Reading Updates

Today is the first snow of the season here in Washington, DC - the view out my apartment windows looks just about as different from the view above as possible. But on the other hand, who would ever get any reading done in a place that sunny? So I am holed up inside today with a sleepy cat, lots of tea, homemade mint fudge and the snow rushing past outside.

I haven't read any history or historical fiction in the past week or so. Instead, I've managed to read two very enjoyable works of non-fiction and a thriller.

I was thrilled to find this on the library book sale cart a couple weeks back for 50 cents. I've been interested in reading it for a couple years but it's a bit expensive on Amazon and isn't carried by my library.

It's a very simple premise - basically, an English novelist and critic goes looking for a book in her book-stuffed house and - when she can't find it - comes to the realization that we've all had at one time or another. She has too many books. So she resolves to spend the next year reading just the books she already owns and this resolution forms a jumping-off point for a series of short essays reconsidering everything from favorite childhoods stories to classic authors to types of books that Hill has never been able to enjoy. If all of this sounds stuffy - it's not. Hill is full of life and curiousity and writes as though she's sitting across from you at a kitchen table and wants to share her passion for reading.

One of the great things about owning a Kindle is the access it allows to e-libraries. "Making Masterpiece" is the kind of book that I definitely wouldn't buy and probably wouldn't even check a physical copy out of the library. It just happened to be on the front page of the DC Library's eBook page and with a few swipes and clicks, it was mine. I found myself truly enjoying this memoir from the woman who has been the Executive Producer of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS for the last 27 years. 

There were all sorts of bits and pieces to enjoy: what was it like to be a TV producer in the 1970s and 1980s? What is it like to work as a producer for public television and on mini-series? Obviously, this was particularly interesting for me due to my TV production background and may not enthrall everyone equally. But there are plenty of interesting tidbits on how classic novels are adapted into mini-series, behind-the-scenes info on the making of Downton Abbey and glimpses on set as historical dramas are filmed. All-in-all, a very enjoyable read!

This book is one of my "take a chance" reads - a cheap paperback picked up used because I'd heard great things about the author. I chose this Le Carre because I remembered enjoying the Academy Award-winning movie a few years back and thought that the setting of the diplomatic and international aid communities would be more accessible than some of his other stories about spies. I've been at the very fringes of these communities during my trips to Afghanistan and Tunisia and I think Le Carre did an incredible job of laying out the hypocrisy and the insanity while still maintaining empathy for his characters. I suspect that if I read this book again the plot would not hold together quite as well and the whole thing seems to rev up to a pace that never fully pays off. Instead, I enjoyed the book for the quality of Le Carre's writing and his devastatingly accurate character sketches. So now I'm hooked and have some of his earlier Cold War-era spy novels and we'll see if they hold up just as well.

That's my week in reading. If you're in the Eastern United States, stay warm and out of this storm!

Review: Mistress of the Sea

Plymouth, 1570. Drake's ship, The Swan, sets sail for the New World with a crew of pirates hell-bent on Spanish treasure. Among them is Will Doonan seeking both his fortune and revenge for the loss of his brother. But unbeknown to all, young Ellyn Cooksley has stowed away. And her presence aboard ship will prove to be more tempting to Will then gold...... (from jacket blurb). 

It's a rare thing to find a story that is both well-written and fun, with characters who are both true to their time and relatable and historical detail that works in the service of a fast-paced plot - Mistress of the Sea is all of these things. I think the short blurb above doesn't do justice to this book - overselling the romance angle while ignoring the great sense of adventure and spirit of the times that is to be found in this story of Elizabethan explorers fighting their way through the New World.

I've read dozens of books about the reign of Elizabeth I and her court but I've never read a story that captured what it actually meant for the people of that time to live in the Elizabethan Golden Age. Barden's descriptions are judiciously flavored with a taste of Shakespearean word play and a beautiful sense of the mystery and wonder that must have enveloped voyagers to the new lands. Take this moment for example when Will Doonan contemplates the night sky as he sails away from the jungles and beaches of Panama:

From the time he was a boy he had thought of the Americas as forsaken; they were as distant from England as it was possible to sail. The only language in those lands was that of the stars, the sun and the moon, day and night. He could remember the Psalm that had nourished such ideals....In the furthest places, at the ends of the world, there was no language but the sounds of the stars.....

I particularly appreciated the main character Ellyn - who is curious, brave and opinionated without ever becoming a caricature designed to appeal to modern readers. The portion of the plot devoted to her decision to stow-away on Drake's ship The Swan is thankfully played very realistically and takes up only a small part of a book devoted to much bigger adventures.

This is definitely an old-fashioned swashbuckler in that the plot holds few surprises. The fun is all in getting there - sword fights, pirate ships, an evil Spanish villain and a sweet love story all thrown in for good measure. It reminded me a bit of the Indiana Jones movies and pirates stories I loved as a kid -  but transported to Elizabethan times.

The only problem with this book? It's not available here in the United States. I bought my copy off of eBay from a UK bookseller and that's a shame because Barden is a writer I would love to support with my book-buying money. I was thrilled to win The Lost Duchess (her sequel to Mistress of the Sea in a contest) and hope that there are many more adventures to come.

A Fall of Books

One key sign that you are a book lover? You mark the change of seasons by library book sales. Every April, June, November and (I think) January, my local library holds a pretty fabulous used book sale. Today was the fall book sale and while it wasn't the epic summer $5 a bag sale that also meant that it wasn't swarmed by as many book dealers as last time around (see my post from June). Nobody pushed, shoved or argued this time around. I was actually able to look through the fiction section without people literally climbing over me and I found some pretty good stuff. 

First, here's my non-fiction haul: 

I picked up two incredible biographies that I read back in my tween years (although I don't think they had that term back when I was a tween!). Elizabeth Longford's Queen Victoria: Born to Succeed and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. I wish they would reissue these biographies - they're as exciting as any novel and just as well-written. I probably will just skim them but I'm happy to have them permanently in my collection. 

I haven't read the others: 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad; Foundation: The History of England Part I; Memoirs of a Medieval Woman; The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of the first millennium; Eiffel's Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris' Beloved Monument and Victoria's Daughters. I'm especially excited about finding "The Year 1000" since I'm on a bit of "daily life in England in different centuries" kick. 

Here's my DVD and fiction haul. 

I got a 4-DVD set of Rick Steves' Europe with Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel and Egypt and Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham - my favorite Bollywood movie of all time, a movie my best friend and I watched to death in our college dorm as we wrote term papers. I don't think I've seen it since college but I seemed to remember the Hindi words to all of the songs when I popped the DVD in just now! 

I picked up a couple of authors I've been meaning to read. I've never read any of Le Carre and I've heard he's a fantastic writer. I've also been meaning to revisit Tolkien as an adult. Finally, I picked up two titles from a new author who writes in my favorite "dual time period/family secret historical novel" genre - Lucinda Riley. I also picked up a novel about Henry V that I remember enjoying as a teenager and one of the literary fiction writers whose work I always enjoy - Margot Livesey. 

I bought all of this for...........................$9!!!!!

I'm feeling pretty good but don't know where to start. I have a feeling I'll end up like this: 

Hope your book weekend has been as good as mine!!!

Review: The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

A compelling alternate history of the Romanov family in which a secret fifth daughter—smuggled out of Russia before the revolution—continues the royal lineage to dramatic consequences. In her riveting debut novel, The Secret Daughter of the Tsar, Jennifer Laam seamlessly braids together the stories of three women: Veronica, Lena, and Charlotte. Veronica is an aspiring historian living in present-day Los Angeles when she meets a mysterious man who may be heir to the Russian throne. As she sets about investigating the legitimacy of his claim through a winding path of romance and deception, the ghosts of her own past begin to haunt her. Lena, a servant in the imperial Russian court of 1902, is approached by the desperate Empress Alexandra.  After conceiving four daughters, the Empress is determined to sire a son and believes Lena can help her. Once elevated to the Romanov’s treacherous inner circle, Lena finds herself under the watchful eye of the meddling Dowager Empress Marie. Charlotte, a former ballerina living in World War II occupied Paris, receives a surprise visit from a German officer. Determined to protect her son from the Nazis, Charlotte escapes the city, but not before learning that the officer’s interest in her stems from his longstanding obsession with the fate of the Russian monarchy. Then as Veronica's passion intensifies, and her search for the true heir to the throne takes a dangerous turn, the reader learns just how these three vastly different women are connected. The Secret Daughter of the Tsar is thrilling from its first intense moments until its final, unexpected conclusion. (from Goodreads)

I struggled with the review for this book. Readers looking for a fast-paced, "what-if" partially set in Romanov Russia, will find this a fun, light read - a kind of "Da Vinci Code" for Nicholas and Alexandra. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm awash in multiple time period/family secret/real story behind the history type novels and I think this was just one too many for me. The multiple-time period structure has been done enough times that a book cannot rely on an obvious plot twist. If the multiple time-period structure reveals a lot ahead of time (and your big twist ending is pretty obvious) then the reader ends up expending a lot of effort reading chapters that set up things they already know. It's all in the careful balance of handing out clues vs. giving away too much. 

Even with obvious plot twists, the overall premise of Tsar  might have even worked with interesting writing or vibrant characters. Instead, supporting characters come and go - their only purpose is to serve as a plot device. There's not a whole lot here that differentiates amongst the three different time periods or even gives a sense of historical detail. I'm even willing to brush aside some of the improbabilities in the servant-Empress relationship that forms the center of the book and the motivations of historical characters who act in odd, not fully explained ways. But I was shocked when I accidentally hit the progress button in my e-galley copy and found that I was already 70% through the book. Not a whole lot had happened up until that point - I honestly thought the story was just getting started. The pacing of the book is set-up, set-up, no payoff. 

I hate giving unfavorable reviews to first time authors - particularly an author who clearly loves the time period. I also know that in today's publishing environment a good idea like this one (did Nicholas and Alexandra have a fifth daughter?) will be quickly turned around by a publisher due to the demands of the market. I'm sure that others will find a lot of enjoyment here but I unfortunately just cannot recommend a book that is all premise and no execution. 

Disclaimer: I received an advance e-galley of this book from the publisher for review. 

Review: The King's Grave

The mystery of who Richard III really was has fascinated historians, readers and audiences familiar with Shakespeare’s dastardly portrait of a hunchback monster for centuries.  Earlier this year, the remains of a man with a curving spine, who possible was killed in battle, were discovered underneath the paving of a parking lot in Leicester, England.  Phillipa Langley, head of The Richard III Society, spurred on by the work of the historian Michael Jones, led the team of who uncovered the remains, certain that she had found the bones of the monarch. When DNA verification later confirmed that the skeleton was, indeed, that of King Richard III, the discovery ranks among the great stories of passionate intuition and perseverance against the odds.  The news of the discovery of Richard’s remains has been widely reported worldwide and was front page news for both the New York Times and The Washington Post.  Many believe that now, with King Richard III’s skeleton in hand, historians will finally begin to understand what happened to him following the Battle of Bosworth Field (twenty miles or so from Leicester) and, ultimately, to know whether he was the hateful, unscrupulous monarch of Shakespeare’s drama or a much more benevolent king interested in the common man. Written in alternating chapters, with Richard’s 15th century life told by historian Michael Jones (author of the critically acclaimed Bosworth - 1485) contrasting with the 21st century eyewitness account of the search and discovery of the body by Philippa Langley, The King’s Grave will be both an extraordinary portrait of the last Plantagenet monarch and the inspiring story of the archaeological dig that finally brings the real King Richard III into the light of day.

This is a difficult book to review because each reader will come to it with differing expectations. Are you new to the story of Richard III? Do you know only the stereotypes borrowed from Shakespeare and passed down as truth? Or maybe you're like me and a bit more familiar with the Wars of the Roses and the last Plantagenet king. If you're a historical fiction fan, you've probably read Sharon Kay Penman's epic biographical novel on Richard III, The Sunne in Splendor (and if you haven't read it, find it and read it - now!). I also followed the dig for Richard III's grave fairly closely through blogs and the British media. I was enthralled by the idea that after five centuries, the world might learn something new about Richard III. 

So I came to this book with big expectations and was not terribly interested in a rehash of the "Ricardian" (the Richard III society) arguments. They've got me already - and they've got Penman to thank. I don't exactly sign on with the rosy view of Richard as a champion of the common man, an early adopter of Jeffersonian democracy with a sensitive personality straight out of a 21st century definition of manhood. I actually would like to see someone give Richard the benefit of the doubt going the other way. Being a Medieval king was not easy and the behavior we would like to find in Richard to confirm the prejudices of our own time and perspectives would have gotten a man killed back then. I'm far more interested in why Richard III - of all the brutal, scheming Medieval kings - has come down to us as the monster. After all, we've got plenty of options. What about John, who murdered family members and was forced to sign the Magna Carta? Or Edward I who suppressed the Scots and the Welsh? And even Richard's own brother, Edward IV managed to kill family members and get away with it. I wouldn't e terribly surprised if Richard III did kill his nephews, the Princes in the Tower. I just don't think that makes him any better than the kings before and after him. 

I doubt that Phillippa Langley, the co-author of this book, would agree with that statement. I give her a world of credit for fighting through a bureaucratic maze of permits and fundraising to make the dig happen. But this book is very clearly on one side and more then 50% of the book is a straightforward biography of Richard III and a recap of the Ricardian arguments for a reversal of his bad reputation. I was hoping to hear much more about the dig itself, the details of how the archaeologists did their work and determined the different digging sites. As a longtime reader of Romanov history, I'm also a sucker for grave site reconstructions and DNA testing (who wouldn't be, am I right?). Unfortunately, those issues are skimmed over here. 

I did appreciate the glimpse into Langley's state of mind during the dig. She took an enormous risk and it was fun to travel along with her on an ultimately successful journey. Since this is more or less the "official" account of the dig, I think this book is a worthwhile read. It was still a lot of fun to see the planning process and the doubts and the arguments, knowing that it would all work out in one of the most incredible historical discoveries of this century. If you're prepared to revisit the familiar Richard III story, then you will have great fun with this book. 

Disclaimer: I received an advance e-galley from the publisher for review. 

Review: Jane Austen's England

Jane Austen, arguably the greatest novelist of the English language, wrote brilliantly about the gentry and aristocracy of two centuries ago in her accounts of young women looking for love. Jane Austen’s England explores the customs and culture of the real England of her everyday existence depicted in her classic novels as well as those by Byron, Keats, and Shelley. Drawing upon a rich array of contemporary sources, including many previously unpublished manuscripts, diaries, and personal letters, Roy and Lesley Adkins vividly portray the daily lives of ordinary people, discussing topics as diverse as birth, marriage, religion, sexual practices, hygiene, highwaymen, and superstitions. From chores like fetching water to healing with medicinal leeches, from selling wives in the marketplace to buying smuggled gin, from the hardships faced by young boys and girls in the mines to the familiar sight of corpses swinging on gibbets, Jane Austen’s England offers an authoritative and gripping account that is sometimes humorous, often shocking, but always entertaining. (from Amazon). 

This is the third (and final) book in a kind of themed haul I received from the library at the beginning of September. While on the waiting list for this book, I discovered Ian Mortimer's "Time Travelers' Guides" and more or less traveled around England in chronological order from the 14th century (Guide to Medieval England) to 16th century (Guide to Elizabethan England) to the late 18th/early 19th century with this book. 

While the husband and wife pair writing this book do not quite have Mortimer's writing talent, I still enormously enjoyed this birth to death look at life in the days of King George III and William IV. Technically, only a bit of this time period is actually the "Regency" time period we associate with Austen's novels and this insight helps unlock the book - because Jane Austen's England is very much a time in transition. While many of Mortimer's sections about law, medicine and travel in Medieval and Elizabethan England remained the same, the Adkins are working in a time very much affected by the Enlightenment and the coming Industrial Revolution. Even the people of that time were aware of old traditions (sometimes observed in villages for hundreds of years) slipping away. 

It was a time when (like now) people sat at coffee-houses and liked to be seen reading newspapers or working on a writing project; a time when a young governess wrote to a friend wondering why women were not allowed to become scientists and a time when housewives eagerly read how-to manuals on raising toddlers and cooking a good meal. 

But it was also a time when "press-gangs" roamed the streets, kidnapping young men and forcing them into naval service; a time when the wealthy could afford to replace their rotting teeth with the teeth of soldiers killed on the battlefield of Waterloo and a time when a man observed the weather by noting that the rain would stop soon because his cat had used both of her paws to clean her ears. 

I was particularly interested in this book because I know a bit about my ancestors in England who were alive at that time. I've always been curious as to why they chose to leave England for the United States in 1819 (shortly after the end of the War of 1812). The brutal details of life for the lower classes make it pretty clear that a trip across the Atlantic was not that much of a risk in the grand scheme of things. 

But, I never expected to read a story about a young boy with an alternate spelling of my (unusual) last name who lived in Yorkshire (where my ancestors lived). The boy suffered away in the mines of Yorkshire starting when he was seven years old and was crushed to death by a mine cave-in when he was twelve. Obviously, he wasn't my direct ancestor but it was chilling to see the same last name and know that he was probably related to my ancestors in some way. 

The Adkins' make good and liberal use of contemporary sources to tell their story, starting with marriage and childbirth and then moving through the life cycle on to illness and death. At times, they seem unsure of how to build a flowing narrative - subjects are dropped with no warning and a new topic introduced without context. The contemporary sources are sometimes used a bit too heavily when it would be far more useful to receive some background from the modern writers. I would also caution readers not to come to this book seeking an account of the daily life of Jane Austen. While Austen's letters are often quoted in this book, her presence is more of an organizing device to look at daily life during a particular time period. 

That said, this book is an extraordinary accomplishment that I will certainly buy and dip back into for many years to come. 

Reading Updates

Due to a variety of circumstances, I may not be posting regularly for the next few weeks. I've received a number of very exciting review copies - Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things, Robin Oliveira's I Always Loved You and Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses: Stormbird. I'm reading now them but the reviews can't be published quite yet.

Next week is also shaping up to be very busy. First, I'll be in New Jersey tomorrow for a friend's wedding. Then next Monday, I start a new job after almost five years at my previous job. I'll still be in Washington, DC and will still be working as a TV producer covering international affairs but I'm moving to a larger news organization. It's an exciting change and I'll need time to settle in.

In the meantime, enjoy this behind the scenes video that shows how Historical Fiction Notebook's intern sorts through the book pile. I don't have the slightest idea how he learned to fling books with his teeth!