Devonshire Oct to Dec 17
Devon's countryside, wildlife, history and events
Devon's countryside, wildlife, history and events
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Nigel Jones reviews new releases from Devon based authors<br />
Viperʼs Blood by David Gilman<br />
From Devon author David Gilman, Viper’s Blood is the fourth book<br />
in his Masters of War Series, with the central figure in the s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
being Thomas Blacks<strong>to</strong>ne. Set in the mid 1300s during the period<br />
of the Hundred Years’ War,<br />
at a time when the English<br />
Plantagenet rulers were at<br />
war with the House of Valois,<br />
the rulers of France over<br />
the succession <strong>to</strong> the French<br />
throne. Although King John<br />
of France had been captured<br />
by the English forces and had<br />
agreed <strong>to</strong> hand over much of<br />
France, his son, the Dauphin,<br />
was reluctant <strong>to</strong> cooperate.<br />
The action proceeds across<br />
France and finally centres<br />
on Paris, where the Dauphin<br />
is holed up, English forces<br />
being loath <strong>to</strong> fight their<br />
way through the streets<br />
of Paris in order <strong>to</strong> seize<br />
control, knowing that a<br />
bloodbath would ensue. This<br />
book doesn’t fail <strong>to</strong> deliver<br />
and is an entertaining and<br />
enjoyable read of the bloodthirsy, action variety.<br />
This hardback’s £18.99<br />
Secret Duties of a Signals Intercep<strong>to</strong>r<br />
by Jenny Nater<br />
East Devon author Jenny Nater was born in the United States <strong>to</strong> America<br />
parents several years after<br />
the end of the World War I.<br />
At the age of five she was<br />
sent <strong>to</strong> a boarding school,<br />
and in 1937 at the age of <strong>17</strong><br />
she was placed at school in<br />
Switzerland, run by Jewish<br />
refugee teachers who’d<br />
fled from Nazi Germany at<br />
a time of growing German<br />
National Socialism. Jenny<br />
went on <strong>to</strong> learn German<br />
and eventually served in<br />
the Special Duties service<br />
based at Dover during WWII.<br />
This was a <strong>to</strong>p-secret service<br />
where German communications<br />
were intercepted and<br />
subsequently forwarded <strong>to</strong><br />
Bletchley Park. Jenny suffered<br />
great loss when the<br />
Lieutenant she met during<br />
this time was lost off the<br />
Dover coast. Much of this s<strong>to</strong>ry is based around the letters between<br />
them and the book is very much a personal record of her secret war.<br />
A great book for WWII aficionados.<br />
ISBN 978<strong>17</strong>84974466 ISBN 9781473887121<br />
The Paradoxal Compass<br />
by Horatio Morpurgo<br />
Firstly I’d say that there’s a fair bit of rambling and general moving<br />
around in this book which is no bad thing, secondly, yes, you’d be<br />
spot on if you were wondering<br />
whether there’s some connection<br />
<strong>to</strong> the famous Michael Morpurgo,<br />
his son in fact. The books starts by<br />
discussing some of our mariners in<br />
the Age of Discovery, famous and<br />
obscure (Drake amongst them, the<br />
others less known such as Stephen<br />
Borough and John Davis). There’s<br />
much interesting information about<br />
our Tudor naviga<strong>to</strong>rs including John<br />
Dee who was the inven<strong>to</strong>r of the<br />
Paradoxal Compass. The book goes<br />
on <strong>to</strong> discuss the ‘infinite s<strong>to</strong>re’ of<br />
earth’s riches, with many interesting<br />
glimpses in<strong>to</strong> the Elizabethan<br />
world, including how whales would<br />
once have been a ‘common’ sight<br />
along the coastline (Lyme Bay) until<br />
they were fished-out (for want of a<br />
better expression). The book ends<br />
by exploring our abusive relationship with the earth. A thoroughly<br />
intreaguing read. £14.95<br />
Counterfeit! by Elizabeth Ducie<br />
Published by Chudleigh Phoenix Publications, Counterfeit!’s s<strong>to</strong>ry is<br />
based around the supply of counterfeit drugs in Africa. The mission of<br />
regula<strong>to</strong>r Suzanne Jones is <strong>to</strong> prevent the manufacture and distribution<br />
of fake medicine. Unfortunately<br />
Suzanne’s investigations in<strong>to</strong> the<br />
counterfeit trade bring her in<strong>to</strong><br />
ever closer danger, eventually<br />
becoming personal when a colleague<br />
buying a bottle of counterfeit<br />
cough syrup suffers tragic<br />
consequences. Her friend disappears,<br />
children die in Zambia<br />
and Swaziland, and she discovers<br />
that there’s an Eastern European<br />
connections. Can Suzanne s<strong>to</strong>p<br />
this trade before more people<br />
s u ff e r ?<br />
It’s a good bedtime read.<br />
Note - you can buy a signed copy<br />
directly from the publishers by<br />
phoning Elizabeth Ducie on<br />
01626 854611<br />
ISBN 97819107495<strong>17</strong> ISBN 9780956950864<br />
28