Good book - riveting, fast-paced read. Very evocative of the era, with lots of detail which brings that part of history to vibrant life.

So why did I mark it so low? It is the mixture of fact and fiction that bothers me. The factual events were in themselves fascinating - but this book weaves in so much fiction, so much detail, that the line between reality and the author's imagination is blurred and becomes distracting. This could have been simply addressed by a forward, or an appendix, which clarifies what really happened, and what was fictional.

I would suggest you read this book in the mindset that is is a historical novel, rotating arround true events. A lost opportunity to bring a real life drama to life; but an enjoyable read set against a colourful context.