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Past Doctor Adventures #6
Doctor Who: The Roundheads
"I tell you - we will cut off this King's head. Aye, with the crown on it!"
It is December 1648. Although victorious over the Cavaliers in the Civil Wars, the Roundheads are struggling to retain power. Plans are afoot to spirit King Charles from his prison, and the Doctor and his companions become embroiled in the intrigue...
Ben finds himself press-ganged and on board a mysterious ship to Amsterdam. Polly is an unwitting accomplice in the plot to rescue the King, and the Doctor and Jamie find themselves arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London under suspicion of conspiracy.
Can the Doctor and Jamie escape, manage to find Ben and Polly and still ensure that history remains on its proper course?
It is December 1648. Although victorious over the Cavaliers in the Civil Wars, the Roundheads are struggling to retain power. Plans are afoot to spirit King Charles from his prison, and the Doctor and his companions become embroiled in the intrigue...
Ben finds himself press-ganged and on board a mysterious ship to Amsterdam. Polly is an unwitting accomplice in the plot to rescue the King, and the Doctor and Jamie find themselves arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London under suspicion of conspiracy.
Can the Doctor and Jamie escape, manage to find Ben and Polly and still ensure that history remains on its proper course?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
6 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gatiss
144 books782 followersMark Gatiss (born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Gatiss has written three episodes for the 2005-revived BBC television series Doctor Who. His first, "The Unquiet Dead", aired on 9 April 2005; the second, "The Idiot's Lantern", aired on 27 May 2006 as part of the second series. In addition, Gatiss was the narrator for the 2006 season of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, additionally appearing as an on-screen presenter in the edition devoted to his episode. Gatiss did not contribute a script to the third series, but appeared in the episode "The Lazarus Experiment", as Professor Lazarus. After his submitted script for the fourth series, involving Nazis and the British Museum, was replaced at the last minute with "The Fires of Pompeii", he eventually returned to the programme in 2010, writing the (also World War II-themed) episode "Victory of the Daleks" for the fifth series, in which he also appears uncredited as the voice of "Danny Boy". It has also been confirmed that Gatiss will be writing an episode for the 2011 season of Doctor Who, although details about the story are yet to be revealed.[19]
Gatiss wrote an episode of Sherlock, a modern day Sherlock Holmes series co-produced by him and Steven Moffat. The unaired pilot was shot in January 2009 and a full series was commissioned. This was aired in August 2010 and consisted of 3 episodes. Gatiss also starred in these as Holmes' older brother Mycroft. A second series has been confirmed, but dates have yet to be decided, since both Gatiss and Moffatt have additional commitments.[20]
Gatiss also wrote and performed the comedy sketches The Web of Caves, The Kidnappers and The Pitch of Fear for the BBC's "Doctor Who Night" in 1999 with Little Britain's David Walliams, and played the Master in the Doctor Who Unbound play Sympathy for the Devil under the name "Sam Kisgart", a pseudonym he later used for a column in Doctor Who Magazine. (The pseudonym is an anagram of "Mark Gatiss", a nod to Anthony Ainley, who was sometimes credited under an anagram to conceal the Master's identity from the viewers.) The pseudonym was used again in television listings magazines when he appeared in episode four of Psychoville, so as not to spoil his surprise appearance in advance.
In mainstream print, Gatiss is responsible for an acclaimed biography of the film director James Whale. His first non-Doctor Who novel, The Vesuvius Club, was published in 2004, for which he was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer in the 2006 British Book Awards. A follow up, The Devil in Amber, was released on 6 November 2006. It transports the main character, Lucifer Box, from the Edwardian era in the first book to the roaring Twenties/Thirties. A third and final Lucifer Box novel, Black Butterfly, was published on 3 November 2008 by Simon & Schuster.[21] In this the protagonist finds himself serving Queen Elizabeth II, in the Cold War era.
Gatiss also wrote, co-produced and appeared in Crooked House, a ghost story that was broadcast on BBC Four during Christmas 2008.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Gatiss has written three episodes for the 2005-revived BBC television series Doctor Who. His first, "The Unquiet Dead", aired on 9 April 2005; the second, "The Idiot's Lantern", aired on 27 May 2006 as part of the second series. In addition, Gatiss was the narrator for the 2006 season of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, additionally appearing as an on-screen presenter in the edition devoted to his episode. Gatiss did not contribute a script to the third series, but appeared in the episode "The Lazarus Experiment", as Professor Lazarus. After his submitted script for the fourth series, involving Nazis and the British Museum, was replaced at the last minute with "The Fires of Pompeii", he eventually returned to the programme in 2010, writing the (also World War II-themed) episode "Victory of the Daleks" for the fifth series, in which he also appears uncredited as the voice of "Danny Boy". It has also been confirmed that Gatiss will be writing an episode for the 2011 season of Doctor Who, although details about the story are yet to be revealed.[19]
Gatiss wrote an episode of Sherlock, a modern day Sherlock Holmes series co-produced by him and Steven Moffat. The unaired pilot was shot in January 2009 and a full series was commissioned. This was aired in August 2010 and consisted of 3 episodes. Gatiss also starred in these as Holmes' older brother Mycroft. A second series has been confirmed, but dates have yet to be decided, since both Gatiss and Moffatt have additional commitments.[20]
Gatiss also wrote and performed the comedy sketches The Web of Caves, The Kidnappers and The Pitch of Fear for the BBC's "Doctor Who Night" in 1999 with Little Britain's David Walliams, and played the Master in the Doctor Who Unbound play Sympathy for the Devil under the name "Sam Kisgart", a pseudonym he later used for a column in Doctor Who Magazine. (The pseudonym is an anagram of "Mark Gatiss", a nod to Anthony Ainley, who was sometimes credited under an anagram to conceal the Master's identity from the viewers.) The pseudonym was used again in television listings magazines when he appeared in episode four of Psychoville, so as not to spoil his surprise appearance in advance.
In mainstream print, Gatiss is responsible for an acclaimed biography of the film director James Whale. His first non-Doctor Who novel, The Vesuvius Club, was published in 2004, for which he was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer in the 2006 British Book Awards. A follow up, The Devil in Amber, was released on 6 November 2006. It transports the main character, Lucifer Box, from the Edwardian era in the first book to the roaring Twenties/Thirties. A third and final Lucifer Box novel, Black Butterfly, was published on 3 November 2008 by Simon & Schuster.[21] In this the protagonist finds himself serving Queen Elizabeth II, in the Cold War era.
Gatiss also wrote, co-produced and appeared in Crooked House, a ghost story that was broadcast on BBC Four during Christmas 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 18, 2024
I'm loving the fact that most of Classic Who is available on BBCiplayer, including the animations for most of the missing stories of Season 4 (which I've not seen before).
This is one of my favourite TARDIS teams, there's a nice dynamic between the pair.
With the show phasing out the pure historials by this point - its also nice to have an extra one in prose.
As pointed out by The Doctor, this story is set closer to Jamie's time too.
Gatiss has a clear handle on the regular casts mannerisms and the nice descriptive prose gives a real season of the wintery setting.
I'm not overly familiar with the 17th century, but enough information is given to understand of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles.
This a really good solid outing with some nice character moments.
This is one of my favourite TARDIS teams, there's a nice dynamic between the pair.
With the show phasing out the pure historials by this point - its also nice to have an extra one in prose.
As pointed out by The Doctor, this story is set closer to Jamie's time too.
Gatiss has a clear handle on the regular casts mannerisms and the nice descriptive prose gives a real season of the wintery setting.
I'm not overly familiar with the 17th century, but enough information is given to understand of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles.
This a really good solid outing with some nice character moments.
May 19, 2015
The guard slid the visor of his helmet upward and began to advance, slowly ad carefully, along the corridor. "Who's there, I say?" he barked, steadying the pike in his hands.
The Doctor stepped out from his hiding place, holding his hands above his head.
The guard was puzzled. "What the devil...?"
The Doctor smiled sheepishly. "No. Not the devil. The Doctor."
In the winter of 1648, there is a huge power struggle between Charles, the King of England, and the Parliament that wants him to be supplanted. When the Doctor, Ben, Polly, and Jamie land smack dab in the middle of all the political turmoil, they are soon swept up in the schemes of various people. Will they ever find their way back together again? And more importantly, can they risk extricating themselves from history without changing it drastically?
I always have such high hopes for books written by Mark Gatiss. He's already contributed so much to the series over the years, and all of the books I have read by him this far have been great. This one is no exception, and I really enjoyed watching the 2nd Doctor interact with his companions in his silly and lovable way. I was not overly familiar with this time period of English history before reading this book, but Mr. Gatiss wrote so fluently and descriptively that I was able to not only follow along easily but I learned a great deal as well! :)
The Doctor stepped out from his hiding place, holding his hands above his head.
The guard was puzzled. "What the devil...?"
The Doctor smiled sheepishly. "No. Not the devil. The Doctor."
In the winter of 1648, there is a huge power struggle between Charles, the King of England, and the Parliament that wants him to be supplanted. When the Doctor, Ben, Polly, and Jamie land smack dab in the middle of all the political turmoil, they are soon swept up in the schemes of various people. Will they ever find their way back together again? And more importantly, can they risk extricating themselves from history without changing it drastically?
I always have such high hopes for books written by Mark Gatiss. He's already contributed so much to the series over the years, and all of the books I have read by him this far have been great. This one is no exception, and I really enjoyed watching the 2nd Doctor interact with his companions in his silly and lovable way. I was not overly familiar with this time period of English history before reading this book, but Mr. Gatiss wrote so fluently and descriptively that I was able to not only follow along easily but I learned a great deal as well! :)
January 1, 2021
Wow! Great read. From the description, I didn’t expect this book to be my style (British historical). After a few recommendations, I decided to give it a try. I was grabbed in just the first few pages, and couldn’t put it down!! Thoroughly enjoyed, even though I knew nothing of this era of history.
November 22, 2016
God bless Mark Gatiss. Just as some of us were thinking he’d turned his back on ‘Doctor Who’ fiction, he came back with this, a book which easily matches his more popular work in terms of quality. No issues here with an author being unable to capture Patrick Troughton’s Doctor in print. This is a thoroughly entertaining tale which really feels like it could have actually been made by the Season Four production team, if they hadn’t decided not to bother with historical stories.
Naturally, ‘The Highlanders’ is the main inspiration. Gatiss uses this to great advantage. The presence of Jamie as a companion rather than a bystander, for whom this is, after all, far more recent history than it is for 1960s companions Polly and Ben, adds an interesting layer to things. His avowed disinterest in English (as opposed to British) history means he finds the whole thing a lot easier to cope with than his companions do. Jamie is often used as comic relief, and there’s an extent to which this applies here, but this is a novel way of using the character.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the book’s depiction of genuine historical figures. As the TV series did so well in the 1960s, the book casts light on people and events who may otherwise have been forgotten. To wit, poor old Richard Cromwell. Buffoon he may be, but one can’t help but feel some sympathy for him when he gets hold of the Doctor’s potted history of England and realises future generations will remember him as little more than a disdainful footnote – if at all! I admit, I don’t think I’d even have heard of the man without this book. And having read up on him because of it, I think Gatiss’ portrayal of him is largely accurate.
Of course, it’s Oliver Cromwell who dominates things here. He’s an enormously divisive figure, which is not lost on Gatiss, who portrays all aspects of the man’s reputation and personality convincingly. The bit part players work well, too, drawn as they are with broad strokes, laugh out loud humour and at times very serious intent. We’re not allowed to forget that these were dangerous times, and when violence does erupt, it hurts.
This is how a historical tale should be. It’s pretty close to note-perfect, in fact. We’d hate it if everything we read was like this, but every so often a ‘Doctor Who’ book comes along which reaffirms everything that works about the entire franchise.
This is yet another demonstration of reason why Gatiss continues to be involved in the show. Few people can tell a ‘Doctor Who’ story as well as him, and fewer still ever managed to do it better. I am really glad I re-read this one.
Naturally, ‘The Highlanders’ is the main inspiration. Gatiss uses this to great advantage. The presence of Jamie as a companion rather than a bystander, for whom this is, after all, far more recent history than it is for 1960s companions Polly and Ben, adds an interesting layer to things. His avowed disinterest in English (as opposed to British) history means he finds the whole thing a lot easier to cope with than his companions do. Jamie is often used as comic relief, and there’s an extent to which this applies here, but this is a novel way of using the character.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the book’s depiction of genuine historical figures. As the TV series did so well in the 1960s, the book casts light on people and events who may otherwise have been forgotten. To wit, poor old Richard Cromwell. Buffoon he may be, but one can’t help but feel some sympathy for him when he gets hold of the Doctor’s potted history of England and realises future generations will remember him as little more than a disdainful footnote – if at all! I admit, I don’t think I’d even have heard of the man without this book. And having read up on him because of it, I think Gatiss’ portrayal of him is largely accurate.
Of course, it’s Oliver Cromwell who dominates things here. He’s an enormously divisive figure, which is not lost on Gatiss, who portrays all aspects of the man’s reputation and personality convincingly. The bit part players work well, too, drawn as they are with broad strokes, laugh out loud humour and at times very serious intent. We’re not allowed to forget that these were dangerous times, and when violence does erupt, it hurts.
This is how a historical tale should be. It’s pretty close to note-perfect, in fact. We’d hate it if everything we read was like this, but every so often a ‘Doctor Who’ book comes along which reaffirms everything that works about the entire franchise.
This is yet another demonstration of reason why Gatiss continues to be involved in the show. Few people can tell a ‘Doctor Who’ story as well as him, and fewer still ever managed to do it better. I am really glad I re-read this one.
June 6, 2018
A great Second Doctor story set during the aftermath of the English Civil War.
It’s nice to read a pure historical set around this time, as the show had fazed then out by this point.
It’s nice to read a pure historical set around this time, as the show had fazed then out by this point.
April 1, 2024
I’ve always been a big fan of historical Doctor Who stories and it’s very clear that Mark Gatiss is a big fan as well. Like the other books of his that I’ve read which are Nightshade and Last of the Gaderene, this was another fantastic book my Mr Gatiss.
This book is filled with great, memorable characters, great sub plots, humorous moments which on occasion did make me laugh out loud, great moments of drive and tension and some great action set pieces. There is much to like from The Roundheads which made it a really fun, and entertaining read.
This is a story that is set early on in the second doctor’s tenure and Gatiss does a great job of bringing the main regulars to life. Ben and Polly get split up from The Doctor and Jamie and everyone has something to and they effect the story in some way which is what I applaud Gatiss for as that is always a hard task when there are three companions.
A truly fantastic past doctor adventure and one which I highly recommend, especially if you love the second doctor and pure historical’s. I’ve enjoyed the three Mark Gatiss books which I’ve read so much. At the time of writing this, I still need to acquire and read St Anthony’s Fire (VNA) so I can finish off the last of the Mark Gatiss novels which I need to read!
This book is filled with great, memorable characters, great sub plots, humorous moments which on occasion did make me laugh out loud, great moments of drive and tension and some great action set pieces. There is much to like from The Roundheads which made it a really fun, and entertaining read.
This is a story that is set early on in the second doctor’s tenure and Gatiss does a great job of bringing the main regulars to life. Ben and Polly get split up from The Doctor and Jamie and everyone has something to and they effect the story in some way which is what I applaud Gatiss for as that is always a hard task when there are three companions.
A truly fantastic past doctor adventure and one which I highly recommend, especially if you love the second doctor and pure historical’s. I’ve enjoyed the three Mark Gatiss books which I’ve read so much. At the time of writing this, I still need to acquire and read St Anthony’s Fire (VNA) so I can finish off the last of the Mark Gatiss novels which I need to read!
August 16, 2021
Like Last of the Gaderene, also by Mark Gatiss, this novel is a faithful recreation of an era of classic Doctor Who. A straight historical adventure, The Roundheads certainly captures the structure and feeling of what a Second Doctor take on this format would have been like (the only actual example from the TV show is The Highlanders, which is completely missing from the archives). Real historical personages are often presented from a somewhat cartoonish angle (especially Oliver Cromwell with his boil on the bum), and some fictional characters are added to the mix, including a pantomime pirate captain. But Gatiss does tackle the historical issues, and I'll give him full marks for the inclusion of Sir Thomas Fairfax, commander of the New Model Army, who is often overlooked in favour of his military adjutant Cromwell.
December 23, 2025
Mark Gatiss has a number of gifts as a writer, but the most underappreciated of them is his ability to capture the tone of a classic Doctor Who serial. Much as he did for the Third Doctor in Last of the Gaderene, he does a fantastic job of providing a story structure with which readers familiar with Patrick Troughton's era will recognize: arriving at a location, then breaking up the party and sending them on separate adventures connected by the central plot. He has an ear for the dialogue from that period as well, as his scenes with the Doctor and Jamie bantering and hamming up "the McCrimmon" as a seer somehow capture the chemistry the actors demonstrate on the show. Add to that a historically-centered episode that doesn't allow itself to be burdened down by events, and the result is one of the best of the Past Doctor Adventures novels.
September 16, 2025
If I had a nickel for every time the Doctor was locked up in Renaissance England and enacted an elaborate plan of escape only for someone to reveal the door was unlocked the entire time, I would have two nickels.
Good novel. Forced me to confront how little I know about the English Civil Wars.
Good novel. Forced me to confront how little I know about the English Civil Wars.
April 9, 2024
I’ve a soft spot for historical adventures, especially where Doctor Who (a time travel show!) seems all too skittish about embracing them, and this third Who novel from Mark Gatiss is a great example of the format. Plonked down into the 17th century, days away from the death of Charles I, the Second Doctor and friends are woefully ill-equipped with historical nous and soon end to inveigled in plots, piracy and pretend precognition. The impending death of the King looms overhead, and threatens not to happen at all at one point. It’s a rollicking story with a lot of colourful prose and well-observed character moments for the regulars. A highlight of the range.
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1145131.html?#cutid1[return][return]Gatiss takes the Second Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie back to late 1648 for a pure historical story: they get involved with Oliver Cromwell and a plot to liberate Charles I from captivity. I'll have to say up front that this didn't completely work for me. Simon Guerrier handled this period (setting his story a year later, and the other side of the Irish Sea) far better in The Settling; Gatiss's characters talk like history lessons (apart from his rollicking sailors). In addition, the precepts of historical Who stories are somewhat violated by allowing Richard Cromwell to read a history of the Civil War (though this is dealt with) and, rather more dramatically, having Charles I's escape plan succeed, if only temporarily, provoking the Doctor to intervene rather un-Doctorishly to put history back on track (indeed the last few chapters have everyone acting a bit out of character). Also Gatiss seems a bit hazy about the location of the Solent, which appears in his account to be somewhere in the London suburbs.[return][return]There are some nice bits too. Ben falls in with the aforementioned rollicking sailors and goes to Amsterdam and back. Polly has an almost-romance with a young man called Whyte, which I found personally amusing. Charles I himself is moderately well-rounded as a character. So it's not awful, just not as good as it might have been.
July 28, 2014
Maybe it was because I had low expectations and expected a boring historical story akin to "The Reign of Terror" (ducking now to avoid the eggs being thrown), but Mark Gatiss hits it out of the park with this one. It remains only one of two historical adventures written solely for the books and for me is perhaps the best historical "Doctor Who" adventure yet. The treatment for this story is an episode for disaster, with too many characters, a hokey subplot involving pirates, and the assumption that the reader knows something about English history to understand what's going on. Nevertheless, like a creamy risotto, Gatiss handles the subject matter with an elegant ease that makes this story digestible. The story works on a number of different levels, perhaps the greatest being that the Doctor and his friends unintentionally alter the course of history and are forced to put it right again, even if it means siding with forces that may not necessarily be on the good side. If I had to say anything critical about this story, it would be the over-abundance of pirate tropes, but it's still all good. Obviously, recommended.
May 7, 2015
I listened to the audio version of this read by Anneke Wills. It probably took at least 3 times as long listening to it as reading it would have but she did a wonderful job. There were so many voices which brought the different characters to life. There were really two stories here, The doctor, Jamie, Polly and Oliver and the King and Ben and the Pirates! I must admit I enjoyed the Ben and the pirates story more than the other one. I loved him hanging out with the old woman pirate. She was fantastic (and Hilarious to hear Anneke's impressions of). The main plot of the Cromwell vs the King conspiracies seemed to drag on a little. But it was decent intrigue. Polly did very well in getting mixed up in it all, Jamie and the Doctor's side was a little more dull, the Boys Book on the Civil War while an interesting idea seemed to drag on way longer than was really necessary. Still I enjoyed hearing Anneke read this and hope the BBC will get her to do more audio books for them.
September 27, 2012
An average Doctor Who story, set in the time of the English Civil War.
The time travlers are split up; we follow Ben Jackson's adventures on a mysterious ship. The Doctor and Jaime are in London Tower , suspected of treason; and Polly is swept up in a plot between the forces of Cromwell and King Charles I.
The characterization of the se cond Doctor is acceptable, but he is not 'on stage' very much and has little to do. The plot has a few really rough spots. Not a bad book--but very little to lift it out of the ordinary.
Worth reading once for fans of Doctor Who.
The time travlers are split up; we follow Ben Jackson's adventures on a mysterious ship. The Doctor and Jaime are in London Tower , suspected of treason; and Polly is swept up in a plot between the forces of Cromwell and King Charles I.
The characterization of the se cond Doctor is acceptable, but he is not 'on stage' very much and has little to do. The plot has a few really rough spots. Not a bad book--but very little to lift it out of the ordinary.
Worth reading once for fans of Doctor Who.
March 27, 2021
The Roundheads is a pretty standard pure historical, suitable for a Second Doctor adventure and not a bad nor a standout story. The good points and bad points evened this out to three stars for me.
The good - we've got three companions with Jamie joining Ben and Polly, all of the characters are generally very recognisable throughout, Ben winds up in a very apt situation and Polly gets an active role.
The bad - the story lacked intrigue for me and I thought the writing was a little bland with many poorly chosen adjectives.
The good - we've got three companions with Jamie joining Ben and Polly, all of the characters are generally very recognisable throughout, Ben winds up in a very apt situation and Polly gets an active role.
The bad - the story lacked intrigue for me and I thought the writing was a little bland with many poorly chosen adjectives.
August 15, 2015
Another wonderful effort from the pen of Mark Gatiss. This time, rather than an ode to a particular era, it's more a celebration of old-school "Doctor Who" historical stories from the 1960s, with a bit of extra modern bite to remind us that "romp" doesn't always mean "safe" when the Doctor and his friends goes back in time.
June 11, 2020
The Roundheads reads unmistakably as a Mark Gatiss novel. If you don't enjoy his writing style, this will not be the book to convince you otherwise, nor is it likely to lessen your opinion. I enjoy Gatiss style quite a lot and his characterisation for the Second Doctor, Jaime, Ben, and Polly are all excellent.
Though everything does come together at the end, a more accurate title may have been 'The Roundheads, and Ben's serendipitous side-quest to Holland'. Polly is given a chance to shine, never coming across as a damsel in distress and showing great initiative and kindness, while The Doctor and Jaime are always a delight together, and Ben is unceremoniously shunted off into a pirate adventure which pure narrative convenience dictates will be 'a surprise tool that will help us later'.
An understanding of this period in British history certainly helps with enjoyment, however, Gatiss strikes a good balance between providing necessary context and only giving the reader as much information as the characters actually know about their surroundings.
However, it is a spectacularly unmemorable novel. Having only moments ago finished the book, the extent of my memory is the synopsis and a handful of tongue in canon's cheek lines. "The Doctor chuckled. 'You don't think a little elementary hypnosis is beyond me, do you? I knew someone ages ago who taught me. Of course, he was an absolute master...'"
Though everything does come together at the end, a more accurate title may have been 'The Roundheads, and Ben's serendipitous side-quest to Holland'. Polly is given a chance to shine, never coming across as a damsel in distress and showing great initiative and kindness, while The Doctor and Jaime are always a delight together, and Ben is unceremoniously shunted off into a pirate adventure which pure narrative convenience dictates will be 'a surprise tool that will help us later'.
An understanding of this period in British history certainly helps with enjoyment, however, Gatiss strikes a good balance between providing necessary context and only giving the reader as much information as the characters actually know about their surroundings.
However, it is a spectacularly unmemorable novel. Having only moments ago finished the book, the extent of my memory is the synopsis and a handful of tongue in canon's cheek lines. "The Doctor chuckled. 'You don't think a little elementary hypnosis is beyond me, do you? I knew someone ages ago who taught me. Of course, he was an absolute master...'"
December 6, 2024
I was so disappointed in this book! I normally like Mark Gatiss' writings and this book not only stars one of the top TARDIS crews it is also one of the rare "pure-historical" stories, so it really should be right up my alley. Adding to that Polly going off on her own to show her as more than a pretty face, and Ben getting to live the sailors life - how can it be such a bad time?
1) For a pure-historical is cares next to nothing for historical accuracy.
2) Ben's - totally understandable - negative reaction to the violence of a pirate's life makes that side story sad and disgusting to read.
3) Captain Sal Winters might be a powerful female captain in a time were most women had no power over their own life, but she is first and foremost a FAT woman, which is mentioned in every single sentence with her! Even her tongue is fat, however that works.
4) There are so many things that are mentioned once and then never come up again, or end up having no real importance (I am looking at you Kemp and your "dark trauma" among others)
5) The ending is a non-ending! It really seems like Gatiss just hit his page goal, and thought "that will do - time for them to leave".
6) The ending to Ben's story is the worst example of cliché meets cop-out I've read in a while. Maybe Gatiss realised that he had written himself in to a corner and suddenly remembered that he had to stick to canon and so came up with this excuse for a solution.
1) For a pure-historical is cares next to nothing for historical accuracy.
2) Ben's - totally understandable - negative reaction to the violence of a pirate's life makes that side story sad and disgusting to read.
3) Captain Sal Winters might be a powerful female captain in a time were most women had no power over their own life, but she is first and foremost a FAT woman, which is mentioned in every single sentence with her! Even her tongue is fat, however that works.
4) There are so many things that are mentioned once and then never come up again, or end up having no real importance (I am looking at you Kemp and your "dark trauma" among others)
5) The ending is a non-ending! It really seems like Gatiss just hit his page goal, and thought "that will do - time for them to leave".
6) The ending to Ben's story is the worst example of cliché meets cop-out I've read in a while. Maybe Gatiss realised that he had written himself in to a corner and suddenly remembered that he had to stick to canon and so came up with this excuse for a solution.
March 4, 2024
The TARDIS brings the travellers to England, just after the Civil War with Parliament deciding what to do with defeated King Charles.
This book feels more like a Hartnell story than a Troughton one as it is pure historical without any science fiction fixes. But it fits as a Troughton story in the same way that TV story The Highlanders does.
It feels odd the Doctor not knowing the preciseness of the English Civil War, having to rely on a book to aid him. But this is also refreshing, knowing that there are areas the Doctor isn't an expert on.
This story has something for everyone. A 'boy's own' piratical adventure with Ben, kidnapped and at sea; political intrigue with the Doctor and Jamie at Oliver Cromwell's 'court'; awareness of life in those days through Polly's eyes; and the dangers of knowing the future from Cromwell's son, Richard.
Add to that a few shocks which are thrown in, such as King Charles's escape from Cromwell, planning to renew the civil war.
This all makes for an exciting adventure. 8/10
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.
This book feels more like a Hartnell story than a Troughton one as it is pure historical without any science fiction fixes. But it fits as a Troughton story in the same way that TV story The Highlanders does.
It feels odd the Doctor not knowing the preciseness of the English Civil War, having to rely on a book to aid him. But this is also refreshing, knowing that there are areas the Doctor isn't an expert on.
This story has something for everyone. A 'boy's own' piratical adventure with Ben, kidnapped and at sea; political intrigue with the Doctor and Jamie at Oliver Cromwell's 'court'; awareness of life in those days through Polly's eyes; and the dangers of knowing the future from Cromwell's son, Richard.
Add to that a few shocks which are thrown in, such as King Charles's escape from Cromwell, planning to renew the civil war.
This all makes for an exciting adventure. 8/10
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.
November 8, 2020
A fun Troughton historical, this follows the pattern of some of the later tv historicals by being more in line with classic children’s historical adventures than history per se. There is some standard stuff - n o more navy/ pirate/ slave trader ships please.
But there are some great moments too. The Stuart period is a very personal one for a Jacobite companion, which makes it a bit odd that it’s Polly, not Jamie, who is enmeshed in a plot to save the king. Polly, the sixties city girl, wonders if her little life can change things but knows in her heart she’s on the wrong side of history. Cromwell’s son finds a dangerously anachronistic discarded history book and despairs of the future. Oliver Cromwell ponders the future as the king is executed .
And Ben does boring stuff on a ship . Oh well.
But there are some great moments too. The Stuart period is a very personal one for a Jacobite companion, which makes it a bit odd that it’s Polly, not Jamie, who is enmeshed in a plot to save the king. Polly, the sixties city girl, wonders if her little life can change things but knows in her heart she’s on the wrong side of history. Cromwell’s son finds a dangerously anachronistic discarded history book and despairs of the future. Oliver Cromwell ponders the future as the king is executed .
And Ben does boring stuff on a ship . Oh well.
May 30, 2019
Brilliant!!! I really enjoyed this book. I have a big love of the seventeenth century and was pleased to discover that this wasn’t just an adventure which happened to include the Roundhead army, but that History and the characters within were woven, incredibly, successfully throughout.
I don’t know how much you’d appreciate this book without more than passing knowledge of the Civil Wars though.
Gatiss writes for this TARDIS team beautifully, neatly capturing their voices throughout. At no point is any one of them a spare part, but all have their stories to tell and their own adventures to embark on.
This has been my favourite of the Past Doctor Adventures range that I’ve read so far. It was incredibly exciting and well characterised.
I don’t know how much you’d appreciate this book without more than passing knowledge of the Civil Wars though.
Gatiss writes for this TARDIS team beautifully, neatly capturing their voices throughout. At no point is any one of them a spare part, but all have their stories to tell and their own adventures to embark on.
This has been my favourite of the Past Doctor Adventures range that I’ve read so far. It was incredibly exciting and well characterised.
December 29, 2019
A Gatiss penned outing for the 2nd Dr and an encounter with Oliver Cromwell and Civil War shenanigans. Relatively unfamiliar companions Ben and Polly encounter press ganging and Cavalier conspiracies leaving the Doctor and Jamie to impress Richard and Oliver Cromwell with their uncanny ability to see into the future.
As always with Gatiss there are twists and a touch of the gothic as well as a definite devotion to and healthy respect for the subject matter. Highly enjoyable hokum.
As always with Gatiss there are twists and a touch of the gothic as well as a definite devotion to and healthy respect for the subject matter. Highly enjoyable hokum.
November 11, 2021
An excellent Second Doctor novel set during the Civil war period. I really enjoyed this, the characterisation of the Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie were perfect, and the description made me feel as if I were in 1648 London with the characters.
The plot was excellent, left me riveted and wanting to find out what happened next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Doctor Who or the Civil war era.
The plot was excellent, left me riveted and wanting to find out what happened next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Doctor Who or the Civil war era.
July 24, 2023
This was a really random read on my part. I love sci fi and grew up watching Doctor Who. I went through a phase of absolutely loving it, I was the generation to watch Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant but I wouldn't say that had carried on through my adult life. But with that being said, I am a massive mood reader so when I saw this in my library I just decided to give it a go.
I did enjoy this read and would be inclined to read more of the series if the opportunity occurred again.
I did enjoy this read and would be inclined to read more of the series if the opportunity occurred again.
January 6, 2018
An interesting setting and the companions and the Doctor were well written. However, there was hardly any of the Doctor in the books, I thought more could have been done with the characters disrupting historical events (it felt more like a minor sub-plot), and the scenes with Ben and the pirates were really over the top and full of stereotypes. But it was a fun read :)
July 25, 2023
A lot of fun to read. Some great development for some of the leads. But the pacing is all over the place, especially in the ending. It’s also weirdly fat-phobic, and horny. Also sweeps a lot of weird misogyny under the rug in the last chapter. Still would have been a great historical on tv if you let a tv writer shore up the rougher edges.
January 23, 2024
I enjoyed this, but it was disjointed as ever, and it felt like about five different stories were happening at the same time.
It didn't help that I know little to nothing about the history behind this. George Washington didn't cross the Delaware to keep Americans up on British history, I guess.
It didn't help that I know little to nothing about the history behind this. George Washington didn't cross the Delaware to keep Americans up on British history, I guess.
September 29, 2019
I really enjoyed this! I thought it was very much Classic Who with a bit of flavor. It was cool to see Ben and Polly included too!
December 16, 2019
Excellent 2nd Doctor story set in the immediate aftermath of the English Civil War. A proper novel rather than conversion of a serial I understand, and it shows.
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