Book Review: Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis

This is a lengthy novel, an epic of 742 pages and was not the fictional work with the English Civil War as its background that I expected. The novel started promisingly with an intriguing prologue, which introduced two of the main characters, but a few chapters in, I realized my error, when the fiction began to be dominated by swathes of social, political and military detail. It is much later in the novel that the focus remains on the main characters. 

Too many characters left me overwhelmed and a little confused. Not only was there a large cast of historical figures, but also the extended families of the other characters to follow, necessitating in some back tracking. I thought the way the characters crossed paths throughout the novel interesting and it was one of these chance meetings that leads to the dramatic ending.

As mentioned, the novel opens with a prologue. It is 1649 and the day of King Charles I’s execution. Among the spectators are a Roundhead Captain and a wife of an exiled Royalist.

The story then jumps back to 1634 when the Roundhead Captain, Gideon Jukes, is a rebellious thirteen year old about to be apprenticed to a printer. Seven years later, his apprenticeship served, Jukes joins one of the London Trained Bands and eventually rises to the rank of Captain in the New Model Army.  

Juliana Lovell, the wife of the exiled Royalist, Orlando Lovell, is abandoned by her husband for years at a time, and copes alone with being destitute and raising children. At times she is aided by friends, including the steadfast Edmund Treves, another Royalist.

Orlando Lovell is an enigma. He explains his absences as being on the King's business, but this is open to interpretation. He flits in and out of the story like the proverbial bad penny. Forever plotting and scheming, preying on the weak, selfish, indifferent to the plight of his wife and children, he is definitely the villain of the piece.

Kinchin Tews, a young girl from a family of scavengers, thieves and opportunists, who is neither for King nor Parliament, witnesses first-hand the atrocities committed by the Royalists in Birmingham. She flees the city for London where she hopes her life will be better. Kinchin is a survivor. 

These four characters form the nucleus of the novel, representing the common folk and the affect the war had on them. It is refreshing to have the view point from this angle rather than from the upper classes of society.

The action takes place mainly in London, Oxford and Birmingham. At times jumping from one city to another describing events taking place at the same point in time. This added vast tracts to the novel when perhaps a paragraph or two linking the events would have been all that was needed.

There is no doubt that Lindsey Davis researched this time period thoroughly by the amount of historical detail included, plus other facts and figures thrown in as if this was her one and only chance to write about this period in history. It was too much for me at times and I skimmed quite a few pages. At one stage I was tempted to give up, but after putting the book aside for a while I picked it up once more, admitting that I was interested in the characters and needed to know their fates.

It took me a long time to write this review as I wanted to be fair to Lindsey Davis and the huge effort she undertook to produce this work. There were aspects of this novel that I really liked, but for me, it would have been a great read without so much historical detail. It is definitely not one for the fainthearted: a very challenging read.

Book Review: Yvonne Goes to York by M.C. Beaton

How do you decide which books to add to your TBR pile? Is it the name of the author, the subject, the title or the cover?

I added this Regency romance to my pile not because of the author, though I have read and enjoyed other Regency romances by M.C. Beaton/Marion Chesney; nor was it the cover that swayed me; nor  the title – well, not all of it anyway. I’ll let you work it out.

Perhaps if your name is Emily (Goes to Exeter), Belinda (Goes to Bath),  Beatrice (Goes to Brighton), Deborah (Goes to Dover), or Penelope (Goes to Portsmouth) you may be tempted to pick up one of the other romances in The Travelling Matchmaker series.

The six books in the series were re-released a few years ago with new cover art, which reflects the whimsical nature of these stories.

From the back cover:

No coach journey is ever dull with Miss Hannah Pym on board, and this one proves to be no exception. Miss Pym meets the young and beautiful Miss Yvonne Grenier, who is fleeing the Terror in France.

Yvonne becomes frightened when a dangerous enemy also boards the stage to York, but luckily Miss Pym is on hand to propose a plan which will save Yvonne – and throw her into the arms of the wealthy and unattached Marquis of Ware!

This is an entertaining Regency romance with a delightful cast of characters: a dashing hero, a loyal servant, French spies, a damsel or two in distress, match-making mothers and a host of others.

Even though the outcome is predictable, the narrative rattles on at such a fast pace that it doesn’t matter. This is a light-hearted, quick read perfect for those times when a more serious novel  holds no appeal.

Book Review: The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

Synopsis

While the major fighting of the war moves to the south in the summer of 1779, a British force of fewer than a thousand Scottish infantry, backed by three sloops-of-war, sails to the desolate and fog-bound coast of New England. Establishing a garrison and naval base at Penobscot Bay, in the eastern province of Massachusetts that would become Maine, the Scots, the only British troops between Canada and New York, harry rebel privateers and give shelter to American loyalists.

In response, Massachusetts sends a fleet of more than forty vessels and some one thousand infantrymen to captivate, kill or destroy the foreign invaders. Second in command is Peleg Wadsworth, a veteran of the battles at Lexington and Long Island, once aide to General Washington, and a man who sees clearly what must be done to expel the invaders.

But ineptitude and irresolution lead to a mortifying defeat and have stunning repercussions for two men on opposite sides: an untested eighteen-year-old Scottish lieutenant named John Moore, who will begin an illustrious military career; and a Boston silversmith and patriot named Paul Revere, who will face court-martial for disobedience and cowardice.

Grounded firmly in history, inimitably told in Cornwell's thrilling narrative style, The Fort is the extraordinary novel of this fascinating clash between a superpower and a nation in the making.

My Thoughts

My introduction to the writing of Bernard Cornwell was through his very successful  Sharpe series of  novels and so I expected The Fort to be a good read.

Set during the American Revolutionary Wars, The Fort is based on the true story of the 1779 Penobscot Expedition. This expedition was organised to oust the British Army from Fort George, on the Majabigwaduce Peninsula, Penobscott Bay, in present day Maine, and to prevent the establishment of a British colony there.

The expedition was under the command of Commodore Dudley Saltonstall, Adjutant General Peleg Wadsworth, Brigadier General Solomon Lovell and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere.  Bernard Cornwell’s research revealed that Saltonstall and Lovell, the naval and land force commanders respectively, continually disagreed; Revere was a law unto himself and Wadsworth, the only one of the four to emerge from this disaster with his reputation intact.

The British were greatly out numbered, but the reluctance of Commodore Saltonstall to commit his ships to taking the harbour, gave the British time to strengthen the defences of the fort and send for aid. Time and again, an opportunity for the Americans to launch a successful land attack was thwarted by disagreement. Eventually British reinforcements arrived forcing a retreat up the Penobscott River.

Peleg Wadsworth was certainly the hero of the expedition and of this novel. The opening chapter, with its heart-warming images of Peleg Wadsworth practising army drills with the help of his children, endeared the man to me. Throughout the novel he is the calming influence on those around him and unlike the other commanders does not engage in petty rivalries.  Wadsworth took charge of organising the retreat up the Penobscott River, ensuring that as many men as possible got away in the ensuing chaos.

Paul Revere did not fare well in this narration and I was surprised that he was not quite the hero I imagined him to be.  Bernard Cornwell himself pointed out that most of us are familiar with the Paul Revere from the poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a descendent of Peleg Wadsworth. In The Fort he is depicted as  incompetent and a coward.

General Francis McLean was in command of the British and one of his subalterns was none other than John Moore, later to become Sir John Moore, hero of the Peninsular Wars, who lost his life at the Battle of Corunna, Spain, in 1809

The ending is ironic in that Saltonstall’s obsession with keeping his ships safe resulted in most of the American fleet  being destroyed: the ships were either captured by the Royal Navy or burned by the Americans themselves as they retreated up the Penobscott River.

The Fort is another fine historical novel by Bernard Cornwell. Readers interested in this era will certainly enjoy it and those after a good adventure story will also find satisfaction here.

Searching for a Good Read?

If you’re searching for something to read, visit the Historical Writers’ Association web site http://www.thehwa.co.uk/

They have a timeline which allows you to browse books by period from the Ancient World through to the 20th century. If you click on the Members tab a list of authors is revealed with links to their biographies and websites.

I pleasantly whiled away a Saturday afternoon here and as a result added more books to my reading wish list.

The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller Book Review

I was disappointed with this novel. The first part was slow and I kept asking myself when will the mystery of Kitty Easton’s disappearance begin. I persevered to the end, but did not find this novel as engaging as Speller’s previous one <i>The Return of Captain John Emmett</i>.

I was certainly looking forward to meeting Laurence Bartram again, but I didn’t warm to the other characters and by the end of the novel I had lost interest in what had befallen Kitty Easton.

Book Review: Keane's Company by Iain Gale

This novel is the first in a new series featuring Captain James Keane, Exploring Officer. It is set in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular Wars.

Expecting to be cashiered for disobeying Wellington’s orders and fighting a duel in which a fellow officer is killed, Lieutenant Keane finds himself raised to the rank of Captain and commanded to put together a band of men with the necessary skills for intelligence gathering. Keane recruits his men from amongst the regiments and from military gaols, and endeavours to form this disparate group into an elite company.

Keane is a liar, womanizer and card cheat, but a good soldier, and lucky. Under his leadership his company is able to infiltrate Spanish and Portuguese guerrilla groups, play an important role in the battle for Oporto and recover French silver with ease.

Not only does Keane have to defend himself against the enemy, but also the enmity of Captain John Blackwood, the best friend of the officer he killed and  brother of Kitty Blackwood, the woman he has set his heart on.

Good descriptions of the battle scenes and enough action to keep the reader’s interest even if Keane’s ability to win the day is too good to be true. Captain Keane’s adventures continue in KEANE’S CHALLENGE.

Book Review: Softly Grow the Poppies by Audrey Howard

Fans of Audrey Howard, of which I’m one, will find this an excellent read. Set during World War I, it is the story of two brothers, their call to duty and the women they love.

SOFTLY GROW THE POPPIES touches on many aspects of life at this time. Men eagerly donning uniforms and thinking war is an adventure.  Soldiers on leave reluctantly returning to the war front knowing what awaits them. Women taking up the cause as ambulance drivers and nurses. On the home front, old men, boys and women left to carry on and support the war effort as best they can and finally, the plight of the returned soldier and the Spanish Flu pandemic.

Against this grim backdrop, love blossoms, is lost and found, and ultimately triumphs. As in all true love stories, there are misunderstandings, doubts and regrets. 

Alice Weatherly, an only child and heiress, disobeys her domineering father and goes to the railway station to say good-bye to her sweetheart, Charlie Summers. Charlie, a cavalry captain and younger son of a baronet, is about to embark for the war in France. Accompanying Alice is the independently wealthy and unconventional Rose Beechworth, whose property adjoins the Summers and Weatherly estates. Also at the station to bid his brother farewell is Harry Summers, the heir to Summer Place. 

Rose and Harry deny their attraction to each other at first. Harry must set his affairs in order before he, too, departs for France. Love is not a priority. Alice's and Charlie’s romance is all the more sweeter being a forbidden love.

When Charlie is posted as missing, feared dead, Alice becomes an ambulance driver and goes to France in search of him. She returns from France a changed person and when Charlie, suffering from memory loss, is eventually found and returned to Summer Place, their relationship also changes.

The graphic description of the carnage on the battlefield contrasts with the idyllic country scenes of two great houses and the lives of the people attached to them. Conversion of Summer Place, one of the houses, into a hospital brings the war to their doorstep and they see for themselves the tragic consequences – death, horrendous injuries and men broken in both mind and spirit. 

Although abrupt, the ending puts everything into place neatly. The villain is exposed, a family is re-united and the future looks bright. A true Audrey Howard ending.

Book Review: The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller

For my next read I decided to leave the medieval world behind for a while and move forward a few hundred years to the end of the First World War - the year 1920 to be exact - and a mystery.

This is an unusual detective story. It opens on a railway station platform, with a silent crowd waiting to pay their respects to the Unknown Warrior, whose coffin is aboard a train bound for burial in London, and a mysterious figure standing alone.

Dealing with his own personal loss and a life that has changed forever, ex-soldier, Laurence Bartram, receives a letter from the sister of a former school friend who is trying to make sense of why her brother, John Emmett, committed suicide after surviving the war.

Puzzled by the relevance of items in John Emmett's possession at the time of his death, Laurence sets off to find the answers and soon becomes embroiled in a mystery that brings back the recent horrors of World War I and its devastating effect on those that lived through it and its aftermath. I won't elaborate on the story further,  as that would spoil it  for those who haven't read it, only to say it is a tragic tale.

My interest was held to the very end of the novel. The image of that mysterious figure at the station was always in my mind. Who was he and  what connection, if any, did this person have to the unfortunate events  in the story? I had many theories, none of which were correct, and to me the essence of a good mystery novel is one that keeps me guessing until the author decides to reveal the solution.

I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading Elizabeth Speller's next entitled "The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton" also featuring Laurence Bartram.

If you want to know more about the aftermath of World War I, Aftermath is a great website to visit. There is a page devoted to the Unknown Warrior.

Book Review: Shakespeare's Rebel by C.C. Humphreys

The story opens with John Lawley, swordsman and ex-player,  awakening from a drunken stupor in  "the lowest tavern in Wapping". We soon learn what matters most to this man - his son, the mother of his son, the theatre,  his friends and his loyalty to the man he serves, "mad" Robert Deveraux, the Earl of Essex.

 All John Lawley wants is to make amends to his family and get back to what he loves doing - arranging sword fighting scenes for the theatre. To do this, he must avoid being drawn into the treasonous escapades of the Earl of Essex,  the clutches of Sir Robert Cecil, Queen Elizabeth I's feared minister and spy master, and alcohol.

One of John's friends is William Shakespeare, the playwright. Shakespeare is grieving the loss of his son, Hamnet, and  agonising over one of his greatest works,"The Tragedy of Hamlet".  While dealing with his own troubles, John must also try  to keep his friend and family safe. A wrong move in these dangerous times could have dire consequences.

This novel was my introduction to C.C. Humphreys and  I enjoyed every word . It has all the ingredients of a good read - romance, humour, action, intrigue, rivalry, tragedy - and a lovable character in John Lawley.

Rory Clements, Historical Crime Writer

My browsing has turned up another historical crime writer, Rory Clements. His novels, five to-date, feature an Elizabethan investigator, John Shakespeare.

Visit the author's site to read excerpts from his novels. He also has some interesting information about the Elizabethan world in which his novels are set.

Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman Book Review

Synopsis

They were called "The Devil's Brood," though never to their faces. They were the four surviving sons of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. With two such extraordinary parents, much was expected of them. But the eldest-charming yet mercurial-would turn on his father and, like his brother Geoffrey, meet an early death.

When Henry died, Richard would take the throne and, almost immediately, set off for the Holy Land. This was the Third Crusade, and it would be characterized by internecine warfare among the Christians and extraordinary campaigns against the Saracens. And, back in England, by the

Also by Kate Sedley

My early morning browsing also uncovered another novel by Kate Sedley entitled "For King and Country". It is set during the English Civil war and has found its way onto my "Reading Wish List". Now to track down a copy ......

For Readers of Medieval Mysteries

Following my usual routine of having breakfast at the computer and dropping toast crumbs all over my keyboard, I stumbled across the name of another medieval mystery author,  Brenda Margaret Lilian Honeyman Clarke, who writes for this genre under the pen-name of  Kate Sedley.

There are fifteen books  featuring Roger the Chapman,  a crime solving peddlar, some of  which have recently been re-released.

This author also writes under the pen-name of Brenda Honeyman/Brenda Clarke. These novels are historical fiction and cover events mainly in the 14th and 15th centuries, i.e. Edward II, Henry V, the Wars of the Roses etc. Originally published in the 1970s, you may have to search second-hand bookshops and libraries to find copies.

Love a Man in Uniform - Especially a Redcoat

My bookshop browsing has unearthed more gems for my reading pile - the Captain Daniel Rawson series by Edward Marston.

From the dust jacket of the first book in the series, SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, comes the description of our hero:

"The dashing Captain Daniel Rawson - spy, linguist, duellist, ladies' man and career soldier - can charm a woman as well as he can parry a sword."

Book Review: The Cousins' War Series by Philippa Gregory

I recently finished reading the last of the five novels that make up this series .... absolutely loved them all.

My favourite, however, is The Lady of the Rivers, the story of Jacquetta, Countess of Luxembourg, mother to Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV.

Underlying all the historical fact and the turbulence of the era is a love story (yes, I'm a bit of a romantic) between Jacquetta and Richard Woodville. This is a real 'feel good' story and even though the ending of their tale is not a happy one, their relationship outshines all the bad and lingers well after the final page is read.

Philippa Gregory has done an excellent job of bringing the subjects of these five novels to life. Her interpretation of the facts and  the way she presents them to the reader is very well done. The main characters are strong, determined (some may say obsessed) women of a time when to be a high-born female was to be nothing more than trade goods; in some cases their lives  were barely mentioned in the chronicles of the time.

The beauty of this series is that all the novels are stand alone books, which to my mind is a positive. Many a time I've been to the library or bookshop to find that one of a series is missing (usually the first one).

In closing, I have to comment on the fate of the princes in the tower. The discovery in 2012 of Richard III's remains beneath a car park in Leicester, England, has raised the question again of what happened to them. In her novels, Philippa Gregory presents both sides of the argument, and one thing is evident, there were many others who had motive and access to the boys to blame their disappearance soley on Richard III. Besides I was born in Yorkshire and am a Ricardian at heart ....... and who knows? If the remains of a king lost for over 500 years can be found, there is still hope that one day this other mystery will be solved.

Other novels in the series: The White Queen, The Red Queen, The Kingmaker's Daughter and The White Princess.

The Jack Absolute Trilogy by C.C. Humphreys

I just came across a new author (to me anyway), C.C. Humphreys (also writing as Chris Humphreys), who has written a number of novels in the historical adventure and fantasy genres.

The 'Jack Absolute Trilogy' caught my eye as Jack Absolute is described as " the 007 of the 1770s".

This prompted a visit to my local library but unfortunately the three books - Jack Absolute, The Blooding of Jack Absolute and Absolute Honour were out on loan.

This series is a little unusual as the latter two novels are the prequel and sequel to the prequel respectively. Confusing, I know, but you can choose to read them in chronological order or in the order in which they were written.