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37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First rate historical fiction, 24 Jan 2006
Firstly I must make the point that on the hardback of this book Amazon has it listed as a 200 page novel, this is a little off the mark… This is a 500 page door stop and not one to take lightly!Shockingly, Winter in Madrid is set in… Wait for it… Any minute now… Madrid! Don't worry I haven't given anything away that will spoil your enjoyment of this book and if anything I am simplifying the setting somewhat. This book stretches from the relative normality of Cambridge and Harrow – to Harry’s childhood school Rockwood in the Sussex countryside all the way through to The Jarama Valley in Spain during the Spanish civil war and a war torn London during the Second World War. However, back to Senor Brett (aka Harry). Harry is a dependable sort – good in school and knows his place in life. Not the sort to rock the boat or cause offence. Harry is also one to do his duty and duly accepts a request for help when the family of a lost school friend ask him to help find their son. You see Harry is a borne linguist and speaks Spanish fluently – his friend Bernie Piper is a true believer in Communism and has gone to fight in the Spanish Civil war – believe dead his family want to know what truly happened. Again when the call comes some years later Harry doesn't shirk his responsibility and goes to the front line, fighting in the war; this is when Harry goes through a pivotal moment that reshapes his whole existence – Dunkirk. Returning from the front line as an injured soldier – prone to panic attacks and a slight deafness – rules Harry out of helping in the war effort. Or does it… The secret services come calling asking Harry to train as a spy – another old Rockwood friend – Sandy Forsyth is into something big in Spain, can Harry find out what it is before it is too late? This is the third C.J. Sansom book after Dissolution and Dark Fire – both excellent novels. This one isn't a follow on from that series – that I believe is due later in the year – but it does share the excellent traits of those two books. All three are set around a historical backdrop that truly pulls the reader in, immersing them into the sights, smells and sounds of the time. There is a thoroughly interesting historically note at the end of the books which shows how the author has sculpted the story around the surrounding in which he is describing. The truly wonderful element to this book is how he manages to maintain historical settings without making the fictionally narrative turgid or staid – a marvellous feat. You really feel for the characters even though you mightn't particularly like them – I can't imagine Harry nor Barbara (Clare – ex girlfriend of Bernie and current wife of Sandy) being wonderful people to have a drink with for example. Overall another wonderful novel, I can't impress quite how much I enjoyed this – 5 stars without question.
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by C.J. Sansom
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