First Review of 2025! Hourly History: The Crusades, The Hundred Years War, and British Raj

Publication Date:

February 15, 2016

Genre:

History/Medieval History

Series:

Hourly History

Length: 61 pages

Book Description (Amazon):

The Crusades are the prototype and epitome of the Holy War. The fight to take control of the city of Jerusalem, believed to be the most sacred Holy City to two distinct religions of Christianity and Islam, has lasted far longer than the two centuries of the Crusades and its reach has extended far further than Europe and the Middle East. Over the course of nine organized campaigns and many more unorganized ones, the Christian west militarized in the name of God to push back the threat of Islam advancing from the east. Understanding the Crusades is key in understanding the religious divides that still threaten the order of the world.

Publication Date:

October 6, 2019

Genre:

History/Medieval History

Series:

Hourly History

Length: 47 pages

Book Description (Amazon):

The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts waged between England and France between 1337 and 1453. The war involved several generations of kings on both sides and was fought over a single issue: whether the English had the right to rule the kingdom of France. The origins of the war can be traced back to the invasion of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror, the duke of Normandy. William became king of England, but he also retained control over his lands in Normandy. From that time on, English kings ruled not just over their own country but also over areas of western France. What is now France was at the time of the Norman conquest not a single country but rather a group of semi-independent principalities. By the early 1300s, the kingdom of France was consolidating and emerging as an important European power, and it was almost inevitable that there would be a conflict between France and England over the English lands in western France.

The Hundred Years’ War marked important changes in the very nature of warfare. When it began, the principal weapons on both sides were heavily armored knights who generally followed an agreed code of conduct. By the time the war ended, the Age of Chivalry had been superseded by the appearance of gunpowder weapons which rendered these knights and their notions of chivalrous combat obsolete. The Hundred Years’ War was an important element in the creation of modern Europe and in the definition of the national characters of both England and France. This book tells the story of this long, complex, and fascinating conflict.

Publication Date:

March 13, 2023

Genre:

History/History of India

Series:

Hourly History

Length: 45 pages

Book Description (Amazon):

The British Raj refers to the time from 1858 to 1947 when the British Crown directly ruled the Indian subcontinent. During those 90 years, India saw enormous social, political, and cultural upheaval. New systems of education were introduced, and increasing industrialization brought societal change. The British administration also united large numbers of indigenous people, though they were often united mainly by their opposition to the British and their desire for independence.

The growing independence movement saw the emergence of one of the most influential and charismatic political leaders ever: Mahatma Gandhi. His policy of non-violent opposition inspired people across the world and helped to guide India to independence. However, with independence came partition as the British divided the region according to religious and ethnic lines. Instead of a single independent nation, the Indian subcontinent became two and then three separate nation-states, something that led to violence and conflicts that persist today.

This is the story of how the British Raj inadvertently created the modern nations of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

My Thoughts:

I have made a list of things I want to work on for my blog and personal reading goals this year. One is to read and review more history books. These hourly history ones  are a great way to learn basic historical facts and major themes quickly while still getting accurate information. I already knew a lot about The Crusades and next to nothing about The Hundred Years War or British India. The Crusades book followed everything I knew in a timeline covering all the major Crusades and historical figures from 1096 to the late 1200's. I came away with some gaps filled in my knowledge as well. The books on the other two were great in that I learned about all the major points like Agincourt and  Ghandi's movement without being given too much detail that might make me feel confused being newly exposed to the topic. 

If you love history and biographies you will love these books. It is going to be difficult to choose which ones to read first because there are so many. With Kindle Unlimited you can read most of them for nothing. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter at HourlyHistory.com you get free e-books each Friday!

Dark Clouds Over Nuala by Harriet Steel (The Inspector de Silva Mysteries) Book Two

 

Publication Date: 

May 22, 2017

Length:

216 pages

Summary:

Set in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, in the 1930's, these charming mysteries are really unique. This is book two and I like to go in order so I will probably read and review that way. There are fourteen now with more on the way so this author has definitely found a formula that works. The stories center around native born Inspector Shanti de Silva and his British wife Jane who live in the quaint town of Nuala. Another place where murders and mysteries seem to happen quite frequently, Nuala is nevertheless a sleepy place full of good people. 

De Silva is called in to investigate the mysterious death of a lady linked to British royalty. No one knows why she decided to tumble off a cliff seemingly, to commit suicide. There is much doubt in that conclusion as the case unfolds. Was she sleepwalking? Or severely depressed and wanting to end it all? Add to the drama the uncomfortable aspect of De Silva's bosses, Archie Clutterbuck and William Petrie wanting to keep things as hush hush as possible as to avoid any possible embarrassment to the crown and de Silva is hard pressed to walk a delicate line investigating and being true to where the path follows. A mysterious Russian Count and his wife are involved in the scandal with a backstory of their own.

Along with the main mystery is the side story of the men working under de Silva's charge. Sergeant Prasanna and Constable Nadar are young men who are dealing with their own struggles while trying to balance their work lives. De Silva is caring and patient, treating them almost as the children he and Jane do not have. When Prasanna becomes infatuated with a village girl, Kuveni, the de Silvas work to make an impossible dream a reality. 

My Thoughts:

The story unfolds very slowly. A couple of times I was distracted enough to think about skimming but I stuck with it a bit longer and was glad I did. As with book one, the author takes her time setting the scene, the colorful life in the area, and building the case with lots of detours and additional suspects. I appreciate the balance between a little bit of darkness, followed by humor and the warm interactions between the Inspector and his wife. The twists along the way were sufficient enough to keep me guessing and the last minute reveal was unexpected. You won't find many books like this one so it is a series I will definitely keep up with if I can.

The Malabar Hotel Mystery: An Ellie Blaine 1920's Mystery (Book Six) by E.M. Bolton

 

Publication Date: March 27, 2023

Length: 181 pages

I am always looking for mysteries or historical fiction set in India, preferably prior to WW II. I find the setting exotic and fascinating and I love to see differences in British and Indian culture depicted. So this cover, title, location was one mystery I wanted to try. I knew going in it was short and probably wouldn't have time to delve deeply into more than a cute mystery but since I've joined the cozy mystery reading challenge it fit the bill. I'm having a very busy week starting school so short books are very welcome right now! This is book six and I haven't read anything else in this series but it's the only one set in India so I tried it first. 

Ellie Blaine is worried about her friend and love interest Dr. Richard Lindley. He is missing in Cochin, India and she has left England to go and search for him. She knows it is not like him to have quit writing her and is sure he has met with foul play. When she arrives, her suspicions are confirmed by what she finds in his hotel room. His watch, a gift from Ellie is found among his belongings, and as he promised her he'd never remove it, she feels certain this, along with mysteriously unfinished letters detailing a supposed crime he was involved in, are odd clues that point to something sinister befalling him. 

As she talks with hotel staff and his hospital colleagues, Ellie is unsure who is being candid and who is possibly withholding information. Her friend Georgie arrives, and having worked on previous cases with her before, begins to search with Ellie. The two women encounter some perilous situations which are designed to throw them off the trail, but stick to their intuition and continue. Is Richard guilty? Did he leave on his own? Or is there more to the story?

The first half of the book was the best. Descriptions of the city and its surroundings looked promising and I liked the way the characters spoke to each other, the dialogue sounding a lot like an old movie. Hoping the culture and atmosphere would continue throughout the book I kept going and I also thought the mystery would intensify and become more involved. Unfortunately, I found that about a third of the way through things started to fade out. It began to feel like a book that could have taken place almost anywhere at anytime. It was as if the author forgot it is supposed to be a historical mystery set in another country during another time. The mystery part was just okay, but not terribly exciting. 

This book felt somewhat amateurish and being so short at less than 200 pages, it rambled more than it should have. By the time the resolution happened I'd already figured out the gist of it so the excitement just wasn't there. Some cozy mysteries have that extra thing that makes them cute and also contain a little depth. This one just didn't have enough there to make me care about Ellie and Georgie. It had a good premise but didn't deliver. Maybe the other books are better and they take place back in England. I'm not sure if I'll read another one but I am always willing to try an author twice just to be sure.

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

Publication Date:  November 10, 2020

Length:  400 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK:

I was intrigued enough to read this book based on the title and cover alone. I have only found one historical fiction mystery set in this time period and location prior to this novel and I loved that one. It was Anne Perry's Christmas mystery A Christmas Garland.  It is a rare find for those who love books set during the British rule of India. When I ran across this book I was so excited to see another author tackling this era. Even more so because this author grew up in India and has the cultural background to write authentically about that part of the world. She would definitely be able to add details others might not. Unfortunately, about halfway through it just ran out of steam and I disappointingly found myself skimming just to finish it. A bit of a letdown to say the least. I will try to summarize the main points and explain but the truth is that I grew bored of the characters and it just didn't hold my attention.

SUMMARY:

Captain James (Jim) Agnihotri is convalescing from injuries sustained in battle. The year is 1892 and he is in a military hospital unsure what to do beyond healing and recuperating. He comes across a news article about two young women who fell to their death from a university clock tower. He has always been partial to Sherlock Holmes mysteries and this tragedy intrigues him due to its shocking and unusual nature as well as the fact that no person of interest has been charged with the crime. He befriends the husband and brother, Adi, of the two women who died and is asked to help with the case. He meets Diana, another of Adi's sisters, and is enchanted with her. Because Jim is half Indian and half English he knows their relationship will never progress beyond friendship but nevertheless he is drawn to her and it seems she is drawn to him. Both Adi and Diana are grieving for their relatives and angry that the case is being presented as suicide. 

Jim, often with Diana and Adi's assistance, begins to unravel the clues known so far. An argument witnessed just prior to the death of the women, the medical reports of the bodies, and strange occurrences happening at the home of the family begin to convince him there is more to the story than originally thought. As he gets to know the family intimately he starts to believe there are secrets that are being kept which will lead to the killer. And that not everyone involved wants the world to know the truth. 

WHAT I LIKED:

Lest I leave the impression that this book has zero good qualities, there are some positive points. It has a solid beginning, believable dialogue and setting as well as an intriguing mystery plot to start it off. In fact, I finished it two weeks ago and hesitated to write this review because I was torn whether to just skip a review or go ahead and write about it, knowing the enthusiasm just wasn't there. But I decided to remember you can't just discuss books you absolutely love and that the tepid ones need to be honestly discussed as well. And tepid is what comes to mind when I think about this book. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

After a strong beginning it just sort of starts to drag. The mystery is still interesting and the characters have authentic interactions but it felt like there just wasn't enough happening to hold my interest. Scenes felt repeated and moments of action were too few and far between. Sometimes the family discussions were downright boring and seemed to go nowhere. Being a history buff and loving the time period, I wanted to know more about Bombay and the people, culture, and mores. Often I'd read whole sections and forget it was even set in the past. The conclusion was dragged out and anti-climactic. 

RECOMMEND OR NOT? Unfortunately, this one is a no....

There is a sequel to the story and the author has plans to continue with several more. I love to read series books and wish this one had grabbed my attention more. Normally I'd want to see what is happening with the characters and continue but if I'm honest I probably won't pick up the next one. I'm always willing to give authors a second chance though so if she decides to start a different series with a new angle I'd probably give it a whirl. But for now, Jim and Diana will have to go on without me!