London - Edward Rutherfurd (London - Edward Rutherfurd)

Member Name: tanyatigerlily

Product:	London - Edward Rutherfurd
Date:	14/08/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It brings history to life

Disadvantages: Many, many, many pages long!

I have been a huge fan of Edward Rutherford since the day I picked up a copy of the book "Sarum" - the man has a gift for story telling!
A person might be daunted by the size of the book when you see it in a bookshop, but every one of the 1299 pages is well worth the effort. The story tracks the history of the city of London through the fortunes and misfortunes of a set of fictional families. It covers the history of the area from pre-historic times right up to the 20th century. The characters are colourful and interesting, some you love and others are detested quite easily. Even though the characters and their lives are fictional, the story continually gives you detailed information about actual historical facts, people and events; the rise and fall of kings and queens, and the development of the social structures that we know today. A central theme of the book is the importance of the river Thames leading to the development of the original settlements into the massive city it is today. A must-read if historical fiction is your sort of thing. It bring history to life.

Summary: An excellent work of historical fiction