My January Pick - Tom Fleck by Harry Nicholson

Tom Fleck by
Harry Nicholson - 5 Big Fat *****s from me<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

A superb historical novel

 

This book opens in 1513, in the
reign if King Henry VIII in England.  I
was immediately captivated by the main character Tom Fleck – a cowman who wants
to improve his station in life.  His
opportunity comes when he retrieves a ring lost by one of the King's Heralds.

 

The setting of the book - the
north east of England between and around the rivers Tyne, Tees and Wear, is one
I'm very familiar with, having grown up in Durham City.  The descriptions of the places mentioned, the
names of the local aristocracy and the events that take place during the story
all all familiar to me through my knowledge of local history, particularly the Borders
of England and Scotland during this period.

 

Mr  Nicholson's writing style is superb, blending
careful characterisation with an accessible use of language giving the flavour
of the period without heaping onto the reader an indigestible amount of incomprehensible
dialect.  What gave me most pleasure as I
read was the knowledge of farming and animal husbandry, various country
customs, the writer's familiarity with the flora and fauna of the area,
particularly with regard to the medicinal use of plants by the local wise
woman. 

 

The story culminates in a major
battle between the Scots and the English, the Battle of Flodden Field, which is
described in careful graphic detail to such an extend that I'm buying the
printed version of this book for my husband, a keen reader of military history.