musashi" made your list. 😊
@pl56611 ай бұрын
My favorite part of this video was your comments on "The Name of the Rose". I don't DNF many books, but I just never could get into it. That was many years ago and I still hear praises for the book, but I'm glad to hear that it may be a challenge for others also.
@juliealvar458711 ай бұрын
Fantastic video! Loved the choices, especially Epitaph, Forever Amber, and Kristin Lavransdatter. Could do a list of 50 and it would not be too much.
@frabousie11 ай бұрын
Fascinating list. I've read quite a few-- The Killer Angles by your recommendation-- and immensely enjoyed reminiscing with you. I would have loved to hear your thoughts on George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series.
@toniblessing462411 ай бұрын
Brilliant!! Thank you, Steve. ❤
@nickpiccirilli427811 ай бұрын
I saw your comment yelling at MKV and my first thought was that I hope we get an essentials list now.
@DuaneJasper11 ай бұрын
Brilliantly presented, fascining list. Have only read the Graves and the Eco..
@patriciah857911 ай бұрын
I recently picked up a copy of Julian at a library book sale. Read it and loved it!
@deborahmink515911 ай бұрын
I'm happy to see Epitaph on this list. I also very much enjoyed "Doc".
@materiagrix11 ай бұрын
Very reaffirming to see The Name of the Rose recommended for the third time in your channel when I am finally doing a read along of it with Randy!
@anotherbibliophilereads11 ай бұрын
I guess the Flashman series is now problematic, but I adore Flashy.
@Paromita_M9 ай бұрын
Wonderful video, thank you. 🙏🏽 The Name of the Rose is an all-time favourite. I have failed so many times to "get" Wolf Hall. 😭 I really want to but it continues to evade me. Lymond Chronicles is my ultimate fear and the one I want to read.
11 ай бұрын
Books set in the 1960ies are historical fiction. Man, I'm old.
@saintdonoghue11 ай бұрын
Hah! Imagine how I feel about the 1830s!
11 ай бұрын
@@saintdonoghue 🤣
@binglamb217611 ай бұрын
My goodness, I have better taste than I thought. I have 60% of these books already.
@kathleenbrady991611 ай бұрын
Would you mind listing your recommendations Steve as it's sometimes hard to hear you or see the screen that the book is displayed on. Also, some that you clearly have on your Kindles are not available on Amazon in that form...do you have another supplier?
@Ahnor198911 ай бұрын
Most of those I already read or at least bought based on your recommendation. Do you hear my wallet cry for mercy whenever you upload a video?
@duffypratt11 ай бұрын
Great list. Will be coming back to it. I’m a little surprised not to see Hornblower, or any Bernard Cornwall. Love that you talked about Dunnett, though I prefer the House of Niccolo to the Lymond books.
@seanwebb6054 ай бұрын
I have been told that history isn't something that has happened in the last fifty years. That's journalism. So by that standard yeah you can't have historical fiction of current events.
@marymansson208511 ай бұрын
My cousin smuggled out my Aunt's copy of Forever Amber. I was maybe 12 yrs old. I had few questions about the facts of life after reading.
@chynakat11 ай бұрын
I'm glad to see both George Garrett and Dorothy Dunnett on this list. Have you read The Luck of Huemac by Dan Peters? It's a novel about a diplomat and athlete toward the end of the Aztec empire.
@jimsbooksreadingandstuff11 ай бұрын
Lots of books to read. The only ones I have read are The Cruel Sea, The Name of the Rose and Wolf Hall, all of which I would agree are excellent reads.
@andymorrall3 ай бұрын
If you like books about Claudius, try my new novel, 'The Druid and the Elephant'. Hope you like it.
@hotsake781911 ай бұрын
For me Tale of Genji is the number two essential historic novel only behind Musashi. Another great list.
@Tolstoy11111 ай бұрын
Genji isn’t really historical fiction is it? It’s set in the author’s present.
@dropoutNo0711 ай бұрын
I read the Journeyer by Gary Jennings on your recommendation and loved it. Now I'm reading Raptor by the same author.
@battybibliophile-Clare8 ай бұрын
Dorothy Dunnett was wonderful, Steve. I have all her books. Long dead, I am afraid her reputation is fading in the UK too.
@sethtopper70011 ай бұрын
what about James Michener? I've only read The Source and Centennial. Were any of his books in the running to be essential?
@derekgreen73198 ай бұрын
You might mention this series, but i really like the accursed kings by Maurice Duron
@RogerKirby1311 ай бұрын
Thanks for the great recommendations. I disagree with you on Scott. Ivanhoe is the best place to start to be sure. But Old Mortality I think is much better. I would put Waverly, The Antiquary and The Hear of Mid-Lothian up there as well. Some of the later novels are less interesting but I still have more to go, and hope to discover another gem.
@JohnM-cd4ou7 ай бұрын
Where's Flashman?
@perdiccavetri84866 ай бұрын
what do you think of Mika Waltari books?
@battybibliophile-Clare11 ай бұрын
I agree with you and the Historical Fiction Society. As for the beginning, it at least has to be bases on written history and therefore not on the Bible, myth etc. Not that myth isn't a great source, but it isn't a basis for Historical Novels. Oo, another Marlowe novel, great!
@derekgreen73198 ай бұрын
O killer angels is a great book!
@lucianopavarotti284311 ай бұрын
Jay! Julian!
@cu00dj11 ай бұрын
Sometimes, i can't see the book as you display it. Would you please post this list was text. I didn't get all the titles and authors and would really appreciate it. I recently finished Michael Shaara's World War one book "To The Last Man" and seriously wonder if I will ever read another.
@saintdonoghue11 ай бұрын
Sorry! I'll try to remember to add lists in the future -
@cu00dj11 ай бұрын
@@saintdonoghue thanks!
@RyanLisbon11 ай бұрын
Steve, you're getting more subscribers and comments. What is happening? No Gates of Fire?
@saintdonoghue11 ай бұрын
I noticed those extra subscribers too - I don't know what I'm doing wrong ...
@Pantano6311 ай бұрын
Is it true you read one book a day, Mr Donoghue?
@saintdonoghue11 ай бұрын
No, that is not true. I do not read one book a day.
@valpergalit11 ай бұрын
Steve, what do you think about Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon? I thought it would be here for sure!
@jakestraughn182111 ай бұрын
He considers it to be Pynchon's finest work. It's also his favorite novel of 1997.
@alejandrorubio30510 ай бұрын
You’re a G
@Bhakti-rider3 ай бұрын
I wonder that you didn't include anything by Rafael Sabatini.
@thomashefferon971111 ай бұрын
I second Mason & Dixon for the list. A great romp.
@mr.alaska223211 ай бұрын
Holy c***, are you a time traveler? Cause I mean, you said there's no possible way the flood didnt happened, you must have been there.
@dorothysatterfield36997 ай бұрын
No. He said there's no possible way the flood did happen. You don't have to be a time traveler to know that.
@ednorton4711 ай бұрын
9/11 and Noah's Flood fall into the same category.