Who wrote the best battles in fiction/fantasy/historical fantasy?

Nateskate · Mar 3, 2008

Hi everyone. I'm curious which authors- novels have the greatest battle scenes.

I'm not really curious about current warfare (fiction), but more about the medieval castle/battleground type set-ups and also antiquity- Persian/Greek/Roman- like set-ups.

Willowmound · Mar 3, 2008

Bernard Cornwell usually does a decent job.

Meerkat · Mar 3, 2008

I'd recommend anything by Glen Cook for this purpose.

ReneC · Mar 3, 2008

I really like the tactics used in Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

Nateskate · Mar 3, 2008

Cornwell, Cook, Covenant- I'm sensing a real C- theme here. Lol. I haven't seen anything by the first two authors. I bought a Thomas Covenant book, but haven't started it yet. I'll have to crack it open and check it out.

A.M. Wildman · Mar 3, 2008

I know you didn't list science fiction. However, David Drake's Hammer's Slammers series has some great battle scenes inside.

As well as the General series he did with S.M. Stirling.

Kenny · Mar 3, 2008

Michael A. Stackpole has done a few cracking fight scenes.

Also you cannot go far wrong with Chris Ryan and Andy McNab.

dpaterso · Mar 3, 2008

I echo Bernard Cornwell, and also David Gemmell.

-Derek

Memnon624 · Mar 3, 2008

IMHO, Robert E. Howard for savage duels and Steven Pressfield for mass combat. For SF, I enjoy Dan Abnett's fight sequences from his Warhammer: 40K books.

Scott

OverTheHills&FarAway · Mar 3, 2008

Rosemary Sutcliff said once she must have been a soldier in another life, since she always ends up writing about warriors and warfare. For excellent battle scenes I recommend Sword at Sunset.

HourglassMemory · Mar 3, 2008

J.K.Rowling's battle at Hogwarts, in the last book, was one of the most exciting I've read.
But this is coming from a fan of the books.

C.bronco · Mar 3, 2008

Lately, I'm smitten with Frank Miller's 300.

Phaeal · Mar 3, 2008

I've always liked War and Peace myself, though the Napoleonic wars are more modern than you prefer.

dawinsor · Mar 3, 2008

This isn't exactly what you asked, but I found it very enlightening to listen to Peter Jackson talk about his thinking in directing the Battle of Helm's Deep in "The Two Towers." That's on the extended edition of the cds. He talks about how the build up to the battle can be just as tense as the battle itself and also he tried to keep his focus close in on the main characters, cutting away only for a few seconds at a time. Also he showed glimpses of women, children, and old people in the caves to remind the viewer what the stakes of the battle were. It's all good stuff, I think.

josephwise · Mar 3, 2008

The Iliad is pretty good.

Willowmound · Mar 3, 2008

dawinsor said:
This isn't exactly what you asked, but I found it very enlightening to listen to Peter Jackson talk about his thinking in directing the Battle of Helm's Deep in "The Two Towers." That's on the extended edition of the cds.

I have those sitting on my book shelf. I'll check it out. Thanks!

Sarpedon · Mar 3, 2008

Though I (of course) agree with josephwise;

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is still the best.

BlueLucario · Mar 3, 2008

I think it's J.R Tolkein.

Prawn · Mar 3, 2008

Armor, by John Steakley. Lots of great battle scenes.

Sarita · Mar 3, 2008

James Clavell had the whole Japanese system down in Sho-Gun (circa 1500's) including great battle scenes. IMO.

Atlantis · Mar 3, 2008

Christine Feehan does the best battle scenes I have ever read. She has done everything from skeleon warrior to wizards to dragons to controlling the elements. She writes vampire romance/fantasy and at 18 novels every single battle scene is different I don't know how she does it

Tasmin21 · Mar 3, 2008

You might want to check out Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. It's Roman based, and I found the descriptions interesting and easy to follow. (battle scenes often lose me, and I'm guilty of skimming)

althrasher · Mar 3, 2008

I agree with tasmin. When you get much into description, (even describing action!) without dialoge, I tend to find shiny things in the room. So I'd suggest trying to keep the focus on your MC's, break things up a--wait, did you see that? Something sparkled!

AnnieColleen · Mar 3, 2008

So if we put shiny things in the battle scenes...

Hmm.

Mr Flibble · Mar 3, 2008

*makes note to sprinkle diamonds on floor of next battle scene*

Who wrote the best battles in fiction/fantasy/historical fantasy?

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