Sarum
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Book Description
The towering story of five families through 100 centuries of turmoil, tyranny, passion and prosperity.
Product Description
In a novel of extraordinary richness the whole sweep of British civilisation unfolds through the story of one place, Salisbury, from beyond recorded time to the present day. The landscape - as old as time itself - shapes the destinies of the five families. The Wilsons and the Shockleys, locked in a cycle of revenge and rivalry for more than 400 years. The Masons, who pour their inspired love of stone into the creation of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. The Porters, descended from a young Roman soldier in exile. And the aristocratic Norman Godefrois, who will fall to the very bottom of the social ladder before their fortunes revive. (20030909)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top 5 Books Ever,
By
This review is from: Sarum (Hardcover)
I purchased this book when it was first published and I have just re-read it, something I cannot ever remember doing with a work of fiction. I put this book in the top 5 of all the books I have ever read.The book is so vast that to give a coherent review in the space available is virtually impossible. Suffice to say that the book starts 7,000 years BC and ends in modern times. It relates the lives of five families and their histories through this vast time scale. Read this book for the pleasure it will undoubtedly give you, but at the same time you are receiving a lesson in the history of the British Isles (if only they were like this at school). Perhaps the main character in the book is not a person at all but a building, the Catherdral at Salisbury. Rutherford brings everything to life in the most magical of ways. If you are interested in historical novels you must read this one.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Epic,
This review is from: Sarum (Paperback)
Sarum is set is Salisbury, Wiltshire; Sarum is the old name for the city, so steeped in history. The novel captures the intertwining histories of five local families; The Wilsons, The Porters, The Masons, The Shockleys & The Godfreys. Each family line represents a different historic grouping that arrived at Sarum at different times. Each chapter in the book takes a different era in Sarum's history and provides a short story based around the events of that time and the central five families. There are 19 chapters in total. There is no real overall plot as you get a snapshot history lesson from Sarum's past - there are some really key events covered such as the building of Stonehenge and building of the cathedral. The book goes right up to 1987, covering 9,000 years in 13,000 pages and is filled with useful maps and family trees. It is one hell of an achievement to cram so much detail into a novel, and inevitably things like characterisation do suffer. However the quality of writing is excellent. Read this epic and you will not be disappointed.
Anon The Spire Chronicle
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC!,
This review is from: Sarum (Paperback)
Edward Rutherfurd must have a brain like a huge sponge! This book literally absorbs every ounce of English history and then uses it to narrate the entire history of Sarum, AKA Salisbury! The result is a rollercoaster journey through time, told through the eyes of characters who are not unlike those who once may have inhabited the island. The story spans from the lives of the first Britons, who witness the end of the Ice Age and the creation of a new island, through to the present day. Each generation develops amid the shifting Wiltshire landscape and sociology, centred around the ancient ubiquitous presence of the spiritual Henge, a structure which resonates throughout the novel with its ambiguous origins.Take a few Romans, add a few Celts and a couple of Normans and the English ancestory unfolds before your very eyes! I initially thought that the book would cover a similar ground to 'London', however this book only serves to complement it with a far more enticing and mystical approach! Rutherfurd really knows his history and at times there is a lot of historical text between the stories but this is really interesting and helps you understand what is actually happening to the characters. This book enhances the enchanting history that the island has, probing at ancient mythologies and beliefs which altogether provide a fascinating and exciting read. I'm going to go for 'The Forest' next!
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