by 13 people |
Enjoy reading historical fiction? Just getting interested in it? Here are some useful sites for readers (or prospective readers) of historical fiction. You're bound to find something you like through the links below, whatever the time period you're interested in or whether you prefer reading established authors or discovering new ones.
To keep this general and to avoid imposing my own tastes upon readers or playing favorites, I have not listed individual author sites. (Many such sites, however, can be found at the links below, such as that of the Historical Novel Society.) I've also purposely omitted sites that are mainly of interest to writers, sites that focus on particular subgenres such as historical romance, and sites dealing with children's or young adult books.
If you see any dead links here, or know of a site I've missed, please let me know!Listings, Reviews, Original Fiction and More
- Historical Novel Society
- A site that's chock-full of useful resources, including online reviews, author news, author websites, and links to discussion groups.
- Historical Novels Review Online
- Online reviews by the Historical Novel Society of e-books, self-published books, and subsidy-published books.
- HistFiction.net
- Includes listings of novels about specific historical topics, an author database, and a list of Internet forums.
- History and Lovers
- Historical fiction that contains love stories but does not fall within the category of historical romance.
- Historical Fiction Review
- A site with reviews of historical fiction, links to articles, and more.
- The Copperfield Review
- Short historical fiction, reviews, and author interviews.
- The Romance of History
- An ezine by writer Pauline Montagna that "aims to celebrate authentic historical fiction in all genres."
- Adult Reading Roundtable Booklist
- Another list of historical fiction. This one's fairly short, but it offers a good variety of selections.
- Daniel Burt's Recommended Historical Novels
- A lengthy, though now somewhat dated, list of titles dealing with various genres.
- Sarah's Historical Fiction Page
- Selected reviews by Sarah L. Johnson.
- Overbooked: Historical Fiction Stars
- Site listing historical fiction that has received starred reviews.
- Paradox: The Magazine of Historical and Speculative Fiction
- Website of magazine available on a subscription basis; online material includes some excerpts and contents information.
- Danny Yee's Book Reviews
- An interesting array of reviews.
- Historical Fiction Reviews on About, Inc.
- Reviews of newer historical novels set in a variety of periods.
- Sachem Public Library
- Historical fiction lists from Lynne M. Kennedy at the Sachem Public Library. My favorite is "That's Auel Folks! Pre-Historic Fiction." Also includes lists about Elizabeth I, the American Revolution, high seas adventures, and several others.
- Rambles Historical Fiction Reviews
- Reviews from Rambles, an online magazine about the cultural arts.
- Reader's Club
- Short reviews of historical fiction courtesy of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
- Historical-Fiction.com
- Reviews and other historical-fiction related topics.
- Reading History
- A website devoted to historical fiction with booklists, links, and more.
- Historical Fiction Books
- A site for readers, as well as authors and publishers, of historical fiction.
- Lacuna
- A new online publication that will feature historical fiction.
- ReadingBooks-4fun.com
- Historical fiction recommendations from two teachers living in the UK and in Australia.
- Historical Novels.info
- Margaret Donsbach's huge listing of historical novels by time and place. Includes reviews and interviews as well.
Discussing Historical Fiction
- Historical Fiction Online
- Moderated bulletin board for discussions of historical fiction and other books. Also includes reviews.
- HistFict discussion group
- A Yahoo group for readers of historical fiction, with public archives.
- Historical Favorites
- Yahoo group for discussion of selected novels. Archives viewable by members only.
- Historical Fiction Group at Library Thing
- An active discussion group on the Library Thing site.
- Historical Fiction Group at MySpace
- A bulletin board for denizens of the popular MySpace site.
- Historical Fiction Fans on Goodreads
- A public group for the discussion of historical fiction.
- Reading Group Guides from Random House
- Reading group guides for some current titles as well as for some older ones.
- Historical Fiction Books
- A site for readers and authors of historical fiction.
- Historical Fiction Fanatics
- Part of a book blogger site.
- Historical Fiction Appreciate on Facebook
- Historical fiction on Facebook.
Specific Times and Places
- Prehistoric Fiction
- A fun site packed with information about this subject.
- Japan in Historical Fiction
- Nikki White's listing of books and stories set in Japan up until 1912, with commentary.
- Roman History Books and More
- Includes book reviews and listings of authors.
- Ancient Greece in Fiction
- Compiled by Nick Lowe.
- A List of Fiction for Students of History
- Historical novels set in ancient and medieval times, compiled by J. S. Arkenberg.
- Historical Fiction Set in the Elizabethan Age
- A little dated now, but helpful for its inclusion of some now out-of-print books. (Once you reach the link, you'll need to scroll down a bit.)
- Celtic Historical Fiction
- Historical fiction and other literature set in Wales, Scotland, or Ireland.
- Novels Set During the Wars of the Roses
- Wars of the Roses fiction.
- 17th & 18th Centuries
- From the Seattle Public Library
- 19th Century
- Another list from the Seattle Public Library
- The Ancient World
- The Seattle Public Library's really cookin'!
- The Middle Ages
- Another Seattle Public Library list
- World War II in Fact and Fiction
- A list from the Boston Public Library
- World War II in Fiction
- From the Oshkosh Public Library (in PDF form). Lengthy but not annotated.
- Scottish Romance and Historical Fiction
- Heavier on romance than on historical fiction, but enough historical fiction here to whet one's appetite.
- Historical Novels Set in Thailand
- A short but intriguing-looking list.
- Time Traveler's Guide to Tudor England
- Also short, but an interesting mix of books.
- Israeli Books Store
- Historical novels with Jewish and Israeli themes.
- Medieval Fiction Reading List
- A list of medieval fiction compiled by the Richard III Society's American Branch, with a special emphasis on that related to Richard III.
- Modern Novels Set in the Middle Ages
- A list by the University of Oregon's Medieval Studies Program.
- Literature on the Age of Napoleon
- An extensive, annotated list by P. A. Teter.
- Medieval Novels
- An ever-expanding listing of medieval-set novels.
Specific Historical Figures
- Royalty.nu
- A comprehensive site about royalty-related topics. Most topics include reading lists, with both fiction and nonfiction included.
- Richard III
- Fiction about this controversial king and the Wars of the Roses. Once you reach the website, scroll down to view the fiction listings.
- Ricardian Fiction
- Another list of fiction about Richard III and other medieval figures.
- Lady Jane Grey Books & Tudor Store
- A site with click-through-to-booksellers listings of fiction, as well as nonfiction, about Lady Jane Grey and other Tudor figures, including Henry VIII, his wives, and Elizabeth I. Great for finding out-of-print books.
- Edward II in Fiction
- Annotated list of fiction about the ill-fated fourteenth-century English king. (Includes a book by your friendly lensmaster.)
- Historical Women in Fiction
- A PDF document listing novels about historical female figures from the ancient world to twentieth-century America (Cleopatra and Marilyn Monroe each have an entry).
- Tudor Fiction
- An unannotated but comprehensive list on the Romantic Times bulletin board by a poster named GlencoraPalliser.
- Elizabeth I
- Lengthy, but unannotated list.
Blogs
- Reading the Past
- A blog by librarian and historical novel reviewer Sarah Johnson.
- Carla Nayland Historical Fiction
- A thought-provoking blog about reading, researching, and writing historical fiction. Includes in-depth reviews.
- Reading: Historical Fiction Archives
- Historical fiction reviews by Mary Loosemore, aka Sparkly Trainers.
- Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff
- Book reviews, mainly of historical fiction, and other reading-related topics.
- Tanzanite's Book Covers
- Historical fiction book covers, with some real beauties.
- Historical Tapestry
- Reviews by several bloggers banding together on a group blog.
- The Historical Novel Review
- Reviews by authors Mirella Patzer and Lisa Yarde.
- Historical Boys
- Author C. W. Gortner's blog, featuring his own work and that of other authors, male and female.
- Passages to the Past
- Amy's historical fiction blog.
- History Buff
- Author Michelle Moran's blog where she interviews fellow authors of historical fiction.
- Enchanted by Josephine
- Lucy's blog on historical fiction and related topics.
- Steven Till
- A blog on historical fiction, medieval history, and more.
- Favorite PASTimes
- This site by a group of historical novelists includes interviews with other authors as well as book reviews and more.
- The Burton Review
- Marie Burton's book review blog, concentrating mainly on historical fiction.
- Historically Obsessed
- Lizzy's reviews of historical novels.
- Hist-Fic Chick
- Reviews, giveaways, and more by Allie.
- All Things Royal
- This royalty-related blog includes reviews of historical fiction and some very cute doggie pictures.
- The Maiden's Court
- This blog by Heather includes reviews of historical fiction.
Essays, Articles, and Discussions
- Reading and Writing Historical Fiction
- An essay by Sue Peabody
- Wikipedia
- A brief overview of the genre.
- Authors on the Web Historical Fiction Roundtable
- Eight well-known authors of historical fiction, including Bernard Cornwell and Margaret George, discuss their craft. The site also includes reading group guides for particular novels and reviews of historical fiction.
- Accuracy: a Novel Notion in Historical Novels?
- Carlin Romano's take on the never-ending debate: history versus story.
Guides to Historical Fiction on Amazon
Historical Fiction: A Guide to the Genre (Genreflecting Advisory Series)
Amazon Price: $75.00 (as of 11/08/2009) 
Read on... Historical Fiction: Reading Lists for Every Taste
Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 11/08/2009)
Word of the Day
- abeyance: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
- abeyance: suspension; temporary cessation.
Getting Organized
- Library Thing
- Catalog your library so you don't buy the same book twice.
Reader Feedback
Comments? Links you think might go well here? Please let me know in the guestbook.
Sandra Gullnad wrote
WOW! This is an amazing list of sites. Thank you!
Sandra Gulland
Author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandra-Gulland/6284613175
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gullan
Posted August 30, 2009
Rebeccazom wrote
This rocks, thanks so much.
Posted May 21, 2009
middle_kingdom wrote...
This is a great lens for anyone interested in historical fiction. You've got a lot of very helpful information here. I'd love it if you'd visit my lens and say hello when you get the chance.
Posted December 12, 2008
Peter wrote
Wow, what a great lens! 5 stars for sure with so much information and avenues for those of us interested in historical fiction.
I've just finished reading "El Tigre" by John Manhold. It's a fantastic insight into life in the 19th century Americas and carries all the great hallmarks of fiction - plenty of action, a dab of romance, a fluid pace and most importantly, historical accuracy. It's well worth checking out!
Posted April 28, 2008
harry2 wrote...
Nice lens, feel free to visit my lens about
Audio Books
Get all the info you need on how to download audio books here.
Harry Rackers
Posted November 21, 2007
Great Reading on Amazon
THe Sobs of Autumn's Violins
Amazon Price: $15.25 (as of 11/07/2009)
The Traitor's Wife
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 11/07/2009)
The Last Mission (Laurel-Leaf Historical Fiction)
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 11/07/2009)
How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction
Amazon Price: (as of 11/07/2009)
Storyteller
Amazon Price: $15.25 (as of 11/07/2009)
Silent Lies
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/07/2009)
The Green Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 11/07/2009)
Mademoiselle Victorine: A Novel
Amazon Price: $12.55 (as of 11/07/2009)
Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Amazon Price: $20.99 (as of 11/07/2009)
The Secret Lion (The Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1)
Amazon Price: $11.70 (as of 11/07/2009)
by boswellbaxter
Susan Higginbotham became interested in reading historical fiction not long before she wrote her own first historical novel, The Traitor's Wife: A Nov...
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