Council of the Cursed

Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne I picked up this novel at the Bookshop in Kinsale, Ireland. This particular historical novel is set in 670 A.D. and is one in a series of novels featuring Sister Fidelma of Cashel, a much more engaging protaganist than Bruno, the main character in Heresy (see previous post). Tremayne seamlessly blends church history (e.g., Pope Vitalian's efforts to impose Rome's authority over disparate western churches) and political intrigue (e.g., among Britons, Angles, Saxons and Celts). I enjoyed the independent attitude and tradition of the early Celtic church that Fidelma and her partner Eadulf represents. At that time the religious, monks, priests and nuns, were allowed to marry. In fact one of conflicts being proposed at the Council of Autun in the book is to have each of the christian churches adhere to a new pledge of celibacy. The Celtic church held women in higher esteem than the Church of Rome. So it was difficult for Bishop Leodagar, representing the church of Rome, who had assembled the church leaders for this Council, to ask Fidelma and Eadulf, because of their reputation as sleuths, to help solve the murder of one of the delegates at the council. Leodagar is forced to give Fidelma, a woman, the right to roam the abbey and to question any of the priests or monks in attendance. Fidelma is pressed into service to solve the mystery so the Council to continue their sessions in order to report the results of their unification back to Rome. There is plenty of historical, political and religious conflict to go along with the whodunit portion of the story. Fidelma's ability to best her opponents, whether in argument, strategy or audacity, makes her a heroine for any age.

Heresy by S. J. Parris

Heresy by S. J. Parris

This was one novel that did not live up to its synopsis or its cover. According to the publisher's description, a fugitive Italian monk, Giordano Bruno, a philosopher and heretical scientist, was excommunicated by the Catholic Church, because he questions the Church's stand on issues that are better defined and explained by science. Plus he was in possession of a banned manuscript, which places him in danger of prosecution by the Inquisition. Bruno, based on a real monk, flees Italy one step ahead of the Inquisition. Once again it sounds great, and apparently this part of the novel is based on real events in Giordano Bruno's life. Bruno flees to England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for a debate at Oxford University, which recently underwent a purge of any Catholic loyalist professors. Most of the sitting professors chose to sign allegiance to the Church of England. Bruno is recruited by Francis Wallsingham (advisor to Queen Elizabeth) to watch members of the faculty for any indication of a Catholic plot to overthrow the monarchy. But his mission is thrown off course by a series of grisly murders. My biggest complaint is not with the plot, which does become a little convoluted, and a bit bizarre at times. Instead my problem is with the main character Bruno. Contrary to how the Washington Post says Parris portrays Bruno as, "sly, agile intelligence", I found him to be somewhat hapless and naive, bumbling from one situation or predicament to another. He even bumbles his debate against the Dean at Oxford University regarding the scientific view on Universe versus the religious view of the universe. Skip this novel and save your time for another historical novel, entitled Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne.

Searching for Schindler

Searching for Schindler by Thomas Keneally

Here is another example of how a movie I saw many years ago has influenced or motivated me to locate more information about the subject of the movie. Ever since I saw Schindler's List, the Steven Spielberg masterpiece, I have not only read the book on which the movie is based, but I have read several other books about this amazing story.

The original story, Schindler's List or Schindler's Ark (Keneally's original title), is a phenomenal piece of literature. Ironically, and I remember wondering about this when I first read the book, it is classified as fiction. If you want to know the reason for this classification, you should pick up this book, Searching for Schindler. This is the story about how an Australian writer, Keneally, learned about this Nazi opportunist, researched his story, and interviewed many of the Schindler Juden throughout the world.

Thomas Keneally met Leopold “Poldek” Pfefferberg, the owner of a Beverly Hills luggage shop, in 1981 when he was searching for a new briefcase. Poldek, a Polish Jew and a Holocaust survivor, had a tale he wanted the world to know. The phenomenal success of the book and the film all hinges on this charming, charismatic, and persistent luggage shop owner in Beverly Hills. Poldek convinced Keneally to relate the incredible story of the all-drinking, womanizing, all-black-marketeering Nazi, Oskar Schindler. In spite of these "character flaws", Poldek states, "to me he was Jesus Christ.”

Searching for Schindler is the engrossing chronicle of Keneally’s pursuit of one of history’s most fascinating and paradoxical heroes. Any fan of the book or the movie will enjoy reading about the back story.

The Life and Times of an Irish Crime Reporter

Veronica Guerin by Emily O'Reilly

As I have said many times before, movies frequently trigger what I read. In the case of this book, it was two movies that triggered my search for books about this story. I first learned of this story, when I happened to have rented the movie, When the Sky Falls with Joan Allen in the lead role, in 2001. Allen plays a public relations agent turned journalist, Sinead Hamilton, who becomes appalled at the corruption and drug trafficking occurring in the capital city of Ireland. This movie, based on the true story of Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, came out just a year after the death of Guerin.

After I saw the movie, Veronica Guerin by Joel Schumacher, two years later, I knew I had to find out more about this person. I eventually was able to get my hands on this book by Emily O'Reilly, and another one, entitled Evil Empire: The Irish Mob and the Assassination of Journalist Veronica Guerin by Paul Williams. (I have not yet read this book).

The book (above) by O'Reilly is not a biography. Instead it is a critical analysis of Guerin's journalistic practices and her newspaper's (Sunday Independent) lack of editorial control and ethical standards. While O'Reilly praises Guerin for being a good journalist and writer, she accuses her of using unethical and risky methods to obtain information. O'Reilly also asserts that the Sunday Independent was aware of the dangers facing Guerin but did nothing to protect her.

Admittedly, I was taken aback by the direction of this book. But I decided, as a former journalist, that I needed to look at both sides of the story and controversy that has surrounded Veronica Guerin's tragic death. Kirkus Reviews calls O'Reilly's book, "A shallow, one-sided, and gratuitous indictment of slain Irish crime reporter Veronica Guerin and the Sunday Independent newspaper." The Sunday Independent is described by O'Reilly as a tabloid like paper only interested in sensationalizing stories and relating gossip. The author accuses the paper of intentionally using Guerin's determined approach in getting the story in order to market her as a crusading media star, only exposing her to more danger. To a certain extent O'Reilly does present a valid argument. This should not diminish the tragic circumstances and one's admiration for a real journalist who risked her life to get the whole story.

The movie is a must see. When I get a chance to read the Evil Empire book, I will let you know how that book presents Veronica Guerin's life.

The O'Sullivan March

March into Oblivion by Michael J. Carroll

Not many people are aware of this particular event in Irish history, unless of course you are Irish. I first became aware of this particular event when I came upon a novel by Morgan Llywelyn, entitled "The Last Prince of Ireland". The last prince refers to Donal Cam O'Sullivan.
(So you can understand what enticed me to read this novel about ten years ago).

Our recent trip to Ireland last summer and a stop in Kinsale, County Cork, resurrected this story for me. The story of The O'Sullivan's last march is directly tied to the Battle of Kinsale. Donal Cam brought his forces from the west coast area of Bantry Bay down to the southern coast at Kinsale to join with the northern clans who marched the length of Ireland to join up with the Spanish troops, pinned down at Kinsale by the English. The Irish clans saw this as a perfect opportunity to join their forces with the Spanish in an effort to defeat the English.

The history of Ireland has its share of tragedies, but none is more poignant, or more decisive, than the battle of Kinsale. It was at Kinsale that the Gaelic nobility was resolutely crushed by the English invaders. This defeat led to nearly four hundred years of English domination.

Donal Cam, determined after the battle not to surrender his homeland, flees with his clan to the Ulster Province in the north of Ireland to join forces with the clans of Red Hugh O'Neill and Hugh O'Donnell, with whom he fought beside at Kinsale. This is a considerably shorter novel than Llywelyn's "Last Prince of Ireland", but equally and as meticulously based on documented historical data.

City of Shadows

City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin

The one aspect of this novel I really enjoyed was how Franklin recreated the environment, the mood or atmosphere of post World War I Germany. The German government is in crisis, inflation is staggering, anti-Semitism is rife, citizens are starving and Hitler has begun his rise to power. With the resurgence of fanatical groups in this country and others over the past decade, I have often wondered how a person like Adolph Hitler could possibly have come to power. How could an educated German populace buy into and allow a fanatic such as Hitler to gain power? Franklin does a tremendous job of using her major characters to reveal how citizens of Berlin were thinking and feeling in regards to the political and economic situation in Berlin. There are some scenes in her novel that are riveting and ominous at the same time. Such as when one burned out police detective, sitting in the back corner of a cafe' near police headquarters, warns the main character Inspector Schmidt of the insidious nature of the Nazi party. Using extensive research, Franklin evokes the hectic, Cabaret mood of 1920s Berlin and the growing appeal to the Germans of Hitler's brand of aggressive nationalism. You come away with a greater understanding of how someone like Hitler, in the wake of the hyper-inflation and shame arising from defeat in World War I, was able to gain control and convince the German people that he had the answers. Frightening and Chilling!

With that as a backdrop, Franklin intricately weaves a murder mystery and a hunt for a serial killer with the Nazi's rise to power. Kirkus sums up the plot with these two questions, Could one of the Czar's daughters have survived the massacre of the Russian royal family at Ekaterinburg? And who is the hulking murderer slaughtering women in the German capital? I will admit that the initial plot using the "possible existence" of Anastasia, daughter of the last Czar, at first almost turned me away from this historical thriller by Franklin. But in the end there is a lot to enjoy in this well researched, atmospheric novel.

NOTE: I have posted previous reviews of the author's Mistress of the Art of Death. You can read about those Ariana Franklin novels by clicking on the May 2010 postings.

Little Known Women in History

If you have followed this blog, you will remember that I commented on how my reading interests are often influenced by movies I have seen. This particular post will deal with two dominant women from the past, but probably little known. They are: Hypatia and Grace O'Malley.

After seeing the film, "Agora", I became interested in learning more about the tragic heroine of that film, Hypatia. So I decided to track down any books I could find about this extraordinary woman from Alexandria, Egypt. First I read:

Title: Hypatia of Alexandria / Maria Dzielska ; translated by F. Lyra.

Then I read: Hypatia of Alexandria: mathematician and martyr / Michael A.B. Deakin. Both of these books are more scholarly works from academians who have studied Hypatia and her influence on mathematics, philosophy and astronomy.

If you go into the library's Biography in Context, you will obtain articles from several reference sources, including the Encyclopedia of World Biography, Notable Mathematicians and Astronomy and Space: from the Big Bang to the Big Crunch.

The other nonfiction story about a little known woman of history was:

Ireland's Pirate Queen: The True Story of Grace O'Malley, 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers

Born in 1530, the daughter of an Irish chieftain, she inherited her father's taste for the seafaring life and eventually took command of his fleet of galleys and their hard-bitten, all-male crews. For fifty years she traded the clan's produce in Ireland, Scotland, and Spain, skillfully practiced the time-honored craft of piracy and plundering, and led rebellions against the invading English.
On land and sea she was a fearless leader, a political pragmatist, a ruthless mercenary, and a shrewd negotiator -- as shown in her fabled meeting with her rival and protector, Queen Elizabeth. And yet, as thrilling and fascinating as her life story is, what happened to her after her life is equally instructive.
She was literally "disappeared" from the pages of history, ignored by the official chroniclers and omitted from the great books of Irish and English history. Obviously, a woman who challenged the might of England and the traditional power of men -- a woman who did not let religious, social, or political convention get in her way -- could not be tolerated. But Grace O'Malley could not be erased from the hearts of her countrymen. Granuaile became a beloved figure in Irish folklore, the subject of countless stories, songs, and poems (several of which are included in this book's appendix).