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Kissinger: 1923-1968: The Idealist

Niall Ferguson

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

The definitive biography of Henry Kissinger, based on unprecedented access to his private papers ...

History politics

El Grande

9.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Tabletop Game

In this award-winning game, players take on the roles of Grandes in medieval Spain. The king's power...

BoardGames

Deborah (162 KP) rated Six Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen: Six Tudor Queens 1 in Books

Dec 19, 2018

Weir again goes from traditionalist historian to historical novelist, but she can't seem to leave the historian bit behind. Much as I dislike wholesale abandonment of historical accuracy and the flagrant sensationalism of Phillipa Gregory and her Ilk, I really found this book over long and tedious - I could quite cheerfully have done some poisoning myself just to get the book over and done with! It feels like Weir has looked up every single historical quote she could find from people in the period and tried to squeeze them into the book. I had read biographies of the period that are more enlightening that this and do more to bring the people and period to life.

During the third quarter of the book, we get a lot of Henry coming in to visit Katherine, giving us a bit of plot exposition and then having a strop and stomping out like a child having a tantrum. After about the tenth occurrence this gets rather tedious and doesn't feel altogether likely.

I was slightly weirded by the implication that Katherine on arrival quite fancied the ten year old Henry and the bit in the Tower with the 'ghost lady' and the shivers down the spine in Peterborough cathedral seemed out of place and both only really play off if you have a knowledge of the period already, in which case you really don't need to be reading this.

Finally, for all the historical stuff Weir has stuffed in there, she really does need to pay better attention to her geography. I know Ampthill isn't that far from Dunstable, but I think I little effort would inform her that it's more like 14 miles and not the 4 she has in the book!

While the writing isn't awful, it's just not engaging and the book is far too long and becomes tedious. Does Weir really believe that Katherine believed that, after everything that he had done, Henry would meekly accept the Pope's vastly overdue ruling, put Anne and Elizabeth and the change of a male heir aside along with his leadership of the Church of England? hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I find it hard to beleive that Katherine was as stupid and naive as she comes across here. She says she still loves Henry and wouldn't do anything against him, yet writes to the Pope and the Emperor with a clear intention of inciting war! I think Weir means to make her sympathetic, but I just found her exasperating. I would recommend some good non-fiction book on the period ahead of this.

Kudos

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Loch Ness Legacy (Tyler Locke #4) in Books

Nov 20, 2019

The Loch Ness Legacy (Tyler Locke #4)

Boyd Morrison | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

When Tyler Locke foils an attack on a summit of Middle Eastern leaders at the Eiffel Tower he suspects there is more going on than meets the eye. He is soon proved correct as delegates at the summit start to die of a mysterious disease and an old enemy breaks out of prison bent on revenge. In a race for survival Locke and his friends must find out the truth and prevent all out war.

This book immediately gripped me. I have picked up many adventure thriller type books from many authors and few have impressed me. However Boyd Morrison manages to avoid the usual pitfalls. His characters are likeable and share realistic dialogue and act according to their motivations - even the main villain who is just ever so slightly over the top but still manages to be realistic as a character.

The action scenes - and there are plenty featuring more chases and fight scenes than a whole franchise of movies - are extremely well handled. People tire during fight scenes, nobody is a crack shot with a gun, injuries are realistic.

The plot cracks along as Locke and his team uncover the secrets one at a time. There are clues to solve and the whole time they are racing to beat the terrorists who always seem to be one step ahead.

I feel I must make special mention of the dialogue of the English and Scottish characters. A lot of American authors tend to assume everyone in the UK is either a 'cor blimey guv'nor' cockney or an 'I say old chap' aristocrat and so to my ears the dialogue always sounds phoney. Morrison does not fall into this trap and that really did enhance the immersion in the story.

Yes ultimately this is a hunt for the Loch Ness Monster but really that's just a McGuffin to drive the plot, and an ingenious one at that. I'm not aware of anyone else using Nessie in this kind of book and Morrison handles it well.

Overall a terrific book, well worth a read and would make a terrific holiday book. I've already got the first Tyle Locke novel lined up to read and am looking forward to it immensely. Morrison has immediately become on of my favourite authors. I noticed that he is credited as co-writer on the latest Clive Cussler Oregon Files book (Piranha) and will need to read that too, I suspect that he will inject some energy into the franchise and is a good choice as this book reads like one of Cussler's first novels - in fact I'd say even better.