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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
A Guide to the Best
Historical Novels and Tales
Jonathan Nield
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
〃These historical novels have taught all men this truth； which looks
like a truism； and yet was as good as unknown to writers of history and
others； till so taught： that the bygone ages of the world were actually filled
by living men； not by protocols； state…papers； controversies； and
abstractions of men。〃
Carlyle on the Waverley novels。
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
Contents
Introduction
Pre…Christian Era
First Century
Second Century
Third Century
Fourth Century
Fifth Century
Sixth Century
Seventh Century
Eighth Century
Ninth Century
Tenth Century
Eleventh Century
Twelfth Century
Thirteenth Century
Fourteenth Century
Fifteenth Century
Sixteenth Century
Seventeenth Century
Eighteenth Century
Nineteenth Century
Supplementary List （Semi…Historical）
Suggested Courses of Reading （Juvenile）
Bibliography
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
INTRODUCTION。
It is not proposed； in these preliminary remarks； to sketch in detail
the origin and growth of the Historical Novel； this has already been amply
done by Professor Saintsbury and others。 I shall be content to approach
the subject on its general side； offering； at the same time； some critical
suggestions which will； I hope； not be without value to readers of
Romance。
But； first of all； I must explain how the List which follows came to be
piled； and the object I have in offering it。 For many years I have
been an assiduous reader of novels and tales in which the historical
element appeared； supplementing my own reading in this direction by a
careful study of all that I could find in the way of Criticism on such works
and their writers。 Only in this way could I venture on a selection
involving a survey of several thousand volumes！ With the above
understanding； I can say that no book has been inserted without some
reason； while I have made all possible effort to obtain accuracy of
description。 And this leads me to remark； that just in this process of
selection do I claim originality for my List。 Nearly twenty years ago an
excellent 〃Descriptive Catalogue of Historical Novels and Tales〃 was
published； Mr。 H。 Courthope Bowen was the piler；* and I would here
mention my indebtedness to him。 In Mr。 Bowen's list； however； one
finds good and bad alikeall the works of even such moderately endowed
writers as G。 P。 R。 James； Ainsworth； Grant； etc。； are there set down。 It
seemed to me that； not only was there room for a new list of Historical
Novels （Stevenson； Marion Crawford； Conan Doyle； Weyman； Mason；
and a number of more or less capable romancists having e forward in
the last twenty years）； but； also； that more than ever was there a need for
some sort of clue in the search for such books。 In the last year or two
there has been an almost alarming influx in this department of Fiction； and
teachers in schools； besides readers in general； may be glad to be saved a
somewhat tedious investigation。
* 〃A Descriptive Catalogue of Historical Novels and Tales； for the
use of School Libraries and Teachers of History；〃 piled and described
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
by H。 Courthope Bowen； M。 A。 （Edward Stanford； 1882。）
Having thus attempted to justify the existence of my little 〃Guide；〃 I
pass on to deal with the subject of Historical Fiction itself。 Most of us； I
suppose； at one time or another have experienced a thrill of interest when
some prominent personage； whom we knew well by repute； came before
us in the flesh。 We watched his manner； and noted all those shades of
expression which in another's countenance we should have passed by
unheeded。 Well； it seems to me that； parallel with this experience； is that
which we gain； when； reading some first…rank romance； we encounter in
its pages a figure with which History has made us more or less familiar。
And I would remark that the great masters do not； as a rule； make that
mistake which less skilful writers fall intothe mistake of introducing
well…known historical figures too frequently。 The Cromwell of
〃Woodstock〃 has an element of mystery about him； even while he stands
out before our mental vision in bold relief。 Had Scott brought him more
prominently into the plot； and thus emphasized the fictional aspect of his
figure； our interest in the story； as such； might have been sustained； but we
should have lost that atmosphere of vraisemblance which； under a more
careful reserve； the hand of the master has wrought for us。
But it is not only this introduction of personalities which constitutes a
novel 〃historical〃； the mere allusion to real events； or the introduction of
dates； may give us sufficient ground for identifying the period with which
a novel deals。 Of course the question as to whether a particular person or
event is truly historical； is not always an easy one to answer。 By the
adaptation in it of some purely mythical character or event； a novel is no
more constituted 〃historical〃 than is a Fairy…tale by the adaptation of
folklore。 King Arthur and Robin Hood are unhistorical； and； if I have
ventured to insert in my list certain tales which deal with the latter； it is not
on that account； but because other figures truly historical （e。g。； Richard I。）
appear。 As there has been some dispute on this question of the Historical
Novel proper； I offer the following definition：A Novel is rendered
Historical by the introduction of dates； personages； or events； to which
identification can be readily given。 I am quite aware that certain well…
known novels which give the general atmosphere of a periodsuch； for
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
example； as Hawthorne's 〃Scarlet Letter〃 and Mr。 Hewlett's 〃Forest
Lovers〃do not e within the scope of my definition； but this is just
why I have added a 〃Supplementary List〃 of semi…historical tales。 And；
while I am alluding to this 〃Supplementary List；〃 I should like to give my
reason for omitting from it one remarkable book which has every claim to
be considered representative of the mid…nineteenth century。 Readers of
〃John Inglesant〃 may be reminded that in his interesting preface Mr。
Shorthouse alludes to William Smith's philosophical novel〃Thorndale。〃
As a picture of Thought developments in the early Victorian period； the
latter work has special historical interest for the philosophical and
theological student； in this respect it may be likened to Pater's 〃Marius the
Epicurean；〃 which vividly reproduces the Intellectual ferment of an earlier
age。 〃Thorndale；〃 however； is primarily didactic； and the philosophical
dialogues （interesting as these are to the metaphysician） hardly atone to
the general reader for an almost entire absence of plot。 The above is；
doubtless； an altogether extreme instance； but the exclusion of several
other works from the category of Romance seems to follow on something
like the same grounds。 Becker's 〃Charicles〃 and 〃Gallus〃 are little more
than school textbooks； while； turning to a less scholarly quarter；
Ainsworth's 〃Preston Fight；〃 and even his better…known 〃Guy Fawkes；〃
may be cited as illustrating what Mr。 Shorthouse means when he speaks of
novels 〃in which a small amount of fiction has been introduced simply for
the purpose of relating History。〃 In all such cases the average novel…
reader feels that he has been allured on false pretences。 I am well aware
that not a few of the books included in my List might be considered to fall
under the same ban； but I think it will be found that in most of them there
is at least a fair attempt to arouse narrative interest。
ing to the List itself； it will be noticed that I have been somewhat
sparing in the books given under the 〃Pre…Christian〃 heading。 Novels
dealing with these very far…off times are apt to be unsatisfactory； the mist
in which events and personages are enveloped； takes away from that
appearance of reality which is the great charm of the historical novel。 We
are hardly concerned； in reading 〃Sarchedon〃 and similar books； to get
away from the purely imaginary pictures which spring from the Novelist's
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
own brain； and the danger is that the very elements which add to our
interest in the tale as such； will go far to mislead us in our conception of
the period dealt with。 There is none of that sense of familiarity which we
enjoy when reading a sixteenth or seventeenth century romance； in the
latter case； the historical background； being easily perceptible； merges for
us with the creations of the author's own imagination。 Where the writer
of an 〃ancient〃 romance happens to be a scholar like Ebers； we feel tha
