Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captain Fantom | 1978 | Reginald Hill | Buy |
| 2 | The Forging of Fantom | 1979 | Reginald Hill | Buy |
The Captain Fantom series is a departure from Reginald Hill’s crime fiction. Published in 1978 and 1979, these two historical adventure novels are set during the English Civil War of the 1640s. They follow a soldier of fortune navigating the bloody conflict between the Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, mixing military action with period detail.
The first book, Captain Fantom, introduces the title character and drops him into the chaos of a divided England. The Forging of Fantom is a prequel that looks back at how he became the man he is. Both books show Hill’s range as a writer and his ability to bring historical settings to life with the same sharp eye for character that made his crime fiction so popular.
These are not easy books to find today, but they are worth seeking out for fans of Hill who want to see a different side of his writing. They are best read in publication order, starting with Captain Fantom.