The Caves of Perigord [Import] [Unbound]

Martin Walker (Author)

Product Details

• Unbound
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 2002)
• ISBN-10: 0743227689
• ISBN-13: 978-0743227681
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hole in France, May 18, 2002

By 

Denis MacShane (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Caves of Perigord : A Novel (Hardcover)

Martin Walker has written more than a fine thriller. He lets the reader into the deeper meaning of France, French legend, French history, the centrality of art in French life, and why this extraordinary country exercises such a hold over the world.
The book is cut into three layers of time. The traditional flip-flop between the current era and WW2 - a standard favourite of thriller writers dealing with wartime themes for decades - is given new depth by a love-story set in pre-historic times when the famous wall paintings of Lascaux created art done by human hand.
Thus the book reads fast but the author's three decades or more of deep knowledge about French politics, attitudes, way of life and priorities in reflected is Walker's book. He was one of the most distinguished of Britain's foreign correspondents of the 1968 generation and like all great reporters he had strong political views - a love for the United States, a passionate belief that Europe must construct itself with his own country, Britain, finally a acknowledging its European destiny and a passion for that adulterous politics of all true Englishmen - a semi-unrequited desire for France.
Walker could have written a standard account of France today - and how many of our shelves groan with those journalist essays that are never worth reading a year or two later. Instead Walker has poured into a novel his affection for France, his cynicism about the twists and lies of French politics, and his understanding that only through its history and its art can anyone even begin to comprehend today's Frenchness.
His portrait of Francois Mitterrand cum Amdre Malraux - as the chief protagonist, Francois Malrand - is magnificent political biography disguised in the novelist's art.
Walker deserves a Legion d'Honneur or as much free wine, confit de canard, and cheese that the Perigord region can bestow on him. He will attract visitors in their thousands to explore this beautiful corner of a beautiful country.
Forget the current betises - stupidities - about France and the USA. France has a history and destiny that every Anglo-Saxon must understand in order to deal with this great but madly frustrating nation. Walker's book is the finest start to that process we have on offer. And since he is still has decades of good writing in front of him we may look forward to more novels though many of us Brits would love to see him writing foreign reports and commentaries again as the press in both Britain and the United States has, with a few notble exceptions, the weakest group of foreign affairs writers seen in generations.
Denis MacShane is the author of a biography of Francois Mitterrand. He is a British Member of Parliament and a Foreign Minister in Tony Blair's government. He speaks and writes French.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book cover got my interest!, July 3, 2002

By 

Tullio Bertini (Millbrae, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Caves of Perigord : A Novel (Hardcover)

I was intrigued by the book cover showing the head of the bull and swastika. I thought the book might be a WWII story. It turned out that the book was a story about three time periods, including World War II. I was fascinated with the description of the people living in the prehistoric times and their society as described by Walker. The changes in the time period were at times a bit confusing. The book encouraged me to research the the Lascaux Cave, a cradle of world art. An article, using the same title, by Norbert Casteret appeared in the December 1948 National Geographic which describes the discovery of the Lascaux cave and actually shows some of the discovered art work. The article is a must for those reading the book. I found that the description of the resistance work in France was a bit confusing, It would have been helpful if the author included a map of the area for reference. The article in the National Geographic included such a map. Overall the Caves of Perigord kept my attention and prompted me to reasearch the Lascaux Cave.
Tullio Bertini
Author of Trapped in Tuscany

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Made me want to go to Perigord, June 26, 2002

By 

Smallchief - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Caves of Perigord : A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a well done novel that shifts back and forth from the present to the French resistance of World War II and to the Cro-magnon days of 17,000 years ago. That sounds bizarre but it works for the most part. Walker is a better-than-average writer who tells a fascinating -- though not quite compelling -- story.

The centerpiece of the story is a cave painting 17,000 years old. The author creates a rarity -- a plausible pre-historic culture and society -- with one flaw: a liberated female character who belongs to the present rather than the past.

The painting shows up one day on the desk of an art dealer in London and in attempting to trace its origin she journeys to the Dordogne region of France where she becomes immersed in the nearly-forgotten history of the French Resistance of World War II. The best part of the book is Walker's account of the Resistance and the struggles between the Gaullists and the Communists. I could have read a lot more about the Resistance and wish that this part of the novel had been longer.

The book was successful in raising my interest about the cave paintings and the remote region of France where they are located. Had the ending been a little stronger, the mystery a little more mysterious, it would have been an outstanding -- rather than just a very good -- novel.