Horse Coin [Paperback]

David Wishart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2000

Britain AD59: The scars of Roman conquest are still livid, the clash of two disparate cultures a source of bitterness and conflict. The Roman ruling class believe it is their duty to civilise the natives; the British tribes chafe under the conquerors' yoke. Marcus Julius Severinus, a young cavalryman in the Roman army, respects the Britons among whom he has been brought up. Newly promoted to Commander of the 'Foxes', he believes there is more to be gained by co-operation than by brute force. Governor Paullinus does not agree. When he attempts to cheat Boudica, queen of the Iceni, of her rightful inheritance, he underestimates the wave of rebellious fury that engulfs Roman and Briton alike. Even though the final battle is won, Marcus and his family have to pay a terrible price. Yet from the tragedy stems hope. Marcus's marriage to the daughter of a British chieftain symbolises a new era in which the two races forge a common destiny.

Editorial Reviews

Review

David Wishart has proved himself a writer of no mean literary accomplishments with SEJANUS and THE LYDIAN BAKER. Working on the principle that a freshening of the brew is frequently in order, is a striking change of pace, buoyantly written and plotted. -- Times Saturday Crime Supplement 'weaves a wide tapestry with an unromantised view of life under the Roman invasion' -- Coventry Evening Telegraph 'Complex and interesting' -- Birmingham Post 'A vivid tale of ancient British intrigue' -- South Hams 'an assured and masterful literary stylist, his series of Roman novels brilliantly translate the Chandlerian detective conventions into perfectly realised historical settings... The most accomplished yet... Wishart's utterly rigorous treatment of his material results in a classic piece of historical fiction' -- Crime Time On-Line

About the Author

David Wishart studied Classics at Edinburgh University. He then taught Latin and Greek in school for four years and after this retrained as a teacher of EFL. He lived and worked abroad for eleven years, working in Kuwait, Greece and Saudi Arabia, and now lives with his wife and family in Scotland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Flame (March 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340715316
• ISBN-13: 978-0340715314
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,333,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome find!, December 10, 2011

By 

Patrice E. Sarath - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Horse Coin (Kindle Edition)

I bought this book on a whim (the Kindle edition) and really enjoyed my decision. Anything about the Romans in Britain is fine by me, and this book was no exception. Wishart tells the story from the Roman point of view, mainly, and that's where our sympathy lies. So when Boudica comes on the scene, it's a case of divided loyalties.

Wishart does a lot of interesting things. The Romans, who are often not Roman but Spanish or Gaul or from somewhere else in the Empire, even born in Britain, are written as upper middle class. The character of Albilla could come straight out of a Georgette Heyer novel. The Roman soldiers are written as if they were modern British soldiers, and it works. He's basically saying, what is modern Britain -- is the culture Roman? Or Celtic?

All in all, I really enjoyed this. Loved the battle scenes (they are hard to write, and Wishart nails them, so one can visualize the action against the setting). Loved the characters, especially Severinus, the main character, who was completely sympathetic.

I had a few quibbles. There's an afterward explaining place names, but a map with modern English names and the Celtic and Roman names would have made things a lot easier to figure out where everyone was. Maybe that was in the hard copy edition.

And if you are writing about a horse-based culture, it is really important to get in the saddle yourself. Riders don't signal anything to horses through their knees, not even if they are riding without stirrups. Otherwise, a very enjoyable novel. I'll be looking for more of Wishart's work.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, May 3, 2011

By 

Tab - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Horse Coin (Paperback)

I like David Wishart's novels. I especially like his Marcus Corvinus series. This book is not in the series I normally read, but it was an excellent read. The book, a second-hand one, was in good condition, and I received it in a timely manner. I was very satisfied.