Book Review: The Hour of Peril by Daniel Stashower

The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War by Daniel Stashower
Unabridged, 13 hr. 45 min.
Macmillan Audio
Edoardo Ballerini (Narrator)
January 29, 2013
★★★★☆

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: Received from the publisher for review

Daniel Stashower, the two-time Edgar award–winning author of The Beautiful Cigar Girl, uncovers the riveting true story of the “Baltimore Plot,” an audacious conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln on the eve of the Civil War in The Hour of Peril.

In February of 1861, just days before he assumed the presidency, Abraham Lincoln faced a “clear and fully-matured” threat of assassination as he traveled by train from Springfield to Washington for his inauguration. Over a period of thirteen days the legendary detective Allan Pinkerton worked feverishly to detect and thwart the plot, assisted by a captivating young widow named Kate Warne, America’s first female private eye.

As Lincoln’s train rolled inexorably toward “the seat of danger,” Pinkerton struggled to unravel the ever-changing details of the murder plot, even as he contended with the intractability of Lincoln and his advisors, who refused to believe that the danger was real. With time running out Pinkerton took a desperate gamble, staking Lincoln’s life—and the future of the nation—on a “perilous feint” that seemed to offer the only chance that Lincoln would survive to become president.  Shrouded in secrecy—and, later, mired in controversy—the story of the “Baltimore Plot” is one of the great untold tales of the Civil War era, and Stashower has crafted this spellbinding historical narrative with the pace and urgency of a race-against-the-clock thriller.

With the life of Abraham Lincoln being one of the most written about presidential biographies, I was surprised to learn about the “Baltimore Plot” to murder the president before he could be inaugurated. In Lincoln by David Herbert Donald there were a few lines of mention about this plot, but that was it. This book details the whole story, from the lead up, to the plot action, to the resolution.

Besides enlightening the reader to this little known, but very important, aspect of Civil War history we learn about the growth of the railroads and the evolution of the private investigation business. I was fascinated by the story of Allan Pinkerton. I had heard of him with regard to “the Pinkertons” as strike breakers – but interestingly enough, that wasn’t Allan Pinkerton, but relatives after he was deceased. I loved hearing how he came to the United States, built himself up, and created his private detection agency.

This was a fast paced narrative and not boring in the slightest. I appreciated the look at a new angle of Lincoln’s story.

★★★★☆

The narration was well done and engaging. The narration kept the plot moving. Otherwise, the audio production was a standard production.

Author Daniel Stashower also has written several other books including: The Beautiful Cigar Girl, Teller of Tales, The Boy Genius and the Mogul among others. You can visit Stashower’s website for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try listening to this excerpt of the book?

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Rooftop Reviews
• Book Hog

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Interview with Author Ben Kane

Please help me welcome author Ben Kane.  His newest novel, Spartacus: Rebellion, was released earlier this week.  I had the opportunity to ask him some questions about his work – I had a particular interest in this subject as I am taking a Roman Republic and Empire class right now – which is currently his area of specialty.  Welcome Ben!

You have written novels about Roman Legions (The Forgotten Legion, The Silver Eagle, and Road to Rome), the Second Punic War (Hannibal: Enemy of Rome), and gladiators (Spartacus: The Gladiator and Spartacus: Rebellion).  What is it about this time period of Roman history that inspires you to write about it? 

I’ve always been interested in ancient civilizations, but particularly Rome. My first trilogy came about because of the storyline ― in a way, it was a coincidence that it was set during the fall of the Roman Republic. However, once I had become immersed in that world, I came to love it. I think I found myself drawn to the fact that it was still nominally democratic, whereas under the emperors, things were very different indeed. Also, what’s not to love about major historical figures such as Hannibal and Spartacus?!

I’m sure you have read and referred to many, many non-fiction books during your novel writing.  Are there any great ones that you could recommend?  I have a personal interest in this question as I am currently taking a Roman Republic and Empire class. 

The list is as long as my arm. I’ll list a few of the ones that I return to, again and again.

• A History of Rome by Cary and Scullard ― absolutely indispensable.
• The Oxford Classical Dictionary ― incredibly useful for looking up annoying names; great for explaining those details that in larger texts, are so often frustratingly vague.
• Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy ― just one of the excellent books written by one of the foremost experts on Ancient Rome. I could list a dozen of his.
• Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Richard Miles ― after decades without a new, well-researched text on the Carthaginians, this text was a really welcome arrival.
• Greece and Rome at War by Peter Connolly ― if you are interested in the Roman army in any way, shape or form, you need to have this book. End of story. It has been newly republished too.

Thanks for these! I actually have the Cary and Scullard book as one of my assigned texts for this class – small world! I will have to take a look at the Miles book.

Why military historical fiction as opposed to some other type?  Did you have military experience or family inspiration?

I don’t, no! It’s just that since I was a boy, I’ve loved stories to do with men, swords and/or guns. I do have ancestors who served in various wars, but they’re not the reason that I write about soldiers and their comrades.

I have to ask, have you watched any of the Starz series Spartacus?  I have not, but have heard it is excellent.

I wondered if I’d get asked this! I have watched all but the final series, and am in the middle of watching that. It’s a mixed bag, to be honest. Some of it is really well done, and much of it is good TV – gripping, fast moving, and with a good storyline. Andy Whitfield, who played the first Spartacus, was great. Sadly, he died, however. There are other parts of the series that are truly awful. I’m sorry to say that the final series is proving to be the latter. It has departed almost entirely from historical fact, and become a sort of kung-fu fantasy effort. Spartacus deserved better.

With regard to future writing plans – do you plan to continue to write about Rome, other Ancient cultures like the Greeks, or something entirely different?

I plan to move to other time periods, yes. Next on the list is the Hundred Years War, between England and France, a conflict which actually lasted for 116 years (1337-1453). The first book will be called Crécy, and culminate with that famous battle.

When you have the chance for leisure reading, what books or authors do you enjoy?

I have to say that I still love historical fiction. My interests range through all time periods. Some of my favorite authors include Christian Cameron, C.W. Gortner and Robert Lyndon, author of the amazing Hawk Quest. After a twenty year hiatus from reading fantasy, I’ve been lured back into the fold by the dark and blackly humorous writing of Joe Abercrombie.

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from University College Dublin, and worked in Ireland and the UK for several years. After that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for seeing the world and learning more about ancient history. Seven continents and more than 65 countries later, he decided to settle down, for a while at least.

While working in Northumberland in 2001/2, his love of ancient history was fuelled by visits to Hadrian’s Wall. He naïvely decided to write bestselling Roman novels, a plan which came to fruition after several years of working full time at two jobs – being a vet and writing. Retrospectively, this was an unsurprising development, because since his childhood, Ben has been fascinated by Rome, and particularly, its armies. He now lives in North Somerset with his wife and family, where he has sensibly given up veterinary medicine to write full time.

You can visit the author on the following sites: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Goodreads.

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour at the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #SpartacusRebellionTour.

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Maryanne O’Hara Author Event

This past Thursday I had the chance to attend an author event with Maryanne O’Hara, author of Cascade, at my favorite indie bookstore, RJ Julia.

When I go to an author event I am looking to learn something about the book that I wouldn’t have otherwise known.  When they bring photos, a slideshow, music, or some other accessory that is pertinent to provide background history it makes it so much more interesting.  O’Hara did just that.  She had photos of the towns of Enfield and Dana before and after destruction for the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir.  She also had a list (quite extensive) of other cities that have been destroyed for water projects. 

I also loved the format of the event – it was a very open and free-flowing discussion rather than a structured format of reading, discussion, Q&A.  I liked how there was an interchange of thoughts back and forth.  It was fascinating to learn that the novel Cascade started out as several different short-stories that ultimately were pulled together. 

Maryanne will be doing several more tour stops over the next few months.  I hope you get the chance to check out one of them.  Here are a few of her upcoming stops this month:

• Saturday, May 18, 2013 12:15 PM - GAITHERSBURG BOOK FESTIVAL – Gaithersburg, MD
• Tuesday, May 21, 2013 7:00pm - Jones Library - Amherst, MA
• Wednesday, May 22, 2013 7:00PM – “The Human Cost of Water” - Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, Boston, MA

You can check out the rest of her tour stops on her site.

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Mailbox Monday #141

It has been a few slow weeks around here – and like the last time, these books didn’t come in my mailbox, they were purchased by me. 

I went to a reading/author event with Maryanne O’Hara at RJ Julia on Thursday and picked up a copy of Cascade and had it signed. 

I also picked up (on a whim) Founding Myths by Ray Raphael while at Old Sturbridge Village this weekend.  This one sounded interesting and called out to me. 

With wit and flair, Founding Myths exposes the errors and inventions in thirteen of America’s most cherished tales, from Paul Revere’s famous ride to Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech. Exploring the dynamic intersection between history-making and story-making, award-winning author and historian Ray Raphael shows how these fictions—conceived in the narrowly nationalistic politics of the nineteenth century—undermine our democratic ideals.

And that’s all I got.  How about you?

Mailbox Monday is on a monthly blog tour and for the month of May it is being hosted by 4 The Love of Books.

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Interview with Barbara Kyle

Good morning all.  I hope you will help me welcome a favorite historical fiction author, Barbara Kyle, author of the Thornleigh series and the recently released, Blood Between Queens.  Welcome Barbara!

Blood Between Queens is about Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I.  What made you decide to write about these iconic rivals?

Like many history lovers I'm fascinated by the deadly rivalry between these two royal cousins. When Mary escaped her enemies in Scotland and arrived in England asking for Elizabeth's help, she could never have suspected that Elizabeth would keep her under house arrest for the next nineteen years, and finally, after Mary's incessant plotting for Elizabeth's crown, execute her. For over four hundred years this story has enthralled the world. It enthralled me even more when I began the research. And I quickly learned that Mary generates high emotions in people: they either love her or hate her. Once I'd done enough research to form my own opinion, I had to weigh in. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that Blood Between Queens takes no prisoners!

From what I can tell, Blood Between Queens appears to be your first historical novel that is not part of the Thornleigh Saga (please correct me if I am wrong!).  Do you have plans to return to the Thornleigh’s at any point or is their story completed?

Actually, Blood Between Queens is book #5 of the Thornleigh Saga, which follows a rising, middle-class English family through three tumultuous Tudor reigns. But each book stands alone, so readers don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this story. And, yes, there are lots more adventures of the Thornleigh family in the works, with the next book in the saga scheduled for release in 2014 and another after that.

Your historical novels are all set during the Tudor dynasty – what is it about this period that draws you to set your stories there?

The Tudor/Elizabethan era is endlessly fascinating, not just to me, but to so many readers. That's because of its larger-than-life personalities, like Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I. Their actions had a tremendous impact on the people of England and the world. One example is Henry's amazing creation of a national church just so he could divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn. Another is Elizabeth's famous rivalry with Mary Queen of Scots, keeping her under house arrest for nineteen years and eventually executing her. I call crucial events like these the hinges of history, and I set my Thornleigh stories during these times to test my characters’ mettle as they're forced to make hard choices about loyalty, duty, family, and love. 

I am assuming that Blood Between Queens is a stand-alone novel. How has the writing of a single novel compared with the experience of writing a series?

Blood Between Queens is indeed a stand-alone novel, introducing a new Thornleigh family member, Justine, but it also carries on with the storylines of some characters who appeared in previous Thornleigh books, so there were challenges in creating it. On one hand, some background about the ongoing characters is essential for readers who may be meeting them for the first time, but on the other hand the background has to be brief enough and distilled enough for readers who already know these characters. It's a balancing act. 

Are you currently working on any projects, and if so, can you tell us anything about it?

Yes, I'm just finishing the next Thornleigh book. It's set in 1572 and features my fictional seadog Adam Thornleigh joining the Dutch rebels who called themselves the Sea Beggars in their real-life fight against the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands. (I liken them to the Resistance in World War 2 fighting the Nazis.) It's been a pleasure to write because it brings back a young Scottish woman, Fenella Craig, who was a minor character in The Queen's Gamble. Her story in that novel was so intriguing I gave her the "starring" role in this new one. After I finish it I'll start the next Thornleigh book, which will return to the crisis between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. It will also feature Honor, my fictional heroine who began the saga with the first Thornleigh book, The Queen's Lady. I'm eager to get started on that.

What is your process for writing a novel?  Are you a outliner or a write the story as it comes person?

I always develop an extensive outline first. For me, the outline is where the heavy lifting of creation gets done: the development of characters and plot. My books always have complex plots, so I take a long time creating them in the outline, about three months per book, during which time I'm also doing lots of research.

What is your favorite part of being a writer? The research, writing, marketing, etc?

I adore the research. It's so absorbing, delving into biographies and poring over letters and maps, that I have to cut myself off after a few months and get to writing!

When you are not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

I take a long walk almost every day after writing. (That's actually where a lot of story wrinkles get ironed out in my mind.) Also, my husband and I are sailors and we sail our Cal-46 ketch on beautiful Lake Huron. And I have to say that one of the things I enjoy doing most is hearing from readers and replying to them. That interaction - connecting with the readers I write for - makes my work a joy.

Barbara Kyle is the author of the acclaimed Tudor-era Thornleigh novels Blood Between Queens, The Queen’s Gamble, The Queen’s Captive, The King’s Daughter and The Queen’s Lady which follow a rising middle-class family through three tumultuous Tudor reigns. She also writes contemporary thrillers. Over 400,000 copies of her books have been sold in seven countries. In July 2013 Barbara will be a speaker at Ontario's world-renowned Stratford Festival with her talk "Elizabeth and Mary, Rival Queens: A Study of Leadership Lost and Won" about the cousin-queens Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots featured in Blood Between Queens.

Barbara has taught writers at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies and is known for her dynamic workshops for many writers organizations and conferences. Before becoming an author Barbara enjoyed a twenty-year acting career in television, film, and stage productions in Canada and the US.

You can visit Barbara on her website for further information.

You can follow along with the rest of the tour at the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #BloodBetweenQueensTour.

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Author Event with Mary Beth Keane

I had the opportunity to attend an author book talk at RJ Julia bookstore last week with Mary Beth Keane, author or Fever.

I always love attending author events – from the selections they choose to read to the questions from the audience – it is always fun.  And events at RJ Julia are always small and intimate. 

Keane chose to read a selection from Fever where Mary is thinking about the new hat that she bought – I think from Ch 5.  Keane told us that when she spends time describing an item of clothing there always needs to be a purpose to the description – not just to fill some word count.  I think that this scene very well fulfills that purpose.   

I was really surprised to learn that there isn’t a whole heck of a lot known about Mary’s life.  Obviously we know about the spreading of typhoid part, but her private life before coming to stay on North Brother Island is very vague.  This gave a lot for the author to work with.  I also enjoyed learning about how the author had to make a decision about Mary’s decisions – did she understand she was spreading disease and didn’t care thus being the malicious devil described in the papers – or was she confused about the new science and didn’t understand enough and thought she was being unjustly persecuted?  As I stated in my review, the book would have benefited from a Historical Note section, however this portion of the book talk really filled in some of the gaps for me.  

Everyone in attendance who had read the book, myself included, stated that the author did such a good job of making this marginalized person real – so we were surprised to learn that Keane doesn’t have any intentions right now of writing about a real historical figure.  Although she did it well – she found it extremely difficult to do.  Her next novel will be more contemporary and I think she said set in New York – but it is apparently in the very earliest planning stages.

Several people there praised her earlier novel, The Walking People, so I would be remiss to not mention it.  It is an immigration from Ireland to the United States story that spans a 50 year time period.  Here is the blurb:

“Greta Cahill never believed she would leave her village in the west of Ireland until she found herself on a ship bound for New York, along with her sister Johanna and a boy named Michael Ward. Labeled a "softheaded goose" by her family, Greta discovers that in America she can fall in love, raise her own family, and earn a living. Though she longs to return and show her family what she has made of herself, her decision to spare her children knowledge of a secret in her past forces her to keep her life in New York separate from the life she once loved in Ireland, and tears her apart from the people she is closest to. Even fifty years later, when the Ireland of her memory bears little resemblance to that of present day, she fears that it is still possible to lose all when she discovers that her children—with the best of intentions— have conspired to unite the worlds she’s so carefully kept separate for decades. A beautifully old-fashioned novel, The Walking People is a debut of remarkable range and power.”

Stay tuned later this week (hopefully) for a post about North Brother Island – where “Typhoid Mary” spent a significant portion of her life.

My review of Fever

Mary Beth Keane’s website

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Fever by Mary Beth Keane

Fever by Mary Beth Keane
Unabridged, 9 hr. 53 min.
Simon & Schuster Audio
Candace Thaxton (Narrator)
March 12, 2013
★★★★½☆

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Audio download received from publisher for review

“On the eve of the twentieth century, Mary Mallon emigrated from Ireland at age fifteen to make her way in New York City. Brave, headstrong, and dreaming of being a cook, she fought to climb up from the lowest rung of the domestic-service ladder. Canny and enterprising, she worked her way to the kitchen, and discovered in herself the true talent of a chef. Sought after by New York aristocracy, and with an independence rare for a woman of the time, she seemed to have achieved the life she’d aimed for when she arrived in Castle Garden. Then one determined “medical engineer” noticed that she left a trail of disease wherever she cooked, and identified her as an “asymptomatic carrier” of Typhoid Fever. With this seemingly preposterous theory, he made Mallon a hunted woman.

The Department of Health sent Mallon to North Brother Island, where she was kept in isolation from 1907 to 1910, then released under the condition that she never work as a cook again. Yet for Mary—proud of her former status and passionate about cooking—the alternatives were abhorrent. She defied the edict.

Bringing early-twentieth-century New York alive—the neighborhoods, the bars, the park carved out of upper Manhattan, the boat traffic, the mansions and sweatshops and emerging skyscrapers—Fever is an ambitious retelling of a forgotten life. In the imagination of Mary Beth Keane, Mary Mallon becomes a fiercely compelling, dramatic, vexing, sympathetic, uncompromising, and unforgettable heroine.”

I was drawn to this book the moment I heard it was about Mary Mallon, or Typhoid Mary. I didn’t know much about the woman at all, but from the propaganda I had heard about her, I was sure that she was getting something of a bad rap. I hoped that Keane would bring us a version of what Mallon might have been like as a real person – and that is exactly what we get from this book. Mary Mallon is presented to the reader as a woman who doesn’t understand the medical significance of being a healthy carrier and just wants to be able to live a regular life. She feels persecuted, hunted, treated unfairly, but isn’t the evil, intentional disease spreading devil that she was presented as by the media. She is such a believable character as it is easy to imagine that many people wouldn’t understand how someone could be a healthy carrier who spreads disease in her path.

Mary and her cohorts show us what it was like to be of the working class in New York City around the turn of the century. We see the dirty underbelly of the city and what those conditions led to: disease epidemics, the Triangle Fire, etc. These were some interesting scenes. I really, morosely, appreciated the first-person view of the Triangle Fire disaster. This has always been a topic of interest for me and I would love to know if this is something that Mary Mallon actually witnessed.

Keane does a great job of setting up the scenery for us – whether it is North Brother Island, New York City, or the backwoods of Minnesota. She has a way of showing much more than telling. These are vivid scenes which make the events seem all the more real.

I would have loved to have had a historical note included in the book. As there is so much information about Mary that has been tainted by propaganda and what is actually known about her is somewhat sparse, I would have loved to know what was real and what was the author’s imagination. I had the chance to listen to a book talk with the author last week and will be including some of what I found out in a post later this week.

★★★★★

The narration here was so wonderfully done. The narrator fit well into the role of Mary Mallon as she had an Irish accent that brought her even more to life. She also had a great pace to her reading and kept the plot interesting and moving.

Author Mary Beth Keane also has written The Walking People. You can visit her website for additional information about the book.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Book Muster Down Under
• Bippity, Boppity, Book

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court