First published 1990. Translated by Edith Grossman. Penguin paperback, 1991, pp285, c.75,000 words. This is a fictional account of the last days of Simón Bolívar, the man who did much to drive the Spanish out of South America. For those of us who know little of the history of that part of the world it […]
General in His Labyrinth, The — Gabriel Garcia Marquez Read More »
First published 1998. Granta paperback, 1999, pp 503, c.150,000 words (main text). Right towards the end, Fleming compares the UK’s exploration of the gaps in the map of the globe during the early nineteenth century, the topic of this book, to the USA’s space programme in the late twentieth century. In both cases, huge expenditures
Barrow’s Boys — Fergus Fleming Read More »
First published 1999. Bantam paperback, 2000, pp 272, c.72,000 words. The Scotsman John Law was an extraordinary character who, three hundred years ago, after being exiled from Britain for murder, made a huge impact on the financing of government, most notably in France. Over a decade he created a financial bubble, which eventually, inevitably, imploded.
Moneymaker, The — Janet Gleeson Read More »
First published 1999. Penguin paperback, 2000, pp 336, c. 120,000 words + maps, index, notes and photographs. This is a real-world tragedy, the story of a unique culture, centuries in the making, slowly fractured by great-power rivalry and then utterly dismantled by fanaticism and political greed. Hilton studied Chinese at university up to post-graduate level
Search for the Panchen Lama, The — Isobel Hilton Read More »
(Books XXI to XXX) First published c.20 B.C. Penguin, paperback, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt, 1972, pp 711, c.270,000 words (main text). We all know that Hannibal crossed the Alps with elephants, but what else can we remember about these events? For me, only a few other names from the period and the names of
War With Hannibal, The — Livy Read More »
First published c.29 B.C. Penguin, paperback, 2002, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt, pp 488, c.155,000 words (main text). Roman historians of Livy’s period apparently valued literary style above historical accuracy, which may be just as well for the general reader because this makes, in the most part, for an excellent read. This volume is an
Early History of Rome, The — Livy Read More »
First published 1970. Sphere paperback, 1989, pp 383, c.145,000 words. This is one of Master’s late works and a very unusual one. It is a history of The Rock of Gibraltar told through a series of fictional stories, each of which is introduced with some short factual historical background. Masters is best known for his
Rock, The — John Masters Read More »