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Ruled Britannia
The year is 1597. For nearly a decade, the island of Britain has been under the rule of King Philip in the name of Spain. The citizenry live under an enforced curfew—and in fear of the Inquisition’s agents, who put heretics to the torch in public displays. And with Queen Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London, the British have no symbol to unite them against the enemy who occupies their land.
William Shakespeare has no interest in politics. His passion is writing for the theatre, where his words bring laughter and tears to a populace afraid to speak out against the tyranny of the Spanish crown. But now Shakespeare is given an opportunity to pen his greatest work—a drama that will incite the people of Britain to rise against their persecutors—and change the course of history.
458 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2002
70 people are currently reading
1901 people want to read
About the author
Harry Turtledove
564 books1,963 followersDr Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced a sizeable number of works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
August 23, 2023
Harry Turtledove has made alternative history/historical fiction his own. His books range widely in the history of mankind and when he indulges in a particular period of interest, we all benefit. In this book, he imagines a Britain almost a decade after the Spanish Armada when Spain has conquered those Isles. Then he drops Will Shakespeare into the tale and we are off and running.
Historical, humorous, bawdy, and thrilling, Turtledove, deftly mixes his batter and takes time to let it rise. Everyone has a secret or two and some, if known, might only terminate a relationship, while others (perhaps pried out by the Inquisitors) could result in a public and slow death.
Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, the legendary Richard Burbage (the actor of his era and owner of London’s Globe theater), Queen Elizabeth (still alive and in the Tower), King Philip (dying) and a blend of familiar and created characters makes this a delightful invention.
When I am in a different world or period, I appreciate the opportunity to taste, smell and listen to it. One thing that the reader can count on, with a Turtledove novel of the past, is the depth of research of that period. Ruled Britannia is a joy with the detailed customs and culture that are laid open to us. The thing that I may have enjoyed the most is the period language and how rich and different it is from 21st century English. For example:
“Good den, Master Seymour,” he said.
“Why, Master Shakespeare! God give you good den as well,” Harry Seymour replied. He was a tall, lean man who would have been good-looking had he not had a large, hairy wen on the end of his nose. “Do you but pass the time of day, or can I find summat for you?”
“I am always pleased to pass the time of day with you,” Shakespeare answered, which was true: he’d never known Seymour to print or sell pirated plays. He went on, “But if you’ve the Annals of Tacitus done into English, I’d be pleased to buy it of you.”
“As my head lives, Master Shakespeare, I do indeed. And I’ll take oath I fetched hither some few of that title this morning.” Seymour came around to the front of the stall. “Now where did I put ‘em?...Ah! Here we are.” He handed Shakespeare a copy. “Will you want it for a play?”
“I might. But my Latin doth state with disuse, wherefore I’m fain to take the short road to reminding me what he treats of.“ Shakespeare admired the ornate first page, illustrated with a woodcut of swaggering, toga-clad Romans. “A handsome volume, I’ll not deny.”…He held up the translation. “What’s the scot?”
“Six shillings,” Harry Seymour answered.
“My good fellow, you are a thief professed,” Shakespeare exclaimed. “But your theft is too open. Your filching is like an unskilled singer; you keep not time.”
“Say what you will, Will, but I’ll have my price or you’ll not have your book…You know not what I had to pay Master Daniels, he which rendered into our tongue the noble Roman’s words,” Seymour protested.
Sensing weakness, Shakespeare pressed him. “That you’re a subtle knave, a villain with a smiling cheek, makes you no less a knave and villain.” He made as if to thrust the Annals back at Seymour.”
Turtledove is masterful in giving us enough of the difference without making the reader reach for an “olde English” dictionary every sentence.
The author also demonstrates his skill in his measured increase in tension as Will Shakespeare gets himself deeper and deeper into a plot (plots?) to overthrow the Spaniards. Some will be displeased with the slow pace of this novel. Yet, I know a number of my GR friends will be delighted with the language and details. At a time where a penny was of value and three could buy a satisfying full meal at a pub or “ordianary.” Turtledove gives us as complete picture as I have found of London life. Though the plot is imagined, he always sails close to the shore of reality. I am not a devotee of massive books but I enjoyed this journey very much for its ability to put me in touch with this fascinating era. Though for some this final excerpt will have an “icky” component, I found that its informative value trumps any of that.
“(He) began to blubber. ‘God bless you, sir. Oh, God bless you,’ he said. I tread on you and then you give me good for evil, as our Lord says a man ought to do’….The skinny young man blew his nose on the fingers on the hand that wasn’t holding the money, wiped them on his shabby doublet and hurried out of the lodging house.”
4.5*
PS: Here are some of the more than 100 epithets thrown at various characters in Ruled Britannia:
You’re a bloody kern; knavish fool; caitiff rogue; block-head cobbler; thou dishclout; wretched puling fool; Spartan dog; idle-headed boor; starveling popinjay; you abject anatomy; lucky clotpoll; thou’rt not only a fool, but ass and dog as well; preaching pig butcher; limb of Satan; thou mooncalf scroyle; the Devil damn thee black; impersevant thing; recreant blackguard; a stuffed man; a very dull fool; dumb-discoursive devil; damnable box of envy; ass-head; fond monster; mad mooncalf dotard; fool’s zany
(Iterative comic relief is provided by Constable Walter Strawberry who is likely modeled on the character Dogberry from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.)
‘ “I have spake English since I was a puling babe; it is the tongue of my captivity,” Strawberry said. “ You, then, needs must be inerrant.”
“Would that I were!” Lope exclaimed.”’
Historical, humorous, bawdy, and thrilling, Turtledove, deftly mixes his batter and takes time to let it rise. Everyone has a secret or two and some, if known, might only terminate a relationship, while others (perhaps pried out by the Inquisitors) could result in a public and slow death.
Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, the legendary Richard Burbage (the actor of his era and owner of London’s Globe theater), Queen Elizabeth (still alive and in the Tower), King Philip (dying) and a blend of familiar and created characters makes this a delightful invention.
When I am in a different world or period, I appreciate the opportunity to taste, smell and listen to it. One thing that the reader can count on, with a Turtledove novel of the past, is the depth of research of that period. Ruled Britannia is a joy with the detailed customs and culture that are laid open to us. The thing that I may have enjoyed the most is the period language and how rich and different it is from 21st century English. For example:
“Good den, Master Seymour,” he said.
“Why, Master Shakespeare! God give you good den as well,” Harry Seymour replied. He was a tall, lean man who would have been good-looking had he not had a large, hairy wen on the end of his nose. “Do you but pass the time of day, or can I find summat for you?”
“I am always pleased to pass the time of day with you,” Shakespeare answered, which was true: he’d never known Seymour to print or sell pirated plays. He went on, “But if you’ve the Annals of Tacitus done into English, I’d be pleased to buy it of you.”
“As my head lives, Master Shakespeare, I do indeed. And I’ll take oath I fetched hither some few of that title this morning.” Seymour came around to the front of the stall. “Now where did I put ‘em?...Ah! Here we are.” He handed Shakespeare a copy. “Will you want it for a play?”
“I might. But my Latin doth state with disuse, wherefore I’m fain to take the short road to reminding me what he treats of.“ Shakespeare admired the ornate first page, illustrated with a woodcut of swaggering, toga-clad Romans. “A handsome volume, I’ll not deny.”…He held up the translation. “What’s the scot?”
“Six shillings,” Harry Seymour answered.
“My good fellow, you are a thief professed,” Shakespeare exclaimed. “But your theft is too open. Your filching is like an unskilled singer; you keep not time.”
“Say what you will, Will, but I’ll have my price or you’ll not have your book…You know not what I had to pay Master Daniels, he which rendered into our tongue the noble Roman’s words,” Seymour protested.
Sensing weakness, Shakespeare pressed him. “That you’re a subtle knave, a villain with a smiling cheek, makes you no less a knave and villain.” He made as if to thrust the Annals back at Seymour.”
Turtledove is masterful in giving us enough of the difference without making the reader reach for an “olde English” dictionary every sentence.
The author also demonstrates his skill in his measured increase in tension as Will Shakespeare gets himself deeper and deeper into a plot (plots?) to overthrow the Spaniards. Some will be displeased with the slow pace of this novel. Yet, I know a number of my GR friends will be delighted with the language and details. At a time where a penny was of value and three could buy a satisfying full meal at a pub or “ordianary.” Turtledove gives us as complete picture as I have found of London life. Though the plot is imagined, he always sails close to the shore of reality. I am not a devotee of massive books but I enjoyed this journey very much for its ability to put me in touch with this fascinating era. Though for some this final excerpt will have an “icky” component, I found that its informative value trumps any of that.
“(He) began to blubber. ‘God bless you, sir. Oh, God bless you,’ he said. I tread on you and then you give me good for evil, as our Lord says a man ought to do’….The skinny young man blew his nose on the fingers on the hand that wasn’t holding the money, wiped them on his shabby doublet and hurried out of the lodging house.”
4.5*
PS: Here are some of the more than 100 epithets thrown at various characters in Ruled Britannia:
You’re a bloody kern; knavish fool; caitiff rogue; block-head cobbler; thou dishclout; wretched puling fool; Spartan dog; idle-headed boor; starveling popinjay; you abject anatomy; lucky clotpoll; thou’rt not only a fool, but ass and dog as well; preaching pig butcher; limb of Satan; thou mooncalf scroyle; the Devil damn thee black; impersevant thing; recreant blackguard; a stuffed man; a very dull fool; dumb-discoursive devil; damnable box of envy; ass-head; fond monster; mad mooncalf dotard; fool’s zany
(Iterative comic relief is provided by Constable Walter Strawberry who is likely modeled on the character Dogberry from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.)
‘ “I have spake English since I was a puling babe; it is the tongue of my captivity,” Strawberry said. “ You, then, needs must be inerrant.”
“Would that I were!” Lope exclaimed.”’
April 13, 2016
For those who have ever thought about reading at least one alternate history novel, Harry Turtledove's Ruled Britannia is the one you should try. The premise of the novel is the successful invasion of England via the famed Spanish Armada by the Duke of Parma's army that places Queen Elizabeth in captive within the Tower of London and places Philip II's daughter Isabella on the throne along side her husband-cousin Albert. Almost 10 years later, celebrated English playwright Williams Shakespeare is brought into a conspiracy to write and stage a play that will insight London to rise up upon learning of the death of Philip, but then Shakespeare must contend with the occupying Spaniards wanting him to write a play in tribute of Philip to by staged upon news of this death.
The novel is seen from only two point-of-view characters: Shakespeare and Lope de Vega, an officer in the occupying Spanish army fluent in English and an unpublished playwright. Through their eyes the setting of Spanish-occupied late 16th-century London comes alive as well as the individuals the two encounter without throughout the novel, including those they both interact with. Obviously it allows the reader to view both sides of Spanish-controlled Catholic England politically speaking, but also religiously. Although both men are friendly with one another, especially as Shakespeare doesn't want to upset an officer of the occupying army, there is an unspoken barrier between the two the reader readily recognizes that is present throughout the novel that adds to the story.
The use of late 16th-century English speech patterns by Turtledove brought an authentic feel to the story, though it does take a little time to get use nonetheless by the end of the book its very easy to follow. Though the story does seem to tread water around the 60-70% mark, in retrospect the events that happen therein really pay off throughout the climax of the story. With all of this said, if you've ever wanted to read an alternate history novel this standalone work by Harry Turtledove is the one you should try.
The novel is seen from only two point-of-view characters: Shakespeare and Lope de Vega, an officer in the occupying Spanish army fluent in English and an unpublished playwright. Through their eyes the setting of Spanish-occupied late 16th-century London comes alive as well as the individuals the two encounter without throughout the novel, including those they both interact with. Obviously it allows the reader to view both sides of Spanish-controlled Catholic England politically speaking, but also religiously. Although both men are friendly with one another, especially as Shakespeare doesn't want to upset an officer of the occupying army, there is an unspoken barrier between the two the reader readily recognizes that is present throughout the novel that adds to the story.
The use of late 16th-century English speech patterns by Turtledove brought an authentic feel to the story, though it does take a little time to get use nonetheless by the end of the book its very easy to follow. Though the story does seem to tread water around the 60-70% mark, in retrospect the events that happen therein really pay off throughout the climax of the story. With all of this said, if you've ever wanted to read an alternate history novel this standalone work by Harry Turtledove is the one you should try.
October 12, 2017
I'm not a big reader of alternate histories, but they can be very entertaining. That being said, I will never understand why they are filed under science fiction. There is no science behind the conceit. It is just a "what if" novel.
There, I've had my piece. This was an excellent historical fiction. I especially liked the look at both sides, the Spanish and the English points of view. The philandering Spaniard who wanted to be a poet and playwright, rather than a soldier was a particularly appealing character. As was the Constable who mis-spoke everything he said. (It's hard enough to follow the dialogue in 16th Century English, but English garbled that badly???)
The political intrigue, the characters of William Shakespeare, Kit Marlowe, Robert Cecil, Robert Devereux, etc, all combined to make a thrilling read.
There, I've had my piece. This was an excellent historical fiction. I especially liked the look at both sides, the Spanish and the English points of view. The philandering Spaniard who wanted to be a poet and playwright, rather than a soldier was a particularly appealing character. As was the Constable who mis-spoke everything he said. (It's hard enough to follow the dialogue in 16th Century English, but English garbled that badly???)
The political intrigue, the characters of William Shakespeare, Kit Marlowe, Robert Cecil, Robert Devereux, etc, all combined to make a thrilling read.
July 15, 2012
The central conceit is brilliant and I can't fault the scholarship or the choice of protagonists but the prose is turgid and overwritten. The Guns of the South proves that Turtledove can write a fast paced novel while retaining the fruits of his research so I guess what he needs to find is a friendly neighbourhood editor.
July 16, 2020
Una estupenda novela sobre el teatro y su función en la sociedad inglesa isabelina, partiendo de la posibilidad de que la Felicísima Armada hubiese logrado desembarcar y conquistar Inglaterra. El encuentro entre Shakespeare y Lope de Vega permite imaginar la relación entre dos de los mejores dramaturgos de la historia. Y todo en una ambientación creíble, con una trama que se desarrolla con suavidad hasta el desenlace.
April 28, 2012
I was excited when I discovered this book at a library sale. Alternative history is a favorite genre of mine, and this fat, juicy-looking novel featured a promising premise. What if instead of England defeating the Spanish Armada, Spain was victorious? Mr. Turtledove sets his story in London nine years after Spanish soldiers have occupied Britain. Elizabeth I has been imprisoned in the Tower of London. Isabella, daughter of Philip the II of Spain, rules the country in her stead. Agents of the Inquisition prowl the city like members of the KGB, on the lookout for Protestant heretics who fail to go to Mass, eat meat during Lent, or celebrate Christian holidays according to their old calendar rather than the one imposed by the Pope.
The plot centers around William Shakespeare - yes, THAT Shakespeare - a meek and mild guy who's trying to eke out a living as a playwright and actor in Richard Burbage's company. Then he is drawn into a plot by remnants of the old English power structure, asked to write a secret play that will inspire the British to revolt and drive out their Spanish masters.
Alas this moderately good idea for a book was spoiled, for me at least, by the writing. First of all, the events of the book do not in any way merit its length. The tale meanders along, with detailed but repetitious descriptions of the filth, misery and violence that characterized London in 1597. Shakespeare fears for his life but believes he has no choice but to keep writing his subversive play. Other well-known figures show up: the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, Will Kemp the Clown, Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe. One has the feeling that the author wants to wallow in the time period and doesn't care all that much how he manages it.
By far the most aggravating aspect of the book, however, is the fact that Mr. Turtledove takes lines from Shakespeare's plays and puts them into the mouths of his characters - not just Shakespeare himself, but everyone else as well. And he doesn't just do this occasionally, but constantly! Even when they're not quoting the Bard, the characters use similar language - but to someone who has even a passing familiarity with Shakespeare's oeuvre, the quotes show up like flares, out of context and totally interrupting the flow of the story.
I did finish the book - it wasn't bad enough to make me quit in the middle. However, I'll think twice before reading anything else by this author.
The plot centers around William Shakespeare - yes, THAT Shakespeare - a meek and mild guy who's trying to eke out a living as a playwright and actor in Richard Burbage's company. Then he is drawn into a plot by remnants of the old English power structure, asked to write a secret play that will inspire the British to revolt and drive out their Spanish masters.
Alas this moderately good idea for a book was spoiled, for me at least, by the writing. First of all, the events of the book do not in any way merit its length. The tale meanders along, with detailed but repetitious descriptions of the filth, misery and violence that characterized London in 1597. Shakespeare fears for his life but believes he has no choice but to keep writing his subversive play. Other well-known figures show up: the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, Will Kemp the Clown, Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe. One has the feeling that the author wants to wallow in the time period and doesn't care all that much how he manages it.
By far the most aggravating aspect of the book, however, is the fact that Mr. Turtledove takes lines from Shakespeare's plays and puts them into the mouths of his characters - not just Shakespeare himself, but everyone else as well. And he doesn't just do this occasionally, but constantly! Even when they're not quoting the Bard, the characters use similar language - but to someone who has even a passing familiarity with Shakespeare's oeuvre, the quotes show up like flares, out of context and totally interrupting the flow of the story.
I did finish the book - it wasn't bad enough to make me quit in the middle. However, I'll think twice before reading anything else by this author.
May 11, 2011
I've read and re-read this one and I'm re-reading yet again. To be honest, many of Harry Turtledove's alternative universe books confuse me, with the multiple viewpoints; this is one of a number that only have two viewpoints. In this case, the viewpoints are those of William Shakespeare, living in an England occupied by the Spanish when the Armada succeeded, and Lope de Vega, a playwright who was Spain's answer to Shakespeare, who, in this novel, is one of the occupying soldiers. Shakespeare has been commissioned to write two plays - one by the Spanish, who want him to do a biography of King Phillip, who is dying, one by the British underground, led by Lord Burleigh, allowed to live free while Elizabeth is in the Tower. The theme is not unlike that of a British TV mini-series called "An Englishman's Castle" which I saw many years ago, set in a post-war Britain occupied by the Nazis.
I loved the way it read like a perfectly good historical novel - in a history that never was. There's none of the SF elements that were in the also-wonderful "Guns Of The South". In this world Christopher Marlowe is still alive and has written many plays he never did in our own world, but those who assassinated him in our world are still around also. Love it, love it!
I loved the way it read like a perfectly good historical novel - in a history that never was. There's none of the SF elements that were in the also-wonderful "Guns Of The South". In this world Christopher Marlowe is still alive and has written many plays he never did in our own world, but those who assassinated him in our world are still around also. Love it, love it!
February 16, 2019
First sentence: Two Spanish soldiers swaggered up Tower Street toward William Shakespeare. Their boots squelched in the mud. One wore a rusty corselet with his high-crowned morion, the other a similar helmet with a jacket of quilted cotton. Rapiers swung at their hips.
Premise/plot: What if the English navy had not defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588? What if instead of Queen Elizabeth reigning in the year 1597 she was instead locked away in the Tower? Turtledove gives us alternate history in his novel Ruled Britannia. It is told primarily from two perspectives: William Shakespeare and Lope de Vega.
Shakespeare has a choice to make. Should he commit treason against Spain and write a play that could potentially help overthrow Spain's rule and restore Elizabeth to the throne? Or should he play it safe and write a play memorializing King Philip II of Spain? Perhaps he'll be crafty and do both....but which one will get performed upon the King's death?!
Lope de Vega is in awe of William Shakespeare. He can nearly always be found watching his plays, watching the actors on and off stage, hanging around and conversing. He's a soldier on a mission: be on the lookout for any treason, any subversive meanings in the plays he watches. Some higher ups are suspicious of Shakespeare--but not de Vega, not really. Shakespeare doesn't care who rules so long as he can write, right?!
My thoughts: I imagine that Ruled Brittania was an absolute joy to write. Turtledove claims--and I have no reason to doubt--that he repurposed many, many lines from actual Shakespeare plays into "new" Shakespeare plays in this alternate history. In addition to Shakespeare, he used other contemporary playwrights from the time to craft his new plays and dramas. He obviously felt it was important to bring Shakespeare to life--and so he relied on Shakespeare's own words to flesh out his character and his dialogue. Like William Shakespeare, Lope de Vega is a real historical figure--a Spanish playwright from this time period who--at least according to the author's note--sailed on the Spanish Armada and returned to Spain to have a successful career.
Did I enjoy reading it as much as Turtledove enjoyed writing it? Probably not. In fact, I found it MUCH too long--tedious even. I was interested in the bare bones of this one. I wanted to know WHAT happened overall--would Shakespeare's play about Boudica (alternate spellings Boudicca, Boadicea, Boudicea) rebelling against the Roman Empire happen? Would it be successful? Would Elizabeth reign once more?
There were dozens of characters that peopled this novel that I just did not care about at all--not even slightly. I imagine that some--perhaps many--were actual historical figures. I just didn't care. Perhaps if the author's note was placed FIRST, I might have tried to care harder. Perhaps if there was a list of characters--noting which were historical and which were fictional. Perhaps if there were footnotes indicating which lines came from which actual Shakespeare plays or noting the other sources used?
One thing I know without a doubt...the chapters were unreasonably LONG...insufferably long. "Short" chapters were around thirty-five pages long. WHY TORTURE READERS?! You take a perfectly good premise--an entertaining one--and practically do everything possible to drain all the enjoyment of actually reading it?!
Premise/plot: What if the English navy had not defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588? What if instead of Queen Elizabeth reigning in the year 1597 she was instead locked away in the Tower? Turtledove gives us alternate history in his novel Ruled Britannia. It is told primarily from two perspectives: William Shakespeare and Lope de Vega.
Shakespeare has a choice to make. Should he commit treason against Spain and write a play that could potentially help overthrow Spain's rule and restore Elizabeth to the throne? Or should he play it safe and write a play memorializing King Philip II of Spain? Perhaps he'll be crafty and do both....but which one will get performed upon the King's death?!
Lope de Vega is in awe of William Shakespeare. He can nearly always be found watching his plays, watching the actors on and off stage, hanging around and conversing. He's a soldier on a mission: be on the lookout for any treason, any subversive meanings in the plays he watches. Some higher ups are suspicious of Shakespeare--but not de Vega, not really. Shakespeare doesn't care who rules so long as he can write, right?!
My thoughts: I imagine that Ruled Brittania was an absolute joy to write. Turtledove claims--and I have no reason to doubt--that he repurposed many, many lines from actual Shakespeare plays into "new" Shakespeare plays in this alternate history. In addition to Shakespeare, he used other contemporary playwrights from the time to craft his new plays and dramas. He obviously felt it was important to bring Shakespeare to life--and so he relied on Shakespeare's own words to flesh out his character and his dialogue. Like William Shakespeare, Lope de Vega is a real historical figure--a Spanish playwright from this time period who--at least according to the author's note--sailed on the Spanish Armada and returned to Spain to have a successful career.
Did I enjoy reading it as much as Turtledove enjoyed writing it? Probably not. In fact, I found it MUCH too long--tedious even. I was interested in the bare bones of this one. I wanted to know WHAT happened overall--would Shakespeare's play about Boudica (alternate spellings Boudicca, Boadicea, Boudicea) rebelling against the Roman Empire happen? Would it be successful? Would Elizabeth reign once more?
There were dozens of characters that peopled this novel that I just did not care about at all--not even slightly. I imagine that some--perhaps many--were actual historical figures. I just didn't care. Perhaps if the author's note was placed FIRST, I might have tried to care harder. Perhaps if there was a list of characters--noting which were historical and which were fictional. Perhaps if there were footnotes indicating which lines came from which actual Shakespeare plays or noting the other sources used?
One thing I know without a doubt...the chapters were unreasonably LONG...insufferably long. "Short" chapters were around thirty-five pages long. WHY TORTURE READERS?! You take a perfectly good premise--an entertaining one--and practically do everything possible to drain all the enjoyment of actually reading it?!
October 27, 2012
One thing I’ve noticed about Harry Turtledove is that his mind-blowingly brilliant ideas and concepts are often let down by clunky delivery and wooden dialogue. Not so in this case. However, my one real gripe does concern Turtledove’s attempt to weave Shakespearean style language into the book. The problem here is that he isn’t always consistent and that jars somewhat. With that proviso, this is an exciting and absorbing story and one full of indications that Turtledove has done his background research on Elizabethan England in general and the atmosphere of late sixteenth century London in particular.
The action opens in 1598, ten years after the Duke of Parma‘s army successfully landed on the English coast and advanced on London. England has been brought forcibly back into the papal fold and the forces of the Inquisition are freely used against dissenters both religious and political. In fact in practice there is no difference between the two. Queen Elizabeth languishes in the Tower of London and Warwickshire playwright Will Shakespeare finds himself caught on the horns of the mother of all dilemmas. On the one hand the Spanish authorities want him to write a play that will reconcile the English to Spanish rule, on the other the English Resistance want him to write a play that will inspire rebellion.
It will take all of Will Shakespeare’s writing skill to do both things with the same piece of writing. A good solid four out of five stars…
The action opens in 1598, ten years after the Duke of Parma‘s army successfully landed on the English coast and advanced on London. England has been brought forcibly back into the papal fold and the forces of the Inquisition are freely used against dissenters both religious and political. In fact in practice there is no difference between the two. Queen Elizabeth languishes in the Tower of London and Warwickshire playwright Will Shakespeare finds himself caught on the horns of the mother of all dilemmas. On the one hand the Spanish authorities want him to write a play that will reconcile the English to Spanish rule, on the other the English Resistance want him to write a play that will inspire rebellion.
It will take all of Will Shakespeare’s writing skill to do both things with the same piece of writing. A good solid four out of five stars…
August 16, 2014
Warning! If you read GUNS OF THE SOUTH by Harry Turtledove and thought it was a classic . . . don't imagine this book is going to be the same kind of story.
I have to admit that the premise was intriguing. What if Spain had conquered in England in 1588? And what if William Shakespeare had become a shadowy fighter in the underground, trying to drive out the Spanish by writing fiery patriotic plays in secret?
Unfortunately, there is almost NO military action in this book until fifty pages before the end. And there are hundreds and hundreds of pages of theater gossip, Shakespeare quotes, dirty jokes, and Shakespeare going on and on (and on and on) about how scared he is of being caught by the Spanish. The main Spanish character is Lope De Vega, another real life playwright. But in this book he's really annoying, he just lusts after women, one after another, and gets in boring sword fights which he wins by fighting dirty. And he treats women like dirt, and I didn't find him charming at all!
Oh, and all the woman characters (with the exception of one sexy witch who outshone everybody else in the book) were either nagging hags or giggling sluts with big bosoms for ever on display.
Bring back the Harry Turtledove who wrote GUNS OF THE SOUTH!!!!
I have to admit that the premise was intriguing. What if Spain had conquered in England in 1588? And what if William Shakespeare had become a shadowy fighter in the underground, trying to drive out the Spanish by writing fiery patriotic plays in secret?
Unfortunately, there is almost NO military action in this book until fifty pages before the end. And there are hundreds and hundreds of pages of theater gossip, Shakespeare quotes, dirty jokes, and Shakespeare going on and on (and on and on) about how scared he is of being caught by the Spanish. The main Spanish character is Lope De Vega, another real life playwright. But in this book he's really annoying, he just lusts after women, one after another, and gets in boring sword fights which he wins by fighting dirty. And he treats women like dirt, and I didn't find him charming at all!
Oh, and all the woman characters (with the exception of one sexy witch who outshone everybody else in the book) were either nagging hags or giggling sluts with big bosoms for ever on display.
Bring back the Harry Turtledove who wrote GUNS OF THE SOUTH!!!!
June 22, 2021
Denna bok var utsökt! Den är en kärleksförklaring till Barden, så god som någon jag läst. Slutet var så sött och så roligt att jag ömsom skrattade vilt och ömsom rördes till tårar. Kombinationen av de två huvudpersonerna- Shakespeare och en spansk löjtnant (Love de Vega, som dock i denna gestaltning känns misstänkt lik kapten Alatriste) ger boken en bredd i perspektiven som möjliggör förvecklingar som bokstavligt talat är hämtade ur Shakespeares komedier. Jag rekommenderar den varmt till personer som älskar Shakespeare och alternativhistoria. Läs den!
December 12, 2017
Story: 10 (could perhaps use some pruning but enormously fun)
Characters: 10 (a charming cast of honest men and reprobates)
Accuracy: 9 (I mean, it didn’t happen, but the period details are solid and the changes plausible)
Does the idea of seeing William Shakespeare as a rebel agent appeal to you? If so, this is the book for you: an alternate history novel set in a world where the Spanish Armada was a success and Spain has occupied England for a decade. Shakespeare’s life took much the same course as it did in real life (indeed, he was already well on his way at the time of the Armada) and so he is recruited, as London’s greatest playwright, to write a play that will rouse the English to rebellion. Simultaneously, he’s commissioned by the Spanish to write a play glorifying Philip II to promote the cause of Spain. Obviously this means conflict.
The greatest element of this book (for me) is the use of authentic Elizabethan English. Everything sounds as if coming from a Shakespeare play, and not that neutered pseudo-Elizabethan formal dialect so popular in filmic works set in Shakespeare’s day. Love it as I did, the dialogue in Bernard Cornwell’s magisterial Shakespearian novel Fools and Mortals did not convey the feel of the time as easily as this book did. This novel’s full of Elizabethan slang and sentence patterns (‘Swounds, ‘sblood, grammercy...) and a lot of decidely raunchy puns. It feels like the words Shakespeare and crew might have spoken; not the clever, artificial prose of his plays but a real, living language. And it’s an absolute pleasure to read. I include a few samples of witty lines below:
I don’t usually praise a book for its writing style, but when it’s such a joy to read (even if difficult at times) how can you not get lost in it? To keep things from getting too confused, only the English dialogue (and related text such as internal thoughts) is given in this manner. Spanish and Latin are written in a more formal version of modern English, as is the narration and description. This works surprisingly well, never feeling like a battle of rival styles.
The characters are great too. Will’s a bit too nice perhaps; not anachronistically modern like the leads in so many historical novels, but a standup Elizabethan guy whose only real fault is an absence of bravery. My personal suspicion is that the real Shakespeare was more akin to a businessman that we might expect and less keen to be seen as a representative of his art than to advance his social standing (upon retirement in Stratford he seems to have reinvented himself as a self-made gentleman). I also believe he was a bit of a scoundrel (if society deems you unclean it takes a strong man to fight it), a role here occupied exclusively by Christopher Marlowe. I love this Kit. He’s a madman. An absolute madman. Openly gay in a time where sodomy is punishable by death, openly atheistic when that could result in even worse fates, and recklessly intent on being near the center of every intrigue and plot in England, he’s a rogue whose daring you can’t help but admire even as he hurls spanners into the works with wild abandon. Also great fun are the other members of the Lord Westmorland’s (née Lord Chamberlain’s) Men. Especially the great rivalry between leading dramatic actor Richard Burbage and leading comic actor Will Kemp. Burbage is basically sensible while Kemp is even more fearless and scandalous than Marlowe, though he confines his madness to mockery of everyone in range, regardless of social standing, rather than through acts of high treason.
The co-lead of the piece is the Spanish soldier and playwright Lope de Vega. He’s serving the crown of Spain by keeping an ear out for loose talk at the theatres of London, a duty which he greatly loves as he enjoys English theater immensely and is a big fan of Shakespeare in particular. But since this is a spy novel in addition to a novel about the theatrical life, he’s there to be a not unfriendly antagonist to our English heroes. The cat-and-mouse game he plays is limited, as he doesn’t really want them to be guilty of treason, but he’s no less of a threat. Should he find them out it’s clear that he would feel honor-bound to have them hanged. Or worse. He’s a fun character, lively and obsessed with honor. The ease at which he resorts to dueling is a clear difference between the English and Spanish. He’s also more or less permanently in love, often with multiple girls at the same time. His romantic entanglements, needlessly complicated, are some of the book’s funniest moments.
If any of that sounds appealing to you, whether the idea of a resistance movement in occupied England or just the opportunity to see what life as an Elizabethan (Phillipian?) actor was like, this is probably a book you’ll enjoy. It is a bit long for the story it has to tell, but if you’re enjoying the journey enough it’s hard to desire less of it. For my part it’s one of my favorites in the genre.
Characters: 10 (a charming cast of honest men and reprobates)
Accuracy: 9 (I mean, it didn’t happen, but the period details are solid and the changes plausible)
Does the idea of seeing William Shakespeare as a rebel agent appeal to you? If so, this is the book for you: an alternate history novel set in a world where the Spanish Armada was a success and Spain has occupied England for a decade. Shakespeare’s life took much the same course as it did in real life (indeed, he was already well on his way at the time of the Armada) and so he is recruited, as London’s greatest playwright, to write a play that will rouse the English to rebellion. Simultaneously, he’s commissioned by the Spanish to write a play glorifying Philip II to promote the cause of Spain. Obviously this means conflict.
The greatest element of this book (for me) is the use of authentic Elizabethan English. Everything sounds as if coming from a Shakespeare play, and not that neutered pseudo-Elizabethan formal dialect so popular in filmic works set in Shakespeare’s day. Love it as I did, the dialogue in Bernard Cornwell’s magisterial Shakespearian novel Fools and Mortals did not convey the feel of the time as easily as this book did. This novel’s full of Elizabethan slang and sentence patterns (‘Swounds, ‘sblood, grammercy...) and a lot of decidely raunchy puns. It feels like the words Shakespeare and crew might have spoken; not the clever, artificial prose of his plays but a real, living language. And it’s an absolute pleasure to read. I include a few samples of witty lines below:
“Thine husband?” Despite his horror, de Vega had the sense to keep his voice to a whisper. “Lying minx, thou saidst thou wert a widow!”
“Well, I would be, if he were dead,” she answered, her tone absurdly reasonable.
(On cures for impotence)
“And have you a physic for the infirmity in’s firmity?”
“I’ll pray for you,” Shakespeare said.
“Belike ’twill do me no lasting harm,” Marlowe answered.
“I thank you,” he said grudgingly. “I’d thank you more had you come sooner.”
“There’s the difference ’twixt our sexes,” Kate agreed, her voice sweet.
I don’t usually praise a book for its writing style, but when it’s such a joy to read (even if difficult at times) how can you not get lost in it? To keep things from getting too confused, only the English dialogue (and related text such as internal thoughts) is given in this manner. Spanish and Latin are written in a more formal version of modern English, as is the narration and description. This works surprisingly well, never feeling like a battle of rival styles.
The characters are great too. Will’s a bit too nice perhaps; not anachronistically modern like the leads in so many historical novels, but a standup Elizabethan guy whose only real fault is an absence of bravery. My personal suspicion is that the real Shakespeare was more akin to a businessman that we might expect and less keen to be seen as a representative of his art than to advance his social standing (upon retirement in Stratford he seems to have reinvented himself as a self-made gentleman). I also believe he was a bit of a scoundrel (if society deems you unclean it takes a strong man to fight it), a role here occupied exclusively by Christopher Marlowe. I love this Kit. He’s a madman. An absolute madman. Openly gay in a time where sodomy is punishable by death, openly atheistic when that could result in even worse fates, and recklessly intent on being near the center of every intrigue and plot in England, he’s a rogue whose daring you can’t help but admire even as he hurls spanners into the works with wild abandon. Also great fun are the other members of the Lord Westmorland’s (née Lord Chamberlain’s) Men. Especially the great rivalry between leading dramatic actor Richard Burbage and leading comic actor Will Kemp. Burbage is basically sensible while Kemp is even more fearless and scandalous than Marlowe, though he confines his madness to mockery of everyone in range, regardless of social standing, rather than through acts of high treason.
The co-lead of the piece is the Spanish soldier and playwright Lope de Vega. He’s serving the crown of Spain by keeping an ear out for loose talk at the theatres of London, a duty which he greatly loves as he enjoys English theater immensely and is a big fan of Shakespeare in particular. But since this is a spy novel in addition to a novel about the theatrical life, he’s there to be a not unfriendly antagonist to our English heroes. The cat-and-mouse game he plays is limited, as he doesn’t really want them to be guilty of treason, but he’s no less of a threat. Should he find them out it’s clear that he would feel honor-bound to have them hanged. Or worse. He’s a fun character, lively and obsessed with honor. The ease at which he resorts to dueling is a clear difference between the English and Spanish. He’s also more or less permanently in love, often with multiple girls at the same time. His romantic entanglements, needlessly complicated, are some of the book’s funniest moments.
If any of that sounds appealing to you, whether the idea of a resistance movement in occupied England or just the opportunity to see what life as an Elizabethan (Phillipian?) actor was like, this is probably a book you’ll enjoy. It is a bit long for the story it has to tell, but if you’re enjoying the journey enough it’s hard to desire less of it. For my part it’s one of my favorites in the genre.
July 28, 2019
Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more
Ho trovato questo libro molto piacevole da leggere e molto adatto all’estate se amate le cospirazioni, Shakespeare e il teatro. Siamo in una storia alternativa dove l’Invincibile Armata ha sbaragliato la flotta inglese nella guerra anglo-spagnola e quindi Filippo II regna anche sull’Inghilterra ed Elisabetta è in prigione.
Turtledove si è ben documentato per scrivere questo romanzo e, sebbene stiamo parlando di puro intrattenimento, Per il trono d’Inghilterra fa egregiamente il suo lavoro. Da profana ho trovato la ricostruzione storica alternativa credibile e mi è pure dispiaciuto che Marlowe non sia stato più fortunato nemmeno in questa versione.
L’unica pecca che fa vacillare la verosimiglianza del romanzo è stata la scelta di Turtledove di concentrare la storia per lo più dal punto di vista di Shakespeare, al quale i congiurati assegnano il compito di scrivere un’opera che accenda la miccia della rivolta degli inglesi contro gli oppressori spagnoli. Il fatto di non vedere quanto la congiura sia ramificata dà la sensazione che la miccia non abbia granché da accendere.
Immagino che la scelta sia dovuta anche al fatto che altrimenti questo libro sarebbe stato lungo mille pagine (e, facendo la storia alternativa di questa recensione, probabilmente mi starei lamentando della sua eccessiva lunghezza), ma manca un po’ di cospirazioni su larga scala, mentre dà un’ottima rappresentazione di cosa voglia dire trovarsi in mezzo a giochi di potere che potrebbero costare più della vita.
Ho trovato questo libro molto piacevole da leggere e molto adatto all’estate se amate le cospirazioni, Shakespeare e il teatro. Siamo in una storia alternativa dove l’Invincibile Armata ha sbaragliato la flotta inglese nella guerra anglo-spagnola e quindi Filippo II regna anche sull’Inghilterra ed Elisabetta è in prigione.
Turtledove si è ben documentato per scrivere questo romanzo e, sebbene stiamo parlando di puro intrattenimento, Per il trono d’Inghilterra fa egregiamente il suo lavoro. Da profana ho trovato la ricostruzione storica alternativa credibile e mi è pure dispiaciuto che Marlowe non sia stato più fortunato nemmeno in questa versione.
L’unica pecca che fa vacillare la verosimiglianza del romanzo è stata la scelta di Turtledove di concentrare la storia per lo più dal punto di vista di Shakespeare, al quale i congiurati assegnano il compito di scrivere un’opera che accenda la miccia della rivolta degli inglesi contro gli oppressori spagnoli. Il fatto di non vedere quanto la congiura sia ramificata dà la sensazione che la miccia non abbia granché da accendere.
Immagino che la scelta sia dovuta anche al fatto che altrimenti questo libro sarebbe stato lungo mille pagine (e, facendo la storia alternativa di questa recensione, probabilmente mi starei lamentando della sua eccessiva lunghezza), ma manca un po’ di cospirazioni su larga scala, mentre dà un’ottima rappresentazione di cosa voglia dire trovarsi in mezzo a giochi di potere che potrebbero costare più della vita.
September 23, 2008
Interesting premise (the Spanish Armada overwhelmed the British fleet and England became Spain's). The story revolves around Shakespeare's commissions to write two plays: the first praising King Philip of Spain; the second inciting the English to revolt. Unfortunately, the execution of the premise was far less interesting than the premise itself.
November 17, 2021
I enjoy stories that create alternate universes or alternate histories. Harry Turtledove is certainly the master of that. Ruled Brittania is an excellent example of that genre.
What if the Spanish Armada had invaded Britain and captured Queen Elizabeth. Not a small change from the actual events, but one that generates interesting results. The author explores the changes that happened in Britain, as well as the events that do not change much, such as Shakespeare still writing plays. Indeed, much of the plot revolves around Shakespeare and his dramatic talents.
One feature of the book that I found especially interesting is how the author skillfuly leads the reader into the Elizabethan language. Elizabethan English is different enough from modern language that it could be a hindrance to reading this book. However, it happens painlessly and with little confusion.
I found this book more interesting than some others byHarry Turtledove, although you can't go wrong with any of them.
What if the Spanish Armada had invaded Britain and captured Queen Elizabeth. Not a small change from the actual events, but one that generates interesting results. The author explores the changes that happened in Britain, as well as the events that do not change much, such as Shakespeare still writing plays. Indeed, much of the plot revolves around Shakespeare and his dramatic talents.
One feature of the book that I found especially interesting is how the author skillfuly leads the reader into the Elizabethan language. Elizabethan English is different enough from modern language that it could be a hindrance to reading this book. However, it happens painlessly and with little confusion.
I found this book more interesting than some others byHarry Turtledove, although you can't go wrong with any of them.
December 13, 2021
ESP
Con este libro he podido cumplir con varios puntos de un reto literario, uno muy interesante sobre historia alternativa (52 Week Book Club #31: libro que tenga un título similar al de otro libro -en inglés "Ruled Britannia" se parece a "Rule Briannia"-, #39: novela de historia alternativa), es un género que me gusta mucho y en esta ocasión se plantea la hipótesis de qué pasaría si la Armada Invencible hubiera alcanzado su objetivo de llegar a la costa británica e Inglaterra quedara en manos de España. La historia se sitúa 10 años despúes de ese hecho, por lo que da ocasión de ubicar en esta historia a William Shakespeare, como dramaturgo y actor sometido y Lope de Vega, escritor y soldado del ejercito invasor. El Bardo se convierte en parte de algo peligroso durante lo cual iremos conociendo su compañía de teatro, su entorno y las intrigas políticas en las que se verá inmerso junto al Fénix español, en el bando ¿contrario?
Sin embargo me ha parecido muy largo, quizá sea por no estar acostumbrada a novelas históricas de esta extensión, pero cuando la acción se precipita en la parte media y final gana en intriga e interés por mi parte, por querer saber el destino de estos dos poetas...
ENG
With this book I could fill some prompts of a reading challenge, one of them very interesting about alternate history (52 Week Book Club #31: a book shares a similar title to another book – Ruled Britannia is similar to Rule Britannia-, #39: an alternate history novel), it’s a genre that I like very much and this occasion it contemplate the hypothesis of what would happened if the Spanish Armada could achieve its goal of arriving to the British coast and England would be in Spain’s hands. The story is set ten years after this event, so that gives the chance to have William Shakespeare, as a subdued playwright and author and Lope de Vega, writer and soldier of the invader’s army here. The Bard became part of something dangerous while we will meet his theatre company, his environment and the political intrigues in which he will be immersed together with the Spanish Fenix, on the opposite(?) side.
However I found it very large, maybe for not being to historic novel so vast, but when the action hasten in the middle and last part the book gain curiosity and interest for my part, wanting to know about the fate of these two poets…
Con este libro he podido cumplir con varios puntos de un reto literario, uno muy interesante sobre historia alternativa (52 Week Book Club #31: libro que tenga un título similar al de otro libro -en inglés "Ruled Britannia" se parece a "Rule Briannia"-, #39: novela de historia alternativa), es un género que me gusta mucho y en esta ocasión se plantea la hipótesis de qué pasaría si la Armada Invencible hubiera alcanzado su objetivo de llegar a la costa británica e Inglaterra quedara en manos de España. La historia se sitúa 10 años despúes de ese hecho, por lo que da ocasión de ubicar en esta historia a William Shakespeare, como dramaturgo y actor sometido y Lope de Vega, escritor y soldado del ejercito invasor. El Bardo se convierte en parte de algo peligroso durante lo cual iremos conociendo su compañía de teatro, su entorno y las intrigas políticas en las que se verá inmerso junto al Fénix español, en el bando ¿contrario?
Sin embargo me ha parecido muy largo, quizá sea por no estar acostumbrada a novelas históricas de esta extensión, pero cuando la acción se precipita en la parte media y final gana en intriga e interés por mi parte, por querer saber el destino de estos dos poetas...
ENG
With this book I could fill some prompts of a reading challenge, one of them very interesting about alternate history (52 Week Book Club #31: a book shares a similar title to another book – Ruled Britannia is similar to Rule Britannia-, #39: an alternate history novel), it’s a genre that I like very much and this occasion it contemplate the hypothesis of what would happened if the Spanish Armada could achieve its goal of arriving to the British coast and England would be in Spain’s hands. The story is set ten years after this event, so that gives the chance to have William Shakespeare, as a subdued playwright and author and Lope de Vega, writer and soldier of the invader’s army here. The Bard became part of something dangerous while we will meet his theatre company, his environment and the political intrigues in which he will be immersed together with the Spanish Fenix, on the opposite(?) side.
However I found it very large, maybe for not being to historic novel so vast, but when the action hasten in the middle and last part the book gain curiosity and interest for my part, wanting to know about the fate of these two poets…
March 6, 2023
The conceit of a victorious Armada was fascinating to me, and, as always, woven expertly by Turtledove. The setting, the language, the characters - all were impressive in their trueness to the era and to this hypothetical. In that sense, Ruled Britannia is truly a masterwork.
However, for me the language was too era-appropriate. Pages of dialog in the language of Shakespeare became boring slogs. The plot often felt like a secondary element, meant only to fill in the gaps between lengthy passages or conversations in Early Modern English, the like I found boring and ergodic.
In the end, I would recommend this book to someone who has a great love for the work of Shakespeare and also is interested in alternative history. For anyone else, I would be hesitant to recommend.
However, for me the language was too era-appropriate. Pages of dialog in the language of Shakespeare became boring slogs. The plot often felt like a secondary element, meant only to fill in the gaps between lengthy passages or conversations in Early Modern English, the like I found boring and ergodic.
In the end, I would recommend this book to someone who has a great love for the work of Shakespeare and also is interested in alternative history. For anyone else, I would be hesitant to recommend.
August 6, 2022
I admit that I read this specifically for Shakespeare. I did enjoy Lope as well. A very fun and interesting story.
October 21, 2024
Mehhhhhh!!! Another HT dud!
February 16, 2020
The middle part dragged a bit, and I was going to give it a 4, but the end redeemed it. I give it a 5, one of Turtledove’s better books. As a Shakespeare fan, it was fun to read lines of his plays scattered through the book, and Constable Strawberry was a hilarious character.
Want to read
May 4, 2021Abandono, está escrita en modo best-seller...
October 5, 2010
Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.
-
I’m a great fan of Turtledove’s works of alternative history but I’m usually sceptical about his fantasy and sci-fi outpourings. Nonetheless, the man is the recognized king of alternate history and this is where his acknowledged strength lies. Therefore, I was a little confused and more than a little apprehensive as Guns of the South is part alternate history, part sci-fi and part fantasy – I normally distrust cross-genre books because authors have a tendency to cock up one of rulebooks. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise and once again Turtledove knocked my socks off with an innovative and imaginative storyline. The Guns of the South examines the issues and personalities surrounding the American Civil War through the perspective of a Confederate States that successfully wins its bid for independence due to interference from mid 21st century time travelling white supremacists (hence the picture of Robert E Lee holding an AK-47on the front cover) who are attempting to change their present by interfering in a historical juxtaposition that is counter to their aims.
-
The plotline from NY Times Lit Review: “In 1864, the south is in desperate straits as the north finally selects active generals and begins to push its final offensive. But strange merchants arrive with a deal for the Confederacy. They offer a new gun, the AK-47, for a price of only $50 Confederate, and can make hundreds of thousands available. Automatic weaponry can hardly help making a huge difference and Grant's Wilderness campaign, far from a costly stalemate, becomes a huge Confederate victory with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia smashing straight through to Washington D.C. The merchants have an ulterior motive, however. They are an extremist racist group of Afrikaners (the AWB) from our own near-future who intend to use the south as a launch pad for their own war against rights for the African American and for blacks everywhere.”
-
Despite this time travelling element, which heavily influences the plot, the story is a close examination of the actual historical personalities, ranging from Abe Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and a wide range of actors pulled from actual historical records. Turtledove spends time illustrating the actual motivations of the Civil War far beyond the usual simplification that it was only about slavery. Another interesting point is the contrast between the characterizations of the time travelers versus the native citizens of the time period. I found the distinctly different attitudes fascinating..... especially the attitudinal differences between the "gentlemanly" and “honourable” manner of the historical figures, and the ruthless zealotry of the interfering time travellers who routinely engage in tactics ranging from blackmail to assassination and genocide to further their goals.
-
Certainly an unusual plot line but a superb read nonetheless. In fact, I’ve never read a bad Turtledove alternate history.
-
Strongly Recommended!
Cheers
-
I’m a great fan of Turtledove’s works of alternative history but I’m usually sceptical about his fantasy and sci-fi outpourings. Nonetheless, the man is the recognized king of alternate history and this is where his acknowledged strength lies. Therefore, I was a little confused and more than a little apprehensive as Guns of the South is part alternate history, part sci-fi and part fantasy – I normally distrust cross-genre books because authors have a tendency to cock up one of rulebooks. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise and once again Turtledove knocked my socks off with an innovative and imaginative storyline. The Guns of the South examines the issues and personalities surrounding the American Civil War through the perspective of a Confederate States that successfully wins its bid for independence due to interference from mid 21st century time travelling white supremacists (hence the picture of Robert E Lee holding an AK-47on the front cover) who are attempting to change their present by interfering in a historical juxtaposition that is counter to their aims.
-
The plotline from NY Times Lit Review: “In 1864, the south is in desperate straits as the north finally selects active generals and begins to push its final offensive. But strange merchants arrive with a deal for the Confederacy. They offer a new gun, the AK-47, for a price of only $50 Confederate, and can make hundreds of thousands available. Automatic weaponry can hardly help making a huge difference and Grant's Wilderness campaign, far from a costly stalemate, becomes a huge Confederate victory with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia smashing straight through to Washington D.C. The merchants have an ulterior motive, however. They are an extremist racist group of Afrikaners (the AWB) from our own near-future who intend to use the south as a launch pad for their own war against rights for the African American and for blacks everywhere.”
-
Despite this time travelling element, which heavily influences the plot, the story is a close examination of the actual historical personalities, ranging from Abe Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and a wide range of actors pulled from actual historical records. Turtledove spends time illustrating the actual motivations of the Civil War far beyond the usual simplification that it was only about slavery. Another interesting point is the contrast between the characterizations of the time travelers versus the native citizens of the time period. I found the distinctly different attitudes fascinating..... especially the attitudinal differences between the "gentlemanly" and “honourable” manner of the historical figures, and the ruthless zealotry of the interfering time travellers who routinely engage in tactics ranging from blackmail to assassination and genocide to further their goals.
-
Certainly an unusual plot line but a superb read nonetheless. In fact, I’ve never read a bad Turtledove alternate history.
-
Strongly Recommended!
Cheers
August 19, 2016
Review: Ruled Britannia by Harry Turtledove.
Harry Turtledove writes books of Alternate History that are interesting and intriguing while he writes his side of, “What If”. This book is set in Shakespeare’s era and the author has written the language and style of this period and skillfully incorporates innumerable Shakespearean quotations into his writing, often with humorous intent. Instead of reading about the times, people, and politics Turtledove chooses to limit the scope of this book to the theater and its local environment with Shakespeare becoming the focal point of an attempted rebellion. The feel of the story certainly provides a definite clarity, which when connected with the description of living, working, and religious conditions and the typical fashions in clothing and social customs.
As the Ruled Britannia begins, England has been occupied for ten years when taken over by the Spanish forces of Phillip II, who holds it in the name of his daughter Isabella. Queen Elizabeth’s life had been spared and she was held in the Tower of London, and never mentioned again in the story until the ending of the book. The tension began for Shakespeare when asked by William Cecil to write a play designed to inflame an audience of Spaniards over the English taking back control and setting Queen Elizabeth free from the horrible years she spent in the Tower of London under guard. However, almost at the same time Shakespeare is commissioned to write a play praising the life of King Philip, due to be performed upon Philips death. As the story moves on Shakespeare has two conflicting objectives, and how was he to write these two plays and have character rehearsals performed while being closely watched by the Spanish for the progress on the King Philip play.
Shakespeare did write his plays but really didn’t want to come between the Spaniards and the English. His fate was hanging in the balance but Turtledove masterly found the solution to turn events one way then another. Throughout the book Turtledove knew his history and used many fragments from the past and even involved a few real recognizable characters as Richard Burbage, Kemp, Kit Marlowe and Francis Bacon. I enjoyed his ending like I always do. Harry Turtledove is a clever writer to change history in another direction and make it feel real. I’ve read a few of his other books and have always been satisfied. This one was a little longer and complex in areas but I believe that is due to my lack of not knowing much about Shakespeare’s history….However, I did know a few of Shakespeare’s plays so that gave me some insight to this book.
Harry Turtledove writes books of Alternate History that are interesting and intriguing while he writes his side of, “What If”. This book is set in Shakespeare’s era and the author has written the language and style of this period and skillfully incorporates innumerable Shakespearean quotations into his writing, often with humorous intent. Instead of reading about the times, people, and politics Turtledove chooses to limit the scope of this book to the theater and its local environment with Shakespeare becoming the focal point of an attempted rebellion. The feel of the story certainly provides a definite clarity, which when connected with the description of living, working, and religious conditions and the typical fashions in clothing and social customs.
As the Ruled Britannia begins, England has been occupied for ten years when taken over by the Spanish forces of Phillip II, who holds it in the name of his daughter Isabella. Queen Elizabeth’s life had been spared and she was held in the Tower of London, and never mentioned again in the story until the ending of the book. The tension began for Shakespeare when asked by William Cecil to write a play designed to inflame an audience of Spaniards over the English taking back control and setting Queen Elizabeth free from the horrible years she spent in the Tower of London under guard. However, almost at the same time Shakespeare is commissioned to write a play praising the life of King Philip, due to be performed upon Philips death. As the story moves on Shakespeare has two conflicting objectives, and how was he to write these two plays and have character rehearsals performed while being closely watched by the Spanish for the progress on the King Philip play.
Shakespeare did write his plays but really didn’t want to come between the Spaniards and the English. His fate was hanging in the balance but Turtledove masterly found the solution to turn events one way then another. Throughout the book Turtledove knew his history and used many fragments from the past and even involved a few real recognizable characters as Richard Burbage, Kemp, Kit Marlowe and Francis Bacon. I enjoyed his ending like I always do. Harry Turtledove is a clever writer to change history in another direction and make it feel real. I’ve read a few of his other books and have always been satisfied. This one was a little longer and complex in areas but I believe that is due to my lack of not knowing much about Shakespeare’s history….However, I did know a few of Shakespeare’s plays so that gave me some insight to this book.
September 30, 2014
This is an alternate history novel where the Spanish Armada succeeded, picking up ten years after England's defeat with Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London and Phillip II on his deathbed. Don't let all that scare you off - you don't need to know much beyond the very basic jist of what the Spanish Armada was to enjoy this book, although I don't think it's a surprise to say that history nerds will get much more out of it. The other audience I'd recommend the book for is Shakespeare fans, as the man himself is the book's main character, and in fact the entire book is written in his style. This may sound annoying, but Turtledove is able to pull it off for the most part, and surprisingly I never did get tired of people taking ten words what they could say in two (a random dialouge sample from page 130 about a guy excited to have a new play to read: "Dear Geoff's prompter and book-keeper. He hath before him a new play - so new, belike the ink's still damp. What'll he do? Plunge his beak into its liver, like the vulture with Prometheus. A cannon could sound beside him without his hearing't").
As it turns out, the book's real problem is its length - it comes in at a bloated 450 pages, at least 150 of which it could really stand to lose. To be fair, the book's setting does suggest itself as worthy of lengthy exploration, and I would be a little bit more forgiving if these pages were all just detailing the alternate history flavor of the book, but a fair chunk of these pages are eaten up by a pointless character and two particularly dumb plot twists late in the book. (Happily for the story, they basically cancel each other out, but a barrel of ink is spent on them needlessly.) In the end, this isn't an easy book to recommend to anybody but history buffs and Shakespeare fans, but speaking as a member of one of those demographics, I enjoyed it enough for a hearty four stars.
As it turns out, the book's real problem is its length - it comes in at a bloated 450 pages, at least 150 of which it could really stand to lose. To be fair, the book's setting does suggest itself as worthy of lengthy exploration, and I would be a little bit more forgiving if these pages were all just detailing the alternate history flavor of the book, but a fair chunk of these pages are eaten up by a pointless character and two particularly dumb plot twists late in the book. (Happily for the story, they basically cancel each other out, but a barrel of ink is spent on them needlessly.) In the end, this isn't an easy book to recommend to anybody but history buffs and Shakespeare fans, but speaking as a member of one of those demographics, I enjoyed it enough for a hearty four stars.
June 19, 2014
This is one of my favorite alternate histories. Its point of departure is the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588. In our universe, the smaller, more nimble English fleet (aided by some killer winds) pulverized the bloated, slow-moving Armada, and ushered in an era of English triumphalism. But in Silverberg's novel, which opens in 1597, it's the Spanish who won; and for the past decade, England has been ruled by Spain, its Protestant religion outlawed and Roman Catholicism re-imposed, and the aged Queen Elizabeth imprisoned in favor of the King of Spain's daughter, Isabella. The novel's protagonist is a young playwright who's recruited by the nationalist underground to write a drama that will incite London to overthrow the Spanish occupation. The playwright's name—well, what else could it be but William Shakespeare? It's great, tub-thumping stuff, and it appeals not only to my own personal fondness for the Tudor period and for all things Shakespeare...it also adds in another layer of interest, in Shakespeare choosing for his rabble-rousing play the subject of Boudicca, the ancient British queen who led a rebellion against the Romans. Terrific from beginning to end.
July 8, 2008
What if the Spanish Armada had conquered England? What if Shakespeare and his company had got pulled into a plot to incite the English populace with a play to rise up against their Spanish oppressors? What if the person who wrote about it filled the book with strong characters and vivid historical detail? The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it bogged down in the middle--the plot thickened but slowly and repetitively (warning: a little bawdy).
November 24, 2016
I liked this. It's entertaining, and Turtledove seems to have a lot of fun playing with imitating the language of the Elizabethans, and its playwrights - especially Shakespeare. Maybe just a bit too much fun - the plot seems to fall into a repetitive loop through a big chunk of the middle. The same point is made over and over in different scenarios.
Still, remained entertaining enough to enjoy throughout.
Still, remained entertaining enough to enjoy throughout.
August 27, 2009
This was a nice surprise. Having given up on Turtledove for his overly slow and both too-academic/too-cheesy plot lines and dialogue, I was happy to find something that was both creative and exciting. But I love Shakespeare, so that might have helped. This was a truly good read.
September 3, 2013
This should have been an intellectual thrill ride. It was an academic trip to the grocery store. Disappointing.
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