Walter Besant (1836–1901)

This is one of the best historical non fiction books I've read. Written in the late 1800's it is comprised of 63 lessons, so presumably it was intended for students. The writing is clear and very readable, although some prior knowledge of English history would be helpful.
Although it's premise is the history of London, it does not confine itself to mere facts about that one city, but explores what life was like for the citizens of London across its long history, and the links between show more historical events, culture and the experiences of Londoners and wider society. Although it's not a long book, and therefore many details are absent, it still seemed quite comprehensive. I learnt more about life in the Dark and Middle Ages in this book than I have anywhere else. It was also very interesting to read about these times from a Victorian perspective, as well as the author's analysis of his own times.
Until I read the final chapter I planned to give this book four stars. However, the final chapter brought it over the line to five. In this chapter the author draws together the various themes and events together to make two important points. First that we must remember and value the lessons of the past. Second, that we must treasure the many freedoms we experience, such as the right to vote, free speech and a safe and regulated society.
I would recommend this to those interested in the history of the western world.
I listened to the Librivox audiobook, which had a fantastic narrator. show less

This is a classic 19th century novel about the Scilly Isles - the Hell Bay of its century, it begins in a similar way with a woman of the isles rescuing a shipwreck victim. This is a much more reflective and spiritual novel, though, and is of its time, with the 19th century novel's reliance on coincidences, lost family relationships, lost treasure and beautiful women being manipulated by powerful and unscrupulous men. Armorel Rosevean and Alec Feilding (sic) respectively fill these roles show more very successfully, though the latter's ability to fool so many people about his non-existent talent strikes the modern reader as perhaps a tad unrealistic. The main "hero", Roland Lee,is on the other hand, not a particularly strong character. For me, the real hero of this novel is Scilly itself, and especially the now uninhabited island of Samson where Armorel and only a handful of others still live (incidentally, the dates are inaccurate as this novel is set in the 1880s and Samson was abandoned in 1855). The descriptions of the islands, waters, rocks, channels, flora and fauna is wonderfully evocative for anyone who has ever visited and this formed a backdrop to my visit in August 2013 (I even read some of it sitting on top of Samson's North Hill after seeing the ruined cottages where the islanders lived). Even the descriptions of the sea crossing from Penzance and the train journey there from London rang true! A wonderful book in this context. show less

A rich widow adopts the two-year-old daughter of a former servant and raises her with her own daughter who is the same age. For some reason, the widow will not tell the girls which one is adopted. One of them is sent to live with a sister and therefore thinks that she must be the poor adopted one. As one may imagine, the story revolves around this scenario for a while until it is revealed that she is NOT the adopted one. The author paints a faithful picture of London slum life without being show more offensive and the plot is quite intricate and loaded with entertaining characters much like Dickens. show less

I really enjoyed the first two stories (The Manchester Marriage by Elizabeth Gaskell and A Mere Interlude by Thomas Hardy). I also liked A Faithful Heart by George Moore. The last two I didn't like at all; Walter Besant'sThe Solid Gold Reef Company, Limited was badly written, and Henry James' The Tree of Knowledge was confusing and boring, in my opinion.