Better At History Than Fiction
This book provides an excellent history of the British fight against Napoleon in the Peninsular War. The characters are well developed and the writing (particular the section where the soldiers describe their sense of unfamiliarity upon returning home) is often exquisite. The author does a great job setting the historical stage for this story. Therein lies the main weakness of this work of historical fiction. The story is unfocused, cluttered with details, and often wanders vaguely from character to character for at least the first half of the book. Sharper editing would have greatly improved this otherwise worthy work.
Rated of 5
by Michele J. (Port Orchard, WA)
Good Historical Fiction
The Tides of War is a very nice historical fiction novel which is set in England during the Peninsular War between 1812 and 1815. This is an era frequently ignored by historical fiction writers, so it was a refreshing setting. Be warned: there are a LOT of characters that pepper the pages, many of them actual historical figures, but it does make it difficult to keep track of everyone initially. Keep reading, though. As the story progresses, the characters become easier to manage and the storyline starts to take precedence. All in all, this is a lovely effort and the only thing I might have changed is moving the List of Characters page from the back of the book to the front.
Rated of 5
by Charlene M. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
Tides of War
The historical setting was what first attracted me to Stella Tillyard’s Tides of War. I especially like reading about 1800 England. When I first met Harriet, in the opening chapter of the book, I thought this is a person I would like to know more about. Her character was just complicated enough to intrigue me and her relationship with her James was slightly off kilter. The plot, though interesting, was convoluted and filled with sub-characters. I enjoyed reading the book but felt I needed a who’s who notebook. A very enjoyable and well written story.
Rated of 5
by Mary J. (Scottsdale, AZ)
Tides of Characters
Stella Tillyard has a wonderful grasp of history but there are far too many characters in this novel. It is slow going through the first 100 or so pages. It finally picks up and I couldn't put it down. Well worth the effort a great read.
Rated of 5
by Steve B. (Spring, TX)
Historical Novel
This historical novel, framed in the time period of the Peninsular War (1812 - 1815), deals with the military action in Spain and the civilians left behind in England. There is more attention paid to the romance and dalliances of those left behind than to the military action. I would have preferred more history and less romance.
Rated of 5
by Lynne B. (S. Lake Tahoe, CA)
Historical Fiction at Its Best
Though an avid reader of historical fiction, I have not read much that takes place during this time period of 1812-15 in England and Spain. This novel truly brought the time period to life with careful attention to detail and historical research. The characters were vividly believable and drew you into the emotional side of the historical period. I truly learned a great deal about this time period through an enjoyable read. Due to the amount of detail I would suggest that the reader be a history fan. Some readers looking for a shallow romance with historical background will be disappointed. I will be looking forward to more novels by Stella Tillyard.
Rated of 5
by Patricia S. (Chicago, IL)
Tides of War
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The blurb suggests that it is the story of a soldier and his young wife during the Napoleonic wars, but it is really about a lot of different people, each affected differently by the war. I appreciated the fact that several of the characters remained in England, so that there was the homefront point of view as well. Since there were so many characters, the book moved between them in short sections, not really long enough to be called chapters, which may put off some readers as the action jumps around quite a bit. But I found these bits fascinating, especially the sections with Nathan Rothschild and Kitty Wellington, the Duke of Wellington's wife. The inside glimpses of the financial world (very similar to today's) were fascinating and I learned quite a bit about Wellington through his wife. I didn't even know he had a wife during his military period! Although it seems they did not get along well--part of the explanation of England's stock exchange came through the sections of Kitty's investments with the Rothschilds in order to provide herself an independent living. While I enjoyed to variety of viewpoints, it did make the story a bit disjointed and I didn't really feel that I knew the supposed main characters, Harriet and James. This is not a book with a single story line, so readers who want to get lost in one character or story may not enjoy it, but the variety of experiences and details will engage others.
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of 5
by Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
