Recommendations based on Mary Queen of Scotland and The Islesby Margaret George

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

    by Margaret George
    The life of Henry VIII, as told through his own words and the observations of his court jester, Will Somers.

    The Autobiography of Henry VIII, is the magnificent historical novel that established Margaret George's career. Evocatively written in the first person as Henry VIII's private journals, the novel was ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. The Memoirs of Cleopatra

    by Margaret George
    A historical narrative of Egypt's last queen, recounting her fascinating life story.

    The story follows Cleopatra VII , from her early life under the rule of her father Ptolemy XII Auletes , to her eventual suicide. When Cleopatra is a young girl, Ptolemy is overthrown by his two ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Helen of Troy

    by Margaret George
    An epic retelling of the classic Greek myth of Helen of Troy, exploring the power of love and war.

    A lush, seductive novel of the legendary beauty whose face launched a thousand ships Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for ... (Goodreads)

  4. Katherine

    by Anya Seton
    A historical romance novel set in 14th century England, following the life of Katherine Swynford and her love affair with John of Gaunt.

    Katherine tells the true story of Katherine de Roet, born the daughter of a minor Flemish herald , later knight . Katherine has no obvious prospects, except that her sister is a waiting-woman to ... (Wikipedia)

  5. World Without End

    by Ken Follett
    Epic tale of love and war, tracing the lives of two families over centuries.

    The novel begins in the fictional city of Kingsbridge, England in the year 1327 . Four children - Merthin, Caris, Gwenda, and Merthin's brother Ralph - head into the woods on All Hallows Day . ... (Wikipedia)

  6. The Other Boleyn Girl

    by Philippa Gregory
    A historical fiction recounting the rivalry between two sisters vying for the love of King Henry VIII.

    In 1521 England, Queen Catherine of Aragon's failure to provide King Henry VIII a male heir has strained their marriage. Thomas Boleyn and his brother-in-law Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, plan ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Fall of Giants

    by Ken Follett
    Epic historical fiction recounting the tumultuous events of World War I and its aftermath.

    The novel begins with the thirteen-year-old Billy Williams, nicknamed 'Billy With Jesus', going to work his first day in the coal mine underneath the fictional Welsh town of Aberowen in 1911. Three ... (Wikipedia)

  8. The Lady Elizabeth

    by Alison Weir
    A tale of intrigue and romance, the story of Elizabeth I's rise to the throne of England.

    Following the tremendous success of her first novel, Innocent Traitor, which recounted the riveting tale of the doomed Lady Jane Grey, acclaimed historian and New York Times bestselling author Alison ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Winter Sea

    by Susanna Kearsley
    A writer travels to Scotland to research her novel and discovers a personal connection to the past. Historical fiction with a touch of romance.

    A NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "I've loved every one of Susanna's books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly's delicate touch with characters—sure recipe for historical fiction that ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Sarum: The Novel of England

    by Edward Rutherfurd
    Epic saga tracing the history of an English landscape from prehistoric times to the present day.

    Sarum: The Novel of England - a novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapestry weaves a compelling saga of five families—the Wilsons, the Masons, the family of ... (Goodreads)

  11. Voyager

    by Diana Gabaldon
    A grand adventure across time and space, filled with romance, danger and mystery.

    Voyager opens on the battlefield at Culloden , where Jamie Fraser finds himself gravely wounded and his rival Jack Randall dead. Jamie is carried to a nearby farmhouse where 18 Highland soldiers have ... (Wikipedia)

  12. On Folly Beach

    by Karen White
    A woman inherits a bookstore in Folly Beach and discovers a mysterious diary that reveals secrets of the past.

    Folly Beach, South Carolina, has survived despite hurricanes and war. But it's the personal battles of Folly Beach's residents that have left the most scars, and why a young widow has been beckoned ... (Goodreads)

  13. Through a Glass Darkly

    by Karleen Koen
    A young woman navigates the treacherous waters of love and politics in 18th century England.

    In 1715 England, fifteen-year-old Barbara Alderley lives with her widowed grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth, and her younger siblings on their family's country Tamworth estate. Barbara's indebted ... (Wikipedia)

  14. The Thorn Birds

    by Colleen McCullough
    A powerful tale of forbidden love, set in rural Australia in the early 20th century.

    The story begins in New Zealand on 8 December 1915, the fourth birthday of Meghann "Meggie" Cleary who is the only daughter of Padriac ("Paddy"), an Irish farm labourer, and Fiona ("Fee"), his wife. ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Shadow of Night

    by Deborah Harkness
    A time-traveling adventure through Elizabethan England, uncovering secrets of the past.

    Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Fiery Cross

    by Diana Gabaldon
    Epic saga of a time-traveling couple navigating the dangers of 18th century Scotland.

    Claire, the heroine of Outlander , figures in The Fiery Cross as a reluctant oracle and wife to Jamie Fraser, her 18th-century partner, and faces the politics and turmoil of the forthcoming American ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Forever Amber

    by Kathleen Winsor
    Epic story of a young woman's journey from poverty to becoming a courtesan in 17th century England.

    Judith Marsh has been engaged since birth to her neighbor, John Mainwaring, heir to the Earl of Rosswood. In 1644, she has her engagement broken off when her family and the Mainwarings find ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Winter Rose

    by Jennifer Donnelly
    Love, loss, and redemption in 19th-century England.

    An epic tale of secret love and hidden passions. It is 1900 and the dangerous streets of East London are no place for a well-bred woman. But India Selwyn Jones is headstrong: she has trained as one ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Cuban Affair

    by Nelson DeMille
    A retired Army veteran turned charter boat captain is hired to retrieve hidden treasure in Cuba, but things get complicated when he falls for a woman with a dangerous past.

    The novel's hero is Daniel "Mac" MacCormick, a veteran, who served five years in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. Mac completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan , and received the Silver Star ... (Wikipedia)

  20. The Princes of Ireland

    by Edward Rutherfurd
    Epic chronicle of Irish history, spanning from ancient times to the present day.

    Brilliantly weaving impeccable historical research with stirring storytelling, Edward Rutherfurd explores our shared Celtic roots in a magnificent epic of Ireland spanning eleven centuries. While ... (Goodreads)

  21. My Ántonia

    by Willa Cather
    A young man's reminiscences of his childhood in rural Nebraska, and of his friendships with the immigrants he met there.

    Orphaned Jim Burden rides the trains from Virginia to Black Hawk, Nebraska, where he will live with his paternal grandparents. Jake, a farmhand from Virginia, rides with the 10-year-old boy. On the ... (Wikipedia)

  22. When Christ and His Saints Slept

    by Sharon Kay Penman
    Epic tale of medieval England, exploring the power struggles of the Plantagenet dynasty.

    A.D. 1135. As church bells tolled for the death of England's King Henry I, his barons faced the unwelcome prospect of being ruled by a woman: Henry's beautiful daughter Maude, Countess of Anjou. But ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Red Queen

    by Philippa Gregory
    The story of Margaret Beaufort, a woman who would stop at nothing to see her son crowned King of England.

    Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, The second book in Philippa's stunning new trilogy, The Cousins' War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and ... (Goodreads)

  24. A Fine Balance

    by Rohinton Mistry
    A gripping story of four unlikely lives intertwined in the tumult of India's caste system.

    The book exposes the changes in Indian society from independence in 1947 to the Emergency called by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Mistry was generally critical of Indira Gandhi in the book. ... (Wikipedia)

  25. The Lady of the Rivers

    by Philippa Gregory
    A sweeping historical novel about a powerful female's journey of self-discovery.

    Fourteen-year-old Jacquetta, whose noble family claims descendance from the water goddess Melusine , learns the secrets of her inherited powers from her great-aunt Jehanne , the Demoiselle of ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Sunne in Splendour

    by Sharon Kay Penman
    Historical fiction about the life of King Richard III, from his childhood to his death on the battlefield.

    The story begins in 1459 with Richard as a young boy, and ends in 1485 with his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field . When their father is killed, Richard's older brother Edward leads the House of ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Good Earth

    by Pearl S. Buck
    A story of humble farmers facing the struggles of poverty and the upheaval of social change.

    The story begins on Wang Lung 's wedding day and follows the rise and fall of his fortunes. The House of Hwang, a family of wealthy landowners, lives in the nearby town, where Wang Lung's future ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Beach Music

    by Pat Conroy
    A man's struggle to confront his past and find peace with his present.

    An American expatriate in Rome unearths his family legacy in this sweeping novel by the acclaimed author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini A Southerner living abroad, Jack McCall is ... (Goodreads)

  29. Yellow Crocus

    by Laila Ibrahim
    A story of courage and resilience in the face of slavery and racism in the Antebellum South.

    Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. ... (Goodreads)

  30. War and Remembrance

    by Herman Wouk
    Epic saga of a Jewish family's journey through WWII, facing the struggles of a war-torn world.

    War and Remembrance completes the cycle that began with, The Winds of War, . The story includes historical occurrences at Midway , Yalta , Guadalcanal , and El Alamein as well as the Allied invasions ... (Wikipedia)