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A Man in Uniform
The year is 1897 and France stands at the threshold of the tumultuous 20th century. Still smarting from the losses of the Franco-Prussian war, the army sees traitors under every bed while the government fears both the Germans and the anarchists. Socialists and monarchists, Republicans and conservatives argue bitterly over the future of the nation while a new mass media has emerged with rival political newspapers to fan the flames of conflict.
Cheerfully oblivious to the partisan turmoil is bourgeois lawyer François Dubon. Once a bit of a radical himself, he has artfully constructed a well-ordered existence running a genteel law firm, inherited from his father. He is married to Geneviève, an aristocratic wife from a celebrated military family, with whom he shares a young son and a comfortable, if passionless, marriage. For passion, he has his generous mistress Madeleine, who expects his company promptly at five o’clock daily and is prettily piqued if he is late. Then it’s home to oblige his wife with his presence at dinner and at their myriad social engagements. It is a good life.
But Dubon’s complacent existence is shattered when a mysterious widow arrives at his office. The beguiling Madame Duhamel entreats him to save a dear friend’s innocent husband, an army captain by the name of Dreyfus who has been convicted as a spy. The widow’s charms awaken his long-dormant radical streak, and Dubon agrees.
Needing evidence to clear Dreyfus, Dubon pays a visit to the Statistical Section, a secretive bureau that he discovers is the seat of French espionage. Wearing his brother-in-law’s military uniform in the hopes of blending in, Dubon gets more than he bargained for when mistaken for a temporary clerk. He soon finds himself spying on the spies, tantalizingly close to the documents that he’s increasingly certain were forged to incriminate Dreyfus.
Dubon begins to live a double life in order to crack this case, employing his affable demeanour to masquerade as a military intelligence officer by day, while by night he still frequents the high-society parties where the chattering class is much preoccupied with the Dreyfus Affair. The trouble is, Dubon can no longer avert his gaze from the ugliness that lurks beneath French society’s veneer of civility. He comes to realize, at some personal jeopardy, that nobody is quite as they seem when power is at stake.
The real-life Dreyfus affair was a seismic event in French history, exposing latent tyranny within its government and fierce anti-Semitism at all levels of society. With elegance, humour and keen perception, Kate Taylor brilliantly mines this rich source material in her page-turning historical spy novel, demonstrating how brittle a society’s standards of justice and civility can be, in times of national panic.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2010
18 people are currently reading
595 people want to read
About the author
Kate Taylor
3 books26 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
This is the page for Canadian novelist and cultural journalist Kate Taylor, author of Mme Proust and the Kosher Kitchen and A Man in Uniform.
British sex columnist Kate Taylor is the author of Not Tonight, Mr. Right.
American arts journalist Kate Taylor is the editor of Going Hungry: Writers on Desire, Self-Denial, and Overcoming Anorexia
The child of a Canadian diplomat, Kate Taylor was born in France and raised in Ottawa. Her debut novel, Mme Proust and the Kosher Kitchen, won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for best first book (Canada/Caribbean region) and the Toronto Book Award. Her second novel, A Man in Uniform, is a finalist for the Ontario Library Association's 2011 Evergreen Award.
She also writes about culture for the Globe and Mail, where she served as the paper’s award-winning theatre critic from 1995-2003. In 2009-2010, she was awarded the Atkinson Fellowship in journalism to study Canadian cultural sovereignty in the digital age. The results were published in the Toronto Star in September, 2010.
This is the page for Canadian novelist and cultural journalist Kate Taylor, author of Mme Proust and the Kosher Kitchen and A Man in Uniform.
British sex columnist Kate Taylor is the author of Not Tonight, Mr. Right.
American arts journalist Kate Taylor is the editor of Going Hungry: Writers on Desire, Self-Denial, and Overcoming Anorexia
The child of a Canadian diplomat, Kate Taylor was born in France and raised in Ottawa. Her debut novel, Mme Proust and the Kosher Kitchen, won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for best first book (Canada/Caribbean region) and the Toronto Book Award. Her second novel, A Man in Uniform, is a finalist for the Ontario Library Association's 2011 Evergreen Award.
She also writes about culture for the Globe and Mail, where she served as the paper’s award-winning theatre critic from 1995-2003. In 2009-2010, she was awarded the Atkinson Fellowship in journalism to study Canadian cultural sovereignty in the digital age. The results were published in the Toronto Star in September, 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
May 1, 2023
There is much to love here, but Taylor lost me with the plot twist where Dubon, a lawyer, puts on a uniform and impersonates a military officer in order to gather information. I was unconvinced.
Dubon had taken risks earlier in life, but he was now a family man with a professional position to maintain and responsibilities. I did not believe that was an option he would have chosen to pursue. That plot twist turned an otherwise credible historical novel into a bit of a farce.
Dubon had taken risks earlier in life, but he was now a family man with a professional position to maintain and responsibilities. I did not believe that was an option he would have chosen to pursue. That plot twist turned an otherwise credible historical novel into a bit of a farce.
February 27, 2021
Parts of it were suspenseful, parts were not. For a story about the consequences of antisemitism in France, very little reference to Jewish considerations of any kind. Dreyfus was presented as an annoying military man, basically nothing more.
August 9, 2013
Dubon leads a very comfortable life as a lawyer and family man in Paris in the late 19th Century when the country is up in arms about the Dreyfus affair. He is very predictable including his scheduled meetings with his mistress who he leaves promptly each weeknight to have a nice family dinner with his wife and son. His life presumingly would have gone on like this indefinitely until one day a mysterious woman called on him in his office one afternoon. Charmed and intrigued by her, he suddenly is out of his comfort zone and in a "borrowed" uniform posing as a a clerk in a military intelligence office and spying to uncover evidence that Dreyfus was unfairly accused.
Alfred Dreyfus was a real figure in French history who divided the country when he was accused of divulging military secrets to the Germans. Dubon is fictitious, but Taylor does a good job of creating interesting "what ifs" surrounding the historic event. The character of Dubon is well developed and evolves throughout the novel. The plot is slow to start, but picks up to become suspenseful and hard to put down as the evidence twists and turns and more devious players are introduced.
Alfred Dreyfus was a real figure in French history who divided the country when he was accused of divulging military secrets to the Germans. Dubon is fictitious, but Taylor does a good job of creating interesting "what ifs" surrounding the historic event. The character of Dubon is well developed and evolves throughout the novel. The plot is slow to start, but picks up to become suspenseful and hard to put down as the evidence twists and turns and more devious players are introduced.
February 1, 2013
I was captivated by the cover and the title. I know, shallow. But sometimes the promise of a title and a cover deliver. This one did. I'd advise anyone reading this to Wikepedia the article on Albert Dreyfus before getting too far into this well-crafted historical/detective fiction. If you want to know what Dreyfus endured, see the old movie "Papillon" with Steve McQueen (gush) and Dustin Hoffman. It gives you a sense of what Dreyfus endured on Devil's Island. I think it won several Oscars. Devil's Island is not the focus of this book but when you sense the desperation of the woman trying to free this man, it makes this book incredibly powerful. Imagine the man you love shackled every night and scorpions crawling over him.
A very strange thing. Only after I had this book for a few days did I realize that the cover of my own book has a woman in a red hat looking at a skyline -- she, in Paris, me, in Seattle. The red hat is virtually the same one I wore. Shows you the power of subliminal/archetypal images.
Sometimes, you can judge a book by its cover.
A very strange thing. Only after I had this book for a few days did I realize that the cover of my own book has a woman in a red hat looking at a skyline -- she, in Paris, me, in Seattle. The red hat is virtually the same one I wore. Shows you the power of subliminal/archetypal images.
Sometimes, you can judge a book by its cover.
January 11, 2011
Beautifully written, inspired by the infamous Dreyfus Affair. A big hit in the author's native Canada, and I can see why: it's a truly literate thriller that explores profound ideas. Highly recommended!
March 5, 2023
This intriguing book, fiction based on fact, is based on the Dreyfus Affair, a scandal about a wrongful guilty verdict in the Court Martial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus was convicted of spying for Germany and was confined to Devils Island in 1894.
Two years later a friend of the Dreyfus family approaches a relatively small-time lawyer whose family has extensive military connections. She is convinced that Dreyfus is innocent and engages the lawyer Dubon to get enough evidence to launch an appeal of the conviction, and find the real spy.
Dubon is extremely reluctant to get involved, as detective work is not his area of expertise, but he offers to make some preliminary inquiries. What follows is a humorous (to us) and uncomfortable (to Dubon) series of events, but Dubon despite these difficulties continues to pursue his inquiries.
This was a delightful book, I thought; perhaps a bit plodding at times, but nail-biting in others, and, in my opinion, the humor helped make this a more engaging story. I could identify with and care about the characters. I enjoyed the glimpses of nineteenth century Paris. The last hundred pages kept me absorbed because the suspense was at its peak. Yes, a good read.
Two years later a friend of the Dreyfus family approaches a relatively small-time lawyer whose family has extensive military connections. She is convinced that Dreyfus is innocent and engages the lawyer Dubon to get enough evidence to launch an appeal of the conviction, and find the real spy.
Dubon is extremely reluctant to get involved, as detective work is not his area of expertise, but he offers to make some preliminary inquiries. What follows is a humorous (to us) and uncomfortable (to Dubon) series of events, but Dubon despite these difficulties continues to pursue his inquiries.
This was a delightful book, I thought; perhaps a bit plodding at times, but nail-biting in others, and, in my opinion, the humor helped make this a more engaging story. I could identify with and care about the characters. I enjoyed the glimpses of nineteenth century Paris. The last hundred pages kept me absorbed because the suspense was at its peak. Yes, a good read.
December 23, 2020
The plot centers around the Dreyfus Affair (Wikipedia has a nice little synopsis of it), which is known as much today, at least in the U.S., for being the impetus for Emile Zola's famous J'accuse as for anything else. The idea is a mysterious woman comes to a relatively small-time lawyer whose family has extensive military connections, pleads that Dreyfus is innocent and charges him with not only gaining an appeal for Dreyfus, but with finding the real spy. Honestly, the lengths to which the lawyer, Dubon, goes seem rather improbable at times, but this is a fast-moving, well-written mystery that is as much about Parisian society at the turn of the 20th century as anything else. Kate Taylor's writing is a pleasure to read and her plot twists and turns through the final pages.
May 9, 2020
I really love how the book was written. I was really invested in the characters. I enjoyed the plot of the story and for me, I didn't feel like the story dragged to unravel. There was the main plot of the story about the Captain, however throughout the entire story there were things going on that made the whole book interesting. The fact that the woman who asked Dubon for help at one point was unknown, and how his friend ends up to be the enemy. Great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2017
After reading two other books by this author, I initially had no intention of reading another. Then I read the plot summary and was intregued. After a couple of weeks I gave in to temptation and started it. So glad I did. Finished the book in no time and wondered why she couldn't write this way all the time.
It has made me willing to try another one when she publishes again.
It has made me willing to try another one when she publishes again.
March 3, 2025
A solidly written & quite entertaining novel. This is a fictional take on the well known French Dreyfus affair (a Jewish military man was convicted, and later exonerated, of treason against the state).
Belle Epoque Paris is on full display, as are the daily practices of her well heeled residents.
Belle Epoque Paris is on full display, as are the daily practices of her well heeled residents.
November 21, 2018
A work of fiction based on a true event. in 1894 France, Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of passing secrets to the Germans and sentence to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. The Novel relates a story of a lawyer who was hired to find the truth.
June 28, 2024
I read it because it was supposedly inspired (?) by the Dreyfus case, but I wasn't very inspired by the book. Mildly interesting, but I kept wondering what if anything was fact-based rather than fiction.
June 9, 2017
not as enjoyable as Madame Proust and the Kosher kitchen.....
April 28, 2019
Fascinating, smooth writing. Felt like I was there. And liked how history & fiction blended together
January 2, 2021
Fascinating setting and enjoyable characters.
May 6, 2023
The beautiful Cover was all French Paris .
The story was thin and drawn out.
Interesting it was a fiction about a historical event.
The story was thin and drawn out.
Interesting it was a fiction about a historical event.
April 13, 2025
Almost quit halfway through, it was so boring, but I'm really bad at giving up on books. Should have.
May 20, 2025
As a fan of historical fiction, this book was a fun read. It was a quick read, and with a little research on the Dreyfus affair, the characters and situations came more to life. Recommended.
January 4, 2016
Released today, A Man in Uniform is, according to the description offered by the publisher, Doubleday Canada:
The Dreyfus Affair caused a deep rift between intellectuals not only in French society, but in all of Europe and the United States. It unleashed racial violence and led to the publication of history’s most famous call for justice, J’accuse, addressed to the President of France by Emil Zola (in January 1898). Zola became, in the words of Anatole France, “the conscience of mankind”.
The scandal involved not only political and military scandals but also murder, deceit, corruption and treachery. Using the documented truth of the Dreyfus Affair as the launching point for her second novel, Taylor becomes a master weaver, braiding the intricacies of historical fact with her own imagination and linear storytelling. Taylor also punches up an already bountiful chain of events through the introduction of femme fatales, seduction and villainy. Characters, both real and invented, co-mingle in her mostly solid novel.
I have had a hard time creating a review for this work because, while so many elements work ~ the plot, the historical context and facts, the characters ~ I was very let down by the use of coincidence and convenience. Taylor is a gifted writer and a talented, award-winning Canadian journalist. Through research, I discovered her initial manuscript “went through three significantly different drafts that involved major plot changes… Draft number two had serious tweaking…Draft number three involved a major rewrite then a major set of cuts” before the manuscript was considered ready for publication. Learning these details made me wonder what elements were sacrificed from a story that could have achieved literary perfection to make the novel more broadly appealing?
The novel is very well-paced and enjoyable; I debated calling it a fun read; it definitely makes for a perfect “summer read”. While looking at other reviews for A Man in Uniform, the terms “a romp” and “rollicking” were encountered again and again. The novel definitely engages the reader and seems to have all of the components of a very good historical, literary mystery. For me, the novel is hard to categorize by genre. I have read many reviews that refer to the book as a ‘hardboiled mystery’, but to my understanding, these types of stories are distinguished by an unsentimental portrayal of crime, violence, and sex. I think there is a lot of emotion in Taylor’s novel so I am a bit dismissive of that particular classification. In the end, though, I don’t think this matters. The novel is good and I am hopeful it will be embraced and enjoyed by readers. Kate Taylor is a very good writer and the story is strong. My only issue, really, has to do with how “neat” the story was; how conveniently it climaxed and resolved.
I recommend A Man in Uniform and rate it 3.5 (out of 5) stars.
"A seductive new novel from the author of the award-winning bestseller Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen. Taylor returns, again to France and too a divisive time within the country.I read this novel quickly, over one weekend. I feel Taylor has created a compelling story using an historical event that divided the nation of France. The Dreyfus Affair began in 1894. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an innocent Jewish Officer in the French Army, was convicted on false evidence, manufactured with military approval, for a crime of high treason. He was stripped of his rank, publicly degraded and deported to the penal colony of Devil’s Island to serve a sentence of life imprisonment in total isolation and under inhumane conditions. The fight to prove his innocence lasted 12 years.
At the height of the Belle Epoque, the bourgeois lawyer François Dubon lives a well-ordered life. He spends his days at his office, his evenings with his aristocratic wife — and his afternoons with his generous mistress. But this complacent existence is shattered when a mysterious widow pays him a call. She insists only Dubon can rescue her innocent friend, an army captain by the name of Dreyfus who has been convicted of spying. Against his better judgment, Dubon is drawn into a case that will forever alter his life.”
The Dreyfus Affair caused a deep rift between intellectuals not only in French society, but in all of Europe and the United States. It unleashed racial violence and led to the publication of history’s most famous call for justice, J’accuse, addressed to the President of France by Emil Zola (in January 1898). Zola became, in the words of Anatole France, “the conscience of mankind”.
The scandal involved not only political and military scandals but also murder, deceit, corruption and treachery. Using the documented truth of the Dreyfus Affair as the launching point for her second novel, Taylor becomes a master weaver, braiding the intricacies of historical fact with her own imagination and linear storytelling. Taylor also punches up an already bountiful chain of events through the introduction of femme fatales, seduction and villainy. Characters, both real and invented, co-mingle in her mostly solid novel.
I have had a hard time creating a review for this work because, while so many elements work ~ the plot, the historical context and facts, the characters ~ I was very let down by the use of coincidence and convenience. Taylor is a gifted writer and a talented, award-winning Canadian journalist. Through research, I discovered her initial manuscript “went through three significantly different drafts that involved major plot changes… Draft number two had serious tweaking…Draft number three involved a major rewrite then a major set of cuts” before the manuscript was considered ready for publication. Learning these details made me wonder what elements were sacrificed from a story that could have achieved literary perfection to make the novel more broadly appealing?
The novel is very well-paced and enjoyable; I debated calling it a fun read; it definitely makes for a perfect “summer read”. While looking at other reviews for A Man in Uniform, the terms “a romp” and “rollicking” were encountered again and again. The novel definitely engages the reader and seems to have all of the components of a very good historical, literary mystery. For me, the novel is hard to categorize by genre. I have read many reviews that refer to the book as a ‘hardboiled mystery’, but to my understanding, these types of stories are distinguished by an unsentimental portrayal of crime, violence, and sex. I think there is a lot of emotion in Taylor’s novel so I am a bit dismissive of that particular classification. In the end, though, I don’t think this matters. The novel is good and I am hopeful it will be embraced and enjoyed by readers. Kate Taylor is a very good writer and the story is strong. My only issue, really, has to do with how “neat” the story was; how conveniently it climaxed and resolved.
I recommend A Man in Uniform and rate it 3.5 (out of 5) stars.
April 24, 2011
In 1894 a French artillery Captain was accused of, tried and convicted of treason. He was sent to Devil's Island. A few people felt that the charges were false and he was framed. Eventually more and more people called for a retrial or an appeal, including the world famous writer Emile Zola who wrote one of his most famous pieces "J'Accuse" about the incident. The case broke the back of the military and the Catholic Church in France. He was eventually quitely given a pardon and reinstated in the military. Amazingly he stayed in the army until he retired several years later.
His name was Alfred Dreyfuss and he was a Jew.
A Man in Uniform is a story of what might have been. While following the historical events closely (if you know very much about the Affair, you'll know the various historical characters and enjoy seeing how they interact with the fictional characters), it adds spice by introducting fictional characters to the meld.
Maitre Dubon, a very staid and routine-oriented lawyer, is approached by a young widow one day who wants him to accept a case to help her prove that Alfred Dreyfuss is innocent and locate the actual spy. Although Dubon's practice does not include this type of adventure (indeed, what attorney's does?), he is very smitten by the young, very attractive widow and agrees to do something. (He plans to find another attorney who is a criminal lawyer and pass the case on.)
Eventually he finds himself donning his brother-in-law's army uniform and planting himself as a clerk in the Statistical Section of the military. (This section deals with espionage and counterespionage, but it is a highly kept secret.)
He manages to pass as a military man and begins to accumulate some evidence that all is not right with the case. He has heard of a secret file and even manages to see it since he is taken into confidence by the section's leader. He works with a journalist to expose the contradictions he discovers and, of course, wins Dreyfuss an appeal. (Not single-handedly!)
There are naturally many subplots. Dubon has a wife and a mistress and manages to piss both off in his excitement with his new "case." He begins to suspect that his childhood friend is attempting to steal both his wife and mistress. He discovers a new respect for his younger brother-in-law, whose uniform he originally borrowed to begin his intrigue. And he discovers he still has a conscience and it means more to him than his security and routine.
It's a very swift-moving, well paced, mostly well charactered (a couple of the characters seem very cardboard and pretty one-dimensional) novel. It helps to know something about the Dreyfuss case but it's not necessary. A nice little novel to while away time on a rainy day and learn a little history as well.
His name was Alfred Dreyfuss and he was a Jew.
A Man in Uniform is a story of what might have been. While following the historical events closely (if you know very much about the Affair, you'll know the various historical characters and enjoy seeing how they interact with the fictional characters), it adds spice by introducting fictional characters to the meld.
Maitre Dubon, a very staid and routine-oriented lawyer, is approached by a young widow one day who wants him to accept a case to help her prove that Alfred Dreyfuss is innocent and locate the actual spy. Although Dubon's practice does not include this type of adventure (indeed, what attorney's does?), he is very smitten by the young, very attractive widow and agrees to do something. (He plans to find another attorney who is a criminal lawyer and pass the case on.)
Eventually he finds himself donning his brother-in-law's army uniform and planting himself as a clerk in the Statistical Section of the military. (This section deals with espionage and counterespionage, but it is a highly kept secret.)
He manages to pass as a military man and begins to accumulate some evidence that all is not right with the case. He has heard of a secret file and even manages to see it since he is taken into confidence by the section's leader. He works with a journalist to expose the contradictions he discovers and, of course, wins Dreyfuss an appeal. (Not single-handedly!)
There are naturally many subplots. Dubon has a wife and a mistress and manages to piss both off in his excitement with his new "case." He begins to suspect that his childhood friend is attempting to steal both his wife and mistress. He discovers a new respect for his younger brother-in-law, whose uniform he originally borrowed to begin his intrigue. And he discovers he still has a conscience and it means more to him than his security and routine.
It's a very swift-moving, well paced, mostly well charactered (a couple of the characters seem very cardboard and pretty one-dimensional) novel. It helps to know something about the Dreyfuss case but it's not necessary. A nice little novel to while away time on a rainy day and learn a little history as well.
November 10, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed Kate Taylor’s novel about a French lawyer who decides to do some undercover work to search for evidence that will prove the innocence of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, the artillery officer condemned to life imprisonment in 1894 for a crime he didn’t commit. François Dubon has a small law practice and has settled into a comfortable life with a family, a mistress and no real ambitions. One day a mysterious woman in black engages his services to help her appeal Dreyfus’ unjust conviction. Dubon is only vaguely aware of the case—even though it nearly tore France apart—and is unsure that any such evidence exists. Gradually he begins to uncover a trail of blunders and cover-ups that persuade him to dig even deeper, risking his career and even his life in the process.
The best thing about this book is Dubon himself, a self-centered and venal attorney, whose transformation into a hero is at first improbable but by the end becomes central to the story. His interest in the case forces him to forgo his accustomed pleasures, angering both mistress and wife, but providing him with a sudden goal in a life that had been fatuous and vapid. Taylor does this with an extremely subtle sense of humor, so that one almost doesn’t appreciate the absurdity of Dubon’s situation when he disguises himself and pretends to be a clerk in the Statistical Bureau, the counter-intelligence agency of the French military.
I also liked Taylor’s lucid and understated prose, which made it easy to follow a complex story in a place and time with which I am unfamiliar. No breathtaking panoramas or poetic metaphors, rather a story told so convincingly that it took hold of my attention and kept me wondering what would happen next.
It is possible to enjoy this story as an adventure, a mystery, and a thriller, but you would miss out on this book’s greatest achievement: Taylor’s meticulous adherence to the facts of the Dreyfus affair. I have spent several months reading about it myself and was delighted to see how many events and details in the book were taken from history: the forgeries, the incompetent spies, the bordereau on which Dreyfus was convicted but which in itself was full of mistakes and misinformation. Without knowing something about the Dreyfus affair you would fail to grasp the true cleverness of this novel.
Having said that, the final chapter of the book contains numerous factual errors: Dreyfus was only kept in chains for 44 days during 1896, and had been given significant liberties in the days before he returned to France in mid-1899. But these are minor quibbles: this is a good book, and I will look for more good books from Kate Taylor in the future.
The best thing about this book is Dubon himself, a self-centered and venal attorney, whose transformation into a hero is at first improbable but by the end becomes central to the story. His interest in the case forces him to forgo his accustomed pleasures, angering both mistress and wife, but providing him with a sudden goal in a life that had been fatuous and vapid. Taylor does this with an extremely subtle sense of humor, so that one almost doesn’t appreciate the absurdity of Dubon’s situation when he disguises himself and pretends to be a clerk in the Statistical Bureau, the counter-intelligence agency of the French military.
I also liked Taylor’s lucid and understated prose, which made it easy to follow a complex story in a place and time with which I am unfamiliar. No breathtaking panoramas or poetic metaphors, rather a story told so convincingly that it took hold of my attention and kept me wondering what would happen next.
It is possible to enjoy this story as an adventure, a mystery, and a thriller, but you would miss out on this book’s greatest achievement: Taylor’s meticulous adherence to the facts of the Dreyfus affair. I have spent several months reading about it myself and was delighted to see how many events and details in the book were taken from history: the forgeries, the incompetent spies, the bordereau on which Dreyfus was convicted but which in itself was full of mistakes and misinformation. Without knowing something about the Dreyfus affair you would fail to grasp the true cleverness of this novel.
Having said that, the final chapter of the book contains numerous factual errors: Dreyfus was only kept in chains for 44 days during 1896, and had been given significant liberties in the days before he returned to France in mid-1899. But these are minor quibbles: this is a good book, and I will look for more good books from Kate Taylor in the future.
October 7, 2013
I enjoyed the book but couldn't make up my mind what it was: a light mystery or a farce. Actually, I feel it could be called a mixture of the two genres. The dust jacket called it "classic noir", which I thought was misleading. I found myself smiling at some of the antics in the Counterespionage office. I give it closer to 2.5 stars, but it doesn't make the 3 star cut.
The story is completely fiction but for the fact that there actually was a Capt. Alfred Dreyfus convicted of espionage, drummed out of the French Army, and wrongly imprisoned on Devil's Island for years until his exoneration and reinstatement. In this novel, there is no Emile Zola, the author and stauch defender of Dreyfus, nor "J'accuse", Zola's scathing indictment of the government.
In Belle Epoque Paris, a mysterious widow, a friend of the Dreyfus family, engages a lawyer, Maitre Dubon, to prove Capt. Dreyfus innocent. Dubon agrees to help the woman. Conveniently, his brother-in-law, Jean-Jean, is a captain of artillery. Dubon disguises himself in Jean-Jean's spare uniform, which conveniently fits him. He infiltrates the Statistical Section of the Counterespionage Agency as a temporary clerk. All is resolved satisfactorily. If you know nothing of the history of the Dreyfus Affair, it's a good idea to read up on it briefly first to get some background.
The characters were not well-rounded at all, but you did have to have some sympathy for Dubon's trying to balance his detective work with his personal life. His actions in disguise, I considered too unrealistic, outlandish and farcical. I thought the title was rather banal, although I surmise you could either mean the lawyer in disguise or Capt. Dreyfus himself or both. The style was rather puerile, but it was clever how everything came together. I liked how typewriters, telephones and photography were considered "modern". At one point, Dubon had to photograph documents for his journalist friend. The newspaper photographer lent his equipment. The photographer's explanation of how photography of that time worked was fascinating.
Recommended for those who like mysteries cum farce [or vice versa].
The story is completely fiction but for the fact that there actually was a Capt. Alfred Dreyfus convicted of espionage, drummed out of the French Army, and wrongly imprisoned on Devil's Island for years until his exoneration and reinstatement. In this novel, there is no Emile Zola, the author and stauch defender of Dreyfus, nor "J'accuse", Zola's scathing indictment of the government.
In Belle Epoque Paris, a mysterious widow, a friend of the Dreyfus family, engages a lawyer, Maitre Dubon, to prove Capt. Dreyfus innocent. Dubon agrees to help the woman. Conveniently, his brother-in-law, Jean-Jean, is a captain of artillery. Dubon disguises himself in Jean-Jean's spare uniform, which conveniently fits him. He infiltrates the Statistical Section of the Counterespionage Agency as a temporary clerk. All is resolved satisfactorily. If you know nothing of the history of the Dreyfus Affair, it's a good idea to read up on it briefly first to get some background.
The characters were not well-rounded at all, but you did have to have some sympathy for Dubon's trying to balance his detective work with his personal life. His actions in disguise, I considered too unrealistic, outlandish and farcical. I thought the title was rather banal, although I surmise you could either mean the lawyer in disguise or Capt. Dreyfus himself or both. The style was rather puerile, but it was clever how everything came together. I liked how typewriters, telephones and photography were considered "modern". At one point, Dubon had to photograph documents for his journalist friend. The newspaper photographer lent his equipment. The photographer's explanation of how photography of that time worked was fascinating.
Recommended for those who like mysteries cum farce [or vice versa].
December 30, 2010
Lucky me, I had a book I had been looking forward to for my recent blizzard reading: A Man In Uniform by Kate Taylor. I read her first novel, Madame Proust's Kosher Kitchen and absolutely loved it. This new novel is based on The Dreyfus Affair. In 1894 a French court found Captain Alfred Dreyfus guilty of treason and he was sent to Devil's Island. The arrest and trial were widely criticized and became the most publicized civil rights outrage of it's day. It took about ten years for Dreyfus to be exonerated. This scandal was as much about the workings of the military in France, anti-semitism and the power of the press as it was about selling military secrets. Sounds like the bones of a terrific novel, right?
Taylor's book begins after Dreyfus is sentenced. A comfortably bored Paris lawyer, François Dubon is approached by a mysterious woman who is convinced of Dreyfus' innocence and is willing to pay Dubon to try to get an appeal for Dreyfus. Dubon is intrigued by the woman and thoughts of recapturing the excitement of his radical youth and takes the case. This begins the attorney's double life. His marriage and family, mistress, prosperous practice and social standing could all disappear when what began as a lark (with a little seduction thrown in) becomes a mission.
Sad to say but A Man In Uniform is mediocre at best. The characters are two dimensional and the connect the dots plot is as surprising and suspenseful as a Tic Tac Toe match. There is good writing in the scene setting and period details but Taylor does not capture the built in drama of the events or create her own drama. Madame Proust's Kosher Kitchen really is one of my favorite books so I was anticipating adoring A Man In Uniform as well. Oh well. On the plus side Kate Taylor is talented and will write other novels that I will want to read.
Taylor's book begins after Dreyfus is sentenced. A comfortably bored Paris lawyer, François Dubon is approached by a mysterious woman who is convinced of Dreyfus' innocence and is willing to pay Dubon to try to get an appeal for Dreyfus. Dubon is intrigued by the woman and thoughts of recapturing the excitement of his radical youth and takes the case. This begins the attorney's double life. His marriage and family, mistress, prosperous practice and social standing could all disappear when what began as a lark (with a little seduction thrown in) becomes a mission.
Sad to say but A Man In Uniform is mediocre at best. The characters are two dimensional and the connect the dots plot is as surprising and suspenseful as a Tic Tac Toe match. There is good writing in the scene setting and period details but Taylor does not capture the built in drama of the events or create her own drama. Madame Proust's Kosher Kitchen really is one of my favorite books so I was anticipating adoring A Man In Uniform as well. Oh well. On the plus side Kate Taylor is talented and will write other novels that I will want to read.
July 27, 2014
François Dubon, rising Paris attorney, must believe that he "has his cake and is eating it, too." He is married to an attractive woman from a well-connected family in Frances' Belle Epoque society guaranteeing him a long line of well-paying clients. He also discreetly keeps a mistress which he sees each weekday then faithfully leaves early enough to eat family dinner. His well-ordered life is disrupted one day, however, when an attractive, but sad, widow dressed in black, accidentally enters his office requesting assistance in proving the innocence of a military officer charged with espionage. The historical figure, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, was found guilty of spying for the Germans and sentenced to Devil's Island, one of the toughest penal colony in history. The widow, claiming to be a friend of the Dreyfus family, seeks Dubon's assistance in identifying the true spy. Donning a borrowed military uniform, Dubon goes undercover in a French counterintelligence bureau. As he comes closer confirming Dreyfus's innocence, several around him die from mysterious causes, the French government willing to continue a conspiracy rather than to admit that it had imprisoned an innocent man. The deeper Dubon goes in solving the mystery, the greater the risk to his life.
Although I found the predicaments that Dubon found himself in comical and entertaining, the plot seemed to move at a glacial pace. As one would expect, the plot picked up near the end. I kept turning the pages but wished that the book was over so I could read another book.
Although I found the predicaments that Dubon found himself in comical and entertaining, the plot seemed to move at a glacial pace. As one would expect, the plot picked up near the end. I kept turning the pages but wished that the book was over so I could read another book.
July 7, 2011
A wills & trusts lawyer in 1897 Paris turns detective to win Dreyfus an appeal.
Francois Dubon is in his mid-40s and has left behind his liberal crusade of defending Communards to have a comfortable bourgeois life. Then a beautiful widow walks into his office, and he finds himself going undercover in a military counter-intelligence office to help free a man wrongly convicted of espionage.
The Dreyfus affair was a pivotal moment in French history, and “A Man in Uniform” lets the modern reader learn a bit about that history without making all the demands that scholarly books or contemporary accounts require. This is what historical fiction does well.
Along the way, we learn a little about what Paris was like then. For example, there was a system of “petit bleu” telegrams that zipped around the city in pneumatic tubes and let people communicate with each other throughout the day. Taylor does a nice job re-creating the dinner parties and other upper- to upper-middle class social events.
The writing is straightforward, and it’s not a character-driven story. Dubon’s idealistic speeches made me guffaw once or twice, but otherwise, he reminded me of John Klees in “A Fish Called Wanda.” This is a nice uncomplicated read, especially if you like stories set in Paris.
Francois Dubon is in his mid-40s and has left behind his liberal crusade of defending Communards to have a comfortable bourgeois life. Then a beautiful widow walks into his office, and he finds himself going undercover in a military counter-intelligence office to help free a man wrongly convicted of espionage.
The Dreyfus affair was a pivotal moment in French history, and “A Man in Uniform” lets the modern reader learn a bit about that history without making all the demands that scholarly books or contemporary accounts require. This is what historical fiction does well.
Along the way, we learn a little about what Paris was like then. For example, there was a system of “petit bleu” telegrams that zipped around the city in pneumatic tubes and let people communicate with each other throughout the day. Taylor does a nice job re-creating the dinner parties and other upper- to upper-middle class social events.
The writing is straightforward, and it’s not a character-driven story. Dubon’s idealistic speeches made me guffaw once or twice, but otherwise, he reminded me of John Klees in “A Fish Called Wanda.” This is a nice uncomplicated read, especially if you like stories set in Paris.
September 2, 2011
This recreation of part of the Dreyfus case makes a fascinating read but it would help to have read the history of the case first - or certainly afterward. The characters in MS Taylor's novel are very real and make the atmosphere in Paris quite clear so there is no doubt as to the rationale behind the coverup. I rather liked Genevieve and sympathized with her attempts to live pleasantly with her husband while still belonging to her own family. Marrying between social groups is difficult when those groups have different attitudes and I thought making Francois a former communard was a brilliant stroke. I wonder how much empathy Genevieve would have retained if things had been different between husband and wife. Given Mme's religious devotion she could not protect herself against a second pregnancy & her doctor's warning about the danger to her health left the two very little choice. It was very sad, though, because Francois should have been able to count on his wife's empathy & assistance and couldn't.
December 25, 2012
A good reads-winner.
A very good mystery suspense novel based in post napoleonic paris with controvesial thoughts whether the military should base their decisions on "needs of the nation" or the truth. It surrounds the life of a lawyer who practices family law who is approached by 'a widow' to look into the conviction of a military officer for treason. The lawyer married a woman whose father and brothers are military officers of high regard. It seems everyone but the close family/friends of the conviction officer wants him to remain guilty for various reasons including the lawyers wife and family but he persists to find substantial evidence that the conviction was based on little substantiated evidence and he sets out to prove it. The lawyer's ethics and beliefs in the system are all put into question as his quest continues and does not come to final conclusion until the last few pages.
Thank You Ms Taylor for providing me with wonderful read that kept me guessing til the end.
A very good mystery suspense novel based in post napoleonic paris with controvesial thoughts whether the military should base their decisions on "needs of the nation" or the truth. It surrounds the life of a lawyer who practices family law who is approached by 'a widow' to look into the conviction of a military officer for treason. The lawyer married a woman whose father and brothers are military officers of high regard. It seems everyone but the close family/friends of the conviction officer wants him to remain guilty for various reasons including the lawyers wife and family but he persists to find substantial evidence that the conviction was based on little substantiated evidence and he sets out to prove it. The lawyer's ethics and beliefs in the system are all put into question as his quest continues and does not come to final conclusion until the last few pages.
Thank You Ms Taylor for providing me with wonderful read that kept me guessing til the end.
November 13, 2016
Some of you may be familiar with the infamous Dreyfus affair but before this month in 2014, I would have sworn I had never heard of it. Of course, since then, I’ve seen countless casual references to it so it was probably around me all the time.
Wikipedia says: “The Dreyfus affair (French: l’affaire Dreyfus) was a political scandal that divided France from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The affair is often seen as a modern and universal symbol of injustice, and remains one of the most striking examples of a complex miscarriage of justice, where a major role was played by the press and public opinion.” I might add that it seems a prime case of anti-Semitism as well.
The mystery in the event is: if Dreyfus didn’t do it, who did? Kate Taylor has written a fictional account of the affair, although from what I’ve learned since, it seems to paint a very accurate picture of the situation. It was a very enjoyable way to take in history! 4 stars
Wikipedia says: “The Dreyfus affair (French: l’affaire Dreyfus) was a political scandal that divided France from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The affair is often seen as a modern and universal symbol of injustice, and remains one of the most striking examples of a complex miscarriage of justice, where a major role was played by the press and public opinion.” I might add that it seems a prime case of anti-Semitism as well.
The mystery in the event is: if Dreyfus didn’t do it, who did? Kate Taylor has written a fictional account of the affair, although from what I’ve learned since, it seems to paint a very accurate picture of the situation. It was a very enjoyable way to take in history! 4 stars
July 11, 2010
A nice mystery set in France in the late 1800s. There's enough historical detail to create the scenes, but not so much to bog down the story. It's actually interesting to read about the characters using photography and telegrams and refer to speaking tubes and electricity as recent innovations.
The story is about a dull lawyer who ends up with a crazy case that requires him to do some crazy stunts as a detective, while balancing his home life and his mistress. The story is not too intense or complex, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew for adults -- even cliff-hanger chapter endings that make you keep reading when you planned to stop and go to sleep.
A good book to read on a lazy Sunday, on the beach or in front of a warm fire.
The story is about a dull lawyer who ends up with a crazy case that requires him to do some crazy stunts as a detective, while balancing his home life and his mistress. The story is not too intense or complex, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew for adults -- even cliff-hanger chapter endings that make you keep reading when you planned to stop and go to sleep.
A good book to read on a lazy Sunday, on the beach or in front of a warm fire.
May 4, 2011
A well written detective novel which takes place in late 19th century Paris, A Man in Uniform is a fictionalized account of the aftermath of the Dreyfus Case. There are many twists and turns in the this well plotted spy thriller which starts out slowly but builds to a well reasoned conclusion. I found it difficult to put down and very involving. The author pokes fun at the bigoted and narrow French society of the day, but in the end produces a very entertaining and riveting novel. I could not put it down and was well satisfied with the way it all come together. The major character, Francois Dubon is torn between justice and family obligation and it is this conflict that provides the central basis of the novel. This is only Kate Taylor's second novel but I hope we see a lot more from her.
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