Unlike guides that take a simple geographic-chronological approach to listing historical fiction, this book takes a genre approach, with chapters devoted to historical romances, mysteries, adventures, etc. By grouping titles by subgenre and theme, and describing their features and plots, it guides users to similar titles and read-alikes. Focusing on English-language novels published since the mid '90s, plus the perennial favorites commonly available in libraries, it details 3,800 books set in times prior to the mid-20th century. Appendices contain lists of award-winning titles and targeted...

Historical fiction has surged in popularity in recent years, with new subgenres emerging (e.g. Viking romance, religious thrillers) and reader interest showing no signs of slowing down. This follow-up to Johnson's critically acclaimed guide published in 2005 covers new territory by focusing on English-language historical novels for adults published between mid-2004 and mid-2008, in particular those commonly found in American public library collections. The author's unique approach involves classifying titles by subgenres, rather than strictly by geography and chronology; thereby grouping...