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Gondar
Gondar is the exotic, fantastic story of the struggle for control of the fabled 19th-century Abyssinian kingdom. Richly created and lushly told, it is peopled with unforgettable characters both real and imaginary, set in an Africa of violence, spectacle and romance.
628 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
4 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Luard
25 books5 followersNicholas Lamert Luard was a writer and politician.
He was educated at Winchester College and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read English and was taught by F.R. Leavis. He met Peter Cook through Footlights. A very short academic career was replaced by club management on the strength of a legacy. He co-founded The Establishment in the early 1960s with Peter Cook.
He then went into writing. He was one of the Lords Gnome of Private Eye.
With Chris Brasher, Nigel Hawkins and Denis Mollison, he founded the John Muir Trust in 1983. Nick served as Chairman from 1991 to 1997.
Luard stood as a candidate for the Referendum Party in the 1997 general election, against Michael Portillo in Enfield Southgate.
Luard married Elisabeth Longmore, the food writer, in 1962.
He was educated at Winchester College and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read English and was taught by F.R. Leavis. He met Peter Cook through Footlights. A very short academic career was replaced by club management on the strength of a legacy. He co-founded The Establishment in the early 1960s with Peter Cook.
He then went into writing. He was one of the Lords Gnome of Private Eye.
With Chris Brasher, Nigel Hawkins and Denis Mollison, he founded the John Muir Trust in 1983. Nick served as Chairman from 1991 to 1997.
Luard stood as a candidate for the Referendum Party in the 1997 general election, against Michael Portillo in Enfield Southgate.
Luard married Elisabeth Longmore, the food writer, in 1962.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 14, 2025
For the life of me, I simply cannot understand why this epic fantasy is not more widely read. It's gorgeous and it has long held a place of honor on my bookshelves and on my list of lifetime favourites.
November 11, 2009
What an amazing story, this is a must read!!! Just read it.
May 4, 2020
I'm not sure what to say on this one... just read it!
February 2, 2019
A rich book that includes huge diversity and scope. An enjoyable historical novel that takes place(mainly) in 19th century Africa focusing on the political situation of Abyssinia, or modern day Ethiopia. I don’t know much about the region’s history until the first Italian-Ethiopian War and this cannot say how accurate the novel is, though a quick browse on Wikipedia stated not very much. It does lose a star however because of the incredibly long backstory of which a lot of which was not really needed and could have been cut out. Furthermore, the book was highly sexualised, and while I understand it suits into the time period, a lot of it was unnecessary.
The two main characters, Jamie and Rachel do not even meet until after six hundred pages, yet the blurb on my edition already states their romance together, which first off, we have the blurb telling effectively telling over half of the main plot, but also leading the reader to expect the things to happen quickly, not drag on for hundreds and hundreds of pages. At first, the twins of Toomi and Magkingma were entirely irrelevant and there backstory could be summed up in a few paragraphs. It is only through reading through a good four five hundred pages that their relevance finally comes to prominence. This would be a good book for people who like historical fiction, but prepared for lots of backstory before the plot actually kicks into gear and also for lots of sex, nudity and rape. 7/10
The two main characters, Jamie and Rachel do not even meet until after six hundred pages, yet the blurb on my edition already states their romance together, which first off, we have the blurb telling effectively telling over half of the main plot, but also leading the reader to expect the things to happen quickly, not drag on for hundreds and hundreds of pages. At first, the twins of Toomi and Magkingma were entirely irrelevant and there backstory could be summed up in a few paragraphs. It is only through reading through a good four five hundred pages that their relevance finally comes to prominence. This would be a good book for people who like historical fiction, but prepared for lots of backstory before the plot actually kicks into gear and also for lots of sex, nudity and rape. 7/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2022
This book is about war and struggles in the African area known as the Mountains Of The Moon, also as the Abyssinian government. It follows four people through a decade or so of their lives.
Toomi and Mankinga are twins and the children of the ruler of Malinda, an area next to that of Gondar. While out exploring one day they are captured and taken by slavers. They spend the remainder of their childhood and teenage years separated, each as slaves to various people. Rachel is the princess of Gondar, in a direct line from the Queen Of Sheba. Her family is overthrown by the head of a religion in the country and she barely escapes with her life. She is determined to go back and recapture her heritage and destiny. Jamie is a Scotsman. When his family is killed in an undeclared war with the landowners there, he is the sole survivor. He makes a promise that he will honor his family and later becomes committed to finding the source of the Nile River and ends up in Africa as well.
As these four individuals form a partnership to take back Gondar, other characters are also in their joint effort. There is a tribe of pygmies who are ready to do whatever it takes to help. Jamie has brought along with him a Scottish laird and a Socialist friend of Karl Marxx and both are committed. A Muslim bandit with military experience is their general and as the team moves into the land of Gondar, the population stands up and declares their loyalty to Rachel and to Mankinga and Toomi. The army is outnumbered and it is unlikely they can win but perhaps?
This epic novel is an older one, released in 1988 but a book well worth reading if it is available. Readers will learn much about Africa, about the ancient cultures there, about slavery and its horrors, about fighting for a goal. There is hardship, romance, friendships that can stand anything and the desolation of war. This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.
Toomi and Mankinga are twins and the children of the ruler of Malinda, an area next to that of Gondar. While out exploring one day they are captured and taken by slavers. They spend the remainder of their childhood and teenage years separated, each as slaves to various people. Rachel is the princess of Gondar, in a direct line from the Queen Of Sheba. Her family is overthrown by the head of a religion in the country and she barely escapes with her life. She is determined to go back and recapture her heritage and destiny. Jamie is a Scotsman. When his family is killed in an undeclared war with the landowners there, he is the sole survivor. He makes a promise that he will honor his family and later becomes committed to finding the source of the Nile River and ends up in Africa as well.
As these four individuals form a partnership to take back Gondar, other characters are also in their joint effort. There is a tribe of pygmies who are ready to do whatever it takes to help. Jamie has brought along with him a Scottish laird and a Socialist friend of Karl Marxx and both are committed. A Muslim bandit with military experience is their general and as the team moves into the land of Gondar, the population stands up and declares their loyalty to Rachel and to Mankinga and Toomi. The army is outnumbered and it is unlikely they can win but perhaps?
This epic novel is an older one, released in 1988 but a book well worth reading if it is available. Readers will learn much about Africa, about the ancient cultures there, about slavery and its horrors, about fighting for a goal. There is hardship, romance, friendships that can stand anything and the desolation of war. This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.
October 21, 2021
658-page epic about four children (all about 9 years old) who are orphaned and suffer through years of abuse and hardships, never knowing what calamity will befall them next: Jamie is from one of the islands in the Scottish Hebrides, Toomi and Mamkinga are royal fraternal twins who are kidnapped and sold separately into slavery, and Rachel is the future queen of Gondar, an Abyssinian kingdom, who undergoes years of brutal training. They survive over a decade of hardships until they all meet by chance on the banks of a raging river in central Africa (page 508). They are all now 20-year-old adults, and they decide to go to Gondar and return Rachel to the throne which has been stolen by the evil sadistic priest, Salama. The final 150 pages of the book are about the battle planning and combat between the undermanned army of Rachel and the overwhelming forces of Salama, but Rachel's army wins through superior tactics and strategies. The ending is like the movie "Casablanca," but it fits the entire mood and atmosphere of the story line.
Before I started the book I checked the reviews on Goodreads, and 11 of the 15 were four or five stars. I am usually suspicious when a book has so many high ratings, s0 I expected the book to be somewhat less than superior. However, it turned out to be exciting and interesting - 508 pages following four separate story lines each one different and compelling. It fell short of five stars because the final 150 pages did not live up to the exciting buildup, although the ending was fitting.
Before I started the book I checked the reviews on Goodreads, and 11 of the 15 were four or five stars. I am usually suspicious when a book has so many high ratings, s0 I expected the book to be somewhat less than superior. However, it turned out to be exciting and interesting - 508 pages following four separate story lines each one different and compelling. It fell short of five stars because the final 150 pages did not live up to the exciting buildup, although the ending was fitting.
July 25, 2020
The beginning of the book revolves around many individual, seemingly disparate stories, a young boy from the Hebrides, a princess of Gondar and twin children of a local, tribal leader. Eventually, all the stories meet up. This is an adventure tale. Since I have no familiarity with N. African history, I can't judge if the anthropology, geology or sociology is accurate. Still it was an entertaining epic of a story.
January 23, 2020
Quite the story about Africa during the mid 1800's.
Read
February 22, 20205/5
December 10, 2022
What an epic story!
A must read :-)
A must read :-)
October 16, 2023
DNF p. 212. Too brutal and depressing for me.
August 11, 2025
📖🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟📚
A sweeping story that captivated me for a second time. While it took me a long time to read, it was nonetheless so good.
A sweeping story that captivated me for a second time. While it took me a long time to read, it was nonetheless so good.
May 19, 2020
Great book. Would have preferred a different ending but I understand why it ended as it did
October 29, 2013
From the first page, I found Gondar utterly captivating. The first 10% of the book was a FULL FIVE, and it is very rare that I can give a book - or even part of one - such an accolade.
One of the most noticeable things for me is that there was not a single typo, at least, I didn't notice a single one, and typos usually jump out at me. This shows the rigor, the thoroughness, that is possible with traditional publishing, and I say that as a lover and supporter of e-publishing.
The prose was evocative, and gorgeously rich, succulent and satisfying.
Much is made of mysticism, of a tribal truth and a sort of psychic awareness, but despite the efforts of the author to be consistent, it ended up feeling like something he didn't fully support, because when I wanted and expected that mysticism the most, it wasn't there.
The characters are well-crafted, and ultimately believable. While certain elements of the story are predictable up to a point (how else could you write a single story about Africans and Scots?) there is enough to surprise the reader.
I was particularly impressed by the depiction of African wildlife, which really helped to immerse me in the story, and fill me with wonder.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
One of the most noticeable things for me is that there was not a single typo, at least, I didn't notice a single one, and typos usually jump out at me. This shows the rigor, the thoroughness, that is possible with traditional publishing, and I say that as a lover and supporter of e-publishing.
The prose was evocative, and gorgeously rich, succulent and satisfying.
Much is made of mysticism, of a tribal truth and a sort of psychic awareness, but despite the efforts of the author to be consistent, it ended up feeling like something he didn't fully support, because when I wanted and expected that mysticism the most, it wasn't there.
The characters are well-crafted, and ultimately believable. While certain elements of the story are predictable up to a point (how else could you write a single story about Africans and Scots?) there is enough to surprise the reader.
I was particularly impressed by the depiction of African wildlife, which really helped to immerse me in the story, and fill me with wonder.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
March 12, 2014
I've been carrying this one back and forth across the country for 20 years and finally decided to read it. It's an historical adventure with an uneven pace. The plot moves quickly in places and drags in others. I would say that 90% of the action happens in the last 10% of the book. As far a history is concerned, Abyssinia is one piece of the world I've never studied, so I don't know how accurate it is. There is also a mental telepathy/psychic angle that I've always found tedious in a book. I just can't suspend that much disbelief. The book also presents the most heavily foreshadowed romantic encounter in literary history, an interracial one at that. Overall, the book is worth a read, but it won't change your life.
April 12, 2020
Started reading this years ago, and have read it several since that. It is everything a really really really good book needs. When I had finished the book I was like "What happens next, I want to read more". I get dragged into the story every time, and every time I am sad the book dont lasts "a few more pages"
April 1, 2015
I know this is a must read! This story tells of a 4 people and follows them thru the heart of Africa. From princess to slave, and back again. There is love and hate, violence, and peace follow this story and have their story leave anlasting impression in your mind and heart.
May 30, 2011
This is the first novel I ever read. I have never forgotten some of the story.
February 5, 2013
This is book is my most favorite book of all, period! I love it so much I finished it within 3 days. It's one of the books that inspires me to go to Africa and explore.
October 22, 2014
Historical fiction as a cover for erotic literature; unintentionally five-star hilarious
January 22, 2015
From the moment I read the first page, I couldnt leave the book until an amzing two days later when I finished it.
i so love it!
i so love it!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews