Vote for Your Favorite Author!

Which of the following is the best?

Philippa Gregory
Diane Haeger
Georgette Heyer
Hilda Lewis
Jean Plaidy
Sandra Worth

Cast your vote:

http://www.misshollyslibrary.info

What if you don't think any of the candidates are the best historical fiction writer? Can one write-in their vote? If so, then I choose Sharon Kay Penman, with Edith Pargeter (Ellis Peters) coming in second.

Edith Pargeter & Sharon Kay Penman tied. Both good.
On the list : Jean Plaidy first for accuracy

I wuold edge out Penman over Pargeter, but it is a question of what was read when and mood.

The Sunne in Splendour was a tremenduos read and certainly better than any of the Cadfaels I ever read. But what if I was in the midst of Regency, I would give more credit to Georgette Heyer, especially if I was reading something I liked, like Frederica.

But perhaps I was into Rutherford or Michener...

#4 Pargeter wrote some wonderful historical novels besides the Cadfael mysteries: The Heaven Tree for one, along with the second and third of the trilogy, and A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury for another. :)

#3 I'll have to try something by Plaidy. Any suggestions for a first novel?

Edited to try to get the touchstones to work.

>5 Storeetllr:, Storeetllr,
Even though you were asking MarianV, here are some of my favorites:
The Queen's Secret
The Courts of Love
The Reluctant Queen
and perhaps The Thistle and the Rose

I can't remember which of the two books about Mary, Queen of Scots I preferred.

I'd have to say Dorothy Dunnett

>7 quartzite:

Another vote for Dorothy Dunnett!

#5
I enjoyed Plaidy's book on thee queens of England & with any historical series, it is best to read them in their historical order (like Plantagenets before Tudors for example)
At the front of each book, near the cover page, there is usually a list of the author's books in historical order. Or you can try the Historical Novel site.

Dorothy Dunnett!

Well since i've only actually heard of Philippa Gregory from that lot i will have to vote for her. I know that not all of what she writes is not entirely accurate e.g. The Queen's Fool but i like her books nontheless

Well, I'd vote for Karleen Koen or Jude Morgan over any of those.

I'm going to chime in for Heyer, not because I've read all the others but because Heyer's books were in the house where I grew up and were read and loved by my grandmother, my mom and me -- I hope they stay in print forever.

Hey there! SO glad to generate some discussion... although I am sad to say that I tried to add a few more choices to the list, and somehow managed to reset the entire poll. SO, feel free to re-vote, or vote for the first time! (P.S. you can vote once a day!)

Thanks everyone, hope to hear from you!

http://www.misshollyslibrary.info

I really enjoy Beverly Swerling, Shadowbrook, City of Dreams, City of Glory, and Susan Higginbotham - The Traitor's Wife.

Without a doubt Cecilia Holland; she rarely fails. Second is Bryher, with many fewer books than Holland.

Bernard Cornwell would get my write-in vote.

My votes, none from the original list and not necessarily in order are: Sharon Penman, Valerie Anand, Colleen McCullough, Steven Saylor, Edward Rutherfurd, James Michener, Bernard Cornwell.

Adding to the list, I'm writing in Tracy Chevalier (based on The Girl with the Pearl Earring) and Margaret George.

Went through my home database and queried all HF books. Made a list below of the ones that I

1) have Read
2) are favorites

Anya Seton, Colleen McCullough, Sharon Kay Penman, Pauline Gedge, James Clavell, Ann Chamberlin, Robert Graves, Gary Jennings, M.M. Kaye, Morgan Llywelyn, Norah Lofts, John Masters, Mary Renault, Anne Rice, Paul Scott, Judith Tarr, Sigrid Undset, Mika Waltari, Margaret Campbell Barnes, Georgette Heyer

Sharon Kay Penman would be on the top of my list. I would have to include Colleen McCullough because I love her Masters of Rome series, and also Pauline Gedge for her portrayal of Pharao Hatchepsut in Child of the Morning. Steven Saylor is mostly good (but maybe a bit uneven), and Mary Renault for her wonderful trilogy on Alexander the Great. Swedish author Jan Guillou for his wonderful trilogy about Arn and Cecilia, and Christa Wolf for her fantastic novels Medea and Cassandra.

I can't believe that no one has yet mentioned Patrick O'Brian. There's no one who recreates a lost world more vividly than O'Brian, no one whose characters seem more like real people (even that dreadful Mrs. Williams).
Besides O'Brian, the first names that come to mind are Mary Renault (especially for The Persian Boy) and Gillian Bradshaw.

I've read a couple of Penman's books, The Sunne in Splendor and one of the mysteries, and while I am certainly ready to recognize her as a good writer, I must say I can't understand why so many readers rave about her.

Pauline Gedge's work has so many historical mistakes that they are rather distracting. Also, it is the case that most people in the ancient world--even members of royal families--died natural deaths!

Another write-in vote for Mary Renault, but for her novels on ancient Greece (The King Must Die, The Bull from the Sea, etc.)

And how about George MacDonald Fraser?

My write ins would have to be: Mary Stewart, Anita Diamont and Charles Frazier.

My votes would be for Sharon Kay Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick.

Has anyone thought of tabulating these votes?

I like Philippa Gregory( the Other Boleyn Girl), and I also like Marion Bradley(the Mists of Avalon).

Hi, Jen ~ Welcome!

I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl too and am looking forward to her latest ~ The White Queen, but unbelievably I haven't read The Mists of Avalon yet.

BTW, to get the book titles to show up as Touchstones, use the square brackets, not the squiggly ones {} or the parentheses (). :)

What about Margaret George? She is one of the best and definitely beats Philippa Gregory in hist. fiction and accuracy dept.

I vote for Diana Gabaldon. Hands down she is the BEST. Author of Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

The above message by SHAUNAMURPHY is a spam. The book she talks about is a lulu publication so I expect she is the author. She's spamming all the historical fiction threads she can.

Have to agree with Sharon Penman and Edith Pargetter, followed by Anya Seton and Georgette Heyer

Another Dunnett vote, here. Philippa Gregory is also very fine. and I adore Heyer. But Dunnett stands above them all.

also Patrick O'Brian.

I voted earlier for Dorothy Dunnett. This last weeks I remember her, when reading Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Dunnett stays my nr. 1, but Stephenson gets very near.
What a lot of pure fun those two writers must have had, researching and composing their stories. Brilliant!

Sharon Kaye Penman for overall accuracy & a good storyteller

Also Dame Edith Pargeter for the Heaven Tree trilogy & Brother Cadfael

I have read a number of these authors - Georgette Heyer, when I was young, Phillippa Gregory I enjoyed those focused in Henry VIIIs time a few years ago, but now I have discovered Elizabeth Chadwick and have loved every book of hers that I have read....(7) I think!

Dorothy Dunnett! Also Gillian Bradshaw.

Will anyone tally these votes?