▁in ception , ▁the ▁historical ▁novel ▁remains ▁popular ▁with ▁authors ▁and ▁readers ▁to ▁this ▁day ▁and ▁best s ellers ▁include ▁Patrick ▁O ' B rian ' s ▁A ubre y – M atur in ▁series , ▁Ken ▁Fol lett ' s ▁P ill ars ▁of ▁the ▁Earth , ▁and ▁Ne al ▁Steph enson ' s ▁Bar o que ▁Cy cle . ▁A ▁development ▁in ▁British ▁and ▁Irish ▁writing ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁ 2 5 ▁years ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁renew ed ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War . ▁Works ▁include ▁William ▁Bo yd ' s ▁An ▁Ice - C ream ▁War ; ▁Sebastian ▁Fa ul ks ' ▁Bird song ▁and ▁The ▁Girl ▁at ▁the ▁Lion ▁d ' Or ▁( con c ern ed ▁with ▁the ▁War ' s ▁consequences ); ▁Pat ▁B ark er ' s ▁Reg ener ation ▁Tr il ogy ▁and ▁Sebastian ▁Barry ' s ▁A ▁Long ▁Long ▁Way . ▁William ▁Gold ing ▁wrote ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁historical ▁nov els . ▁The ▁In her itors ▁( 1 9 5 5 ) ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁pre histor ic ▁times ▁and ▁shows ▁" new ▁people " ▁( gener ally ▁identified ▁with ▁H omo ▁s api ens ▁s api ens ), ▁triumph ing ▁over ▁a ▁gent ler ▁race ▁( gener ally ▁identified ▁with ▁Ne ander th als ) ▁by ▁dece it ▁and ▁violence . ▁ ▁The ▁Sp ire ▁( 1 9 6 4 ) ▁follows ▁the ▁building ▁( and ▁near ▁collapse ) ▁of ▁a ▁huge ▁sp ire ▁onto ▁a ▁medieval ▁c athedral ▁( gener ally