Eighteen

Finished November 25

Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives by Alice Loxton

This interesting history book encompasses history, biography, and fiction in one book. The author takes the idea of eighteen being the commonly understood age that people become adults and looks at eighteen British people whose achievements made large impacts on Britain, when they were eighteen. The short biographies focus on them at that age, but also discuss what brought them to that place, in terms of both background and personal achievements, and what their lives went on to become and what achievements they made later in their lives. She has chosen people that she could find some information on from that point in their lives, but her choices are all personal favourites as well, people she would want to spend time with. 

Her introduction discusses the idea of adulthood and age being linked, and looks at how this idea changed over time. She also talks about Britain as a country, and it's evolution over time. She also talks about the fictional element of the book here. Between each of the biographical chapters are descriptions of a dinner party, an eighteenth birthday party that each of these people are attending together. Near the end of the book she includes a seating plan for this dinner, and a list of places that were important to one or another of them as well as being worth visiting. Her writing style is conversational and disarming, with references to pop culture as well as posing interesting questions for the reader to think about. 

This book is in many ways aimed at those who are new adults themselves, particularly in the last chapter, and at the end of the book a collection of advice from various people to eighteen year olds is insightful and potentially helpful.

Some of those she included I was familiar with, and others were completely new to me, but I found all of the entries interesting and learned something new even about the people I was previously aware of. This is an historical book that is very approachable and readable and I highly recommend it. 

The Winter Garden

Finished March 1

The Winter Garden by Nicola Cornick

This novel has an element of the paranormal and a lot of historical content. Lucy Brown is a violinist who has suddenly reached a point where she can't play. A virus has left her with long-term muscle issues that have taken away her livelihood and her joy. After treatments, she has retreated to her aunt's property in Oxfordshire. Her aunt is away on business, but Lucy's sister Cleo, who lives nearby has made the arrangements for Lucy to stay indefinitely. 

Lucy is lost, grieving for her career and the joy it brought her, but also looking ahead to figure out how she will support herself going forward. She's put her whole life into her music and doesn't know what her skills might transfer to. 

When she arrives at Gunpowder Cottage, she is tired after a long journey and looking forward to an early night, so finding someone else at the cottage is a surprise. Finn MacIntyre is a landscape gardener and archivist and has been hired by Lucy's Verity to restore the garden to its origins, some of which might reach back to the 1600s. He is living in the cottage with his dog Geoffrey, for reasons that come to light the following day. Meanwhile Lucy moves into the newly renovated barn, where Finn was supposed to staying. 

Lucy soon finds herself having visions and sensations like she is transported to a different time and seeing the property through someone else's eyes. She even has an identity for that person. As she tries to make sense of this and think about why this is happening to her, she also begins to learn more about the property's history, specifically its connection to Robert Catesby, one of the leaders of the Gunpowder Plot. 

Finn is also going through a bad time with the recent loss of his brother Charlie, a historian who was also working on the property, and he has been immersing himself in his work both as a way to honour his brother and lose himself in the work itself. 

As the two cross paths more often and begin to discover things that enlighten the work Finn is doing, they also find answers to their own troubles. 

This is a story that draws on real history, while also creating a great contemporary plot. The interspersing of diary entries from an early time bring the elements together in an interesting way. I had a hard time putting this one down. 

King of the North Wind

Finished December 28

King of the North Wind: The Life of Henry II in Five Acts by Claudia Gold

This biography shows in-depth research and flows well. It is set out chronologically, and as the subtitle indicates in five sections: The Bargain, Triumph, Pariah, Rebellion, and Nemesis. The book starts with a number of maps: one of the crusader states circa 1150, Britain and Ireland circa 1150, France circa 1150, Henry II's empire circa 1170, and a map showing the Great Revolt of 1173-74. This is followed by family trees: the English succession; the issue of Henry II, the Capetian family; the relationship between Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the relationship between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. These last two are important because of Eleanor's marriages to the two kings and the reason of consanguinity that was used for the annulment of her marriage to Louis. 

This is follows by a list of the people who appear in the biography, which can be helpful as there are rather a lot of them. There are two sections of plates in the book and a timeline at the end of the narrative. There is also an extensive bibliography. 

In the early years, Henry vied against his uncle Stephen for the throne, and was supported heavily by his mother Matilda. Henry was educated for kingship and power, but he had to fight for it. He started great reforms in England that continued after his death as set the rule of law that exists today. He was a patron of the arts and encouraged cultural achievements. But there were dark sides to his reign such as the murder of Thomas Becket, a deed that took Henry a decade and much diplomacy to recover from. He also failed to educate his sons in the same way that he himself had been educated and thus they were ill-prepared for ruling. His mistrust of their skill also influenced this and led to a series of rebellions from his own children, many supported by his rival in France. His reign ended with his worst and saddest years, when he lost the support of all his legitimate sons, and found himself kneeling to the king of France as overlord for some of his lands. 

As the book states, this is a tragic life, but one full of ups and downs. A life of a man who was intelligent, educated, and savvy, but perhaps too confident in the end. A fascinating read.

The Brothers York

Finished March 5 

The Brothers York: A Royal Tragedy by Thomas Penn

This history book covers the years 1461 to 1485 and looks at the British monarchy during this time, specifically the House of York. The book has a helpful family tree so that you can see where the royalty at this time fell within the larger royal lineage in Britain. 

As the book opens Henry VI is king, the last of the Plantagenets, but he is a weak king, addled in mind, and with only one child, a son that came later in life. 

Throughout this time, and beyond, questions are raised about whether the children in the official marriage of the king are actually his, and this is definitely one of the things that was raised with Henry VI. Henry's cousin Richard was not making a claim for the throne at first, but was attempting to rule in his stead due to his mental instability. It was Richard, who was Duke of York, whose three sons are the subject of this book. His oldest son became Edward IV, and his second son Edmund was killed when he was, before most of the action takes place. The third son, George, Duke of Clarence was never king although he had ambitions, and the last son became Richard III. 

All three of the brothers taking lead roles here, Edward, George, and Richard are strong-willed, ambitious men, but they had different ways of going about their public and private lives. 

This book is heavily researched, and goes into the details of their relationships with each other, with other European rulers of the time, and of the upper classes within England, who played decisive roles in the determination of who had control at any time. Coming late to a battle, or not showing up at all despite promises made, had impacts that were far-reaching.

It was also interesting to see how each handled the finances of both the nation and their personal household, and what their relationship was to Parliament. Although they didn't rule during this time, the women in the royal family also have decisive roles, whether it was bearing heirs or holding court while the king was absent. The women's reputation also impacted the reputation of the king for good and for bad. 

I enjoyed getting to know this part of history better than I had and seeing the ways that politics has changed so little over the centuries. 

The Perfect Summer

Finished December 20
The Perfect Summer: Dancing into Shadow in 1911 by Juliet Nicolson

This book looks at one summer, often dubbed in retrospect The Perfect Summer, but actually far from perfect, with German aggression towards France, labour unrest in Britain, a wicked heatwave doing damage to crops, and other issues.
The book covers the months from May to September, following a number of people's experiences through the use of news, letters, and diaries. We see the end of the year-long official mourning of the death of King Edward VII, and the coronation of King George and Queen Mary, a very different set of royals with different social lives and expectations. We see the social life of the upper class, such as Mrs. Hwfa Williams, wife of the manager of Sandown racecourse; Ladu Ripon, who introduced Russian ballet dancers such as Nijinsky, and the producer Diaghilev, to England; Lady Cunard being caught in flagrante with a man other than her husband; and Lady Diana Manners, making her debut at Court. winning prize money at costume balls that she put towards books.
We see the fight for women's rights by those such as Mrs. Pankhurst.
Home Secretary, the young Winston Churchill found himself busy with labour issues and Irish moves toward independence, but still able to launch a unique social club with his friend F.E. Smith, as he awaited the birth of his second child.
We see young people such as Edith Sitwell wanting a life different from that of their parents.
Current fashion such as the French sheer evening gowns, and the introduction of the brassiere also played their part. Weekends in the country, where it was common to ring a bell before the usual hour of rising so everyone could return to their own rooms.
Books such as Zuleika Dobson introduced a new idea of romance. Leonard Woolf met Virginia Stephen in the literary circles including Rupert Brooke, Vanessa Bell, and Byron. Vita Sackville-West drove her elegant car at speed down the high street. Rolls-Royce launched their new hood mascot, The Spirit of Ecstasy. Cornflakes and teabags were available to make breakfasts more streamlined. The post office offered special headphones that provided live audio from many West End theatres. T.W. Burgess was successful in his sixteenth attempt to swim the English Channel, this time naked but for his hat and motor googles. Roger Fry mounted an exhibition that included Paul Gaugin, Paul Cezanne, and Vincent van Gogh that had old ladies fainting in shock.
I enjoyed the details here, looking into the lives of a variety of characters, from a variety of walks of life.

Dreaming the Bull

Finished August 20
Dreaming the Bull by Manda Scott

This is the second book in a series, but I haven't read the others. It is a story around the Boudica, a woman warrior who led a long war against the Romans who were settling in Britain. She is the Bringer of Victory and her role is now taken by Breaca, a woman of strong resolve. The Boudica is part of the tribe of Eceni, and this book begins in A.D. 47. The main Roman character is a decurion, an officer in the auxiliary cavalry, named Julius Valerius. He was born an Eceni, but an incident in his youth has hardened his heart against his own people. The Romans are trying to disarm their enemy as a measure of defence, and this means destroying weapons that have been handed down through generations. As the man in charge of this action, Julius is hated by the Eceni. The Governor of Britannia is Scapula, and he is also hated by the tribes.
As the book begins, Julius meets the Roman Longinus Sdapeze, and grows close to him.
The Eceni are based on the holy island of Mona. One of the leading warriors is Caradoc, lover of Breaca, and father to the young boy Cunomar, son of Breaca. Caradoc is also the father of Cygfa, a young woman who is taking her first battle as a warrior. Her mother is Cwmfen, another strong female warrior. Breaca is heavily pregnant as the battle begins, and so is unable to join in. She sends her son Cunomar under the protection of Dubornos and her beloved hound Hail.
The Emperor Claudius is nearing the end of his reign, and is highly superstitious. When the battle goes wrong, and some of the leading warriors become prisoners of Rome, it is this superstitious nature, and the intercession of the royal physician Xenophon, that help to keep them alive.
I enjoyed this tale, and am now interested in reading other books in the series.

The Northern Queen

Finished March 3
The Northern Queen by Kelly Evans

This historical novel follows the life of Aelfgifu, a highborn woman of northern England. When Aethelred gained the throne, he took his revenge against Aelfgifu's family, creating in her a strong antipathy for her new ruler. The Danish king, Sweyn, is determined to dethrone Aethelred for his actions on St. Brice's Day in 1002 when Aethelred murdered thousands of Danish immigrants and their families with little warning. As Sweyn looks for allies within England, Aelfgifu is approached. Not only does she ally with Sweyn, but she soon marries his son Canute.
Thus begins the battle for England, that has Aethelred's wife Emma proving a strong force to maintain control of the land, and creating a personal rivalry between these two strong-willed women that will last throughout their lives.
Aelfgifu is a very interesting women, taught to read and write and do figures by her father who saw her potential, and an able ruler in her own right. She understands how to not only run a household, but an estate, a region, and possibly a kingdom. She doesn't abide fools however, and her disdain for those that don't see the logic of her actions can lead to the making of new enemies. She has a real love for Canute that is mutual, but their relationship also has political implications that sometimes forces them apart.
This novel brings Aelfgifu to life, letting the reader inside her experiences, her emotions, and her thoughts. The battle scenes are detailed, and the day-to-day activities drawn in a natural way that shows the real people. A great read.
This is a excellent first novel by a Canadian historian, and more is planned for this time period.

For another view on this time in history try Queen Emma and the Vikings by Harriet O'Brien.

The Plantagenets

Finished July 20
The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England by Dan Jones

This extensive history of the Plantagenet line of English royalty includes most of the Norman kings as well, taking us from the reign of Henry I to the ascension of Henry IV.
It begins in 1120, with the shipwreck that killed the son and heir of Henry I, William the Aetheling, which set up a power struggle between King Stephen, nephew of King Henry I and Empress Matilda, Henry's daughter and heir.
The Plantagenet Dynasty began with the next king, Henry II, eldest son of Empress Matilda, who married another powerful woman, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Henry II took the throne in 1154. The Plantagent kings reigned as follows.
Henry II (1154-1189)
Richard I (1189-1199), second son of Henry II
John (1199-1216), fourth and youngest son of Henry II
Henry III (1216-1272), eldest son of John
Edward I (1272-1307), eldest son of Henry III
Edward II (1307-1327), youngest son of Edward I
Edward III (1327-1377), eldest son of Edward II
Richard II (1377-1399), grandson of Edward III, second son of his eldest son Edward, The Black Prince
Henry IV, who took the kingdom from Richard II, was also a grandson of Edward III, by his son John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his reign began the rule of the House of Lancaster.
This book definitely shows the human failings of the kings, but also the courageous acts and leadership abilities. We see the fear and jealousy, the misguided advice and bad decisions, the political intrigues and the emergence of British law. This is the line of kings that brought us the Magna Carta and parliament, the line that showed that a king had responsibilities towards his subjects of good government.
This set of kings won large portions of what is now France, and lost them again.
Laid out in short chapters, this book shows us predominantly the public side of these men, with glimpses of the personal.

A Walk Along the Wall

Finished December 20

A Walk Along the Wall: A Journey Along Hadrian's Wall by Hunter Davies

This book recounts Davies experience walking the length of Hadrian's Wall from east to west over the course of several months, and was first published in 1974. Davies talks about his own observations and experiences along his journey, but also gives us history, not only of the wall, its significance and construction, but also other history that relates to the areas he traverses. He talks to a lot of people along the way, some enthusiasts of the wall, some indifferent, and some antagonistic to its existence and popularity. 

He discusses the unknowns of its history as well, and when things aren't clear offers up the differing theories around each issue. 

I learned some things about the history of this area of Britain and the Roman occupation, about the daily life of the people during that time, and about the religious life of the soldiers, who were drawn from all over the Roman Empire. Very interesting.

Bristol House

Finished April 30
Bristol House by Beverly Swerling

This novel is set in London in the present day, but there are also commentaries from two speakers from sixteenth century, one a Carthusian monk and the other a Lombard Jew.
Annie Kendall has come to London to do research. She was hired very suddenly by a Jewish organization to look into the existence of a Jewish man known as The Jew of Holborn who sent ancient Jewish artifacts to various Jewish communities in 1735. This was a time that no one lived openly as Jewish, and the monasteries were under attack by Henry VIII. Annie is a recovering alcoholic, who has much in her past that she isn't happy with. She has snatched at this chance of a research job as it offers an opportunity to take back the academic career she lost hold of several years ago. Her doctoral dissertation had been titled The Effect of Protestant Iconoclasm on Sacred Doorway Decoration in Tudor England, 1537-1559, so the research she has been asked to do is relevant to the time period she is familiar with. Her new employer has set her up with the loan of a third-floor apartment in Bristol House, not far from the British Museum, one of her research locations. The apartment is well-kept, but seems to have something she hadn't bargained for, a ghost. When Annie meets a man, Geoff Harris, that is the spitting image of the ghost, she is amazed, and when she is drawn into Geoff's life, she is sure that there is a connection to her ghost and possibly her research.
A novel involving history, romance, and danger, this is a story you won't want to put down.

The Beauty Chorus

Finished July 3
The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord Brown
This novel focuses on women pilots in World War II, specifically the ferry pilots working for the Air Transport Auxiliary. We see the lives of three pilots up close: Evie, a girl from a wealthy privileged background; Stella, married with a young child and trying to find a future for herself; and Megan a girl from Wales who longs to make her dreams come true.
Evie's father Leo works for the Air Ministry and is reluctant at first to have her fly. Stella has come to England from Singapore, leaving her young son with her in-laws in Ireland. Megan is still mourning the loss of her brother, but wants to make a difference in the war and come back to run her parents' farm.
We see the not-so-glamorous lives of the pilots, the hard work and long hours. We also see some of the resentment from the men they serve with, while other men respect the hard work they do.
This was eye-opening and very interesting in showing a side of war I hadn't been aware of before, and oddly enough one also touched on in another book I am reading. It's nice to learn history and be well entertained at the same time.

Historical Fantasy

Finished Nov 14
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson
This prequel to The Forest House by Bradley and Paxon tells the story of the rebellion of the Britons against the Romans, led by Boudica, the Briton Queen. The story starts with Boudica as a young teen, getting training from the priestesses and druids at the island of Mona and carries through until her death. The story of the Romans conquering and making peace with the Britons, followed by the rebellion, is a historical one. Many historical characters, including Boudica, appear here. The priestess and druid characters play a large role in the course of history and also in the plans and feelings of the main characters. The main priestess in the story, Lhiannon, became a friend of Boudica on Mona, and remains close to her. The novel blends history and fantasy well, and includes interesting explanations for actions by the main players.

A Mixed Bag of Reading and Listening

Finished April 16th
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
I've been reading this one slowly for some time, as it never really grabbed me. I found it disappointing compared to some of her others. Comic book artist Daniel Stone ran from his past as a young man, and reinvented himself to become the husband of Laura and the father of Trixie. Has this denial caused his marital problems and the harm come to his daughter as she is apparently drugged and raped by her boyfriend at a party. Will Daniel's suppressed violence reemerge as he reacts to the situation. Will the two parents reconnect as they focus on helping their daughter? The suspense seems unnatural and many plot moves seem very manipulated by unlikely opportunities. The inserts of graphic novel did not add anything to the story from my point of view.

Finished April 14th
The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
This suspense novel focuses on a night that changed many lives in a town forever, and what happened seventeen years later to bring out the truth of the events of that night.
In a small farming town in Kansas, 18-year-old Rex Shellenberger helps his father, town sheriff, and older brother, Patrick, look for newborn calves as a blizzard hits. He discovers the body of a naked teenage girl. Meanwhile Mitch Newquist sneaks down the stairs from the bedroom of his girlfriend, Abby Reynolds, to get a condom from her father's doctors office for their first time. As the events unfold and Mitch disappears from town by morning, Abby's father grows distant with his family, the town's reverence to the unknown dead girl known as "The Virgin" grows, time moves on. Seventeen years later, Mitch is drawn back to town and the secret harbored by his father, Rex's father, and Abby's father unfolds in dramatic fashion.
A great read.

Finished April 13th
Queen Emma and the Vikings: A History of Power, Love and Greed in Eleventh-Century England by Harriet O'Brien
This history of Queen Emma of England, born in Normandy and married to two English kings, Aethelred, the Anglo-Saxon and Cnut, the Dane, is fascinating. Emma had children with both kings, including a son from each that also became King of England, Hrathcnut by Cnut, and Edward (the Confessor) by Aethelred. Her great-nephew William from Normandy also ushered in the next radical change to the country. Emma is brought alive here from her introduction to England as the young bride of a king two decades older than her through the consort, and partner, of a decade-younger Danish warlord, to the Queen Mother. She is a strong figure and her influence is shown through the political actions of her second husband and her strong will to have her children maintain control of the country after his death.

Finished April 12th
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, read by Stephen Fry
Unabridged audiobook
Another classic that I never got around to reading. I really enjoyed this audiobook, and found it very amusing, with lots of wry humour. Earthman Arthur Dent is rescued from his about-to-be destructed planet by friend, and non-earthling, Ford Prefect.
After being forced to endure bad poetry and being set loose in space, the duo find themselves rescued, improbably. They join galaxy president Zaphod Beeblebrox, on the lam for stealing the spaceship containing the improbability computer, and his girlfriend Trillian (former earthwoman and astrophysicist Tricia McMillan). The ship also has on board a robot, Marvin, with a depressive personality. The humour is great, the stories unexpected and imaginative and great fun. Sorry I didn't catch it sooner.