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Something similar to Sharpe?


AlexG

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Hi all. 

 

I've been a long time fan of Bernard Cornwall and his Sharpe series of books, (well, all of his books really). 

I like that he researches real historical events and then inserts a fictional character to tell the story. So you get a wonderful blend of fact and fiction with a good amount of action along the way. 

My question is:

Are there any other authors that do a similar thing, but in a more recent time period like WW1 or WW2? 

I've already read a lot of Wilbur Smiths works, but he is more general with his history events, where as Cornwall would meticulously research a battle (e.g. Waterloo) and tell exactly what happened but with Sharpe plonked into the middle of it. Smith more just tells his own story that happens to have historical events happen around his characters. 

 

Anyway, hope I haven't rambled on too much and I'm looking forwards to some recommendations. 

 

Thanks 

Al

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Robert Harris writes historic fiction and I have enjoyed all that I've read from him so far. Fatherland is a standalone book set in an imagined post WWII where the Nazi's won the war. He doesn't tend to write series but he has written a trilogy set in Roman times based around the life of Cicero which is fantastic.

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I've read a few of these but definitely nothing about the world wars.  Oscar de Muriel does something similar, he uses real places (Loch of the Dead) and real people (A Mask of Shadows) and real things (Strings of Murder) and all of them are set in 1800's Ediburgh which is reliably described. I've read all but the latest of OdM's books and they are much fun.

 

This Thing of Darkness was all true except one episode involving a real person which Harry Thompson couldn't bear to write about truthfully and is the story of Charles Darwin and his voyage on the Beagle.  Das Boot tells the story of German submarine warfare and is only classed as fiction because the crew described aren't real people, everything that happened was. I've read both and they are excellent. 

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Patrick O'Brian wrote the 'Aubrey/Maturin' series of books,which are naval tales, but very similar in tone to the Sharpe novels.There are twenty in the series, so if you like them,there is plenty to go at! They made a fil called 'The far side of the world' which did not do very well, but it was not actually based on any one book,although it used the characters from the novels. It was actually pieced together, using vital plot elements from three different books in the series!

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8 minutes ago, Will Belford said:

I've attached them both in PDF and ePub formats, and you can also download free ePub versions of them from willbelford.com, smashwords, apple, lulu, amazon, etc

I'm halfway through the third, which is set in North Africa, Greece and Crete. I hope you enjoy them!

 

Sorry but we can't have the file links to download like that on here. Perhaps, if the original poster wants them, you could send them via private message. 

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  • 5 months later...

I am in a pub and I noticed someone has tied up in string six books by Adrian Goldsworthy. They are set in the Napoleonic Wars. The hero is an a soldier. He looks to be the exact opposite of be Sharpe, a gentleman who fights in the ranks. He wears a red tunic, so he's not a chosen man. Probably fires a musket rather than a rifle. 

Edited by KEV67
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  • 9 months later...

You should try Darrell Duthie's Malcolm MacPhail WW1 series. Duthie's novels describe combat in WW1 from the view of Canadian soldiers serving on the Western Front.

They are very well written, full of you are there style historical detail, and the characters are interesting individuals. I loved all of Cornwell's books and found Duthie's books to be a very satisfying surprise.

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