tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post4156462138617943672..comments2024-03-17T02:12:53.713-05:00Comments on POD People: 'The Tempest: Last Prayers Part 1' by S.F. Jonesveingloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03709708573358649383noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-35756850452308793462007-06-13T17:39:00.000-05:002007-06-13T17:39:00.000-05:00From Pamela:David said: "Historical accuracy witho...From Pamela:<BR/><BR/>David said: <I>"Historical accuracy without embellishment"??</I><BR/> <BR/>According to Wikipedia and Dictionary.com’s Encyclopedia the war period is covered quite accurately. <I>“READERS WHO ENJOY A ROBUST HISTORICAL WAR NOVEL WILL DELIGHT IN THIS STORY AS MS. JONES MAINTAINS HISTORICAL ACCURACY WITHOUT EMBELLISHMENT. ”</I><BR/><BR/>As for character personalities…I felt the author used her imagination and experience in military reenactments to form the dialog. I.e., <I>“EVEN WITH THE SUPPOSED DIALOG, MOST OFTEN NOT RECORDED THROUGHOUT HISTORY, SHE OBVIOUSLY COMBINES IMAGINATION WITH HER MILITARY REENACTOR AND RESEARCHER EXPERIENCES TO GIVE THESE PERIOD CHARACTERS SOUL.”</I><BR/><BR/>David said: <I>"Whatever this book may be, it is hardly historically accurate, especially not in respect of the redoubtable Prince Rupert. Leaving aside the minor errors,he is here portrayed as petty, self seeking, incompetent, despised by all his officers and downright stupid."</I><BR/> <BR/>I never read Prince Rupert in the light as you have stated. In fact I believe all high ranking military personnel encounter differences of opinion and visionary goals, even today, with their heiarchy and those they command. It's human nature. However, many of those elements were portrayed through dialog, which I cannot verify through any of my resources. See quote above. <BR/><BR/>I did find it amusing that Prince Rupert brought his French poodle to the war sights...*still chuckling*. Although the author did give enough of a description that it was a "large" poodle, not a miniature "yippy" kind (which would would definitely "denigrate" his manly military image). I wonder how he maintained the poodle clip throughout those years at war...hmmmmm? My mother had a poodle when I was a kid, so I know about these things. ;)<BR/><BR/>David said: <I>None of this is borne out by contemporary sources. Other Royalist officers get the same treatment. It seems a shame to denigrate real people, however long dead, in the interests of fiction. I was glad I had borrowed this book rather than bought it.</I><BR/><BR/>Again, I did not read about any one person being “denigrated” (disparaged, degraded, belittled, etc.), except for the civilians having to live amid the war. I went into this book knowing it as a work of fiction…not a detailed historical account. If I wanted a TRUE historical piece, I would not be reading fiction. <BR/><BR/>Although I did find it abhoring that the period used quartering as a form of punishment, though Ms. Jones doe snot go into detail. Susan Higginbotham's book, "The Traitor's Wife" details this practice, and has stayed with me even now. *shuddering*<BR/><BR/>Overall, I enjoyed the book, the characters were brought to life through the author’s imagination and the war portions were pulled from detailed accounts at the author’s disposal. It’s integrating reality with imagination, so equals fiction. <BR/><BR/>Then again, agreeing to disagree is good too. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-36030430865157310822007-06-13T14:30:00.000-05:002007-06-13T14:30:00.000-05:00"Historical accuracy without embellishment"?? Wha..."Historical accuracy without embellishment"?? Whatever this book may be, it is hardly historically accurate, especially not in respect of the redoubtable Prince Rupert. Leaving aside the minor errors,he is here portrayed as petty, self seeking, incompetent, despised by all his officers and downright stupid. None of this is borne out by contemporary sources. Other Royalist officers get the same treatment. It seems a shame to denigrate real people, however long dead, in the interests of fiction. I was glad I had borrowed this book rather than bought it.<BR/><BR/>David PAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-63150725978898544592007-06-08T21:11:00.000-05:002007-06-08T21:11:00.000-05:00I'll have to look for this one. It's a period that...I'll have to look for this one. It's a period that interests me.Susan Higginbothamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-48184834830435352332007-06-08T06:29:00.000-05:002007-06-08T06:29:00.000-05:00Pamela, I'm delighted and honoured to receive this...Pamela, I'm delighted and honoured to receive this review, and to see that it made such an impression despite your reservations about military stories. The English civil wars were complicated, both in terms of what caused them and in their effects on the people involved; if I've managed to plunge the reader into the period and enabled them to enjoy the story without being overwhelmed, then I'm extremely pleased. Many thanks for taking the time to review.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com