Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisWritten sometime in the fourteenth-century, Romance of the Three Kingdoms by the famed Chinese writer and playwright Luo Guanzhong, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature and its influence in China and East Asia can be compared to Shakespeare in England and Europe. This popular tale is remarkable for its length at 800,000 words and its impressive cast of nearly one thousand dramatic characters. The story, which contains elements of true historical accounts mixed with myth and legend, is set during the tumultuous end of the Han dynasty in 169 AD and ends with the reunification of the country in 280 AD. This time was known as the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history and is famous for the battles waged by feudal lords and their loyal retainers as they fought with each other to either replace the fading Han dynasty or restore it to its former power. The story follows hundreds of characters during this time of unrest and conflict and focuses on the politics, diplomacy, and struggle for power of the time. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of C. H. Brewitt-Taylor.

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Book SynopsisScott Turow is the world-famous author of several bestselling novels about the law, from Presumed Innocent to Reversible Errors , as well as the wartime thriller Ordinary Heroes. He has also written an examination of the death penalty, Ultimate Punishment. He lives with his family outside Chicago, where he is a partner in the international law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal.Trade ReviewVivid and immediate . . . one of the best pieces of writing Turow has done . . . This novel provides a showcase for Turow's storytelling skills * New York Times *The author's sharp evocation has an assurance barely hinted at in his earlier books . . . there are nuances in his writing a world away from such contemporaries as Grisham. . . vivid * Independent *Ordinary Heroes, like all of Turow's fiction, derives its considerable power from its depiction of a lawyer's disillusionment, his understanding of the dark ironies that await anyone with an absolute belief in the rule of justice * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisA quest to fulfill a lifelong wish leads to magic, adventure—and puns—as the New York Times–bestselling author revisits the enchanted land of Xanth. In Xanth, everyone has a talent. But that doesn’t mean everyone loves his talent, and no one understands that better than Hapless. Endowed with the ability to conjure any instrument he wants, Hapless could be an extraordinary musician if only he could play a tune that didn’t fall ear-piercingly flat. His one desire is to find an instrument he can play—and maybe a girlfriend or three. But like music, women have never been his forte. When the Good Magician hears about Hapless’s desperate desire, he sends the young man on a quest to find the elusive Isis Orb, a magical talisman that could fulfill his wish. But the mysterious Egyptian goddess for whom the orb is named guards the enchanted object and won’t let anyone see it—let alone use it. Setting out to achieve the impossible, Hapless meets an eclectic mix of creatures that join him on his journey. Like the musically challenged Hapless, they all have wishes they hope the Isis Orb will grant. But the only way they can control the orb is to capture the five totems from the regions of Xanth: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the Void. Together, this motley crew will heroically fight dragons, a six-headed griffin, and even a beautiful, seductive water gorgon who tries to rain on Hapless’s parade. With its thrilling exploits and endless humor, the newest addition to Piers Anthony’s beloved Xanth series is sure to keep readers enthralled. Isis Orb is the 40th book in the Xanth series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

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Book SynopsisThis epic novel of a wide-eyed missionary and a rebellious woman thrust into China’s Communist revolution is “an excellent read, panoramic in scope” (Financial Times). In 1931, young English-born missionary Jakob Kellner brings all the crusading passion of his untried Christian faith to a China racked by famine and bloody civil war. He burns to save the world’s largest nation from Communism. But when he is swept along on the cold, unforgiving Long March, Jakob becomes entangled with Mei-ling, a beautiful and fervent revolutionary. Soon, powerful new emotions challenge and reshape his faith—and entrap him forever in the vast country’s tortured destiny. Once held hostage by Red Guards in Peking for more than two years, author Anthony Grey traces the path of China’s Communist party from its covert inception through purge and revolution. He crafts a portrait of China as a land of great beauty and harshness—of triumph and tragedy—in a sweeping narrative, rich in historical and cultural revelations. Trade Review“Well-written and exciting.” —Library Journal “A magnificent epic novel of modern China . . . The book is worth reading solely as a factual reminder of the chaos and calamity of China, as a quarter of the world’s people struggled and suffered toward modernity in the stormy and cruel decades between 1920 and 1980.” —Toronto Star “Skillfully narrated, the book is a parable of China and the West’s love affair with it.” —Far Eastern Economic Review “Anthony Grey’s gripping fiction, based on meticulously attributed sources, is part epic, part blockbuster. . . . A moving chronicle.” —The Times (London) “Grey’s depth of feeling makes Peking a compelling epic.” —The Sunday Telegraph “Outstanding . . . Balance, sanity, serenity and realized human love in the face of a shifting and violent and mostly hateful world.” —The Sunday Record

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Book SynopsisTwo families grow a small munitions factory into a global empire in this saga by a New York Times–bestselling author spanning from 1837 to the eve of World War I. In 1837, Joseph Barbour, an upper servant in an English village, immigrates with his family to America so he can make his fortune in the nascent artillery business. A man of vision, Joseph foresees a time when wars will not be won with courage and brave hearts but rather by the nations with superior firearms. Joseph and his family settle in a rural Pennsylvania village, but his wife, Hilda, is unhappy and longs to return to England. Their shy and sensitive younger son, Martin, is also homesick, but what troubles him most is the cruelty and violence he sees in his older brother, Ernest. Martin’s fears come to fruition when Joseph forms a gunpowder firm with Armand Bouchard, who lives with his wife and three sons down the road from the Barbours. As the years pass, Ernest proves himself invaluable to Barbour & Bouchard. Ruthless and ambitious, he takes what he wants. But beautiful Amy Drumhill continues to elude him and becomes the catalyst in a war that will estrange the two brothers and leave Ernest haunted by the blood that will be forever on his hands. Dynasty of Death is a moving saga of two families, the epic struggle between two brothers, and the legacy their guns will leave the world as mighty enemy nations gear up for battle.Trade Review“A magnificent story . . . Powerful and moving.” —Kirkus Reviews Praise for Taylor Caldwell “Taylor Caldwell spins a yarn with force. . . . Her sense of timing and her ability to keep even the most alert reader guessing is something readers don’t find very often.” —Hartford Courant “Taylor Caldwell never falters when it comes to storytelling.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisPrivateer by Tim Severin is the fourth swashbuckling adventure in the Pirate series.Hector Lynch and his companions are in the Caribbean, diving to plunder a wreck on the notorious Vipers reef, when they are spotted by a passing Spanish ship. To prevent news of their activities getting out, they cripple the Spanish vessel by burning her sails - an act of piracy - and then head for their base in Tortuga. There Hector's wife Maria awaits, for she and Hector are planning a better life for themselves - this time on the right side of the law.But a chance encounter at sea means that Hector and his comrades run afoul of Laurens de Graff - renowned swashbuckling mercenary captain - now in command of a royal French frigate. Slipping from de Graff's clutches, Hector and his friends are cast away on the tiny desert island, Salt Tortuga. Hector tries desperately to make his way back to Maria, meanwhile she has decided to undertake the hazardous journey to find him. Hector's adventures and Maria's tenacity lead them towards Port Royal in Jamaica - known as the wickedest city on earth. And Hector, accused of piracy, once more enters a world he had sworn to leave behind.

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Book SynopsisEdward Finlay recalls his life''s odyssey beginning in the 1890s on his family ranch in rural Montana. His childhood revolves around three people: his father, a cattle rancher; his mother, who is determined for her son to receive a modern education; and his best friend, a boy from the nearby Crow Indian Reservation, who introduces him to a fading warrior society. When Edward refuses to break off a teenage romance with an older woman from the reservation, his mother arranges to send Edward far away to the newly opened Stanford University. There, the San Francisco earthquake completely changes the direction of his future. After volunteering in a U.S. Army field hospital, he decides to become a surgeon. Soon, he begins his medical career and a life filled with friendship, new love, and extraordinary adventure as he brushes with history across two continents.Edward confronts many adversaries during his journey: dormitory bullies, traitors to the British Empire and its monarchy, and even a child psychopath. The greatest of these villains are the promoters of eugenics, which threaten his intellectually disabled son, and the Germans at Orhdruf (the first concentration camp liberated by the U.S. Army in WW2). As a son, husband, father, pioneering vascular surgeon, and veteran of two world wars, he attempts to understand the inequities of fortune and the inexplicable cruelty he encounters.

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