Derb — I think the condition, whereby solitary, bookish and lazy-minded people (of whom, alas, I am one) read historical fiction instead of history — and only really well written, lively history and biography when they go that route — that is what the run of people mean when they call someone an “intellectual,” in the prevailing, disparaging sense. No?
In this line, I particularly love the Flashman series… by George MacDonald Fraser. The history is meticulous, and the plots are highly entertaining.