A History of Royals discussion

With all the Borders closing I'm actually going to be making a trip to San Francisco in the next week or so to get some books for pretty cheap and I'm trying to make a list of some to keep an eye out for. I usually stick to English, French, or Italian families, but if something comes highly recommended, I'm definitely willing to expand my scope.
Please don't hold back, if you have 4 or 5 you think I should read, please list them.

My definite must reads would be anything by Sharon Kay Penman and C.W. Gortner as far as historical fiction goes.

I can't remember whether you are a Philippa Gregory reader, or one of those who do not like her, but I have really enjoyed some of her books. The caveat is that you have to read her just for the story.

As for non-fiction, I have really enjoyed the following:

The Lady in the Tower The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir
Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII's Most Notorious Minister: The Rise and Fall of a Tudor Tyrant: The Rise and Fall of Henry VIII's Most Notorious Minister

There are many others that I have heard great things about and own, but haven't read yet. I'm sure others will list many of them, though.

Look for author Helen Hollick. I find her similar to Sharon Kay Penman and you seem to like her so I think you might like Hollick. The Forever Queen is my favorite.

Elizabeth Chadwick is also often compared to Sharon Kay Penman but personally, I think that's mainly because they focus on the same time period - I found their writing styles and characterizations a bit different (whereas I think Hollick's style is more comparable to Penman but she writes during different time periods). I think Chadwick's most popular book is The Greatest Knight.

Also try Margaret George - she too writes long, epic books like Penman. My favorite is The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

I also recommend Jean Plaidy - some people don't like her writing style but I love her characterizations and she has such a huge back catalogue to pick from.

I also enjoy Jeanne Kalogridis - though her stuff takes a bit more liberties with the fictional elements.

If they've got any of Robert K. Massie's bios of the Romanovs, I recommend them. Also, anything by Antonia Frasier.

Peter the Great: His Life and World
Nicholas and Alexandra
The Romanovs: the Final Chapter
Marie Antoinette: The Journey
Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King
The Wives of Henry VIII

This is all non-fiction.

Since you like French families, Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution is a great book. Madame Tussaud had a very close relationship with Marie Antoinette and the entire royal family.

For English royalty, I would recommend The Other Boleyn Girl and Innocent Traitor

All three of these books are written as novels, but a great deal of research was put into all of these and all three are based on actual situations as they (supposedly) actually happened. The only one that may be a bit of a stretch is The Other Boleyn Girl, because there are so many different accounts of the relationship between Henry VIII and Mary Boleyn (Anne's sister), but the book is loaded with so much information on court life at the time, and a lot about what Henry VIII was actually like. A lot on his first wife, Katherine, as well.

Wow! Thanks for all the ideas ladies.
If you think of anything else, feel free to add them.

May I introduce my novel, Celtic Blood

James, your book sounds interesting. I will have to add it to my TBR.

For history and royalty buffs curious about 20th century Spain's remarkable transformation from dictatorship to democracy, and the Royal Family's epic struggle to regain the throne: The Reign in Spain is now available in paperback at Amazon. Reviews are stellar!

The Reign in Spain: Fall & Rise of the Spanish Monarchy

Tom wrote: "For history and royalty buffs curious about 20th century Spain's remarkable transformation from dictatorship to democracy, and the Royal Family's epic struggle to regain the throne: The Reign in Sp..."

I love that the book is titled The Reign in Spain. Thanks for recommending this book. I am going to try to get to it soon.