Ruled Britannia

Rating:
Summary: Turtledove rewrites history again
Review: "Ruled Brittania" is typical of Harry Turtledove's work. He has obvious love of history and takes care to place the reader in the time he's describing - albeit a slighlty skewed view.

In an Elizabethan London, conquered by the Spanish armada, William Shakespeare is asked to write a play to incite the English to overthrow their occupiers. He must do this while under the vigilant eyes of the Spanish. A most usual story of spies and resistance.

I have often been frustrated that the author leaves the reader hanging with a sequel coming in a few months. Alternate history readers will be pleased to know that "Ruled Brittannia" is a complete book and wraps up all loose ends before Turtledove's handy historical notes at the end.

It's a long, fairly pendantic, book but it offers a tantalizing glimpse at an Elizabethan England that never was. If you like your history paired with a clever tale, this one's for you.

Rating:
Summary: The Play's the Thing
Review: Ain't it a shame how much fun Turtledove had with this novel. If I hadn't had almost as much fun, I would wonder why they pay the man for writing; obliviously it isn't a real chore for him. However, if you really want to keep Turtledove writing novels like this, go out and buy two, one for you and one for a friend. You won't regret it.

Ruled Brittania is the story of a timeline where the English did not stop the Spainish Armada and consequently became a satellite nation to the Spanish empire. The story is centered on an obscure playwright named William Shakespeare. Already you know Turtledove is going to have fun. But wait, a secondary protaganist is Lope de Vega, the greatest Spanish playwright of that time. And maybe the greatest Spanish philanderer as well.

Turtledove gets to write portions of two Shakespearean plays and various poetry. That's got to be hard work, right? And if you think his intentions are serious, just remember that the play's the thing.

Ruled Brittania has all the minor historical details that you expect from him and probably taught me more about Shakespeare than any English teacher. I wish he would write history books for high school and college classrooms. It's got to be easier than making up an alternate timeline and it would still be interesting. After all, it would be by Harry Turtledove!

This is a fun book, but historically thought provoking. Read it or you will be sorry later!

Rating:
Summary: Almost like a movie
Review: Apparently Harry Turtledove went to the movies, saw "Shakespeare in Love" and became inspired to write a novel. One and not a series.

You can see that he had fun researching and writing it and it is a joy reading it. Late 16th century London comes alive and quite often this alternative history and the real one become compared by the protagonists. The sad conclusion, that to survive you have to adapt to the changing times and fight for your life is all too real.

Nevertheless it is a funny book, like a movie with swordfights, a happy-end, knighthood and girl for one hero, freedom for the other. The story of the two main characters, Shakespeare and Lope de Vega, is a gripping read. Like almost all his single-volume work must read and buy for all Turtledove fans.

Rating:
Summary: Turtledove's best in a while!
Review: As William Shakespeare struggles to write a play to inspire all of England to rise up against its Spanish overlords, he is beset by everything from spies to groupies and a rapacious landlady! Harry Turtledove really brings the people and times to life in a tightly-written alternate history that thankfully does not diverge into a dozen only vaguely connected subplots. That, and the fact that this book is a stand-alone volume, make it the author's best effort in years.
I found myself delighted by Turtledove's good research, the humanity and complexity given to Shakespeare, and, above all, the fact that I would not have to wait a year and fork out [$$$] for the next in an unending series of sequels.
This book has been criticised as a cheap, anti-Catholic screed. I found it, instead, to be a pretty fair assessment of the times and well in sychrony with what Good Queen Bess herself would have wanted.
Buy this one NOW and enjoy it!

Rating:
Summary: Thoroghly engaging and fun -- the nay sayers be damned!
Review: First, this IS science fiction at its best. Science fiction deals with subjects of a speculative nature, i.e., extrapolating a new reality from an existing reality. That means stories set in the future or alternative universes. This fits either category since it is an alternate universe in the past or set in a future that never was beyond an existing point of time in our own universe.

Second, you needn't be a Shakespearean scholar to read, understand, enjoy, and love this book. What Turtledove does best is transport you to a new time and reality, bringing that reality to life. The word that the other reviews lack is "culture." Whether it is early American, Rome, Byzantium, or mid 20th century Chinese peasants, Turtledove makes it real because he brings fine details of culture to life. The thread that runs through all Turteldove's works is that people are basically the same everywhere--they only vary in culture. He makes me feel glad to live in the 21st century, but makes earlier times much less alien. It is no different here with Elizabethan England. Turtledove's alternate history is brought to life with characters who are fun to be with; whom you wish you could sit in an English pub, knock back a few warm ales, and make some puns.

Finally, this book has a GREAT plot. The suspense as to whether Shakespear will put on Phillip or Baudicca, whether they will be discovered or betrayed by any number of interesting and enigmatic characters, and a whole host of other things besides. In the process of writing the plays, which we get to see glimpses of, a great deal of maneuvering must take place for the play to be put on. There are tremendous obstacles in their path to preparing for a show in complete secrecy, not least of which is ensuring the loyalty of those involved -- and each are dealt with in varing ways. I don't want to give any more away than I have (I think other reviewers gave too much away already.)

Rating:
Summary: The Theater as a Political Power
Review: For a writer to portray the life of another writer, one for whom daily living details are in short supply, is a difficult job. When it is not a work of biography, but rather an alternate history, and the writer being portrayed is Shakespeare, this act takes courage and more than a bit of chutzpah. Happily, Turtledove is (mostly) equal to this task.

Imagining a world where the Spanish Armada won, and England conquered and placed under the nominal rule of Queen Isabella, subsidiary to King Philip II of Spain, in many ways this is an intriguing look at the both the time and place - and its overlap with another SF writer's look at this time, Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, provides an interesting comparison. Instead of Stephenson's incredibly broad look at the times, people, and politics, Turtledove chooses to limit the scope of this book to the theater and its environs, with Shakespeare becoming the focal point of an attempted rebellion, as William Cecil commissions him to write a play designed to inflame the audience. Almost simultaneously, he is commissioned to write a play praising the life and deeds of King Philip, due to be performed upon Philip's death.

The tension in this book derives from these two opposing objectives, of how Shakespeare can write and get rehearsals performed of a subversive play while being closely watched by the Spanish for his progress on the King Philip play. Many of the characters presented are familiar ones: Kit Marlowe, Francis Bacon, Richard Burbage; and in general they are well fleshed out, and conform in the main to what is actually known about these people.

But more than plot or character, this book is driven by style and place. The dialogue is done in the Elizabethan English of the time, what Shakespeare basically wrote in. At times this is a little unnerving, as the syntax, word order, and vocabulary is such that you need to read a sentence two or three times to make sense of it. But it certainly provides a definitive ambience, which coupled with the descriptions of living, working, hygienic, and religious conditions, the typical fashions in dress and social customs, gives one a very good sense of the era. Turtledove has also inserted some wry jokes: changes in the names of Shakespeare's plays (such a "Love's Labour Won" instead of "Love's Labour Lost") and at various appropriate places in the dialogue he has stolen some of Shakespeare's most famous lines, given them perhaps a slightly shifted meaning. You don't need to be a Shakespearian scholar to recognize these, as most of these lines are so famous they have almost become part of the English language, though trying to match the lines to what play they belong in (and if that play had been written by the time of this book) is a more difficult but fun exercise.

The major failing I found with this book was that the basic idea behind the plot, that those planning a major rebellion would try to use a play as one of its major lynch-pins, does not come across as very believable. The play could obviously only be performed once, and would an audience of a couple hundred or so really make that much difference to the outcome of an uprising? But as a fun, light read that provides an interesting perspective on the times and the writer, this work does quite well.


--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Rating:
Summary: "Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."
Review: Groaning under Spanish rule for ten years, ever since England failed to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, London citizens have endured the Inquisition, the continued imprisonment of Elizabeth in the Tower of London, the use of Irish barbarians as thugs and enforcers by the Spanish occupiers, and a constant sense of uncertainty born of religious and political turmoil. The pageantry and spectacle of an auto-da-fe, both awe-inspiring and terrifying, open this novel of alternate history, its horrors made real by the cry of a condemned man, begging for help from an acquaintance in the mob, William Shakespeare, who can do nothing to help, and whose own life is endangered by the man's pitiful appeals.

Shakespeare here is a hero at the height of his powers as an actor and playwright. Sharing one-third of a room in a boarding house, eating and writing by firelight in a pub, dealing with the egos of his acting company, and associating with people from all walks of society--from mysterious characters like Nick Skeres and the 'witch' Cicely Sellis, to Francis Bacon and Lord Burghley (Sir William Cecil)--Shakespeare is the pivot around whom all the action revolves. In counterpoint to him is Lt. Lope de Vega, an unpublished Spanish playwright, sent to infiltrate Shakespeare's theater and its productions and unmask any traitors to Spanish rule. When Lord Burghley secretly hires Shakespeare to write a play called Boudicca, planned as a call to the populace to throw off their Spanish yoke and avenge themselves, Shakespeare finds himself in mortal danger--he has also been hired by the Spanish to write a play in honor of Philip II, the dying Spanish king, a play to be produced as soon as Philip dies. Writing and rehearsing both plays simultaneously with a less than reliable troupe, Shakespeare must walk a fine line to avoid discovery as the mood in London becomes increasingly threatening.

Writing in the language and style of the period, author Turtledove casually (and very skillfully) incorporates innumerable Shakespearean quotations into his text, often with humorous intent. Puns, the off-color wordplay which so often provides comic relief in Shakespeare's plays, dialogue in which characters talk at cross-purposes, and a character who constantly misuses "big words," are a delight for any language-lover and admirer of the Bard. Quotations from Shakespeare's Boudicca, which feel like quotations from a new and undiscovered authentic work, are brilliantly crafted from works of the period by Shakespeare and several contemporaries, and the opening night of that play is a stunning literary coup by Turtledove. All the talk and intrigue do lead to a plot which is a bit thin and short on action--until the bang-up conclusion, filled with arquebuses, rapiers, poleaxes, pikes, and even chamberpots. Lovers of language will thrill at Turtledove's achievement here, even while wishing, perhaps, that the book were a hundred pages shorter.

Rating:
Summary: One of his better books
Review: Harry Turtledove has written one of his better books. Set in 1597, he uses William Shakespeare as his main protagonist. Spain has defeated and occupies Britain affter after defeating the English Navy with it's Armada. Shakespeare is asked to write a play that will incite the English to revolt and overcome the Spanish and gain England's freedom once again.

Though the book moves slow at times, its plot and premise is worth the effort. It is one of his better efforts. It seems that his stand alone alternative histories always seems to be more concise and and pointed than his alternative history series of the USA and CSA.

Turtledove's research and use of dialogue are well done. While his writing may be a little simple at times, this is one time that he has created a book well worth reading for fun and imagination.

Rating:
Summary: Really, Really Good
Review: Harry Turtledove is considered the "dean" of modern alternative history. However, after reading his latest work, I think he should be freed of such a narrow literary interpretation. Mr. Turtledove is an extremely gifted writer overall, not just in his noted field. As an author, he is amazingly dynamic, as he has written on a wide number of historical events, and somehow manages to always tinge his work with expertise. His imagination and sense of humor are always evident, as he colors his new timelines with a custom sense of reality and connection. With his latest work, Turtledove has proved to me at least that he is really one of the best fiction writers out there today.

England, 1597. Disaster has befallen the storied island kingdom of Alfred and Henry VIII. Ten years hence, the massive Spanish Armada and its allied troops smashed the Royal Navy and landed on the shores of merry old England. The professional armies of the Duke of Parma smashed the levies of Elizabeth, and England was brought back into the Papal fold. Queen Elizabeth remains imprisoned in the Tower of London, at the mercy of Isabella and her Austrian husband, Albert. The populace is cowed by the fearsome English inquisition, which burns anyone who longs for the old ways. Spanish and Irish troops patrol the streets, enforcing strict curfews. It is not a good time to be an Englishman.

Unless one is a fan of the theater. At the Globe Theater in London, a new playwright is wowing English society. His name is William Shakespeare, and his dramas and comedies are entertaining all strata of Catholic England. Shakespeare himself is happy with his modest success, continuing to write away under candlelight at the local pub. He always tries to keep out of politics, letting other associates, such as the mysterious playwright, Chistopher Marlowe, dabble in that field. That is, until Marlowe brings him into the underworld of English liberation. A group of conspirators, many quite rich, are planning a revolution. They just need a spark, something that will light the English people a fire. To this end, they choose the Bard himself, to pen a stirring treatise on English liberation. Shakespeare, with little choice, decides to take up the challenge. He knows this will probably be the last play he writes, and the last one he sees performed, but deep down, he is an Englishman, sick of Spanish and Papist excess on his island. Trouble approaches him in many forms, but no more formidable than that of Spanish lieutenant Lope Felix De Vega Carpo.

The English conspirators are not the only ones who want a play. The Spanish king, Phillip, is dying of cancer. The Spanish authorities decide that there would be no better way to extol the glories of God's Sovereign on Earth to Britain's than through a play. A play written by the best English playwright, William Shakespeare. Lope, a fan of Shakespeare and his acquaintance, is assigned to supervise the enterprise. Shakespeare finds himself in quite a bind, as he is forced to write and direct two different plays, with wildly different motives. Of course, if the secret is leaked, he will be mercilessly killed. His benefactors, on both sides, are determined to see their wills imposed, and will kill anyone they see as getting in Shakespeare's way.

The story is beautifully written, mimicking the speech patterns of the day amazingly well. Turtledove's powers of description are on full display here, as he paints an accurate portrait of an alternative England. The most impressive thing about the book is how Turtledove portrays Shakespeare, with a loving but balanced description of his writing style and the inner workings of the Globe Theater. You are almost reading a study on his contributions to the English language. Turtledove manages to keep the intensity up and the intrigue is spellbinding. The conclusion is absolutely riveting. Although it may be a little to long for its own good, Ruled Britannia is definitely worth the effort.

Death to the Dons!

Rating:
Summary: an entertaining read
Review: Harry Turtledove poses an interesting question: what would have happend in 1588 had the Spanish Armada succeeded in its conquest of Britain? _Ruled Britania_ weaves real people (William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Lope de Vega, Francis Bacon among others) with his "alternative history" to create a unique and entertaining read.

Set ten years after the Spanish Armada arrived, the plot of the story revolves around a conspiracy to foment a revolt in Britain, casting out the Spanish and returning Elizabeth I to the throne. William Shakespeare reluctantly is drawn into the intrigue. While the book moves at a lesiurely pace, the attention to historical detail (in terms of dress, customs, sanitation and social class) are remarkable which I enjoyed immensely. The story improves as the plot thickens and the action increases, but as another reader pointed out, it takes a while to get there.

Taken at face value, it would be a great airplane read. Historical purists may balk, and those looking for something with "swashbuckling" will be disappointed. A light, if entertaining, read.