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Book Review
Aug. 12th, 2009 08:42 pmA Bloody Field by Shrewsbury
by Edith Pargeter
Pargeter is one of the best historical novelists - my only disappointment with her is that she is deceased and thus will not be writing more books. This novel covers the lead-up to and the battle between Henry IV and Harry Hotspur at Shrewsbury in 1403. Pargeter's main concern is the relationships between Hotspur, Henry IV and Prince Henry: a fascinating triangle of loyalty, admiration, and affection held taught by tensions, jealousies, and anxieties. Hotspur comes off as a deeply honorable man of intense if simple integrity, Henry IV as a man soured and corrupted by the consequences of his own ambition, and Prince Henry as a shrewd boy growing into a young man keenly aware of his moral and political responsibilities. Pargeter has a keen eye for the complexities of character and action, and a good understanding of the political workings of the time.
by Edith Pargeter
Pargeter is one of the best historical novelists - my only disappointment with her is that she is deceased and thus will not be writing more books. This novel covers the lead-up to and the battle between Henry IV and Harry Hotspur at Shrewsbury in 1403. Pargeter's main concern is the relationships between Hotspur, Henry IV and Prince Henry: a fascinating triangle of loyalty, admiration, and affection held taught by tensions, jealousies, and anxieties. Hotspur comes off as a deeply honorable man of intense if simple integrity, Henry IV as a man soured and corrupted by the consequences of his own ambition, and Prince Henry as a shrewd boy growing into a young man keenly aware of his moral and political responsibilities. Pargeter has a keen eye for the complexities of character and action, and a good understanding of the political workings of the time.
