Historical Novels I Like A Lot

Over at Risky Regencies, Carolyn has posted a list of her favorite historical novels. She then invites the readers to leave a comment or make a blog post with our own lists. Add to the basic question the fact that she allows books which were not historical when written. And, clearly states that she (and therefore, by inference, WE) can make up the rules for the list.

WHOA- do you have hours to read here? And, can my blog handle a single post that would probably go into several pages?

Just a little (very little) hyperbole there. :)

It is almost impossible to predict who will like any given book. I try to remember to always say "I really like it" rather than "you'll like it". With that caveat, here are some of my favorite books- either written as historicals, or historical now:

Books in series:

The Williamsburg novels by Elswyth Thane
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
The Golden Chronicles, The Tales of the Jewelled Men and the Sanguinet Saga by Patricia Veryan.
The Asian Saga by James Clavell
Little Women (and the rest) by Louisa May Alcott
Anne of Green Gables (and the rest) by Lucy Maud Montgomery
God is an Englishman series by R.F. Delderfield


Individual books:

To Serve Them All My Days by R.F.Delderfield
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Winds of War (plus War and Remembrance) by Herman Wouk
The Captive of Kensington Palace (and everything else by Jean Plaidy)
Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff

There's about 1000 more but that's a good start.

Just for a little fun, here are a few of my favorite mystery series and writers from the "Golden Age":

Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout
Albert Campion books by Margery Allingham
Lord Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy L Sayers

Well, that should keep you reading for a while!

Oh, and PS- I did not list Jane Austen anywhere because she transcends any list- she is my favorite writer of all time.