Ten best Historical Novels!

What is it about us that we never tire of top ten lists? And why ten for that matter? The (London) Observer [the world's oldest Sunday newspaper, FYI] recently listed The 10 Best Historical Novels. The list is not overly British in focus (settings include Brooklyn,Germany, ancient Rome and Russia), but don't expect any representation of Asia, Africa or South America.  Included are Romola by George Eliot, Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. For the complete list with annotations, go to the Observer web site.
--RL