Reddit mentions: The best british historical literature books

It's not my area of study, but I really loved The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell, I found it really engaging. Then I started doing a little reading into the Sakoku period, inspired by In Our Time's recent radio programme on it and it was fascinating to find out how historically accurate the book really was. I would highly recommend!

Like I said, I haven't gone too deep into it so maybe a Japanese historian will come along and tell me I'm wrong...

Ok, so your response was a little confusing, but after a bit of homework, it's become more clear: Danusia is the translator for my copy as well, and that's fine - I'm only a few pages in, it may very well get better later on. She was responsible for TLW and Blood of Elves. But apparently after the first two, she stepped down and Mr. French took her place for Time of Contempt and Baptism of Fire, along with presumably any future translations.

It sounds like you've been enjoying the full series quite a bit, regardless of translator. What is your opinion of French's work, and does it detract at all compared to Stok?

I took a gay lit class in undergrad, and our reading list was pretty fantastic.
Some of the books I remember are:



Stone Butch Blues- semiautobiographical novel about a butch lesbian- read this one with kleenex around

Tipping the Velvet- lesbian fiction set in Victorian England

At Swim Two Boys- gay fiction set in Ireland

Angels in America- Tony/Pulitzer winning play that was made into a HBO series

Zami- Lesbian "biomythography"


Latin Moon in Manhattan- queer diaspora in NYC

Faggots- I had a hard time getting through this one, but my prof really recommended it



I put the books in the order I would recommend them by- SBB was definitely my favorite out of the class, although it was deeply disturbing and difficult to get through at times. Hope this helps!

The Heaven Tree trilogy. The Heaven Tree Trilogy (The Heaven Tree / The Green Branch / The Scarlet Seed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446517089/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jxbXDb77J9ZNH

Well, I don't know about wrap up covers, but the UK version of the books are pretty decent. You can find them on Amazon as well: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Wish-Andrzej-Sapkowski/dp/0575082445

What period/part of the world are you into?

Try...

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel if you're into Tudor England

Anything by Mary Renault if you're into ancient Greece

[The Emperor series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_(book_series) by Conn Iggulden if you're into ancient Rome

Also excellent historical fiction but books that don't cover the entire era...

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchel - Early 1800's Dutch trading post in Edo era Japan.

The English Passengers by Mathew Neale. 1800's trip to Australia involving the British.

I love these two books.

Short stories:

1. [The Last Wish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Wish_(book) - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
2. Sword of Destiny - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   Novels:
   
   
3. Blood of Elves - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
4. Time of Contempt - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
5. [Baptism of Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism_of_Fire_(novel) - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
6. The Tower of the Swallow - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   
7. [The Lady of the Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_the_Lake_(novel) - Amazon US / Amazon UK
   
   Overall:
   
   
8. The Last Wish
   
   
9. Sword of Destiny
   
   
10. Blood of Elves
    
    
11. Time of Contempt
    
    
12. Baptism of Fire
    
    
13. The Tower of the Swallow
    
    
14. The Lady of the Lake
    
    The short stories are a must-read before the novels because they introduce many characters and plot points for the main saga. There is also a prequel story called Season of Storms which hasn't been officially translated into English yet, but there are fan translations if you can't wait. I haven't read it myself, but I hear that it is best read after the others. If you want to know more about The Witcher lore there is always The World of the Witcher^UK which will give you more backstory and details.

Give "The Last Wish" a go, if the first couple of short stories about the White Wolf don't grab you, so be it and have a good day sir :) but it might just make a reader of you yet ;)
Going for peanuts on Amazon

Yarrr, ye can read a book called 'Flashman on the March'. These here shineys are a central plot device, Flashman has ter get 50,000 of them across Ethiopia, an' shags an blunders 'is way across the country like a true English gentleman.

Some suggestions for good stand alones:

The Sand Reckoner

The Physician

The Alienist

The Pillars of the Earth

You're probably thinking of the UK versions, the only thing is that P&P might cost a bit.

Edit: All of the Witcher books, apart from lady of the lake and season of storms, are available with the better covers

Edit 2 (All books): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575082445/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i7_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=VQ4X0QZWHXKCZ7D040C4&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=16f14aeb-bd11-4e9e-8c26-9ca0139074ee&pf_rd_i=desktop

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1473211549/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M4XTC8VMRK55E0NP173A

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575084847/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M4XTC8VMRK55E0NP173A

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575090944/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i5_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=VQ4X0QZWHXKCZ7D040C4&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=16f14aeb-bd11-4e9e-8c26-9ca0139074ee&pf_rd_i=desktop

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575090979/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i4_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=VQ4X0QZWHXKCZ7D040C4&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=16f14aeb-bd11-4e9e-8c26-9ca0139074ee&pf_rd_i=desktop

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1473211565/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M4XTC8VMRK55E0NP173A

Read The Brothers Gwynedd Quartet for an excellent historical fiction version of the events and times. Highly recomended. http://www.amazon.com/The-Brothers-Gwynedd-Quartet-Comprising/dp/0747232679

Yes, ordered them from here on the 7th if you live in the UK. If you live somewhere else they might be different dimensions.



Sword of Destiny



Lady of the Lake


Blood of Elves


The Last Wish


Tower of Swallow


Baptism of Fire


Time of Contempt

I thoroughly enjoyed The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes.

UK book covers look a bit nicer IMO

if you do get interested even a little their is a short stories collection. so no need to invest in an entire series of novels https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Wish-Andrzej-Sapkowski/dp/0575082445

The full set on Amazon, including SoS.

Amazon also sells them separately, what you have to do is click the link that says "See all formats and editions" on the individual book's page, then browse the editions under "Paperback". Here's The Last Wish.

Get them off Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00J40FGYW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511470277&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+thief+taker#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1511470303632

👍

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

https://www.amazon.com/Watchmaker-Filigree-Street-Natasha-Pulley/dp/1620408341

Assuming it's not this, you're probably right.

I will edit this comment tonight to contain a link!

Edit; https://www.amazon.de/Last-Wish-Andrzej-Sapkowski/dp/0575082445/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?hvadid=379350559415&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9064006&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=790025916265452916&hvtargid=kwd-300929200721&keywords=witcher+book&qid=1570478376&sr=8-2

Amazon?

Well damn I'm here for this contemporary Watchmaker of Filigree Street concept.

You can get the European print paperbacks. They have darker coloured and considerably less flashy covers than the US ones. Finding them locally might be a bit of a pain if you're in Canada or the US, but if the covers are a major enough point of contention for you, they can be bough off Amazon UK.

Depends which Publisher you are talking about...Orbit is guilty of this, Gollancz did a great job with their covers putting only the characters which had more presence in those stories.

• Last Wish - Geralt
  
  
• Blood of Elves - Dandelion
  
  
• The Time of Contempt - Yennefer
  
  
• Baptism of Fire - Milva

The Dark Room

"Rachel Seiffert’s absorbing, internationally acclaimed debut explores the modern German psyche through the experiences of three ordinary people. At the onset of World War II, a young photographer’s assistant is kept out of the war due to a physical disability, and instead spends his time capturing on film the changing temper of Berlin, the city he loves. Just weeks after Germany’s surrender, a teenage girl whose parents have been taken into allied custody leads her siblings on a harrowing journey to find their grandmother. And two generations after the war, a teacher searches for the reason why the Russians imprisoned his beloved grandfather. Evoking the experiences of the individual with astonishing emotional depth and psychological acuity, The Dark Room develops a portrait of the twentieth century in all its drama and complexity."

I just watched a film called Lore, and discovered it's based off this book.


Used is best! And cheap!