Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful piece of historical writing.
Review: This is a wonderful book which clearly fulfills the author's stated objective of demonstrating that there was more to the Gunpowder Treason than Guy Fawkes and barrels of gunpowder.To someone living in England, the gunpowder plot is merely seen as the work of one individual - Guy Fawkes - whose attempt to blow up King and Parliament is celebrated each year in early November with Bonfire Night. November 5th 1605 is one of the few significant dates of British history that most British people may remember and yet, most would probably not know anything about the story of the Plot. To someone from North America, not even the date has any significance. Antonia Fraser changes all that. In an immensely readable style, the author deftly lays the groundwork for the telling of the story of the Gunpowder Plot. Readers are provided with a precis of the events leading up to the accession to the throne of James the First and then with a discussion of the reasons why Guy Fawkes (actually merely one of a number of plotters) were driven to attempt such an extreme, and ultimately futile, plot to remove King James from the throne. Fraser leaves no stone unturned and is very sucessful in demonstrating how the plotters may well have contributed to hundreds of years of persecution of Catholics in Britain. On finishing this book, I could not help but realise that what had, prior to this, seemed to me to be a fairly minor event in British history had widespread ramifications for the country for many years to come. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to be similarly surprised. More importantly, though, this book is factual historical writing at its best. With authors like Antonia Fraser producing books such as this, no one has any right to say that they do not know or understand history because they find it boring and irrelevant.
Rating: 
Summary: Frazer's version of the Gunpowder Plot is compelling.
Review: What first attracted me to Antonia Fraser's book was the possibility that here I might finally learn the story behind that peculiarly English observance known as Guy Fawkes Day. Also known as Bonfire Night, this was a piece of English history unknown to me.. Now, thanks to Fraser, this gaping hole in my knowledge of the British people is filled. But even if you already know the story of how Guy Fawkes was found lurking in the cellar beneath the Palace of Westminster, you will still appreciate Fraser's retelling. It seems that there is more than one spin on exactly what happened that fifth day of November in 1605. And this is what makes Fraser's version of that event so compelling.
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