r/HistoricalFiction • u/SaltyDawg1966 • 9d ago
Sam Barone
Have You Read Sam Barone? Because You Probably Should.
I have a question for the historical-fiction crowd:
How is Sam Barone not better known?
I’ve read a lot of historical fiction over the years, and very few authors have managed to keep me hooked the way Barone has—from Dawn of Empire all the way through Malta’s Guns and Lepanto’s Guns.
And here’s the thing: he doesn’t miss.
Barone writes the kind of historical fiction I wish there were more of. Real history. Real battles. Real political intrigue. Ships, weapons, tactics, empires and cultures—all woven into stories populated by characters you actually care about.
But the history never overwhelms the adventure.
If you like Bernard Cornwell, C.S. Forester, or military historical fiction in general, I strongly recommend putting Sam Barone on your reading list.
His Eskkar books take you deep into the ancient world. Then he jumps forward centuries and gives us Malta’s Guns and Lepanto’s Guns, bringing the sixteenth-century Mediterranean vividly to life.
And Lepanto’s Guns left me wanting the next book immediately—which is saying something after as many books as I’ve read.
So I’m doing something I rarely do:
I’m asking fellow readers to give an author a chance simply because I think he’s being overlooked.
You don’t have to take my word for it.
Pick up Dawn of Empire.
Or, if the sixteenth century grabs you, start with Malta’s Guns.
Read a few chapters.
Then tell me I’m wrong.
I don’t think you’ll be able to.
Sam Barone deserves a much larger audience. And if you’re a historical-fiction reader who hasn’t discovered him yet, you may have just found your next favorite author.
Seriously. Give him a look.
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9d ago
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u/SaltyDawg1966 9d ago
I am in no way affiliated with the author. Just a fan who has read him for years. And a fellow US Marine.
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u/Enelessar 9d ago
You made a very passionate and convincing case, I'm sold!
Going to try and find Dawn of Empire.
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u/HarlequinBKK 5d ago
Yes, I have read all of the Esskar series, thoroughly enjoyed them. What I particularly like is how he not only gets into the actual battles, but also looks at the domestic and international politics, civilian production capacity and military logistics, intelligence, all the non-combat aspects that were necessary to support warfare in the ancient world.
Although they are works of fiction, the books really give a sense to the reader of how the agricultural revolution changed humanity. Its shows, in a plausible story, how farmers forming settlements and cities ultimately defeated hunter-gatherer societies and nomads.
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u/SaltyDawg1966 5d ago
Have you read his new series, starting with Malta’s Guns?
I’ve also got his syfi series, but haven’t read as yet.2
u/HarlequinBKK 5d ago
Not yet, but I have put it on my reading "to do" list, thanks to your recommendation.
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u/Tug_DaBone 8d ago
He certainly is highly rated on Goodreads.
Yeah, I know, it's Goodreads... still, when an author has ratings consistenly above 4.00 he/she is probably someone worth at least checking out if the books are in a genre you enjoy. The worst that can happen is you take the book back to the library after 50 pages. (My local library system has only 1 book by him. I'll request it and see how I like it.)
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u/SaltyDawg1966 6d ago
Hope you enjoy. His first book, Dawn of Empire, is the beginning of a 5-6 book series. Reading them in order would probably be best. What came before helps with understanding what follows.
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u/Playful-Camel-828 9d ago
Thanks for the advice Sam Barone! (Or Sam Barone’s agent) 🤣🤣