Mulan, yes dangnabbit, I've read every one of them. Let me, though, recommend you read Gary Jennings Aztec and The Journeyor, the former is an autobiography by an old Aztec captured by Cortez telling his life story to Spanish priests who are writing it down for the amusement of King Phillip of Spain; the later is the self-told tale of the journey of Marco Polo and it's fantastic. No wonder the people of Venice called him the world's biggest liar.
Blackout, that sounds right up my alley. I'm going straight over to half.com where I buy my books for next to nothing and order it. The last book I bought there was that book about the founding of Australia, and it was $0.75. Of course, with shipping it turned out to be $2.98, but hey! beats paying retail and the book was in great shape. After I order it, I'll post again and tell you how much it cost. Try it yo'sef. half.com. And many thanks.
And y'all are right on about Sarum. I loved that book. Actually, I've read it twice.
FOR ALL YOU BOOK NUTS. Try getting your hands on a copy of the original The Power of One. It's nothing like the movie. In fact, the movie and the book are so different, it's like the makers of the movie didn't know the book existed. This book was not available in the states for a long time because it's author is from South Africa and we had that embargo for so long. I forget who wrote that book.
Also, all the books by Wilbur Smith, another South African writer. There are several series of six books, so be careful that you're not buying a book in the middle of a series. The series that has "The Burning Shore" as the second book is fantastic, and one of its main protagonists is a female. Her fight to survive the Kalahari Desert after her boat sinks just after the end of WW I is epic, nothing but epic. In fact, I think I'll read it again now that I mention it.
One more is a series of books about the Arthur Legend told in a totally different manner by Jack Whyte. There are six or seven books and they're all corkers. It makes the Arthur tale plausible. No magic, no smoke and mirrors, just a fantastic tale that covers generation upon generation, complete with all the characters, including the Pendragon clan and the whole shootin' match. Guaranteed to please the most discriminating historical fiction maven.
Happy reading Y'all.
francois