“What a life that man had led: first a farmer in West Africa, then a soldier, then a prisoner of war, a slave in Seville, a soldier again in the Netherlands and at last a rich Antwerp iron maker.” An epic sweep of a life in an epic sweep of a book. Ken Follett’s A […]
Kingmaker: Kingdom Come by Toby Clements
For those of us who love reading fiction of any kind, there is really nothing like the pleasure of literary anticipation, the knowledge that one of our favourite writers is about to publish another book. This is even more true when the new title is an addition to an existing series. I feel that way […]
Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand
Green jade, glistening pearls, beryls, garnets, spinels, blood-red rubies, emeralds fine as water, and diamonds flashing fires of rainbows – this is a treasure trove of a book, a book of wonders, the story of the most famous diamond in the world, the Koh-i-Noor which now glitters in the crown of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen-mother. […]
Dunstan by Conn Iggulden
For fans of early medieval history, a book about a major tenth century figure is an exciting prospect. Conn Iggulden’s Dunstan – a leading churchman and statesman of his time – is in the form of an autobiography. This is a tale of the struggle for power in insecure times and the inevitable interaction with […]
City of Masks by S D Sykes
City of Masks is the third outing for medieval crime-solving Lord of the Manor Oswald de Lacy and an excellent addition to a thoroughly enjoyable series. As one would expect from a writer of Sykes’ calibre, the novel works perfectly well as a stand-alone but I would recommend reading them in order if only for the […]
The Faithful by Juliet West
The Faithful is a compelling read where intimate personal narratives are influenced by historical events leading up to World War II. At the centre of the novel is the character of Hazel, to whom we are first introduced in the summer of 1935. By this time in the teenaged Hazel’s life her well-to-do parents have […]
Crimson and Bone by Marina Fiorato
Crimson is blood and white is bone. This is the defining image of the claustrophobic relationship between Pre-Raphaelite painter Francis Maybrick Gill and the prostitute Annie Stride whom Francis saves from a suicide attempt at Waterloo Bridge. Annie is in despair after the suicide of her friend, Mary-Anne. Mary-Anne’s voice is heard in flash-back at […]
Review: The Women who Flew for Hitler by Clare Mulley
Clare Mulley has written a fascinating biography about two fascinating women. You would have thought that two women who grew up in post-World War One Germany with a love for flying and an intense urge to succeed in becoming pilots, would have been allies, even friends. Instead, Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg (nee Schiller) […]