-Hooper makes some unexpected connections between books, and readers who are familiar with the genre may find themselves surprised to see particular titles grouped together on the same list. His reasoning is solid, however, and his knowledge of and passion for the genre is apparent. Hooper's annotations are brief yet descriptive, so librarians will feel comfortable discussing and recommending the books on each list without having read them....The approach is interesting and will be useful for readers wishing to move beyond their tried-and-true favorites to read something different. —American Reference Books Annual

-For collection development librarians and for anyone interested in the historical fiction genre, this is an essential purchase. —Collection Management

-[t]his is a very nice compilation of historical novels, one that will be of interest to both readers and librarians in charge of collection development on this topic. —Collection Building

-This is definitely an unusual, thoughtful book that will be a useful addition to most professional and reference collections. Recommended. —Library Media Connection

-Hooper's annotations are evocative and compelling; within four pages I had seven titles on a list of must get hold of immediately books. The non-traditional categories and the enthusiastic descriptions are sure to lead readers to a wealth of new titles. —Historical Novels Review

-Hooper provides a nicely annotated bibliography of recent and classical fiction organized into common-sense categories. In this format, which accommodates the needs of both the library professional and the general reader, Hooper takes the time and print to find the attractions of the hundreds of titles while providing abstracts that are short and concise. —Reference and Research Book News