A masterpiece of breathtaking scope—a brilliantly conceived epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history This ebook edition features a new introduction by the author in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of Sarum. This rich tapestry weaves a compelling saga of five families—the Wilsons, the Masons, the family of Porteus, the Shockleys, and the Godfreys—who reflect the … Shockleys, and the Godfreys—who reflect the changing character of Britain. As their fates and fortunes intertwine over the course of the centuries, their greater destinies offer a fascinating glimpse into the future. An absorbing historical chronicle, Sarum is a keen tale of struggle and adventure, a profound human drama, and a magnificent work of sheer storytelling.
Praise for Sarum
“Bursts with action, encyclopedic in historic detail . . . supremely well crafted and a delight to read.”—Chicago Tribune
“A fascinating journey . . . a clear yet sparkling window upon history with a superb narrative, so perfectly balanced between history and fiction that it clears away the mists of time from antiquity, giving the reader the impression that events over a span of ten centuries occurred only yesterday.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Strong . . . appealing . . . I haven’t read so satisfactory a saga in years . . . in fact, perhaps not ever before. . . . It gives you not only history but comfort.”—Chicago Sun-Times
“[Edward] Rutherfurd holds us all consistently intrigued. In Sarum he has created a splendid novel that will bring many hours of diversified reading pleasure.”—The Plain Dealer
“A richly imagined vision of history, written with genuine delight.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Rutherfurd is at his best. . . . His storytelling skills are substantial. . . . One of the best books of the season.”—Kansas City Star
“Absorbing . . . a superior historical novel . . . This blockbuster saga should appeal to discriminating readers, since Rutherfurd has an excellent grasp of his subject and a compelling story to tell.”—Publishers Weekly
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As a person who loves ‘historical novels’ Sarum in right up there at the top. While being entertained by fictional storyline characters interacting with historical fact the reader learns something while enjoying a great story. Highly recommended for those readers who want to view of today’s world by comparing to the events of history. Sometimes …
I was disappointed with Sarum, especially after seeing the high ratings from others. As historical fiction, the book dwells in a lot of detail in the personal lives of a few of the (fictional) characters, and so is more speculative than I prefer with this genre.
The author traces the history of one place in England through the eons. I like the way the characters continue to show traces, physical and in their personalities, of their ancestors, even though they may not even be aware of their lineage.
Sarum was a thoroughly fascinating tour de force through British history. The book follows the lives of several families from prehistoric through more modern times and intertwines their personal stories with historic events that are occurring simultaneously. It was a long book, however, it held my interest throughout, I found it very entertaining …
This is a long book, thousands of years long, but the author is skillful in interweaving characters, place, history and plot so it is not boring. I learned a tremendous amount and missed the story when it ended.
After reading over 1000 pages and constantly referring to the beginning of the book, I found the ending very disappointing. Had I known that, I would never even started reading the book.
Historical novel of the development of early society in early England. It begins in prehistoric times and goes though the 18th century.
Such a good book! So much to learn. Believable. Wonderful story of a time gone by, interlaced with factual information about the architecture, building methods, tools, and life at the time.
The author of this book never fails to astound me! After reading his books New York and his book on Russia I was excited to read Sarum and I was not disappointed. His research is astounding.
Epic. Like an educational, historical documentary with fictional characters woven through it. Seems well-researched.
Had to tackle this nearly 2400 page epic for the second time. Wonderful imagining of life through many centuries.
Excellent historic book. Made me aware of the history of England and Europe in a way that was personal
and interesting.
Great English history in novel form!
A sweeping and ambitious history of the Salisbury area of England from the Ice Age to the 1800’s. The author provides lots of factual information and intersperses it with tales of the lives and progress of five families. Well worth the effort to read 1,000!pages.
This was a long book, and needed total involvement to follow all the time frames and multiple characters from many generations. i enjoyed the history of settlement of Great Britain, and the explanations of class, peerage, etc. Good background for many other books.
This is truly an epic – 897 pages when I read it the first time in paper. An amazingly well researched, engrossing “history” of a magical place in England. The author created some very believable characters back into pre-history and carried their descendants forward through all of history, in an engaging and thoroughly entertaining manner. Of …
If you like Michener’s books you’ll like this one
My issue with this incredibly researched book is that the author got lost between the worlds of history and fiction, instead of blending the two. Because he packed so many eras into one book, I was unable to stay emotionally engaged with the fictional characters and their stories. Just as I began to empathize, their story would end and I was flung …
At times this became a very tedious book to read. Parts were quite interesting, but the author got bogged down in minutia. Maybe a tad bit too ambitious.
Very slow. Very fragmented. Tried but could not finish reading this book. I gave it a giod try; read 75% before I decided it just wasn’t wirth it