Book Review
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The Council of Egypt (1963), Leonardo Sciascia
Rating: 8/10 · Translated from Italian Accuracy: Closely based on real events in 1780s–90s Palermo, including…
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The Demoniacs (1962), John Dickson Carr
Rating: 6/10 Accuracy: Good on Georgian London and on the early days of organised policing under…
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The Lacquer Screen (1962), Robert van Gulik
Rating: 7/10 Accuracy: Solid on provincial administration and on the underworld of thieves’ guilds, with van…
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The Witch of the Low-Tide (1961), John Dickson Carr
Rating: 7/10 Accuracy: Pleasantly evocative of Edwardian society, with its manners, dress and scandals, though the…
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The Chinese Nail Murders (1961), Robert van Gulik
Rating: 8/10 Accuracy: Excellent on the northern frontier, winter conditions, and the procedure for exhumation and…
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The Chinese Lake Murders (1960), Robert van Gulik
Rating: 8/10 Accuracy: Rich in Chinese material culture and legal procedure, with van Gulik’s usual open…
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Master and Commander (1969), Patrick O’Brian
RaRating: 9/10 Accuracy: Exceptional; O’Brian built many episodes on real naval actions, including Lord Cochrane’s capture…
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Fire from Heaven (1969), Mary Renault
Rating: 8/10 Accuracy: Faithful to the ancient sources on Alexander’s youth, with interpretation where they are…
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The Abyss (1968), Marguerite Yourcenar
Rating: 8/10 · Translated from French (original title L’Œuvre au noir); English edition 1976 Accuracy: Deeply…
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One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), Gabriel García Márquez
Rating: 10/10 · Translated from Spanish; English edition 1970 Accuracy: Not a documentary novel, but the…
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The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967), William Styron
Rating: 7/10 Accuracy: Built on the short 1831 ‘Confessions’ recorded by lawyer Thomas R. Gray, but…
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Silence (1966), Shūsaku Endō
Rating: 10/10 · Translated from Japanese; English edition 1969 Accuracy: Rooted in the real persecution of…
