Rainbase,
I would recommend the Bandy papers to you. They are very funny, well written, and also accurate - leaving out the obvious comedy aspects - in their depiction of the times and people. IMHO an historical novel should accurately reflect the mores of the times, the way people spoke and thought etc. These are readily obtainable though a thorough knowledge of the subject, and a study of letters and reports from the period can give a knowledge of the speech patterns of the time. An excellent example of this are the Aubery/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian. I've not read War Story but
Goshawk Squadron fails dismally on these points. The shining example of all is,of course,
Winged Victory by Yeates. Beautifully written and, because Yeates was actually there, an accurate depiction of the times and the people.