OT: good historical fiction

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cognitivefun

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Oct 24, 2004
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Are you a fan of good historical fiction?

I recently read The Prince of Foxes, by Shellabarger, which I highly recommend. The setting is the city states of Italy and wars between them including those instigated by the pope.

It is set back around 1400. Shellabarger was a renaissance scholar and an outstanding subtle writer. Prince of Foxes involves a Genoan soldier posing as a noble and like all great stories involves love, war and personal self-realization. The

I had also read Shellabarger's Captain of Castile which is historical fiction about Cortez' conquest of Mexico and is also a fine novel. Both are still in print.

What do you recommend?
 
"The Siege of Krishnapur."

By JG Farrell. It won some major literary prize nearly twenty years ago.
It deals with the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Wickedly dark humor set against the terrible events of that point in history. It may be hard to find. But, I seriously reccommend getting ahold of a copy.
 
Sutcliffe said:
"The Siege of Krishnapur."

By JG Farrell. It won some major literary prize nearly twenty years ago.
It deals with the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Wickedly dark humor set against the terrible events of that point in history. It may be hard to find. But, I seriously reccommend getting ahold of a copy.
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I have a used copy on order! Thanks! BTW, did you read the Singapore Grip book by the same author?
 
If you like that period/area of history, "The Night Runners of Bengal", by John Masters is a classic.
 
cognitivefun said:
I have a used copy on order! Thanks! BTW, did you read the Singapore Grip book by the same author?
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Indeed I did. Not nearly as wickedly funny as Krishanpur. An enjoyable read nonetheless. I'd give anything to know what 'Singapore Grip' really means though. IIRC just about everybody involved in the book had different versions on what the term meant.
 
Sutcliffe said:
Indeed I did. Not nearly as wickedly funny as Krishanpur. An enjoyable read nonetheless. I'd give anything to know what 'Singapore Grip' really means though. IIRC just about everybody involved in the book had different versions on what the term meant.
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I always thought a grip = case (briefcase, suitcase, etc.)

Does that make any sense in context?
 
cognitivefun said:
I always thought a grip = case (briefcase, suitcase, etc.)

Does that make any sense in context?
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Sort of. I remember it meaning some kind of stomach flu(like you would never expect that in a foreign country), and some interesting technique that area prostitutes employed to please/trap their customers, and it seemed like there were a few others that currently escape me.
 
I just finished the Siege of Khrishnapur. What an awesome book. Very funny, very gripping, extremely well written. Farrell was such a talent, wasn't he? Thanks for the recommendation. I will tackle Singapore Grip very soon.
 
Shakespears head(being bald) being superior in ballistic trajectory to Voltaire's (with his sloping forehead).
Fluery taking on three Indian cavalry troopers using his patented 'Cavalry Eradicator'. I think all combatants survived the incident.
The besieged ladies having to do without their silk stockings in order to provide casings for homemade grapeshot.
Fluery's Lincoln Green suit made from the ripped up felt from the billiards table.
A Sepoy charge stopped cold by the cutlery drawer that some desperate soul shoved down the barrel of a smoothbore cannon.
I could probably go on and on
Glad you liked it.

If I'm only allowed to bring one book to my final destination I think that would suit me well.
 
The book was very funny actually.

And more seriously, the argument over the causes and treatments of cholera was rather interesting. And the whole debate about the Great Exhibition, and the changes in the character's feelings about technology, progress and the Empire is both timely and relevant.
 
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