Nick Rennison, a British writer, publisher and bookseller, has compiled a list of the 50 best and most popular historical novels he thinks everyone should read.
Theory should not be limited or intimidated by common sense. If scientists had not challenged Aristotelian common sense physics and astronomy at the beginning of the modern era, the scientific revolution would never have happened. But by our time – perhaps influenced by this inspiring example – the idea that the common sense of el ipso should be questioned and viewed with skepticism has become in many disciplines, especially in the humanities, a sign of scientific respectability. It is obvious, however, that this praiseworthy position, if taken to an extreme, can overturn common sense altogether and, enjoying the shock it produced, itself end up in complete ruin.
Historical literature includes works in which the action unfolds against the background of past events with the participation of real-life personalities. … Reading historical literature means being able to touch the past and discover the wonderful world of the past.
