"Historical novels - does this bother you?" Topic

Some background before I get to the actual question.
I haven't read a lot of them. My very first was basically a kid's novel of the Napoleonic Wars, entitled, "The Grenadier." Written in around 1902 as I recall. Read it as a young teen over 50 years ago – it's also why I am a big fan of Marshal Lannes. I liked the story, but the fact that the author mentioned Imperial Guard Cuirassiers kind of bugged me, even then.
I have also read a lot of Cornwell's stuff – which I thought were great. I am not talking about books where our hero takes the credit of someone else's exploits, like what Sharpe often does. That is to be expected.
I haven't read many other historical novels, as I typically prefer non-fiction. Currently I have been reading a series of novels called "The Winter Sniper," which takes place during Finland's Winter War. It's an enjoyable enough read (9 books so far), but the author makes some serious mistakes in equipment – specifically with the kind of tanks available.
It's more or less like "Saving Private Ryan" where a Tiger tank shows up in the American sector. In the novel, several KV1 tanks appear (they were only used once in the Winter War on an experimental basis, and that was on the Mannerheim Line – far from where they appeared in the novel. They also have T28s showing up at Suomussalmi. Again, AFAIK those were only used at the Mannerheim line.
It didn't bug me enough to stop reading, it was more like, "C'mon man. You know better. It's obvious you have done your research."
So does that sort of thing bug you? If so, how much?

It does, but like you my reading matter is almost entirely non-fiction, I find reality is often more incredible than fiction, the behaviours are more believable and it's certainly less predictable – I mean has Sharpe ever lost?

a little, but no, not really.

The reason is, I am now many months into serious research into the Comanche-Anglo Texan wars, and I am a PhD and therefore a trained researcher, and I have access to two AIs that can find stuff and count stuff withy lightning speed, and . . .

if I were to write a novel about, say, a Texan boy and a Comanche boy and follow them through battles and adventures until a decade later they kill each other or something -- the story would have a jillion errors most of which I would not even know about. For one thing, there are always gaps that a novelist ha s to fill in.

factual accuracy is a goal but a good story is THE goal.

Hmmmm. So there is a blonde beauty of a German farm girl who is swept off her feet -- literally, though offstage, as I am not interested in writing porn -- by an amorous young ranger, and then in the midst of their bliss the young amorous Comanche steals her away, and his courting is, shall we say, more direct and forceful, and the ranger eventually gets her back, but by then she has maybe decided she likes the rough stuff -- I'll bet I could write it to outrage every feminist out there! We of course HAVE that story already, in THE SEARCHERS, and in THE MOUNTAIN MEN with an Indian girl. But I could do it . . . no I think not. But I know enough to write a cracking good novel which might have SOME correspondence to historical reality. Tne world will never know what they missed.

And we probably have that story with the real Cynthia Ann Parker.

Begging the question that "non fiction history" books are accurate.
Remember Max at Tasting History. "History is written by those who write things down."

When writing a biography of Alexander the Great 400 years later, he depended on the "lost books" of Ptolemy. His reasoning was that "It would be disgraceful for a king to lie." 🙄

If it bothers you, keep away from Sven Hassel!

To many historical sins to mention.

Otherwise, as much of a fun read when I was 17 as it is at 73.

Not a problem for most I expect?
Do be careful about raising this with non gamers. They will be annoyed and bored?

martin

I enjoy historical fiction, but misrepresentation is one thing that really annoys me and prevents me reading more.
Non-fiction is 90% of my reading now, and historical fiction almost zero.

Yes, I discovered WHEELS OF TERROR in high school and gobbled up his novels as I found them. The Old Soldier and the Little Legionnaire and Tiny iirc.