I realize that this may have been intentional; the author may have been alluding to the fact that life and history itself moved much slower in Pre-Roman times, and hence, so does the novel. But even if that were the intention of the author, the personal intrigues of the characters themselves need not have been sacrificed as much, nor did the detail of the historical/political landscape have to be twice as meticulous in the latter chapters than it was in the earlier chapters.

Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd | Waterstones

A motte-and-bailey castle was built by 1069, three years after the Norman conquest. [2] The castle was held directly by the Norman kings; its castellan was generally also the sheriff of Wiltshire. In 1075, the Council of London established Herman as the first bishop of Salisbury ( Seriberiensis episcopus), [18] uniting his former sees of Sherborne and Ramsbury into a single diocese which covered the counties of Dorset, Wiltshire, and Berkshire. He and Saint Osmund began the construction of the first Salisbury cathedral but neither lived to see its completion in 1092. [18] Osmund was a cousin of William the Conqueror [19] and Lord Chancellor of England; he was responsible for the codification of the Sarum Rite, [20] the compilation of the Domesday Book, and—after centuries of advocacy from Salisbury's bishops—was finally canonized by Pope Callixtus III in 1457. [21]This will be my third Edward Rutherfurd book. I can see that he has a certain formula that he uses in his writings and they tend to be reused for every one of his books. You know what? I don't care. What he does he does well and "Sarum" is an example of him doing it superbly. Mayer, Jean-François (2016). " 'We are westerners and must remain westerners': Orthodoxy and Western Rites in Western Europe". In Hämmerli, Maria (ed.). Orthodox Identities in Western Europe: Migration, Settlement and Innovation. London: Routledge. pp.267–290. doi: 10.4324/9781315599144. ISBN 978-1-315-59914-4.

Edward Rutherfurd

Laing, R.C. (1895). "The Book of Common Prayer and the Mass". Publications of the Catholic Truth Society. Vol.XXV. London: Catholic Truth Society. p.4 . Retrieved 1 March 2022. It took me a long time to read this one, it's huge but worth it. It's a history lesson disguised as fiction, and it's gorgeous.

If all history books were written in the manner of this masterpiece, children would adore the subject at school. It will stand side by side with Winston Churchill's volumes on English history on bookshelves throughout the world.' On the cover of the copy of Sarum that I own, The Toronto Star states that "Rutherfurd reminds us that we are all part of a long line of human experience." I couldn't agree more. In a novel of extraordinary richness, the whole sweep of British civilization unfolds through the story of one place, Sailsbury, from beyond recorded time to the present day. The landscape - as old as time itself - shapes the destinies of the five families. Bursts with action, encyclopedic in historic detail...supremely well crafted and a delight to read.' Edward Rutherfurd is a Life Member of the Friends of Salisbury Cathedral, the Salisbury Civic Society, and the Friends of Chawton House, which is located in Jane Austen's village and dedicated to the study of women writers. He is also a Patron of the National Theatre of Ireland (the Abbey Theatre) in Dublin.

Old Sarum - Wikipedia Old Sarum - Wikipedia

The language is very easy to read, and events (such as the wars) are not presented in a Tolstoyian philosophical fashion. The narrative hooks you in, and it was a nightmare to put the book down at times. However, having conquered the first of the Rutherfurd tomes in my bookshelves, I now look forward to reading some more of him. I have never been to Salisbury, but now I feel I need to pay the place a visit.This is a book about life in England, not just the location where Stonehenge came to be. We start at one little spot but as the world progresses and changes occur, the focus expands. Today the whole world is one’s oyster. The book’s setting grows in the same way-- Stonehenge, Sarum, Salisbury, Wessex, England, the British Empire and then the entire world. If history lessons were like this at school, it would have been a lot more interesting. this is social and political history combined, and although we meet kings and queens, they mostly have cameo roles or are merely mentioned in passing. The great players in this tale are the common people, the merchants, soldiers and adventurers in every era who get caught up in the great events of their day.