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The Caves of Perigord: A Novel

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 166 ratings · 40 reviews

In a brilliant and ambitious thriller that combines elements of Jean Auel's The Clan of the Cave Bear and Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth into a riveting, multifaceted tale of love, art, courage, and war, Martin Walker brings to life the creation of an extraordinary work of prehistoric cave art and the struggle to possess it in our own time. Walker's richly interwov...more In a brilliant and ambitious thriller that combines elements of Jean Auel's The Clan of the Cave Bear and Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth into a riveting, multifaceted tale of love, art, courage, and war, Martin Walker brings to life the creation of an extraordinary work of prehistoric cave art and the struggle to possess it in our own time. Walker's richly interwoven novel opens with the arrival of a mysterious package for a young American woman working in a London auction house. Brought by a British officer, it contains a 17,000-year-old fragment of a cave painting left to him by his father, a former World War II hero.

The fragment, significant and stunning in itself, is also the key to the existence of an un-known cave that may be more important in the history of art and human creation than the world-famous one at Lascaux. It triggers a storm of publicity and commands the attention of the French authorities all the way up to the President of the Republic, who seems to know more about the painting's origins than anyone else...

As the young American woman, the British officer, and a French government art historian explore the ancient province of Périgord to determine the painting's origins, their search serves as backdrop for three compelling stories. There is the tale of the British officer's father who lands in Nazi-occupied France in 1944 to organize the Resistance, culminating in a series of battles to prevent the SS Das Reich Panzer Division from reaching the Normandy beaches in time to repel the D-Day invasion, which leads to an account of the subsequent discovery -- and cover-up -- of the lost cave and its paintings. And there is also the moving story of the young artist who painted them, the woman he loved, and the ancient culture that produced the first recognizable human art but required the sacrifice of its own creators.

Filled with vivid, historically accurate details and imaginative re-creations of prehistoric life, The Caves of Périgord blends a complex plot and richly diverse characters into a seamless narrative of romance, tragedy, and heroism from past to present.(less)

ebook, 384 pages

Published March 5th 2002 by Simon & Schuster

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Nov 27, 2012 Bettina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, historical

Major Philip Manners bringt einen hoch attraktiven Stein mit ins Auktionshaus: Die Spezialistin für präklassische Kunst, Lydia Dean, ahnt sofort, dass dieser Stein zur Sensation werden könnte. Alles deutet auf einen rund 17.000 Jahre alten Fund aus dem Périgord hin. Sie setzt sich mit Spezialisten in Verbindung, dem deutschen Forscher Horst Vogelstern und der Französion Clothilde Daunier. Doch bevor die Experten eintreffen, verschwindet der Stein auf mysteriöse Weise. Statt Trübsal zu blasen, ma...more Major Philip Manners bringt einen hoch attraktiven Stein mit ins Auktionshaus: Die Spezialistin für präklassische Kunst, Lydia Dean, ahnt sofort, dass dieser Stein zur Sensation werden könnte. Alles deutet auf einen rund 17.000 Jahre alten Fund aus dem Périgord hin. Sie setzt sich mit Spezialisten in Verbindung, dem deutschen Forscher Horst Vogelstern und der Französion Clothilde Daunier. Doch bevor die Experten eintreffen, verschwindet der Stein auf mysteriöse Weise. Statt Trübsal zu blasen, machen sich Manners, Dean und Daunier auf den Weg ins Périgord, um über die Herkunft des Steins zu recherchieren. Manners' Vater war während des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Südfrankreich als Ausbilder der Résistance aktiv; da der Stein offensichtlich ein Andenken ist, hofft das Trio auf Hinweise von alten Mitstreitern und Kriegsarchiven.

Martin Walker spielt während des Buchs mit drei Zeitebenen. Während das Trio um Major Manners das Pèrigord durchkämmt, erzählt ein zweiter Strang die Geschichte von einem jungen Mann namens Hirschläufer, der vor rund 17.000 Jahren im Tal der Vézère lebte. Dort hat sich eine große Gruppe von Familien niedergelassen, die je nach ihren Fähigkeiten das Jagen, Fische fangen, Höhlen bemalen oder Steine bearbeiten unter sich aufgeteilt haben. Hirschläufers größter Traum ist es, Höhlenmaler zu werden und die Tochter des Pferdemalers zur Frau zu bekommen.

Die dritte Geschichte rankt sich um Capitain Jack Manners, Vater des Majors und einstiger Besitzer des bemalten Steinfragments. Den Faden seiner Geschichte nimmt Walker 1943 in Schottland auf, wo Teile der Résistance trainiert und ausgerüstet werden. Mit Manners zusammen arbeiten im Wesentlichen der Amerikaner James Tecumseh McPhee und der Franzose François Malrand. Diese drei werden wenige Monate später mit dem Flugzeug in Südfrankreich abgesetzt, wo sie die Ausbildung der Résistance fortsetzen und Sabotageakte durchführen, um die Landung der Alliierten vorzubereiten und deutsche Truppen im Süden festzuhalten.

Alle drei Geschichten ranken sich um die Höhlen des Périgord: Ihre Bemalung, ihre Entdeckung und ihre Nutzung. In vielen Höhlen lebten tatsächlich bis ins 20. Jahrhundert hinein Menschen, während des Krieges dienten sie als Versteck und in ihnen kumuliert sich ein ununterbrochener Strang französischer Geschichte. Die andauernde Fortsetzung der Geschichte und ihre stetige Wirkung auf die Gegenwart beschreibt Walker selber in einem Interview kurz und bündig so: "It goes all the way back, but it never goes away." Konsequent und geschickt baut er also die verbrieften Fakten mit der zeitgenössischen Suche nach dem Steinfragment zusammen und lässt auf diese Weise Geschichte und Gegenwart miteinander korrespondieren.

Das Manko an der Geschichte ist allerdings, dass insgesamt wenig Spannung aufkommt ob all der historischen Informationen, die speziell im Part um Jack Manners zutage treten. Die Schilderungen von Waffensystemen und Strategien geraten oft zu lang. Die Informationen an sich sind nicht uninteressant, nutzen der Geschichte aber wenig. Auch die Idee, Clothilde Daunier (die übrigens gemeinsam mit Horst auch einen Auftritt in "Delikatessen" hat) überraschend auf ihre eigene Familiensaga treffen zu lassen, mag plausibel sein, füllt aber am Ende nur auf. Die Gegenwart bildet allerdings die Klammer, mit der die beiden historischen Geschichten zusammen gehalten werden.

Die hohe Wertung verdient das Buch dennoch für eine interessante Geschichte, einen guten und ruhigen Erzählstil und für die Idee zu einer schlüssigen historischen Verknüpfung.(less)

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Oct 01, 2011 Scilla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book. There are three related stories - modern times, 1944, and about 15000 BC. All mostly take place in the Perigord. The book begins in London. Major Manners arrives at the auction house with a painting of a bull on a rock he had inherited from his father. Lydia, asked to check it out, quickly realizes it might be 17,000 years old from the caves in France or Spain. She photographs it, and calls in some experts, but it is stolen before the experts arrive. Manners suggests that he...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Arthur rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A French cave painting turns up in a London art auction house. The rest of the book is a search for the source of the painting, which is a hidden cave in Perigord (SW France, east of Bordeaux). The book switches between the present time, WWII partisans, and the original cave painters, with a love story in each period.

The book is well-researched and well-imagined, with the contemporary chapters a useful hook into the action for readers who didn't grow up during WWII or in its immediate shadow. Wa...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Ishmael Seaward rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Basically 3 timelines: 15000 years ago, 1944, and the present. Major Manners has uncovered a stone with a painting on it reminiscent of the Lascaux paintings, but much smaller. After taking it to an auction house for evaluation, it goes missing. This is the story of how the painting came to be (15000 BCE), how it arrived at Manners home (French Resistance hiding in caves, 1944), and what the protagonists (Lydia et al) are doing to recover it (present).

Brief synopsis: Talented young artist (circa...more Basically 3 timelines: 15000 years ago, 1944, and the present. Major Manners has uncovered a stone with a painting on it reminiscent of the Lascaux paintings, but much smaller. After taking it to an auction house for evaluation, it goes missing. This is the story of how the painting came to be (15000 BCE), how it arrived at Manners home (French Resistance hiding in caves, 1944), and what the protagonists (Lydia et al) are doing to recover it (present).

Brief synopsis: Talented young artist (circa 15000 BCE) runs afoul of an older artist but is allowed back into the artists' guild after suitable genuflection. Meanwhile young artist becomes enamoured of young woman. Elder guild member and leader (who is also a widower) institutes new ceremonies which don't sit well with the rest of the guild. Elder also covets the young woman, and attempts to take her by force. Young man and young woman run away together. Reader can guess the outcome. Meanwhile, the 1944 scenario moves along with details of the French Resistance and the cave was discovered. The current scenario moves along with uncovering some curious leftovers from the resistance, with Lydia and Manners predictably developing an affair.

Presently about halfway through the book. I thought it got off to a slow start, but I'm beginning to see how the threads are coming together. And I'm starting to enjoy it more, especially the portions dealing with the Resistance (makes me want to go find a book on that topic). The part I have a hard time with is the 15000 BCE scenario. The social construct seems rather contrived, not based on any anthropological evidence that I am aware of. I think the problem I have is the division of labor: flint knappers, fisherman, hunters, painters, etc. It is too much like a guild system, including apprenticeships, for that time. I am not aware of any hunter-gather tribes with that social structure. This is also presented as a fixed settlement, unusual for that time. But hey, it's fiction.

Finished. It was an okay finish, a little too neat in some aspects. What I found most interesting was the squabbling between the Gaullists and the Communists, and their efforts to stop, or at least delay, the Das Reich armored division from moving from southern France to join the fray in Normandy. They were at least partially successful.(less)

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May 15, 2013 Mary Stevens rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

A fascinating book that weaves together three stories that take place in Perigord, in southwest France at three different times: the present, 1944 and 17,000 years ago. All have to do with the wonderful cave paintings like those at Lascaux. In the present day, a Neolithic cave painting which has been removed (somehow, by someone we don't know who) from the rock is brought to an auction house for evaluation. It's stolen, governments get involved and we learn a lot about international politics an...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Mackay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: france, historical-fiction

Read this for the same reason I read Walker's Inspector Bruno mysteries: for the locale and the feel of local flavor he does very well. This book aspires to be more than it is: it is three connected but different tales: prehistory involving the painters of Lascaux, the Resistance in WW 2 in the same locale, and a case of art theft (of a fragment of a cave painting) set today. I've been to the area, to Lascaux II, to other painted caves, so the idea intrigued me. I found the prehistoric tale inte...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Readnponder rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a braid of three storylines: one takes place in the present and concerns museums and the art world. Another is set in WWII and details efforts of the French resistence aided by British parachute drops. The third plot is during prehistoric times and involves the ancient peoples who drew on the cave walls. Although I originally picked up this book because of my interest in WWII, it was the prehistoric storyline that captured my attention the most.

Who drew the pictures on the caves in...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Debbie Tanner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chapter-books, grown-up-books, mystery

I liked this mystery! It was set in three different times, but in the same place-around the hills of Perigord in France. The story is about a man who wants to sell a painting which is on a rock that his dad (who just died) had owned since the war (the second World War). His dad had never really told him anything about the rock except that it was about 1700 years old. The story bounces between the time when the painting was created (during cave man times) and the World War 2 times (when the dad f...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading Emily's review I was quick to check this out at the library. It is a quick read although I found my mind wandering as one of the three tales, set in France during the Resistance, rambled on. Even as I found that I was learning something about the French Resistance and the ghastly circumstances of WWII, I was anxious to return to the pre-history tale. Walker has divided the time frames in this historical piece between 15,000 b.c.; Perigord, France, 1944; and the present. I was most...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Deale Hutton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story takes place in three different times: 17000 years ago, WWII in 1944 and contemporary. I loved the archaeological elements,and the 'mystery' was good. There were political elements that were exciting to research and verify. The transitions between eras worked well. So, I liked the plot.
I was afraid that the prehistorical romance would be like Jean Auel, but that romance was relatively genuine. The romance in 1944 war-torn France was also well done. However, the contemporary romance was...more

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Sep 07, 2008 Darcie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Darcie by: found it in the Nevada, MO library

It does this book a disservice to compare it to "Clan of the Cave Bear" as many reviews have done. Jean Auel's tomes are meandering and filled with often-unnecessary trivia. "The Caves of Perigord" however, bounces nicely between the ancient time of cave painting, today's world, and World War II. I found the ending satisfying, as all 3 storylines are wrapped up together.

Every story is a love story:

- In prehistoric times, the young cave painter and the woman he desires, who is wanted by an older,...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Started out gripping. Halfway through I had become bored with details of the 1944 thread. Still can't figure out why the author tells the story of the WW II strand first through the modern day research story and then recounts it again in the 1944 story. It would have been much more gripping to have it unfold through the characters of 1944 first. The end of the book was so abrupt and unsatisfying, I was quite disappointed. This had the potential,of being so much more.

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Sep 26, 2011 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Martin Walker does an outstanding job writing about the caves of Perigord which contain drawings from 13,000 years ago. By combing intrigue,
romance and mystery he manages to keep three stories going in the same novel. It starts with a rock from a cave being brought to an
auction house in London by a gentleman whose Dad was actively involve with the French Resistance doing WW11. I can only hope that Walker
continues to write novels as good as this one.

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May 02, 2013 Tom Jenckes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: foreign-mysteries

I'm about 3/4's done. I do like Martin Walker's writing. I loved Bruno, Chief of Police. Caves is three books in one. He shifts from pre-historic time to World War 2, to present day. It's a challenge to follow each thread. I'm sure they will all have significance at the end, but right now I'm finishing a chapter on WW 2 and about to go to present day.

Now I'm done. I really enjoyed the book. The three segments all came together in the end. I love the segments about the Resistance fighters in SW...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Rita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Exciting. I sped right through it. Well written and, from what I know of the history, well researched. I only gave it 4 stars because I thought the prehistoric part was a little long and incredulous. There are 3 periods woven throughout the book--prehistoric, 1944 with the Resistance in France, and present day. The whole premise of the book holds together to the end. Highly recommend.

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May 22, 2010 Linda added it · review of another edition

Shelves: couldnt-finish, mystery

I didn't find the writing compelling enough to overcome my reservations about the accuracy of the depiction of the prehistoric people who are the focus of one of the three main threads of the book. I was only reading this because I couldn't get the book club book from the library, so chose another title by the same author. If anyone gives me a reason to reconsider, I'll give this another try.

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Aug 19, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premise is a good one and the format is interesting. Although the detail occasionally became somewhat tedious for this reader, I did learn and appreciate that the history was accurate. I thought the story was labored sometimes, but the main characters were interesting. I'm glad I read it, but couldn't give it four stars.

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Aug 22, 2012 J rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good book, very interesting to think about the same region (Perigord region of France in this case) over a period of thousands of years. Loved how the different periods were linked, to make you interested to the end. It was a bit difficult at times to shift from current times to prehistory, but otherwise a wonderful read.

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Sep 26, 2010 Lynn Kearney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An interesting story that takes place in three time periods: the present, the 1940's in the war-torn Dordogne region of France, and 17,000 years ago, at the time of the cave paintings of Lascaux. A little Clan of the Cave Bear-ish in the pre-history part, but very readable.

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Mar 02, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book right after the preceding one. This series is really really good and keeps you going. I just wanted to keep on to the next one. He introduces new characters and they are all good. Love the tie back to the caves and the original people who painted them.

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Sep 12, 2009 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An OK historical fiction book about the Dordogne area in France. The storyline and characters have a lot of promise, but the author falls short on telling the story by not including enough details. Overall, a decent read though and it kept my attention throughout.

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Apr 03, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very enjoyable. Three stories set in the same place but separated by time. The WWII story is probably the best, but the modern 'today' story is not bad and introduces the art well. The pre-history part of the story is not so strong. All in all the book works.

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Mar 11, 2013 Dana Root rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Provides an interesting connection between 3 different periods of time, and historic drama with a sense of life and character in a manner common to the Martin Walker writings. A good read.

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Jun 02, 2012 MaryAnn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well-researched historical fiction, set in modern times as well as the Neolithic and WWII periods. Fascinating story, but a little too much miltary detail for me.

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May 24, 2012 Mary Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

An interesting story with elements of history in a setting which I enjoy. The author does a good job of interweaving narratives from the present, near-past and distant past.

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Dec 06, 2011 Kenneth Fredette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was a interesting story about 3 separate lives. It was a story about cave men and women. The Nazi's and the people fighting them. And people now who followed the leads they got to find the cave paintings.

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May 23, 2008 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My good friend Tammy recommended this novel, and I thank her for doing so.

This is a magnificent, rich novel involving human triumph at its best (through love, leadership and enduring art) and its worst (through war and the struggle for exclusive possession).

The novel cycles through the viewpoints of prehistory (15000 BC), the French Resistance (in 1944) and the present. Each of these timeframes has its own triumphs, tragedies and mysteries. There is at least one common thread throughout these d...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Susana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was different and I enjoyed it. The story begins in the present time; however, after a piece of rock with prehistoric painting goes missing, the story enters two additional times in history: prehistoric times; and WWII (1944), following and uncovering the path of the rock and painting.

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Jan 31, 2012 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love books that tie multiple time periods together. It's the perfect blend of a huge jigsaw puzzle and short stories.

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Sep 18, 2012 Lani Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very enjoyable, intertwined story set in three eras. Part historical novel, part mystery, part espionage...

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Martin Walker is the U.S. bureau chief for The Guardian (London), a regular commentator for CNN, and a columnist for newspapers in the United States, Europe, and Moscow. A published novelist and poet, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, the novelist Julia Watson, and...more

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