Rating: 
Summary: I Think I Have Found Cornwell's Worst Novel.
Review: "Stonehenge" by Bernard Cornwell is a complete departure for the author of the Sharpe series. Frankly, I didn't like it very much. Maybe it was the pacing, which was slow or the character development, which was shallow. I never got the sense or feel of the times. Luckily for me I picked the book up at a bargain otherwise I would have felt cheated. I finished it only because Cornwell is one of my favorite authors. Perhaps it is because I couldn't identify with the main characters. The lead characters are brothers, namely Saban, Camaban and Lengar. Saban the protagonist, is the perpetually young warrior, hero and builder. Saban's crippled brother Camaban, is the tribe's sorcerer, kook and priest. Saban's oldest brother Lengar, is the obligatory antagonist, villain and tribal chieftain. None of these characters are interesting, all of them seem merely to be props to tell the story. I can accept this type of fiction by some other authors, especially when used in short stories but here it seems shallow. I don't think Cornwell allowed the readers a chance to get into the heads of these people. I think most people knew it took Britain's Neolithic inhabitants years and years to build Stonehenge. After all they barely seem to master fire, metal tools and planting crops. But I thought the story could have been much more interesting and exciting. Cornwell paints a picture of people who were brutal war-like savages. They applied blue tattoo scars to their bodies to signify the number of people they have killed. Ordinarily Cornwell is the perfect author for this type of job, all of his other works are great but he never carries it off.
Rating: 
Summary: The book "Stonehenge" is a good read
Review: A good book, but Bernard Cornwell failed to mention the first stones brought to Stonehenge in the Late Neolithic Period from the South Wales Coalfield area. Stonehenge's first hauled stones, of course, are the white Early Carboniferous (Mississippian) Period, Arundian Age, High Tor (Birnbeck) Limestone Formation calcium carbonates of its original counterscarp bank (3/4's later moved to Heelstone ditch and Stonehenge's nearest barrow 100 metres east-southeast of Heelstone). These first transported stones overlay Stonehenge's geologic outcrop of white Late Cretaceous Period, Santonian Age, Seaford Chalk Formation calcium carbonates. Other than Bernard Cornwell not mentioning these Stonehenge Whitestones, as they are commonly referred to by BGS (British Geological Survey) geologists, the book 'Stonehenge' is a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: If you are fascinated by Stonehenge, or the time period...
Review: then it is a must read. I was on a 9 month internship to England in 1980. The visit to Stonehenge was at the very top of my experience list. Ever since I was interested in reading everything about it. Most information is non-fiction and latest news about archeological discoveries. As an avid reader of historical fiction, I found Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell. Great story, great character development, the anticipation for the construction of the monolith was immense, the story was captivating. I have looked for more historical fiction on Stonehenge, however, I fear none could do it better than Bernard Cornwell. I have continued reading his historical fiction, including the Arthur Series wich is excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: A Bit of a Disappointment
Review: Having read several of Mr. Cornwell's novels, and knowing what an excellent writer he is, I was particularly looking forward to this one. A period of history I like, a place I have visited which is always a plus to conjure up the atmosphere, but I must admit I was slightly disappointed and I'm not sure why.
The book traces the birth of what we now know as stonehenge, from being a few sticks in the ground through to the time when it was in all its glory. The logistics of moving the stones and placing them in their correct positions is all there woven around a story of the people involved, but for me it just was not quite right. Sorry Mr. Cornwell.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting look at ancient history
Review: Randy Farnsworth
Author of "A Stand Yet Taken"
I suppose I should title this "an interesting look at ancient PRE-history", because nobody really knows what went on back then. This book isn't perfect, but I really enjoyed it. I haven't read any other of Cornwell's works, but apparently other reviewers felt this wasn't his best effort. I liked it though.
Going back to an ancient period and accurately recreating the life of people in that period is a daunting task. Cornwell makes sure we know that life was very difficult. Death and fear was a daily experience. Women were objects, not people. Compassion was scarce. Again, we don't really know what life was like for the people that built this great monument, but we can guess based on evidence and records from other places during the same era, and my feeling is that Cornwell's depiction is quite accurate.
This is an epoch tale, relating the story of one man's life from beginning to end, so it covers a lot of territory. It was disappointing at times to get to know and like a new character, only to have them killed, tortured or otherwise taken out of the picture. But isn't that what really happens in life (minus the torturing part)? You get to know people in your life, then your or their life changes and you loose contact. So while it was frustrating to read, it's also true. However, I got kind of jaded after a while; when a new character was introduced, I decided to avoid developing an attraction to her/him, to avoid disappointment later.
There are some slow parts in the book, and in the end, it appears that the main character is developing compassion and love that seems out of place with the mood of the rest of the characters. But again, I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
Despite the grim feeling, violence and fear in the novel, I would still recommend this for young teens as well as adults. While scenes of intimacy are referenced, they're not dwelt on, so there is little inappropriate material for younger readers.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Cornwell falls a little short
Review: I absolutely love Mr. Cornwell's novels. Thomas of Hookton was an excellent character and I have found his adaptation of the King Arthur series incredible. However, I feel that Stonehenge is not as good as it could be. I had to literally trudge through the book. I expected something big or suprising to happen throughout the novel. The characters fell flat and the story was terrible. If you are a Cornwell fan, skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: It could have been like this
Review: Being a fan of historic fiction, "Stonehenge" got my attention since I first noticed it in a bookstore. After reading the reviews at Amazon.com, I got a little disappointed, but gave it a try anway. The book is better than I expected.
There's little man know about the construction of Stonehenge, and what was its purpose. Cornwell, veteran of middle-age fiction, constructs a nice, if somewhat simple story about life in Britain 25 centuries before Christ. Saban, Camaban and Lengar, three brothers, descendants of the chief of one of the most powerful settlements in the british island, struggle for power, each seeking it in its own way: Lengar wants to be a mercyless chieftain, Saban wants to be recognized as a great warrior, and Camaban, the twisted, abandoned child, wants to be the greatest sorcerer on Earth.
Cornwell tells the story of these three main characters; around them, the author provides the reader with battling cities, vengeful gods and the construction of a stone temple that could change the face of the planet. The story in itself is interesting, but what I found best about "Stonehenge" is the good exercise in imagination done by Cornwell, thinking about what was life like in the dawn of history, and, furthermore, what may be the purpose behind the construction of Stonehenge.
"Stonehenge" won't linger in the readers' minds after it's finished, but it certainly will be fun during reading.
Grade 7.8/10
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, Chilling, Somber Tale with Intriguing Premise
Review: Bernard Cornwell's "Stonehenge" is an audacious yet sincere effort to bring a human element to one of the western world's most intriguing archeological finds. The purpose and meaning behind England's odd collection of mighty stones is (in all likelihood) forever lost to us, but that doesn't stop Cornwell from telling a great fictionalized tale about how Stonehenge was built. Cornwell uses a triumvirate of brothers, the warlike Lengar, the sorcerer Camaban, and the builder Saban, as the vehicle to tell his story. Lengar chafes under the rule of his father, a "good chief" when Lengar believes a great chief is called for. A little murder here, a little patricide there, and Lengar is running the tribe as his own private war party. Camaban, a deformed outcast, emerges as even more tyrannical than Lengar, using his sorcerer's powers to chilling effect as he rises from sacrificial victim to command the tribe in his own way. Saban, a rather passive figure, is gifted with an understanding of stone and is charged by his brothers to be the master temple builder. But this is not a simple tale of building a huge temple. Cornwell firmly grounds his story in the harsh world of England during the Bronze Age. Warfare, human sacrifice, and harsh conditions afflict and torment the tribesmen, and the building of Stonehenge during such chaotic times becomes even more of an amazing feat. Cornwell's early line, "And the gods were screaming," is a perfect description of how tumultuous life in England was at the time. But Cornwell also gives us fully realized characters who mature and evolve. Saban has several loves in his life, but he is not fated to keep them for long, as cruel fate seems to dog his step. Saban is also at the mercy of the powerful hold the gods and the spirits have over the tribesmen . . . and the gods are fickle. In addition to fleshed-out, human characters, Cornwell tells the story of the building of Stonehenge in great detail. Far from springing forth fully realized, Stonehenge is the product of several revisions, false starts, and unsuccessful trials. Using helpful drawings, Cornwell never loses his focus, and the reader is generally able to envision the slow growth of Stonehenge from idea to finished product. Always living life on a precarious edge between achievement and ruin, Cornwell's characters evoke powerful emotions - at various times evoking anger, pity, sorrow, joy, and admiration. The only emotion in short supply is humor . . . Cornwell's England is a harsh, dangerous place that does not allow much room for levity. That does not make the story dull, by any means . . . rather, the gritty realism of the story only solidifies the importance of the idea of Stonehenge, which is built to bring an end to winter and to suffering. When faced with the brutal world the tribesmen inhabit, the mania to build Stonehenge seems logical . . . almost. A terrific read!
Rating:
Summary: Better then Expected
Review: I'm a late start to Bernard Cornwell, and before I picked up this book, I had only read his Holy Grail series. While I enjoyed the seiries immensely, sometimes I had to push myself through particularly tiresome passages.
"Stonehenge" was no different. There is a ridiculous amount of detail sometimes about trivial actions, such as the polishing and shaping of the stones. While necessary to describe the action, I think once is enough. Five times is four times too many to have to read about the shaping of a giant stone.
However, the story line was excellent. It was not overwhelmingly predictable, and I came to love and care about the character of Saban. He was portrayed as a normal human man with normal human failings. I was afraid that Cornwell would portray Saban as a sterotypical barbarian, but happily, while including some heathen-ish behavior, he refrained from writing a story about Ogg the cave boy or some other ridiculous rubish.
His research was impressive. When reading the historical note at the end, it was obvious that he took much care in including as many factual details as possible. To truly appreciate the book, you absolutely can not skip the historical note section; the detail is astounding.
Despite his tendancy to describe things to the point that the reader is within an inch of his or her sanity, Bernard Cornwell does spin a good yarn, weaving facts and fiction togethor quite nicely, and so I must recommend "Stonehenge" to all self-respecting lovers of historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: A great read.
Review: I bought this book after reading a copy from the library. Its a great addition to any book collection. The story is set during the bronze age, such an archaic and mysterious time. The story is centered around the construction of stonehenge, and though no one knows why it was created, the author puts forward a great fictional explination. The story is fascinating, as with all of Bernard Cornwells books you get a great deal of knowledge from each chapter and you get a real sense of what life is like for the characters portrayed in the book. The late Stone Age - Early bronze age is a time not much is known about. From a few archeological discoveries historians have pieced together a rough idea of how life was for those early humans and Bernard Cornwell takes that one step further in this great book, Stonehenge.
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