*The Name of the Rose* is really good about learning the politics of medieval Europe with the Catholic Church trying to control everything.
KatlinelB5 on
The 1632 series by Eric Flint is about a small American town that is sent through time and space to 17th century Germany. It was a good way to learn about Europe at that time period.
bhbhbhhh on
Poland by James Michener
rilldene on
Rafael Sabatini wrote numerous novels set in different European countries and time periods. I suggest “Love at Arms” -renaissance Italy, “The Tavern Knight” -English civil war, “Scaramouche “-French revolution – when you’ve finished these there are many more by this author of fine swashbuckling tales.
Ealinguser on
Not a novel but the travel book ‘In Europe – Travels through the Twentieth Century’ is very good.
Generally though, to cover European history you will require hundreds of novels because novels only rarely go through time that way, give or take Michener and Rutherfurd whose formula can become a bit wearing after 2-3 books.
Perhaps read an overview history and then pinpoint some more precise time/place zones to choose your novel for.
Tamarenda on
This is my cue to recommend Dorothy Dunnett again – there’s the 15th-century House of Niccolò series and the 16th century Lymond Chronicles. The amount of research that must have gone into these is mind-boggling.
7 Comments
*The Name of the Rose* is really good about learning the politics of medieval Europe with the Catholic Church trying to control everything.
The 1632 series by Eric Flint is about a small American town that is sent through time and space to 17th century Germany. It was a good way to learn about Europe at that time period.
Poland by James Michener
Rafael Sabatini wrote numerous novels set in different European countries and time periods. I suggest “Love at Arms” -renaissance Italy, “The Tavern Knight” -English civil war, “Scaramouche “-French revolution – when you’ve finished these there are many more by this author of fine swashbuckling tales.
Not a novel but the travel book ‘In Europe – Travels through the Twentieth Century’ is very good.
Generally though, to cover European history you will require hundreds of novels because novels only rarely go through time that way, give or take Michener and Rutherfurd whose formula can become a bit wearing after 2-3 books.
Perhaps read an overview history and then pinpoint some more precise time/place zones to choose your novel for.
This is my cue to recommend Dorothy Dunnett again – there’s the 15th-century House of Niccolò series and the 16th century Lymond Chronicles. The amount of research that must have gone into these is mind-boggling.
Author Edward Rutherford