There's No Place Like Home

So, from a female-dominate historical novel, I moved on to a male-dominated one!  I've just finished reading 'The Flame Bearer' by Bernard Cornwell, the tenth book in the Last Kingdom series.

It's 917 and a fragile peace exists between the kingdoms of Britain.  The tables have turned on the
invading Norsemen, once so mighty it looked like they would wipe out the Anglo-Saxon population, but now corralled in the north-western lands of Northumbria, cautious and wary of the enemies that surround them.  In the absence of war, an aging Lord Uhtred has turned his attentions back to his lifelong dream, to regain the formidable fortress at Bebbanburg, his by right of inheritance, stolen by his uncle and now ruled by his cousin.  But fate has other ideas.  Factions in Wessex and Mercia have a dream of their own, to destroy Northumbria and unite the Saxon peoples in one country, 'Englaland'.  Caught up once more in dark politics and devious plots, before Uhtred can secure Bebbanburg, he must first secure peace.

'The Flame Bearer'
by Bernard Cornwell
(HarperCollins, 2016)

It's nice to see Uhtred stopping a fight rather than starting one for a change!  But don't think that this book isn't as battle-filled and bloodthirsty as the others in this series.  It wouldn't be Uhtred's story otherwise!

I really enjoyed this book.  Cornwell demonstrates once again how a master story teller creates tension and puts the reader right at the heart of the action.  As Uhtred ages, he's also becoming more reflective, and the passages in 'The Flame Bearer' in which he muses on the side of battle nobody talks about add a whole new dimension to our aging hero.

I also love the cast of characters that Cornwell juggles in the Last Kingdom novels.  Unfortunately, there's not much for the girls to do in this book, but it's hard not to enjoy the camaraderie and humour that comes from playing Uhtred's band of warriors off each other.

Overall, as always, if you've enjoyed Cornwell's other novels, you'll probably like this one!  It's a tale of adventure and heroes, action and friendship and will doubtless leave you (war) crying out for more!

Now, what next...?

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'Sword Song'

Queen of Broken Hearts

Bet you can't guess what this post is going to be about!

Earlier this month, I finally finished 'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' by esteemed historical biographer Antonia Fraser.

'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' is a hefty tome which examines the life of the last queen of France

'Marie Antoinette: The Journey'
by Antonia Fraser
(Phoenix, 2002)

and seeks the truth behind the many myths that surround her.  Daughter of the matriarchal Queen-Empress Maria Teresa, Marie Antoinette was born to be a pawn the game of European dynastic power.  Unfortunately, she was ill-suited to political machinations and unprepared for the cruel popularist media that thrived in the lead up to the French Revolution.  Innocent of much she was accused of and made a scapegoat by power-hungry politicians, this is the tragic story of a woman whose life became so unbearable, the guillotine's blade came as a relief.

I began reading this about seven years ago after finishing a book about Marie Antoinette's second son Louis-Charles ('The Lost King of France' by Deborah Cadbury).  It too was a heart wrenching story, but, as is often the case with history, reading about one person led to another.  Since studying A Level French I'd always wanted to know more about this period, partly because I couldn't believe the language assistant's claim that the whole French royal family had simply been wiped out.

'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' is excellent in that it is focussed, well researched and refrains from huge leaps of supposition, but this does mean it lies more at the textbook than popular history end of the spectrum.  In itself, this isn't a bad thing, it just means that it's not an easy ready.

Although, given the subject matter, it was never going to be an easy read.  I suspect that one of the reasons why it's taken me so long to finish this book is that I knew where it was going to end.  Marie Antoinette was no angel, but she was still a human being and no-one deserved the vilification that she received at the hands of the media and her captors.  Throughout this book, she comes across as the wrong person cast in the wrong role and you can't help wondering what would've happened if she and Louis XVI had been born in a different class at a different time and in a different place.  Thinking back over representations of the Queen I've encountered on TV and in films, it makes my stomach turn to realise that more than 200 years later old prejudices still rule.

So, overall, this book is not for the faint hearted, in terms of content or style.  It is interesting and informative, however, so I would recommend it for anyone who wants an insight into this almost legendary monarch.  Just be prepared to work at it.

Now, what next...