Review: Trade Winds To Meluhha

I let a few days pass before I wrote my review - then re-read the book again to refresh my thoughts and found myself enjoying this book all over again.

I loved the concept of a novel being set in the ancient Indus Valley, long before "civilisation" came to Europe - it is a period I was greatly unfamiliar with (besides the basics taught in school) - so this afforded a welcome opportunity to immerse myself in this period (without all the scholarly research which the author has kindly done for us).

The author does take some liberties - as he clearly states - to provide the reader with some clarity and to enhance the storytelling. There is a much welcomed map and cast of characters to assist the reader - which I look forward to with any novel that may lead me slightly out of my comfort zone.

The novel follows the adventures of a young man, falsely accused of murder, as he struggles to escape from those who wish him harm. He leaves Babili (ancient Babylon) on a journey that ultimately ends in Meluhha. We are introduced to a number of protagonists who either aid or hamper young Sam, and just when the reader thinks there is some closure, off we are sent on another journey. 

Like all novels with a number of prominent characters, the chapters end with one and begin with the tale of another - all converging upon the same goal in Babili. Here all loose ends are finally tied up in the last few chapters - and all is revealed.

I found the story captivating and the characters (well, our hero and heroines) engaging and the villains suitable odious. The reader was not overly bogged down with too much detail (ie: landscapes, customs, etc) which kept the story flowing.

I am looking forward to more stories from this period of time and this region from the author, Vasant Dave, so I do hope there are more adventures to be read.

Note: after posting this review via Goodreads, I read the other reviews posted prior to mine (which I didn't read prior to reading and writing as I had no wish to be subconsciously influenced). Obviously, my edition of Trade Winds was a little different, and one can only presume re-edited based upon these comments. All in all, my edition was easy to read and the story flowed.

Highly recommended for those looking for something a little different from their historical fiction.

About the Author (in his own words):

Vasant Davé, an electrical engineer from the University of Bombay. Besides providing Industrial Market Research services in India, I have catered to corporate clients in Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, the UK and the USA. My work called for extensive travelling throughout India. It helped me to address a deep interest in archaeology by visiting numerous ancient sites.

Trade winds to Meluhha was conceived and written after my retirement from business. It took three-and-a-half years. My technical background helped me to understand and apply historical, geographical, environmental and cultural nuances bearing upon the life during the 3rd millennium BC, the period in which the plot is set.

Visit author website: http://vasantdave.weebly.com/index.html

May Book Madness In The Library

New arrivals in the Library for May 2013:

The Kingdom of the Crusaders by Dana Carleton Munro

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original.  I don't know much more about this book so I am taking a punt that this will be worth the $$$$ spent.

William Rufus by Frank Barlow

William II, better known as William Rufus, was the third son of William the Conqueror. This biography recounts his brief 13-year reign leading up to his assassination. The author weaves his account of the king's life into the wider history of Anglo-Norman government.

Gendering the Crusades by S.B. Edgington

This work provides an exploration of the issue of gender in relation to the crusades. It discusses a range of subjects, from the medieval construction of gender to the military participation of women in the crusades. It provides both readings of well-known texts and examinations of newer source material, as well as discussing other topics such as masculinity, the role of female saints and religious figures in the crusades, and the realtionship of crusaders to their families.

Before the Normans by Barbara M. Kreutz

Histories of medieval Europe have typically ignored southern Italy, looking south only in the Norman period. Yet Southern Italy in the ninth and tenth centuries was a complex and vibrant world that deserves to be better understood. In Before the Normans, Barbara M. Kreutz writes the first modern study in English of the land, political structures, and cultures of southern Italy in the two centuries before the Norman conquests. 

James the Good by David R. Ross

Sir James the Good, one of the finest soldiers Scotland ever produced, is sometimes better known by the name given to him by the English - the 'Black Douglas'. He terrified the northern shires of England throughout the reign of King Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Independence. This book tells the history of one of Scotland's greatest warriors.

Malta, the Crusades and the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem by John Heathcote

Malta is a small archipelago in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and consists of three inhabited islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. Small it may be but it has the most remarkable and diverse history of any country in the world spanning a period of almost 5,000 years.

Eleanor, the Secret Queen by John Ashdown-Hill

From the day when Edward IV married Eleanor, or pretended to do so, or allowed it to be whispered that he might have done so, the House of York, previously so secure in its bloodline, confronted a contentious and uncertain future. John Ashdown-Hill argues that Eleanor Talbot was married to Edward IV, and that therefore Edward's subsequent marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was bigamous, making her children illegitimate. He thereby offers a solution to one of history's great mysteries.

Norman England by Trevor Rowley

The Norman invasion, headed by William the Conqueror, meant revolutionary change throughout English life. Soon there was a new ruling class, new language, new styles of dress, behaviour and architecture, as well as a new capital and new forms of landholding. The elite Normans themselves brought England much closer to Continental Europe, lived in their new castles and brought in novel styles of military training, founded monasteries and set up schools.

Medieval Naples by Caroline Bruzelius

Two leading American experts on the subject offer the first comprehensive English-language review of Naples' architecture and urban development from late antiquity to the high and late Middle Ages. 

The Deadly Sisterhood by Leonie Frieda

This book is one of drama on a grand scale, a Renaissance epic, as Christendom emerged from the shadows of the calamitous 14th century. The sweeping tale involves inspired and corrupt monarchs, the finest thinkers, the most brilliant artists and the greatest beauties in Christendom. Here are the stories of its most remarkable women, who are all joined by birth, marriage and friendship and who ruled for a time in place of their men-folk.

Son of Blood by Jack Ludlow

11th Century Italy. The Normans are the most feared warriors in Christendom. At their head is Robert de Hauteville, who has many enemies, not least the ever-powerful papacy. His first-born Bohemund seeks acknowledgement as the heir of Robert's dukedom. But difficultly and conflict lie ahead, and loyalties and blood ties will count for nothing.   This follows the Hauteville trilogy of: Mercenaries, Warriors & Conquest.

Review: The United States of Vinland

I loved this "what if" story of the founding of the USA by the Vikings.  I read it in two days - my attention was held from the start.  I have read the sagas of the founding of both Iceland and Greenland, so this extension (if you like) of the Viking journey to the north American seaboard is not really that far-fetched.  In fact, there is some conjecture that "others" had reached these shores long before Columbus - this explores one of those ideas - and well.

The Landing is the story of the first arrivals and their struggles to establish themselves in this new land after such a perilous and tragic journey. We meet the cast of characters and discover that sometimes new beginnings are a lot harder than first visualised.

I am so looking forward to the second installment which, I believe, begins 20 years after the first landings.

Colin's style of writing is easy to read and flowing - not too bogged down with over descriptive narrative and of the land and its peoples, leaving just enough for your imagination to take full flight - which is what a good novel should do.

Highly recommended for those interested in history with a twist.

Colin's website: The Fall of Ossard

About the Author - in his own words:

"I’ve spent most of my life in Australia, sometimes on the west coast, sometimes on the east. Currently, I live in Perth, where I drink far too much coffee, while writing and looking after hundreds of young sapling trees. I also work in a bookshop to keep the cash coming in. Over the years, I’ve done many things, from working in banking, retail, publishing, to dish-pigging, event management, and even running a tree farm. Through it all, I’ve written."

Review: Anne of Cleves: Henry's Luckiest Wife

I had the pleasure of reading a new (and soon to be published) work by David featuring the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and entitled "Anne of Cleves: Henry's Luckiest Wife".

Anne has had a bit of a rough time at the hands of chroniclers and writers, being described as being most unpleasant in appearance and personal charm, folksy and uncultured, the Flanders Mare; and yet she also comes across as smart, personable and even pleasant of appearance, and certainly shrewd enough to make a financially beneficial “divorce” from Henry which set her up for the rest of her life in England.  Even today, Anne remains an enigma.

This retelling of Anne’s life is initially told to us in the first person by Anne herself, as she reflects upon her life and the events leading up to her marriage to Henry VIII, King of England.  Anne’s recollections are interspersed with a more standard retelling of events as they occurred before, during and after her marriage.  We find Anne adjusting to court life around her and to her change of status once the divorce was made formal. We are then taken through the events that took place from the death of Henry VIII to Anne’s own demise.

I found this to be a rather enjoyable read, and David presents Anne in a more personable light, attributing to her some measure of intelligence and understanding of the politics of the day, as well as being a typical Tudor-era woman who enjoyed the finer things in life – friends, fashion, gossip, the good life.

Anne certainly was the luckiest of Henry’s wives – she married Henry and managed to keep her head!  And she outlasted both Henry and all his other wives, dying aged 41 in 1557.

For those with a love of all things Tudor, this is a must for your personal library.

David has written a number of  works that readers will enjoy – I certainly found his book on Shakespeare quite intriguing!

You can see a full list of David's books at his website - author website and Goodreads website

Review: Reign - A Story of Jezebel

It is an age old story – a young woman is given to a man not of her choosing; they share nothing in common but this; they worship differently; their countries differ in status; and yet they are thrown together to make the best of it. Can good come of this union – possibly. But this is the story of Jezebel of Phoenicia and Ahab of Israel, and it is hard for many to view this story for what it is without any prior (Biblical) misconceptions.

We begin with Jezebel as 12yo (886BC) participating in the ritual sacrifices of the day in her native Phoenicia. She reflects on her earlier life – of her mistreatment at the hands of her own family and those around her, and of her growing dedication to the religion of her people – this will be her strength.

Four years later Jezebel is betrothed to Ahab, Prince of Israel (882BC) – it is a union welcomed by neither Jezebel nor Ahab – but it is a union between two nations. And so the story interweaves from the viewpoint of the three main characters – Jezebel, Ahab and Obidaiah (servant to Ahab). 

We are taken through the familiar Biblical stories of the introduction of the priests of Jezebel; the struggle of Ahab between accommodating his new wife’s religion and the constant need to please the prophet and God of Israel. Jezebel slowly begins to feel her strength when both she and Ahab ascend to the throne of Israel. But for Ahab, the internal conflict only increases between his duty to his country and his religion – can they both co-exist.

As she tells us, Jezebel had given everything for a throne - and what she hadn't given was taken from her. Whilst Ahab is depicted as a weak ruler, sinking ever deeper into a melancholy – hovering between his loyalty to his God or his country - Jezebel takes on his role as ruler and has strength to follow her convictions in the face of opposition. Jezebel takes more of a leading role, making decisions that Ahab is afraid to make (the story of Naboth’s garden is a prime example) – that which he covets but cannot obtain, Jezebel obtains. 

Events take place from the marriage of Jezebel and Ahab to the point of Ahab’s death – and this is where Jezebel leaves us – with a footnote from the author as to her future.

I have enjoyed this new look at a woman who has been tarred with the same brush as Eve – it is an intriguing story of how this woman came to be – and what drove her.

Ginger Garrett - on Goodreads:

"Ginger Garrett is the author of the Chronicles of the Scribes series (In the Shadow of Lions, In the Arms of Immortals, In the Eyes of Eternity), Wolves Among Us, Chosen, Desired, Dark Hour, and Beauty Secrets of the Bible. Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther was recognized as one of the top five novels of 2006 by the ECPA.

Focusing on ancient women's history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by Fox News, Billy Graham's The Hour of Decision, The Harvest Show, 104.7 The Fish Atlanta, and many other outlets."

Arrivals in 2013

Some new arrivals in the Library:- 

March 
Wu Zhao by N. Harry Rothschild 
Cartimandua by Nicki Howarth 
The Kingmaker's Sisters by David Baldwin 
The Makers of Scotland by Tim Clarkson 
The Banished Medieval Queen by Acacia Oak 
Holy Bones, Holy Dust by Charles Freeman 

January 
Medieval Sicily by H. Barbera 
The Norman Kingdom of Sicily by Donald Matthew 
The Normans in the South, 1016-1130 by John Julius Norwich 
The Kingdom in the Sun, 1130-1194 by John Julius Norwich 
Roger II and the Creation of the Kingdom of Sicily by Graham A. Loud 
The Normans in South Wales, 1070-1171 by Lynn H. Nelson

Review: Tree of Pearls

The title of the book "Tree of Pearls" by Jurji Zaydan is said to be based upon the first Muslim Queen of Egypt - Shagrat al-Durr, concubine to Al-Salih and mother of his son, who came to rule Egypt at the time of the Crusades under Louis IX.  She was said to have gained power with the aid of her favourite, 'Izz al-Din Aybak the Turk - who was also her confidant and lover.

However, the book is actually set in the latter years of her life - the Sultan is dead, news has just reached Tree of Pearls that her son has been killed by rebelling Mamluks.  Tree of Pearls is acclaimed Queen but her reign is short-lived as a rival plots her downfall - and so the story revolves around two new female characters - Sallafa (the rival) and Shwaykar (the handmaiden of Tree of Pearls).

It is around this same time that a new player enters the field - Rukn al-din Baybars - and the story moves to the court of the Caliphs of Baghdad as Baybars pursues his stolen love from the clutches of a jealous rival.  

And this really is the last we hear of Tree of Pearls until the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols when we learn the fate and future of all the main characters.

It is part historical fiction part historical narrative.

Useful Links:

Muslim Women in History

Shajarat al-Durr - from Sex Slave to Sultana of Egypt

The Mamluk Sultans of Egypt

Infamous Women - Shajar al-Durr

Xmas Arrivals

Just in time for Xmas - new arrivals in the Library:

Christopher Marlowe by Park Honan

Capetian France 987 - 1328 by Elizabeth Hallam

Family Power in Southern Italy by Patricia Skinner

The Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily by Gordon S Brown

Thorfinn the Mighty by George M Brunsden

Galla Placidia by Hagith Sivan

The Tigress of Forli by Elizabeth Lev

All have been on my wishlist for some time - and the last one - Galla Placidia - arrived today.

Happy Reading to all!

Review: James Wilde – The Legend of Hereward

Hereward yields to William the Conqueror

With his first novel "The Time of the Wolf: A Novel of Medieval England" (also titled as "Hereward"), author James Wilde has presented us with a new take on the legend that is Hereward the Wake.  Hereward has been represented in the past as something of an ideal anti-hero along the lines of Robin Hood – he is the saviour of the Anglo-Saxons from the terrors of the Norman invaders. His use of violence is but a means to an end and is – on par - most acceptable according to the constructs of the time.

James’ Hereward takes on a darker persona (think modern-day Batman) where the legend is given a more human face and not one many may find themselves comfortable with.  He is a man who in the heat of battle is more akin to a Viking Berserker than family friendly superhero. 

Essentially the first book is set in the immediate years leading up to the Norman invasion 1060s – England is beset still from Viking raiders and the Anglo-Saxon Earls are jockeying for power around the aged Edward the Confessor.  The House of Godwin is in the ascendant but is not without its rivals. And it is into this scenario we find Hereward the outlaw – a man who is no longer under the protection of the community.  

“In the Common Law of England, a "Writ of Outlawry" made the pronouncement Caput gerat lupinum ("Let his be a wolf's head," /  "May he bear a wolfish head") with respect to its subject ..  and equating that person with a wolf in the eyes of the law: Not only was the subject deprived of all legal rights of the law being outside of the "law", but others could kill him on sight as if he were a wolf or other wild animal.” (source: Wikipedia) - and hence the title is rather apt.

Hereward  travels to and is welcomed at the court of Tostig Godwinsson, Earl of Northumbria and brother of Harold Godwinsson, the most powerful man in England.  But in a turn of events, both are forced to flee to Flanders where Hereward becomes a mercenary.  He returns to England after the Battle of Hastings and so we are lead onto Book Two.

A crash course in pre-Conquest England politics is a must for those for whom this period in history is not their forte - for this is a period of violence, political scheming, personal ambitions and deadly rivalries.  It is also a time when the Church is attempting to flex its political arm by trying to curb the violence of the era (see Peace and Truce of God).

Synopsis - The Time of the Wolf: A Novel of Medieval England:

To some a brilliant warrior, to others a devil in human form, Hereward is as adept in the art of slaughter as the enemies that gather to claim England's throne. But in his country's hour of greatest need, he has been declared an outlaw. To stay alive - and a freeman - he must carve a bloody swathe from the frozen hills of Northumbria to Flanders' fields and the fenlands of East Anglia. The tale of a man whose deeds will become the stuff of legend, this is also the story of two mis-matched allies: Hereward the man of war, and Alric, a monk and a man of peace. One will risk everything to save the land he loves, the other to save his friend's soul... 

Synopsis - Hereward: The Devil's Army:

The battle of Hastings has been lost. Harold Godwinsson is dead. The iron fist of William the Bastard has begun to squeeze the life out of England. But there is one who stands in the way of the invader's savagery. He is called Hereward. He is a warrior and master tactician and as adept at slaughter as the imposter who sits upon the throne. And he is England's last hope.

Further Reading:

Hereward the Last English Gentleman - Peter Rex
Hereward the Last of the English - Charles Kingsley
Hereward the Wake - trans Michael Swanton 

Hereward the Wake - Scared Texts

Some Links:

Article from the Independent in 2005 in which David Keys writes of the new evidence on the ancestry of Hereward - and it is this theory that Wilde adopts for his Hereward.

One of history's "greatest Englishmen" wasn't really English at all. Hereward the Wake, the guerrilla leader who fought William the Conqueror for five years from 1066, was, according to new research, a high-ranking Dane.

The research by the historian Peter Rex sheds a fascinating light on the political circumstances of the time. Ever since the late ninth-century Viking raids, parts of eastern England had often come under Danish control - and for some of the 11th century the whole of England became part of a vast Danish empire, which also included Norway, southern Sweden.

England became the subject of a geopolitical tug-of-war between the Scandinavians and the Normans. The half-Norman English king Edward the Confessor was intensely pro-Norman, while his half-Danish successor Harold was supported by the Anglo-Danish community.

In 1066 the country was invaded by both the Scandinavians and the Normans, both of whom were determined to seize permanent control of England.

As an ethnic Dane, Hereward was intensely anti-Norman, probably even more so than many Anglo-Saxons.

He was able to enlist military support from Denmark itself, the new research reveals, and in 1069 the Danish royal family and the Danish church sent a small army across the North Sea to assist Hereward.

As a result of his long guerrilla campaign and by avoiding the attentions of the William's soldiers he earned the popular title "the Wake", meaning "the watchful".