What do readers think of Tides of War by Stella Tillyard? Write your own review.

I did the enjoy the historical portion of this novel having little knowledge on the Peninsular War and the war scenes are very powerful. Her depiction of the cruel Wellington was enlightening and I applaud the author for portraying the lives of the women left behind while all the men are off fighting. That said I found it at times difficult to keep track of all the characters and all the different story lines, I think there were at least seven, and in the conversations between the characters seemed forced and oftentimes stilted and awkward. I did like that she included a cast of characters in the back of the book.

Complicated characters with historical backgrounds make for a very interesting read. The characters come together as the story evolves. Very interesting read.

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.

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.

I am a big fan of historical fiction. Yet, although I love the characters and the history, I have to admit that the writing itself sometimes leaves something to be desired and the dialogue is often confusing and stilted. I imagine its difficult to create interesting conversations for people long dead from times long ago. This book about England and Spain during the time of the Peninsular War is an exception. While there are intriguing historical figures and lots of rich history, the writing is gorgeous. Ms. Tillyard allows us to feel the pain of war and the frustrations of separation of loved ones without all the blood and gore typical of war novels. I felt the horrors soldiers experienced and the loneliness and boredom of those left behind. The author's description of a bull fight was particularly haunting; I was able to experience both the pride and joy of the Spaniards as well as the nausea and disgust of the English soldier. I truly feel that this is a book for everyone and every book club.

Stella Tillyard has written one of the best books I've read in a long time. An historic novel can sometimes bog down, this one never did. Her plotting moves through several characters lives and through war and peace but my interest never flagged. The mix of real and fictional characters made the story even more interesting. This book is an excellent read.