“AS ENTERTAINING AS SARUM AND RUTHERFURD’S OTHER SWEEPING NOVEL OF BRITISH HISTORY, LONDON.”–The Boston Globe“Engaging . . . A sprawling tome that combines fact with fiction and covers 900 years in the history of New Forest, a 100,000-acre woodland in southern England . . . Rutherfurd sketches the histories of six fictional families, ranging from aristocrats to peasants, who have lived in the … aristocrats to peasants, who have lived in the forest for generations. . . . But the real success is in how Rutherfurd paints his picture of the wooded enclave with images of treachery and violence, as well as magic and beauty.”
–The New York Post
“THE FOREST IS MICHENER TOLD WITH AN ENGLISH ACCENT.”
–St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“TALES OF LOVE AND HONOR, DECEIT AND VIOLENCE, INHERITANCE AND LOSS.”
–San Jose Mercury News
more
Each Edward Rutherford book is a gem. I loved how he included so much about nature & animals in The Forest. Whoever said, “Rutherford is the history teacher you wish you had” had it perfect. Hope that there will be more from him. His research is astounding, his writing beautiful.
Wonderful. Beautifully written.
Edward Rutherfurd is a fantastic author. His novels are long but worth the time and effort. If you are a fan of history with some historical fiction thrown in, he’s your go-to author.
great historical fiction
Rutherford tells sweeping historical stories through wonderful fictional characters. I read this book years ago but it still stays in head. And as a history buff I learned a lot about sweeping historical changes with every book Rutherford has written.
A real and comprehensive look into the march of time, with familial histories in Sherwood Forest. Very interesting as are all of Edward Rutherford’s books.
Author, Rutherfurd, has a unique style with classic tales – he divides history into familial chronologies – and covers time via genealogical overview (unusual but very effective). Liked this enough to give his “Sarum”, a 900 page familial history of England. Hey, style means something!
Great Return on Investment
This novel requires a little investment of time, but it is time well spent. Spanning the time from 1099 to 2000, Rutherfurd tells a story of how the New Forest evolved from a royal hunting range to a national treasure. Don’t let that fool you. The story is liberally sprinkled with fascinating, colorful characters from smugglers to landed gentry and no matter how insignificant a character may seem, each bears an important role in the stories of the people who were settled throughout and around the forest. The author legitimizes the liberties taken with history in his preface, but those liberties did not deter from the complete enjoyment of such an epic story. Kudos … I highly recommend it.
This book is filled with historical facts that teach you more than you ever could imagine.
Enjoyed this book a lot, but not as much as Sarum or London
Very slow, interesting because my home was in this area.
Rutherford writes wonderfully about England and its history in one corner of the country through the ages.
Historically broad in its information. I’ve liked other books by this writer more.
The idea that a forest and its inhabitants could be followed for 9 centuries was intriguing and well carried out. The story kept my attention for over 800 pages. A glossary of terms would have been helpful, as well as family trees.
Book is too long, and not one of Rutherford’s best.
Great historical fiction about an area of England I was not previously familiar with
Slow slow story.
Ruthford writes the best historical fiction. He brings the evolution of this planet to life for those of us that find text books tedious . Highly recommend it
Stunning amounts of research to give me knowledge of a part of England I didnt know. Nice links among the generations. Nice, readable style that flows through the years. If you liked “London,” you will like The Forest
This is a giant of a book about the New Forest in southern England from early settlement until the start of the 21st century. It follows several families over multiple generations, in what are essentially short stories tied together by the common location of the forest in which they live. The history of the area is very well presented and very interesting. I greatly enjoyed this book, as well as another by the same author, Sarum.