5 Good Books to Read About - Historical Novels

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1. The Egyptian by M. Waltari

Ancient Egypt has been a favorite destination of many tales and also some serious historical research. Mika Waltari put a great deal of effort in producing a novel which bears no errors in depicting the life of Egyptian people at that time - even scientific historians acknowledge he did a good job.

The main character, royal physician Sinuhe, tells a story of the rise, rule and fall of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, a member of the 18th Dynasty. The story is being told retrospectively in exile and is based on an Egyptian "Fairy Tale" called The Story of Sinuhe.

Waltari did a wonderful job not only by his description of general life in Ancient Egypt, but also by including his imagination; he managed to come up with a story of a monotheistic Pharaoh who was constantly threatened by the Hittite king Suppiluliuma and eventually overthrown for his beliefs.

2. The Count of Monte Christo by A. Dumas

The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Christo are the two most popular books from this French writer. Both historical novels, both filled with adventure, noble men and both are based on the events in the early 19th century that occurred in France.

The year is 1815. A young man named Edmond Dant?s is betrayed by his foes and imprisoned, only to emerge 14 years later with plans for revenge - but he has to make some friends first and so he is returning favors to those who have been kind to him before.

Dant?s disguises himself as Count Monte Cristo and unrecognized by his old enemies, executes a different revenge on all of them. He then leaves for an unknown location with his new lover, leaving justice and plots behind him.

3. The Name of The Rose by U. Eco

An Italian monastery faces a series of mysterious deaths. Although they have been officially classified as demonic possessions, there is one person who strongly disagree - William of Baskerville, a guest in the monastery who originally went there to attend a theological dispute.

William, along with his apprentice Adso of Melk, uses logic and reasoning to solve the problem - something pretty much unheard of in the 14th century. The Name of The Rose very closely monitors a scholastic method of investigation - open mind, facts and observations, intuition and empirical approach.

Umberto Eco came up with an interesting story of reason beating religious beliefs on the religion's home stadium. But don't worry, this novel is not offensive in any way, so you should read it regardless of your beliefs.

4. The King Must Die by M. Renault

Old Greece is another perfect background for historical novels. Mary Renault gladly took the opportunity and wrote about the adventures of a Hellean hero named Theseus. He traveled across various places in the ancient Greece:

TroizenCorinthEleusisAthensCreteNaxos

Renault focuses on creating an acceptable story from the archeological and historical point of view, rather than repeating the old Theseus myth.

Theseus encounters many adventures during his travels. He grows up in Troizen and then sets of to gather life experience. He comes from royal blood and has gods Poseidon and Apollo watching his steps.

The King Must Die is similar to The Egyptian in one way - it contains excellent and plausible historical point of view on the lives of regular citizens.

5. Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz

Quo Vadis is a Latin term for "where are you going?". Sienkiewicz set this novel in Rome under the rule of despotic and half-mad Emperor Nero.

The main storyline spins around the love of a Christian women Ligia and a Roman patrician Marcus Vincius. Fictional characters (like both main protagonist) nicely mix with real historical ones, such as Nero, Claudius Petronius (the Arbiter of Elegance) or Tigellinus, the prefect of the mighty and influential Praetor Guard.

Sienkiewicz is famous for his catchy writing and Quo Vadis stands at the top of his works.
Conclusion

You have to admire the work and effort authors put in good historical novels; it's a bit harder than general fiction, because you have to do your homework and provide readers with solid facts and only then you can add your own tweak of the reality.

However, when successful, the result is an outstanding piece of literature - and the 5 books I'm recommending were more than successful. I hope I've extended your wish list and...

Thank you for reading!

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Ivory Simone Talks About Her Novel 'Havasu Means Blue Water'

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Author/Activist Ivory Simone has forged a gripping story that masters the importance of speech and dialogue relaying the emotions and strengths of the solid characters presented in the tale of Lyla Amir whose research for her master's thesis brings the past into the present.

'Havasu Means Blue Water' examines the long ago lynching of a black farmer and his wife but while this is the main foundation of the story we are introduced to subplots linked to the contemporary story of Lyla, her research and her life.

The story, past and present, of fictional Wilburn, AZ where the subjects of Lyla's research lived and died is both repellant and bittersweet. It is also where Lyla finds strength and an unexpected ally.

Ivory talks with us about writing 'Havasu Means Blue Water'

Lynnette Phillips - What inspired you to write Havasu Means Blue Water?

Ivory Simone - My family history. I grew up listening to my grandfather who told me stories about his grandfather--a black Indian who came out of slavery as a boy. I found a 1780s census record with my great-great-grandfather's name and background information. The record confirms my grandfather's oral history was correct. This family history took on new meaning when I worked for a Native American Tribe years later. Both of these invents laid the foundation for Havasu Means Blue Water.

LP - Does "havasu" mean blue water?

IS - Yes, it does. In the Mojave language it means "blue water". One of the characters in the story is a descendant of a Mojave tribe decimated by disease and other anti-Indian government policies.

LP --Why should readers buy your book?

IS -- It's a snapshot of the cultural wars we see in the Southwest--in places like my home state of Arizona. The inhabitants of the fictional town of Wilburn, Arizona are threatened by outsiders. They have a history of crushing groups who are different. However, the violence unleashed against outsiders is also used against the women and children of the town. Hate is a monster that's never satisfied. When it runs out of enemies to eat, it'll start devouring its own. Havasu Means Blue Water is a cautionary tale about the price a society pays for remaining passive in the face of racial and cultural intolerance.

LP -- "The legacy of injustice" will be the topic in two author Facebook chats that'll be held on July 10th and July 16th at 3:00 p.m. (EST). Why is this an important issue?

IS - I want people to think about what happens to a community when a grave injustice is allowed to fester. I want people to talk about what they can do to promote the healing of any festering wounds of injustice that divide and weaken their own communities. Justice is not optional--it's essential to the well-being of a community and its people.

LP -- The love between the two murdered victims, Mary Alice and Nathaniel Venerable, is central to the novel, why?

IS -- I believe love is the greatest force on earth. It's far greater than hate, far greater than the tyranny of violence. We first meet Mary Alice and Nathaniel as victims. However, I want readers to remember them for the deep love they shared. It's their love story that reaches out from the grave to influence the living, to propel events that bring about change.

LP -- Mother-daughter relationships are also explored quite a bit in the novel. The relationship between Lyla Amir, the heroine of the story and her mother and the relationship between Amber Goody and Bonnie Good, a dysfunctional daughter and mother--are both important threads in the plot. Why?

IS -- I'm a daughter and a mother of daughters. A daughter's relationship with her mother helps determine the type of women she'll grow-up to be. I wanted to show how certain acts and omissions mothers/women make in their lives shape the women their daughters become.

LP -- Lyla Amir is an unusual heroine. She's an Arab-American of mixed parentage (her mother is African-American) investigating the murder of a black farmer and his wife. Her heritage is one of the story lines that adds tension to events that unfold in the novel. Why did you make her Arab-American.

IS -- Lyla Amir's heritage is important because I believe Arab Americans now understand what Black Americans already know--what it feels like to be an undesirable "other". Lyla self-identifies as black but she has racially ambiguous features. This presents problems for her when she goes to Wilburn. It's her Arab heritage that becomes the source of hatred and conflict for her.

LP - The question of identity is also one of the issues Firestone Matise, the descendant of Mary Alice and Nathaniel Venerable, faces, too. Why?

IS -- I think people are quick to label others based on appearance alone. I wanted to challenge the notion we can know a person's history based on his or her racial profile. Racial stereotypes get in the way of Americans' ability to form positive relationships with one another. The browning of America will make such thinking a liability in the future. I believe that's a good thing in the long run

LP -- What do you want readers to know about Ivory Simone?

IS - I'm a writer and poet who dreams a lot. I have a vivid and active dream life that makes my journey in the world fascinating and sometimes strange.

LP -- What's it like living in Bangkok, Thailand?

IS -- There's never a dull moment. More importantly, I'm able to move about in relative safety and ease.

Thank you, Ivory, for talking with us and for your wonderful novel 'Havasu Means Blue Water'

Lynnette Phillips offers Book Marketing services as both a Coach and Consultant and also Professional Editing services. She has authored several Book Marketing and Self-Publishing Guides. She also maintains two blogs http://lynnettesbookworld.blogspot.com/ and http://lynnettesbookmarketing.blogspot.com/. You may reach her by email at laphillips52@gmail.com

(c) Copyright 2011 by Lynnette Phillips All Rights Reserved
Article may be reprinted freely as long as the author bylines and info box are included. The article itself may not be altered.

How to Learn About History and Have Fun

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Would you like to know more about history and do you like reading but you don't want to spend any time studying? Reading historical novels may do just the trick. Bot not every historical novel is suitable for acquiring the knowledge you want to have. In this article we will look at two authors who researched the historical background for their fictional heroes with great care. You can be absolutely sure that the historical facts, personalities and circumstances mentioned in their books are true. The interactions between our heroes and historical figures are pure fantasy of course, but they are so well written that they have a ring of truth about them.

An unlikely couple: Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin.

These men are the brain-children of Patrick O'Brian. Jack Aubrey is the son of a General of the British Army during the time of the wars with Napoleon. Jack joined the Royal Navy and we follow his career, starting as a commander of a sloop and rising to higher ranks during numerous adventures. Jack is a tall and strong fellow, a keen sailor and a warrior to the core. As a sailor his competence and courage are unsurpassed; a clever chap too, but not an intellectual. Of course he is very much a ladies man. All the ingredients for thrilling adventures are there, don't you think? The world in which Jack lives is very richly painted by O'Brian. Life on board of a British warship during the 1800's is so well described that you can find your way from stem to stern in your imagination. You will meet historical personalities such as Lord Melville and Peter Haywood, who served as a midshipman under Captain Bligh, the hapless commander of the Bounty.

Dr. Stephen Maturin M.D. is quite a different character. A scholar, highly intelligent and an endearing eccentric. He and Jack meet each other in the first chapter of saga and are inseparable ever since. Through the acts of Dr. Maturin and the workings of his inquisitive mind, you will get an idea of science in the eighteenth century. The hidden secretive other life of Maturin, of which I cannot reveal anything, is interwoven with the adventurous life of Jack. Jack a man of direct action, Stephen a man of political stratagems. You can't stop reading.

Captain Horatio Hornblower, a lonely hero.

Captain Hornblower is not so easy to describe. His character is a mixture of that of Jack Aubrey and Dr. Maturin. A man who doesn't think much of himself, self-doubting but when the situation requires is he acts swift and decisively. Horatio a man of action, acts not driven by an urge to fight but realizes clever naval strategy. When you can lay a hand on any Hornblower novel, buy it! They are out of print nowadays.

Have look at my blog about historical books: http://john-historybooks.blogspot.com/

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me.
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