Tag Archives: historical fiction

The Marriage Game

Posted on March 3, 2015 by smellincoffee

 The Marriage Game©  2015 Alison Weir416 pages             In Greek mythology,  the gods punished Tantalus by subjecting him to perpetual hunger, made worse by the fact that food and drink were both seemingly close at hand.His every attempt to drink … Continue reading →

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A Map of Betrayal

Posted on January 26, 2015 by smellincoffee

A Map of Betrayal© 2014 Ha Jin304 pages When  Lillian Shang touched down in mainland China, her official purpose was to teach. Unofficially, however, she was there to learn — to uncover the truth of her father’s life by tracking down … Continue reading →

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Casualties

Posted on January 22, 2015 by smellincoffee

Casualties: A Novel of the Civil War© 2010 David Rothstein465 pages The year is 1863, and Tom Connor just survived the Battle of Gettysburg. His kid brother didn’t, though, and agonized emotionally he is looking forward to a Christmas furlough … Continue reading →

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The Empty Throne

Posted on January 9, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Empty Throne© 2015 Bernard Cornwell320 pages Uhtred of Bebbanburg is an impossible man. A Saxon prince raised by Danes,  he  has nonethelessbeen the architect of a great redoubt against them, the defender of Wessex a hundred times over.  A … Continue reading →

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Gates of Fire

Posted on November 27, 2014 by smellincoffee

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae© 1998 Steven Pressfield442 pages When Xerxes, Ruler of Asia, god-king of men, finally stood over the bodies of the few Greeks who had withstood his hordes drawn from half … Continue reading →

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Under the Eagle

Posted on November 10, 2014 by smellincoffee

Under the Eagle© 2000 Simon Scarrow256 pages If given the choice between being attacked by foul-smelling, weirdly-painted Germans, and being attacked by foul-smelling, weirdly-painted Celts, which would you choose? For Centurion Macro, it’s rather obvious: the Germans! At least monitoring … Continue reading →

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Master of Rome

Posted on November 8, 2014 by smellincoffee

Master of Rome384 pages© 2011 John Stack     Winning a naval war against the Carthaginians is such a pain in the ol’ gluteus maximus. Invade Africa, threaten their very capital, and what do they do? They break an entire Roman legion … Continue reading →

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The Belt of Gold

Posted on October 16, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Belt of Gold© 1984 Cecelia Holland305 pages      Two Frankish brothers returning home from a pilgrim to Jerusalem become unwittingly involved in a palace coup when they rescue a damsel in distress on the road to Constantinople.  When … Continue reading →

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Jefferson

Posted on July 9, 2014 by smellincoffee

Jefferson: A Novel© 1998 William Brant448 pages In  the late 1780s,  William Short put pen to paper to create a biography of his boss and mentor, Thomas Jefferson. Then serving as ambassador to France, Jefferson was already a seasoned American … Continue reading →

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The Scarlet Letter

Posted on June 28, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Scarlet Letter ©  1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne 180 pages                    In 18thcentury Boston, a young woman stands upon the gallows in the center of town, facing down the contempt of the assembled mob. Having broken the … Continue reading →

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