Founder/Publisher : Richard Lee, Marine Cottage, The Strand, Starcross, Devon , EX6 8NY, UK (histnovel @ aol.com)
SOLANDER
EDITOR : Sarah Cuthbertson , 7 Ticehurst Close, Worth, Crawley, W. Sussex , RHl0 7GN (ICuthberts @ aol.com)
Contributions Policy: Please contact Sarah with ideas in the first instance. Please note that the society does not usually pay for contributions, except for short stories
Letters to the Editor: Please , if you want a reply, enclose a stamped, addressed envelope.
FICTION EDITOR: Richard Lee , Marine Cottage , The Strand, Starcross, Devon, EX6 8NY, UK. (histnovel @ aol.com)
NEWSLETTER : Write to Lucienne Boyce (GGBoyce @aol.com) for our fortnightly email newsletter - it's free of charge. LISTSERVE: Join in the discussions on the society's internet listserve - go to the society website and sign up.
CHAT ONLINE: At the society web-site . From time to time we will invite authors along to field your questions.
MEMBERSHIP DETAILS:
Membership of the Historical Novel Society is by calendar year (January to December), and entitles members to all the year's publications: two issues of Solander, and four issues of The Historical Novels Review Back issues of society magazines are also available. Write for current rates to: Marilyn Sherlock, 38 The Fairway, Newton Ferrers, Devon, PL8 lDP, UK (ray.sherlock@ appleoneline net) , or Tracey A. Callison, 824 Heritage Drive , Addison, II 60101, USA (Callison@ wwa.com) , or Teresa Eckford, 434E Moodie Drive, Nepean , ON , K2H 8A6, CANADA (eckford@sympatico.ca) , or Patrika Salmon, Box 193 , Whangamata, NEW ZEALAND (pdrlindsaysalmon @ hotrnail.com)
It is also possible to join the society by credit card online at www historicalnovelsociety.com
OUT OF PRINT BOOKS:
The following are dealers in out of print historical novels:Forget-Me-Not Books , 11 Tamarisk Rise, Wokingham , Berkshire, RG40 1WG. judith_ridley @ hotrnail.com Rachel Hyde, 2 Meadow Close, Budleigh Salterton, Devon EX9 6JN. rachelahyde @ ntlworld.com Rosanda Books, David Baldwin , 11 , Whiteoaks Road , Oadby, Leicester LE2 5YL. dbaldwin @ themutual.net David Spenceley Books, 75 , Harley Drive , Leeds , LS 13 4QY. davidspenceley @email.com Legend Books - www.Legendbooks com
COPYRIGHT remains in all cases with the authors of the articles. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form , without the written permission of the authors concerned.
In January , Matthew Kneale ' s English Passengers won the overall Whitbread Prize and generated much media attention Magnus Linklater wrote a very informat ive piece in The Times in which he praised the return of good old-fashioned story telling . On the other hand , John Carey , writing in The Sunday Times only a few days later , opined that literary judges always choose the wrong book because they are looking for something worthy and not necessarily readable He was very rude about Kneale ' s book , referring to its 'tiresomely loquacious cardboard characters .'
However much critics argue , there is no doubt that more and more modern ' literary' novelists are now turning to the past for their inspiration. Margaret Drabble has recently published her first 'historical. ' At first I was unsure whether this novel could be classed as historical at all , based as it revolves around Drabble ' s own mother Now I have read it , however, I see that The Peppered Moth (Viking) is much more than a twentieth-century family saga The mixture of genres - is it a novel? A biography , a discussion on history and family characteristics? -elicited a hostile response in the literary press , whose critics like their reading to be neatly pigeonholed I found the dislocation of genres refreshingly disturbing To me this book is an intelligent and mov ing study of what makes us what we are ; whether it is ' all in our genes ' or whether our own adaptation to where we are placed in time and space has anything to do with it. It isn 't easy to show ordinary events in ordinary places with the intelligent insight writers usually reserve for the apocalyptical events of history , but to me Margaret Drabble has achieved it with aplomb. To write of small events which has always run alongside the larger events of history is where the historical novel is always as effective , if not more so , than any academic treatise
If you subscribe to the fortnightly HNS email newsletter , then you won 't need me to tell you what a lively forum it provides There ' s something about the immediacy of email. I find myself using it more and more these days and yet , there ' s nothing as pleasurable as opening an envelope and removing a sheet of smooth cream paper So where are they? Just because you may not have access to a computer doesn 't mean you can 't write to me with your comments , queries and requests Not one , single , solitary letter has dropped on my doormat since the last issue . Both the letters published in The Forum came via email. Prove to me that traditional methods of correspondence haven 't died . Please write.
Sally Zigmond
DON'T FORGET OUR NEW BOOK ORDERING SERVICE
UK Members
Contact Sarah Cuthbertson (01293 884898 ; Email : ICuthberts@aol.com) with details of the book(s) you want. I'll send you a quote from the cheapest Internet source (most online bookstores give 10-20% discount) , including shipping options You pay me ( + 50p admin per book) & I'll place your order and have it shipped directly to you . Alternatively , US Reviews Editors Sarah Nesbeitt (snesbeitt@br idgew.edu) , Trudi Jacobson (tj662@csc albany edu OR readbks@localnet Home tel : + 01 518/439-3989) and Ilysa Magnus (goodlaw2@aol.com) have offered to buy books in the US and trade them for UK titles. If you don't have Email , I can contact them on your behalf with any requests Overseas Members
The following UK members are interested in trading books w ith overseas members , incl wishlists & 2nd hand : Sarah Cuthbertson (for contacts see above)
Rachel A Hyde : rachelahyde@ntlworld .com 2 Meadow Close , Budleigh Salterton , Devon EX9 6JN +44 (0) 1395 446238 (Rachel also will trade Fantasy & SF)
Wherever you live , you can order English language books in print from THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE by catalogue order form (subscribers) , by phone : +44 (0) 20 7490 9911 (24 hrs) or, www thegoodbookguide com
If you know of any more possibilities or would like to join the trading list , please let me know I SSUE 15 FEBRU AR Y 200 1
THE I-IlSTORICAL
N O VELS REV IB W
APOLOGY
The review of Helen Hollick's latest novel, Harold the King, should have appeared in Issue 14. I apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused the author and her publisher. The review now appears in this issue on page 10. SZ
Space ................ .
No , this isn 't the beginning of another Star Trek episode It instead refers to a complaint frequently voiced by editors , myself included With regard to the Review , it's up to the co-ordinating editors to strike a balance between our desire for comprehensive coverage of recent historical fiction and the fact that we simply don ' t have enough space to review absolutely everything that's published . (Not that we don ' t try awfully hard!) This balance has been particularly difficult , at least for me , to maintain in the US/Canadian section . The US media keep repeating that historical fiction is on the rise , and this is borne out by a plethora of titles in publishers' catalogs True , the publishers themselves may not always call these novels 'historical fiction, ' but if they fit the HNS criteria , we have been requesting them for review
Originally I was hoping to be able to include more reviews of romance titles (by authors with the highest standards for historical accuracy , if such could be easily determined}, plus perhaps a short children's section, as has been done on the UK side for quite some time While the desire to do so is still there , I no longer believe this will be possible - at least not at the expense of straight historical fiction, the type that has been the mainstay of the Review since the beginning Historical crime novels seem to be equally popular on both sides of the Pond , though , so we'll keep begging publishers to send us review copies
If the North American reviewers hear one too many times from the three of us that we want them to keep their reviews on the short side, I hope they ' ll be forgiving - it's all for the sake of the ' S' word above. And to my reviewers specifically , thanks one and all - you ' re doing a great job I hope the rest of the membership enjoys the results.
Sarah JVesbeitt
Sarah Cuthbertson delves into book covers (and what lies between them)
Reviewers rarely mention the physical aspects of the books they review But a recent HNS Egroup discussion on the clinch covers of some historical romances made me think about 'packaging '. (In case you were wondering , a ' clinch ' cover depicts a simpering heroine locked in the tight embrace of a hero with unfeasibly enhanced chest musculature ) Publishers apparently insist that such covers are a big selling point , but some authors and readers dislike them intensely Such lurid and often inauthentic covers , they maintain , demean the often well-crafted and historically accurate novels that lie between them .
I know nothing about this , but it made me wonder how authors and readers in other branches of historical fiction feel about covers, and indeed whether the authors themselves have much say in design and authenticity. Some of the immensely popular sagas and romances that pass through my hands spoil the effect of heroines in period costumes on their covers by giving them modern hairstyles and faces beautified by the 21st-century benefits of lip-gloss and lash-building mascara But that's nothing compared with an iUniverse novel about the Brontes I saw recently , whose cover showed three elegant mannequins attired in haute-couture from the early 1960s (OK , it's a vanity publisher, but that's no excuse in my view ) I didn't know whether to laugh or weep But I knew not to buy the novel.
Male-oriented and crime historicals largely avoid such clangers - their covers rarely depict the hero(ine). Is this because relationships aren't the plot in these novels?
Mainstream - by which I don't necessarily mean literary - historicals avoid them too And I have to admit to a weakness for the imaginative packaging of many recent examples. Pocket-sized hardbacks like Susan Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue (Review 14) and large format paperbacks like Sandra Gulland's Josephine trilogy , (Reviews 7, 12 & 15) , whose covers use paintings of the time , are a joy to look at and handle as well as to read Douglas Galbraith ' s The Rising Sun has an authentic-looking 17th-century map for endpapers , an archaic typeface and chapter numbers set inside a compass design But for my money , the best of these is Scandalmonger by William Satire , a novel about America's first muckraking journalist (forthcoming , Review16). Not only does it have an attractive cover design (a detail from a painting , with the title in late 18th-century script) but the concept is enthusiastically followed through in the
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
novel itself. Chapter headings are in the same 18th-century script as the cover and, like the Galbraith , an old-style but very readable typeface is used for the text , which is here liberally illustrated with contemporary miniatures of the characters along with caricatures , engravings , even newspaper cuttings of the Federalist period Such folderols won't , of course, make a bad novel good , any more than a lurid cover makes a good novel bad It is , in the end , a matter of taste , but it does point up the fact that well-designed books afford a pleasure to the senses which can enhance the reading experience . However , if you're anything like me , even this pleasure pales in comparison with that of finding a long-desired book in a fusty old second-hand bookshop (or the Internet equivalent) No matter how musty , foxed , green-ink-marked , tea-stained or torn the book is , there's nothing like that sudden rush of excited anticipation as you pounce upon it. It doesn't matter how garish or anachronistic the cover is Or, indeed, whether it has a cover at all. Or a design concept.SC
Has a lurid cover ever put you off reading a book? Are you an author who hates the covers your books are given? We 'd love to know
COMPETITION
The Legend of Bagger Vance , Simon Pressfield ' s first novel , has been re-issued by Transworld In 1931 on the golf links of Krewe Island off Savannah's wind-swept shores , two legends of the game meet for a thirty-six hole showdown . They are joined by another player , a troubled war hero called Rannulph Junah But the key to the outcome lies not with these golfing titans but with Junah ' s caddie and mentor , the mysterious , sage and charismatic Bagger Vance
Soon to be a major film starring Robert Redford this novel is a masterly philosophical fantasy fr~m the pen of this highly acclaimed author.
Transworld Publishers have kindly offered us free copies of The Legend of Bagger Vance. To win a copy all you have to do is answer the following question: Two of Simon Pressfield's historical novels have been reviewed by the HNS. In what general historical period are they set? Postcards only please, (US members may email) , to Bagger Vance/Transworld Competition , The Editor , Historical Novels Review , 18 Warwick Crescent, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 8JA. . The senders of the first five postcards with the correct answer will each receive a copy of The Legend of Bagger Vance .
The Forum
NEWS, VIEWS, YOUR LETTERS
From Henye Meyer by email
Thank goodness you do children's books! Until I (finally) browsed through the December Review I'd never even heard of Anglia Young Books. They do material for special needs readers , and I'm home schooling my Down's daughter , so you can imagine how extremely useful I found the review of two of their history publications.
While I'm at it, I was fascinated by the public library survey and especially by the difference between the US and UK attitudes. In general, the articles were ALL interesting (and what a cautionary tale Sally Thomson's publishing saga was!) and of course reading the reviews themselves is always satisfying When I'm finished I give the review to my husband , who likes historicals more than I do and who travels a great deal so has time to read them , the thicker the better Thanks for a great job every issue .
From Monica Maple , Brixham
Having just read and thoroughly enjoyed In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent , I felt that the review of it in Issue 14 didn't do it full justice. Despite an intense desire to turn the page to see what happened next I was forced by the quality of the writing to savour the wonderful evocation of period and circumstancethe grim treadmill of life on the Randolph farm , the dangerous but exciting days of the prohibition, etc - and the acute , philosophical insights into human nature The writing is spare , passionate , and lyrical by turns The dialogue sharp , laconic, mannerisms and expressions apt, characters , even minor ones, well-drawn
Through his characters , Jeffrey Lent has brilliantly depicted the social changes which occurred in America over the sixty odd years from the Civil War to the brink of the Depression, and the vagaries of human nature . The question of race and colour is radically yet subtly discussed without preaching or apology. This is, in my opinion , an even better book than the highly praised Cold Mountain The scope is greater, the writer's hold on this reader , at least, more compelling. Everyone should read it!
ISSUE 15. FEBRUARY 2001
Irene Davies nominates Roman Wall by Bryher as the best historical novel of the twentieth century
I have chosen this novel for its perfect harmony of theme and atmosphere together with sharply observed c haracters and a strong , increasingly suspenseful plot.
The Wall in question is not Hadrian ' s but the symbolic wall of the frontier defences of the Roman Empire and Roman civilisation, here observed in the pro vince of Hel vetia in the north-western foothill s ofth Alps Every character represents some aspect of the declining empire and yet all are sharply defined , credibl , individuals : Valerius , the centurion commanding what has become the remote outpost of Orba , who knows hi frontier is crumbling under the pressure of barbarian tribes , but whose inbred instinct is to defend it to the la his widowed sister, Julia, with all the training and beliel of a Roman lady yet deeply loving the rustic world she now inhabits : Veria , her daughter-substitute , who know::, no other world : Vinodius, the provincial governor in Aventicum , pooh-poohing talk of the Alemanni as a danger : the Greek trader, Demetrius and his freed-man overseer, Felix, a Christian convert whose conversion cannot heal the bitterness of his slave childhood The hero of the story initially may appear to be the handsome dedicated Valerius , but the true hero is the trader he ' despises , Demetrius . It is his quick-wittedness and cunning that save , not only his own people from doomed Aventicum , but all those in Orba as well
The whole tale , unfolding through the heavy heat of summer, is pervaded by the atmosphere of diminution and decline Before summer ends the province will have been overrun Those who survive will do so in a changed world and one part of the Roman Wall will not be rebuilt
Roman Wall is currently out ofprint.
MEET THE TEAM
SALLY ZIGMOND
School history lessons that were both dull and terrifying forced Sally to give up the subject as soon as she could. Had it not been for the novels of Jean Plaidy and Michel Druon the subject would have remained forever closed to her Her favourite historical periods are Anglo-Saxon England and the Industrial Revolution She has written two novels, as yet unpublished. Her secret passion is steam locomotives.
WRITING AN HISTORICAL SERIES
Kate Tremayne
Writing a series can be likened to searching for the Holy Grail - that is if you believe that the lesson from such a quest is about discovery of both yourself and your fellow man The discovery of your self is to go deeper and beyond your usual writing boundaries. You also need to be a psychiatrist to your characters to know how they will face diverse problems and reveal their different behaviour patterns. Everything is depicted on a grand scale but that is what makes it so exciting It is a long commitment and from the outset you have to know that your plot and characters are strong enough to sustain several novels Above all the author must have a passion for the era they are creating. Research is extensive and ongoing, and if the subject begins to bore the writer, the reader will lose interest even more rapidly . Your research must be meticulous and I became fascinated how a shipyard was run and the vessels built. A visit to the Bucklers Hard museum near Beaulieu in the New Forest was a day of wonder for me and similar trips around HMS Victory and the Maritime Museum at Greenwich was a pleasant way to beat the grind of researching in libraries. If the writer is excited about a project that passion comes over in the writing and lifts it from the mundane
A writer must know their readership from the outset. A series about the lives of a real historical family would demand a more literary style and every fact obtained from documented evidence If you are writing a military or naval series with fictional characters, you have greater leeway providing that the battles and historical events are accurately depicted. With a family drama historical series in the tradition of Poldark - which is how my Loveday series is marketed, as it is set at the end of the eighteenth century in Cornwall - if the factual
historical contents are correct and the period is brought alive by atmospheric detail , the writer is only limited by the scope of their imagination
The main characters in a series drive the story onwards For a series to work the characters must be unforgettable They must have powerful goals and ambitions , and dynamic personalities Colourful pasts provide a wealth of interest and can be used to great advantage for repercussions from the past can disrupt their present and future
In the Loveday novels the main characters are thrown into conflicts which will be sustained throughout the series . The rivalry between Adam and St John Loveday , who are twins , is about passion for the family estate, Trevowan, and the family shipyard St John is the elder and heir, but he is a dissolute and weaker character than Adam Adam is hot-headed and impulsive and is the talented shipwright and ship designer who can raise the shipyard's status He believes that he is the worthy successor to the yard , but his father has insisted that he join the navy to end the rivalry between the twins
The first book of the series , Adam Loveday, introduces feuds , conflicts , life long enemies and friendships. The central character of the series is Adam Loveday . He must be dashing and courageous to be an exciting hero , but his wildness puts him at odds with his family , and can bring him close to ruin It is the flaws of a character which makes them human. Yet always the central character must retain the empathy of the reader through their motivation and emotions. Minor characters whose lives are interwoven with those of the Lovedays need to be depicted with significant characteristics and behaviour, so that when they are reintroduced the reader easily remembers them .
The joy of developing characters in a series is the same as entering any new relationship we form in our lives You never know everything about that new person until months or years have passed. In novels this process is speeded up as the author must understand their motivation , ambition, temperament and personality at the outset to make the characters alive to the reader and their actions plausible Yet their darker side can be hidden from the reader until a later date
At a first meeting people can present a facade of how they want to appear to others And who is truly what they outwardly appear? Cousin Japhet Loveday is a charming rake-hell and irrepressible rogue who few women can resist. Without a fortune of his own , he often resorts to gaining a living on the wrong side of the law Though he seems destined to end his days on the gallows, he is not incapable of redemption , if he can temper
the wildness in his blood His brother, Pious Peter, would be a lay preacher but he cannot escape his Loveday blood and has his own demons to wrestle These two brothers could easily become stereotyped but each novel reveals a different facet of their personality
Many of the women in the Loveday's lives are introduced from their first meeting , none are truly as they at first appear Meriel Sawle , the beautiful fortune-huntress and daughter of a notorious smuggler, acts the wanton but is frigid Angelic Lisette , a victim of the French Revolution, is outwardly demure and hides her debauched nature from the family who would help her. Amelia appears accepting and is a natural mediator to the family's conflicts She marries Edward Loveday , the father of Adam and St John , but is shocked by the lax morals and lawlessness of the younger members of the family until finally her own marriage is threatened Senara is the most controversial. Adam loves her. She is half-gypsy with a secret past from which she can never escape Her lowly origins can never be accepted by the family.
The full nature of these four pivotal women is slowly revealed over successive books Their hidden personalities are what provide the conflicts for future novels Providing these hidden aspects have been hinted at earlier they can be later developed Their actions are then plausible and can bring in new twists which surprise a reader in a later book which keeps each novel fresh
The greatest danger in any family drama series is allowing it to become cosy and predictable Cliche events must be avoided to ensure the series stands on its own and is not a pale imitation of others Therefore each scene must show a new view of their life Each time a scene takes place at sea , in the shipyard or an involvement with the smugglers, it must be depicted in an entirely different way to what has been written before Since each Loveday book contains two or more smuggling scenes they would become monotonous if all they involved was confrontation with the Excise men on the beach . Research shows that fights broke out between rival gangs , ambushes happened when the pack ponies transported the goods, contraband was stolen back from Custom Houses , a fortune in cargo was lost at sea and smuggling vessels confiscated etc . Each fresh approach to a scene is fascinating to write and should provide exciting drama to the reaaer
Also romance and love-affairs are part of life , but each relationship must have its unique problems and this criteria should also apply to every scene setting and description . Neither must a writer forget what is happening on the world
ISS UE 15 FEBRUARY 200 1
stage In different novels of the series the Lovedays become involved in the London theatre and underworld , the French Revolution Napoleonic Wars , abolition of the slav~ trade buccaneering and plantation life in the West ' Indies and the early years of the settlement and penal colony of Australia
Another important element of a series is the location I am not fortunate enough to live in Cornwall b~t I have since childhood been captivated by its majesty and mystery and visit the County regularly . The settings must be brought vividly alive to the reader and not become painted back cloths for characters in costumes .
Within a series each novel must stand on its own as a satisfying read with a strong resolution ending For the next and every following book the reader's interest must again be captured on the first page by a new crisis to be resolved Financial disaster strikes the family in the second book , The Loveday Fortunes, and they are in danger of losing Trevowan and the shipyard, causing Adam and St John to draw on new strengths to triumph over fate No member of the family can escape the consequences without personal sacrifice and anguish
Only by characters evolving will a writer sustain the momentum needed for a series The events these characters are pitched into and the crises they face must be diverse , involving them in true-life situations whether it is a major historical event or dealing with issues of human interest which transcend time KT
Kate Tremayne is a writer with 20 historical novels to her credit. Adam Loveday was published in paperback by Headline in October 2000 and The Loveday Fortunes was published in hardback by Headline in December 2000, paperback October 2001
YORVIK VIKING FESTIVAL
From February 17th to 24th, York hosts its finest Viking extravaganza yet Many events are planned. including these that caught my eye. At 11 30am, on Saturday 17th February, you are invited to attend the wedding of Dagfinn, Viking Jarl of Mann to Elswitha, Anglian daughter of the Royal House ofBamburgh at St Olafs Church, Marygate . If that sounds too tame , then witness combat in the shadow of Clifford ' s Tower at 2.30pm . The HNS is sponsoring talks by Elizabeth Chadwick and Helen Hallick at Borders Bookshop at 6 30pm on 2 1st and 24th February respectively. Come and join the fun ! Festival Information Line 01904 543404
E-Books e-volution or re-volution?
Jane Hill
No doubt about it, e-book publishing is a growing business But how confident are the publishers that the books they have on offer will sell? Readers and writers of historical novels may already have an established preference for a particular type of book and a favourite publisher. For the general reader who makes use of libraries and book-stalls trawling through web sites, unable to pick up a ' book and examine the contents , the web is unlikely to prove an immediate attraction
Older readers , unaccustomed to reading text from the screen, may find the cost of printing out the book more expensive than buying a paperback
Several factors, however, are likely to improve the outlook. One is the hand-held device. At present these are expensive , but many offer search facilities and can carry tens or even hundreds of e-books, allowing the reader to change the font size , type and colour, make notes with a stylus pen and look up words in an included dictionary . Most of them have paper-back-sized screens . You can download thee-book to your computer and from there to your a-reader . Although they are not yet widely available , this year will almost certainly see the start of a revolution in e-book reading, as a result of increasing sales These new 'gizmos' may prove to be the answer to the prayers for those of us who have e-books on the publisher's shelves , waiting to be downloaded Competition amongst e-publishers means that their sales presentations are already improving , with attractive reviews, colourful dustcovers and persuasive blurb They are also learning that to be successful they will have to make their web sites easily available and simple to use It is early days and e- publishing is in its infancy , but effective marketing techniques are being learned very quickly
Other factors will shortly come into playtoday's computer literate students are tomorrow's novel readers . They are used to reading on-screen text and will find the low cost of e-books attractive. The readership of e-books will , after a slow start, grow steadily and become part of our way of life , eventually replacing libraries. It will soon be possible to download all non-fiction and reference books and will also solve the problem of obtaining 'out of print' books
Stephen King , Frederick Forsyth and Uri Geller have all ventured into the world of e-publishing. At present you need Adobe Acrobat and WinZip , both of which can be downloaded free , to read e-books . Most e-book stores , helpfully , provide a direct link to these sites
So what are the benefits of e-books to authors? Well for a start if you sign a contract with an e-publisher it would normally only limit you to dealing with that particular publisher , but should not prevent you from approaching or signing a contract with a conventional publisher who does not publish on the net. Nevertheless, good advice to anyone about to sign a contract is to be very careful. The Society of Authors and the Writer's Guild of Great Britain provide advice to their members on general matters and also on specific issues
The Writers Handbook 2001 lists Electronic and Internet Publishers. Since that went to print the list of e-book publishers has grown enormously I have included the names of those who publish historical novels
www.thebargainbookstore.co.uk
Red Bear (American Indians) £2 99
The Sword of Zennon (Medieval) £3.49 Soldier of the Queen (The Boer War) £2 99 Jack (17th Century England) £2 99
The Fitzpatricks of Cashel Manor (Ireland in the 1930s Parts 1&2) £2 99
The Dream of Shui Ling (17th Century China) £2.99
The Snake Stone ( 19th Century Victorian Stage) £2 .99
My own novel - Charlestowne Landing (18th Century America family saga The American War of Independence and the Civil War) £2 99 I will send a synopsis to anyone who is interested in reviewing this book www.ebooksonthe.net offer a wide selection of historical fiction mainly set in America as well as Arthurian novels , westerns and non-fiction . The site is easy to access and manage. Downloading costs vary enormously I list some of the titles that attracted me : The Iron Maiden. An 18th Century American Civil War naval story
The Secret Life of Dr James Miranda Barry The first woman to graduate from Edinburgh Medical School , she posed as a man Unto this Valley (1721 America) www.mapleink.com also have interesting historical titles It is easy to access and simple to find your way around This site is mainly devoted to the American market
although 'Wilde Times : Sunbury and Slade Mysteries' by El izabeth Foxwell caught my eye The novel centres on Sunbury , the character in 'The Importance of Being Earnest.'
Bobby R. Woodall has two books published on this site both set in America in the late 18th Century. www.4ebooknews is a news and information site with links to Project Gutenberg . Project Gutenberg aims to make a trillion e-text files freely available by 31 December 2001 All the texts are out-of-copyright or copyright cleared This is certainly a site worth visiting
www.authorsonline.co.uk
aims to help authors secure hard-copy contracts and established authors to re-publish books that are no longer reprinted A fee of £25 is charged to publish the manuscript on their web site plus a weekly hosting fee whilst it remains on-line . E-mail : theeditor@authorsonline .co .uk theeditor@authorsonline co uk www.onlineoriginals.com is in such demand by new authors as a result of its success in attracting Stephen King and Frederick Forsyth that , at present , it is no longer accepting new submissions
The Internet is rapidly becoming more important than the telephone Contact with authors , publishers and readers has never been easier or cheaper. Getting information is quicker than visiting the library and is available twenty-four hours a day For the reader , books will become cheaper and readily available - for authors , the e-world awaits your work! JH
TOWSE HAS ARTHURIANA TO GIVE AWAY
I have been given a run of the academic journal ARTHURIANA which is published quarterly by the Southern Methodist University , Dallas Texas . I have 18 issues from Spring 1996 to Summer 2000 It is basically to do with Arthurian literature more than history and , as I've said , it is an academic journal. As each issue is about 120 pages the whole lot also works out heavy I am happy to offer it to anyone who may find it useful. In an ideal world whoever wants it could collect it but I would parcel it up so long as the taker was prepared to cover the cost. It seems a shame not to let it go to a good home -I suspect my local charity shop wouldn't know what to do with it
First come, first served Contact details on inside front cover
UK
•=For review, see US/Canada section or where-else indicated
ANCIENT EGYPT
Doherty P, The Anubis Slayings
BIBLICAL
Diski Jenni , Only Human Fast Howard, Moses FIRST CENTURY AD
Allason-Jones J.,, Roman Woman
SEVENTH CENTURY
Tremayne Peter, Our Lady of Darkness
ELEVENTH CENTURY
Hollick Helen, Harold the King
TWELFTH CENTURY
Chadwick Elizabeth, Lords of the White Castle
Alys Clare, The Tavern in the Morning
Moore V, A Black Romance
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
Wallace Margaret, William
Wallace - Champion of Scotland
FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Tranter N , The End of the Line
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
Daudeyos A , Muskets of Gascony
Keenan Brian, Turlogh
Richaud F, Gardener to the King
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Goddard Robert, Sea-Change Lake Deryn, Death at the Apothecaries' Hall
Tremayne Kate, Adam Loveday
Tremayne Kate , The Loveday Fortunes
NINETEENTH CENTURY
Ellis D , A Touch of Town Bronze
*Gulland Sandra , The Last Great Dance on Earth
Harrod-Eagles C , The Cause
Kaye Gillian, A Wayward Miss Quick Amanda , Wicked Widow
Salter Linden, The Major's Minions
Selwyn F , The Hangman ' s Child
*Smith Diane, The Naturalists
Smith Joan, Gather Ye Rosebuds
Strauss Darin, Chang and Eng
Thompson EV , Winds of Fortune Woodman Richard, The 2nd Nathaniel Drink-water Omnibus
TWENTIETH CENTURY
Conway A, Viceroy 's Captain
Curzon C , The Colour of Blood
Flynn Katie , Polly's Angel
Fullerton A, Floating Madhouse
Hegi U, Vision of Emma Blau
Hook Philip , An lnnocent Eye
Hunter Stephen, Hot Springs Jin Ha, Waiting
Karason Eirnar, Devils ' Island
Libera Antoni , Madame
*Lippi Rosina , Homestead
Min Anchee , Becoming Madame
Mao
Pattinson J , On Desperate Seas
Poland Margaret , lron Love
Reeman Douglas, For Valour
•Sanchez T, Day of the Bees
TITLES REVIEWED IN TIDS ISSUE
Shalev, Four Meals
Thackara J , The Book of Kings
Thornton M , Beyond the Sunset
TIMESLIP
Rosendorfer Herbert, Stephanie MULTI-PERIOD
Faschinger Lilian, Vienna Passion
Keneally Thomas , Bettany ' s Book
Long James , Silence & Shadows
FANTASY
Germain S, The Book of Nights
Miles Rosalind, Guenevere: the Child of the Holy Grail
Mor Caiseal , The Circle and the Cross , The Song of the Earth, The Water of Life
Zimmer Bradley Marion , Priestess of Avalon
The Mabinogion
NON-FICTION
Batchelor John, John Ruskin : No
Wealth but Life
Dunlop Ian, Louis XIV
Evand/Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook
Geniesse Jane F, Freya Stark: Passionate Nomad
Magnusson Magnus, Scotland
Siddorn J Kim, Viking Weapons & Warfare
CHILDREN'S
Brown Ruth, Greyfriar ' s Bobby
Cooper C, Miracles and Rubies
Dickinson Peter , Ko ' s Story
Henty G A, Bonnie Prince Charlie
Taylor Marilyn, Faraway Home
Turnbull Ann, No Friend of Mine
I US/CANADA I
• = For review, see UK section or where-else indicated
PRE-HISTORY
Tarr Judith, Lady of Horses
Tarr Judith , White Mare ' s
Daughter
BIBLICAL
Ray Brenda , The Midwife 's Song
Rivers Francine, Unashamed
FIRST CENTURY B.C.
Falconer Colin. When We Were Gods
Saylor S, Last Seen in Massilia
SIXTH CENTURY
Buechner Frederik, Brendan
Fisk Alan, The Summer Stars
Reed/Mayer, Two For Joy
SEVENTH CENTURY
Tremayne Peter, The Monk Who Vanished
TWELFTH CENTURY
Buechner Frederik, Godric
Tarr Judith, Queen of Swords
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
Gordon Alan , Jester Leaps In FOURTEENTH CENTURY
Roe Caroline, Solace for a Sinner
FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Blackburn Julia , The Leper's Companions
SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Allee Suzanne, Inca
Buckley Fiona, Queen ' s Ransom
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
Chisholm PF , A Surfeit of Guns
Feather Jane , The Widow 's Kiss
Fisk Alan, Forty Testoons
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
Harrigan Lana M , K ' atsina
Maguire Gregory , Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Alexander B, The Colour of Death
Bell M S, Master of the Crossroads
Ducornet R , The Fan-Maker's Inquisition
Lambdin Dewey, King ' s Captain
Medeiros T, Bride and the Beast
Nelson J L, Lords of the Ocean, All the Brave Fellows
Nevin David, Eagle ' s Cry
Owens Peter, Rips
Rae CM, Marike 's World
Stadd Arlene, Unto This Valley
Tinney Janet, Bunker Hill
Wynn P, The Birth of Blue Satin
NINETEENTH CENTURY
Ballantine D , Chalk's Women
Ballard Allen B, Where I'm Bound
Begiebing Robert, The Adventures of Allegra Fullerton
Blakely Mike , Summer of Pearls
Bram Christopher, The Notorious Sr August
Crabbe Richard E, Suspension
Fawcett Quinn, The Flying Scotsman
Fleming Thomas , When This Cruel War Is Over Flynn TT, Ride to Glory
Heck Peter , The Mysterious Strangler
Kadish R. From a Sealed Room
Kluger S, Last Days of Summer
Lee Chang-rae, A Gesture Life
Levine A , Sins of the Sufragette Logue Antonia, Shadow-Box
Mattison A , The Book Borrower
McCarver Sam, The Case of the 2nd Seance
Messud Claire, The Last Life
Meyers Annette , Murder Me Now
Okuizumi H, The Stones Cry Out
Poyer David, Thunder on the Mountain
Robbins DL , The End of War
Roosevelt Elliott, Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom
Rosen Dorothy&Sidney, Death and Strudel
•Saxton Judith , You are My Sunshine
Smith Sarah, A Citizen of the Country
Sneve Virginia , Granpa was a Cowboy and an Indian Stonich Sarah, These Granite Islands
Tervalon Jervey , Dead Above Ground
Thoene Bodie&Brock, Thunder From Jerusalem
Tsukiyama Gail, The Language of Threads
Vidal Gore, Empire, Hollywood, Washington, The Golden Age
Yakhlif, A Lake Beyond the Wind MULTI-PERIOD
Gardner Karen, Legacy of Freedom Singer Katie , The Wholeness of a Broken Heart
Karp Katherine, Gilded McColley Kevin , The Other Side
Monfredo MG, Sisters of Cain
Moreau C X , Promise of Glory
Morris Gilbert, A Covenant of Love
Morris Gilbert, Edge of Honor
Palmer WJ , Dons & Mr Dickens
• Perez-Reverte Arturo, The Fencing Master
Reasoner James , Chancellorville
Reid Van, Daniel Plainwa y Starr Sarah, Lady Lessons
Estleman Loren D, The Rocky Mountain Moving Picture Association
Wheeler Richard S, Flint's Truth
Wheeler Richard S, The Witnes s
TWENTIETH CENTURY
Bianchini Angela , The Edge of Europe
Bull B, The White Rhino Hotel
Coe! Margaret , The Spirit Woman
Colwell L, When Lilacs Bloom
Eve n Aaron Roy, Bloodroot
Gulland Sandra , The Last Great Dance on Earth 8
Florence Ronald , The Last Season
•Grass Gunter, M y Century Green TM, A Witnes s to Life
Jaffe Rona , The Road Taken
•Vreeland Susan, Girl in Hyacinth Blue FANTASY
Clement-Davies David, Fire-Bringer
Greenberg MH, Civil War Fantastic
Lowder James (ed) , The Doom of Camelot
McReynold G, Prince of Time
Paxson DL , The Hallowed Isle
Saberhagen F , Arms of Hercules
Tarr Judith, Kingdom of the Gra il Quinn Chelsea, Come Twilight CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT
Cheaney J B, The Playmaker
Tamar E, Midnight Train Home NON-FICTION
Cowley Robert (ed), What It'? El Mahdy Christine, Tutenkhamen, Tutenkhamen
Montanari M & Flandrin
Jean-Lo uis (eds), Food Lawson B, Rereading the Revolution
Sword W, Southern Invincibility
Williams G, The Prize o f All the Oceans
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
Titles are classified by period and then alphabetically by author surname.
ALL BOOKS CAN BE ORDERED THROUGHTHEHNSBOOK
ORDERING SERVICE.
ALL ENQUIRIES TO SARAH CUTHBERTSON (see page one)
ANCIENT EGYPT
THE ANUBIS SLA YINGS
Paul Doherty, Headline, 2000 , £17 99 , hb. 308pp , ISBN 0-7472-6269-1 !t is 1500 BC and Queen Hatshepsut has claimed the throne of Egypt after winning a great victory in the north against the Mitanni Amerotke , Chief Judge to the Pharaoh , is searching for the thief who stole the sacred amethyst from the Temple of Anubis in Thebes , and the Mitanni leaders camped in the desert to sign the peace treaty are suspected ln this setting Paul Doherty weaves an intricate story with clues littered among the pages . The build-up of more and more suspects is intriguing and the radical denouement exposes a much wider conspiracy than expected. There are some fascinating revelations which show the author ' s extensive research into this exotic civilisation . The historical setting is well constructed ; there are few stories set in the reign of Hatshepsut. although many readers will know of her magnificent temple in the Valley of the Kings. I find that Doherty is more at home in ancient Egypt and tells this story more skilfully than his medieval mysteries There is a tendency to slip into modern jargon which is a little jarring , and some inconsistency in the actions of characters supposed to be intelligent, but I only winced twice and was surprisingly entertained by this novel.
Only Human is a retelling of the biblical story of Abraham and Sarah But this is not just a recounting of the story of Genesis : the departure from Ur of the Chaldees , the long wandering in the wilderness , Sarah's barrenness and the final miraculous birth of Isaac, but a metaphorical journey of the sometimes difficult and tortuous relationship between God and humankind
Diski offers us two viewpoints : a third person narrative from Sarah and a first person account by God, who had not bargained for the creative imagination, nor for human disobedience . 'I modelled my creatures from the dust and the rain, gave them life from my breath, gave them self-awareness with the Word , and then things undreamed of in the void followed . Consequences '
The eternal triangle between a jealous God , Abraham and Sarah is played out in this most original and beautifully written book. The eternal / am must learn to adjust to human mutability Even God can be jealous and manipulative and the arri val of Isaac , the longed-for son , and the terrible demand that Abraham sacrifice him , has a devastating effect on all the participants
Eliz ab e th Hawksley
MOSES
Howard Fast, Simon & Schuster, £9 99 , pb , 413pp , ISBN O671 03911 3
This is the definitive new edition of Howard Fasts's I 958 novel , steeped in Egyptology and ancient history , marvellously telling the epic story of Moses' rebellion in the court of the God-King Ramses the Great.
The history of monotheism and its beginnings in the arid land of Upper Egypt are woven richly and colourfully into this story, familiar to us all. Taken as a babe from the waters of the Nile by Pharaoh's daughter, Moses grows to manhood as a Prince of Egypt ; an outsider knowingly different but not full y understanding the paradox of his singular position He sees the corruption and decadence within the Great King's court and wants no part of it , renouncing the beliefs of the Egyptian priesthood in the search for his own God Finally accepting that he was born a Jew and witnessing the treatment of his enslaved people , he strikes down an overseer in anger and is forced to flee Egypt.
The battle for Kush is so imaginatively described that I winced in horror from the atrocities committed when Egypt released the dogs of war on the black people of that land , 9
who were no match for the disciplined anny of chariots bent on their destruction Howard Fast tells us that he envisaged a second narrative to cover the years of Moses the Liberator, and it is a sad loss to literature that he has not done so His storytelling flows as the Nile and brings to life this most fascinating figure from the Bible
This forty year old novel is of a quality far greater than more modern attempts which cover the same period of history. Read and savour it.
Gwen Sly
ISTCENTURY AD
ROMAN WOMAN: Everyday Life in Hadrian's Britain
Lindsay Allason-Jones , Michael O ' Mara , 2000, £14 .99 , hb , 238pp
ISBN 1-85479-528-7
In some historical novels action and plot predominate ; in others , the characters are the most memorable. In Roman Woman , as the title suggests, ifs instead the historical background that takes centre stage Allason-Jones , an archaeologist and museum director at Newcastle University, has decided to illustrate in novel form the typical life of a woman living in Roman Eboracum (modern York). The book ' s twelve chapters recount what happens to one particular famil y during each month of the year
Senovara, born a member of the Parisi tribe , is the happily married wife of a former Roman legionary, Quintus Flavius Candidus, now a shoemaker Through the actions of Senovara, Quintus , their two children , and other relatives and friends , we learn of Roman holiday celebrations , housing conditions , courting rituals , medical care, food , drink , and entertainment, among other cultural aspects When the family pays a visit to Senovara 's grandmother·s farm , we ' re also introduced to everyday life among the Parisi.
Those expecting a fully fleshed historical novel may be slightly disappointed, as the characters and dialogue are rather wooden, and aside from a few episodes of illness , no major conflict exists On the other hand, the purpose of this novel seems to be to entertain while educating, and in this aspect it succeeds Readers unfamiliar with life in Roman Britain couldn't find a more worthy guide , as Allason-Jones gives numerous exampleswith the occasional drawing - of its history and culture Most readers will find Roman Woman much more palatable than a university textbook and will leave it with considerable knowledge of life and times in Roman Britain
Sarah L Nesbeitt
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
7THCENTURY
OUR LADY OF DARKNESS
Peter Tremayne, Headline, 2000 , £17 .99 . hb , 28lpp ISBN 0-7472-7120-8
This latest Sister Fidelma mystery is I think , one of the best. Fidelma is a nun and advocate of the lawcourts of 7th century Ireland who works with Brother Eadulf. a Saxon monk who helps her solve crimes Here , however Fidelma must work alone , for Brother Eadulf is set to hang for rape and murder. Fidelma is given 24 hours to prove his innocence. A sinister abbess , a powerful bishop and a shifty King are determined to thwart her.
This is an excellent mystery with rich helpings of evil and tension set within a culture struggling to keep its identity and laws in the face of pressure from the Roman Church Peter Tremayne. a recognised authority on the history of ancient Ireland, paints a believable picture of time and place with a set of lively and varied characters. He gives his readers lots of interesting detail on the customs and laws of 7th century Ireland; the only jarring note is his frequent use of ' kilometres '
Celia
Ellis
11 TH CENTURY
HAROLD THE KING
Helen Hallick William Heinemann, 2000 , £17 95 , hb, 690pp, ISBN 0-434-00489-8
Arguably the most famous date in English history is 1066 , the year in which William of Normandy led his conquering campaign against King Harold of England. Harold The King recounts the epic story of the events leading to the disastrous Battle of Hastings ; told mainly from the view of Harold and his family , occasionally interspersed with events from the life of Duke William
The masterly Helen Hallick has successfully taken the historical facts , mixed them with liberal sprinklings of creative interpretation and produced a spellbinding novel that is never less than compelling - all aspiring historical novelists take note of this lesson .
So often in this type of novel characters are strongly and deftly drawn but are then undermined by their modern motivations Not so here where the characters· attitudes and outlooks are always basically eleventh century mongm . Helen Hollick has also avoided the trap of allowing great chunks of historical researchboth social and political - to slow the pace or clutter the pages of her novel. Information is
filtered through to the reader far more subtly in dialogue and plot detail.
Whether the events described actually happened this way is unimportant. that the reader feels instinctively that they could have happened this way is the sign of a superior novel.
This is a fabulous read and one to be recommended unreservedly even to committed •Williamites ·. If only all historical fiction could be this good
Sara Wilson
Hear Helen Hallick speak on King Harold at Borders Bookshop , Daveygate, York on February 24th from 6 30 - 8pm as part of the armual Yorvik Viking Festival. Admission free
12TH CENTURY
LORDS OF THE WHITE CASTLE
Elizabeth Chadwick, Little, Brown, £17 99 , hb , 600pp , ISBN O316 85150 7 Fulke FitzWarin was born into a Shropshire family and like most nobly born sons was sent to be educated in marmers and martial arts in another noble family's household - in this case that of Prince John Relations between the two
Elizabeth Chadwick will be speaking on historical re-enactment at Borders Bookshop , Daveygate, York on 21st February from 6.30 - 8pm as part of the armual Yorvik Viking Festival. Admission free .
A medieval mystery - just the thing for me to while away the wait for an overdue grandchild But , oh, what a disappointment!
Billed as a Hawkenlye Mystery. this is one of a series The detective duo are Abbess Helewise and king·s man , Josse d ' Acquin. The king is Richard Lionheart , but he· s off crusading However. we do have a stroppy young woman, keen on rights and alternative medicine: laboured sex (how I hate the euphemism manhood): cute kid: shifty sheriff and a couple of corpses. Apart from the fact that the characters travel on horseback , eat boiled hare and have scabs, there· s not a lot to wing the reader back to the past, and the language is very 21st century.
Dearie me Just as I turned the last page, I heard that my daughter had been sent home to ·cook' baby for another week. Half-baked, in fact - a bit like this book.
Val Whitmarsh
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
came to a head when Fulke beat the Prince in a A BLACK ROMANCE game of chess Life was never to be the same again . Fulke moved into the household of Lord Theobald Walter, Prince John's tutor in arms. and was befriended by his squire and attendant , Jean de Rampaigne The FitzWarin family also dreamt of regaining their estate of Whittington which was lost to them during a war and never restored In Fulke lies the family's hope that restoration will be made and all seems to be going their way when King Richard suddenly dies from an arrow wound and John becomes King Things can only get worse before they get better.
This is another of those books where the known facts are few or very sketchy. That Fulke FitzWarin actually lived is not in dispute Neither is the fact that he was sent to Prince John's household to be educated and became a companion to the Prince Even the disputed game of chess is upheld in some records But around it all Elizabeth Chadwick has managed, once again, to weave a compelling story of intrigue and changing fortunes to produce a tale that makes for utterly compulsive reading Her best yet. Highly recommended
Marily n Sherlock
Viviane Moore. Gollancz , 2000 , £9.99, pb, I 97pp. ISBN 0-575-06821-3
A Black Romance is the second of a series of 12th century French crime novels featuring the knight , Galeran de Lesneven This time Galeran has been summoned by Broerec , Lord of Huelgoat , who is being blamed by his peasants for a large number of unexplained disappearances and deaths of local children Galeran arrives to fmd that the locals are in thrall to local legends of giant wolves and evil spirits and Broerec is rapidly losing control over both them and his two way-ward sons Galeran must act decisively if more deaths are to be avoided
The characters are pleasingly three-dimensional. The plot is pacey with several twists and turns , but there are just too few red herrings to put the reader off the scent. Thankfully there is a strong enough body of historical detail to maintain reader interest in spite of this What is an entertaining crime novel has been slightly let down by a less than sparkling translation which occasionally renders dialogue into stilted phrases that read rather awkwardly As a novel extra the author has included several medieval recipes and a lexicon - useful for those not conversant with medieval Breton
The latest novel from the pen of Nigel Tranter was published after his sad death in January 2000. The End Of The Line returns yet again to Tranter ' s native Scotland and forms the fourth and final part of his epic tale of the noble Cospatrick family
At the dawn of the 15th century, George the Cospatrick, I 0th Earl of Dunbar and March, is sent to London by the weak Scottish king , Robert Ill , to appease his English counterpart, Richard II , and negotiate renewal of the peace treaty between Scotland, England and France While in England, Cospatrick befriends Henry Bolingbroke, who later accedes to the English throne as Henry IV
Later, as civil war threatens to rear its head north of the border, Cospatrick finds himself having to seek King Henry ' s help in averting a crisis in Scotland However, the English remain the old enemy, and Cospatrick ' s son , George , Master of Dunbar, pays a price for his father ' s alleged treachery Could it mean the end of the line for the ancient royal house of the Cospatricks ?
This stirring tale , as so often before in Tranter ' s novels , revolves around real historical characters from Scotland ' s past. Tranter is effortlessly able to bring these people alive for us through a winning combination of strong narrative style and detailed research This novel is impressive not just for the skill with which the story is told but also for the medieval Scottish history lesson it offers us
If you·re a Nigel Tranter fan you won t be disappointed by this book , but if you ' re new to his noYels this story is perhaps not the best place to start. as it completes a saga that began with Courting Favour and was followed by Envoy Extraordinary and Sword Of State. Some people may find the dynastic relationships between the leading players a little hard to keep up with, but this is really all part of the fun of this historical period
Christopher Lean
17TH CENTURY
THE MUSKETS OF GASCONY
Annand Daudeyos (tr J H M Salmon) , Minerva Press 2000, £13 99 , pb , 307pp , ISBN 0-75411-211-X This is an historically documented accountexciting and easy to read - of a desperate struggle against the gabelle or salt tax
imposed in 17th-century France by the cruel and unscrupulous agents of Louis XIV and which brought great suffering to the poor to whom salt was a basic ingredient of life
The account , written in novel form which gives it the added appeal of romance and adventure, tells of cousins and fellow cavalry officers , D'Audijos and Dubourdieu, who returned to their native Gascony in 1660 , following the war with Spain. They embraced the peasants ' cause, which included the search for the ancient Charter of Chalosse, with which they hoped to persuade the king to withdraw the gabelle Guerrilla war broke out and D' Audijos , often with devastating losses , led his partisans against the royal troops in the foothills and mountain valleys of the Pyrenees.
I found this book very well written, and the short chapters added to its action and pace. Once I stopped trying to remember and differentiate between the enormous number of characters, the real heart and impetus of the story came easily through It was interesting to note that this period in France related to Cromwell ' s Protectorate in England, to which reference was made, together with the fact that there were even then pockets of French republicanism in the south of the country
Marcia J Treece
TURLOGH
Brian Keenan, Jonathan Cape, £16.99 , hb , 333pp ISBN 0224 04151 7
While held hostage in Beirut, Brian Keenan was , so he tells us , visited by the blind Irish harper , Turlough O ' Carolan , conjured up by Keenan ' s imagination He knew nothing of Turlough beyond the basic facts of his blindness and that he lived in the seventeenth century In the Acknowledgements to his book Keenan thanks an Inuit woman from Alaska who wrote to him on several occasions ·convincing me that Carolan was a Dreamwalker· Make what you will of that! But there is much ·dreamwalking' in this novel.
Difficult and elusive are the words which spring to mind in describing it , and might be applied as much to O'Carolan as to the book. His story is clearly one which Keenan has felt upon his pulses ·. Though Turlough had a reputation as a hard drinking womaniser, this is no rip-roaring tale of a wild Irish harper. How could it be since he had to contend all his life with the handicap of blindness ? On entering Turlough ' s world as Keenan has created it , all stereotypes must be left at the door
Turlough was not born blind, but became so after catching smallpox His imprisonment by blindness perhaps echoes Keenan·s own imprisonment in Beirut. Keenan re-creates for us his struggle to see in another way and to
master the skills of the harp For blindness , as Turlough himself affirms towards the end of the book. allows him ' to stop li ving in front of things and begin to live with them '. It is this vision which fires his music .
But Turlough is no saint! He drinks to excess, can be arrogant, self-centred and enjoys the attention of women The clergy too , often receive the rough edge of his tongue . He denounces war in a country riven by war And his attitude towards the fight against the English Protestant ascendancy seems at best ambiguous . In a drunken rage he dismisses the ' great Battle of the Boyne' and its aftermath as ' the great squabble on a duck pond and that awful bloodletting ever since .' He ' won ' t,' he declares , ' compose music for a bloodbath, as if there ' s anything honourable in that' This is one of the moments in the book when the political context is made explicit, and I could have done with more of them
In general this context is merely implicit, so that orientation for the reader - for this reader at least - is difficult. There is talk of war, of bloodletting, of suffering, but it is hard for someone who is not an expert on this period of Irish history to know exactly what is going on. To fill a historical novel with history lectures is of course fatal and Keenan does give dates , but this is not enough Some indication, however brief of the historical context is needed. A historical note would not ha ve come amiss This I think would be my chief criticism of the book.
N eville Fi rman
GARDENER TO THE KING
Frederic Richaud , (tr Barbara Bray), The Harvill Press , 2000 , £10 00, hb , l 16pp , ISBN 1-86046- 778-4
Jean-Baptiste Quintinie, lawyer turned agronomist, is employed by Louis XIV to culti vate his kitchen gardens at Versailles The Sun King must have every variety of exotic fruit and vegetable it is possible to grow , enough to feed one thousand at a sitting whatever the season . No small task but La Quintinie has a natural affmity for the soil and those who live oIT it. He develops pruning techniques which have never been surpassed in three hundred years As scandal and intrigue fascinate the sycophants surrounding the King , his gardener quietly devotes his life to his work.
This slim volume is Frederic Richaud 's first novel. Thoroughly researched, it brings to life one who was , for me at least , a pale shadow at the Court of Versailles There are no fireworks or great surprises It is essentially the moving story of a dedicated man
Ann Oughton
!SSUE 15 FE BR UARY 200 1
TI-lE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
18TH CENTURY
SEA CHANGE
Robert Goodard , Bantam Press , 2000 , £16 .99 , hb , 405pp, ISBN 0593 042743
Robert Goodard has placed his last novel in what would initially appear to be a rather dry setting - the great financial scandal of the collapse of the South Sea Bubble in the 1720s . Yet he has succeeded in enticing the reader irresistibly into the narrative so that we are swept along with the events and are eager to know how the plot develops
William Spandrel , a penniless map maker , a rather hapless hero, is offered a discharge of his debts by Sir Thecxiore Janssen, a director of the South Sea Company . All he has to do is secretly deliver an important package to Janssen's friend, Ysbrand de Vries , in Amsterdam. Spandrel does this , but thereafter all his troubles begin : He is nearly murdered and then arrested for the actual murder of de Vries Then de Vries' secretary, his wife and the package go missing What did the package contain?
There are many others after it, including British Government agents and Jacobite plotters Goodard is a master of the bluff, double and even triple bluff and the reader is in store for a whole series of twists and counter twists Only occasionally are these predictable. This technique , however, does rely on a number of startling coincidences. The book comes with an extremely helpful directory of every character, indicating whether they are real or fictional , and a glossary of background historical information for those readers who want to delve further into the perioo
Of all the real characters , the most notable is Sir Robert Walpole who emerges as a manipulative, somewhat unlikeable scheming politician -nothing changed there, then!
I would recommend this book as a very enjoyable read and something different from other novels set in this perioo
Ray Taylor
DEATH AT THE APOTHECARIES' HALL
Deryn Lake , Hooder & Stoughton, 2000 , £17 .99, hb , 312pp , ISBN 0-340-71860-9 When apothecary John Rawlings finds Josiah Alleyn in dire straits at the wharfside as he awaits his barge, it transpires that Master Alleyn has just attended a Livery dinner at the Apothecaries ' Hall but on his way home he has succumbed to food poisoning John accompanies the Liveryman home and nurses him through the night. Next morning , confident of Josiah ' s full recovery , Rawlings leaves him in the care of his family , but is
TI-IE HJSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
profoundly disconcerted when he later discovers that many more Liverymen had also fallen ill following the meal but worse. when he enquires after Josiah ·s well-being he is informed that Master Alleyn is dead So was Josiah Alleyn·s death deliberate and if so why ? Going through the dead man ' s effects, Rawlings discovers a list of disparate names that appear to have no link but. ..
Once again , he turns for assistance to John Fielding, the blind magistrate , known as the Blind Beak and, of course, Rawlings' adopted father, Sir Gabriel , has the entree of the cream of society ' s establishments
Death At The Apothecaries ' Hall is not only a satisfying whoounnit but also a hugely entertaining slice of 18th-century life alongside the Thames , where wherries ply up and down whilst Ladies and Gentlemen.. conveyed by hansom cabs to the apothecary ' s shop purchase a ·cure· for a hangover or the I 8th-century equivalent of the ·morning after · pill!
This is the sixth in Deryn Lake ' s series of meticulously researched novels , so if you·ve yet to make an assignation with them, please waste no more time
Thelma
Cox
ADAM LOVEDAY
Kate Tremayne. Headline 1999 £5 99. pb. 493pp , ISBN 0-7472-6410-4
Cornwall in 1786 is the setting for this. the first in a series of novels centred upon the members of the boat-building Loveday famil y. Meriel , the local beauty from a poor and not particularl y honest or honourable family , entraps into wedlock St John the elder of twin sons of the boatyard owner, Edward Loveday Adam , the younger and by far the more heroic of the twins , is the central character from the moment he first appears , saving lives with courage and daring aboard the ship in which he serves , and subsequently providing philanthropic assistance to local workers maimed in the service of the sea
Adam ' s recovery after the loss of Meriel , his first love , to his twin and his subsequent search for true love bring him into contact with smugglers , rife in Cornwall at that time He also gets involved with revolution in France The whole spectrum of society is present in this fast-moving and exciting story. It also reflects the author ' s understanding of the social and economic factors that drove the lives of people at this time
The novel ends with two cliff-hangers Can Adam find love and happiness with Senara, the wild gypsy girl whose worth he is just beginning to appreciate and can the boatyard survive ?
Penny
Green
THE LOVEDAY FORTUNES
Kate Tremayne, Headline 2000 , £17 .99 hb , 393pp , ISBN 0-7472-7482-7
Kate Tremayne has clearl y sown the seeds of a thrilling family saga based around the Loveday family in Adam Loveday In this second book in the series . Adam becomes ever more deeply enmeshed in his relationship with Senara, the wild gypsy girl whose heritage condemns her as a social outcast. However her medical skills earn her friends , one of whom is Rowena, the daughter of Meriel Loveday and her husband, St John Loveday. Or is her father his brother, Adam?
The Sawle and Lanyon families , smuggling entrepreneurs , add violence and lawlessness to this tale , while events in revolutionary France continue lo threaten danger Add to that the imminent financial collapse of the boatyard and the strenuous efforts , some less honest than others , of the Loveday family to save it make for a fast-moving and exciting read and leaves the reader breathless for the next book in the senes
Penn y Green
19TH CENTURY
A TOUCH OF TOWN BRONZE
Delia Ellis , Robert Hale , 2000 , £17 99 , hb , 224pp , ISBN 0-7090-66745-7
Pure, innocent Psyche Meynell wants to marry her childhood playmate, Barnaby Wakefield Their parents agree , but Barnaby doesn ' t. He wants to go to London for his first Season and tag along with the sporting set. Heiress Psyche is to have her own Season where she soon has new suitors One of the most persistent is the ruthless, cold Lord Philip Haward Psyche will need help from an unexpected quarter to deal with it all.
Ms Ellis is brave to make her heroine a nai:ve , bashful young miss instead of the more feisty female lead of mooern Regencies . But the sneering debonair villain and dashing Society hero are too much stock characters , and while it can be argued that what the author lacks in characters she makes up for in period authenticity , the absence of a strong lead makes the novel enjoyable while reading but forgettable afterwards .
This novel is the 23rd in the Morland Dynasty series I have not read the others and so was initially overwhelmed by the Morland extended family , and could not have managed without the family tree However, as the three main storylines emerged - moving between high society drawing rooms , the Yorkshire moors and the confines of an 1870s rectorythe book grew on me I enjoyed the ways the characters were given extra dimension by being rooted in their time: we see the effect on individuals of hostility towards women aspiring to be doctors and towards female suffrage ; of General Gordon's Sudan campaign, the worst agricultural recession of the century and being involved with the Prince of Wales' set. Pioneering doctor, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and politician, Lord Salisbury make cameo appearances Class divisions and attitudes are brought to life in a way sometimes reminiscent of Jane Austen. A select bibliography is supplied.
The author intends to bring the series up to the present day. I am interested to know what becomes of Venetia , Henrietta, their descendants and of Morland Place. I shall look out for the next book.
Janet Hancock
A WAYWARD MISS
Gillian Kaye. Robert Hale, 2000, £16.99 , hb , 208pp , ISBN 0-7090-6658-9
Gillian Kaye·s many fans have delighted in her Regency romances : the charm cf her main characters , the pace, credible plots, and strong feeling for the period They know the conventions of the genre: Heroes may be ruthless , arrogant and even brutal at times but they must be men of honour. Sadly, the hero of this book so lacks this essential characteristic that it is impossible to believe that the feisty , intelligent heroine would ever fall in love with him
When penniless but well-born Anthea Davenport becomes housekeeper to the Earl of Felbeck, he loses no time in attempting to seduce her, explaining each time that he cannot marry her since honour demands that he keep a promise to wed another. Anthea appears to find nothing strange in this , which left me wondering about her much-vaunted intelligence and rather spoilt the book for me .
Aspiring romantic novelists are advised to fall in love with their heroes so their readers may follow suit. In this case it would be a difficult task. But the story is redeemed by the charming secondary characters who provide much of the entertainment.
Margaret Crosland
WICKED WIDOW
Amanda Quick, Robert Hale , 2000 , £17 99 , hb , 272pp , ISBN 0- 7090-6744-5
This historical romance has a most original underlying theme in that all the characters are connected with a mysterious secret society based on ancient teachings Set in the Regency era , it might have been a fascinating story as the hero seeks vengeance upon the men who killed his former love
But its most serious flaw is the total lack of any sense of period Brief references to Napoleon, gentlemen ' s clubs, gambling, brothels and pleasure grounds are not enough to give authenticity; and there are many jarring notes such as a servant being 'fired' and a favourite expletive of both hero and heroine is ' Bloody hell!' at a time when no lady would swear and even a modest ' Damn!' could mean social ostracism Such solecisms reduce the story to the ' fancy dress' category of historical novels . A disappointing read.
Margaret Crosland
THE MAJOR'S MINIONS
Linden Salter, Robert Hale, 2000 , £17 99 , hb , 223pp, ISBN 0- 7090-6612-0
This tale of dastardly deeds, a heroine in breeches and a suitably moody hero bowls along at a lively pace Katherine Faulkner survives an attempt at rape with her brother ' s help , but unfortunately the man who attacked her is found murdered shortly after and Katherine·s brother Harry is accused of the crime It is decided that Harry must hide while his sister saves the day and his neck - by masquerading as secretary to the man she most suspects of having been the murderer! The plot thickens
This is winter comfort reading Grab the chocs and the sherry and let the world go by Linda Sole
THE HANGMAN'S CHILD
Francis Selwyn, Robert Hale, 2000, £17 99, hb. 287pp. ISBN 0-7090-6683-X
This is a Victorian whodunit with a difference . The reader knows from the start who the villains are So does the sleuth, Sergeant Verity Jack Rann , a known safe-breaker, is fitted up by the Swell Mob for the murder of his partner Tried, found guilty, and sent to Newgate prison to await hanging, he escapes and returns to London·s underworld of alleys , brothels and rotting sewers, to hide from the mob and the law. He is determined to avenge his partner and pull off the daring robbery they had planned together. In this venture he is helped by a tart with a heart and a couple of petty criminals who have suffered at the hands of the mob
The author successfully brings to life the seamy side of Victorian life , with its poverty,
filth , crime, and the great divide between ·haves' and ' have-nots '. He doesn't preach but dwells more on the finer technical details of forgery and lock-breaking. It's a very credible tale with a most satisfactory ending. And the sleuth is an unusual character - not at all the usual handsome hero of fiction. This is the first Sergeant Verity novel I have read but I will certainly seek out the earlier books
Celia Ellis
THE NATURALISTS
Diane Smith, The Women ' s Press , 2001, £6 99 , pb , 226pp, ISBN 0-7043-4680-X
First published in 1999 in the US (with the title LETTERS FROM YELLOWSTONE) by Viking Penguin and reviewed in issue 14
GATHER YE ROSEBUDS
Joan Smith, Robert Hale, 2000, £16 99 , hb , l92pp, ISBN 0-7090-6577-9
Although it is perhaps surprising to find a Regency Romance written in the first person, Smith·s subtle humour comes through strongly after a slow start . Zoie is more interested in painting than romance, but trying to sneak a stolen necklace back to the home of its owner, she is caught red-handed by the arrogant Lord Weylin The two come together when the discovery is made that the necklace is actually a fake . A rogue uncle , stolen jewels and an old scandal carry the pair on their journey of discovery - of mystery and love
Most of us find twins fascinating We stop and smile at twin buggies , and easily accept that even sets separated at birth can find when they are grown up that they have mirrored each other's lives The recent tragic case of conjoined twins , so linked that division meant instant death for one, gave rise to a proliferation of articles on the original Siamese twins , Chang and Eng , who feature in this superb novel.
Most of what is known about them is 'a confusion of legend, sideshow hyperbole and editorial invention' according to the author Chang, the smaller and weaker brother, seems to have been a natural wit. Eng was so solemn that he was sometimes thought to be a mute; in fact he spoke better English than Chang and read widely, particularly enJoymg Shakespeare and the Bible The story is told by him, from their birth into a poor fishing family on the Mekong river, to the court of the King of Siam, to America , where they were exhibited as freaks . They also visited England. Europe and Russia , and made enough money
ISSUE 15. FEBRUARY 2001
TI-IE HJSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
to eventually settle in Wilkesboro , South Carolina (at the time of the American Civil War) as farmers Having married two sisters , they produced 21 children between them. Chang ruined their joint health by drinking heavily - they shared a stomach - and when he died, Eng of course died too
So this is a sad and sombre story. It switches from their arrival in Wilkesboro to their chronological history and back. The author admits that the story 'is both true and not' , and it is a remarkable piece of imaginative writing. In 63 years they were never more than a foot or so apart. Well , obviously - they were joined at the chest by a flexible ligament ; they walked with their arms around each other's shoulders , each long black pigtail hanging over the other brother's chest. Their sideshow consisted of handstands and flying leaps. But what the author has done is to visualise just what it must be like to never, ever, be apart from another hwnan being, even in the most personal of circumstances, while still remaining separate in mind, feelings and outlook ; not one mind in two bodies , but two They were also , always , subject to intense curiosity, fear and a denial that they could be hwnan at all. That they survived at all is remarkable , but that they controlled their own lives and lived so long is even more so Highly recommended
Val Whitmarsh
WINDS OF FORTUNE
E V Thompson, Little, Brown, £16 99 , hb , 455pp , ISBN O 3166 4611 3 Cornwall 1810 : Thomasina Varcoe is starting her working life in service at the local manor . An independent, unconventional girl, more used to life on her father's ship until his death , than life below stairs, she tries to knuckle under Then a run-in with the amorous Sir Charles Hearle sees her fleeing in search of her highwayman boyfriend, Jeffrey Soon she becomes a highwaywoman but her adventures aren't to end there ; the sea beckons and she is to become intimate with the equally unconventional dwellers of St Michael's Mount.
This is a story that rattles merrily along like the well-oiled wheels of a stagecoach in the well-experienced hands of E V Thompson. He knows his Cornwall and this West Country reviewer found that he painted a convincing picture of the Duchy in those days without being either too sketchy or belabouring the point. The book's one real weakness is the rather two-dimensional characterisation People are wheeled on and off and even if they meet sticJ...--y ends somehow they were never vivid enough to be mourned by the reader The story and the setting come first ; everything else some way behind Some might argue that
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
it is a far-fetched tale but its ebullient adventures come as a welcome change to the general trend Enjoyable if not particularly memorable , this is a long way from being Thompson's strongest book but it has a certain escapist attraction that exerts its charm all the way through.
Rachel A Hyde
THE SECOND NATHAMEL DRINKWATER OMNIBUS
Richard Woodman, Warner Books , £9 99, pb , 692pp ISBN075153108 J
This comprises three novels , The Bomb Vessel, The Corvette and 1805 The first details Drinkwater's adventures in Danish waters , culminating in the Battle of Copenhagen. In the second he is entrusted with the job of escorting the Arctic whaling fleet. A routine enough duty you might think But the French are masters of the war upon trade and the book develops into a struggle for control of the northern waters The background of the third novel is the intended invasion of Britain by Napoleon Drinkwater is despatched to patrol the channel coast and the book culminates in the Battle of Trafalgar. For the technically minded, a bomb vessel is a ship designed to carry mortars
For devotees of Woodman's naval hero these stories should provide all they could desire. There are some good descriptions of shipboard life and some well drawn characters , and for the rest there is plenty of action
Neville Firman
201H CENTURY
THE VICEROY'S CAPTAIN
Anthony Conway, Hodder & Stoughton, 2000, £17 99, hb , 340pp, ISBN 0-340-76856-8
India ' s Northwest Frontier, 1925 Under a veneer of peace, there is much discontent due to Mahatma Gandhi ' s fast-growing nationalist movement ' s ever-increasing challenge to the Raj ' s legitimacy; to Bolshevik ambitions in the region inherited from Czarist Russia ; and to the age-old aspirations of India ' s traditional rulers Against this potentially explosive background , bandits steal a legendary diamond believed to enable its owner to rule India The insubordinate Captain Caspasian of the Twelfth Gurkhas is detailed to retrieve it before it falls into the hands of Bolsheviks or native rebels Relishing the challenge, he sets off in the guise of escort to a tribal council. Another member of the party, hot-headed Rachel Spencer, provides the love interest.
This unpretentious romp , the first of a series, is essentially an amalgam ofCornwell's Sharpe and Kipling"s tales of the Great Game
in I 9th-century India. The author's knowledge of the East and his experiences as a Gurkha officer ably but unobtrusively underpin the plot of this easy-to-read account of conflict, double-dealing and intrigu e
Ken Cosgrove
THE COLOUR OF BLOOD
Clare Curzon, Severn House , 2000 , £17.99 , hb , 216pp , ISBN 0-7278-5596-4
This novel which spans the Great War begins with a bang A young woman wakes to find herself in a squalid room There is blood on her clothes A new born baby she knows is hers , but has no recollection of giving birth to, begins to cry. Exploring the house , she finds a strange man lying dead in the kitchen covered in blood.
And so begins Lucy Sedgwick ' s quest to discover the truth and yet as memories slowly return she is reluctant to pursue the search as she knows she is already under suspicion for the death of her husband and now there ' s this dead stranger ls it always a good thing to pursue truth?
For most of the book, however , the puzzle seems forgotten as we learn details about Lucy ' s aristocratic childhood She is not always a sympathetic character; she is forthright to the point of unpleasantness at times which made me wonder why so many men fall in love with her .
However, half-way through, the novel changes yet again into a fine melodramatic tale , where a figure from the past , well-versed in the new discipline of psycho-analysis unravels a series of crimes based , what else, but on a scheme to inherit a fortune Forged birth and marriage certificates and a final twist when Lucy discovers her true origins are all part of this rich brew
At times the characterisation is unconvincing , especially the chief baddie who is straight out of a penny dreadful. So, too , is the plot which is as over-the-top as it is implausible. But who cares ? Apart from a drop in pace in the middle , this was a highly entertaining read
Sally Zigmond
POLL Y'S ANGEL
Katie Flynn , Heinemann , £17 99, hb , 501pp, ISBN O 434 00742 0
This book spans the mid- I 930s to VE Day and centres on feisty , flawed Polly O'Brady and her extended famil y in Liverpool. Will childhood friendships survive separation, the transition to adulthood , the war years ? The author has done considerable research, and the mixture of lrish/Scouse vernacular adds authenticity . However , I was overwhelmed by the gallery of walk-on characters , all with names , and would have preferred more
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
development of fewer characters . The book should appeal to readers who like a chatty style and a wholesome , undemanding read
The author has been coping with ME for some years ; Polly's Angel is a tribute to her detennination and endurance.
Janet
Hancock
THE FLOATING MADHOUSE
Alexander Fullerton, Little, Brown, 2000 , hb , £17 99, ISBN O 316 85544 8
Set during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, this novel follows the progress of the Russian Baltic Fleet on its epic journey to the far side of the world The war started badly for the Russians , most of their Far East Fleet was destroyed and their base at Port Arthur came under siege In an attempt to relieve the siege, Tzar Nicholas II despatched the Baltic Fleet as reinforcements Many of the ships were outdated and under-armed compared with the more modem ships of the Japanese Fleet. The Russian crews were untrained and on the point of mutiny and most of the officers inexperienced or else incompetent.
Sailing with the Fleet is Michael Henderson, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Officiall y there as an observer, the real reason for his presence is his affair ·with Princess Natasha Volodnyakov Natasha is unwillingly betrothed to a Russian Captain in the Baltic Fleet, and when her great-uncle, General Igor Volodnyakov learns of the affair he arranges for Michael's ' invitation' to accompany the fleet. In the general's eyes this will separate the lovers until Natasha's marriage and with luck the Japanese will remove the problem of Michael altogether
The story follows the long voyage very well , particularly portraying the frustration of the drawn-out journey and the increasing paranoia of the Russian officers. The book is well written and the characters are interesting, particularly the almost psychotic nature of many of the Russians However I thought the pace dragged a little and there were too many flashbacks of Michael and Natasha . The long awaited dramatic conclusion, when the Baltic Fleet encounters the enemy at the devastating Battle of Tsushirna , is all too brief. On the whole an interesting book, but not my favourite by this author.
This is a companion novel to Stones From the River (Reviewed in Issue IO Dec 1999) and while some characters appear in both novels each stands independently and they can be read in any sequence
171e Vision of Emma Blau starts at the beginning of the 20th century when Stefan Blau, aged only thirteen, decides to leave Burgdorf, a small town in Germany, and follow his dream to America . When he finally arrives , Stefan settles in the small town of Winnipesaukee which means 'Smile of the Great Spirit'. He is a diligent worker and with some financial assistance from the family of his first wife he builds a grand apartment house by the lake, the 'Wasserburg' , and this becomes home to future generations of the Blau family.
This novel gives an excellent account of life in a small town in America during the 20th century. In particular it sets out how two European wars affect the bi-cultural Blau family because as well as being concerned for their families and friends in Germany, they also have to contend with a radical change in attitude towards them by some of their neighbours Some of the younger members of the family are particularly affected by this.
The novel closes in the late 1980s when Stefan's grand-daughter, Emma , excludes almost everyone in her life in her battle to try to save the dying house and hold on to the legacy which was her grand-father's dream. The Wasserburg stands as a metaphor for both isolation and integration and I was drawn into the world of the building and its inhabitants Ursula Hegi's elegant prose and realistic characters , who can be equall y endearing or irritating, adds up to a novel which is both thought provoking and entertaining
This is another remarkable novel by Ursula Hegi which as well as having many literary qualities is full of historical facts I hope more are to follow Highly recommended Gre ta Krypczyk-Oddy
AN INNOCENT EYE
Philip Hook, Hodder & Stoughton, 2000 , £14 99 , hb , 3l0pp , ISBN 0-340-68218-3
I rarely allow a book to keep me from sleep: An Innocent Eye gave me no choice Here is a thriller where the pages do not seem to tum fast enough
In-demand journalist Daniel Stem suffers a personal tragedy While sorting through some family papers , he discovers a way to combat his grief. During World War Two , Daniers Jewish grandfather had his Monet stolen by a scheming Paris art dealer Daniel detennines to locate the Monet , then have it legally restored to his family But the painting is not easily traced , and there are murderous people resolved to prevent Daniel from revealing what he knows
As in all good thrillers , the action whips from place to place : New York, London, Paris, Rome, and finally rural Switzerland . There is
insightful characterisation, and confident use of language The ending is unexpected , yet wholly appropriate to the story
Although there are flashbacks to the War, most scenes take place in the late 1990s. I must admit that this may not be a historical novel. Yet it centres on art plundering during the Holocaust. Without this unpardonable historical event, this novel would not exist.
Claire Morris Bernard
HOT SPRINGS
Stephen Hunter, Century, £17 99,hb , 478pp ISBN O 7126 8379 8
Many novels deal with the build up to war, others dwell on the actual fighting , but this thriller concerns itself with what happens to a war hero after the battles are over and he has survived.
Earl Swagger is that hero and adjusting to civilian life is not easy for a man who feels guilty at his very survival. So when he is offered a position with a law enforcement agency tasked to deal with the gangsters of Hot Spring, Arkansas , he accepts the job and faces the bullets once again As the casino raids escalate into a final bloody combat Earl begins to rediscover himself and starts to lay his ghosts to rest.
Stephen Hunter has created a very powerful character in Earl Swagger He is a drunk, dogged by the memory of a violent father and overwhelmed with guilt about his dead colleagues ; but in spite of all this he is wholly likeable This is an humane man willing to defend Negroes against violent racism, a man who cares passionately for his young wife and who is a staunch ally to his rookie men . Happily, the plot of Hot Springs is strong enough to complement the characters and the setting of gangland America in the post-war years is both distinctive and has a reassuringly authentic feel. Although the novel contains scenes of extreme violence these are never gratuitous or used merely for unnecessary sensationalism
This is a very exciting and superior thriller Sara Wilson
WAITING
Ha Jin, Vintage , 2000, £6 .99, pb, 308pp
ISBN O099 28759 5
Lin Kong works as an army doctor during China's Cultural revolution His is a regimented world There is no privacy, emotional relationships between the sexes are frowned on and Mao's 'thought police' are everywhere Lin has an arranged marriage , but his traditional wife , Shuyu, lives in his home village and he has only 12 days annual leave a year Then he meets Manna Wu , a nurse at the hospital. For 18 years they pursue a non-consummated relationship , knowing that
TI-IE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
ISSUE 15. FEBR UARY 2001
discovery of their love could lead to ruin . Each year Shuyu agrees to a di vorce and then reneges , but this year, Lin promises Manna, things will be different.
Whenever I open a book prefaced by pages of rave reviews commending the beauty and simplicity of its prose, my heart sinks . I found the book full of awkward phrases like 'He smiled rather naturally' and 'a pair of snipes' which, to me , was like writing about a crowd of sheep
Nevertheless , Waiting has an extraordinary story to tell. The lovers find it difficult to be alone together. Freedom of speech is outlawed, even freedom of thought is dangerous Bruno Bettelheim, the psychoanal ys t , wrote that Kibbutz children had a 'flatness' of personality and found disagreeing with their peers deeply distressing : for them conformity was a psychological necessity . So it is here One sympathises with Lin and Manna's dreadful predicament while , at the same time, finding it difficult to empathise with characters who seem only half-formed. It sets up a disturbing tension , which at times is very powerful. An interesting read
Elizabeth Hawkesly
DEVILS' ISLAND
Einar Karason (tr David MacDufl), Canongate, 2000 , £9 99, pb , 204pp , ISBN 0-8624-1966-2
Devils· Island is an Icelandic novel set in Reykjavik of the 1950s where the natives clash with American servicemen stationed there Unfortunately the cover quotes Magnus Magnusson saying the book is : ' a roistering sprawling saga It is very funny and very wise at the same time'. The back cover has three more quotes of the same ilk. I have a pet peeve with publishers who do this And it's all of them these days! Every new book is screamed of as: 'wonderful, bound to be a best seller'. Quotes full of hyperbole from ' names ' are slapped across the dust jacket. These books can ' t all be best sellers. Nor are all readers idiots The hype has become off-putting.
For me , expectations were raised I expected a rollicking saga What I got was a fascinating insight into poverty among the underprivileged after WWII in Iceland. I'm very fond of Icelandic sagas but I didn't read anything like the saga I was told to expect and I was disappointed. Yes , one or two of the characters were larger than life, and involved in a couple of amusing incidents , but it was pity I felt for so many of them in their struggles Worth a read? Yes, for the picture of Iceland it paints . Just don't expect great humour or even great writing A few chuckles , yes, a memorable, humorous work, no.
P DR Salmon
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
MADAME
Antoni Libera (Translated by Agnieszka Kolakowska), Canongate, 2001, £10.99, pb, 438pp, ISBN l-84195-098-X
Antoni Libera's first novel, seamlessly translated from the Polish, is elegant and enthralling. Set in the I960s in a communist dominated Warsaw still in ruins, the novel challenges the Stalinist morals of the da y. Using literature, politics, theatre and the arts, Libera (himself a critic, translator and theatre director) slowly unravels the enigma of a Poland coming to terms with its sophisticated past in a totalitarian society.
Our self-absorbed unnamed narrator is in his final year at high school when his life is tantalisingly changed by the arrival of a new French teacher, Madame, an elegant older woman in her early thirties , icy , impeccable, intelligent and seemingly unattainable . Bewitched by her, he systematically sets out to discover more, revealing her unexpected past trapped by her father's latent patriotism in the confmes of Bolshevik Poland.
Reaching maturity , our narrator realises his yearrungs towards her are not the spiritual feelings of youth but the passion of increasing desire He knows and jealously accepts the use to which Madame puts her own sexuality to escape the oppressive regime in which they live
Vividly describing how freedom of thought can grow within the bleakness and disillusion of daily life , Libera subtly etches his characters onto the pages and we watch as our narrator, through his obsession, discovers his own future liberation as an author whilst his love eludes him
Madame will inevitably be compared with Bernard Schlick's The Reader as the protagonists , male youth and female maturity , are the same ; but much of the similarity ends there It is a compelling book and my only criticism is that I felt it overlong and at times unnecessarily repetitious
First published in US by Delphinium Books 1998 and Mariner Books 1999
For review, see issue 5. (August 1998)
BECOMING MADAME MAO
Anchee Min, Allison & Busby, £16.99, hb , 336pp, ISBN O 7490 0488 6
Like Eva Peron, Madame Mao was born into rural poverty in the 1920s Both girls, pretty and spirited, escaped to the city, became small-time actresses , and then the wives of revolutionary leaders. Eva , however, was idolised by the poor while Madame Mao
became known as the 'White-Boned Demon' After Mao's death she attempted to seize power, was imprisoned and eventually hanged herself.
This is a very clever book. Alternate paragraphs are written in first and third person. Madame Mao tells her own story as she sees it. The narrative tells it as it was This does not , as you might think , make for an uncomfortable read , but a fascinating one, particularly as Madame Mao was not one to forgive or forget , and once in power wreaked terrible revenge on all those who she felt had \\TOnged her. Power corrupts, and the Mao Two had power
This was the China of the Long March, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution , the 'Little Red Book' and the Gang of Four Mao's crazy 'reforms' resulted in 20 million deaths from famine and disease while he lived in a palace in the Forbidden City and wrote poetry. His men brought him a new young girl nightly; he believed this would cure his venereal disease Madame Mao, put aside for long wearisome and powerless years , was fmally allowed to set up her own studio in Shanghai to make propaganda films , only for her husband to become afraid that she would supplant him . What I also liked about this book was the wealth of information it provides on a country which had - and still has -a mindset so different to our own . Madame Mao's mother , for example, concubine of a brutal , elderly man, bound her daughter's feet in the traditional manner to give her the three-inch 'lotus' feet , a symbol of status and class Females are like grass , her mother told herborn to be stepped on. The four year old child ripped off the pus-filled bandages and later told Communist rallies that the pain she suffered entitled her to lead the nation All this, and much more , is within living memory. The book make me want to read more on the subject and I was sorry to finish it.
The author has first hand knowledge of her subject; at the age of I 7 she was sent to a labour collective, where after a number of years a talent scout recruited her for Madame Mao's film studio. She emigrated to the United States in 1984 A first class historical novel. Val Whitmarsh
ON DES PERATE SEAS
James Pattinson, Robert Hale, 2000 (orig pub! 1961) £17.99, hb , 254pp
ISBN 0- 7090-6750-X
This concerns the WWII voyage of a fictional merchant ship with a dangerous cargo of industrial alcohol and six mysterious American passengers. The Rosa Dartle is not a happy ship In fact it's a positively dysfunctional one Storms , U-boats and the
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
Luftwaffe are the ingredients added lo simmering internal dissension.
Yet the pot never quite seems to come to the boil. There are too many characters, and at only 75 ,0 00 words there isn't enough space to fully develop all of them into people the reader can care about. The storylines are excellent, but most of them are very casually resolved. Al the end. I felt as if I had almost been cheated.
Mr Pattinson is a prolific author and obviously a competent one, but Hale must be on a pretty desperate sea themselves lo want lo re-release this after 40 years. There must surely be better new submissions coming in
Martin Bourne
IRON LOVE
Marguerite Poland, Penguin, 2000, £7.99, 465pp, pb, ISBN 0-140-29705- 7
It is I 913, a new term at a boarding school in South Africa and every new boy must quickly learn to honour the sacred commandment of his peers - silence and denial - or suffer the consequences Among the older pupils is Charlie Fraser, ace full-back and hero lo many new boys. He knows the value of silence and denial and his example teaches the less able to overcome their difficulties. It is his iron love for his fellows that cements the group together. And, even after so many of the old boys die in the Great War, it is Charlie Fraser's name that will live on in the memories of the survivors. What could simply have been the same old story of bullying in public schools and tragedy in the trenches has been taken by Marguerite Poland and reworked into something so much more
This novel is not about savagery, but about the love that men feel for their friends, but so often deny and suppress. It succeeds in being almost unbearably moving and yet paradoxically uplifting The reader is taken into the hearts and minds of the boys and so both suffers and rejoices \.\-ith them
A work of great poignancy. especially since the novelist has based it on the short life of a real person.
Sara Wilson
FOR VALOUR
Douglas Reeman, Heinemann, £16 99, hb , 292 pp ISBN 0 43400 7196
Commander Graham Martineau has had both good and bad luck. He has been awarded the Victoria Cross for a desperate attack which cost him both his ship and most of his men , and his lovely wife Alison is now the \\ife of a severely wounded friend and comrade But he is given a new captaincy where he has a certain new cachet as a decorated hero and survivor and HMS Hakka is soon going lo be living up to her motto of Is Anything
Tiffi 1-IlSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
Impossible? As both destroyer and her picked crew have to defend important convoys to Russia , they soon find that they have another danger to face apart from the intense cold as their old enemy is waiting for them out there ...
This is Douglas Reeman's 34th novel under his own name ; he has written many others as Alexander Kent and if you appreciate a rattling good sea story as much as I do then you will find plenty to enjoy in this one. He is an adept describer of action and there are plenty of thrilling battle scenes and feats of bravery in this book but he doesn't neglect his characterisation and throughout the novel I found that I truly cared what happened to the crew of the Hakka This vital dimension immediately puts Reeman above a lot of other writers who can delineate either action or character but not both. There is plenty of information about life aboard a destroyer during the Second World War, but not enough to slow down the story and I can wholly recommend this novel to anyone who likes this action style of storytelling - even if you think you don't you might well be pleasantly surprised!
Rachel
A Hyde
DAY OF THE BEES
Thomas Sanchez, 2001, Flamingo, £16.99 , hb , 279pp, ISBN 0-00- 710400-6
First published in 2000 in the US by Alfred A Knopf and reviewed in issue 13 (Aug 2000)
FOUR MEALS
Meir Shalev (tr Barbara Harshav) , Canongate, 2000. £10. pb , 33lpp, ISBN 0-86241-862-3 Zayde is a curiosity He has an unmarried mother called Judith , his name means ·grandfather' (to confuse the Angel of Death) and he has three fathers: Moshe Rabinovich , Globerman the cattle dealer and Jacob Sheinfeld
After the death of his mother in 1950 the 12-year-old boy is invited to the house of Jacob Sheinfeld for the first of four meals. Each meal occurs at I 0-year intervals and during the course of them Jacob also feeds Zayde fragments of the story of how he came lo have three fathers and why all three are happy lo help raise him Eventually all the fragments merge together and the reader, along \\ith Zayde, finally understands the whole
Shalev employs a strong framework of Jewish stol)telling lo underpin his novel and each section of Jacob and Zayde •s remembrances is enriched with fairytale qualities . This is a liter81) ' novel that succeeds in being neither incomprehensible nor humourless . The author writes with a light
touch and an eye for amusing quirks of character Although occasionally paragraphs are allowed to run on for several pages, leaving the reader rather breathless , this is never done at the expense of clarity The rural Palestine community is conjured up in a few telling images and seems uncannily familiar , supporting the idea that people are pretty similar the entire world over After a number of grouches amongst HNS reviewers regarding the poor quality of some translations , it is refreshing to find one that reads as fluently as if it was originally written in English. Three cheers for Barbara Harshav who has captured all the nuances of Jewish speech without resorting to parody Sara Wilson
THE BOOK OF KINGS
James Thackara, Duckworth, £19 99, hb , 773pp, ISBN 0 7156 2976X
I don't think I have ever before reviewed a book about which I felt so intimidated. The Book of Kings is an intellectual heavyweight. Its story is that of Europe , of the last century, of movements , politics and ideologies. It is about the Second World War and events leading up to it. It is about how people are swept away by causes , about how an individual's personal history and circumstances shape how he thinks even the 773 pages give no real indication as to the size and scope of this work. Although time is often taken to explore the social and political philosophies of the age through the interaction of the characters, there is still an immediacy about the events. As a reader I had the benefit of hindsight , yet I was still left with a feeling of discovery , of how it was, an unfolding of history in which the people are both tools and pawns
That said it is also a very personal account of individual lives, spanning decades and continents. It is not easy reading in the sense that there are many characters, ranging from the German aristocracy to the poor of Algeria The book is written in short scenes which makes it manageable , but the action travels in time and place so that one is often having lo adjust as to who and when. Certain similarities of name also confuse There is , however, something about the way in which the author captures emotion, particularly that of his male characters , that reminds me of D H La,\Tence, a purity of feeling that is intense and utterly compelling This book is frequently compared lo Tolstoy For me it scores on every \\Tiling front. Highly recommended
Janet Mary Tomson
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
BEYOND THE SUNSET
Margaret Thornton , Headline, 2000, £17.99 , hb , 343pp, ISBN 0-7472-7174-7
Celebrating Victoria ' s Golden Jubilee in Blackpool , shopgirl Molly meets well-to-do Joss She dreams of him and of owning her own shop, but tragedy strikes and soon Molly is left struggling to care for her young siblings Joss is lost to her , she makes a disastrous marriage , and has to rebuild her life
After a slow start, I became increasingly involved with Molly and her friends The Blackpool scene at the tum of the century is excellently portrayed. The opening of the house-shop , a feature of the first half of the 20th century, was realistic I loved Maggie , good friend and neighbour, and the minor characters were distinct and well-drawn Sagas are often dismissed as 'poor girl makes good', with predictable plots, but they are none the worse for that. They have been popular for decades and remain so , and the best authors can evoke nostalgia with their descriptions of bygone times , find new plot twists , create warm , compelling characters , and entertain millions of readers.
Marina Oliver
TIMESLIP
STEPHANIE
Herbert Rosendorfer , Dedalus £7.99 , pb , l 53pp, ISBN 1 873982 17 8
This intelligent, beautifully-crafted book, in an impeccable translation from the German , is a time-slip story with a difference. Stephanie, a bored , middle-aged hausfrau , finds that her dreams take her to 18th century Spain, where she takes over the body of a duchess who has murdered her husband Though her 18th century world is fraught with danger and the fear of discovery , Stephanie cannot bring herself to return until she has met the unknown man the duchess loves She both is the duchess and isn't. As she puts it 'I know all the little secret compartments in the soul of that poor woman I now have to be ' Her story is interwoven most skilfully with her 20th century life, which holds strange parallels and reflections and allows Rosendorfer some acute, and occasionally darkly comic, social comment.
This is a quality book from a first-rate mind of considerable sophistication. Dedalus is to be thanked for introducing us to Herbert Rosendorfer
This is the story of two women living in Vienna at different times It begins in the present as Magnolia Brown travels to Vienna from New York for singing lessons and stays with her mother ' s cousin, Pia In a trunk in her room she finds a notebook written at the end of the 19th century by Rosa Havelka when Rosa is in prison awaiting execution for murder. Rosa ' s story is a catalogue of deprivation, catastrophe and ill-use at the hands of nuns in a convent school , various employers and almost everyone else she has dealings with
The start of the novel , where Magnolia ' s music teacher, a hypochondriac , lists endless ailments and remedies , is slow and repetitive , but Rosa·s ' autobiography ', which takes up most of the novel , is far more interesting and convincing (in spite of more ·lists'). Magnolia is a less credible character and some of her actions and dialogue are unconvincing , such as her description of pregnancy as an ' interesting condition ', surely not something a 1990s 30-something New Yorker would say Vienna ' s 19th-century history dominates Rosa ·s story: music and composers , Freud and his women patients, religious belief, the Empress Sisi , Mayerling - all steeped in decadent glamour. Thus a fascinating glimpse of fin de siecle Vienna emerges , though it could have been sharpened with fewer unnecessary details and long passages devoid of punctuation which are laborious to read. It could be that some of Lilian Faschinger's meaning and control of language has been lost in translation . Nevertheless , this is an interesting and challenging read Greta Krypczyk-Oddy
HETT ANY'S BOOK
Thomas Keneally , Sceptre, 2000 , £16.99 , hb , 599pp, ISBN 0340-61095-6
John Bettany is an Englishman, a ticket-of-leave man (freed convict), whose passion for the Australian bush is recorded in a series of journals chronicling his life from the 1840s The journals are read in the late 20th century by his descendants , two sisters from Sydney, Prim and Dirnp Bettany . Prim is an aid-worker in Sudan and Dirnp a film producer in Sydney. The journals, the sisters ' response to them and the course of the two women ' s lives as they mature, form the basis of the text.
Despite its promise and the undoubted skill of the author, this book never truly makes a whole from its disparate parts The journals
contain some lyrical passages and their period is skilfully evoked The lives of the two sisters offer enough material for a separate novel (one wonders if that might have been a more prudent course). Prim's work, and her political and personal struggles in the Sudan make fascinating reading Dirnp ' s life and career show Sydney at its best (free and larger than life) and at its worst (venal , ephemeral and shallow) It is a pity that the attempt to interweave the various narratives of past and present should produce so many loose threads and frayed edges.
Geraldine Perriam
SILENCE & SHADOWS
James Long , Harper Collins , 2001 , £10 99 , tpb , ISBN 0-00- 710217-8
The theme of this novel is clearly The Past in all its manifestations. Patrick Kane was once the wildest , wickedest and yet most popular rock musician of his generation However , his lifestyle and a terrible tragedy has finally caught up with him All he wants is to forget his past and begin again as an archaeologist. He is given the chance to lead a dig in a Cornish village where traces of a Roman villa have been unearthed. However, as Patrick, still fighting the demons of his past , soon discovers , there are other secrets hidden in the earth, including an early Saxon woman buried with a sword . As the dig slowly and not without opposition reveals its secrets , the presence of this woman slowly begins the healing process that will allow Patrick to accept his past and look forward to the future Neatly woven into the present-day narrative is the story of this woman and her life.
If you , like me, are ' hooked' by the sheer good fun of TV ' s Timeteam and are fascinated by the continuity of history to the present day, then you will enjoy this book immensely The historical input is as fascinating as the ins and outs of an archaeological dig, including the chemical toilets and mud I also learned a great deal about the very earliest Saxon settlers and how feuds begun on the European mainland spilled over into the new England.'.
ln addition, Patrick ' s present-day struggles to come to terms with his own past are neatly juxtaposed with the disputed traditions of the close-knit village on which the TV cameras descend, seeking, as only the media can, sensation and conflict.
Popular history, certainly, but none the worse for that. I found it both entertaining and moving
Sally Zigmond
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
1HE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
I IDSTORICAL FANTASY I
THE BOOK OF NIGHTS
Sylvie Germain (Tr. Christine Donougher)
Dedalus £8 99 , pb , 278pp
ISBN l 873982 00 3
An ambitious first novel which spans one hundred years of French history from three Franco-Prussian conflicts through to the holocaust of WW2 . The story is told through the Peniel family and begins with the birth of the one they call , 'Night-of-gold-Wolf-face' , who becomes patriarch of the family and the central character. He has several 'wives' and fifteen children, who are all distinguished by a gold speck in their left eye. Each of the six parts of the novel describes a 'night', beginning with 'Night of Water' and ending with 'Night of Nights'
Classed as a literary fantasy , bizarre happenings are described through both imagery and dialogue but it also gives a credible insight into how both those thrown into the irrational happenings of war and their families left behind behave in the face of conflict and suffering The episode 'Night of Ashes' which deals with WWI is particularly chilling as are the effects of carnage and inhumanity which this peasant family face when WW2 enters the village and their homes. Birth, death, relationships (in particular the affinity between twins and triplets) and the effects of national and family disasters all adds up to a haunting and credible story
The Book of Nights is one of a series of translations from the eight languages of the EU and as well as attributing the success of the novel to the author and her ability to encapsulate I 00 years of history in 278 pages , some credit must be given to the translator as nothing of the haunting and powerful story is lost. Sylvie Germain blends historical facts with magic and fantasy -a combination I found refreshing This is a novel to savour.
Greta Krypczyk-Oddy
GUENEVERE: THE CIDLD OF THE HOLY GRAIL
Rosalind Miles Simon & Schuster, £9 99, pb , 466pp ISBN I 357910 864 2
The paladins of Camelot tend to dominate stories based on the Arthurian legend. The feminine perspective is of often neglected Guenevere, Morgan le Fay et all are not usually the main characters Without being a feminist a la , say Simone de Beauvoir, Rosalind Miles has endeavoured to rectify this imbalance with her Guenevere series. This book is the last of the trilogy - the others being The Queen of the Summer Country and The Knight of the Sacred Lake. ln all three Guenevere is the central personality, not a
TI-IE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
mere appendage to King Arthur. She underpins Arthur's authority as High King by being 'Queen of the Summer Country' (roughly modem Somerset) in her own right. She is also a defender of druidic tradition and Goddess worship against the ever increasing encroachments of Christianity.
When the book begins there is , apparently, serenity at Camelot. Guenevere has long forgiven Arthur's adultery with his half-sister, Morgan le Fay Mordred, the child of that affair, is recognised as Arthur's son and heir, soon to be knighted and promising to be a worthy addition to The Round Table But Merlin discerns a new threat to Arthur's peace To the delight of the Christians, the long lost Holy Grail has come to light. Apart from Arthur and Mordred , the members of The Round Table leave to seek the Grail. Their departure provides Morgan le Fay with the opportunity to undertake her long sought revenge. There is treachery , chaos and civil war Can Guenevere even count on Lancelot's love? Who is the mysterious Galahad? What is his destiny ? Will Camelot and the fellowship of The Round Table collapse?
The book is a romantic drama rather than a tale of daring-do. It is well written, demonstrates a sound knowledge of the Arthurian legend and the plot ably unravels . The book is a pleasure to read. Reading the two earlier books will add to the enjoyment. Ken Cosgrove
THE ORCLE AND THE CROSS
Caiseal Mor, Earthlight, £6.99, pb , 536pp ISBN O 671 03728 5
It is the 5th century and Pope Celestine has sent Palladius to be the first bishop of Ireland, or Eirinn, and to convert the Druid nation to Christianity But, although he has been told to avoid interfering with the political running of the country, Palladius initiates a blood-soaked war between rival kingships , culminating in the destruction of the most holy of rowan trees - The Quicken Tree.
Sensing that the instability facing the Irish nation will only get worse, the Druidic Council makes plans to safeguard their ancient magical traditions for he future To this end two small children, Mawn and Sianan, have been selected to be trained as Wanderers and it will be their task to carry the Druid messages to the next generation Their upbringing will be entrusted to four people : Gobann the magical storyteller, Sila a Druid, Prince Murrough and Chieftain Caitlin. Between them they must protect and teach the children until they reach adulthood.
This novel is an interesting fusion of historical drama and fantasy from the pen of an Australian raised in an Aboriginal setting by Irish parents The strong storytelling
traditions of both cultures show clearly in Mor's writing, especiaJJy when Gobann -a harpist bard - holds centre stage and acts as commentator and elucidator to the reader
Although the magical elements are too dominant for this to count as straight historical fiction, they are treated very matter-of-factly so as to seem entirely plausible in the context of the plot. What the author conveys very weJJ is the terrible price demanded by the early Christian missionaries - acceptance of the Word, or death
The novel is a little slow in getting undenvay - partly because of the large cast of characters, but also because of the number of disparate plot strands at the beginning
However once the scene is set and the plot begins to gel the action speeds up dramaticall y and the final third rattles along at a great pace This is the first part of a trilogy so the ending does leave the reader wanting to know more , which is no bad thing
Sara Wilson
THE SONG OF THE EARTH
Caiseal Mor, Earthlight, £6 99 pb , 530pp ISBN O671037293
This is Book Two of The Wanderers Trilogy (see above) and continues the story. It is nine years since Palladius , the sadistic Christian bishop, has been exiled from Eirinn, but the Druid Council continues to train Mawn and Sianan to become immortal Wanderers The plan remains that these two will carry the traditions of the Druidic people to later generations and thereby safeguard the sacred culture against the incursions of the Roman church . A more powerful bishop , Patricius, has now journeyed from Rome to Eirinn to spread the word of Christ on behalf of the pope He is of an altogether different mould from the warmongering PaJJadius and desires a peaceful conversion; even so his mission brings him into conflict with Leoghaire, the High-King of Eirinn Unfortunately the tensions occasioned by the arrival of Patricius threaten to jeopardise the final initiation test for Mawn and Sianan - they must pass this test before being aJJowed to drink the Quicken brew that will ensure their immortality
Once again Caiseal Mor seamlessly weaves historical fact with a strong thread of fantasy Shape changing, Faery folk, premonitions and spirits aJ1 make their appearance, but are introduced sparingly enough to enhance and not overpower the narrative threads
The impressive cast list from Book One is mostly carried over into Book Two and the main characters are fleshed out in even greater detail - this must be one of the major bonuses of reading (or writing) a series of novels . As in Book One the first chapters are a little slow
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
I msroRICAL FANTASY I
THE BOOK OF NIGHTS
Sylvie Germain (Tr. Christine Donougher)
Dedalus £8 99 , pb , 278pp
ISBN l 873982 00 3
An ambitious first novel which spans one hundred years of French history from three Franco-Prussian conflicts through to the holocaust of WW2 The story is told through the Peniel family and begins with the birth of the one they call , 'Night-of-gold-Wolf-face', who becomes patriarch of the family and the central character He has several 'wives' and fifteen children, who are all distinguished by a gold speck in their left eye. Each of the six parts of the novel describes a 'night', beginning with 'Night of Water' and ending with 'Night of Nights'
Classed as a literary fantasy , bizarre happenings are described through both imagery and dialogue but it also gives a credible insight into how both those thrown into the irrational happenings of war and their families left behind behave in the face of conflict and suffering The episode 'Night of Ashes' which deals with WWI is particularly chilling as are the effects of carnage and inhumanity which this peasant family face when WW2 enters the village and their homes Birth, death, relationships (in particular the affinity between twins and triplets) and the effects of national and family disasters all adds up to a haunting and credible story
The Book of Nights is one of a series of translations from the eight languages of the EU and as well as attributing the success of the novel to the author and her ability to encapsulate 100 years of history in 278 pages , some credit must be given to the translator as nothing of the haunting and powerful story is lost. Sylvie Germain blends historical facts with magic and fantasy -a combination I found refreshing This is a novel to savour Greta Krypczyk-Oddy
GUENEVERE: THE CHILD OF THE HOLY GRAIL
Rosalind Miles Simon & Schuster, £9.99 , pb, 466pp ISBN l 3579 IO 864 2
The paladins of Camelot tend to dominate stories based on the Arthurian legend. The feminine perspective is of often neglected. Guenevere, Morgan le Fay et all are not usually the main characters Without being a feminist a la , say Simone de Beauvoir, Rosalind Miles has endeavoured to rectify this imbalance with her Guenevere series This book is the last of the trilogy - the others being The Queen of the Summer Country and The Knight of the Sacred Lake. In all three Guenevere is the central personality, not a
TI£E HJSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
mere appendage to King Arthur She underpins Arthur's authority as High King by being 'Queen of the Summer Country' (roughly modem Somerset) in her own right. She is also a defender of druidic tradition and Goddess worship against the ever increasing encroachments of Christianity .
When the book begins there is , apparently , serenity at Camelot. Guenevere has long forgiven Arthur's adultery with his half-sister , Morgan le Fay. Mordred, the child of that affair, is recognised as Arthur's son and heir, soon to be knighted and promising to be a worthy addition to The Round Table But Merlin discerns a new threat to Arthur's peace. To the delight of the Christians , the long lost Holy Grail has come to light. Apart from Arthur and Mordred , the members of The Round Table leave to seek the Grail. Their departure provides Morgan le Fay with the opportunity to undertake her long sought revenge. There is treachery , chaos and civil war Can Guenevere even count on Lancelot's love? Who is the mysterious Galahad? What is his destiny ? Will Camelot and the fellowship of The Round Table collapse?
The book is a romantic drama rather than a tale of daring-do It is well written, demonstrates a sound knowledge of the Arthurian legend and the plot ably unravels The book is a pleasure to read Reading the two earlier books will add to the enjoyment. Ken Cosgrove
THE ORCLE AND THE CROSS
Caiseal Mor, Earthlight, £6 99 , pb, 536pp ISBN O 671 03728 5
It is the 5th century and Pope Celestine has sent Palladius to be the first bishop of Ireland, or Eirinn, and to convert the Druid nation to Christianity But. although he has been told to avoid interfering with the political running of the country, Palladius initiates a blood-soaked war between rival kingships , culminating in the destruction of the most holy of rowan trees
- The Quicken Tree.
Sensing that the instability facing the Irish nation will only get worse , the Druidic Council makes plans to safeguard their ancient magical traditions for he future To this end two small children, Mawn and Sianan, have been selected to be trained as Wanderers and it will be their task to carry the Druid messages to the next generation. Their upbringing will be entrusted to four people : Gobann the magical storyteller, Sila a Druid, Prince Murrough and Chieftain Caitlin Between them they must protect and teach the children until they reach adulthood
This novel is an interesting fusion of historical drama and fantasy from the pen of an Australian raised in an Aboriginal setting by Irish parents The strong storytelling
traditions of both cultures show clearly in Mor's writing , especially when Gobann -a harpist bard - holds centre stage and acts as commentator and elucidator to the reader
Although the magical elements are too dominant for this to count as straight historical fiction, they are treated very matter-of-factly so as to seem entirely plausible in the context of the plot. What the author conveys very well is the terrible price demanded by the early Christian missionaries - acceptance of the Word, or death
The novel is a little slow in getting underway - partly because of the large cast of characters , but also because of the number of disparate plot strands at the beginning
However once the scene is set and the plot begins to gel the action speeds up dramatically and the final third rattles along at a great pace
This is the first part of a trilogy so the ending does leave the reader wanting to know more , which is no bad thing
Sara Wilson
THE SONG OF THE EARTH
Caiseal Mor, Earthlight, £6 99 pb, 530pp
ISBN O671 03729 3
This is Book Two of The Wanderers Trilogy (see above) and continues the story It is nine years since Palladius , the sadistic Christian bishop , has been exiled from Eirinn, but the Druid Council continues to train Mawn and Sianan to become immortal Wanderers The plan remains that these two will carry the traditions of the Druidic people to later generations and thereby safeguard the sacred culture against the incursions of the Roman church.
A more powerful bishop , Patricius , has now journeyed from Rome to Eirinn to spread the word of Christ on behalf of the pope He is of an altogether different mould from the warmongering Palladius and desires a peaceful conversion; even so his mission brings him into conflict with Leoghaire, the High-King of Eirinn. Unfortunately the tensions occasioned by the arrival of Patricius threaten to jeopardise the final initiation test for Mawn and Sianan - they must pass this test before being allowed to drink the Quicken brew that will ensure their immortality.
Once again Caiseal Mor seamlessly weaves historical fact with a strong thread of fantasy. Shape changing, Faery folk , premonitions and spirits all make their appearance, but are introduced sparingly enough to enhance and not overpower the narrative threads
The impressive cast list from Book One is mostly carried over into Book Two and the main characters are fleshed out in even greater detail - this must be one of the major bonuses of reading (or writing) a series of novels As in Book One the first chapters are a little slow
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
I mSTORICAL FANTASY I
THE BOOK OF NIGHTS
Sylvie Gennain (Tr . Christine Donougher)
Dedalus £8 .99, pb , 278pp
ISBN I 873982 00 3
An ambitious first novel which spans one hundred years of French history from three Franco-Prussian conflicts through to the holocaust of WW2 The story is told through the Peniel family and begins with the birth of the one they call , 'Night-of-gold-Wolf-face' , who becomes patriarch of the family and the central character He has several 'wives' and fifteen children, who are all distinguished by a gold speck in their left eye Each of the six parts of the novel describes a 'night' , beginning with 'Night of Water' and ending with 'Night of Nights'
Classed as a literary fantasy , bizarre happenings are described through both imagery and dialogue but it also gives a credible insight into how both those thrown into the irrational happenings of war and their families left behind behave in the face of conflict and suffering. The episode 'Night of Ashes' which deals with WWI is particularly chilling as are the effects of carnage and inhumanity which this peasant family face when WW2 enters the village and their homes. Birth, death, relationships (in particular the affinity between twins and triplets) and the effects of national and family disasters all adds up to a haunting and credible story.
The Book of Nights is one of a series of translations from the eight languages of the EU and as well as attributing the success of the novel to the author and her ability to encapsulate I 00 years of history in 278 pages, some credit must be given to the translator as nothing of the haunting and powerful story is lost. Sylvie Gennain blends historical facts with magic and fantasy - a combination I found refreshing This is a novel to savour.
Greta Krypczyk-Oddy
GUENEVERE: THE CffiLD OF THE HOLY GRAIL
Rosalind Miles Simon & Schuster, £9 99, pb, 466pp ISBN I 357910 864 2
The paladins of Camelot tend to dominate stories based on the Arthurian legend . The feminine perspective is of often neglected Guenevere , Morgan le Fay et all are not usually the main characters Without being a feminist a la , say Simone de Beauvoir, Rosalind Miles has endeavoured to rectify this imbalance with her Guenevere series This book is the last of the trilogy - the others being The Queen of the Summer Country and The Knight of the Sacred Lake In all three Guenevere is the central personality, not a
TI-IE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
mere appendage to King Arthur She underpins Arthur's authority as High King by being 'Queen of the Summer Country' (roughly modem Somerset) in her own right. She is also a defender of druidic tradition and Goddess worship against the ever mcreasmg encroachments of Christianity
When the book begins there is , apparently, serenity at Camelot. Guenevere has long forgiven Arthur's adultery with his half-sister, Morgan le Fay. Mordred, the child of that affair, is recognised as Arthur's son and heir, soon to be knighted and promising to be a worthy addition to The Round Table But Merlin discerns a new threat to Arthur's peace To the delight of the Christians, the long lost Holy Grail has come to light. Apart from Arthur and Mordred , the members of The Round Table leave to seek the Grail Their departure provides Morgan le Fay with the opportunity to undertake her long sought revenge. There is treachery , chaos and civil war Can Guenevere even count on Lancelot's love? Who is the mysterious Galahad? What is his destiny? Will Camelot and the fellowship of The Round Table collapse?
The book is a romantic drama rather than a tale of daring-do It is well written, demonstrates a sound knowledge of the Arthurian legend and the plot ably unravels The book is a pleasure to read. Reading the two earlier books will add to the enjoyment. Ken Cosgrove
THE ORCLE AND THE CROSS
Caiseal Mor, Earthlight, £6.99 , pb , 536pp ISBN O 671 03728 5
It is the 5th century and Pope Celestine has sent Palladius to be the first bishop of Ireland, or Eirinn, and to convert the Druid nation to Christianity But, although he has been told to avoid interfering with the political running of the country, Palladius initiates a blood-soaked war between rival kingships , culminating in the destruction of the most holy of rowan trees - The Quicken Tree
Sensing that the instability facing the lrish nation will only get worse, the Druidic Council makes plans to safeguard their ancient magical traditions for he future. To this end two small children, Mawn and Sianan, have been selected to be trained as Wanderers and it will be their task to carry the Druid messages to the next generation Their upbringing will be entrusted to four people : Gobann the magical storyteller, Sila a Druid, Prince Murrough and Chieftain Caitlin . Between them they must protect and teach the children until they reach adulthood
This novel is an interesting fusion of historical drama and fantasy from the pen of an Australian raised in an Aboriginal setting by lrish parents. The strong storytelling
traditions of both cultures show clearly in Mor's writing , especially when Gobann - a harpist bard - holds centre stage and acts as commentator and elucidator to the reader.
Although the magical elements are too dominant for this to count as straight historical fiction, they are treated very matter-of-factly so as to seem entirely plausible in the context of the plot. What the author conveys very well is the terrible price demanded by the early Christian missionaries - acceptance of the Word, or death
The novel is a little slow in getting underway - partly because of the large cast of characters , but also because of the number of disparate plot strands at the beginning
However once the scene is set and the plot begins to gel the action speeds up dramatically and the final third rattles along at a great pace This is the first part of a trilogy so the ending does leave the reader wanting to know more , which is no bad thing
Sara Wilson
THE SONG OF THE EARTH
Caiseal Mor , Earthlight, £6 99 pb , 530pp ISBN O671 03729 3
This is Book Two of The Wanderers Trilogy (see above) and continues the story . It is nine years since Palladius, the sadistic Christian bishop, has been exiled from Eirinn, but the Druid Council continues to train Mawn and Sianan to become immortal Wanderers The plan remains that these two will carry the traditions of the Druidic people to later generations and thereby safeguard the sacred culture against the incursions of the Roman church.
A more powerful bishop, Patricius , has now journeyed from Rome to Eirinn to spread the word of Christ on behalf of the pope He is of an altogether different mould from the warmongering Palladius and desires a peaceful conversion; even so his mission brings him into conflict with Leoghaire, the High-King of Eirinn. Unfortunately the tensions occasioned by the arrival of Patricius threaten to jeopardise the final initiation test for Mawn and Sianan - they must pass this test before being allowed to drink the Quicken brew that will ensure their immortality.
Once again Caiseal Mor seamlessly weaves historical fact with a strong thread of fantasy Shape changing, Faery folk , premonitions and spirits all make their appearance , but are introduced sparingly enough to enhance and not overpower the narrative threads
The impressive cast list from Book One is mostly carried over into Book Two and the main characters are fleshed out in even greater detail - this must be one of the major bonuses of reading (or writing) a series of novels As in Book One the first chapters are a little slow
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
moving but the action, when it comes , is well worth waiting for. In fact for those readers who enjoy their history to be spiced up with a bit of magic this trilogy is shaping into a fine series Just one piece of advice - read Book One first , or else this one could prove difficult to follow
Sara Wilson
THE WATER OF LIFE
Caiseal Mor Earthlight £6 99, pb , 538pp
ISBN O 671037307
In the final book of The Wanderers Trilogy the two young druids , Mawn and Sianan , have passed all their tests and have been allowed to drink the Water of Life They are now immortal Wanderers, avowed to stay alive and safeguard the teachings of the druidic faith against the influence of Christianity
Their first task is to travel from Eirinn to Alba, with their tutors ; King Murrough and Queen Caitlin of Munster, the poet Gorbann and Sila the healer. There they must try to save the Gaels of Dal Araidhe from the savage pillaging of the Saxons This would be a hard enough task anyway , but on arrival they discover that the Gaels are wary of their motives and obstruct them when they can. To make matters worse the evil ex-bishop Palladius - an old adversary - has joined his forces with the Saxon foe and a mighty battle is inevitable A battle after which not everyone will survive .
Caiseal Mor's writing is assured from the very first in this novel and this time he maintains a fast pace from chapter one Because of the solid groundwork laid down in the earlier novels the main characters are presented in their fully developed form -a bonus if the reader is familiar with these earlier books, but the uninitiated may find them over-complex, with uncertain motivation The author continues to impress with his weighty historical knowledge and the lyricism of his prose. Some passages of poems , storytelling and harping especially cry out to be heard aloud and, in fact , it appears that the author has produced accompanying CDs of complementary music. Mor's trademark blend of history and magic marks this out as a superior fantasy novel , But do read Books One and Two
Sara Wilson
PRIESTESS OF AVALON
Marion Zimmer Bradley, Voyager 2000, £16 99, hb , 382pp , ISBN O00 224709 7 1n AD 249 Rian, High Priestess of Avalon, dies giving birth to her fifth child From the stars , Merlin of Britannia draws forth the prophecy that her baby will stand at the turning of the age, and at the gateway between two worlds . Named Eilan with her mother's
THE 1-IlSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
dying breath, the girl is then renamed Helena by her father, King Coel, and brought up in the ways of Rome At the age of ten she retwns to Avalon to begin her training as a priestess, but her progress is slow, as her Aunt Ganeda, who is now the High Priestess , is determined she shall fail In spite of this , however, Helena succeeds, and also becomes a great healer, but her life is thrown into turmoil when she meets the Roman, Constantius . He is the man she saw once in a vision, the man destined to father the child who will free Britannia from the tyranny of Rome , and the one man whom she knows she will love for the rest of her life
Destined to walk a path never before trodden by a Priestess of Avalon, Helena has to contend with banishment, as well as the policies of Rome and the ill fortunes of war. The rise of a powerful new religion adds to the dangers surrounding herself and Constantius, and the prophecy of Merlin shows every sign of coming true
The dialogue, however, is rather stilted at times , and to me personally, which detracts somewhat from the atmosphere of a legendary period in English history It is also written mainly in the first person, which again, might not appeal to everyone Sadly, Priestess of Avalon is published posthumously, as Marion Zimmer Bradley passed away in 1999, but there is little doubt that her legion of fans will welcome this , her last book.
Margaret Beasley
THE MABINOGION
Translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, illustrated by Alan Lee, Voyager, 2000 , £25 , hb , 355pp, ISBN 0-261-10391-l
The Mabinogion , as any reader, writer or student of historical fantasy knows is the finest collection of Celtic mythology ever brought together in one volume It consists of twelve stories from an oral tradition dating back to the tenth century. Here are tales of knights and ladies , gods , heroes , fabulous beasts , battles and quests It combines the world of ancient and early British culture, Arthurian legend and Europe ' s Age of Chivalry and is clearly the work of many different story-tellers.
This new and sumptuous edition uses the first English translation by Lady Charlotte Guest and includes the tale of Taliesin which has been missing from the collection for over twenty years . However, what gives it extra distinction are the series of illustrations by Alan Lee plus facsimile reproductions of the wood engravings of the original 1877 edition
Alan Lee ' s paintings owe much to the pre-Raphaelite tradition of noble knights and solemn maidens The almost monochrome colour palette , gnarled branches, mists and mystery also brings the work of Arthur
Rackham to mind The art-work is stunning and perfectly compliments the well-laid-out text. With copious notes to put the tales into context, this new edition of The Mabinogion is long overdue and well worth the cover price Sally Zigmond
NON-FICTION
JOHN RUSKIN:NO WEAL TH BUT LIFE
John Batchelor. Pimlico £12 50, pb, 38l pp
ISBN O 7126 6753 9
' Ruskin, whose life spanned almost a century from 1819 to 1900, was one of the most influential cultural and intellectual figures of his age He was fundamentally a post-Romantic visionary ; this fact underlies his activities as art critic and writer on architecture and also his passionate advocacy of an alternative social model for England ' Peter Ackroyd writing for The Times considers this , 'A lucid, sympathetic account, with particularly interesting passages on the psychological complexity of its subject . . . An inspiring volume, filled with scholarship and love' . As for me I wholeheartedly enjoy titles which get into the heads of real people in their own time - this is where the inspiration for good creative, authentic fiction lies Towse Harrison
LOUIS XIV
Ian Dunlop , Pirnlico, £12 50 , pb, 488pp
ISBN O 7126 6709
'An epic account ... that sets the King like a brilliant jewel in the context of his times , his family and familiars and the magnificence of Versailles.' The Times This titles aims to be complementary to traditional assessments of Louis' reign, 'using contemporary quotations to show how the king was seen at the time and presenting him as the inspirer and enabler of creative artists of many kinds'. 'Louis' love of the art of war brought France into humiliation ; his love of the arts of peace gave France her position as the cultural centre to which all Europe looked ' This interesting title has been much praised by the critics and is winner of the Enid McLeod Literary Prize Towse Harrison
THE ULTIMATE JACK THE RIPPER SOURCEBOOK
Stewart P Evans & Keith Skinner, Robinson, 2000 , £25 , hb, 692pp , ISBN 0-84119-225-2
Even though Jack the Ripper carried out his series of gruesome murders over I 00 years ago public interest in the case never wanesprobably because of the myths and legends surrounding the identity of the killer Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner have a raft of
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
Ripper books under their respective belts and between them have amassed a great deal of knowledge about the celebrated case This book is the result of all their meticulous research It does not set out to solve the mystery and the reader should not expect any shock revelations or accusations - rather the reverse The aim of The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook is to strip away the myths and clearly set out the facts , it makes fascinating reading. The whole grisly case is described through original police reports , witness statements, photographs - including some graphic mortuary and crime scene shots , pathologist reports , Home Office files , verbatim accounts of the inquests and extracts from police notebooks There are lists of what the dead women were wearing when they were killed and detailed maps of the localities involved Also included are several contemporary newspaper reports , which popularised the horrifying nickname - Jack the Ripper All this amounts to a remarkable overview of the Ripper case and an absolute gem for those wanting a greater understanding of the murders. It would be equally useful for anyone writing about late 19th century London
Sara Wilson
FREY A STARK - PASSIONATE NOMAD
Jane Fletcher Geniesse , Pimlico, £12 50, hb , 402pp ISBN O 7126 6754 7
Many titles have appeared recently documenting the travels of previously unknown Victorian lady travellers. Freya Stark was their 20th century descendent. A contemporary of T E. Lawrence. her first book, Valley of the Assassins , was published in 1934. She explored ancient trading routes in the Yemeni desert, Crusader castles in Syria, uncharted parts of Arabia and followed (decades before Michael Wood!) Alexander The Great's path through Turkey She travelled into the Himalayas at the age of 89 and when she died at 100 she left a legacy of over thirty volumes of writings , autobiography and letters Her life reads like the adventure story of a female Indiana Jones and juxtaposes the bravery and tenacity of her solo explorations with the disappointments and unwise decisions of her private life
ISBN O00 257148 X Chapter One begins: 'For three billion years Scotland was on a collision course with England.' This opener sets the mood of the book for us This is the big picture, the broad
THE HlSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
canvas, and it is a picture of Scotland, peppered with quotations from Sir Walter Scott's Tales of a Grandfather, which is the starting point for a re-examination and re-illumination of traditional views of Scotland's past. In a series of vivid snapshots, bringing recent research to life and quoting current ideas , Magnusson gets from the Mesozoic to Macbeth in four lucid chapters.
Then the narrative slows a bit and focuses , reign by reign, on the way Scotland was shaped by its leaders and by the everlasting struggle against the predatory neighbour The issues confronting each monarch are set out for us in a conversational mix of anecdote and analysis , with contemporary and modem comments. The main narrative ends with the Forty-five Rebellion , but that is followed by a brief biography of Scott, setting him in historical context in the same way as the Stewart kings, and then by an entertaining epilogue about the twentieth century rise of Scottish Nationalism , and the origins of the Scottish Parliament.
This is a splendid account , clear and very readable-- dip into it and you've read most of a century before you know it. There are omissions, of course-- a page and a half on the Enlightenment, no mention of industry or the law-- but it ought to be on the bookshelf, or better still the desk, of anyone interested in the story of how Scotland got where it is today.
Pat McIntosh-Spinn/er
VIKING WEAPONS & WARFARE
J. Kim Siddom, Tempus Publishing Ltd.ffempus Publishing Inc , 2000 , £15 99 UK/$26 99 USA , pb , 160pp
ISBN 0-7524-1419-4
Reading this book will make you doubt recent revisionist claims that the Vikings have been misunderstood , and were actually only peaceable market traders Kim Siddom, a veteran re-enactor in the Regia Anglorurn group , explains in detail what weapons the Viking used, and how they were made, ·with surprisingly fascinating details of metallurgy and the skills of the blacksmith. He also gives information on other aspects of Viking life , such as money Viking ships and sailing skills are described from the point of view of a re-enactor who has spent many a day soaked and cold in an uncomfortably accurate replica Viking vessel.
The book is also illustrated with photographs of weapons, armour, and other gear being worn and used in rather alarming mock combat, and also of replica vessels at sea, and other re-enactment scenes such as a group of surprisingly cheerful "slaves" being carried off by men in need of a shave and a haircut. The book also contains many drawings of Viking warriors and equipment.
I had always assumed that the Vikings fought in the manner of the Celts , with individual heroes fighting without organisation, but this book has taught me that the Vikings used quite elaborate infantry formations and drills, and were obviously willing to be disciplined and take orders Anyone setting a novel in the Viking period would find this a useful source of information.
Alan Fisk
CIHLDREN'S
GREYFRIARS BOBBY
Ruth Brown, Anderson Press, 1995 , £9 99, hb , ISBN 0-86264-57 1-9
We are told that one picture is worth a thousand words and this book proves that saying . Here , the well known story of Greyfriars Bobby is told in a large format picture book and the pictures really evoke the spirit of the Edinburgh of 1872 The Castle and the tenements on the front cover and the way the people dressed on the inside Tom and Becky are tired of sightseeing They come to a fountain. They read the inscription and find that the fountain is a tribute to a little dog ; Greyfriars Bobby They go into the churchyard and the gardener tells them Bobby ' s story . At once the pictures change Tom is now wearing a sailor suit and Becky has a straw hat , a flounced white dress and boots We are shown the cattle which Bobby's master brought into Edinburgh each evening ready for the next day's market and we are shown the scenes in the cafe where he ate We are also shown the hills around Edinburgh This book really brings the Edinburgh of the 1870s to life. It is beautifully illustrated, a book for children to enjoy and adults to treasure Mary Moffat
MIRACLES AND RUBIES
Clare Cooper, Pont Books, 1992, £2.50 69pp , ISBN O 86383 891 X It is 1340 Owain is being taken on a pilgrimage from Hereford to Saint David's on the west coast of Wales . Owain does not want to go. He is sure it will be futile. His hand will still be withered, his legs useless and his back crooked But even before the pilgrimage starts a strange and wonderful thing happens There is a service of dedication in a cold chapel. The priest lends Owain his tiny spaniel Canterbury (named after the archbishop) to keep him warm Owain strokes the little dog but the movement hurts his hand and he stops. Canterbury whimpers and, fearing that the other pilgrims will be disturbed, Owain strokes him again and keeps on stroking him.
ISSUE 15. FEBRUARY 2001
That night he has a good sleep and the next morning he finds that he can stroke Canterbury without any pain Can this be the beginning of a miracle?
As they progress through Wales Owain recovers the use of his legs He loses his anger and stops blaming his horse for his injuries. But his back is still crooked. Will it be cured when they reach Saint David's ? Will they even reach Saint David's ? On the way Lady Eleanor, who has organised the pilgrimage, falls under the influence of a Fransciscan friar Matilda , Eleanor's daughter, thinks that there is something unpleasant about him while Owain thinks he is ' furtive. ' Matilda insists on wearing a valuable ruby necklace and they are passing through some very lonely territory in Wales ideal for an ambush.
This little book (it is only about 12,000 words long) gives a good picture of a medieval pilgrimage Owain sees palmers , penitents in bare feet and, in complete contrast, the rich entourage of a bishop. The dangers of travelling through an uninhabited countryside are brought out. We also learn a little about tournaments and arranged marriages for women The darker side of the period is shown quite clearly Owain sees a dead leper, a man with terrible injuries and the bodies of several horses which had been ridden too hard Finally the pilgrims are set upon and attacked by outlaws . But this is only part of the story. There is also the pleasant side with the story-telling sessions every evening at the end of the day's travel. The overall message is one of hope This is a pleasant little book which also gives a good picture of medieval times It is a welcome change from many of the harsh and stern books being published today I thoroughly enjoyed it.
MaryMojfat
KO'SSTORY
Peter Dickinson, Macmillan, 1999, £3 99, pb , 154 pp , ISBN O 330 373129
Ko 's Story is the third part of Peter Dickinson's quartet, The Kin , originally published in a single volume hardback in 1998 The imagined story of our ancestors , thousands of years ago in Africa , is told through the eyes of Ko , a young boy growing up in the Moonhawk Kin . A small group of hunter-gatherers forced from their lands by hostile tribes , the Moonhawk Kin are now looking for new Good Places in which to settle, but there are many difficulties to overcome first. In some ways , this is like many other rite-of-passage historical novels - a young boy grows up, goes through various adventures and ordeals, gets a little wisdom and becomes a man . Hungry crocodiles, lack of food , and impassable marshlands are just some of the problems Ko has to face.
TIIE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
However, the book is distinguished by Peter Dickinson's ability to recreate a world in which the importance of language is just starting to be recognised The Moonhawk Kin have a simple spoken language, whilst other groups have sign language, or no language How the different groups communicate with one another and how they express more complex ideas and emotions between themselves , is explored through a series of adventures and encounters which illustrate the difficulties of friendship , barter and co-operation without a common language As befits a book in which the significance and application of language is a driving concern, the chapters about the Kin are alternated with chapters of ' Oldtales ' - an imagined sequence of tales such as Ko's people might have used as part of an oral storytelling culture. With language comes the ability to tell stories as a way of examining concerns , dealing with issues or fears. or just for pleasure The Oldtales story sequence draws on many traditional motifs , and the language is patterned and stylised as would happen in an oral culture There is a quest to fulfil a task, the reward for which is a beautiful wife ; there are magical creatures, and spells which turn people into animals ; and there is a hero who initially prefers one sister to another. but eventually makes a wiser choice. It is easy to imagine Ko's people listening to such stories , sitting around their evening fire. This is an excellent book, packed with incident and adventure, but also drawing on wider themes and sources which will interest a reflective reader. I now plan to read the other books in the quartet.
Belinda Copson
BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE. A TALE OF FONTENEY AND CULLODEN
G.A. Henty, PrestonSpeed, 2000 , £9 50, pb ., 290pp, ISBN 1-887159-55-X
Available over the internet from http ://www .amazon.co uk PrestonSpeed is republishing all the books of G.A. Henty And not abridged editions either (For more details v1s1t PrestonSpeed on the internet at http://www prestonspeed com)
After the Rebellion of 1715 many of the Jacobites managed to escape to France where they served the French King in the Scots regiment. This forms a large part of the background to this book Colonel Leslie incurs the wrath of two aristocratic families and is imprisoned under the notorious lettres de cachet. His infant son, Ronald, is smuggled out of France by his oldest friend, Malcolm Anderson. He is then brought up as the son of a Glasgow baillie When he is a young man Ronald is arrested for trying to help a Jacobite agent. He is taken by ship to London for trial. 22
From this point on the pace is fast and furious. Malcolm rescues Ronald and smuggles him aboard a ship for France a ship which is soon to be wrecked Once in France Ronald serves with his father's old regiment at the Battle of Fonteney, tries to seek out and free his father , and finally kills the king's favourite in a duel. Then, with Malcolm, he makes his way to Bonnie Prince Charlie, embarks with him, and sails to Scotland From then on we follow their fortunes , and those of the Prince, up to the Battle of Culloden Their final escape provides more excitement.
This is a thrilling, fast paced story but there is more to it than that. The historical background is detailed and accurate . Being Scots , I found the details of the exiled Scots living in France especially interesting . This is something which tends to be glossed over by Scottish history
G A Henty used to be a war correspondent and , as such , he was able to give a particularly accurate account of the campaigns of the '45 To return to the French section: Henty shows a France in which the seeds of the Revolution have already taken root. Colonel Leslie has been imprisoned under one of the hated lettres de cachet which made their own contribution to the events of the Reign of Terror Later Ronald comes to realise that he could never live in a country in which the King is all powerful
This novel was first published in 1887 and ideas have changed since then, particularly in the way in which wars are written about. Henty is very accurate in describing the campaigns but he does tend to skate over the misery and suffering caused by war . In fact , in the early stages, Ronald tends to treat it as a game, although we are given some idea of the carnage after the Battle of Culloden But that was the style at the time and, as the background history is so good, I think it would be a pity if Henty were to be rejected on this account. Instead I would point this out to children and encourage them to read them in addition to some of the many modem books which show the cruelty, devastation and futility of war.
1 read a lot of Henty between the ages of ten and twelve and I am really excited that PrestonSpeed is now republishing all his books I find that Henty's books mean far more to me now than they did when I was twelve. This book is well worth reading Henty gives a different perspective to the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 11 to adult
Mary Moffat
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
FARAWAY HOME
Marilyn Taylor, The O'Brien Press, 1999, £4 .99. pb 22lpp, ISBN 0-86278-643-6
This is a fictionalised account of the Millisle Refugee Fann in Northern Ireland during the Second World War As the Nui abuse of the Jews increased, a committee organised the Kindertransports About ten thousand unaccompanied children aged between three and seventeen from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia, were permitted entry into Britain without visas. Most of these children never saw their parents again Some of these children were sent to Northern Ireland Many of them were looked after by foster parents but others went to the Millisle Refugee Farm about twenty miles from Belfast. It took refugees from May 1938 until its closure in 1948. Marilyn Taylor has researched the story of the 'Farm' very thoroughly and this powerful story is the result. The Mullers are a Jewish family living in Vienna. After the Anschluss they are desperate to leave Austria but they cannot get visas Finally Mrs Muller is able to arrange for eight-year-old Rosa and her teenage brother, Karl to go on one of the Kindertransports After an emotional farewell at the station Karl and Rosa are on their way to England and freedom. They are eventually sent to Northern Ireland There little eight-year-old Rosa is looked after by foster parents in Belfast while Karl is sent to Millisle Farm. It is through the experiences of Karl himself, and Judy a fourteen-year-old volunteer worker from Dublin, that we learn all about the 'Farm .' When he first arrives Millisle Farm is derelict and Karl has to sleep in a tent. But new buildings are erected and two local farm workers teach the refugees how to run a farm. Soon there are cart horses , cows, two dogs and hundreds of chickens The refugees begin to settle down . As well as working on the farm Karl also attends the local school. In the summer Judy comes with a group of volunteers. She has been sent by her parents and she is spoilt and petulant but gradually Judy and Karl become friendly and from Karl Judy begins to realise just what it means to be a Jew in Nazi Europe As well as working at the Farm Karl writes letters to various committees hoping to find a way to get his famil y out of Austria. Then he hears that they have been deported Probably to a prison camp Perhaps to Dachau . Karl is devastated He even feels guilty His parents had saved him but he has been unable to save them.
Then, with the bombing of Belfast, the War comes to Northern Ireland. The descriptions of the air raid, of Belfast in flames and the fire engines from the South racing to the rescue are among the most memorable in the whole book. This book
covers so much . lo the first section the incredible heartless brutality of the SS is really brought home to the reader. Then in the Irish section the day to day work of the Fann is contrasted with the emotions and anxieties of the desperately homesick young refugees . There are notes on : the Kindertransports , Millisle Farm, and Northern Ireland and the War There is also a comprehensive bibliography. A gripping and poignant story which should really make the reader think Teenage
Mary Moffat
NO FRIEND OF MINE
Ann Turnbull, Walker, 1995 , £3 99, pb , 127 pp, ISBN 0-74 45-3657-X
This story is a quiet tale in which there is, somehow, little tension, although when the last page is read it leaves the reader feeling happy and satisfied that their pocket money was not wasted.
Lennie is the son of a hard working but militantly trades-unionist father , who is not popular with the only large local employer At the opening of the story Lennie is being persistently bullied by some of the less brainy boys in his class . It is made clear that even in I 93 7, when this story is set, it was neither fashionable or popular to be an eager pupil in a poor district, so Lennie has no friends to help him to stand up to his tormentors . Attempting to avoid this gang he knows is waiting for him Lennie takes a roundabout route one day and in the woods he finds a ruined cottage Close inspection shows him that no one else has been inside the ruins for weeks so Lennie decides to make it his special hideaway during the long summer weekends and holidays
After a few weekends he discovers another boy using his secret den and, after some initial wariness , they become friends Unfortunately there is a deep chasm between their social positions as Lennie becomes aware that his new friend is none other than the only son of the owner of the factory where members of Lennie's large family are, or have been, employed Misplaced kindness on the part of the rich boy leads to further complications in Lennie's life but eventually, as in all good tales , there is a satisfactory conclusion with a few surprises on the way. The pre-war period is well portrayed without being so obvious that it prevents the story flowing in a satisfactory manner. This book is a pleasant and undemanding read and would be enjoyed by most children aged 8-12 years.
Jan Shaw
US/CANADA TITLES
'US/Canada' here means that the following books not The are published,
but necessarily
set, in United States or Canada.
NOTE: Within this section, if books are available from Amazon UK, these prices are also listed (£). An asterisk next to this price indicates a separate UK edition Canadian prices are also given, if available.
US/CANADA: PRE-IIlSTORY
LADY OF HORSES
Judith Tarr, Forge, 2000, $25.95/C$36 95 (£15.60), 415pp, hb , ISBN 0-312-86114-l Tarr ' s newest prehistorical fantasy-romance , although published after White Mare 's Daughter, is its prequel. It is set in the distant past on the Asian steppes. Horse herds are fruitful The steppes are peopled with nomadic tribes , led by chiefs and shamans, those who will ultimately move to the west and become the Celts. These tribes are patriarchal groups who believe in sacrifice and ritual cannibalism. The man who leads each tribe can only do so if he finds the greatest stallion and then tames him. While the men worship the power of Sk-yfather, the god who instills in them their warlike nature , they recognize the ultimate power of Horse Goddess. No woman may ride any horse unless she is the Horse Goddess's servant.
Sparrow is the daughter of the tribal Shaman Neither beautiful , tall , thin nor fair , Sparrow is truly the image of her captive mother. Because she is so dif.Terent from her tribe , Sparrow cannot abide the male-dominated pretense of those around her Thus, she is ready when the Horse Goddess , in the body of a beautiful white mare, calls to her Sparrow ' s nightly rides on the white mare, if discovered, will result in her death
So Sparrow leaves her tribe and goes to find a place where she will be accepted. On her new path, Sparrow learns that she is a true Shaman with perhaps the greatest vision of those of her time She also finds happiness in the least likely of places
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
I have never been a fan of prehistoric fantasy or fact , so it was with a bit of skepticism that I approached this series
However, Tarr is such a talented writer and so comfortable with her subject matter (Tarr holds degrees in ancient and medieval history and raises horses) that I found this book and its sequel utterly engaging.
Tarr sets this sequel to Lady of Horses on the steppes in ' Old Europe ' about 4500 years ago . Sarama and her brother, Agni , are twins , children to a nomadic warrior chief. Agni has dreams of ruling the tribe, but his brother, Rama, weak-willed, ruthless and diabolical , has other ideas Sarama is the Horse Goddess ' s servant, and because she has been chosen for this extraordinary task, is the only woman permitted to ride a horse
As the Goddess ' s servant, Sarama remains apart from the male-dominated band She has a mystic vision of a land far to the west ruled by women where she can live in peace ; courageously, Sarama leaves the steppes and begins her perilous journey, a woman alone, to face the unknown Is there such a peaceful , female-oriented society where the Great Goddess will be openly revered?
Tarr incorporates elements of historical fiction, fact (to the extent that it is known) , fantasy, and romance into this marvelous book. Although it is a long novel , we really get to know and appreciate these characters and understand the types of nomadic societies that flourished thousands of years ago. Tarr's historical notes , illuminating and interesting, have sparked my interest in the ' Old Europe ' she describes These are the best stories as far as I'm concerned - ones that make us think and encourage us to investigate
Ilysa Magnus
juS/CANADA: BIBLICAL!
THE MIDWIFE'S SONG
Brenda Ray, Kannichael Press, 2000, $14 95 (£9 99), 243 pp, tpb, ISBN 0965396681
The Bible is full of stories - and stories behind the stories. Ray tells us the story of Puah, one of the Hebrew midwives ordered by Pharaoh to slay all newborn Hebrew boys. Like Dinah in The Red Tent, Puah is a mere mention in the Bible And like The Red Tent , The Midwife 's Song expands that mention into a fully realized life.
Puah is a headstrong Hebrew girl who becomes apprentice to Shiphrah, a noted Hebrew midwife. Puah becomes a talented,
1HE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
trusted midwife in her turn , her skills called upon even by Pharaoh ·s daughter But personal happiness eludes Puah until she meets Hattush, Pharaoh ' s chief goldsmith
They fall in love and marry , expecting hard but happy lives. But the Hebrews are enslaved to the Egyptians , and as Pharaoh ' s distrust grows into hatred and his uneasy mind slips into madness , the Hebrews ' lives as a people hang in the balance When Pharaoh orders Shiphrah and Puah to slay all newly born male Hebrews , Puah and her husband concoct a scheme to save the children It is Puah ' s and Hattush ' s courage, wisdom, and sacrifice that save the Hebrews ' sons, and it is Puah who arranges the fortuitous discovery of the infant Moses by Pharoah ' s daughter
While the book is not elegantly-writtentoo much of the language is jarringly modern, and I do wish the author had merely said the princess was patting a spotted cat rather than ' an ocelot,' a New World animal - the book succeeds admirably in the chief function of both Midrash and historical fiction : it ' s thought-provoking While reading, I found myself asking questions that had never before occurred to me. Why was Pharaoh talking to Hebrew midwives? Why did Pharaoh ' s daughter so eagerly adopt an unknown infant? Did she suspect she was saving a Hebrew? What was it like in a culture that prayed for sons to suddenly be praying your unborn child would be a girl? After watching the Red Sea part for the fleeing Hebrews , would you have gone chasing after them as Pharaoh ' s army did?
Fans of Biblical fiction and women ' s historical fiction will probably enjoy The Midwife 's Song
India Edghill
UNASHAMED
Francine Rivers , Tyndale House , 2000 , $12.99 (£7 81) , 129pp (with Reader ' s Guide for Bible study and discussion), hb , ISBN 0-8423-356-X
Forty years after the Hebrews were denied entrance to the land of Canaan, the new generation is to enter the Promised Land, as prophesied to Moses But standing in their way is the fortress-city of Jericho Joshua , leader of the host, sends two spies , Ephraim and Salmon, into the city. Their task is made easier by an encounter with Rahab, a prostitute dwelling in a house in the city wall. Unlike the rest of the citizens of Jericho, Rahab has been impressed by the power of the Hebrews ' god, and believes the Hebrews will take the city, as they have foretold Desperate to save her family , Rahab aids Ephraim and Salmon And when at last the Hebrew army attacks Jericho, Rahab ' s faith
and intelligence earn safety for herself and her family
While Rahab ' s intelligence and courage make her an attractive heroine , it must be pointed out that Unashamed is written with a specifically evangelical Christian point of view Statements in the Bible are taken literally, including the miracles. In the face of such flat-out displays of Jehovah ' s power as the various plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, as well as a few miracles in front of the walls of Jericho itself, the refusal of everyone in the city but Rahab to believe in the Hebrews ' god seems oddly dense
Unashamed is also very short : a novella rather than a novel. This feisty Rahab deserves more study and a longer book.
India Edghill
US/CANADA: 1ST CENIURYBC
WHEN WE WERE GODS A Novel of Cleopatra
Colin Falconer, Crown, 2000 , $25/C$38 (£13 80), 462pp , hb , ISBN 0-609-60599-2 Here is another novel about the last of the Ptolemy pharaohs, Cleopatra. Young when the reins of queenship are placed in her hands , she must overcome the innate treachery of her own family and plan for her own and Egypt's survival as an independent nation With keen intelligence, determination and charismatic allure she captivates , at first , the most powerful Roman , Julius Caesar, and after his assassination, Marc Antony She is betrayed by flaws in character and judgment in herself and others , as well as by forces no one person could ever hope to overcome
Falconer's portrayal of this controversial woman is to refute the image of a grasping, avaricious tyrant bent on satisfying only her selfish lusts , as many would have her remembered. She is a queen intent on saving herself and her nation from predatory Rome Behind the expected traits of ambition and ruthlessness needed by any reigning sovereign, Falconer's Cleopatra is an all-too-mortal woman with the same desires and faults as any
When We Were Gods is the warm and humane story of a desperate queen and woman who, against overwhelming odds, wagers all she is to prevent Egypt's identity as a nation from being consumed by Rome. With dignity that few will ever possess, Cleopatra never abandons her futile bid for freedom and proves she was worthy to be Queen to the tragic end.
Suzanne Crane
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
LAST SEEN IN MASSILIA
Steven Saylor, St. Martin's Minotaur 2000 $23.95 (£12.79), 277 PP, hb, , ISBN 0-312-20928-2
(Editor's note: first published in UK by Constable-Robinson and first reviewed in The Historical Novels Review issue 14.)
In this eighth installment in Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, Gordianus the Finder is set to solve yet another mystery, this time at Massilia (modem Marseilles), the ancient Greek trading port which sided with Pompey dunng the Civil War and was consequently besieged by Caesar. Here, Saylor seems to be moving more toward the center of Roman political history, staking out a position between Lmdsey Davis's Falco mystery series and Collee~ McCullough's Masters of Rome senes with its heavy emphasis on politics and the military.
Saylor's Massilia provides a panorama of this Greek trading colony influenced by its Gaulish neighbors and Roman conquerors. The system of government and the religious custom . of naming a scapegoat provide stlffiulatmg anthropological background. Accounts of circumvallation, contravallation, battenng rams, and a doubly ill-fated tunnel ~voke the military history recorded by Caesar m The Civil War and other ancient sources.
The focus of the book is Gordianus's search for his adopted son, Meto, missing and last seen in Massilia. While searching for Meto, Gordianus witnesses the death of a veiled woman, providing the murder necessary for the genre. Saylor uses various techniques to give us insight into Roman art, attitudes toward religion , the opulence of the upper classes, and Pompey ' s treachery toward his allies. Details of Roman history provide background without overwhelming the human dimensions of the story.
Saylor ~ntinues to be scrupulously accurate m his historical facts and ancient oddities, yet inventive in fitting his fictional characters and occurrences into the detective format. The result is a pleasing, witty and mstructive series, any of which can be read independently, but are most satisfying if you start with Roman Blood and work your way through. This novel marks the steady lfllprovement and expansion of Saylor's vision
James Hawking
US/CANADA: 6TH CENTIJRY
BRENDAN
Frederick Buechner, HarperSanFrancisco, 2000 (cl988), $13/C$19.95 (£7 81), 240 pp tpb, ISBN 0-06-061178-2 ' Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization,_ describes this book as 'a lusty, bawdy, teemmg, festooning, dancing marvel of a book for anyone who cares about Ireland or Christianity or paganism or history or sailing or - reading.' I agree wholeheartedly Buechner wrote this novel with such deep ~1t1V1ty and feeling that, at times, his words literally took my breath away.
For me, this book was a compelling commg-of-age tale about Brendan, a sixth century Irish saint born in 484 near what is now Tralee, Ireland, as he searches for life's meaning and his unique part in it. Over the course of his lifetime Brendan founds ?umerous monasteries, including Clonfert, but 1s proba_bly best known for his lengthy voyages m search of Tir-na-n-Og, Celtic for 'paradise.' In his travels, Brendan meets many well-drawn and colorful characters, each of whom leaves profound imprints on him as he finds the ultimate and, surprisingly simple, answers to the questions he hungers for. This book affirms for me a belief I've had for some time now: 'life's simple ... it's our minds that are so complex.'
Patricia
K. Maynard
THE SUMMER STARS
Alan Fisk, Domhan Books, 2000, $12 95 (£7.79) , l89pp, tpb, ISBN l-58345-549-3
This is a fictionaliz.ed memoir of the )ife of Taliesin, one of five Welsh poets renowned throughout the latter part of the sixth century. Hi~ poems are among the oldest surviving Bn~sh works covering topics such as religion, C~ltlc legend, and known historical figures. As this ~ccount of his journeys progresses, he descnbes in intriguing detail life as bard at the court of kings which arose in Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire and which began forming what would become England, Wales, and Scotland. Such a position allows him to witness many of the great events of his time before realizing his true calling
While relating Taliesin's life Fisk prov~des an insightful look into dail; life in the sixth century and intrigues the reader with hints as to the existence of the legendary King Arthur. At moments throughout the book Fisk slips in ironic and somewhat humorous comments, such as when he compares London to the city of Troy: 'London won't be forgotten . Nobody will remember where it
was, but the legend will remain.' He includes a listing of persons and places mentioned, both histoncal and fictional. As well, a map is provided with ancient and modem place names to allow the reader to track Taliesin's travels across the island of Britain. Overall ~s is a well-written, engaging blend of hi~tory, ?ction,_ and memoir Anyone craving a glimpse mto this httle-known period of British history would do well to read this work.
Dana Cohlmeyer
TWOFORJOY
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, Poisoned Pen Press, 2000, $23 95 (£14.40) , 335pp, hb, ISBN l-890-2083- 7
This, the second in the John the Eunuch series is set in sixth century Constantinople - a ci~ of great mystery, wondrous beauty and unfatho~ble despair. Despite the heavy hand wi~ which Emperor Justinian rules, the sense of lffipend.ing doom is ever-present. The populace (including those in power) all hate and fear Empress Theodora. John, who is the Lord Chamberlin to Justinian, is not immune from Theodora's barbs and arrows either literally or figuratively. ' Reed and Mayer, a wife-husband team, follow up their first Byzantine mystery (One for Sorrow, Review 11) with this fascinating, ?fte_n complex, story, characteriz.ed by court mtrigue, philosophical dispute and personal loss. The central plot is set in motion with the s~g down by lightning of Constantinople's hohest men seemingly without explanation. Th~ newly converted Christian populace believes that this is a punishment from God Were it so easily explained, we would not have this deliciously fashioned mystery ~at is wonderful about the Reed/Mayer team 1s therr comfort level not only with the daily details of the lives of their multi-faceted characters, but also with the city of Constantinople which they paint in broad and vividly colorful strokes I've learned a Jot about living, working and ruling in Constantinople, not all of it good. The research is impeccable and the use of that research in telling the story is seamless I anxiously await the publication of the third installment.
Ilysa Magnus
US/CANADA: 7TH CENTURY
THE MONK WHO VANJSHED
Peter Tremayne, St. Martin ' s Minotaur 2001 $23.95, 288pp, hb, ISBN 0312242190, ,
For review, see lssue 8 (May l 999).
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
US/CANADA: 12TH CENTURY
GODRIC
Frederick Buechner, HarperSanF rancisco , 2000 (cl980), $14 (£8 42) , l78pp , tpb , ISBN 0-06-061162-6
A reissue, Pulitz.er Prize-nominated Godric is based upon the life of St. Godric of Finchale, a 12th century merchant turned penitent hermit. The story is set in England in the latter years of Godric ' s long life which unfolds through tales coaxed by Reginald, the monk sent to record his history.
The chapters concerning Godric ' s current life of seclusion are interspersed with tales of his coming of age, old seafaring days with his pal Mouse , and spiritual quests to Rome and Jerusalem These memories come together to give an understanding of how a common man can transform himself into a tribute to God, and how the aging process affects us all. As an infirm recluse , Godric exhibits the crotchety behavior stereotypical of the elderly and mistreats Reginald in frustration at what Godric feels is his misplaced adoration . Adventures from his youth , however, show him as spirited and bawdy, although troubled by his relationship with his family and the circumstances of the people he encounters.
Buechner does a remarkable job of maintaining Godric ' s voice through his various occupations and pilgrimages. The archaic language, lyrical speech patterns , and wryly humorous incidents make accompanying Godric on his journey to salvation an enjoyable and enlightening endeavor.
Suzanne Sprague
QUEEN OF SWORDS
Judith Tarr, Tor/Forge, 2000 $25 95/C$36 95 , 464pp, ISBN:0-312-85821-3 (cl997), tpb , In Queen of Swords Judith Tarr turns her talent to the year 1129AD. It is the hiatus between the First and Second Crusades , and the Holy Land has been divided into four ' kingdoms.' Jerusalem's beautiful Queen Melisende has been perforce married to an aging Count Fulk, for in those days , women did not rule alone With another strong noblewoman, Lady Richildis, by her side, Melisende works to overcome the cultural deficit of being a woman, trying to retain power in the hands of the "weaker" sex . Historically rich, as all of Ms. Tarr·s novels are, the reader is plunged into the era, with the clashing goals of disparate cultures spanning the breadth of continents From Normandy to Byzantium, the final battleground of Outremer is not just of
1HE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
Crusader vs Infidel , but also of people striving to overcome convention. Tarr ' s novel made me believe that I was there , sharing the life of kings and queens. knights and princes, clergy and laymen amidst the struggle for supremacy in the wondrous and often barbaric Crusades Definitely a terrific read and highly recommended Suzanne Crane
US/CANADA: 13TH CENTURY
JESTER LEAPS IN: A Medieval Mystery
Alan Gordon, St Martin ' s Minotaur, 2000, $23 95/C$36.99 (£14.40) , 276pp, hb , ISBN 0-312-24117-8
The jester of the title is Theophilos (aka Feste) , a member of the Fool's Guild an organization secretly dedicated to keeping a balance of power among the thrones of Europe He and his fellow fool (and new wife), Viola are asked to venture south from Italy to Constantinople, where other agents of the Guild have disappeared without trace Arriving in the Byzantine Empire, the pair, with Viola disguised as Feste·s male servant , soon find themselves caught up in a political web larger than they imagined. The Byzantine throne is never secure, and the opposing factions never fear to stoop to murder if it would further their cause
Thirteenth-century Constantinople as seen here is a vibrant yet dangerous city, described with skillful detail , and the action inside its borders is nonstop The author's dry sense of humor, presented through Feste and Viola , enlivens this mystery even further . In a genre nearly overflowing with ecclesiastical sleuths , this colorful medieval mystery is a breath of fresh air . Readers should be sure to check out Thirteenth Night , the first in the series Sarah L. Nesbeitt
US/CANADA: 14th CENTURY
SOLACE FOR A SINNER: The Chronicles of Isaac of Girona
This mystery , the fourth in a series, takes place in Spain in 1354 A highly respected merchant is found dead, and the fortune of gold he was carrying is missing. We soon learn that the gold was intended to purchase a great prize - the Holy Grail. Another murder and other felonies pepper the balance of the novel , all moving us toward the ultimate resolution. Will Girona become home to the
holy cup used by Christ and his Apostles at the last Passover?
Isaac is blind, a physician, and a Jew Even though he resides in the Jewish Quarter of Girona, he is well respected among Christians. Indeed, even his sidekick, the young Moor Yusuf, has been accepted into the circles of power both royal and religious Even though Jews and Christians appear to move freely among each other, there is still a basic mistrust - despite the good works and kindness of Bishop of Girona, Berenguer, whose personal physician is , you guessed it, Isaac
The characters and events are drawn with attention to historical detail. I always appreciate when an author follows a work with historical notes , and Roe impresses me with her research into the Grail ' s movement through medieval Spain Although there are many characters who become indistinct as the action moves ahead, this is an interesting mystery well worth the read.
Ilysa Magnus
US/CANADA: 15TH CENTURY
THE LEPER'S COMPANIONS
Julia Blackburn, Vintage, 2000 , $12 , 197pp, tpb , ISBN 0679758380
For review, see Issue 7 (February 1999)
US/CANADA: 16TH CENTURY
INCA
Suzanne Alles Blom, Forge, 2000 , $24 95 (£15) , 352pp, hb , ISBN 0-312-87434-0352 In 1532 , Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador, began raiding the Incan Empire for its wealth In 1533 , he captured the ruling Inca Atahualpa, received a room full of gold as ransom , then executed him and enslaved the natives. In Inca , the author explores what might have been had the Incan Empire not been tom apart by civil war when Pizarro arrived , and thus vulnerable to him
In this alternate history, Atahualpa ("Exemplary Fortune ' ) leaves Kitudove before his father the Emperor dies , and instead of leading the northern armies in civil war against his brother, becomes responsible for one of the Spaniards left behind from Pizarro's first exploratory expedition. Events unfold as Atahualpa must use his wits to convince the Ruling Inca of the threat the Spaniards present to the Empire while trying to keep his own life in the face of the Emperor's distrust.
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY
The author has clearly done her research and presents with convincing detail life in the Incan Empire As with most first novels, there is some stylistic awkwardness , which improves as the novel unfolds. My biggest complaint is that the story abruptly ends with the first conflict between the Empire and the Spaniards, the point at which the alternate history truly takes off into unknown tenitory Despite this , an enjoyable first effort and an intriguing look into a little-explored area of history
Ursula Blanchard, Lady of the Presence Chamber at the court of Elizabeth I, returns in this , her third adventure In the company of her former father-in-law , Ursula goes to France to retrieve his ward , Helene, and bring her to England to marry Ursula is also given the mission of presenting a personal letter from Elizabeth to the French Queen, Catherine de Medici , offering Elizabeth's services in mediating the dispute between the Catholics and the Huguenots Ursula also has a third motive to go to France - her estranged Catholic husband is there and though their faiths separate them, they are stiJI deeply in love
Ursula faces great danger in France and uncovers great deceptions. Not everyone is exactly who they appear to be and Ursula feels betrayed by more than one person She also needs to come once and for all to a decision about her husband, Matthew Should she stay with him in France or return to England where her daughter is ?
I loved this book ; Ursula is a woman of deep feelings who I like very much. As with the first two books. the best scenes are with Ursula and her husband , but I enjoyed virtually everything about this tale
In this , P.F. Chisholm's third novel starring Sir Robert Carey, the year 1592 finds Sir Robert as Warden of the West Marches , not the most hospitable of places Aside from the minor problems of sheepstealing and touchy warlike Scotsmen, Sir Robert discovers , much to his chagrin, that his armory's guns have been replaced by shoddy substitutes. Sir Robert ' s investigation leads him to the dissolute court of Scotland ' s James Vl.
With the light witty style of her previous novels, Chisholm's Elizabethan detective
1HE HISTORJCAL NOVELS REVIEW
manages to survive the pitfalls of obstacles set by his enemies , both Scottish and English With the help of his right hand man, Dodd, and the light of his life , Elizabeth Widdrington, Carey escapes prison, torture and lovely female claws to return back to the Marches with his mission complete P F Chisholm is also the novelist Patricia Finney, from whose knowledgeable pen the reader experiences the historical essence of the England and Scotland of Carey's time All the nuances of court life and of sixteenth century social relationships are vividly depicted and made easily accessible to modern readers. A fun read
Suzanne Crane
THE WIDOW'S KISS
Jane Feather, Bantam, 2001, $19 95/C$29.95 (£12 00), 336pp, hb, ISBN 0-55380181-3
The emphasis is defmitely on romance in Jane Feather ' s newest novel (after The Least Likely Bride) , set in Henry VTTI's England Lady Guinevere Mallory is beautiful , intelligent, and wealthy. At 28 , she has had four husbands who have died under somewhat mysterious circumstances , and she is now the wealthiest landowner in Derbyshire Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal, have become suspicious of this situation and have decided an investigation is warranted
Hugh of Beaucaire is chosen to lead the investigation for the king Handsome, strong, and gallant, Hugh is determined to discover the truth about Lady Guinevere and satisfy his own agenda concerning property she holds which he believes his own son should inherit. When the lady and the hero meet , sparks fly fast and furious
Secrets , lies , scandal , power struggles , attempted murder , intrigue , and matrimony are all ingredients in this light. frivolous tale filled with shallow, cardboard-like characters and stock situations [n terms of historical setting, there is no real sense of time and place - the period is simply a backdrop This is for readers who enjoy a rollicking romance , but not for historical novel enthusiasts
Michael I. Shoop
FORTY TESTOONS
Alan Fisk, Break-water Books (Canada), 1999 , $17 .95/C$17 95. 286pp, tpb , ISBN 155081145-2
Forty Testoons is a story full of personal and political conflict. Father Ralph Fletcher, a young English priest, is offered his first post as a minister of a fishing crew in faraway Newfoundland As he questions God ' s plan for him , Father Ralph discovers that he is being drawn into a political conspiracy. He slowly comes to realize the devastating effects that the plot - to replace King Henry VII with
a Yorkist pretender - will have on his English homeland Father Ralph struggles with his role and comes to understand that he is not the only one being swept into the madness ; the natives , called Beothuk, also play a major part
The story is told from the point of view of Father Ralph, who writes the story in a journal when he finds himself stranded in Newfoundland . By using this style of writing , though, I felt that Fisk limited their depth The book contains a diverse range of individuals and personalities , but Father Ralph ' s account only allowed me to see the Beothuk and the English crew as they interacted with him
The conspiracy is revealed slowly throughout the story. As Father Ralph experiences moral and religious conflicts , the conspirators are influenced by his reactions Even to the end of the book, I was kept wondering about the plot's final outcome
Forty Testoons is a fascinating story of intrigue that holds the reader ' s attention Kathy King
US/CANADA: 17TH CENTURY
K'ATSINA
Lana M. Hanigan, Forge, 2000 (cl998), $16.95/C$23.95 (£10.19). 350pp , tpb , ISBN 0-312-87277-l
In seventeenth-century New Mexico , native people called Acoma suffer memories of a brutal conquistador attack. When a Spanish priest builds a church in their vi llage, they know that to stop him will bring reprisals from Mexico City But they tenaciously hold on to their traditions , including their prayers to k ' atsina , the spirits of their ancestors
This epic spans fifty years , concluding with the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 At its heart is the love shared by Augustin , a Jesuit of Acoma blood, and Antonia, daughter of a prominent Spanish merchant. Familial and religious expectations dog this pair through the streets of Mexico City and follow them to New Mexico. The story·s other mainstays are the terror of the Inquisition, the menace of encroaching foreigners and native nomads and the complexity of spiritual belief.
It does have problems Antonia and Augustin are too perfect. Passive language distances the reader. There are places where the action flags , and others where the main characters appear to exist in a vacuum. Two-thirds of the way through the book, one of them dies without warning Since all action to this point hinged on this character, it was an effort to continue
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
The strength of this novel is the author's obvious knowledge of the place and time. At no point did I feel I was anywhere but seventeenth-century New Mexico and New Spain. The author also has passion for her subject. Instead of portraying all Spaniards as lofty conquerors, native peoples as the downtrodden conquered, and priests as blinkered fanatics, she shows us the motivations of individuals, and so succeeds in abolishing stereotypes.
Claire Morris Bernard
CONFESSIONS STEPSISTER OF AN UGLY
Gregory Maguire (illus. Bill Sanderson), ReganBooks, 2000 , $15/C$22.95 (£9.02), 372pp , tpb, ISBN 0-06-098752-9
The Cinderella story gets a unique literary treatment in this haunting novel by the author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The murder of her father sends homely Iris, her mother Margarethe, and her dull-witted sister on a midnight exodus from seventeenth-century England to Margarethe's native Holland. In Holland , the resourceful Margarethe is soon married to a wealthy widower, and Iris finds herself stepsister to the unnaturally beautiful but melancholy Clara.
Contemptuous of her own beauty, Clara shuns society, taking refuge amid the cinders of the family hearth. When Margarethe goads Clara ' s father into a foolhardy investment that results in his ruin, slow starvation seems the family ' s likely fate. But once again, Iris·s mother has the perfect plan. •Give me room to cast my eel spear," she urges, "and let follow what may ·
Will this familiar tale be told in the expected way , we might wonder, or will the author surprise us with unexpected character reversals and plot twists?
Neither and both Maguire ' s narrative holds with tradition while taking us beneath the surface of this cut-and-dried morality tale to show us real people possessed of grievous flaws , redeeming virtues , and compelling motivations. While some of them are wondrously transformed , others are revealed as bearing little resemblance to what they first seemed
This retelling is neatly slotted with actual period events and cleverly glosses over the implausible elements of the fairy tale There is a glass slipper, sort of. There really is a prince who seeks a wife from amongst commoners, and he has a credible reason for doing so. There ' s even a fairy godmother, though she appears in a rather unlikely guise
Maguire ' s uncluttered yet richly evocative prose makes Confessions an effortless read His insightful characterizations and his
TI-IE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
inventive rendering of a tale with which we're all familiar make it a worthwhile and rewarding read as well.
Kelly Cannon
US/CANADA: 18TH CENfURY
THE COLOR OF DEATH: A Sir John Fielding Mystery
Bruce Alexander , G.P. Putnam, 2000, $24.95 (£15), 279 pp. hb, ISBN 0-399-14648-2
This historical mystery series set in I 8th-century London boldly ventures into the area of 'racial profiling' as a means of crime solving. While investigating a murder and theft perpetrated by a gang of black men, the blind magistrate Sir John Fielding himself receives a gunshot wound. During his recuperation at Number 4, Bow Street, he relies on his 17-year old assistant/secretary Jeremy Proctor also the narrator to provide the information that will enable them to unmask the criminals.
Jeremy's intimate yet stylistically formal narrative style, the activities and habits of the middle and servant classes , as well as late-Georgian era forensics and medical practices, provide a colorful background to this typical but enjoyable procedural , which includes a walk-on by the crusty literary figure and dictionary-maker Samuel Johnson. Society's view of free blacks, slaves, and slave ownership adds a unique slant to the troubling and often-dangerous problems confronted by the magistrate's devoted helper.
Historical nitpickers will be conscious of a few stray Americanisms, the occasional misuse of titles (Fielding's wife is alternately "Lady Kate· or ' Lady Fielding" when only the latter is correct), and the pervasive, nonpossessive st. James ' for the London neighborhood of ' St. James's.' But fans of historical mysteries in general , and in particular the devotees of Sir John Fielding, will be highly satisfied with this seventh installment of a popular series
Margaret Barr
MASTER OF THE CROSSROADS
Madison Smartt Bell, Pantheon, 2000 , $30/C$45 (£18.04) , 732pp. hb, ISBN 0-375-42056-8
We ' ve all heard the name of Toussaint Louverture , Haiti ' s national liberator. Few of us. however , have anything more than the most rudimentary knowledge of the only successful slave revolt in recorded history Madison Smartt Bell began his chronicle of the Saint Domingue slave uprising in the acclaimed National Book Award finalist All
Souls Rising, and he continues 1t m this second installment in a planned trilogy. While Toussaint was but a minor player in the first book, he occupies center stage in Master. This complex character takes shape on the pages in a way he never did in those fleeting history textbook mentions. He is small of stature, a former slave - a coachman in that earlier life - and a devout Catholic. Toussaint does not , however, let his religion stand in the way of his waging a brutal and grisly war in which he becomes known for such extreme measures as ordering his officers to step outside and shoot themselves in the head. And they do.
But there is more to this story than simply one great general. Bell assembles a prodigious cast of supporting characters so diverse and vivid that one at first wonders if the actual historical figures they represent could possibly have been as interesting. These include Toussaint's trusted white secretary, Dr. Antoine Hebert; Hebert's exotic mulatto mistress Nanon ; Guiaou , a former slave and the horribly scarred sole survivor of a brutal massacre - and a man with a score to settle: the mulatto planter Choufleur, a sadist and an expert in the psychodynamics of slavery; and a host of others.
Master of the Crossroads is a compelling account of the climax of a war like no other the world has ever seen. Bell's characters resonate with realness. His subplots are fascinating and often frightening digressions from this rigorous catalogue of battles and political maneuvering. And , inevitably. we see a racial climate that in many ways echoes the situation of today. more than two hundred years later.
Kelly Cannon
THE FAN-MAKER'S INQUISITION : A Novel of the Marquis de Sade Rikki Ducomet, Ballantine, 2000. $14 (£8 42) , 2l2pp, tpb , ISBN 0-345-44104-4
This rather unstructured and rigorously literary novel is told in two parts: first , the transcript of the trial of the fan-maker Gabrielle before the Committee of Public Security, because of her long, though platonic , relationship with the Marquis de Sade: and second, in the extended musings of the imprisoned Marquis upon receiving Gabrielle's final letter to him. The novel is constructed as a series of digressions. one of which involves an imaginary collaboration between Gabrielle and de Sade upon a novel telling the truth about Bishop Landa's genocidal destruction of Mayan culture in the New World in 1592.
History and a sense of place enter the novel elliptically if at all. While I found the writing brilliant and compelling, The
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
Fan-Maker's Inquisition might be more appealing to fans of modem literature than to those of the modem historical novel.
Rosemary Edghill
KING'S CAPTAIN
Dewey Lambdin, St. Martin's , 2000, $25 95/C$39 99 (£15 60) , 358pp, hb , ISBN 0-312-26885-8
King 's Captain, Lambdin's ninth novel with British Navy Commander Alan Lewrie as the pivotal character, is a rollicking 18th century na val adventure in the grand tradition of Patrick O'Brian . This novel has Lewrie being awarded command of a new frigate as a result of his role in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. However, before he can settle in comfortably, circumstances find him fighting for his command as well as his life.
As soon as the plot becomes apparent, circumstances send the story careening into uncharted waters and find Lewrie struggling with an untested and fractious crew. For the landlubbing reader, Lambdin thoughtfully provides diagrams explaining nautical terms and points of sail. He also includes eight pages of biographical background and a short history lesson. Along the way , Lambdin provides comments on social life in 18th century England as well as often deplorable conditions ofnaval life in those times
One shouldn't let the fact that this is ninth in a series deter reading; Lambdin does a marvelous job explaining relevant backstory and quickly catching up the reader. After this installment, the rest of the series may become required reading. Such a captivating page-turner will find readers cheering out loud for Alan Lewrie's sea-faring adventures.
If you are looking for a book well grounded in its time and place, full of interesting historical events and details , this book will not satisfy you. If you are looking for a romantic story, it may. This novel takes place in the superstitious village of Ballybliss, Scotland, in 1761. Fifteen years earlier someone in the village betrayed the local Laird and his young heir to the English for a thousand pounds in gold. Their ruined castle is now inhabited by a Dragon, which makes periodic demands upon the village. One night they seek to placate the Dragon by offering it a sacrificial offering-a virgin The townswomen seem a rather lusty lot , and there is only one virgin available , our heroine Gwendolyn She is well-read and very intelligent , and doesn't quite believe in dragons. However, this doesn ' t make her any more amenable to being a sacrifice
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
The Dragon , if dragon he be, is able to assume human form. After lashing out at her imprisonment in highly luxurious quarters, Gwendolyn begins to feel more than anger at the Dragon And does the Dragon return her feelings? Much of this novel plays out in the castle ruins, where historical events are few and far between, though later in the novel the reader is given a better sense of the situation between England and Scotland This was a light , fluffy read
Trudi Jacobson
LORDS OF THE OCEAN (Revolution at Sea Saga, Book 4)
James L. Nelson, Pocket , 2000, $13 95/C$20.95 (£8.74), pb, 354 pp , ISBN 0-671-01383-1
ALL THE BRAVE FELLOWS (Revolution at Sea Saga, Book 5)
James L. Nelson , Pocket Books , 2000, $25.95/C$38.50 (£16.26), hb , 395 pp, ISBN 0-671-03846-X
Novelists that sail in waters blessed by the genius of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian place themselves in as much peril as those fleets which dared to challenge Lord Nelson. While James Nelson is not a Forester or an O'Brian and his protagonist (Captain Isaac Biddlecomb of the Continental Navy of the American Revolution) is neither a Hornblower nor an Aubrey , Nelson and Biddlecomb do combine to provide more than enough derring-do and seafaring action to satisfy naval enthusiasts.
As is the case with the better series , the novels should be read in sequence This enables the reader to oversee the maturing of Biddlecomb as both a man and as a naval officer faced with the challenges of war ·and competing against the talented seamen and veteran officers of the Royal Navy. Our young hero manages to come through with honor and dignity intact while simultaneously leaving one in doubt as to how he will cope with the many obstacles he faces
Lords of the Ocean finds Biddlecomb conveying Benjamin Franklin to France as the official envoy from the rebel colonies He is plunged into the world of spies and duplicity and is manifestly out of his depth (One can only imagine Hornblower faced with speaking with diplomats!) Biddlecomb and his fellow ofticers triumph on both land and sea and take the reader on an enjoyable voyage of double agents and privateering . All the Brave Fellows finds Biddlecomb , his wife and newborn child, and his crew joining with other American forces in a desperate struggle in the 1777 camprugn in and around Philadelphia Biddlecomb's confrontation with Lt. John Smeaton, an old enemy from the Royal Navy , adds to the excitement as rebel fights redcoat
on land and the upstart Americans duel with the mighty British fleet at sea
Historically accurate and imaginatively depicted, Captain Biddlecomb proves a worthy shipmate. If you enjoy the age of sail, you will profit from these novels.
John R Vallely
EAGLE'S CRY : A Novel of the Louisiana Purchase
David Nevin, Forge, 2000, $25.95 (£16.07), 448pp, hb , ISBN 0312855117
In the year 1799, the citizens of the United States of America have emerged from the shadow of British tyranny. Yet there is strong disagreement as to how the country will be governed. George Washington lies on his deathbed, worried about the fate of the young republic he and others fought so hard to create
The Federalist party, led by New Yorker Alexander Hamilton, seeks to foster a hierarchy of power. He foresees a nation guided by a few men, with economic policies created to reward the wealthy and keep common men subservient. The Democrats , led by Virginians Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, see the common man as the key to the future of the nation. They argue for strong states where all men have an equal voice, regardless of social status or wealth The Federalists believe that the Democrats are aligned too closely with France, and stir up fears that the horrors of the Terror await the US Democrats , in tum, fear the Federalists leanings toward hereditary nobility and the prospect of a return to British rule
After Jefferson is elected President, the Democratic leadership barely has a chance to breathe before a new threat arrives on its doorstep . Napoleon is negotiating with Spain to recover the Louisiana Territory for France. This sparks new fears , ones that especially arouse the western states , whose economy depends on free and unchallenged use of the Mississippi River to export their produce Nevin humanizes many historical icons while vividly recreating the fledgling moments of US history As Jefferson and Madison seek a non-military end to the threat of French imperialism, Nevin successfully conveys the sense of tension leading up to the climactic moment when they learn of their victory.
This detailed narrative is the second and chronological beginning of Nevin's American Story series , which includes bestsellers 181 2 and Dream West Though some of the side stories could be trimmed, I found it to be quite compelling reading. Recommended to anyone interested in politics , history or good storytelling.
Alice Logsdon
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
RIPS
Peter Owens, AmErica House, 2000 , $24 95 , 306pp , tpb, ISBN l-893162-55-9
The French and Indian War was the name given the Seven Years ' War in the American colonies. A conflict of great battles and sieges , interspersed with numberless small ambushes and raids , the war is largely ignored or forgotten by all save a relatively tiny number of historians . The struggle for control of the rich American continent found the French and their Indian allies on one side and the British and Americans (and their Indian allies) on the other.
Owens ' novel concerns a diverse group of men and women representing all of the various nationalities and races caught up in the fighting Everett, a quiet and determined frontiersman, finds his orderly life is irretrievably transformed when he takes in a widow and her young son Ella and Jamie have more than a little trouble adapting to their new life, and Everett is balled at what to do with them Domestic concerns suddenly take second place when the outside world intrudes
The saga of people caught up in events far beyond their control is an entertaining one (the reader is never truly certain what disaster will arrive next!) and the portrayal of the St. Lawrence River area seems to be an accurate presentation of the frontier of the late 18th century What prevents the novel from being a truly enjoyable experience is the choppy writing style and abrupt and disconcerting shifts in storylines. Entertaining it is . Better written it could have been If one can put up with some level of frustration with the author ' s habits , the reader should have a fair amount of enjoyment following along John R Vallely
MARIKE'S WORLD
Catherine M . Rae , St. Martin's Press, 2000 , $21.95/$33 99 (£13 76), hb, 186 pp , ISBN 0-312-26199-3
Marike ' s World is written in the form of a long letter from a woman living in New York City around the time of the American Revolution to her grown-up daughter She is recalling the events of her life , from girlhood to courtship to early married life On a recent visit the daughter has asked her mother what life was like when she, the mother, was young, and Marike finds that she can describe it much better on paper than in spoken words
Her life has included a series of tragedies and tribulations, but she rejoices in the happy times and the simple pleasures of everyday life . She meets her future husband when a group of young people spend a day helping to pick pears at a nearby orchard Though the scene is a short one, the author paints such a vivid image that the rosy feeling never quite
Tiffi HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
dissipates through the darker events to come Death, through battle and illness and other causes, hovers , but is accepted with resignation
This book is a very quick read , but I found its impact to be much weightier. It was a pleasure to spend time with Marike and her family. I shall be looking for other books by Catherine Rae.
Trudi E. Jacobson
UNTO THIS VALLEY
Arlene Stadd (order via e-mail to tradepaperback@ar!enestadd.com) , 2000, $15 postpaid,tpb , ISBN l-931207-12-7
This family saga begins in the Shenandoah Valley in 1742 , when Elizabeth Barstow and Sam Logan are about to be married Their marriage is tried and strengthened through the physical and emotional hardships they face together Although Elizabeth and Sam are at the hub of this story, each spoke of the family wheel has its own story to tell.
The author carefully weaves her characters into the history of this country For example, she describes Colonel Washington ' s battle at Fort Necessity and Patrick Henry debating the Tea Act. Her description of life among the Shawnee Indians is full of interesting detail.
Ms Stadd quotes Thomas Carlyle: 'History is the essence of innumerable biographies. ' That is a fair description of how this book is written It is ripe with ideas and gives evidence of the author ' s ability to tell a fine story. Unfortunately, each individual story is told too quickly Before the reader has time to become attached to a character or immersed in the action , the author moves on Unto This Valley makes interesting light reading ; however, the historical details and plot ideas embedded in this novel hint at the author ' s ability to create a much more powerful work.
Nan Curnutt
BUNKER HILL: A Novel
Janet Tinney, Highland Books/Cumberland House , 2000, $l6 95/C$24 95 (£9 22) , tpb , 360 pp, ISBN l-58182-062-3 Joseph Warren (1741-1775) was one of the most important and influential political leaders in the opening stages of the American Revolution. He grew up in poverty in Boston and worked himself up the social ladder from poor farmer to respected physician in pre-Revolutionary Boston Dr Warren was a tireless advocate for freedom from what he and his fellow Sons of Liberty believed to be British tyranny After assuming a central role in armed rebellion, the young father of four was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 Warren was a true hero to Americans but has been largely forgotten on both sides of
the Atlantic in the years since he stood as a symbol of American resistance I approached Janet Tinney's novel of Warren's life with a certain amount of excitement and anticipation Sadly, Ms Tinney ' s unimaginative and wooden style of writing , coupled with her portrayal of Dr Warren as almost saintly in his daily life , combined to make Bunker Hill an ordeal rather than a treat. The characters in these pages remain one-dimensional , and the Boston that emerges is more a stage set than a city threatening to boil over under the twin threats of armed troops and uncompromising rebels
A sterile, lifeless treatment of an interesting man living in a fascinating period Dr. Warren, and the reader, deserve better.
New on the publishing scene, Pemberley Press promises that their books will be ' escape fiction for eager minds· - they ' aim to satisfy readers who enjoy learning through fiction .' They have succeeded admirably with this release , which takes place in London and Kent. Wynn, who has written ten Regency and historical romances , has turned her hand to mystery . It is 17 I 5 and a murder has been blamed on an innocent man, Lord St. Mars It is clear the authorities aren ' t investigating any further , leaving it up to St. Mars to find the actual murderer. He is helped in this endeavor by his groom and by Mrs. Kean, cousin to the woman he hopes to make his wife. The exciting timeframe , when George of Hanover has become king and Tories plot to give the throne to James Francis Stuart , was new to me Wynn ' s chart of the British succession, historical background note , and author ' s note were very helpful in following political events that are a major component of the book. The characters are extremely well drawn and it was a pleasure to spend time with them This is the first in a series, and I cannot wait for book two to be published
Trudi E. Jacobson
US/CANADA: 19TH CENTURY
CHALK'S WOMAN
David Ballantine, Forge, 2000, $23.95 (£14.40) , 288pp, hb , ISBN 0-312-87348-4 While stopped on the trail West, eighteen-year-old Ann, an orphan with one arm, discovers four children whose parents died of cholera. She helps them back to the
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
wagon train, where the adults consider separating the children and dividing their belongings amongst themselves Tired of the verbal abuse from the woman who took her in after the siege of Vicksburg, Ann tricks everyone into believing that the children have contracted cholera Abandoned by the adults , Ann and her new companions strike out on their own.
While this should be a compelling story, the author's tendency to relate past events in the midst of current ones necessitates frequent rereading . A dearth of dialogue, the excessive reliance on narrative to tell the story, and too many points of view distance the reader from the characters Several scenes also seem too coincidental, as in the fortuitous reappearance of the doctor who amputated Ann ' s arm Though this novel is touted as a story that shows how meeting Chalk changes Ann ' s life forever , in actuality she doesn ' t change Throughout she is a woman determined to enjoy life and forge her own way in spite of the trials she faces .
Cindy Vallar
WHERE I'M BOUND: A Novel
Allen B Ballard, Simon & Schuster, 2000 , $24/C$35.50 (£14.43) , 310pp , hb ISBN 0-684-87031-2
Joe Duckett is one determined man Born a slave and forced to endure a life of cruel bondage, Duckett never loses sight of the chance of a better world for himself and his family He seizes the opportunity to escape from his wretched life and, through extreme good fortune , enlists in a Union cavalry regiment composed of black troopers and white officers The onetime slave uses his skills as a horseman and scout to become an expert cavalryman and an equally good combat soldier He also experiences war in all its cruelty and waste The Third U.S Colored Cavalry, with Duckett in the vanguard, soon has Southern forces on the run across the Mississippi Delta Duckett the soldier never loses sight of Duckett the husband and father As he fights to free his fellow black Americans from slavery, he also wages war to find and liberate his family Ballard, a faculty member at the University at Albany , introduces us to war and courage through the exploits of Duckett and his comrades A fine account of the American Civil War as seen through the eyes of the slave and the black soldier. Highly recommended
John R Vallely
THE ADVENTURES OF ALLEGRA FULLERTON
Robert Begiebing, Hardscrabble Books/University Press of New England, 1999, $26 95 (£ 15) , 309pp, hb
ISBN 0-984-5194 7-0
Allegra Fullerton is a young widow determined to make her own way in life despite the numerous obstacles faced by women of the period Written in the narrative form, Allegra speaks directly to us with a most amusing and realistic accounting of her experiences. Just before the Civil War, it is remarkable that any woman would even attempt to pursue making her own living; thus , Allegra is nothing less than incredible in her quest for security while engaging in perhaps one of the only professions available to women at that time - creating likenesses of people on canvas .
The story takes place in the hills and valleys of New England. The reader is carried along almost as if in Allegra's artist's bag while she searches for commissions , together with her faithful brother Tom, an affable man who serves both as Allegra ' s companion and protector. In the course of her travels, Allegra encounters various artists of the period who are influential , especially Mr. George Spooner, a portraitist and landscape artist who was well known in his own time .
The essence of this story is one of survival and courage in the face of nearly overwhelming obstacles Although Allegra ' s tale is very much one of Puritan New England, there is a decidedly romantic aspect to her account.
A very worthwhile read, intelligent and recommended William Nage
SUMMER OF PEARLS
Mike Blakely, Forge, 2000 , $22 95/C$32 95 (£13.80) , 224pp , ISBN 0-312-87516-9
The adventure begins when a steamboat explodes as it is leaving the town of Port Caddo in 1874 The steamboat's cook, Billy Treat, rescues Ben Crowell , a fourteen-year old passenger. This brave gesture makes Bill y the hero of the town. Billy ' s status is reinforced when he discovers pearls in the freshwater mussels around Port Caddo, causing a pearl rush that brings the town back to a temporary state of prosperity Although Ben is proud to be considered a friend of the town hero , he is jealous as well. Billy has stolen the heart of Pearl Cobb who is not only the most beautiful woman in Port Caddo but also Ben ' s first true love
Summer of Pearls is a light, charming story full of enough murder , adventure. lo ve and revenge to make it an entertaining read However, most of the characters in the story
lack depth ; the one outstanding exception is Ben . As narrator, an older, wiser Ben candidly describes his adolescent struggles with his maturing conscience. The author ' s note at the beginning of the book adds historical background, enhancing the story's charm Nan Curnutt
THE NOTORIOUS DR AUGUST: His Real Life and Crimes
Christopher Bram, William Morrow, 2000 , $26/C$39.50 (£16.30) , hb , 498pp
ISBN 0-688-17569-4
A thought-provoking tour of America and Europe from the U.S Civil War to the 1920s , Christopher Bram ' s latest novel is a wonderfully written and finely developed look at the life of Augustus FitzWilliam Boyd (Dr August) and his colleagues Isaac and Alice The story begins in the violence of an American Civil War small unit action that brings the homosexual Augustus into contact with the deeply religious black slave Isaac. Their wartime experience is the first step in a lifetime of travel and internal and external discoveries. They become lovers , but Isaac ends up marrying a white woman with whom he has two children
Augustus takes advantage of the late 19th century American fascination with spiritualism to establish a career as a musician whose music bridges the gap between the living and their dead loved ones Although Augustus knows full well that he is living a lie, he nonetheless is stunned to learn that there are moments when his art does indeed perform as advertised All the time that the characters are inventing and reinventing themselves , the world around them is surprising itself with marvelous inventions like electricity and telephones The description of this lost world is one of the highlights of Bram ' s prose It is almost as captivating as his analysis of the effects these outside forces have on the people he created to fill the pages
A difficult story to sum up in a few lines , but a wonderful story to observe and appreciate Christopher Bram has a rare ability and has demonstrated it anew with this novel. Highly recommended
John R Vallely
SUSPENSION
Richard E Crabbe, St. Martin s. 2000, $27 95 (£16.80) , 480pp , hb , ISBN 031-2203713
Tom Braddock, a contented bachelor, is a detective with the New York City Police Department after the Civil War . In the course of his investigation of a series of murders , Tom discovers a significant terrorist threat to one of the mightiest symbols of the industrial age - the Brooklyn Bridge.
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
3 1
The descriptions of ordinary life are vivid and historically accurate The challenges faced by a law enforcement officer in post-Civil War New York are described in such a compelling way that the reader is able to understand the obstacles faced by investigators at a time when many citizens were oblivious to authority . Police and most civil government were largely corrupt, and the author makes no attempt to conceal this fact. Consequently, I felt a clear sense of frustration when Tom attempted to remain within the system to conduct his investigation.
Unfortunately, since I've read a number of works about New York City in this period, there were simply too many similarities between this work and others of the ilk specifically, the influence of Caleb Carr (The Alienist) is unmistakable Granted, this is difficult to avoid, but Crabbe seems to have connected his train on the rails of Carr's line That having been said, though , the plot is interesting, the characters well developed and the suspense leading up to the inevitable climax is entertaining and satisfying.
While in England, Prince Oscar of Scandinavia is attending a royal wedding, which is really a cover for the signing of a treaty with England. His disgruntled younger brother has become a pawn of the mysterious ' Brotherhood,' and intelligence has reached Mycroft Holmes that the prince is targeted for assassination . Holmes and his trusted aide , Guthrie, are determined to get Prince Oscar out of the country safely Their plan is to take him to a port in Scotland, traveling via The Flying Scotsman
This is part of a series featuring Mycroft Holmes , Sherlock's smarter, older brother, and narrated by Paterson Guthrie, Mycroft's sidekick. While a little slow to build, the story moves along nicely once they embark on the train to Scotland The characters are numerous and well defined . There are scoundrels as well as gentlemen and even a drunken lord to bedevil our two heroes and their charge The pleasures of traveling first class in 1895 make for an interesting side story to the search for the killer and protecting the cover of the prince and his companions This is an interesting, if oflbeat, series which should appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes
Lorraine Gelly
WHEN THIS CRUEL WAR IS OVER
Thomas Fleming, Tor/Forge, 2001 , $24 .95 , 304pp, hb , ISBN 0312872046
The American Civil War continues to enthrall historical fiction readers precisely because of novels such as this This is the true and incredible story of a proposed guerilla uprising in the American heartland during the summer of 1864
While their state was politically pro-Union, many Kentuckians resented the government, its fumbling battlefield embarrassments , the emancipation of slaves , and especially its commander-in-chief, Abraham Lincoln In 1864 , a number of Kentuck')' Democrats , the Sons of Liberty, committed themselves to ending the war and preventing Lincoln's reelection They plotted to establish a Western Confederacy to free , through violence , the Confederate prisoners of war held in Indiana and Illinois and, by so doing, divide the Union forces.
One member of the Sons of Liberty was Janet Todd An impassioned Kentucky Democrat and socialite, Janet is also in love with Union Major Paul Stapleton, who is stationed in Indiana on the opposite side of the Ohio River When This Crnel War is Over is the story of Janet and Paul , their love, and their complex and conflicted motivations and loyalties
Almost as incredible as the plot itself is the story of how Paul Stapleton's older brother investigated and authenticated it. Jonathan Stapleton hired newsman Clay Pendleton to uncover the whole story, which he did through interviews with the principals still alive in the late 1880s The one condition of the interviewees was that nothing be published during their lifetimes As a result, the interviews were hidden away in the Stapletons ' New Jersey home for more than one hundred years
This is an incredible story, full of period detail and atmosphere , well told by a veteran historian and novelist. Fleming opens the reader's eyes to the emotional and political struggles of the men and women of that period and place, to the ongoing horror of war, hatred , and slavery, and to the pains of love Highly recommended
Jean Langlais
RIDE TO GLORY: A Western Quartet T T Flynn, Five Star, 2000, $21.95 (£15.IO) , 253pp, ISBN : 0-7862-2108-9
I'll list the titles of the four novelettes and short novels it contains, and that's all you'll need to have a perfect picture of what this book's all about: Ghost Guns for Gold, Half Interest in Hell , The Gun Wolf, and Ride to Glory. Action, that is, pure pistol-packing action First appearing in the pages of old pulp
fiction magazines such as Star Western (1935) , Dime Western (1945 & 1949), and Western Story Magazine ( 1938), this marks the debut of these tales in hardcover.
And wherever there's a breathing space between the rounds of gunfire, romance always manages to work its way in. According to the creed of the day, or so it's implied - if not outright stated - it's the love of a good woman that gives a man the courage to risk his neck against the crooked ranchers , conruvmg Mexican despots, and other assorted outlaws found inhabiting these pages , and by extension, the American West.
If these stories succeed, it's by sheer story-telling power, not by the grace or elegance of the writing While he was the contemporary of western writers such as Max Brand and Zane Grey, in terms of word-slinging ability , Flynn was plainly not in their league But if you can sit back and simply let these yarns of yesteryear take over, you'll be in for the ride of your life
Steve Lewis
THE LAST GREAT DANCE ON EARTH
Sandra Gulland, HarperCollins Canada, 2000 , C$32, 373pp , hb, ISBN 0002243873 Published in the US by Scribner·s, 2000, $14 95 , 373pp, tpb , ISBN 0684856085. This novel completes Gulland's Josephine B trilogy, picking up where Tales of Passion , Tales of Woe left off; Napoleon and Josephine have moved into the Tuilleries after acceptance of the new Constitution We witness, through Josephine's diary entries , the many triumphs , tragedies and difficulties of the brilliant Corsican who dominated much of nineteenth century Europe. But more than that, we learn about the private man, the one who loves Josephine and her children while constantly juggling the demands of his large , ambitious family
Still , Josephine remains the heart of this book, recounting the events of her life . They are overshadowed by the internal anguish of her unresolved fertility problems which threaten the stability of Napoleon's Empire, leading them to make a painful decision
With her spare yet elegant prose, Gulland transports the reader back in time The characters are so well defined they seem ready to step from the book, not an easy feat when writing in the first person The author's years of research into the period are evident in the minutiae of daily life sprinkled through the narrative , enough to provide a realistic background without overwhelming the story. The pace never lags , urging us onwards as the plot unfolds
As a conclusion to the trilogy, this book wraps up not only the lives of its central characters, but also those of the secondary
ISSUE 15. FEBRUARY 2001
TI-IE 1--IlSTORJCAL
ones . Political intrigue, love , hate and jealousy, both private and public, pervade the novel , yet never does it seem melodramatic
This book is for anyone who loves history , fiction and a satisfying read . Fans of the Napoleonic era will find it especially enjoyable Though it is strong enough to stand on its own , I recommend starting at the beginning with The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. , as the rich tapestry of this trilogy is not to be missed.
Teresa Eckford
THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGLER
Peter Heck, Berkley Prime Crime, 2000, $6 50 (£3 91), 290 pp , pb , ISBN 0-425-17704-1
Whether one ' s interests run to art history , travel, or the perspective of a young American abroad, there ' s plenty to keep the reader engaged in this lively romp through late nineteenth-century Florence. The latest installment of Peter Heck ' s Mark Twain mystery series, The Mysterious Strangler offers fast-paced excitement through the eyes of Wentworth Cabot , Clemens ' s assistant.
The Clemens family is wintering in Italy , and while Clemens labors during the day at his villa outside of Florence, Cabot has time to visit the city, its museums , and most importantly, its cafes. At the Cafe Diabelli Cabot meets a group of American visitors who have connections with the art world. When a recently-discovered Raphael is stolen from one of his new friends , and a beautiful young woman disappears at the same time , solving the mystery becomes Cabot's personal mission. Clemens is drawn into the plot as well , and the two amateur detectives learn much about the city, its politics, and its police in the ensuing adventure This entertaining light read also offers some glimpses of the real Clemens, which is an added delight.
Helene Williams
GILDED
Catherine Karp , Xlibris (www xlibris com), 2000, $25 (£9 62) , 342pp, hb , ISBN 0-7388-2552-2 Also available in pb ($16) In Gilded, Catherine Karp examines the subject of spouse abuse at the end of the nineteenth century, a time when women were marching for the vote and aspiring to careers . The narrator describes Philip, mayor of a Massachusetts town, with details that evoke disgust at his fleshy self-indulgence His wife Emma suffers his attentions until they become exploitive. A milliner comes to town and soon acquires a reputation as a ladies· man His enormous Parisian hats give the women a ' big head ' and are flaunted by his lovers as proof of their affair. Emma's friends dare to find out about Freddie firsthand , but to her, he's as repulsive as her husband
1HE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
The insights the narrator draws into the home life of the mayoral couple show a psychological sophistication advanced for Victorian times , when Freud was puzzling over female ' hysteria .' Karp's great achievement is in the characterization of Emma and Freddie, who adapt and change while Philip remains his unyielding self. As Emma turns to Freddie for help , the love triangle creates conflict which builds to a juggernaut of suspense in the final four chapters.
Focusing on one character ' s point of view would have strengthened the narrative The floating omniscient detracts from the flow When Emma is in the scene, she is often viewed by other people rather than from within ; she isn't allowed much reflection. Quirky word choices and modem expressions such as ' significant other ' struck some false notes. But it's a great story and one that will stay with me
Marcia K. Matthews
THE OTHER SIDE: A Novel of the Civil War
Kevin McColley, Simon & Schuster, 2000, $24 (£14.43), 382pp, hb ISBN 0-684-85762-6
When thinking of the American Civil War, most of us tend to dwell upon the panoramas of large armies massing for the charge at well-known and pivotal engagements like Gettysburg or Shiloh. Our Civil War is one of heroic leadership by Lee and Grant and dauntless courage by earnest patriots from North and South in the Hornet's Nest or Devil's Den.
Kevin McColley takes us to a very different war. The guerilla war in Missouri and Kansas was a series of bloody ambushes and assassinations waged by desperate men far removed from the control and discipline of formal military organizations. This was a war of murder, revenge , and terror. The main character, young Jacob Wilson , serves as a symbol of those caught up in this hell Jacob (not the most likeable of people, fictional or real) finds himself thrust into the war after his family had harbored a runaway slave and his daughter. After falling in love with the slave ' s daughter, Jacob must kill to protect his mother and the famil y farm from pitiless Union troops.
The image of one of the men he killed will haunt Jacob as he runs from Union justice in pro-Southern regions His flight brings him into reluctant contact with the war and Jacob finds himself on the Confederate side riding with a guerrilla outfit under the aptly-named ·Bloody Bill ' Anderson The characters who cross his path are exceptionally well drawn , as are the scenes of life in the border states of the
Civil War . The violence is ever-present and described in brutal detail We watch as Jacob is consumed by the horrors that surround him
We also observe the slow unraveling of pre-war social norms in the face of blind hatred felt by each side towards the other
The book ' s title may be taken as an indication of the Civil War the author describes as we observe Jacob and his peers journeying from pre-war decency to the darker side of merciless killing This is a tough and realistic chronicle of war ' s effect on those unfortunate enough to be caught in its grasp It is also an extremely well-written and well-researched example of historical fiction
While not for the squeamish, McColley ' s Jacob Wilson is worth the reader ' s time . Highly recommended for those interested in the U.S Civil War
John R Vallely
SISTERS OF CAIN
Miriam Grace Monfredo , Berkley Prime Crime, 2000, $21.95 (£13.19) , 352pp , hb , ISBN 0-425-1767-2
This seventh in the Seneca Falls series takes place in 1862 during the Civil War, but not in Seneca Falls, New York. Nor is Glynis Tryon, Monfredo ' s usual protagonist, featured but rather her two nieces, Bronwen and Kathryn Llyr
While the Confederacy is perfecting surveillance on the North, the Union finally recognizes its abject failure to protect its operatives Enter Bronwen Llyr , a former Pinkerton agent who has joined the Treasury Department ' s elite spy unit. Even though Bronwen does not fit the typical bill of undercover agent, she has guts , that's for sure She also believes fervently in the Union, risking everything because she has made a personal promise to President Lincoln that she will help infiltrate a Confederate spy ring While Bronwen battles spies , Kathryn, her sister, intends to nurse wounded soldiers . This story gives Monfredo myriad opportunities to weave historical details into the action . President Lincoln, his Cabinet, and Dorothea Dix are depicted as real people affecting change in real crises. The evolution of Pinkertons into a pseudo-spy agency , the intrigues surrounding the building and launching of the Monitor and Merrimack , and the sense of time and place in both Washington 0C and Richmond are presented with historical accuracy and fast paced storytelling. A fun , educational read and highly recommended
All students of the subject realize the Civil War (1861-1865) was the bloodiest conflict and the one which had the most significant impact on the nation and on the people of the two warring sections Few are aware that the battle staged in the farmland outside the tiny town of Sharpsburg, Maryland in September, 1862 represented the worst single day of fighting in a four year struggle which witnessed more than its share of catastrophic battles The Battle of Antietam was a day-long bloodbath fought by invading Southern troops under Robert E. Lee and Northern units under the enigmatic George B McClellan Outnumbered by the Union forces , Lee fought a brilliant defensive action which cost him a high percentage of his men.
Antietam is a story rich in drama and filled with colorful personalities on both sides of the lines. C.X. Moreau has captured the essence of both armies in his vivid portrayals of the key players and has more than met the challenge of outlining the action in his finely crafted description of the terrors of the battlefield. The experiences and activities of the Burnsides, Hookers, Renos , Lees , Porters and a host of other officers reminds one of the Longstreets and Chamberlains of The Killer Angels (a comparable work in many respects). This is an outstanding piece of Civil War writing and will serve as a fine introduction to Civil War armies in general and the Battle of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862 in particular Highly recommended John R Vallely
A COVENANT OF LOVE
Gilbert Morris , Tyndale House , 2000, $6 99 (£4.20), 347pp, pb , ISBN 0-8423-4272-9
This inspirational epic, which spans 1840 to 1860, is the first book in The Appomattox Saga. It tells the story of the Rocklin family , some of whose members live in Virginia while others live up North Clay Rocklin and his cousin Gideon have always been rivals , but theirs is a friendly rivalry that is , until both men propose marriage to Melanie Benton Her decision sends one cousin on a downward spiral that threatens to destroy not only himself but also his family
Family sagas are a rarity these days , yet this novel is well worth the read It joins the ranks of other Civil War epics like John Jakes ' North and South The theme of salvation through Christ does not intrude on the story and the scene of redemption works without sounding preachy The hero matures from a drunken rogue to a man who recognizes his faults and accepts the challenge of overcoming
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
them The triangle of Clay, Gideon, and Melanie mirrors the growing conflict between North and South . As war threatens to rip asunder the two branches of the family , what will become of the Rocklins? Readers will eagerly look forward to the sequel , Gate of His Enemies
Cindy Vallar
EDGE OF HONOR
Gilbert Morris , Zondervan (HarperCollins) , 2000, $16 99 (£10 .52), 384pp, hb ISBN 03 I 0225892
Christian author Gilbert Morris gives us the story of Quentin Laribee, a young surgeon conscripted into the Union army at the end of the Civil War Engaged to Irene , the daughter of a socially connected physician from New York City, he ' s considered a lucky man by his fellow interns Laribee is a fish out of water from the outset ; he is in an enviable position, yet it is obvious he feels out of place in the social scene he has unintentionally fallen into.
Then comes the news that he will be drafted Despite the objections of his future in-laws, Laribee enlists. He is sent first to a military hospital in Richmond, then to Ft. Stedman, where in the confusion of battle he kills an enemy soldier. After being discharged, he is unable to drive the horror of the act from his mind . Following much soul searching and prayer, he sets out for Arkansas, hoping to see that the family of the dead man is cared for. What he discovers there is a sense of peace and fulfillment, something he has been unable to find in New York
While I don't normally choose to read religious novels , I learned to care for Quentin Laribee and his family and friends, and appreciated their convictions that the Lord would see them through This is a tender story of the redemptive power of love, of God and of one another, and would appeal to those who enjoy wholesome, family-oriented reading Alice Logsdon
THE DONS AND MR. DICKENS
William J. Palmer, St. Martin ' s Minotaur, 2000,$23.95,244pp,hb
ISBN 0-312-26576-X
The fourth entry in Palmer's Dickens series is an enjoyable, atmospheric mystery set in Victorian London and Oxford, told in the form of a journal kept by Wilkie Collins, a writer and close friend of Charles Dickens . Dickens and Collins are summoned by Inspector William Field to a murder scene in London's Chinese opium district. The victim is an Oxford Don, so off to Oxford Dickens , Collins and Field go to investigate. They enlist the help of one of Wilkie's old college friends , Charlie Dodgson. The trail leads to a group of Dons who meet regularly at a local tavern yet
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have little in common, personally or professionally . Since the common thread remains elusive, Inspector Field asks Ellen Teman, a London actress and Dickens ' mistress , to go undercover as a barmaid at the tavern . The plot is quick-paced and the main characters are likable and interesting Palmer does an excellent job of making new readers feel at home , providing just enough background about the characters and their relationships , but not so much to interfere with the present story or bore readers of the previous installments References to Victorian literature are sprinkled throughout the novel with brief footnotes and are worked into the plot where appropriate Palmer ' s decision to tell the story from Collins ' point of view rather than Dickens ', the more famous of the two authors , is an interesting and refreshing twist on the ' celebrity as detective ' genre. Fans of Victorian mysteries should definitely give this one a try
James Reasoner, Cumberland House , 2000 , $22 95/C$34.95 (£13.80), 408pp , hb ISBN 1-58182-130-l
The fourth novel in the Civil War Battle series , Chancellorsville faces the difficult task of carrying the weight of its own story In the west, Cory Brannon searches for his sweetheart, Lucille Farrell. Not only does he find her in Vicksburg , but he also becomes involved in the dangerous job of supplying arms to the city Meanwhile, brothers Will and Mac enjoy a brief visit home to Culpeper, Virginia , where they are surprised to learn that brother Titus has married the local rich girl. As the Brannons are a proud farm family of modest means , the marriage was apparently shaky from the start . When the marriage finally crumbles , Titus joins the fighting as a sharpshooter with a Georgia regiment. The story peaks at the battles of Fredericksburg and the book's namesake , ChancelJorsville
With a vast array of characters , there is no shortage of diversity in this novel. Even with the large cast and not having read the previous books , I had no difficulty keeping the characters sorted. Yet they were never explored beneath the surface; I never quite knew what made them truly unique.
It's clear that an incredible amount of research went into the battle portrayals. The scenes, however, lack the edge-of-your-seat
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
feeling, and I felt more like a spectator than a participant. In spite of these disappointments. the pace is fast , and the basic plot of how one Southern family copes with the war in its own backyard is well done. Chancellorsville does indeed hold its 0\\11. and I look forward to reading the remainder of the series.
Kim Murphy
DANIEL PLAINWAY, or The Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League Van Reid, Viking , 2000, $24.95 (£15), 385pp, hb, ISBN 0-670-89I71-1
If the second adventure of The Moosepath League (Mollie Peer) seemed to sag a little, at least in comparison to the absolutely marvelous first in the series (Cordelia Underwood) , matters seem to have righted themselves in this , the third.
A pattern has been set. After an adventure set in the summer. followed by one in the fall, it comes as no surprise to find this one taking place in the following winter of 1896 It is December in Maine, with the days steadily leading into Christmas Much is made of the solstice , the shortest day and (consequently) the longest night of the year, when the spirits of the recently departed are the most likely to return
Mr . Tobias Walton and his three devoted cohorts, Ephram , Eagleton and Thump, have some loose ends to gather up from their most recent venture, primarily that of the small boy Bird. whom they helped to rescue. and the mysterious woman who may have been his mother. Which is where attorney Daniel Plainway enters in he has the information they need.
As usual , there are more threads to the plot than there are pages to hold them , with plenty of digressions and interesting coincidences to satisfy the most rabid lover of mystery and romance. Combined with Van Reid's magic for story-telling and with all of the various diversions provided, one simply cannot rush him along there is another major ingredient , that of the wondrous Maine winter, with tobogganing, sleighing through the snow. and (above all) one major snowball fight all tangential to the main action , you understand , but still wonderful to read.
Not all of the loose ends arc gathered up in the end. although some essential ones most certainly are . But there are four seasons to the year and yes, what about Mrs . Dorothea Roberto . the daring Fourth of July balloonist in the first tale of the series?
Steve Lewis
THE 1-!JSTORJCAL NOVELS REVIEW
LADY LESSONS
Sarah Starr. Regency Press. 2000. $19.95. 211 pp. hb, ISBN 1-929085-17-6
A Regency romance, this novel details the unusual courtship between Julian, Earl of Ashley. and his grandmother·s god-daughter Virginia Traynor. called Ginger. She and her brother, Thomas, are invited to pay their godmother a visit. but little does she know that the Dowager Countess of Ashley has matchmaking in mind To her godmother·s surprise, Ginger is a young girl whose tomboyish behavior and unpolished manners make her unfit for society The Earl finds Ginger attractive and refreshing , but he ·s determined at first to marry a more suitable bride - even though it may not be for love.
Despite the title. the lady lessons .., which Ginger undertakes for the Earl's benefit don ' t begin until the novers nearly finished. There are some other flaws. notably the lack of development for secondary characters such as Thomas , described more like an early adolescent than a man of twenty. Also , Ginger herself seems at times too youthful to be interested in romance and marriage. Still , the characters ' actions and the language used are perfectly appropriate to the period. If you can put aside these inconsistencies, this novel would be a charming addition to any reader's Regency collection .
Sarah L. Nesbeitt
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN MOVING PICTURE ASSOCIATION
Loren D. Estleman, Forge, 2000 , $6.99 (£4.33), 308pp , pb, ISBN 0-812-54154-5
Movies are a large part of everyone's life today , whether viewed in theaters , seen as videos at home , or the basis of watercooler gossip at work. It's therefore a distinct pleasure to read about the early days of the pre-Hollywood motion picture industry , back in the days of makeshift sets , mind-melting lighting systems and hand-cranked cameras
People did what they had to in order to get those dazzling images up on the screen. In this novel Buck Bensinger's leading lady Adele Varga is a former Mexican prostitute She's also the producer, the secretary, the bookkeeper, and when she needs to , she's the company's publicity director Buck's new leading man is an ex-convict , just released from San Quentin
In the real world . before he started making movies, D W. Griffith (to pick just one example) was a cash boy in a dry goods store. Other recognizable names are bumped into now and again, as Buck tries his best to get his latest two-reel epic finished. The villain. though? Surprise of surprises. none other than Thomas Alva Edison, dubbed by Buck as ·Tue Lizard of Menlo Park .' Twenty years after
coming up with the moving picture process , Edison discovered that there was money to be made from the idea , and he helped form a monopolistic trust (the Motion Pictures Patents Company) whose sole function was to keep anyone else from making movies
People in on the early days of anything are not always aware of their eventual footnoted places in history and it's left to others to look back later and marvel at their accomplishments Giving us the same perspective in this story is Tom Boston, a would-be writer born Dmitri Pulski. the son of a northern California iceman Sent by his father to negotiate a sale of eight tons of ice to the Rocky Mountain Picture Association, Tom finds life in the sunny south much more to his liking What he receives, along with a paycheck, is a ringside seat to the birth of a new industry
What happens next is pure fiction , a novel too good to be fiction. and if it didn't really happen, it should have .
Steve Lewis
FLINT'S TRUTH
Richard S. Wheeler, Forge, 2000 , $6 99 (£4.20) , 348pp, pb , ISBN: 0-812-55021-8
The first of itinerant newspaper printer Sam Flint's adventures in the Old West was recorded in Flint's Gift This is the second: the third, forthcoming , is Flint's Honor And if this book is any measure , all three are worth tracking dovm and reading
Moving from settlement to settlement with a printing press , several cases of movable type. newsprint , and ink is not a task for the faint-hearted , nor is setting up shop in a town such as Oro Blanco, where the powers-that-be prefer that certain secrets stay hidden As Sam says on page 63: ·You'd be amazed the amount of news that people don't wish to see in print.' At stake is a fortune in land and gold
This is a morality tale written in the guise of a western novel , with most of the characters taking stock parts 1n fuller roles , though , besides Sam himself. are the philosophical Mexican priest who befriends him , and Libby , the skinny 13-year-old girl who becomes his right-hand aide Both in their own way become keys to the tale. which is brutally honest and takes an ironic twist or two before a form of justice prevails
A solid, picturesque glimpse into a unique time and place, and. ringing a resonant chord of truth and right. compulsively readable Steve Lewis
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
THE WITl'll""ESS
Richard S Wheeler, Signet, 2000, $5 99 (£3.71), 298pp, ISBN : 0-451-20075-6
It is western postmaster Horatio Bates who tells this story and makes a small but still significant role in it - the first of others to come, perhaps Who knows more of what goes on in small towns such as Paradise, Colorado, circa 1890 , than the man through whose offices all the mail flows?
Bank accountants also are pnvy to many secrets, and Daniel Knott is no exception Amos Burch, the banker, founder of the town and its primary benefactor is the man who Knott sees late at rnght , m lus office, with a woman not his wife Knott is promoted, no quid pro quo stated, but it's certainly understood. But when Amos Burch's wife seeks a divorce , she needs a witness . And an honest man
Burch, being a desperate man, turns to desperate measures. A small but powerful morality tale follows , with the issues bemg honor, honesty and justice - not all of which seem compatible with each other.
It's also an old-fashioned sort of tale , Hawed only by one character's reacllon to an ensuing development , one quite opposite to what I had expected But given a tiny measure of suspended disbelief, a book that can be read (1f not devoured) man evenmg's tune.
Steve Lewis
US/CANADA: 20TH CENTIJRY
THE EDGE OF EUROPE
Angela Bianchini, trans. from the Italian by Angela M . Jeannet and David Castronuovo , University of Nebraska Press , $15 (£9.95) , 140pp, tpb , ISBN 0-8032-6171-3
An Italian Jewish girl"s exit from her home becomes an intimate story of emotional growth and adjustments to strange locals. It is 1941 , and Italy ' s racial laws enacted two years earlier are being enforced. The girl arrives at a Lisbon airport where she meets Juan Ruben, an anti-Fascist who coordinates a network that assists refugees
The significance of these efforts to relocate become clear when the girl faces the cliffs of the westernmost point of Europe in Cabo da Roca. In that place Europe ends , the Atlantic begins, and America lies ahead. Now lwt:nly, lht: giri t:nvisions a nt:w iifo. Thoughis of places along the escape route and people met there run through her mind Forever prominent in memory, but never to be discussed , is the knowledge that what is transpiring comes from wisdom coupled with
the sacrifices of farniiy who remained behind in Italy
The pohtical and human factors of exile drew me into this story Clear and factual writing partially abetted by the narrator·s input will serve to encourage readers to finish before putting the book down Th.:: Edge of Europe takes an insightful look into this catastrophic point in history Ifs a realistic story from which readers may draw a better understanding of the situation in Europe Information offered in the glossary answers questions and enhances the historical quality of this fictional work.
Jetta Carol Culpepper
THE WHITE RHINO HOTEL
Bartle Bull , Carroll & Graf, 2000, $14 (£8 42) , 404 pp , tpb , ISBN 0-786- 70798-4 East Africa after the First World War is a melting pot of different cultures and opportunities to start afresh. The old days of ivory hunters are gone, and a new scheme of distributing parcels of farmland will make pioneers out of the least likely people, either making Africa forever British or failing in the attempt. Central to this novel 1s the eponymous hotel , a place where many of these pioneers meet en route to new lives Run by impoverished Lord Penfold with his scrawny wife Sissy, 1t 1s a meetmg place for gypsy Anton Rider and young pioneer's wife Gwenn Llewelyn , New Zealand goldminers the Grahams , white hunter and safari leader Rack Slider and cruel Portuguese planter, Vasco Fonseca and his smoldering sister Anunciata. In true White Mischief style, this will be an explosive combination.
They don ' t publish books like this very ofit:n - nol Lht:st: <lays anyway. Think of Hemingway mixed with Wilbur Smith with a touch of Rider Haggard for seasoning and this will give some idea. Bartle Bull has certainly done his homework, and the result is a tangible , heat-and-dust Africa that leaps off the page without getting bogged down with too much verbiage Political correctness is anathema to any historical novel , but even more so to this type of book. Thus. there is only a nod in its direction Anton Rider deciding that big game hunting isn't for him , a decision that seems rather out of character but clearly intended to make the reader like the hero
This minor gripe aside. this is a very enjoyable, action packed novel seething with sexual tensions and expressions, the raw power of man against nature and the veneer of coioniai decadence overlaying the dark, primeval beauty of Africa. One to savor for the rnre treat that it is
Rachel A Hyde
THE SPIRIT WOMAN
Margaret Coel , Berkley, 2000 , $2I.95/C$30 99 (£13 19) , 272pp , hb ISBN 0425175979
Historical records imply that Sacajawea, the Indian guide on Lewis and Clark's westward expedition, dted young in 1812 of 'putrid fever' The oral tradition of the Shoshone tribe, however, says that she lived out a long life in the company of her people Laura Simmons , a college teacher ileemg her brutal ex-boyfriend, arrives at the Wind River Reservation in central Wyoming with the goal of locating Sacajawea's recorded memoirs Not only do many tnbal members keep Sacajawea's history to themselves , but a previous researcher may have met an unfortunate end
The Spirit Woman introduces us to a culture where oral lustory 1s paramount, and to a people to whom age and wisdom are highly respected. Despite this , modern life continues to rears its ugly head, with Coel's honest portrayals of social problems such as alcoholism, academic dishonesty , and spousal abuse (particularly the latter). The mystery of the location and even existence of Sacajawea's memorrs takes numerous turns , keeping the reader guessing throughout , with more than one surprising plot twist in the interim The novel concludes with a suitably powerful finale , leavmg readers tmpahent to seek out past and future volumes in this growing series. Though not truly a historical mystery, The Spirit Woman should prove of great interest to anyone interested in exploririg America's Native American past.
Sarah L. Nesbeitt
WHEN THE LILACS BLOOM
Linda Colwdl , Avid Prt:ss , 2000, $6 .5 0 (£4 53), 254pp , pb , ISBN 1-929613-09-1
Linda Colwell has created a memorahle villain in the person of Mother Langford . Her gothic vision of the mother-in-law from hell counterbalances the smell of lilacs that renders this time travel romance rather sweet.
Set in West Virg',.nia in tii.e year 1900, tii.e story begins with the murder of Elinor. beloved of Nicholas Fast forward one hundred years. Emily Foster, descendent of ill-fated Elinor, has moved back into the family homestead after the death of her grandmother. Across the river she sees the ruins of Langford Manor. She drearns of Nicholas and of the fire that consumed the mansion A mist on the river pulls back to reveal the manor as it looked when new Apparitions of Elinor and Nicholas stand out front. Emily senses Nicholas calling to her. She steps into a parallel world and relives , in the person of Elinor, the terrifying events leading up to the murder.
Tt-iE HISTORiCAL NOVELS REVIEW
ISSUE i5 FEBRUARY 200i
The author has a storytelling verve , but makes annoying mistakes. Is ·Moonlight Sonata' by Beethoven or Tchaikovsk-y? She echoes the same phrases: ' the heady scent of lilacs ' becomes a motif and the ' strawberry birthmark· gets too much type. Why don't editors edit? The text is marred with typos a proofreader should have caught.
In the love scenes, the author achieves sensuality without being crude. She segues smoothly between time periods. Her fantasy makes an entertaining summer read Marcia K. Matthews
BLOODROOT
Aaron Roy Even, St Martin"s , 2000, $22.95 (£13 .80) , 26lpp , hb , ISBN 0-312-26561-l
In 1936, Charlottesville, Virginia is in the grip of the Depression, so any opportunity to bring work to people is of vital importance When a company proposes building a turpentine plant, people are forced to sell their homes to the company and relocate All but two people, that is , Wesley and his sister, the old black caretakers of the estate of the now-vanished Peers family . Into this situation comes young, fresh Elsa, involved with the turpentine plant's plans to move Wesley along. For somebody whose life and family background has been easy sailing, this seems straightforward enough But this is one case that won ' t let go until murder is done
Even has taken the bare facts of a true story and constructed this neat novel. The well-scrubbed Elsa and her family are drawn in sharp contrast to the old black retainers , relics of a lost age - perhaps too sharp a contrast. A bit more subtlety might have come in handy.
This is not a book with many surprises. That having been said, though, Even is good at building tension as events crescendo to the murder. The book is meticulously written with rural Virginia in the 1930s coming to life - the relationship of the people to the land, the minutiae of daily life , the contrast of old and new ways , black and white prejudices An absorbing read, although one that is too intent on making a social point at the expense of more compelling and deeper characterisation .
Rachel A Hyde
THE LAST SEASON
Ronald Florence, Forge, 2000, $24 95/C$35 95 (£14.39) , 348pp , hb ISBN 0-312-84873-0
Set on the New England coast in the summer of 194 l. this novel pivots about Sera, daughter of a Portuguese fisherman Two men are rivals for her love : Russell , the spoiled, spendthrift naval lieutenant, and Jake , the innovative. hardworking boat builder. When the story opens, their rivalry is presaged by a
THE
HISTORICAL
NOVELS REVIEW
yacht race in which they are the only serious contenders . It soon becomes clear that far more than Sera stands between them. While Russell blithely reveals Navy secrets to outsiders , Jake is enlisted by a group that strives to thwart men spying for Japan.
The plot is complex, yet easy to follow There is plenty of intrigue The characters are human-like and interesting I felt technical detail at times slowed the pace, but I did learn about boating and naval war games The story realistically depicted a society still untouched by the Second World War, and the linking of espionage to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I also thought the ending was uncontrived and wholly believable.
This novel should appeal to anyone who likes boats, the sea, and impending war.
Terence M. Green, Forge, 1999, $20 .95/C$28 95 (£7 79 ypb) , 240 pp ISBN 0-312-86672-0
Set in Toronto during the first half of the twentieth century, this thought-provoking novel explores life , death and the loneliness of human existence. The story is presented as vignettes from the life of Martin Radey, who appears to be the author ' s grandfather. Martin is dead when the novel opens. As a spirit, he narrates the tale of his childhood in a vast Irish family, his two marriages, his relationships with his children. This device seemed strange to me - yet it worked, perhaps because dead Martin ' s esoteric reflections, inserted between the various life incidents , were brief.
Terence M Green skillfully evokes working class Toronto of a bygone era. His prose is powerful , yet easy to read This novel moved me , and I plan to lend it to a friend.
Through the vehicle of four generations of women, Rona Jaffe tells the story of the twentieth century in America Using the east coast as a backdrop , she details the life of Rose Smith, born in 1900, who grows and has her life altered by wars and the emerging power of women Rose is raised by her father , stepmother, and older sister, and learns to become independent at an early age an independence that she passes on to her three
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daughters Each of these women experiences personal triumphs and tragedies shaped by the events of the past hundred years. The scenario, in which all the major events of the century manage to dramatically affect one family , at first appears to be an artificial situation created by the author. However , upon reflection it is possible to see how all these events shaped all families throughout the twentieth century in varying degrees This is a book worth reading to see how far women and America have come in the last century
Shannon M Wally
FROM A SEALED ROOM
Rachel Kadish, Berkley, 2000 , $13 95 (£8.39) , 356 pp , hb , ISBN 04251764 l X Maya Goodman is a young woman studying abroad in Israel who has promised her mother she will contact relatives who settled there after WWII An only child, Maya has been raised by her mother Hope , a somewhat overzealous social worker who has given little thought to her own daughter ·s care. Kadish thus sets the stage by which this story of discovery both inner and outward, rebellion, struggles with identity will play out.
Maya ' s encounters in Israel with her friends , intimates, and her own family provide the backdrop by which Kadish studies how we deal with the uncertainties of life and the tragedies of the past. The story is richly cast with memorable characters and a well-defined theme While this is a story primarily about women, Kadish ensures that the male characters are given a sufficient presence to balance the story. Despite the fact that this work 1s complex m its detail , and geographically the action moves from Jerusalem to New York City to World War II Europe , the ideas flow freely and easily This is an intriguing and interesting work well worth the read.
William Nage
LAST DAYS OF SUMMER
Steve Kluger, Avon, 1999 , $12 (£7.43), 353pp , pb , ISBN 0380797631
At its core, this is a simple tale of a boy and a man whose paths meet and merge , to the betterment of both But it is so much more : it is a tribute to baseball , Broadway, babes , the boys in the Service - and, yes, Brooklyn It is a paean to all that is right and good about people : friendship , loyalty , bravery, decency, honor, commitment, and love
Precocious twelve-year-old Joey Margolis , a Brookl)'n Jew in a largely Italian neighborhood in the early 1940s , is sorely in need of a protector a big brother, a father figure Charlie Banks , a midwestem Protestant, is a hot-tempered , immensely talented rookie third baseman for the NY
ISS UE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
Giants and sorely in need of a conscience that includes more than his skills ,,~th bat and glo ve. They tell their tale in a series of letters , newspaper clippings, box scores and matchbook covers , an interesting and entirely successful technique for a writer whose prior work includes a number of screen, stage and teleplays. It is also not surprising that much of his work revolves around baseball , Broadway, the boys in the Service and, yes , Brooklyn He clearly loves the stuff
It is a kind and gentle tale of a time that may not have been much simpler or innocent but was certainl y, well , kinder and gentler I laughed and cried, often on the same page, sometimes at the same time , as the two different temperaments , cultures and faiths clash with and ultimately absorb each other.
Joey , Charlie, the women who love them, the teacher and principal who fear them, the rabbi who worries for them, and the President and First Lady who respect them, leap into the mind, heart and soul never looking back, and setting up permanent residence Run, do not walk , to your nearest bookseller and get a copy of this book. No get two, one for yourself and one for someone you love.
For three decades Doc Hata has lived comfortably in a small suburban New York town, where he ran a medical supply store and was an upstanding member of the community Now that he has sold the store and retired, he begins to look back on his life, a life that could have been more than it was
Jiro Kurohata was born Korean but raised by Japanese parents He fought for the Emperor in World War II , came to the United States in the 60 ' s to start a new life , and adopted a Korean girl to start a family But for a ll the things Doc Hata has done and seen, he has never really lived. As he reflects on his life gone by, we begin to see a picture of a man who has always held himself apart, never participating, never getting emotionally involved if he could avoid it. For this reason, he loses his daughter , who never feels wanted or loved He loses his one American girlfriend for the same reason But as the story develops , we find that he did once become emotionally involved , so much so that the rest of his life was changed by that experience During the war, it was his job to look after the comfort girls ,' girls stolen away from their homes in Korea for the purpose of providing sexual relief for the soldiers on the front.
Chang-rae Lee has written a sensitive story about a man who saw the plight of these
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
' comfort girls ' of World War fl. This part of the story, told in flashback, is intensely gripping, as we see how very badly they were treated and abused. We also see how the soldiers thought of these poor unfortunate women, and it is not easy to accept.
In the end, Doc Hata begins to come to terms with himself and his life , as he comes to know his grandson and realizes , perhaps, just what he has done wrong all these years . This is an interesting story, especially if you are interested in this one , small aspect of World War fl
Alexandra Cee ly
SINS OF THE SUFFRAGETTE
Allan Levine, Great Plains Publications (http ://www greatplains .mb .ca), C$19 95 , 260pp , tpb , ISBN l-894283-16-3
Allan Levine ' s second Sam Klein mystery is a nicely balanced blend of murder and history Klein , a private detective in early twentieth century Winnipeg , investigates the murder of Emil y Powers , a woman of high social standing and with the requisite secret sordid past who was also deeply involved in the suffragette movement.
Klein will never rival Sherlock Holmes as the sage of sleuths. He is often discovered in situations a twelve year old could have deduced beforehand This doesn ' t imply he ' s not an enjoyable character, but Levine allows the puzzle pieces to conveniently fall into Sam ' s lap as opposed to allowing him to delve into and reason out the solution.
The story ' s accompanying colorful figures , though, more than make up the lack of depth of Klein ' s character I was drawn into the tale by Levine ' s absolutely fabulous contemporary descriptive language, which gave the novel an authentic , gritty feel. Levine ' s research into the women ' s movement of 1914 Winnipeg (which is a pivotal element in the plot) is clearly evident throughout Sin s of th e Suffragette
While Sam Klein did not impress me , Levine certainly did, especiall y with a wonderful, shocking, twisted finale. J'II look forward to Allan Levine ' s next foray into the crevices of crime.
Wendy Zollo
SHADOWBOX
Antonia Logue , Grove Press, 2000, $13 00 (£7.81) , 320pp , tpb , ISBN 0-8021-3722-9 Shadow Box revives the epistolic tradition, telling its story in the form of letters between painter and poet Mina Loy and boxer Jack Johnson Both mourn the loss of Arthur Cravan, a poet, boxer, con man, art critic, forger, and a host of other occupations Cravan was Loy ' s husband and Johnson ' s friend, presumed drowned at sea in 1918
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Johnson reestablishes contact ,~th Loy almost thirty years later, and they exchange the details of their li ves via correspondence. Both Loy and Johnson come ali ve through their letters , but they are telling two separate stories rather than responding to each other There is little sense of why they have renewed their friendship until almost halfway through the book, when a plot twist is revealed Cravan remains the most elusive character, since the reader must rely on Loy and Johnson to bring him to life Logue is most successful with Johnson ' s narrative - the racism he faced is vividly evoked and she supplies a plausible reason for rumors that he threw the fight with Jess Willard that cost him the heavyweight title of the world Loy ' s letters reveal her difficult life as a wife in an unhappy first marriage (Cravan was her second husband) and then the joy of an artist who has found her voice.
But her story is most interesting when she details life in New York in Walter Arensberg ' s salon, which includes William Carlos Williams and Marcel Duchamp Cravan himself finally takes on a form ; he is a larger-than-life character who , despite Logue ' s keen descriptive powers , remains vaguely unworthy of Mina and Jack ' s devotion Still , all three are engrossing personalities who tell stories which make the book feel intimate though its can vas is broad, taking place in France, Spain, Italy, Mexico, and the United States Recommended
Ellen Keith
THE BOOK BORROWER
Alice Mattison, HarperPerennial , 2000 (cl999) , $13 / C$19 95 (£7 81) , 278pp, tpb , ISBN 0-688-17786- 7
Mattison's emotionally-charged third novel charts two stories : the decades-long friendship between Toby Ruben and Deborah Laidlaw, who first meet in a park in 1975 as young mothers ; and the story of an anarchist rnillworker, Jessie Lipkin, who in 1921 organized a trolley workers' strike in Boynton, Massachusetts Lipkin's story, Trolley Girl , is presented as a book-within-a-book. Upon their meeting , Laidlaw lends Ruben the book and thus begins the journey of a friendship As the women raise their children and embark on teaching careers , they debate politics as well as the ebb and flow of their friendship Both stories realistically present relationships between women and showcase Mattison's gift of dialogue With much sensitivity, Mattison shows how books can rescue us from our sorrows ; how the events of the outside world play into our private lives ; and how the bonds between women are strong, complicated, and uncertain
ISSUE 15 FEBR UARY 2001
Chosen as a New York Times Notable Book, The Book Borrower portrays the fragility of friendship while at the same time showcasing the incredible strength possessed by these bonds Although at times the abrupt switches between Ruben and Laidlaw's friendship and Lipkin's Trolley Girl can be jarring, once readers becomes attuned to the flow of Mattison's writing , they will be swept along with these women as they live out the dramas of their lives. The narrative-within-a-narrative provides the opportunity for Toby Ruben to examine her life through the eyes of the characters in Trolley Girl and thus gain deeper insight into her own life. The Book Borrower joins the ranks of contemporary classics of female friendship such as Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye as a beautifully written work showcasing such relationships
Dana Cohlmeyer
THE CASE OF THE 2ND SEANCE
Sam McCarver, Signet, 2000, $5 99/C$8.99 (£3 60), 2 l6pp , pb , ISBN 0-451-20160-4 This is the third mystery featuring John Darnell, investigator of paranormal crimes or what seem to be paranormal crimes In this entry in the series , David Lloyd George , Prime Minister for just one week, holds a seance to try to contact his dead daughter . The idea of the seance has been suggested by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is present at the event. During it , the lights go out , and when they come back on , the Prime Minister ' s younger daughter is missing . A sergeant from Scotland Yard is assigned to do much of the detecting : a woman sergeant! This just didn ' t ring true for late I 916, so I checked the Metropolitan Police Service ·s web site. Indeed, there was a Women Police Service founded in 1914 , though the duties these women were allowed to perform were far beneath those given Sergeant Catherine O ' Reilly in the book. This is the second John Darnell mystery I' ve read. In both cases I found the plot exciting However, the characters seem too simplistic. Their conversations are unrealistic and jejune, as are some of the descriptions of their actions I wish McCarver could hone his writing skills so that they match his powers of plotting
This ambivalent and mysterious family saga takes place in the south of France Sagesse has the last life in her famil y tree as Algerian colonials. Her grandfather is an hotelier when Sagesse goes skinny-dipping with friends in the hotel pool. The next day an article in the
THE HlSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
paper has her father upset: three young nationalists have been blown up in a car with their own bomb , which was meant for foreigners. The item foreshadows the destruction of her famil y. Sagesse is a rebellious teen with a weak mother and an absent father , and commits other transgressions for summer fun Her grandfather loses his temper and takes a shot at the unruly kids
Part 2 flashes back to Algeria , where the grandfather , Jacques , experienced violence in the colony that was ' France and yet not France .' In the aftermath of the shooting, Jacques and his granddaughter are ostracized. Adolescent romance and confusion are exiled as Sagesse is sent to Boston. Part 3 dips further into the past , when her forebears first went to Algeria Sagesse has another adolescent mishap , and feels a ' wave of absurdity ' when the trivial assumes awesome import. The next chapter describes her father Alexandre ' s trauma at leaving Algiers.
At this point I felt displaced Messud tends to ramble She employs a secretive style, and each revelation is dragged from her: 'The beads of the story mine to fashion, the ellipses mine to select. ' Compassion for the characters comes late , but by Part 7 my emotions were involved Some of her sentences transcend the pedestrian : ' As she whittled her bony self, she ate her words rather than her meals.' The theme of the novel is the alienation of a family of exiles The colonials are despised as ' pieds-noirs .' Sagesse has a brother who was damaged at birth : crippled and retarded, he exists as her touchstone of home She can never escape him, or herself
Marcia K. Matthews
MURDER ME NOW
Annette Meyers , Mysterious Press, 200 l , $23 95/C$32 95 , (£15.0 l) , hb , 288pp ISBN 0-89296-695-5
This is Meyers ' second mystery featuring Olivia Brown, a Greenwich Village poet in Prohibition I 920s A nanny is murdered during a country house party Olivia, assisting her downstairs tenant , Harry , a private investigator, discovers that the victim wasn ' t a nanny at all but a Pinkerton detective , and suspicion falls on all the guests of the party Meyers does a wonderful job of recreating the bohemian atmosphere of the Village in the twenties Liquor flows from the bootleggers and into teacups in speakeasies Edmund 'Bunny ' Wilson, writing for Vanity Fair at the time , is a character. Olivia ' s first mystery was Free Love, a sentiment she heartily endorses. Having as the book opens a college professor lover, never quite dropping him she later flirts with a lesbian photojournalist and then takes up with a novelist. Who she is with at the
moment seems to depend on where the plot is to go rather than attraction , and some plot lines are dropped without resolution Still , the backdrop of I 920s New York is irresistible, and Meyers weaves in fictional and factual characters fairly seamlessly
Ellen Keith
THE STONES CRY OUT
Hikaru Okuizumi , Harcourt , 2000 , $12/C$18 (£7 .22), 138 pp , tpb , ISBN 0-15-601 I 83-2
Others have praised The Stones Cry Out as a haunting psychological novel , seamless and engrossing , one of the best books of 1999 , ' full of glassy surfaces that tilt to reach vertigo-inducing depths .' Stone is a symbol of the universe: green chert consists of fossilized sea creatures. The Stones Cry Out asks us to take a closer look at the world we take for granted Space and time are condensed into an ordinary pebble
Manase is a mineralogist and survivor of WWII In a cave on a tropical island, he witnessed the murders of his Japanese compatriots by a militant captain who mercilessly dispatched the weak ones with a sword. The grotesque image of the lance corporal is not for the weak of stomach
In this novel, murder is never solved or resolved. Despite its clear, descriptive style, third person past omniscient, the detached narrative fails to deliver poetic justice War and alienation lead to horror: that ' s been done before A cherry tree as symbol of dying young A man who doesn ' t know himself comes to terms with his own evil , yet escapes atonement. Sounds familiar
Marcia K. Matthews
THUNDER
ON THE MOUNfAIN : A Novel of 1936
David Poyer, Forge, 2000, $6 .99 (£4 .33) , 419pp , pb , ISBN : 0-812-54004-2
The ' Thunder · of the titles can be explained in at least three different ways (I) Thunder Oil of Pennsylvania, a family dynasty under the control of its third owner, Daniel Thunder, as of 1936 (2) The nitroglycerine used judiciously in helping drillers blast their wells down into the oil-bearing rock of that same state (3) The rumblings of the growing labor union movement , stirred into action by a huge fatal accident , and the company's apparent indifference to the well being of its workmen
Guiding the men who risk everything they have and own are the crusading labor organizer par excellence, Diane Gurl ey Golden (the outsider), and W T. Red ' Halverson (the reluctant insider) recently promoted to foreman, but a man pushed into standing up for the rights of others
In the days when 13 cents an hour was considered high wages , labor unions were
ISSUE 15 FE BRU ARY 2001
considered by the wheelers and dealers of the day to be instruments of the devil, true anathema, and probably Communist instigated The legendary John L Lewis (no relation, so far as I know) has a minor but still key role to play in the story that unfolds , as does the President's lady , Eleanor Roosevelt herself (There were strata of American society that regarded Franklin as perhaps Satan himself.)
The stakes are high, and if you have any sympathy for the ' working man ' at all, I guarantee that you'll find yourself being not-so-subtly sucked into the intrigue and incipient violence that result. These were the days of revolution that don't get their fair share of coverage in today's history books ; more's the pity There were giants in those days , and Poyer's book brings a few of them back to life
Steve Lewis
THE END OF WAR: A Novel of the Race for Berlin
David L. Robbins , Bantam, 2000, $24 .95US/C$35 (£7 .99 pb) , 389pp, hb, ISBN 0-553-10830-1
Robbins ' excellent novel chronicles the waning days of World War II in Eastern Europe and the strategic, almost god-like decisions made by the Allied leaders that would shape post-war Europe for decades The story juxtaposes the global viewpoints of Roosevelt , Churchill, and Stalin against the real world viewpoints of a Life photographer, a German woman living in Berlin, and a Russian foot soldier
The author does a fine job of illustrating how each move by Allied leaders on the chessboard affected those poor souls caught in the midst of the action . He clearly believes Roosevelt ' s decision to leave Berlin to the Russians was a major error , and the story follows along that premise He attempts to drive home that point by describing in fine detail the suffering endured by the Berliners at the hands of the Russians and the utter disbelief of the American army commanders who were ordered to halt their advances mere miles from the outskirts of Berlin . Robbins ' version of history gives the reader enticing food for thought. What if the Allies had taken and held Berlin? How would post-war Europe have developed? Would the Cold War have taken more ominous turns? An impressive bibliography shows that Robbins certainly did his homework on the subject and gives the reader an outstanding menu of books with which to further study this controversial period
Mark F Johnson
MURDER IN THE LINCOLN BEDROOM
Elliott Roosevelt, St. Martin ' s Minotaur, 2000 , $22 95,228pp , hb
ISBN 0-312-26150-0
The story is set in 1943 , during a top secret White House conference between Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill , and General Dwight D Eisenhower to plan the invasion of Western Europe. When the body of one of the President's advisers is found in the Lincoln bedroom, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt turns detective to solve the mystery
Eleanor must rapidly uncover the answers to a number of questions : Who killed the victim and why? How did the murderer commit the crime undetected, eluding heightened wartime security and the Secret Service? Even more disturbing, why was the victim carrying a gun - could there be an assassination plot afoot?
As a mystery , the plot never lives up to its potential, and the whodunit is extremely simple The dialogue is occasionally awl..-ward and stilted, and veers into film noir ('Okay, copper, · she sneered Tll ' fess up. ' )
The book is more interesting from an historical perspective. Old Washingtonians , nicknamed ' Cave Dwellers,' mourn the demise of morals and manners which they blame on ' New Dealers ' and 'Government Girls,' the female government workers who flooded Washington during the war Some celebrities make brief cameo appearances and there are some interesting tidbits about the White House I found myself wishing that the author had focused more on the historical aspects of the story and less on the mystery.
ISBN 0-89733-478-7 Belle Appleman, a Russian Jewish immigrant living in Boston during the Depression, is a young widow in her mid-thirties who works at a drugstore cosmetics counter. Her co-workers all form one big happy family , at least until problems in their private lives intrude When the young pharmacist's girlfriend dies from a botched abortion, Belle is determined to find the doctor who performed it and she has a suspect. When he is found shot, her co-worker is arrested, and she wants to help him clear his name.
Despite being set in the Depression era, this is a fairly light-hearted book, and Belle is a likeable protagonist. The descriptions of Boston in the mid-thirties, the entertainment of the day (dancing to the big bands and dish night at the movies) , and life in the Jewish neighborhoods all ring true. However, I don't
find amateur sleuths to be particularly believable, and Belle's cop friend was too tolerant of her interference At one point, Belle goes on her own to interview witnesses and even tells one witness that she knows he did it. In spite of this , Death and Stntdel is an entertaining book that shows a peek at life in the 30s
Lorraine
Gel/y
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
Judith Saxton, St. Martin ' s Press , 2000 , $26 95 , 433pp , hb , ISBN 0312267002
For review , see Issue 9 (August 1999)
A OTIZEN OF THE COUNTRY
Sarah Smith, Ballantine, 2000, $24.95 (£15.63) , 432 pp , hb, ISBN 0345433025 Fantasize about reading a novel in Paris , Boston, but mostly in and around the city of Arras , in northern France, a region commonly referred to as Flanders The time period is 1911 , and a future war is already being prepared. The incident of the German gunboat at Agadir in Morocco is stirring up soldiers eager for war This is the reality of Sarah Smith's A Citizen of the Country, but there is much more.
Several of the principal characters, including Alexander von Reisden and his wife Perdita, were first introduced in Smith ' s first novel of this trilogy, The Vanished Child (highly recommended) Their lives are developed in the second novel , The Knowledge of Water In this novel , Reisden tries desperately to establish himself as an owner of a psychiatric institute in Paris to provide for his wife and young son However, as a former Austrian spy , he has to convince the French authorities of his loyalties Andre , Count of Montfort , is also tormented by the past. Haunted by his belief that his mother poisoned his father , Andre suspects his wife Sabine will poison him At age five , Andre had stood watch over the dead bodies of his parents, who committed suicide As an adult , he has become an actor , writer , and theatre-owner specializing in horror films. At Montfort and Arras people are dying of poison. Who is responsible? Is it Sabine, the wealthy countess? Or is this evidence of political activities , as the sides are beginning to line up three years before the outbreak of World War I?
With such diverse elements , it is a wonder the novel hangs together so well The characters are the glue. They are believable, and the reader comes to care about them
Marcia Dinneen
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
GRANDPA WAS A COWBOY AND AN INDIAN AND OTHER STORIES
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, University of Nebraska Press, 2000, $19.95 (£12) , l l6pp , hb , ISBN 0803242743
Author Sneve assembles a variety of short pieces in this most recent of her collections Told in the simple and colorful language of this accomplished storyteller, these stories have broad age appeal and will strike you as perfect for reading aloud.
Sneve depicts the blending of the Native American with white mainstream American cultures with tender coming-of-age angst. Much of the stories deal with young men and women of the Lakota and related tribes grappling with identity and maturity
Divided into three sections , the collection has stories of intergenerational awJ...-wardness as contemporary Lakota youth are surprised to find they can learn much from their elders The second section presents two of the longest stories , both of which deal with the blending and reconciliation of white and Native American cultures . Sneve presents some not-so-well-known Lakota myths and legends in the final section These are especially noteworthy for their Dakotan sense of place , not surprising since Sneve grew up on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota
A wonderfully literate and beautiful collection suitable for any age, Grandpa Was a Cowboy and an Indian and Other Stories would be of particular interest to parents and grandparents who read to their (grand)children They are stories from the heart that gently touch the deepest part of memory , stories of growing up , of blending cultures and generations, of perennial fears and struggles
J ean Langlais
THESE GRANITE ISLANDS
Sarah Stonich, Little, Brown, 2000 , $24 95 , C$34 95 (£15 63) hb , 31 Opp
ISBN 0-316-81560-8
In 1999, Isobel Howard is ninety-nine years old Knowing she is dying. she takes one last look back at the fateful summer of 1936 that dramatically altered the lives of many of those she loved . In 1936, Isobel and her daughter are left at home when the men of the family leave for a remote island for the summer. When Isobel is setting up shop as a hat-maker, she meets Cathryn Malley. Cathryn ·s uninhibited enjoyment of life is only one of the many reasons the more reticent Isobel feels so drawn to her. They quickly become inseparable friends Isobel discovers Cathryn is having an affair Although initially disapproving, Isobel eventually overcomes her resistance, and even
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REV[EW
more amazingly her fear of water, to guard Cathryn and her lover from discovery
As Isobel looks back at this tumultuous period of her life, she discovers how many changes were wrought by the choices she and Cathryn made that summer This is a haunting novel of life and death, love and loss . Misunderstandings and revelations both take their toll on the people directly and indirectly involved in the summer s events
Sarah Stonich writes enticingly lyrical prose, both beautiful and haunting , in this debut novel. However, she has trouble sustaining the powerful images she creates Her stream-of-consciousness writing style, although appropriate for a dying woman looking back on her life, sometimes obscures the plot. Still , the images she creates with language are too powerful to pass up She is an author to watch
Late 1940s New Orleans is the most prominent feature of Dead Above Ground. Author Jervey Tervalon fills his novel with New Orleans ' mystery, secrets, and intensely sultry atmosphere. A family drama as well as a mystery and a statement of social conditions, this is a fascinating novel , difficult to put down
The African American Du Champs family is made up of three very strong women : Lita, Helen and Adele . Though none of these women is drawn with great depth, their passions and motivations are clear, and these drive the novel. The story is told from the perspective of 17-year-old Lita, who , like her mother Helen, is hardworking, responsible to a fault , and devoted to her family As the novel opens Lita is looking ahead to her future with determination and purpose. Lita ·s older sister, Adele is beautiful, self-centered, and spoiled Attracted to danger and excitement, Adele becomes involved with local hoodlum Lucien Faure, an involvement that enrages Helen and endangers the entire family It is the mystery surrounding Lucien that dominates the novel. Dead Above Ground depicts the social conditions of African Americans living in New Orleans in the middle of the 20th century Tervalon reveals a very complex social structure, based on various degrees of blackness, in a direct and straightforward manner He deftly tells his story. which is partly autobiographical, without bitterness or judgment, and through vibrant characters and rich, though sparse, dialogue Well worth reading.
Jean Langlais
THUNDER FROM JERUSALEM
Bodie and Brock Thoene, Viking , 2000, $19 95 / C$27.99 (£12) , 307pp , hb , ISBN 0-670-89206-8
This fast-paced tale, the second of a three part series, continues the story of the birth of modern-day Israel. This novel , therefore , does not stand well on its own; it leaves the reader with little character background and no conclusion The novel is nonetheless a fine read
The story is told through the eyes of key Israeli freedom fighters and their Arab, English, and German counterparts and is centered on the struggle for Jerusalem . The viewpoint is decidedly pro-Israeli and often leans toward the religious For instance, several blunders committed by the Arab forces are attributed to divine intervention and at least one of the characters is meant to be the embodiment of the Holy Spirit. Also woven through the tale is some fascinating in-depth background on the history of Hebrew structures in Jerusalem However, I found myself wishing for more detailed maps to make the narrative easier to follow.
This fine novel has piqued my interest in the events of the period, and I eagerly await the final installment. Its strong, pro-Israeli viewpoint has also whetted my appetite for a balancing, pro-Arab telling of the story and further historical information on all the religions involved.
Mark F John son
THELANGUAGEOFTHREADS
Gail Tsukiyama, St. Martin s Griffin , 2000, $12 95/C$19 99 (£8 . 12), 276pp , pb , ISBN 0-312-26756-8
This novel is a sequel to Women of the Silk and has the same protagonist, Pei. In 1938, Pei leaves China for Hong Kong, where she hopes to use her skills and contacts from the silk factory to find employment. With her is fourteen-year-old Ji Shen, whose family was killed by the Japanese
It soon became clear that this book was written for those who have read Wom en of th e Silk There is constant reference to past events, and to Lin, the woman who was apparently central to Pei ' s life in the silk factory After a while , these flashbacks began to annoy me The only point where this novel seemed to stand on its O\m was during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong Here was an immediacy which compelled me to read on
Overall , this novel lacked dramatic tension . The author seems to delight in passive language, and in relaying events via the characters · thoughts , instead of showing them taking place I felt disappointed., as this was a story I could have enjoyed.
Claire Morris Bernard
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
EMPIRE
(Book I\')
HOLLYWOOD (Book V)
WASHINGTON DC (Book VI)
Gore Vidal , Vintage International (Random House), 2000, each $16 (£7 99), tpb, ISBNs 037570874X, 0375708758 , 0375708774
These are the final three in Vidal ' s epic six-book series that started with Burr, Lincoln, and 1876. All the leading players from the political scene are here , from Theodore Roosevelt to William Randolph Hearst (who opens Hollywood by falling on his rear) , Vidal ' s 0\\-n grandfather blind Senator T. P. Gore , and many Hollywood stars of the 1920s, most particularly the notorious Fatty Arbuckle . The panoramic sweep of history encompasses the period from 1900 through the two wars , the Hollywood years , Prohibition, the New Deal and finally the McCarthy era History entwines with some daring guesswork and a large dose of pure fiction as his fictional family (which began with an illegitimate child of Aaron Burr in the first book) rides the storm of events Blaise Sanford becomes a newspaper tycoon ; Caroline Sanford leaves her finishing school and interests herself in Hearst ·s newspaper empire while socialising with Henry James ; Peter and Enid delve into politics
If you think political novels are dry. you will have a pleasant surprise with this series Vidal ' s caustic wit, audacious style, and compelling fictional famil y dust down some of the elder statesmen of America ' s past and bring them to vibrant life There is plenty of humor to balance out the history , tragedy and political shenanigans , and Vidal's characters all seem to come to life, a rare feat. This is the work of a practiced storyteller at the peak of his powers and one to enjoy as a sort of seminal work on how this sort of thing is best done . Surely a modem classic
Rachel A. Hyde
THE GOLDEN AGE
Gore Vidal , Doubleday, 2000, $27.50 (£14 39) , 467pp, hb , ISBN 0-385-50075-0 This is a big book in which the author pays off, rather listlessly, a lot of old scores Purporting to be an historical novel , it is more of a roman a clef, though with enough identifiably historical characters scattered throughout to titillate the curiosity of those easily satisfied The fictional spine of the book is made up of the acts , reactions , and interminable talk of two characters, one resembling Katherine Graham (publisher of the Washington Post) and the other resembling Vidal himself. Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry A Wallace would appear to be the ' heroes ' of the novel , and the ' villains ' Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman . The span of action - or, more accurately , talk -
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
moves from t,,e entry of the United States into WWII to about l 950, that is , a Golden Age, and the irony is pretty leaden
It is a pity that this novel is , at base, trivial , because this Republic could surely use more literate, left-of-center individuals but not another conspiracy nut , please. Vidal ' s aging Red Tory stance is nowhere more omious than in his choice of poor Henry Wallace as a misunderstood giant. Of course, choosing to reassess and elevate a generally ignored or reviled figure is a good old novelistic ploy, as Vidal did so well "ith the hapless Aaron Burr.
This is not to say that there aren ' t some good , sharp snapshots hidden away in the Vidalian flurry of self-conscious cleverness More often, though , we find tossed-off narrative that seems to have been translated from a mediocre French novel : e g., ' as he was neither rich nor decorative , the marriage was an on-going mystery that no one bothered to solve ' (p 237). Even Washington, D C. , with all its richly comic possibilities, seems now to be beyond Vidal's once formidable powers. There is wit here - there has to be, because Vi(ll)I certainly sets up as a professional wit. But his brittle bitchery gets very old; this is a tired writer, and those who look for outrageous titillation and juicy revelation will probably be disappointed.
I suspect that Vidal knows too much and, at present, cares too little; he was a Beltway Baby avant le nom, but he can ' t even summon up the energy for outrage any more But he can still be seductive; one may be tempted to write as he does Is this a mean-spirited review? I rest my case
Dean Miller
A LAKE BEYOND THE WIND
Yahya Yakhlif, trans M. Jayyusi and C Tingley, Interlink, 1999 , $12.95/C$l 7.95 (£7 79), 214 pp, tpb , ISBN 1-56656-301-1 Novels in lnterlink ' s ' Emerging Voices ' series are designed to bring to North American readers the once-unheard voices of writers who have achieved wide acclaim at home , but have not been recognized beyond the borders of their native lands Yahya Yakhlif, born in Palestine but a longtime refugee , is the author of several short story collections and three novels This is the first of his novels to be translated into English
A Lake Beyond the Wind is a novel about ' the most catastrophic year in Palestinian history .· Through the voices of the townspeople of Samakh, a village situated on Lake Tiberias north of Jerusalem, Yakhlif reveals the human aspect of the war from the Palestinian point of view Among the many voices is Radi , a wide-eyed twelve-year-old just stepping into manhood ; his uncle , Abd 42
al-Karim, forced into an act of violence that drives him away from his peaceful home; Najib , the scorned fisherman, who seeks respect and glory in the Arab Liberation Anny; and Abd al-Rahman the Iraqi who risks a desert crossing to join the jihad.
Though billed as literary fiction, this novel reads like standard action-adventure Yakhlif tweaks the formula with the heavy use of foreshadowing , but the story never transcends the genre . The voices are all male. Great veneration is accorded to advanced military tedmology, such as a top-of-the-line British rifle or a bulletproof vest. Most disturbingly, there is not a single Jewish character in the entire book. In fact , there is absolute objectification of the Jewish enemy
A Palestinian reader may read Yakhlif" s novel and find pride, grief, and catharsis in the retelling of personal history. A North American reader looking to gain a deeper understanding of the ongoing conflict - or seeking a glimmer of hope for an ultimate resolution - will be sorely disappointed
Lisa Ann Verge
US/CANADA: MULTI-PERIOD
LEGACY OF FREEDOM
Karen S Gardner and Mike Robinson, Highbridge Press, 2000, $19 95 , 268pp , hb , ISBN 0-967-88321-0
Young Sophie Smith has to do a paper on ' multigenerational effects of major historical events· and turns to her old grandfather for help. She learns that her great-great grandmother Delilah Smith was a slave, and her grandfather remembers when he heard all about her remarkable life at his wedding Switching to the third person from her reminiscences , Delilah ' s life unfolds .
Born in captivity in 1828 to a cruel owner, she is sold to the kindly MacRaes, but when they move to California she learns that it is illegal for them to keep her as a slave and she begins to sue her owners for freedom . She survives the San Francisco earthquake, watches the Panama Canal and the Transcontinental railroad being built and lives for almost a century - a century that sees enormous social change.
Delilah Smith comes across as a strong, vibrant and courageous woman full of character The authors also do a convincing job with the other characters , although the family trees come in very useful at times. Slavery is a highly emotive subject and the authors wisely do not let themselves become melodramatic.
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
This is not Uncle Tom 's Cabin, but a novel for the new millennium which manages to paint a convincing picture of what _ it must have been like to be a slave, or to hve in a world where slavery existed. The Civil War plays a surprisingly minimal role here, smaller than I would have thought possible, but this 1s very much a novel about a small group of people rather than a panoramic epic An engrossing and involving read
Hannah Felber has always enjoyed a close relationship with her adoring mother, Celia All comes crashing to a halt, however , when m the late 1970s college-age Hannah begins to assert her independence. Stunned by her mother's complete abandonment of her after a single argument, Hannah looks to her female ancestors for clues to Celia ' s unusual behavior.
Family ties among this close-knit group of Eastern European Jews run deep Hannah's two great-grandmothers, Channa (Hannah ' s namesake) and Leah, are both strong-rrunded, straight-talking women Through th~ we learn of the American immigrant expenence both from the point of view of those newly arrived in a strange land (Channa) and those left behind in the old country (Leah) In stories narrated by other female relatives , both living and dead, we learn of conflicts between personal happiness and the overall good of a family , from the end of the nineteenth century through Nazi-era Europe and after. Therr tal_es , emotionally resonant without being sentimental , are interspersed with th~se of Hannah herself. Only Celia ' s own stones are somewhat of a letdown, as they ' re all too brief.
• Singer ' s characterization and language are impeccable, as all of the narrators have distinct voices, and the Yiddish accents of the elder family members come across even on paper. In all , a highly recommended, thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the Jewish American family experience, and one of women ' s survival in changing times.
Sarah L. Nesbeitt
GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE
Susan Vreeland, Penguin, 2000 , $1 I/C$16 , 242pp, tpb , ISBN 0-14-029628-X
For review , see Issue I 4 (December 2000)
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
US/CANADA: FANTASY
FIRE BRINGER
David Clement-Davies , Dutton (Penguin Putnam) , 2000 , $19.95(£4 79), 512pp , ISBN 0-525-46492-1
Richard Adams did animal fantasy so well that there has yet to be anything written to match it (Redwall aside) , so it was with some trepidation that I began this book. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by this frrst novel. Our hero , the red deer Rannoch, is born in a time of great turmoil amongst the herd. The old ways have been overthrown and those who would protect them slain by treachery A new order arises , comprising those who are Joyal to the Lord of the Herd, Drail , instead of to the herd itself
As prophecy foretells , Rannoch is marked with a white patch on his brow, an unmistakable sign that eventually causes him and his foster mother to flee for their lives Despite all evidence to the contrary, _Rannoch denies his place in the prophecy It 1s a _long and arduous journey he must take until he realizes the truth and returns to fight.
Although the story takes place amongst the Herla (red deer) , the author skillfully interweaves it with some of the events taking place in the historical period leading up to the expulsion of the Norse King Haakon from Scotland (12th century) Also interwoven 1s the myth of Heme, a mystical half-deer half-human who figures prominently in the prophecy For it is to restore the lore of H~~e to the Herla that Rannoch was born, and 1t ts that destiny that he ultimately embr&ces. Although the characterization of the deer could have been more thorough (they often talk act and think in very human ways) , the stoi;, was tightly plotted and well writtendefinitely a page turner! I look forward to more from this author.
Tracey A Callison
CIVIL WAR FANTASTIC
Martin H. Greenberg , ed ., DAW, 2000 , $6 99/C$9 99 (£4.20), 308pp , pb
ISBN : 0-88677-903-0
As a former avid science fiction reader, I found the combination of Civil War stories and alternate history intriguing Despite this , I'm glad I held no high expectations for Civil War Fantastic. The individual stones ranged from mediocre to downright poor Among leprechauns , ghosts , and a spectrum of other weird creatures, history for the most part 1s lacking Among the better stories is Surviving the Elephant by Lisa Silverthorne In this short, a young soldier faces his frrst battle
While the story is attention-getting and realistic to the horrors of battle, the magical pocket watch performs little better than watches minus such powers on the battlefield
Overall it's a good story, but it could have easily fit a Civil War story of less 'fantastic' proportions
Several stories suffered from an overdose of The Killer Angels with the writers forgetting that a significant battle took place at Gettysburg beyond Michael Shaara's excellent portrayal For example, in A Place to Stand by William H. Keith, Jr. , a Confedernte soldier meets his future self before facing battle at Little Round Top The future self lets him know he can change the outcome of the war if he kills one man, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain. While Chamberlain had a pivotal role at Gettysburg, the Confederacy winning the war due to his death 1s a flagrant stretch of the imagination
Nancy Springer 's Martial is probably the most imaginative story In the tradition of Richard Adams , a horse that carries tourists throughout the Gettysburg battlefield is the narrator. Unlike Adams ' s story, its ending 1s dismal reminding me of one reason why I had stopped reading science fiction All in all , if you're looking for fantastic Civil War tales , my suggestion is to read the dianes and letters from the era They give the reader a dose of the unusual , and they're based on fact!
Kim Murph y
THE DOOM OF CAMELOT
James Lowder, ed. , Green Knight , 2000 , $ l 4.95/C$20.95 (£8 99) , 3 l 9pp , tpb , ISBN I 928999093
This is an anthology of sixteen short stories chronicling the possible reasons for the fall of Camelot. Ideas presented range from the many misdeeds of Gwenhwyfar (who was not portrayed well in any of these stori~s) to the failure of the Grail quest to the unlikely tale that Mordred was a ' knight that didn ' t exist. ' The style and tone of the stories vari ed considerably, with Phyllis Ann Karr , ~henth Baldry, Catherine Wells , Elaine Cunningham and Ed Greenwood being some of the more notable authors included While all of the stories were well written, my favorite was Ed Greenwood's The Shadow of a Sword This may be because l found it less fantastic than some of the others , such as The Kni g ht Who Wasn 't There by Douglas Clark and The Corruption of Perfection by Mike Ashley
Followers of the Arthur legend should bear in mind that there are many theories about the downfall of Arthur ' s realm . Not to mention that , as some of these stories point out, there are ' pervasive, yet subtle flaws m the idea of Camelot itself.·
Destined to battle a cosmic force of destruction in a time not her own , Avallyn, Princess of the White Palace, awaited the one person she needed to fulfill her quest. A man who himself was not of her time, Morgan ab Kynan, the prophesized Prince of Time.
Given the nature of this review journal , the first thing to be noted about Prince of Time is it is not a historical novel. While the mythology of the book's universe is based on the folklore of ancient Wales , and Avallyn and Morgan make their journey to that past late in the story, the novel is finnly a futuristic work balancing science fiction/fantasy and romance . Indeed , McReynolds balances the two well , enchanting us with a strongly crafted world of fantasy , a wonderful love story, and an eerily fascinating villain. There were times when I wished for a bit more e11.1>lanation in the narrative about an aspect of magic, and times when a gripping passage describing the mystical was jarred by technical jargon However, readers who enjoy an equal showing of romance blended with science fiction/fantasy should enjoy Prince of Time
Nina C. Davis
THE HALLOWED ISLE: The Book of the Sword and The Book of the Spear Diana L. Paxson, Avon , 2000 , $6.50, 384pp , pb , ISBN 038081367X
This omnibus forms the first two installments of Paxson's Hallowed Isle quartet. She begins the Arthurian legend in the usual fashion : mighty Rome has left Britain and the struggles of the different factions for power make for great instability on the island The one spark of interest is in the one soon to be called Merlin Paxson deftly infuses into his heritage the older myth/magic of the Green Man . This primitive earth magic adds a sense of the surreal to his character as we watch him grow from a young boy to a maker of destiny
In Book Two, Paxson retells the story of Artor, but this time with more focus on those enemies confronting Britain. The Saxons have a strong foothold on Britain's east coast because of the betrayal and treachery of the mercenary Hengist. Paxson demonstrates the growing power of Britain ' s enemies and compares them to Artor ' s own strengths In particular, Paxson focuses on Artor and Oesc, Hengist's grandson. Just as the sword is the symbol of power for Artor and his people, Oesc's people believe in the power of the spear.
Paxson takes Artor beyond conventional legend to give the reader the sense that the invading enemy is not the typically depicted mindless, barbaric plunderer, but a people
TI-IE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
with intelligence and culture Because this second installment is so brief, the reader is left wanting deeper insight to the Norseffeutonic anima, but Paxson gives the reader a taste of what is not normally found in the conventional Arthurian saga Well-written and quick reading, these first two installments of Paxson ' s tetralogy should be added to the King Arthur should-read archives.
Suzanne Crane
ARMS
OF HERCULES (Book of the Gods, v.3)
Fred Saberhagen, Tor, 2000, $25 95 (£8.99) , 352pp , hb , ISBN 0-312-86774-3
This book can be read as a simple adventure novel ; Hercules narrates the story of his adventures in a travelogue style . It ' s the authorized version, distinguishing the hype from ' what really happened.' Hercules accomplishes his mighty works , and a mostly fine time he has doing it, too He has a nephew traveling along to call him ' Herc ' in the manner of the Kevin Sorbo TV series
For the reader with a literary background, the novel swerves just out of the ordinary Atlas quotes William Blake to Hercules . The results of the tasks of Hercules (the Hydra, the Boar, the Golden Apples) are taken by the gods for chemical analysis Hera no longer cares about Hercules being her consort ' s love child because she is a new avatar, a new manifestation of the Face of Hera
The author's greatest gift as a writer is his subtle forecasting of the themes he is building in the series The revelations about the gods, as they are disclosed to the reader and to Saberhagen ' s protagonist, may come as a shock; however, they are also created from underlying truths that are almost archetypal in nature While that sounds odd in a fictional work based on myths , this is what I experienced The fun of recognizing the hints tossed out kept me reading You can start with this third title in the series , as I did, but you will probably want to go back to the first two and then wait for the next one
In a land far away, in a time long ago, Roland, knight extraordinaire and descendant of the great Merlin, encounters Sarissa, one of the nine guardian Ladies of the Grail. They meet , and he gains a sword - a splendid., magical , singing sword called Durandal. Roland wants only to continue serving his king - Charles I (later Charlemagne) of the Franks - as trusted friend and champion, and eventually to free Merlin from a centuries-old 44
entrapment, but Durandal and Sarissa need a champion of their own The same evil sorcerer who imprisoned Merlin has now gathered a growing army of hellspawn and thralls to try to seize the Grail from the land of Montsalvat. Parsifal , its king, lies frail and dying, helpless to oppose these growing forces of darkness massing against his kingdom and the Grail While Sarissa and other defenders of the Grail are powerful magicians in their own right , they know they cannot defeat the army of evil by themselves
Tarr has written an entertaining, larger-than-life fantasy , and she paints her scenes in full color. She writes in a flowing manner that draws you into her story and tugs you irresistibly along through plot twists (many unexpected) and vivid scenes Kingdom of the Grail is a better-than-average read, guaranteed to give hours of enjoyment to those who love fantasy and even to those who are only lukewarm toward it.
Elizabeth Garner
COME TWILIGHT
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Tor , 2000 , $27 95 / C$39 95 (£16 80) , 479pp ISBN 0-312-87330-1 Yarbro ' s newest Count of St. Germain novel begins in seventh century Visigothic Spain and spans 500 years . St. Germain arrives at a village completely abandoned because of plague, save for a very pregnant Csimenae The Count and his loyal friend Rogerian remain to help her uphold her newborn son's claim as tribal chief. After Csimenae is fatall y injured, the normally rational Count is goaded by Rogerian to save her by turning her into a vampire. This done , the story fast-forwards I 00+ years , with a sense of foreboding about Csimenae and her son
Perhaps if Yarbro had stuck to one timeframe , or focused more attention on instilling some life into the characters, the reading would not seem the sheer drudgery it was Although Yarbro ' s research and attention to historical accuracy are indisputable, very little of the normal excellence of her novels is seen here ; the reader cannot feel empathy for any of the characters Csimenae's potential as a vibrant , amoral character is negated and the fate of her people, and most of all herself, is unsatisfying and inconclusive
Suzanne Crane
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
US/CANADA:
CIDLDREN'S & YOUNG ADULT
THE PLAYMAKER
J. B. Cheaney, Knopf, 2000, $15.95/C$23.95 (£9.59) 307pp, hb, ISBN 037580577X
Written for the young adult market, this novel follows the adventures of fourteen year old Richard Malory, who journeys to London after his mother's death. Within a fortnight of his arrival he has been employed, robbed, and stalked by thugs who seem intent on his destruction. A young woman befriends him and invites him to her employer's house where Richard auditions for and is accepted into the Lord Chamberlain's Players. Though he has never acted before, he soon finds himself enjoying his new role, but danger and political intrigue continue to lurk in the shadows, threatening his newfound security.
Ms. Cheaney brings 1597 alive for young readers with rich descriptions of the streets, theatre, and details of everyday life. Her characters are appealing, especially young Richard and his friend Starling. Children grew up quickly in the sixteenth century, so their independence does not appear anachronistic while their budding romance is subtly depicted.
The plot is exciting and the mystery full of twists and turns. However, the pace lags at times, especially in the middle chapters. Though the writing is quite good, there are a few instances where the author slips from one tense to another in the same paragraph. Also, a list of the large cast of characters would have been welcome. I did, however, enjoy reading about Shakespeare and Jonson in their own milieu.
Overall, Ms. Cheaney has written a more than adequate piece of historical fiction with just the right balance of history and adventure, sure to please any youngster interested in history.
Teresa Eckford
THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN HOME
Erika Tamar, Knopf, 2000, $16.95 (£10.19), 204 pp, hb, ISBN 0-375-80159-6 In 1929, Deirdre O'Rourke is living on the streets of New York City. Unable to support the family, her mother decides to place Deirdre and her two brothers up for adoption. This momentous decision has a profound impact on fourteen-year-old Deirdre, for she will never again see her mother, and she and her brothers are separated as they ride the Orphans' Train west to their new homes.
A loving couple quickly adopts young Jimmy. Sean ends up on a horse ranch in
TilE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
Texas. A family that really seeks a nursemaid for their ailing grandfather chooses Deirdre. The lady who does their wash, however, warns those in charge of the Orphans, and one of them, the minister, takes Deirdre home to show how 'Christian' he and his wife are. Deirdre is an outcast at home, church, and school, and her only friend is the dog next door. She's determined to rejoin Sean but doesn't know how. When a vaudeville troupe visits the small Kansas town, and Deirdre discovers that they ' re headed for Texas, she convinces the performers to let her join them The experience opens Deirdre to new worlds and possibilities, and in the process she does a lot of growing up.
Readers will experience Deirdre's confusion, heartache, disappointment, and determination. Although written for young adults, her story will captivate readers of all ages. The theme of fulfilling your dreams and being accepted for yourself has universal appeal, and with the knowledge of the coming Depression, you 'II wonder how Deirdre will overcome those challenges as well.
Cindy Vallar
US/CANADA: NONFICilON
WHAT IF?: The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been Robert Cowley, ed., Berkley, 2000, $13.95/C$19.95 (£8.39), 395pp, pb, ISBN 0-425-17642-8
Arguing the 'what ifs' of history is one of our more enjoyable past-times and ceruµnly contributes to the enduring bold the study of the human past has on each generation of readers and scholars. Editor Robert Cowley has assembled some of the leading contemporary historians in pursuing the possibilities involved in asking for alternate views of selected events from the military past. The coverage ranges from William H. McNeill's essay on the plague that saved Jerusalem in 70 A.D. to Arthur Waldron's article on Chian Kai-shek in the struggle for China in 1946.
The writing is uniformly excellent and the choice of topics is uniformly thought-provoking. History is never dull; contrafactual history is always stimulating. Contrafactual writing by scholars like Geoffrey Parker, John Keegan, and Alistair Horne is a reader's dream. A well-crafted and challenging series of essays. Highly recommended for those interested in military history.
John R. Vallely
EXPLORING EUROPEAN FRONTIERS
Brian Dolan, St. Martin ' s Press, 2000, $59 .95 (£40.05), 232pp, hb , ISBN 0312230516
The subtitle of this book is ' British travellers in the Age of Enlightenment' and describes how in the latter years of the 18th century travellers looked beyond the well-trodden lands of France and Italy to farther places The areas chosen by Dolan are Scandinavia, Russia, Greece and the Levant and he describes what people could expect to see when they got there, how they were received and the political and economic state of the countries. These more mysterious lands offered a new horizon to seasoned travellers in the wake of the fashion for the Grand Tour, the popularity for which was fast waning by the end of the century
This is not the sort of book to keep on your coffee table and dip into at odd moments , not is it one of those non-fiction books that abound at the moment that can be read in the fashion of a novel and are just as entertaining It is a serious, scholarly treatise and examines in some depth what people did with their newfound knowledge, what impelled them to go and the climate of thought at the end of the Age of Reason. Anybody researching an article or novel that encompasses this period and involved travel (like this reviewer) will find it fascinating, but I found that there was a dearth of the type of information a travelogue would have contained. Methods of travel , food, luggage needed, state of the roads , etc ., were not covered in any depth, so in order to put flesh on the bones another book would need to be consulted to give a more complete picture.
Rachel A Hyde
TUTENKHAMEN: The Life and Death of a Boy King
Christine El Mahdy, St. Martin's Press , 2000, $25 95 (£6.39 pb), 352pp+26 color plates, hb , ISBN 0-312-26241-8
Christine El Mahdy , an Egyptologist at Liverpool University, has written a chatty, engaging, and well-researched account covering the few known facts about Tutankhamen and examining the times , culture, and land he lived in
Historians have many unanswered questions about Tutankhamen and the two pharaohs who preceded him : Akhenaten and Smenkhkara, a shadowy figure who reigned only briefly. Was Akhenaten the brother or father of Tutankhamen? Was Smenkhkara the brother of Tutankhamen or was ' he ' really Queen Nefertiti, the beautiful wife of Akhenaten? Was Tutankhamen murdered and, if so, by whom ?
The author extensively discusses these questions and many others, and then answers
ISSUE 15 FEBRUARY 2001
them If there is a flaw in this book, it is that she presents her deductions as absolute fact, as the definitive answers to the major questions about King Tut , when in reality other scholars continue to hold opposing views deduced from the same ·evidence.·
The book is well written and nicely illustrated with several photos and colored plates Anyone who is interested in ancient Egypt, especially its fascinating Eighteenth Dynasty, the period when Tutankhamen was the teen-aged King of Egypt, will enjoy this account.
Elizabeth Gamer
FOOD: A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present
Jean-Louis Flandrin and Massimo Montanari, eds ., trans from the French by Albert Sonnenfeld, Penguin, 2000, $18 (£10 82), 592pp , trade pb, ISBN 0-14-029658-1
With the paperback publication of this English translation , a treasure trove of information useful to the historical writer is now within reach. Containing essays by nearly forty different authors (each a specialist in his/her field ) Food covers the history of human society and its relation to food from prehistoric times to the present. A wide variety of material useful to the writer is assembled here from descriptions of food culture in Ancient Egypt, to the grammar of Roman dining , to food production in the early Middle Ages and etiquette in the late Middle Ages , all the way up to ' The ' McDonaldization ' of culture in the contemporary period . The focus throughout is on European and Mediterranean culinary traditions , and for those interested in these cultures this will be a valuable tool in the construction of an accurate and believable historical milieu, a springboard for story ideas , and just plain compulsive reading.
This translation is an abridgment, and although some valuable primary sources have been deleted (primarily graphs, lists and statistical charts) this edition retains the comprehensive bibliographies of the original, providing the researcher with many more places to begin looking. An extensive index also makes the information contained within easy to reference Highly recommended.
Tracey A. Callison
REREADING THE REVOLUTION: The Turn of the Century American Revolutionary War Novel Benjamin S. Lawson, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 2000 , $25.95 (£17 33) , 238pp, tpb, ISBN 0-87972-818-3 Lawson, a professor of literature at Albany State University in Georgia, has produced a scholarly introduction to the treatment accorded the American Revolution by
Tiffi HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
historical novelists writing in the period immediately following the U S Centennial in 1876 While not an overly long work , it nonetheless covers forty-eight historical novels written on the Revolution. Each of the works is considered within the region of the rebelling colonies where the story is set (New England, the Middle Colonies, the South, and the West) Each of the novels is described in a succinct manner with the plots, principal characters, etc. briefly outlined. The author ties them together, or sets them apart, in a clear and concise treatment that makes these chapters the most appealing of the book.
The introduction is a bit more of a challenge. Lawson assumes a substantial amount of literary acumen on the part of his readers and expects them to come up to his standard . The introduction is a veritable gold mine of useful and relevant information for those interested in the genre, and one should be cautioned to push on through the academic jargon to grasp the subtlety of the author·s remarks Some may feel the main chapters stand by themselves and the introduction is not essential. I would argue the opposite Lawson has produced a highly useful resource for studying the historical novel in this post-Centennial setting
Readers seeking a finely crafted introduction to the interpretation of the Revolution through the novel should definitely consider this work. Those intimidated by the introduction should follow the lead of George Washington and his ragtag army - persevere The effort will be rewarded
John R. Vallely
SOUTHERN INVINOBILITY: A History of the Confederate Heart
Wiley Sword, St. Martin's Griffin, 2000 (cl999), $17.95/C$27.99 (£10.79), 432pp, tpb, ISBN 0-312-26396-1 Wiley Sword has published a number of well-received accounts of battle in the American Civil War His latest work is an account of Southern attitudes towards the South, secession, their unique culture and life style, and, most importantly, towards their belief in their right to independence from an alien North. His examination of Southern self-definition is gleaned from the author's impressive research in personal letters, primary accounts, and diaries and is aimed more at understanding individual Southerners rather than masses of interest groups or parties.
The writing style is impressive and moves the reader along in a manner that is almost graceful. Some of the lesser known individuals (Sarah Morgan of Baton Rouge and Sandie P~ndleton of Lee"s Army of Northern Virginia, in particular) and their motives in
supporting the Southern war effort provide fascinating glimpses into ordinary people caught up in ex'traordinary events. Specialists may rightly quibble that the South was not as united in the military or political effort or that Southern resistance was not always so rigid, but Sword has written an intriguing essay on the motivations of a large percentage of those Southerners who did actively join in the rebellion against the United States. Recommended.
John R Vallely
THE PRIZE OF ALL THE OCEANS Glyn Williams , Viking, 2000, $27 95 (£7 19 tpb) , 264pp , hb , ISBN 0-670-89197-5
George Anson, a British commodore, set sail in 1740 with a crew of 1900 men aboard six ships His mission? To seize Spanish galleons laden with silver in the Pacific and to undermine Spanish colonial rule in the New World Trouble plagued the project before the squadron left England and only worsened after their departure Four years passed before Anson returned with only one ship and 500 men They had endured shipwrecks. hunger. stormy and becalmed seas , and disease , yet they came bearing the riches of a single galleon that promised them all great wealth . That too failed to materialize for most of the seamen.
Through an examination of logs , journals , ' personal letters, and admiralty documents the author relates a harrowing and often tedious struggle to accomplish a mission forced to surmount unreasonable odds to achieve a devastating blow against Spain. This account of Anson·s voyage is described as ' a powerful narrative,· and the introduction promises a thrilling adventure. It fails to deliver. Being more akin to a history lecture, the delivery lacks action and suspense . While the analysis provides excellent background, it often • intrudes on the actual telling of the story, causing the narrative to bog down and at times derail the reader ' s attention. This 1s particularly true in recounting what happened to Anson during his two visits to China His arrival home is almost an afterthought for the author.
What purports to be a •dramatic true story · falls short of the drama , although it provides a unique look at eighteenth-century maritime history and the inner workings of the Royal Navy
Cindy Vallar
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