Another bookblog about great books, mostly
Category: Historical FictionBy Peter on Apr 2, 2010 in Excellent book, Historical Fiction, Robert Harris, book review | 0 Comments
Cicero, or rather Marcus Tullius Cicero, has always been an elusive historical character. He is hard to pin down. There is much evidence to suggest that he was one of the foremost legal scholars of the Roman Empire. Beyond doubt, he was also a first rank public speaker and a rhetorical marvel. Also that [...]
By Peter on Feb 2, 2010 in Excellent book, Fiction Books, Herman Wouk, Historical Fiction, World literature, bestseller, book review | 1 Comment
The Winds of War (1971) told the story of the extended family of Captain Victor “Pug” Henry up to and including the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Captain Henry, is a military man, to some extent a scholar, a translator, and an advisor to Franklin Roosevelt and other statesmen. War and Remembrance picks up the [...]
By Peter on Feb 1, 2010 in Historical Fiction, book review | 0 Comments
The place of this novel in Northcote Parkinson’s series about Richard Delancey is a little strange. It fills in details of Delancey’s career during and immediately after the Peace of Amiens. It also explains his marriage to Fiona as well as his promotion to Captain.
In the book, France builds up her strength for an invasion [...]
By Peter on Oct 12, 2009 in Classical novel, Excellent book, Historical Fiction, Patrick O'Brian, book review | 0 Comments
Patrick O’Brian’s fourth Aubrey-Maturin novel, The Mauritius Command, is probably the best so far in the series and a delightful read. O’Brian actually retells in considerable detail the 1810 British campaign against Mauritius and Réunion, carried out by commander Sir Josias Rowley. Only here, of course, Jack Aubrey is the commander, and the story has [...]
By Peter on Jul 24, 2009 in C. S. Forester, Classical novel, World literature, book review | 0 Comments
C. S. Forester is now mostly remembered for his Horatio Hornblower sea adventures. However, his novel The African Queen, filmed in 1951 by John Huston with stars Bogart and Hepburn, is very well worth remembering as well.
The setting is German Central Africa in the year 1914. At the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, the [...]
By Peter on Jul 11, 2009 in C. S. Forester, Classical novel, Excellent book, Historical Fiction, World literature, bestseller, book review | 0 Comments
This was the first book C. S. Forester wrote about Horatio Hornblower. However, in terms of the internal chronology of the series, it is the fifth. In England its title was The Happy Return.
In Beat to Quarters (the US title) we find Hornblower, having been promoted to Captain, on a secret mission to the Pacific [...]
By Peter on Jun 28, 2009 in Excellent book, Historical Fiction, Richard Woodman, book review | 0 Comments
Richard Woodman is a wonderful writer – a craftsman with words. His series of nautical fiction books featuring Nathaniel Drinkwater is one of the very best series in this genre. It may not be quite up there with C. S. Forester’s series about Horatio Hornblower or Patrick O’Brian’s series about Jack Aubrey, but it is [...]
By Peter on May 20, 2009 in Dudley Pope, Excellent book, Historical Fiction, book review | 0 Comments
Dudley Pope’s series about Lord Ramage is set between the years 1796 and 1807. They are well written and Pope has a vast knowledge about sail ships and ship handling. And his knowledge of the subject matter – both historical and nautical – shows through in every chapter.
Lots of new book reviews!
Naval fiction:
The Alan Lewrie [...]
By Peter on May 7, 2009 in Conn Iggulden, Excellent book, Historical Fiction, bestseller, book review | 0 Comments
The third book of the Conqueror series about Genghis Khan is spellbinding. This book tells the dramatic story of the Mongol invasion and conquest of Central Asia, as far as modern Iran and Iraq.
Genghis, the great warrior who lives for his fights, has united the tribes and organized their armies into an effective military [...]
By Peter on Apr 29, 2009 in Award winner, Classical novel, Crime Books, Excellent book, Fiction Books, Historical Fiction, The World of Books, Thomas Mann, World literature, book review | 0 Comments
Some works of art are almost logically impossible. Often literature and art capture and present phenomena in ways that contribute to their understanding. This most certainly is the case with the wonderful novel Buddenbrooks. If it is at all possible to convey 19th century German bourgeois atmosphere and culture in a single book, then [...]
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