Historical Fictionistas discussion

Does anyone have some good recommendations of books set in Ancient Greece? It's one of my favorite periods of history, but I haven't really read a lot of fiction for it and I want to change that. Anything in the time period will do, I just want to read about it.

Try authors Mary Renault and Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Glory and the Lightning by Taylor Caldwell

Helen of Troy by Margaret George

Liz wrote: "Try authors Mary Renault and Valerio Massimo Manfredi."

I’ve been meaning to read this book. The author apparently has a new book coming out soon too called Circe

Thank you so much for the recommendations! I've already read The Song of Achilles, but I had no idea the author had another book coming out. I'll definitely check all these other books out. :)

Emily Hauser has a number of retold Greek myths.

Jodi wrote: "Helen of Troy by Margaret George"

I really enjoyed this book when I read it years ago.

I recently found The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough.

Also I have a few of these:
King of Ithaca by Glyn Iliffe
The Gates of Troy by Glyn Iliffe
The Armour of Achilles by Glyn Iliffe
The Oracles of Troy by Glyn Iliffe
The Voyage of Odysseus by Glyn Iliffe
Return to Ithaca by Glyn Iliffe

There are some books by Mary Renault set in Ancient Greece.

Wow I wouldn't have even considered this! I definitely want to look into these, myself :D

Kate wrote: "Jodi wrote: "Helen of Troy by Margaret George"

I really enjoyed this book when I read it years ago."

Me too! She’s such a great author. I’m looking forward to reading her Nero trilogy. Right now I believe just the first book is out.

I had no idea about the Nero trilogy! I am behind on my Margaret George news apparently. Off to the bookstore!

I've recently read Noble Smith's "Spartans at the Gate," and "Colossus" by Colin Falconer (a bit of alternative history and Alexander the Great).

Haley wrote: "Thank you so much for the recommendations! I've already read The Song of Achilles, but I had no idea the author had another book coming out. I'll definitely check all these other bo..." if you are US, check out Circe on Amazon....amazing price

Thank you all so much for these recs! I had trouble finding books set in Ancient Greece, and I'm so glad to see that there are a lot of them, I just must not have been looking in the right place!

The Pericles Commission, by Gary Corby. Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae, by Stephen Pressfield.

Yes, Mary Renault's books for sure!


Also:
Lavinia
The Penelopiad
Soldier of the Mist et seq.

And here is a looooong list of good stuff :)

I really enjoyed many of these listed.
One YA book I read several years ago that I remember enjoying was Goddess of Yesterday. I'm sure it would be a quick read.

Oh yes, Homer's Daughter.

These all look excellent, thanks! :)

I also think that Mary Renault is the place to start, when looking for historical fiction on ancient Greece (or perhaps on anything).

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

This book was highly informative and exciting. Thermopylae is a great tale.

ROBERT wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

This book was highly informative and exciting. Thermopylae is a great tale."

I read Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae last year. Loved it!

That is a good novel.

I'm reading Helen of Troy by Margaret George that would fit this. It is very good.

Kirsten wrote: "I'm reading Helen of Troy by Margaret George that would fit this. It is very good."

I really liked that book!

Also, if you like Song of Achilles, the author has a new book out called Circe.

Here is one that I loved that was non fiction. Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West was a great background to Greece, it's city states, the Persian Empire and the Aegean Sea coast in 480 BC including the Persian War.

Holland feels that we would not have democracy in the west if Greece had not repelled the Persians. The countries east of Greece are dominated by authoritarian mindsets. Less so west of Greece.

It was a great book as was his Rubican.

Those are both excellent non-fiction histories.