The old saying goes, “An opinion is like a nose – eveyone’s got one.” The three authors listed below are some of the best authors in the historical-fiction genre (in this writer’s humble-yet-biased opinion) who create riveting stories and have published more than one story. While there are surely other incredible historical-fiction authors out there, few have written as many stories and enjoyed as much success as these have.
James Clavell
Most famous for Shogun which was turned into a mini-series, James Clavell is an absolute master at storytelling. He makes this list because not only are his stories riveting, but they are faithfully accurate and do an incredible job of educating the reader without sacrificing any of the plot. With many historical-fiction authors, it seems like you’re reading one of two parts of the book – the one that tells the story or the one that explains a certain historical fact. With Clavell, you can never tell between the two. In revealing the culture or chronology during the story, he weaves it invisibly into the plot itself so you never feel like you’re reading about history at all.
Louis L’Amour
L’Amour became famous for his Westerns, but perhaps one of L’Amour’s greatest books wasn’t a Western at all. The Walking Drum was about a Celtic boy who fought his way through Moorish Spain, across Medieval Europe, and into the East. What puts L’Amour on this list is – regardless of whether he was writing a Western, a simple short story, or about European history – his stories were accurately detailed and captivating at the same time. His characters aren’t one-sided heroes; they’re usually down-to-earth individuals whom readers can relate to.
Michael Crichton
Okay, Michael Crichton is really more of a science-fiction writer than historical-fiction. He makes this list because he does his homework thoroughly on each subject he’s going to write about, and then lets the facts of the subject dictate the story – not the other way around. With Crichton, you almost feel like you’re listening to the most fascinating science teacher you’ve ever dreamed about tell you a riveting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Although known more for Jurassic Park and The Lost World, Crichton does have a few pure historical-fiction books to his credit, such as The Great Train Robbery, Eaters of the Dead, and Pirate Latitudes.
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