Books I Love
I’m putting it up on my site as a Blog entry (which means it will have a “posted” date) but I’m hoping for ongoing feedback—agreement, argument, questions, discussion, whatever. So it won’t be something you should just ignore if you come to it late. If you read it, some time down the road and months from its posting date, and you want to throw in your two-cents’ worth, then by all means jump right in and speak your mind. I’ll still be riding herd on it and it seems to me to be a natural topic for a solid discussion group in the Site’s Forum—What’s your favourite book of all time?
Favourite Things…
I get asked, all the time, about what it’s like to be a writer, an author, and there are two questions I’m asked more than any other: “What’s your own very favourite book of all time?” and “What’s your personal ‘best’ of all the novels you’ve written?”
Well, the answer to the second question (knock on wood) has always been short and sweet and easy: “My next one.”
That first question, though, is a killer that I simply can’t answer off the top of my head.
“Why not?” you might ask, and this time I’m really going to try to explain it. I’ve been reading voraciously, every day of my life, for more than sixty years. Duh!, says you. And I nod wearily and point out the obvious truth—obvious to me, at least—that after such a long time of reading constantly, I have a virtually endless list of books that I have read over and over again throughout my life.
Even working solely from that list, my selection of absolute, crème de la crème favourites fluctuates hugely all the time, according to my mood of the month or the season of the year. I can even identify variations that have occurred (though it sometimes hurts to admit such hoary antiquity) with the progressively advancing stages of my life. One such book, a failure to survive its own era, was a novel called “Five Smooth Stones” by an American author called Ann Fairbairn. It was a 1960s American Civil Rights drama, the title drawn from the five smooth stones with which David brought down Goliath, and it was one of the few books that I ever started reading again immediately upon finishing it, turning from the last page back to the first. I read it again quite recently, however, and although I still enjoyed it, it was the nostalgia that I enjoyed most this time around; the book itself had not fared well with the passage of time
So what would be my short list of favourite books of all time…?
Well, it was no accident that I became an author of Historical fiction. The books that I have loved most deeply and passionately throughout my life have been, to a major and almost exclusive extent, examples of that so-called genre, and even my favourite Shakespearian dramas reflect the essential element of good Historical fiction: a great, all-consuming story. And that’s what my personal choice is all about. This list is primarily concerned with storytelling; not with “literary merit”.
Every time I start to ask myself about my own favourite books, though—and I have been invited to compile such a list many times over the past ten years–I tend to hum and haw and swither and dither and get nowhere… I start splitting hairs, looking for degrees of preference and excellence. I get bogged down between and among genres, incapable of opting for This over That, or one period or era over another, and invariably I end up walking away with my dilemma unresolved and my “top ten all-time favourite books” list left once again in Limbo. This time, though, since I’m writing for myself, I’m determined to be more decisive and to bear in mind the advice Polonius offered to his son Laertes in “Hamlet”: “This above all, to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man…”
What books, then, out of all I’ve read throughout my life, do I still love as passionately as I ever did? Understand, I’m not concerned with their so-called literary merit in this instance, nor even with their historical accuracy, though that’s important. I’ve simply tried to identify and name twelve books that have been the most memorable for me, personally; the twelve historical novels that I consider to be standout examples of popular storytelling at its best; the top dozen among the relatively few books (and that word “relatively” isn’t there by accident) that have made me think, “God, I wish I’d written that!” The sad corollary, however, considering the time frame involved, is that many of these books are no longer even in print, but that’s purely a matter of changing times and tastes and it detracts in no way from their excellence. And besides, you can still find copies of most of them on-line at AbeBooks.com. Here, then, are my selections, in the order they occurred to me:
ALL TIME FAVOURITES
1. The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas. A story of The Christ and the effect his Crucifixion had on the Romans who carried it out. This book enthralled me from the first time I ever picked it up and even though the Movie they made from it was excellent in its day, it was one of the first instances I ever noticed of the book itself being far, far more exciting and meaty than the Movie that it inspired.
2. Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace. Another story of The Christ and another superb example of consummate storytelling, despite—and maybe even because of—the archaic 19th-Century language in which it was written. The language seemed too ornate at first, I remember even now, but as I sank into the story I quickly adjusted to the style of the language and lost awareness of its ‘strangeness’.
3. Sword at Sunset, by Rosemary Sutcliffe. The first book that ever made me think of King Arthur as a living, breathing man. I felt greatly honoured to be invited to write a Foreword to the recently re-issued 45th Anniversary edition by Chicago Review Press in 2008.
4. The Iron Mistress, by Paul I. Wellman. The story of Jim Bowie and the knife that bears his name. Flawed and ‘weakened’ by post-feminist, 21st-Century perceptions and political correctness, it still manages to hang together as one of the all-time great adventure stories.
5. Dear and Glorious Physician, by Taylor Caldwell. The story of Saint Luke the Evangelist. One of the few books that has ever made me cry, and still does. Amazingly powerful.
6. The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas, Pere. The quintessential story of swashbuckling comradeship, set in the time of Cardinal Richelieu.
7. The Count of Monte Christo, by Alexandre Dumas. The best of all stories about the destructive effects of revenge.
8. All Quiet On The Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque. A story of the First World War, from the German perspective, that gives the modern reader a fascinating, soul-sickening idea of the appalling tragedy of the whole thing.
9. The Viking, by Edison Marshall. The story of Ragnar Lothbrok, the great Viking, this was the first novel ever to transport me back into 9th-Century Medieval Europe and show me that people who lived then faced the same fundamental, life-threatening problems that affect people today.
10. Shogun, by James Clavell. A story of the first Westerners to reach Japan; remarkable in that it convinces you, as you’re reading it, that you’re gaining an understanding of how the Japanese mind works. Of course, that isn’t so, but the experience is amazing and very real.
11. The First Man In Rome, by Colleen McCullough. The enthralling and awe-inspiring story of Gaius Marius, the Greatest Roman of Them All until Julius Caesar came along.
12. The Fourth Horseman, by Randy Lee Eikhoff. A fascinating novel about “Doc” Holiday, the consumptive, enigmatic Dentist who backed Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral.
That’s all for now, but I could do this again, for different genres (God! I hate that word,) if anyone shows any interest.
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Thx for listing the others – I shall read them.
Jack
I recall a post by you in the early days of the Old Forum in which you said that two of your favourite novels were Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, and Michael Ennis’s Byzantium. Do they still figure somewhere near the top 10?
And how about Tim Willocks’s The Religion?
All three still list among my favourites–just not in my Top Twelve Lifetime Picks and mainly because they’re all three too NEW! Bear in my my dinosaurian age span… But THE RELIGION is featured in my next, follow-up entry which should appear in the week ahead, by which time I hope the new site platform will be ready to go.
1) Five Smooth Stones by Anne Fairbairn
2) Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell
3) The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart (my youthful introduction to the Arthur legend)
4) The Camulod Chronicles (including The Lance Thrower and The Eagle) I have read this series at least five times so far and expect to read it many more. It’s honestly the most crackingly good retelling of the Arthur legend I have yet encountered, and I doubt it will be bettered.
5) The Exiles Trilogy by Marion Zimmer Bradley, her last three books just before she died (Exiles Song, The Shadow Matrix, and Traitors Sun). They’re pure gold for me.
6) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. Love his work! I never forgot his Fair Witness character.
7) The Ninja by Eric van Lustbader. The sequels are good, but this keeps you on the edge of your seat and will steam up your glasses in places.
8) The Earths Children series by Jean Auel (Clan of the Cave Bear, The Valley of Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, The Plains of Passage, Shelters of Stone, and The Land of Painted Caves). It’s truly an epic.
9) The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester. I grew up on these, and find them as enjoyable and even deeper now than I did as a boy when I first read them.
10) Mutiny on the Bounty by Nordhoff and Hall. I read this trilogy when I was in 6th grade, and this is NOT grade school material!
11) Dune by Frank Herbert
12) The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye (I learned more about India in this book than any history class, and fell in love with it). I’ve read this more times than I can count.
13) Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye (I said I can’t count!)
14) Shogun by James Clavell
15) The Three Musketeers
16) The Count of Monte Christo
17) The Flames of Time by Baynard Kendrick. I read this as a boy and it made a mighty impression. I’ll have to read this again sometime soon.
I’m tempted to add your Templar books, but they’re yet too new. I do love the Camulod Chronicles though. You’ve created characters to fall in love and identify with. The philosophical bits were totally unexpected, greatly enjoyed, and appreciated. IMO this epic is in a class with Dear and Glorious Physician which I dearly love. The characters moved me to tears in several places. It’s powerful and magical. I really hate it when I get to the end of the last book!
Jack
Jaws – Peter Benchley….I was 9 years old, hooked on being a marine biologist because of Jacques Yves Cousteau, then this! Whammo!
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea……Jules Verne….One of my first forays into what would be a “classical” addiction thanks to my dad!
The Time Machine…H.G. Wells……same reason as above ( 1973 “boxset” of books for Christmas LOL )
The Silver Chalice…Thomas B. Costain….my early historical fiction introduction.
The Wicked Day….Mary Stewart…..all of her Arthur stories actually.
Frankenstien….Mary Shelley….awesome!
Uther…..Jack Whyte……a legend fleshed out, masterfully.
The Stand…Steven King….proving that man is scarier than any monster he can dream.
Maybe not all literary masterpieces…but they have their place for me. : )
Previously mentioned:
Dune – Frank Herbert
The Stand – Steven King
Unmentioned:
Malazan Book of the Fallen series – Steven Erikson
Mirror in the Sky – Robert Heinlien
The Ruum – Arthur Porges
The Forever War – Joe Haldeman
Princess of Mars – Edgar Rice Burroughs
Sharpe – Bernard Cornwell
LotR – Tolkien
Foundation Series – Isaac Asimov
Day of the Triffids/The Chrysalids – John Wyndham
An eclectic mix i’m afraid.
Horatio Hornblower series: (Even though I wanted to slap him upside the head)
The Egyptian by Mika Waltari…my first foray into historical fiction in grade 5
People of the Deer by Farely Mowat…my first foray into the Adult side of the library
Most of my other favourites have already been mentioned and others are to be added to my TBR pile!
Happy reading
Vicki
River God- Wilbur Smith (first read in the 4th grade, inappropriately)
Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell
Alexandre Dumas- Pretty much any book, but I particularly liked Horror at Fontenay (which is set in the French Revolution) and The Three Musketeers and am trying to make it through The Knight of Maisson-Rouge
Pride and Prejudice- I related to this other Elizabeth a lot, and I like the male-female misunderstandings,
To Your Scattered Bodies Go- Farmer (Thank you, sf class.)
The Dark is Rising series- Cooper, I think
Any collections of Vonnegut, Bradbury, or Welles
The Scarlet Pimpernel- Orczy
Jane Eyre- Bronte,
non-fiction- Joseph Campbell
Treasure Island… and at least a dozen more I can’t think of right now.
I don’t know if I could name any one book as my favorite. River God and Gone with the Wind were the first two books that I decided I needed to buy in hardcover… They just didn’t last otherwise. I joke that I am in need of intervention for my addictions to coffee, pizza, and books.
My top reads that get recycled every two to three years. These are not in order of preference but in the order they came to me.
1.Henryk Sienkiewicz's Trilogy, translated from the Polish by Kuniczak: With Fire and Sword, The Deluge, Fire in the Steppe. After I read the first chapter of With Fire and Sword I went back and read it again. Yes, the writing was so delicious that after eating the cake I went back and licked out the bowl.
2. A Dream of Eagles – Jack Whyte – all nine books. A potent story but the characters themselves have become as dear to me as family. The ending of Uther still hits me just thinking about it.
3. The Masters of Rome series – Colleen McCullough
4. The Religion – Tim Willocks
5. Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. Non-fiction, but a powerful, moving read nonetheless.
6. Battle Cry – Leon Uris, one of my first real novels that I read as a teenager and it still affects me.
7. Outlander series – Diana Gabaldon So I'm back after a break of one week to add a few more to the list.
8. We the Living – Ayn Rand. Post-revolution Soviet Russia.
9. Great Maria – Cecilia Holland – a 14-year old daughter of a robber baron is married off to a bad-tempered Norman knight in return for his fealty.
10. A Garden of Sand – Earl Thompson – a young boy growing up in the Depression
11. Buffalo Afternoon – Susan Fromberg Schaeffer – from America to the jungles of Vietnam and back again.
Back after a year to add…
12. The Templar Trilogy and The Guardians series.
Marlene
The Journeyer – Gary Jennings (he wrote Aztec which was good but I kept getting lost. This one is AMAZING!)
Bernard Cornwell – pretty much all of them
Wilbur Smith – Also pretty much all of them
The Covenant -James Michener (there are two volumes)
Empire – Gore Vidal
Hadrians Wall and The Scourge of God – William Dietrich
Comstock Lode, Sitka, all the Sackett novels, The Californio’s (and a lot more) by Louis Lamour
Mario Puzo – Pretty much everything
I also have a bunch of Authors that I wouldn’t necessarily consider Historical Fiction because of the setting or timeline, although they use history as a foundation for the story. These are all good reads that are entertaining and you do learn a little bit from each.
Steve Berry
David Lynn Golemon
Jack DuBrul
Chris Kuzneski
Raymond Khoury
William Deitrich (already mentioned)
Robert Masello
David Morrell (his older stuff)
James Rollins (some not all)
and I could go on. I love the classics and I reread any book that I deam worthy of keeping. I just thought I would give you a few newer authors to look at. I am always looking for new material. I hope that this helps someone. I have enjoyed reading everything on this post so far.
Thanks
– Skystone by you know who
– A Solider in the Great War by Mark Helprin
– The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
– Henry IV Part One and Two by Bill Shakespeare
– Watership Down by John Updike
– Godel, Escher and Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
– The Bible by various
– Programming Windows by Charles Petzold
– The Last Lion by William Manchester
– The Practice Effect by David Brin
– Can You Drink the Cup by Henri Nouwen
– A Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
– Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Mark
Vicki
I love getting together with my bookclub. Fourteen (or more) of us get together once a month to discuss a book that we have all decided to read. We also are permitted to “not read the book”, but still attend the meeting. It always amazes me that the best discussions are when it is about a 50/50 split on whether someone liked or disliked the book in question. Sometimes just one person hasn’t liked the book and that discussion is enlightening as well. ( I really disliked Owen Meany, and was the only one), We always come away with a new perspective to the reading and sometimes those of us who slammed the book closed in disgust (I call those books “wall bangers” ’cause I just want to slam it against the wall!…I’m not a violent person….really!) have gone home and given it a second chance.
How dull our discussions would be if everyone just “loved” the book.
I’ll give those a try, if I can track them down, because I assume they might be long since out of print.
VickiB
Now my daughter reads almost as much as I do. My husband still reads books for information the latest on radar.
1. Arthurian saga of Jack Whyte (YES!!!)
2. “Final flight”, “Flight of the Intruder” and “Fortunes of war” of Stephen Coonts
3. “Sherlock Holmes” of sir Arthur Conan Doyle
4. “Artorius” of Pierluigi Curcio
5. “The pillars of Earth”, “Eye of the Needle” and “The Third Twin” of Ken Follett
6. “Robin Hood” of Alexandre Dumas
7. “Garden Of Beasts” of Jeffery Deaver
8. “The Seventh Scroll” of Wilbur Smith
9. “Up Country” of Nelson DeMille
10. “To Catch a Thief” of David Dodge