Thanks to “Outlander” I learned a lot about history of Scotland, their fight for independance and what they lost from Thier culture and way of living.
what I really liked was that historical facts and data from the book (at least those that I checked) were correct. I was never able to understand or rember anything from history class but this book was a great “teacher”.
I am searching now for similar books, not scientific literature but novels where next to the story is historical background that is historically correct and will give me a picture of the era/location/conflict. Thank you!
by redkviicka
4 Comments
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood is a pretty good depiction of the [Dancing Plague of 1518](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518). I found the history intriguing and the story well written.
Outlander is mainly historical fiction, I think it is well researched but all historical fiction comes with a bias. The Outlander series looks a lot different from a Native American perspective for example. That being said I agree with you that it is a great way to emotionally connect with history. But while most historical fiction writers strive towards accuracy they cannot give context to their choices and they may make choices which serve the story and obscure the facts. So you need to keep that pinch of salt in your pocket.
The First Man in Rome – Colleen McCullough. This is the first of a series of books which look at the last decades of the Roman Republic before it became the Roman Empire. Lots of twisty politics, war and revolution.
Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh, set in India and China is about a ship which becomes part of the Opium Trade.
The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett. This is a book about a building of a Cathedral sounds boring but this book is top five of most peoples historical fiction.
Siege of Krishnapur – JG Farrell. Standalone about a British colony which becomes besieged during the Indian mutiny.
The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B – Sandra Gulland. This is the first in a Trilogy about Josephine Beauharnais who married Napoleon. Showing his rise to power in the aftermath of the French revolution.
Empress – Shan Sha. About Empress Wu, who ruled during the Tang dynasty in China.
Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel. First in a trilogy about Thomas Cromwell and how he became one of the most important advisors to Henry VIII.
“Beyond the Pale” by Elana Dykewomon desperately wants to teach the reader about Jewish women’s involvement in the labor movement. It’s got references to multiple real-world people, strikes and events.
Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary.