Books by Anya Seton
Anya Seton (1904-1990) was an American historical novelist.
“It’s set in Saxon and Viking times, in the tenth century, at the corrupt court of King Edgar of England, long before the Norman Conquest. It’s based on the obscure legend of a saint.” Read more...
Alison Weir, Historical Novelist
“I love this book. I was absolutely bowled over by it. There’s a lot of mystery to it. A group of people convene in Kent for a house party in the 1960s. It turns out they are all reincarnations of people who lived in Tudor times, in the reign of Edward VI. You have to work out who was who in a previous life, with all the dramas and tensions of their earlier existence being played out in the modern world. It’s a brilliant book. It’s also got one of the best descriptions of Wyatt’s Rebellion that I’ve ever read in history or fiction.” Read more...
The Best Tudor Historical Fiction
Alison Weir, Historical Novelist
“This is one of my all-time favourite historical novels; it’s absolutely inspirational. Every sentence is a joy. It was written in 1954 and is, of course, of its time – bodice rippers came later. But it’s written with such integrity, and I see it as a benchmark for historical novels. Anya Seton was an American author and she spent four years in Britain researching this novel. Given the sources available to her at the time, it’s brilliant. It has inspired so many people. In 2003 the BBC did a poll, ‘The Big Read’, of all-time favourite books, and Katherine came in the top 100. It’s never been out of print.” Read more...
Alison Weir, Historical Novelist
Interviews where books by Anya Seton were recommended
The Best Historical Novels, recommended by Alison Weir
Bestselling British historian and author Alison Weir plunges us deep into the world of walled-up skeletons, Vikings, poisoning, intrigue, witchcraft and rebellion. This is the best of historical novels – books that never compromise on painstaking research.
Historical Fiction, recommended by Historians on Five Books
Historical fiction is a wonderful way to learn about history and there has never been a shortage of books written by authors who are able to combine lively imagination, beautiful or pacey writing with a sound knowledge of the primary sources. Here you’ll find our list of all the historical novels recommended by historians on Five Books.
The Best Tudor Historical Fiction, recommended by Alison Weir
The Tudor dynasty, which ruled England from 1485 to 1603, has been the focus of extraordinary public attention in recent years, thanks to the success of books like Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and the lavish television drama The Tudors, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. We asked Alison Weir, the author of many bestselling factual and novelistic books on the period, to recommend her favourite works of Tudor historical fiction.
