#255 The Sound and the Fury (1929) [Revisited]

Author: William Faulkner
Title: The Sound and the Fury
Genre: Novel
Year: 1929
Origin: a fantastic and astonishing birthday present
Nod Rating: 5 nods out of 5

 

The Sound and the Fury is the Worm’s most favoured novel. Yes, it was reviewed only three or so years ago on this very blog (scoring 5 nods out of 5). In almost five years of reading and reviewing on this blog Faulkner’s novel is the first book in which the Worm has returned (although there have been temptations in other directions). At the time – June 2011 – the Worm was positive in his applause: ‘a breath-taking must-read of a novel’. And he remains incredibly positive about this novel. It is set in the American south in the 1920s, centring on the Compson family; divided into four parts, each one is told from the viewpoint of one of the Compson brothers, each building on their obsession with southern values and their vivacious sister, Caddy.

So, why return to this novel, the Worm hears you ask. Principally the return is due to a new reading experience. In the summer of 2012 the Worm was presented with a particular edition of Faulkner’s novel; the key difference being that it was printed in coloured ink, just as Faulkner had initially intended (the idea was scotched due to the price of printing it in this manner). The colour itself was used in order to differentiate between the vast and jutting time shifts in the book’s first section, otherwise italicised in editions between the 1930s to the present day. Faulkner himself rued his overturned choice: ‘I wish publishing was advanced enough to use coloured ink… I’ll just have to save the idea until publishing grows up to it.’

It was interesting re-reading this novel with Faulkner’s idea fully realised. The shifts in time flowed more easily (as is needed in Benjy’s opening section; on first reading many years ago the Worm was almost dissuaded from ploughing on after becoming annoyed in the first ten pages). Furthermore, it was also a thrill knowing that the book was limited in number (only 1,480 copies printed); the book now takes pride of place in the Worm’s make-shift library.

Of good value was an accompany commentary volume: another 230 pages offering notes and description on the novel. The Worm re-read this novel slowly, centring on pages at a time, rather than whole chapters or tens of pages at a time. In this way, he completed re-reading the book in the space of eighteen months, using the commentary volume in order to add even greater depth to his understanding. During this reading process – completely new to the Worm – he was reminded of a documentary in which a book-reading group met up once a month to read two or three pages of James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. The Finnegan’s Wake Society is worldwide, with one group in Brisbane, Australia, predicting that it would take them until 2039 to complete the book!

The Sound and the Fury is a book that has been enjoyed at every reading; the Worm fancies creating up a society to rival that of Finnegan’s Wake. But, of course, he is much too greedy a reader to move at the dictates of others. However, the Worm is generous enough to suggest to everyone to pick up a copy of this book whenever the opportunity presents itself: only a few reads are so intense that the reader is unable to shift them from their mind.

 

Read the original review of The Sound and the Fury here

Further information on this edition of the book here

#254 Elizabeth's Spy Master (2006)

Author: Robert Hutchinson
Title: Elizabeth’s Spy Master
Genre: History/Biography
Year: 2006
Pages: 350
Origin: bought from the Works for £2.99
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 

A few weeks previously the Worm read another Tudor based book written by Robert Hutchinson (Young Henry). The Worm was slightly unflattering with his review, concluding it with the words: ‘there is little need in anyone picking up a copy of Hutchinson’s book in a hurry’. In fact, the Worm was reluctant to return to any Hutchinson book anytime soon, however, both Young Henry and this book, Elizabeth’s Spy Master, were bought together. It tugged at the Worm’s heartstrings to leave the latter book on the shelves, consigned to the forgotten corners and untouched for many book reading years to come. So, guilt won out. But the Worm is thankful for this. Hutchinson’s Elizabeth’s Spy Master is a far superior book on many levels. Allow him to explain in greater detail.

The book is centred on the life and times of Sir Francis Walsingham. He is noted as one of the great statesmen of his age; alongside William Cecil and the Earl of Leicester he formed the bedrock on which the success of the Elizabethan state was built. He graduated up the slippery slope of politics until he became indispensable throughout the 1570s and 1580s, particularly in the administration of the country. However, it is within his role as “spy master” and thrawting Catholic plots in which he is popularly known. Hutchinson argues the case that Walsingham is ‘one of the great unknown heroes of English history. By right, he should rank with Horatio Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and even Sir Winston Churchill as one of the great patriotic defenders, against all-comers, of this island state.’

However, Walsingham appears not to have obtained his due by the public (although this is a different matter with historians and academics). Hutchinson believes this is due to him being ‘a man very much of the shadows’, and his book is an account of his shadowing doings and dealings.

The experience of reading the book is slightly jarring: it knows not if it is a biography or a history book analysing the period under question. Of course, Walsingham himself was tightly woven into the nation’s fortunes; as such, as with any political history, the reader must follow the great events. Hutchinson uses the Catholic plots against the country as a rough framework, building up a traditional biographical narrative as we reach the 1580s and the strife and drama of the Babington Plot. This in turn witnesses the trail and execution of Mary Queen of Scots, perhaps Walsingham’s greatest success. The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 serves as a climax, all before the death of the great man having tasted victory.

Due to much of the information on Walsingham’s personality and own thoughts are now seemingly lost to history, Hutchinson attempts to compensate by dragging the reader – kicking and screaming – into the dirty underworld of the age. This includes the torture exacted on Catholic missionary priests and the ghastly deaths and confessions extracted. Hutchinson is keen to highlight Walsingham’s role as the Tudor age’s answer to James Bond by concentrating on his spy network (devoting a section at the book’s conclusion to various people connected to this).

Elizabeth’s Spy Master is an engaging read. It shines the light on a man unknown to most, whose deeds were of high importance to an Elizabethan state that was delicately placed in a hostile world. You may not be in a hurry to buy a copy, but if anyone is browsing the titles available in a well-stocked Works they could do little better than pick up this book.

Buy it here

#253 Marvel 1602 (2003)

Authors: Neil Gaiman (writer) & Andy Kubert (artist)
Title: Marvel 1602
Genre: Graphic Novel
Year: 2003
Pages: 250
Origin: read on the iPad
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 

As most of you review reading fans will know (the whole two of you, I believe) the Worm has a fondness for Tudor history as well as comic books. What better way to spend a weekend in reading Marvel’s own Marvel 1602. Yes, the title is rather bland and uninspiring, however the idea and overall execution was an interesting one to follow.

Marvel 1602 is an eight-issue comic book series released throughout 2003. Written by Neil Gaiman (a further enticement) it promised some intriguing and engaging ideas. Characters from the Marvel universe are transplanted to the end of the Tudor period. Queen Elizabeth is an aging and dying woman, assisted by Sir Nicholas Fury (who in turn is assisted by Spiderman’s Peter Parker as Peter Parquagh). The Fantastic Four are present, known as a sailors who went missing at sea, only to be discovered as the prisoners of – who else – the evil Doom. England is home to those who dare to dabble in magic, including Stephen Strange and many of the X-Men (led by Carlos Xavier). However, England is set against the Catholic reactionaries from across Europe, in particular the Inquisition years of Spain. The villains of the Marvel comic books fill the roles, notably that of Magneto as the Grand Inquisitor. This battle is played against the running out of a clock, as the world is speculated to soon self-destruct.

But rather than simple “good” versus “evil” (the life and blood battle for Marvel for six decades) the writers attempt to build a bridge between this alternative universe and the one played out week after week on comic book stands. As states the writer ‘We are the Marvel Universe. It’s 400 years ago. For reasons we do not yet understand, people and events are coming into existence at the wrong time.’ This is a theme returned to as the climax rises throughout the pages, with Dr Reed postulates:

‘We are a boatful of monsters and miracles, hoping that somehow, we can survive a world in which all hands are against us. A world which, by all evidence, will end extremely soon…. [We are] a universe in which no story can ever truly end; in which there can be only continuances.’

Unfortunately, not all of this is fully pulled off. Yes, the action is present, but the volume of characters overpowers any momentum. It is likely that when given the keys to the embarrassment of riches that are all Marvel characters Gaiman became greedy. The central idea of the universes colliding is never fully convincing, nor – it must be said – fully understood. Too much paint is thrown at the canvas, resulting in an admirable but wasted attempt.

Such a problem is seemingly corrected in later titles set within this universe, with concentration provided on particular characters (such as Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four). But the Worm will not be tempted to return for a second bite.

Buy it here

#252 Herland (1915)

Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Title: Herland
Genre: Science Fiction
Year: 1915
Pages: 150
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 5 nods out of 5

 

Some of the greatest reads are those stumbled upon by wonderful accident. Many moons ago the Worm had the pleasure of taking a university module on dystopian fiction; it involved the novels of George Orwell, Margaret Atwood and Angela Carter, whilst also including movies including the big hit The Matrix. In particular, the book of Atwood and Carter, dealing with issues of feminism, led the Worm to come across a tatty copy of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland in the library. It was consumed in a flash, and – in the spirit of all great reads – changed the philosophy of its reader.

Years later the Worm decided to return to Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In the past year her rousing short story – The Yellow Wallpaper – was read and enjoyed, but it failed to hit the highs of this earlier novel. Allow the Worm to outline the plot: three male adventurers come across a lost and forgotten land populated only by women. They first travel to the land firmly believing that they will conquer the females, and each of them – according to their profession – has a particular idea of femininity. Terry is the macho one of the trio and the man who has the luck with the ladies back home in America; his stance is shown in his words: ‘You’ll see… I’ll get solid with them all – and play one bunch against another. I’ll get myself elected king in no time – whew!’ Jeff, meanwhile, upholds female virtue, idolising their innocence. Vandyck, the novel’s narrator and affirmed “sociologist” is the middle-ground between these values and notions, leading the way for the demolition of these ideas as the novel progresses. The gender attributes they believed definite and carved in stone are revealed to be interchangeable. Rather than pathetic whelps the women of Herland hold an array of “masculine” qualities (such as intelligence and strength) whilst also being loving mothers.

Perkins Gilman has great fun in putting the male characters into the submissive position (being held prisoner after entering Herland). All of this leads Vandyck to reflect: ‘This led my very promptly to the conviction that those “feminine charms” we are so fond of are not feminine at all, but merely reflected masculinity – developed to please us because they had to please us.’

All of this is shown to illustrate the waging battle of the contemporary period in which the novel was written. 1915 saw the suffragette movement in the western world in full flow; Perkins Gilman was a vocal campaigner of this cause, putting the Sci-Fi genre to great effect. Although with heavy strands of socialism – then untainted by the later Soviet experiment- Herland is a novel that fights for what has been labelled “first wave feminism”: the recognition that females are equal with males and should be treated so in society.

Herland is an important novel: a great read that truly does change perceptions. The mystery is how it was forgotten for so long. The Worm utterly endorses it to the full maximum of 5 nods in order to correct – in a very small way – the mistreatment of Perkins Gilman’s interesting and intriguing legacy.

Buy it here

#251 Young Henry (2011)

Author: Robert Hutchinson
Title: Young Henry
Genre: History
Year: 2011
Pages: 330
Origin: bought from the Works
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

Henry VIII remains a popular figure, both for historians and readers of history and fiction. It is easy to see why: a large man in both stature and life, full of drama and explosive events that include death and intrigue. Few English monarchs can rival him in terms of theatrics. Therefore, he is a figure – alongside his daughter, Elizabeth – in which historians can find a warm home. Robert Hutchinson is another one who has followed a well worn road.

The book’s intention is to chart an outline to the rise of power of the young Henry. Much information is given on Henry’s childhood: living with his mother and sisters, the death of his older brother, and then the coming to the throne on the death of his father in 1509 when in his eighteenth year. As a fully paid up member of the Tudor Enthusiasts, Hutchinson does an adequate job of painting a picture of those times in the early years of the sixteenth century.

However, there is little in terms of a clear structure. The reader is invited to ramble through Henry’s childhood, ambling through various areas of early Tudor life with no real force; all before being bolted headlong into the political intrigue of Henry’s early years as king. The concluding chapters do not feel like any real conclusion at all, with various characters foisted on the reader with no end goal in sight. Perhaps the reason for this lies in the intention of the book: where does the historian cut the dividing line between Henry’s younger years and those of his elder self? Furthermore, for the reader, the drama comes in full force in those latter years, particularly from 1530 onwards.

Young Henry is a book that strives to bring the younger prince to life. But the truth is that this period has been done to death by many historians; in many cases, it has been achieved with greater success. Therefore, there is little need in anyone picking up a copy of Hutchinson’s book in a hurry.

#250 A Brief Guide to Star Wars (2012)

Author: Brian J. Robb
Title: A Brief Guide to Star Wars
Genre: Sci-Fi
Year: 2012
Pages: 250
Origin: purchased for £2.50
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Worm, it seems, is a sucker for cheap unauthorised guides on science fiction TV shows. Furthermore, these particular cheap books need to be authored by one man: Brian J. Robb. The Worm has admitted such an addiction having scooped up this book – A Brief Guide to Star Wars (the subtitle bearing the confidence lowering words ‘the unauthorised inside story’) – whilst soon realising that he had been in the same reading-position before. Yes, this previous book was Brian J. Robb’s A Brief Guide to Star Trek. So, with the two rival fictional galaxies lining up against one another, what could be the result?

A Brief Guide to Star Wars is an inoffensive and forgettable read: it charts the birth of the idea of Star Wars and the early career of George Lucas, before giving a run-down of tid-bits of information regarding the original trilogy of films. The book embraces the second – less loved and vilified – trilogy, with time spent providing information on special effects, all before charting Lucas selling out to Disney and taking his mitts off his creations once and for all.

The segments of greater interest for the reader are those that centre on the period between Return of the Jedi in the early 1980s and The Phantom Menace in the late 1990s. This includes the ill-fated and pathetic Ewok spin-offs, and the incessant need of the creator to continue retouching previous works.

As can be expected by an ‘unauthorised inside story’, there is a complete lack of fresh commentary. Brian J. Robb has done an admirable job of trawling the internet and other books for quotes to pepper with his narrative, but the read is all fairly pedestrian. All of this corresponds to the earlier review of Robb’s ‘unauthorised’ take on the Star Trek universe.

So, what next for the Worm? Are there are any other long-standing cheap unauthorised guides on other Sci-Fi series…. Battlestar Galatica, perhaps? Who knows what the crazy book-reading future will hold.

Buy it here

#249 Alex Ferguson - My Autobiography (2013)

Author: Sir Alex Ferguson
Title: My Autobiography
Genre: Autobiography
Year: 2013
Pages: 390
Origin: bought in Waterstone’s
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

‘Football, bloody hell!’ – Alex Ferguson

The man, the myth, the legend. This is true to the many millions who support Manchester United. The agitator, the crook, and the villain to countless others. There is no doubt that Sir Alex Ferguson is a divisive person; for three decades he has watched over and commented on football and been a looming figure. His retirement in 2013 marked the end of an era, whilst his autobiography was released a handful of months later to loud noises within the book publishing community.

It is rare for the Worm to part with his coins of gold and silver for a newly printed hardback book. For a long time the Worm has preferred the cheaper paperbacks, due to their lighter weight for transportability issues. Therefore it is a testament to the legend of Ferguson that seventeen gold coins was exchanged in the counter of Waterstone’s, just so the Worm could get his mitts on what promised to be the definitive autobiography.

Yes, definitive. This is because due to the longevity of his career Sir Fergie has released several books at various points of success in his career (notably in the early nineties and then after the 1999 historic treble). Because of these earlier incarnations the earlier years of Ferguson’s life is given short regard (with a brief chapter on his Glasgow roots). The real story begins in the 2001-02 season when Ferguson first made the announcement that he was to retire, something deemed a great mistake by the manager. So, rather than autobiography of his entire life, it is in fact the final decade – or so – of his managerial career.

Treated with chapter headings of their own are the likes of Beckham, Ronaldo, Keane, Van Nistelrooy, and Rooney. Space is also dedicated to his managerial rivals, such as Mourinho, Wenger, and Benitez (although the latter does not warrant a chapter title… a final dig?). The main momentum of the book is about Ferguson’s building of a final great team at the Theatre of Dreams, a team that was take in a further five Premier League titles, a Champions League (in 2008, as well as a further two finals), as well as an assortment of other cups (such as the badly-treated League Cup and the odd sounding and perceived Club World Cup).

Although newspapers and websites were eager to report on the “truth revealed” between the bust-ups behind the scenes, the reality is a little different. There is no in-depth assessment of his relationship with his key players, rather reminiscing that appears slightly disjointed. Unfortunately, then, for United fans, there is no engaging reveal of the end of Roy Keane’s time at Old Trafford, of the boot that cut Beckham’s face, nor of the building resentment between himself and Wayne Rooney.

Like him, love him, or (as is more probable) loathe him – none can deny Ferguson’s place in the history of football and indeed all of British sport. The game (and clearly United themselves) are all the poorer without him. Unfortunately, this autobiography did not live up to such lofty expectations. Perhaps it was unrealistic of the Worm to expect otherwise when one considers the speed that it was released after his retirement from the sport: a mere matter of months. Will there be a later, fully detailed autobiography from the great man yet? The Worm, of course, will be there ready to part with his gold coins again.

Buy it here

#248 The Last English King (1997)

Author: Julian Rathbone
Title: The Last English King
Genre: Historical Fiction
Year: 1997
Pages: 380
Origin: a tried and trusted library book
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 

Historical fiction has not been one of the Worm’s favoured genres of reading. History, yes! Fiction, yes! But the two together have made uneasy bedfellows. A historian tackling a piece of literature sometimes results in clinical prose, but giving an author a pop at a period in the past is like giving them a licence to reinvent and distort.

All of which makes the Worm’s enjoyment of Julian Rathbone’s The Last English King all very surprising. Having always enjoyed delving into the past of 1066 (“and all that!”), the Worm was curious to see how this past would be re-imagined. Thankfully the author settles the questions of anachronisms and historical accuracy head-on in his introduction to the book:

‘It may be thought that I have gone too far in this direction [in use of modern prose], allowing dialogue especially to be un-reconstructedly modern. Thus, for example, royalty are allowed to use bad language much as they do today. But why not? Assuming, and I am sure it was the case, that Anglo-Saxon lords were as quick with the odd expletive as their modern counterparts, and bearing in mind that, apart from Edward the Confessor, most of them were pretty rough types, why not make their expletives as modern as the rest of their speech?’

Pleased with this reassurance, the Worm ploughed into the book. The story follows two strands in time: one in the modern day of 1070, and one set in the decades before this. The Battle of Hastings, as can be expected, is the climatic point: those after it are attempting to deal with its effects, whilst those before it are on a collision course of history heading towards that fateful year of 1066. Our principal protagonist is a man named Walt; crippled from Hastings, he is left to wander Europe whilst considering his past and his allegiance to Harold of Wessex. He meets others on his journey, before finding an element of peace. However, the reader is also taken back a series of decades, rummaging around in the political games of the house of Wessex, Edward the Confessor and William of Normandy.

By far the more interesting narrative strand is the one preceding the Battle of Hastings. It is full of double-dealing and personality clashes (and, in the vain of the majority of other contemporary historical “dramas”, we are provided with plenty of sex). For the history-buff, it provides another snapshot into the lives of William the Bastard (soon to be Conqueror) and the divide in the English nation at the time. The strand set after Hastings is one of tedium for the reader: yes, we sympathise with Walt, but we care little for his choice of companions. However, Rathbone cleverly interweaves both strands, making this a lively read.

Having finished The Last English King, the Worm remains sceptical of the term “historical fiction”. However, it was not an experience to warn him off the genre entirely. If other periods of history are handled in the same polite and persuasive manner that Julian Rathbone accomplishes here, the Worm will be sure to strike out once again.

Buy it here

#247 Inside the Whale and Other Essays (1962)

Author: George Orwell
Title: Inside the Whale and Other Essays
Genre: Essays
Year: 1962
Pages: 200
Origin: bought in a charity shop for £1.49
Nod Rating: 4 nods out of 5

 
This volume was read during a visit to hospital during October 2013. Having spotted the book, the nurse referenced George Orwell, all of which led to a fruitful discussion. All of this confirms Orwell’s place as one of Britain’s most popular and thought-provoking authors. George Orwell is predominately celebrated as a novelist: a man of ideas and fiction. However, the Worm has recently been turning to his other talent: a man of ideas within the essay format.

This book – Inside the Whale and Other Essays – brings together an exciting and eclectic selection of Orwell’s essays. The title essay, ‘Inside the Whale’, was initially published in 1940, whilst a later edition – printed in 1957 and later under its current title in 1962 – included a vast sprawl of essays. These range from ‘Politics and the English Language’ (previously reviewed by the Worm), ‘Shooting an Elephant’ to an analysis about the impact of Boys Weeklies.

The title essay is a review of English literature in the preceding twenty years (concentrating on the 1920s and 1930s). Orwell bemoans the lack of change in writing style or content, the lack of any real authorial voice in fiction. However, his writing – its impact and sobering effect – is witnessed in other sections. These include ‘Down the Mine’ – taken from The Road to Wigan Pier – what with its outlining of the life of a miner and his arduous journey to and from work; ‘England Your England’ with its observation of the Second World War and what it means for the British people; ‘Shooting an Elephant’ which describes Orwell’s previous life as a policeman in Burma and how he was forced to kill an elephant in order to appear dominant and brave to the locals (‘I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool’); whilst ‘Boys’ Weeklies’ is an odd conclusion to the book, but one that manages to captivate the reader, with its suggestion that such magazines were propagating conservative characteristics held by a different class in a different age.

Orwell is on biting form in ‘Politics and the English Language’ and ‘The Prevention of Literature’. Echoing themes from his seminal novel Nineteen Eighteen-Four, he discusses the freedom of thought and how the contemporary political mood can easily take control. The Worm has previously pondered ‘Politics and the English Language’ at longer length (read the review here).

His turn of phrase, the weaving together of words wrapped in the brutal truth is what makes Orwell such a captivating writer. In ‘Inside the Whale’ he attacks fellow writers who accept the situation of their surroundings: ‘To say “I accept” in an age like our own is to say that you accept concentration camps, rubber truncheons, Hitler, Stalin, bombs, aeroplanes, tinned food, machine guns, putsches, purges, slogans, Bedaux belts, gas masks, submarines, spies, provocateurs, press censorship, secret prisons, aspirins, Hollywood films, and political murders.’ In ‘Down the Mine’ he links coal – the unknown substance – to making the world go round: ‘In order that Hitler may march the goose-step, that the Pope may denounce Bolshevism, that the cricket crowds may assemble at Lords that the poets may scratch one another’s backs, coal has got to be forthcoming. But on the whole we are not aware of it.’ Whilst the beginning of ‘England Your England’ makes a sobering impression: ‘As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me.’

Inside the Whale and Other Essays is full of enjoyable, eye-opening debate. It sets Orwell out as an essayist and thinker of social issues, as well as prominent novelist. Having come to the end of the read the Worm was full of longing: O, how we could use you now, Mr Orwell.

Buy it here

#246 The Elizabethans (2011)

Author: A.N. Wilson
Title: The Elizabethans
Genre: History
Year: 2011
Pages: 370
Origin: bought brand spanking new
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 
For centuries, the Elizabethan age has been hailed as a Golden one. It was the time of glory, the Armada, Drake and Raleigh; it was the time of religious turmoil and upheaval, of massacres and great changes; it was the time that England composed itself and set the foundations of a world empire and greater successes. Therefore it is little wonder why time and again historians return to the Tudor period as one in which exciting and engaging writing is born. Furthermore, for conservative-hearted historians such as A.N. Wilson, it harks back to a time when England was “great” and a match for anyone.

Rather than take a narrative route throughout the Elizabethan period, Wilson has taken various events and characters in order to provide snapshots into the past. The book is divided into four parts: the beginning of the reign, the 1570s, the 1580s, and ‘the close of the reign’. Throughout all of this Wilson jots about the Elizabethan political map, discussing the Elizabethan religious settlement, Sir Francis Drake, the Armada and the folly of the Earl of Essex. During this the author treads familiar ground, re-wording familiar stories and conclusions. Of greater interest is Wilson’s turns down odd avenues and forgotten corners. This includes a chapter on ‘Elizabethan women’, Sir Philip Sidney, and the likes of Hakluyt and the Marprelate tracts.

Interestingly – and rather confusingly – Wilson kicks off his book not on the upbringing of Elizabeth and the poker hot political situation she found herself in, but instead with a chapter entitled ‘The Difficulty’ that concentrates on Ireland. Yes, Ireland was forever an issue during this period (similar to many others), what with it contributing to the general malaise of Elizabeth’s final years. But to kick-start his portrait of the age with Ireland is an odd choice. What with the second chapter dedicated to the colonising adventures (or is that misadventures?) of the New World, Wilson clearly sets the tone of imperialism and military at the heart of his study.

Such choices frustrate the reader who yearns to stride within Elizabethan England. The lack of any clear narrative bewilders, with Wilson keen to emphasise the impact of moderate contemporary thinkers rather than tackle the key events of the period. Due to this, The Elizabethans feels more akin to a companion-piece alongside other historical works that attempt to not only bring alive the age but also connect the dots that clearly need connecting if anyone is to have a true understanding of the late sixteenth-century.

Angering the Worm was Wilson’s continuing need to digress from the meat of the past, adding paragraphs (that needed stunting) of opinion rather than true debate. Having done a bit of research whilst typing up this review (yes, dear readers, the Worm goes full-hog) the Worm was assured to find that he was not alone in waving fist at Wilson’s written detours. In 2012 Richard J. Evans responded to a piece about Wilson’s short Hitler biography; Evans attacked the lack of original research, clear analysis and the use of personal biases. All of which makes an interesting read, if not a great historian.

Since the birth of this blog the Worm can count two – including this – reads from the hand of Wilson. The first centred on the second Elizabethan age, whilst now the original Elizabethan age has been concluded. The Worm is unlikely to return to Wilson for any future reading, barring that of an upcoming – and highly unlikely – third Elizabethan age. The Elizabethans is an animated read, but one of use only to Tudor buffs who have already visited weightier works.

Buy it here