Harry Potter (1)

In his introduction, the author states that he has tried to describe the events from the point of view of the participants, "uncoloured by our knowledge of the final denoument." Like most Americans, I actually did not know anything about the Siege, much less how it turned out. In this short book, I learned a great deal about that tumultuous period of Scottish history, the individuals involved, and the geography (helped by having visited Edinburgh). The story is told deftly, with the author able to keep the events clear and exciting, even though there are many complicated details and a great number of individuals who play a role. I could not wait to find out exactly what happened (although a big hint is given at the beginning when the author tells us that one of the characters will end in the gallows). This book is an example of how history should be written.… (meer)