Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
Hello - I want to buy a book for my dad who loves reading Sharpe novels, Bernard Cornwell, and spy thrillers. He doesn't like crime generally, but has enjoyed the Master & Commander series also. Any recommendations for his birthday? He needs to be introduced to some new authors!
Julian Stockwin and James Nelson - if you want more of the Patrick O'Brian type. My OH says Alan Mallinson - who according to him - is excellent. He deals with the shennigans of a cavalry officer.
My suggestions have already been mentioned by the previous two responses.
If he's into non-fiction then worth looking at Mark Urban. I've bought all his books for my hubby who's really liked them.
If your dad likes the Sharpe books by Cornwell, then he might also like the Eagle series by Simon Scarrow. It's historical military adventure, but set with Roman legionaries in the invasion of Britain, around 43 AD. Very similar to the Sharpe books in style, lots of action, adventure, and humour (and the combat scenes are particularly good in my opinion). No particular prior knowledge of Roman Britain is necessary, either, for it to be good read.
The first book in the series is "Under the Eagle", book two is "The Eagle's Conquest". The series is currently up to book seven, I think, and still going.
Robert Ludlum might be an author your dad would enjoy; his books are fast paced espionage / thrillers.
Ludlum wrote the books that the recent Bourne films (The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy) were based on. The third book in the Bourne trillogy is called the Bourne Ultimatum, and you can buy all 3 books in one volume.
By the way, both of the Bourne films are available on DVD / video if your dad also likes good quality modern thriller & espionage films. My partner Daniel loves them!
If he likes Sharpe, he might like Allan Mallinson's series starring Matthew Hervey set during the Napoleonic Wars. I think the first is 'A Close Run Thing'. But I might be wrong.
Hi James Barrington.
I've just checked your website and read a few reviews on Amazon too - I'm impressed. And I suspect my dad will be too - he was a lieutenant commander in the RN, which I think is where he gets battle/thriller type book preferences from. I'll buy Overkill for him for Christmas.
Many thanks!
Hi Curly
Thanks for that - I really hope he enjoys it.
His background sounds remarkably similar to mine. I did 21 years in the Fleet Air Arm, leaving as a Lt Cdr, so I was a WAFU - if you don't know what that acronym means, ask your father!
James
Comments
If he's into non-fiction then worth looking at Mark Urban. I've bought all his books for my hubby who's really liked them.
The first book in the series is "Under the Eagle", book two is "The Eagle's Conquest". The series is currently up to book seven, I think, and still going.
Ludlum wrote the books that the recent Bourne films (The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy) were based on. The third book in the Bourne trillogy is called the Bourne Ultimatum, and you can buy all 3 books in one volume.
By the way, both of the Bourne films are available on DVD / video if your dad also likes good quality modern thriller & espionage films. My partner Daniel loves them!
In case anyone is interested, Simon Scarrow went down a treat! Now I have the think about Christmas...
You could always buy him one of mine!
I've just checked your website and read a few reviews on Amazon too - I'm impressed. And I suspect my dad will be too - he was a lieutenant commander in the RN, which I think is where he gets battle/thriller type book preferences from. I'll buy Overkill for him for Christmas.
Many thanks!
Thanks for that - I really hope he enjoys it.
His background sounds remarkably similar to mine. I did 21 years in the Fleet Air Arm, leaving as a Lt Cdr, so I was a WAFU - if you don't know what that acronym means, ask your father!
James