The Walter Scott Prize, often mentioned here, is celebrating its 10th. birthday and is asking us all to nominate our favourite historical novels. We have until the end of November to suggest a book (which must be set 60 years prior to date of original publication and be written in English), and from those a shortlist of the ten novels with the most nominations will be published on the Prize's website in early December, and the poll will then open for voting. The novel with the most votes will be crowned ‘The Nation’s Favourite Historical Novel’ in January 2020.
You can go straight to the nominations page if you wish and list your top books there, or you can leave a comment here and I'll collate them and forward a list of the titles mentioned to the prize administrators - sharing our favourites that way would give us a useful resource to broaden our reading.
It so happens that my current read is a book which I shall certainly nominate: I'm only half way through Dorothy Dunnett's The Game of Kings, the first of her Lymond Chronicles, but it's an astonishing piece. I'd had it for ages, unread, until an enormously enthusiastic message from Alice, who has just finished it, made me pick it up and begin. I'm so glad I did.
I'm off to scan my shelves (and the Cornflower Blues archive) for my best historical fiction, but do please tell us your favourites, and may the best book win!
I'm such a fan of the Lymond Chronicles! (I actually wrote about them for the TLS a couple of years ago.) Her stand-alone novel about Macbeth, King Hereafter, is also spectacular.
Posted by: Rohan Maitzen | 21 November 2019 at 01:10 PM
That's terrific, Rohan, thank you! I can see I have much great Dunnett reading ahead of me.
For anyone who is a TLS subscriber, here's a link to the article: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/private/lymond-chronicles-dorothy-dunnett/
Posted by: Cornflower | 21 November 2019 at 01:35 PM
Now a historical curiosity in itself, but I have a soft spot for "The White Company" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; also any of Patrick O'Brian's "Aubrey" series, starting with "Master and Commander".
Posted by: Mr Cornflower | 21 November 2019 at 01:35 PM
I remember you went through the whole Aubrey series in one glorious go!
Posted by: Cornflower | 21 November 2019 at 01:37 PM
Via Twitter, there's been another vote for the Lymond books, and one for Nicola Griffith's 'Hild'.
Posted by: Cornflower | 21 November 2019 at 01:47 PM
I love Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Moreland series. Difficult to choose just one, although the one where Lucy runs away to sea is a particular favourite.
Posted by: CarolN | 21 November 2019 at 02:06 PM
Thank you, Carol. By the look of it there are an astonishing 35 books in that series of books alone - what a productive writer!
Posted by: Cornflower | 21 November 2019 at 02:40 PM
For me it's got to be Wolf Hall and another favourite would be The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
Posted by: Claire | 21 November 2019 at 09:43 PM
Thanks, Claire, I'd second Wolf Hall.
I've never read The Eagle of the Ninth though I've long meant to, but I've had my eye on the recent Slightly Foxed edition: https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/the-eagle-of-the-ninth/
Posted by: Cornflower | 21 November 2019 at 10:06 PM
I second the vote for The Eagle of the Ninth. After R J Unstead (!) it was Rosemary Sutcliff's books which began my interest in history when I was very young.
Posted by: callmemadam | 22 November 2019 at 09:30 AM
Clearly I must read it!
Posted by: Cornflower | 22 November 2019 at 04:36 PM
On Instagram, Caroline from Good Sorts ( http://www.good-sorts.co.uk ) has come up with a lovely selection:
The Woolpack by Cynthia Harnett, Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease, Fire over England by AEW Mason, and Georgette Heyer.
Posted by: Cornflower | 22 November 2019 at 05:23 PM
And from Juxtabook ( https://juxtabook.typepad.com/ ), another vote for Hilary Mantel and Georgette Heyer, also Cythia Harnett's Stars of Fortune, and in historical crime, Nicola Upson and Frances Brody.
Posted by: Cornflower | 22 November 2019 at 05:39 PM