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In reply to #10: I love Cornwell's book about the building of Stonehenge. I have a couple of his other books but haven't read them yet. If you like Margaret George, you have to read The Memoirs of Cleopatra. She has written a book about Helen of Troy too.

Reply to #8 and #9.  The main characters in the OUTLANDER series are also up to their elbows in the action and closely involved.  In order to make it believeable and enjoyable (for me at least) the sense of urgency and immediacy created by an involved narrator makes the book great.

I love Catch-22, but didn't think of it as historical fiction until just now. :)

I am a fan of E.L. Doctorow's work, such as Ragtime. I also like Caleb Carr-- has anyone read "The Alienist"? Fascinating portrayal of New York City during the 19th Century.

I'll third Grendel, that was my top choice, historical fiction or not. :) I'm not really all that in to historical fiction, but I do enjoy these three. I couldn't think of 5. :(

1. Jack White's Templar Trilogy

2. The King Must Die - Mary Renault

3. Master and Commander -Patrick O'Brian

In reply to #13: I have tried to read The Alienist, but I couldn't get into it. Maybe you can persuade me to give it another try!

In reply to #14:

Master and Commander is a great one! Really exciting stuff. They even did a good job with the movie.

As for the Alienist, you definitely have to be a fan of detective novels and have the stomach for some gruesome stuff. If that's your cup of tea, give it another chance, but if not you won't like it at all. There are some very disturbing historical revelations about New York during that time! We think of today being a violent age, but it's nothing like how it was then.

I would add The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Great story about less discussed names from the Bible.

Well, I'll take the bullet on this one and toss in good ol' Sir Walter Scott. Muscle your way through the first interminable 80 pages of Waverly, and it's really a great read--love, rebellion, disillusionment, and a high body count. 

In reply to #9:

I agree with your stance about this.  I think authors who've lived in the time periods they write about are the most credible and believable.  It would be, in my opinion, much easier and more credible to write about something one knows.  I've always taught my students, for example, to write about what they know in the majority of their essays (although I do know they'll write about things they do not know much about and have to research, as well, in other subjects).