Salisbury from prehistory to present (Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd)

Member Name: JonnyM79

Product:	Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd
Date:	15/03/02 (1341 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The whole of English history, Awesome research, Beautiful setting

Disadvantages: Indistinct characters, Heavy to lift

Sarum certainly isn't a book you pick up lightly. That applies quite literally since it weighs in at 1400 pages, certainly longer than your average debut novel, but of couse I'm talking about the subject matter. The basic premise is that this is a book about the history of the bowl in the chalk ridges of the West where 5 rivers flow together and present day Salisbury is situated (Sarum is the ancient name for this area) told from the time of the first human settlers up to the present day (a span of over 10,000 years) through countless events, not least the construction of both Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.

The book is told from the perspective of 5 different families. The Wilsons who rise from the gutter to become the local lords. The Porters, decended from a Roman bureaucrat named Porteus who inherit his meticulous nature. The Godfreys descend from the Norman family of de Godefrois who arrive after 1066. The Masons are inspired stoneworkers involved in the construction of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. Finally the Shockleys; honest hardworking farmers who become locked in a feud with the Wilsons that lasts for generations.

The structure of the book is a series of snapshot stories involving members of these families, and their interactions with each other and the surrounding areas. For example the first story in the book is about how Hwll (sic), a nomadic prehistoric hunter, leads his family south from what is now northern England at the start of the most recent ice age in search of better hunting, and settles in the area, carefully managing to avoid offending the local hunting bands.

The advantage of this format is that the history of the area and its effect on the population can be told; and what a history it is! Edward Rutherford's research into the Sarum area and British history in general is groundbreaking in its accuracy and detail, and must have taken many months. Every event in Englis
h history and the effects on the Sarum area are told, from the Roman and Norman invasions to the Black Death, Spanish Armada and Industrial Revolution. This being Salisbury religious events are of particular significance, and the chapters surrounding the reigns of Henry VIII and his children, and the bloody religious struggles in them, are particularly fascinating. Reading this novel is actually a pretty thorough revision of English and British history and it's none the worse for it.

The disadvantage of this format is in the characterisation. Since each chapter features different generations of the same families, who often share traits (Masons down the ages are always short, fat and bald, while Wilsons are always shifty and cunning) it's very easy for characters to blend into one. When you're on to your tenth generation of Shockleys in a row I defy anyone to name every individual and his distinctive traits. Fortunately there is a family tree provided so a quick bit of revision in the event of confusion can usually sort things out.

To anyone interested in the history of Britain in its broadest sense (and let's face it we have a long and fascinating history) this will be an outstanding novel and they'll zip through all 1400 pages, as will those who know and love the Salisbury area. Anyone looking for a book with a central character or a tightly written single plot should probably steer clear. The final word is a note from the author reminding the reader that the spire to Salisbury Cathedral is in urgent need of restoration (this is a fundamental part of the book's final chapter) and encouraging donations, so the book is married to a more than worthy cause. The author, Edward Rutherford has gone on to write books in a similar style about both London and the New Forest, to much public and critical acclaim.

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