This etext was prepared by Donald Lainson, charlie@idirect.com
A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Talesby Jonathan Nield
"These historical novels have taught all men this truth, whichlooks like a truism, and yet was as good as unknown to writersof history and others, till so taught: that the bygone ages ofthe world were actually filled by living men, not by protocols,state-papers, controversies, and abstractions of men."
—Carlyle on the Waverley novels.
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
It is not proposed, in these preliminary remarks, to sketch indetail the origin and growth of the Historical Novel; this hasalready been amply done by Professor Saintsbury and others. Ishall be content to approach the subject on its general side,offering, at the same time, some critical suggestions which will, Ihope, not be without value to readers of Romance.
But, first of all, I must explain how the List which follows cameto be compiled, and the object I have in offering it. For manyyears I have been an assiduous reader of novels and tales in whichthe historical element appeared, supplementing my own reading inthis direction by a careful study of all that I could find in theway of Criticism on such works and their writers. Only in this waycould I venture on a selection involving a survey of severalthousand volumes! With the above understanding, I can say that nobook has been inserted without some reason, while I have made allpossible effort to obtain accuracy of description. And this leadsme to remark, that just in this process of selection do I claimoriginality for my List. Nearly twenty years ago an excellent"Descriptive Catalogue of Historical Novels and Tales" waspublished; Mr. H. Courthope Bowen was the compiler,* and I wouldhere mention my indebtedness to him. In Mr. Bowen's list, however,one finds good and bad alike—all the works of even such moderatelyendowed writers as G. P. R. James, Ainsworth, Grant, etc., arethere set down. It seemed to me that, not only was there room fora new list of Historical Novels (Stevenson, Marion Crawford, ConanDoyle, Weyman, Mason, and a number of more or less capableromancists having come forward in the last twenty years), but,also, that more than ever was there a need for some sort of clue inthe search for such books. In the last year or two there has beenan almost alarming influx in this department of Fiction, andteachers in schools, besides readers in general, may be glad to besaved a somewhat tedious investigation.
* "A Descriptive Catalogue of Historical Novels and Tales, for theuse of School Li