An Historical Fiction List

People like lists. Here's one from the Wall Street Journal of "favorite fictional tales rooted in history." Since much of what I learned about history came from fictional work I thought it was interesting. I am not sure if the link will work without a subscription, so here is the list, without the author's, Ann Perry, comments.

1. I, Claudius by Robert Graves. [should include its sequel Claudius the God]

2. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler.

3. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

4. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

5. The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterton


Except for the first, I have not read any of these. I would really like to read the Chesterton one. My own list would include no. 1, and I would put in Julian by Gore Vidal, All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque, War and Peace by Tolstoy, Pharsalia by Lucan (ancient history by an ancient writer, with shades of Stephen King. Lucan hated Caesar and Talbot Mundy would borrow his characterization in his Thros of Samothrace books).

If I went by to my teen years it would be a different list, with things like The Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan, The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff and maybe Mundy's Thros books.