The DU Lounge

libdem4life

(13,877 posts)

35. The way he writes, there is no way in the beginning to connect it with anything but

Mon Nov 12, 2018, 01:54 PM

Nov 2018

the Family he chooses to feature. You become so involved with their personal and familial struggles that it overshadows the political. This chronicles their people before there even was a Russia. The unbearable and unbelievable lives of hardship and death...I think more than any of the books...because of the weather and lack of transportation, i.e. sea ports, will make you cheer them on.

Even in the current political environment, you understand that they have little in common with, say, Putin and the Oligarchs.

Go for it !!!

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

95 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Historical fiction recommendations wanted...read the Edward Rutherfurd Series. [View all] libdem4life Nov 2018 OP

Have you read any James Michener? RockRaven Nov 2018 #1

Think I'll start with The Source. libdem4life Nov 2018 #6

That was the first one I read, and IMO one of his best. RockRaven Nov 2018 #10

Thanks for the recommendation. libdem4life Nov 2018 #60

One of my favorite books of all time; also "Hawaii". northoftheborder Nov 2018 #12

I also like Hawaii. wcast Nov 2018 #51

Perhaps I'll read Chesapeake before re-reading Hawaii. Thanks. libdem4life Nov 2018 #62

Must be getting old...I read that back in college. libdem4life Nov 2018 #61

Loved that book ashling Nov 2018 #71

Oliver Cornwell has some great stuff ashling Nov 2018 #72

Like the Athenian recommendation...good to get a Greek novel in the mix. Thanks. libdem4life Nov 2018 #84

The Drifters Marthe48 Nov 2018 #93

Mary Renault Marthe48 Nov 2018 #94

No, I haven't. I never got into them and they seemed so long ..... libdem4life Nov 2018 #2

one of my favorite things about reading Michener is the way he arranges the story yellowdogintexas Nov 2018 #14

That tip will help me to plunge in...thank you. libdem4life Nov 2018 #57

Mr Michener arranged them that way. malthaussen Nov 2018 #47

Just dealing with a MD specialist surgeon...same idea. libdem4life Nov 2018 #58

How about the Ken Follet "Pillars of the Earth" series? Squinch Nov 2018 #3

The Trilogy looks fascinating...just what I was looking for. Thanks. libdem4life Nov 2018 #5

They're a lot of fun. Squinch Nov 2018 #11

I highly recommend this series. nt zanana1 Nov 2018 #21

Thank you for the recommendation. libdem4life Nov 2018 #64

I wasn't trying to sound like a literary critic. zanana1 Nov 2018 #92

Ha...anyone who has read a good book qualifies for a literary... libdem4life Nov 2018 #95

I love those books! Cracklin Charlie Nov 2018 #4

Will look for it. Love reading about this period in history. libdem4life Nov 2018 #65

It's called "Undaunted Courage" Ohiogal Nov 2018 #76

That's it! Cracklin Charlie Nov 2018 #85

Bernard Cornwell; Jeff Long; Conn Iggulden dameatball Nov 2018 #7

These will require some research. Have not heard of them. Thank you. libdem4life Nov 2018 #8

Cornwell is prolific. Everything from middle ages to Revolutionary war. dameatball Nov 2018 #9

Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver trilogy Cartoonist Nov 2018 #13

Fantastic artwork, I must say. Thank you. libdem4life Nov 2018 #26

Ya beat me to it malthaussen Nov 2018 #49

Probably never catch up to you, but giving it a go. libdem4life Nov 2018 #55

I'm almost finished with London Bradshaw3 Nov 2018 #15

I liked Paris cause i'd been there and stayed near Notre Dame for a week so applegrove Nov 2018 #17

With good reason Bradshaw3 Nov 2018 #18

I honestly can't remember. I think because I have such a visual memory 'Paris' worked applegrove Nov 2018 #19

Thanks for the input Bradshaw3 Nov 2018 #24

I visited in the 80s...first international trip. Not nearly enough time, libdem4life Nov 2018 #66

I am more a 3D person so being in Paris was better than looking at a map. applegrove Nov 2018 #73

I found that each book revolutionized my historical reference. libdem4life Nov 2018 #27

I may check out that too but ... Bradshaw3 Nov 2018 #33

The way he writes, there is no way in the beginning to connect it with anything but libdem4life Nov 2018 #35

Just do it !!! If you get through that one, here's a big challenge...The Princes of Ireland. libdem4life Nov 2018 #39

If you have a taste for romance, recommend Anya Seton's books. sarge43 Nov 2018 #16

Indeed...some romance figures in every story, it seems. libdem4life Nov 2018 #28

Well, I'd say her heroines weren't wimps sarge43 Nov 2018 #34

That's for sure...bad ass women ... LOL libdem4life Nov 2018 #37

If you haven't seen the tv version, that's definitely worth a look. Just get the unedited one. sarge43 Nov 2018 #40

"The Illuminatias trilogy!".... fNord Nov 2018 #20

Thank you. Another new one...sounds delighful. The jokes, too !! libdem4life Nov 2018 #29

I'm not exactly sure I'd call "Illuminatus!" historical fiction... malthaussen Nov 2018 #48

Oh my...I backed away from that in college...the acid trip, that is. libdem4life Nov 2018 #56

Basically, "Illuminatus!" is a wild ride through myth and fantasy... malthaussen Nov 2018 #59

Does college student in Whittier, CA in the 60's-70's qualify? libdem4life Nov 2018 #67

Oh, then you should like it. malthaussen Nov 2018 #70

There are often great truths to be found in fiction Harker Nov 2018 #22

In a way, this describes my sense of the popularity and central role of The Joker libdem4life Nov 2018 #30

Yes. Harker Nov 2018 #36

Well, you do have an interesting point there. libdem4life Nov 2018 #38

That's probably much of it. Harker Nov 2018 #41

I highly recommend Irving Stone's "The Agony and the Ecstasy" Coventina Nov 2018 #23

Ahhh, yes. This is one I've read. May need to read it again. Thanks. libdem4life Nov 2018 #31

I'll recommend the Flashman series malthaussen Nov 2018 #25

A bit of history, a good story and a hearty occasional laugh libdem4life Nov 2018 #32

"The Boys in the Boat". bif Nov 2018 #42

A new one...went straight to a synopsis...that small piece went libdem4life Nov 2018 #43

Harry Turtledove's Southern Victory series? sakabatou Nov 2018 #44

That's a new one. Not quite what I imagined. Enjoying the challenge. libdem4life Nov 2018 #45

Sharon Kay Penman's novels about medieval England raccoon Nov 2018 #46

Yes, indeed. Years ago, a friend had the entire set. He loaned them to libdem4life Nov 2018 #63

Dorothy Dunnett. malthaussen Nov 2018 #50

Think I'll start with the Companion. My reading list is happily increasing. Thank you. libdem4life Nov 2018 #53

Lymond Chronicles are great. Was only able to read 1st vol in Niccolo series bobbieinok Nov 2018 #79

The Camulod Chronicles are great books, by Jack Whyte. Thomas Hurt Nov 2018 #52

I like Catherine Christian's treatment of the mythos... malthaussen Nov 2018 #54

Read the Mists of Avalon...loved it. libdem4life Nov 2018 #68

Not heard of these...anything about King Arthur fascinates me. libdem4life Nov 2018 #69

The Flashman series by George MacDonald Frazer. Flashman, Tom Brown's nemisis. has many "heroic" mulsh Nov 2018 #74

Those were really funny...I like novel series so will dig into the Complete McAulslan. libdem4life Nov 2018 #75

Roberta Gellis historical romances. I learned about King Stephen from her books bobbieinok Nov 2018 #77

Sounds a bit like Taylor Caldwell? History, romance, war and intrigue. Thanks. libdem4life Nov 2018 #80

Really liked the Shardlake series by Sansom elfin Nov 2018 #78

Thanks for the visual link. The covers are great, good descriptions and the Tudors never run out libdem4life Nov 2018 #82

Judith Merkle Riley's book A Vision of Light and following. Midwife in medieval England bobbieinok Nov 2018 #81

That's an interesting perspective on history/life...seems to be where all are fairly equal... libdem4life Nov 2018 #83

She's periodically in trouble with Church bobbieinok Nov 2018 #86

What I remembered, vaguely, was that midwifery and witchcraft were somehow or sometimes linked. libdem4life Nov 2018 #89

Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series. cemaphonic Nov 2018 #87

Graves is definitely on the list. Thank you. libdem4life Nov 2018 #90

Well, speaking of Rome... malthaussen Nov 2018 #88

Looks like I'll be reading into the next decade...where to start? libdem4life Nov 2018 #91