I was taking history and literature courses.

What does this have to do with anything? Well. I had JUST decided to become an English major and a History minor. (It had been a bestseller.) It was my first Rutherfurd novel, and it certainly wasn't my last. I first read London back when it was first published in paperback. I won't lie and say it covers each and every century between the two, but if you're looking to fill in the gaps of your knowledge of the British empire, then London is a good place to start.ī) you like viewing life in terms of the 'big picture'Ĭ) you like reading stories of human nature-the good, the bad, the ugly-what makes us humanĭ) you like family sagas that trace particular families through generations and generations and more generations.Į) you really want to grasp and understand the royal lines from beginning to end (because goodness knows this knowledge is oh-so-practical) Roughly speaking, it begins in 54 B.C., and ends in the midst of World War II, 1941. It encompasses many times, many cultures, many subjects. Many times since the Earth was young, the place had lain under the sea. Once or twice the social, political and economic factors overshadow the fictional families, but that is almost inevitable when even the best fiction comes up against such an impressive spectrum of historical fact.'.Rutherfurd, Edward.

'With confidence and skill, Rutherfurd has separated those layers and produced a remarkable story of a great city. Īlso the Virginia Pilot said of the novel: Rutherfurd is adept at showing how all classes throughout history, from slaves to kings, have contributed to London's development'. all manner of people with all kinds of backgrounds. Reception 'ide range of characters that the readers will either love or hate. Historical figures, such as Julius Caesar, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, and Pocahontas, make appearances alongside fictional characters and historical kings and queens of England.

Segovax becomes the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families, prominent fictional families woven into the novel. The novel begins with the birth of the River Thames and moves to 54 B.C., detailing the life of Segovax, a curious character with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair. London is a historical novel by Edward Rutherfurd published in 1997, which charts the history of London from 54 B.C.

Edward rutherfurd london review