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There are currently 38 member reviews
for Tides of War
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Doris K. (Angora, MN)
Tides of War
Even though I read a good deal of history, I had very little knowledge of the Peninsular War. This book shows the English side and reasons for becoming involved.
The effect of war on individuals, families and countries is one of the main themes. These people experience many of the problems we hear about in the lives of our returning servicemen today.
The author skillfully integratesw real people with her fictional characters. Many of the new discoveries of that period are brought out, such as gas lights, blood transfusions,etc. Many items we take for granted are shown in their early development.
I sometimes found the book hard to follow as the author jumps from one person's story to another so often it is easy to lose track of the characters. The list of characters in the back of the book is very helpful in this regard.
Overall this is a good book for fans of historical fiction.
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Bess W. (Marlton, NJ)
Peninsular War
I'm a fan of historical fiction but was disappointed in this book. The period is definitely interesting and the historical detail is superb as the story moves between London and Spain. Stella Tillyard obviously did a great deal of research in order to write this book. I found there were too many characters to follow and the book did not hold my interest as a result.
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Teresa H. (Mechanicsville, VA)
Interesting Story
This book started off very slowly for me and I had a hard time really getting into the story. Lots of characters and new places. Once it had my interest I enjoyed it and found the in depth history interesting.
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Debra P. (Belmont, NC)
Unmoved!!!
I had a difficult time staying with this book, it just didn't grab me or keep me like other historical novels.I do believe the author did a great job researching the time period for accuracy, but it became choppy and disconnected because the settings changed so often. I would have preferred a little more of the story around the women featured and less about the actual battle scenes. Maybe it just wasn't a subject I was necessarily interested in and the book will appeal more to others.
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Valerie C. (Chico, CA)
good but not great
After a very engaging opening, the book drags a bit. For some it may still be great, but for me it was just okay.
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Tillie H. (Baltimore, MD)
Slow moving
I thought this book was very slow moving and often confusing. So many characters to keep track of when going back and forth between home and the war setting.
Not one of the better books I've read this year.
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Therese J. (Alvarado, Minnesota)
Know Your History
Tides Of War is well written for those who are familiar with British nineteenth century war history, and with British idiom. Not knowing background was a handicap as I read this book, as the author plunged into the tale, moving rapidly from one venue to another, one person to another without making connections. A good novel for me is one I don't have to struggle to read, and this was tough.
