I loved how each period of history was brought to life through the family stories that span generations. The first story in particular of prehistoric England was excellent and very memorable. My only real complaint is that the story sometimes felt like it was trying to achieve too much, spending less time developing some of the characters' stories than I would have liked.

A very entertaining way to gain insight into English history. I've become quite fond of an area of England I haven't really explored except through Sarum.

In joyed it, especially having been there. I had to keep checking my map. I love the way he can make such compelling links between the old and the new.

I really enjoyed the beginning. But after awhile, around the 1300's, it started to feel more like a history book.

Long, but amazing read!!

As an historical guide from pre-historic to modern-day England, this book was excellent. As a work of fiction, it waxed and waned from inane and contrived to tolerable.

How does one write about such a span of time without using volumes? Create characters whose depth is skin deep, with singular facets and then cut off their lives abruptly and pick up a few generations later, leaving the reader with very little attachment knowing that they, too, will be gone in the next chapter.

I chose Sarum a few months before a trip to England in which we would be visiting the areas of Sarum/Salisbury/Stonehenge. After several hundred pages, I tired from it's time machine qualities and decided to pick up [b: The Pillars of the Earth|5043|The Pillars of the Earth|Ken Follett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517379s/5043.jpg|3359698] instead. (While my review of Pillars is scathing, when I first picked it up it was refreshing to finally have some characters onto whom I could latch. How ill-founded this thought was.) When I eventually got back to Sarum (post-travel), I found the characters and plots of the 1100s to be outrageously similar. (DON'T THINK, [a:Ken Follett|3447|Ken Follett|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1284590179p2/3447.jpg], that I didn't notice the almost plagiarist-ic qualities between the two books! Perhaps everyone who picks up your drivel won't read Mr. Rutherford, but in my opinion he has a legal case against you!)

If you need an overview of English history and have six months to work through these 22,000 years, this is the book for you.

Follow this link for my full review.

https://bwadventuregirl.wixsite.com/website/post/sarum-the-novel-of-england-by-edward-rutherfurd