I really loved Paris so I thought I would give this one a go. I was so surprised at how much I struggled to maintain interest in this book and I did not enjoy it at all. :(

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I don't really remember under what circumstances I purchased this massively epic historical novel--they must have been extrordinary, as I don't usually go for this genre--but I am so glad that I did end up reading it! Aesthetically, this novel is touch-and-go; it is easy to tell that Rutherford is primarily a historian, not a writer. The plotlines sometimes meander or become implausible, the characterization tends, for the most part, to the two-dimensional, and the dialogue ranges from engaging to awful. However, the structure of the novel redeems the flaws and foibles of its author in an exciting and captivating way. The action of a book spans tens of thousands of years, chronicling the history and lives of people which have nothing in common, save for their home. Sarum injects humanity and emotion into history by making a series of biographies of the inhabitants of Salisbury, England, tracing from the late Ice Age to the present day and making stops in the pre-Roman Celtic civilization, late-Roman Saxon invasions, post-Norman conquest period, the Elizabethan era etc. The author also tries his best to follow the same families through these time periods, giving himself a quick short cut as far as characterization is concerned (many of the generations have the same traits--for example, the Saxon Shockley family are bold, amiable, and not terribly clever) but also giving the reader a sense of continuity and familiarity which is quite comfortable and keeps the sweeping narrative in tighter perspective. This book is an excellent read for anyone with an interest in history.

I greatly enjoyed Sarum. All 1033 pages of it.

Sarum is the first Edward Rutherford book I tackled, although his New York book has stared at me with longing on a shelf for years. Starting at the end of the last Ice Age, Sarum follows the generational paths of five families through time to the modern day. The book hits all the strong beats: the building of Stonehenge, the Roman Invasion of Britain and their colonization, the Dark Ages, Saxon Britain, the Norman Invasion, the War of the Roses, the High Middle Ages and the Black Death, the coming of Protestantism and Queen Elizabeth II, the English Civil War, the conquest of India and the American Revolution, Trafalgar and Waterloo, the Great Wars of the 20th Century. Sarum left me with a great sense of breadth and time and gave me an appreciation for age and the passing of time. Everything starts and everything ends -- cultures, religions, industry and business, technology, reigns great and small. That which felt eternal at the time it happened passed and soon became someone else's archeology.

The highlights of the book are the grisly Stonehenge chapter (nearly a novella in itself), the building of the Salisbury Cathedral and the horrible chapter on the Black Death, followed by the Revolution and the Cavaliers in the Civil War. Of the five families, two are the main focus of the book: the horrible decedents of Tep, the river man who has always been there since before the Ice Age ended, and the Shockleys, decedents of a Saxon Thane whose fortunes rise and fall with England's. For 1500 years those two families have back and forths, constantly crossing paths until finally joining in the 20th century. The other families (Caius Porteus's decedents, the family of Nooma the Mason, and the Godefrei's) play second fiddle -- save in the Cathedral chapter -- to the others.

Sometimes the chapters felt a little too short and that generation ended too soon but, generally, I read this book with Wikipedia and my (nonfiction) history of England open to flesh out some of the details where the book glossed over. Overall, I enjoyed the rich detail Rutherford supplies in with the every day lives of his inhabitants of Sarum to give grounding in the time period. No politics get injected in the background of historical period detail -- it is told, straight, to help couch the feelings and motivations of the characters.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read some meaty historical fiction or to get an entertaining grounding in the history of Britain. Although some of the archeology in the early part of the book is a little wobbly now (book came out in 1987), the rest is solid and was backed by my reference books.

Five stars.

Great start, terrible middle, good near end, terrible end. Not much of a review, but if you can muscle your way through the middle ages the rest of the story is enjoyable. I can't help but think that this book was just too much for the author to put into one book. It is really a series of short stories. Taken as a whole, I am glad that I read it.

Early on a 4 star book, but eventually a 3.

So much history to look into via disperate resources to corroborate; would take the rest of my life.

The drama bit eventually became rather tedious, maybe two books with a few years between publication would have created a different impression.

Would recommend a listen, though broken up into smaller portions.

Very enjoyable read although I think I enjoyed the first half more. Already picked up more of Rutherfurd's books though!!!

A childhood favourite that has aged beautifully.

A history of England told through a series of vignettes. Gets a little slow in some points and the stories don't get neatly tied up as I would have liked, but the audiobook provided an excellent, soothing background for sewing.

This is the second book that I have read by Edward Rutherford. I read 'New York' years ago and enjoyed it so much that I saved the actual book to eventually reread (something I rarely do). But then again I am forever a New Yorker...

Equally, 'Sarum' did not disappoint. It is 912 pages yet moves along quickly.
In typical Rutherford style, the author focuses on one area, in this case Sarum or later known as Salisbury, in south central England. In his novels, Rutherford creates a fictionalized narrative using historically or geologically accurate events, sites and details, starting as far back as the Ice Age and progressing through to more contemporary times. He masterfully intertwines the 'descendents' of 5 families into each progressive chapter.

I especially enjoyed the chapter set during the construction of Stonehenge which gives a plausible scenario that answers many of the 'how' and 'why' questions surrounding the famed stone circle. Also interesting were the trials and tribulations of Osmund the mason during the building of the famed Salisbury Cathedral in the 13th century and his succumbing the the 'seven deadly sins'. I would love to visit that cathedral. Another page turner was the chapter titled 'The Death' where several of the family lineages get decimated by the great plague of 1348 as well as the later adventures Samuel Shockley and his time as a redcoat during the American War of Independence.

All in all, despite being a bit overwhelming, there's lots of good history that is told in an interesting way. It's not a light summer read but definitely worthwhile if you are headed across the pond for a visit. I would like to try and tackle his 'London' novel next...1152 pages though...