Customer Reviews

The Sword and the Miracle

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As a long-time follower of Melvyn Bragg's literary works (as well as an admirer of his illuminating yet refreshingly non-combative interview style on the South Bank Show), I first read "The Sword and the Miracle" a year ago under its British title, "Credo". It captivated me -- not only because of the author's exquisite use of the English language, as always, but because he achieves the near-impossible: He pulls characters from an ancient, largely undocumented age and imbues them with contemporary human qualities. In fact, I sometimes had to chide myself, sitting smugly on the cusp of the 21st century, for presuming to feel angry at Bega in her ferocious struggles against the sin of desire. I kept feeling tempted to use words like `denial' and `self-fulfillment' ... modern-day arguments that would easily have convinced this girl, naturally, to ride off with her prince, turn her back on the sometimes fanatical and cruel Christianity of her time and place!

But, of course, the princess Bega lived and died in those times, not these. And Melvyn Bragg does not write feel-good stories for the genre market. Hence, I believe the editors and marketers at Random House did this novel a great disservice by re-titling it to sound like an Errol Flynn swashbuckler, and by encasing it (the version I received, anyway) in a slick dust jacket with a Fabio look-alike on the cover! I have to wonder how many readers of serious historical fiction were driven away, and how many attracted who simply needed bed-table escapism after a tough day of board meetings; the latter were consigned to disappointment and the book to a lukewarm reception. I admit I'm baffled by a marketing plan designed to repel those most likely to appreciate the product being marketed.

This novel is not one long history lesson, however. There are great battles depicted in furious detail, and barbaric characters of epic proportion, and a horrific rape described in such clinical slow motion that it could be a scene out of de Sade's own chambers. Although what lies between is not always easy reading, in the end we walk away having been not just observers but enlightened travelers through a dark time in history. Title notwithstanding, I found "Credo" / "The Sword and the Miracle" to be a powerful portrayal of life and people in an era when Celtic mysticism was engaged in a losing war with Christian martyrdom, and Bragg does a masterful job, particularly in the prickly encounters between Bega and the pagan priestess Reggiani, of leaving us with the question: Did we take the right turn 1,200 years ago?

"The Sword and the Miracle" -- or whatever name it bears -- is one of Melvyn Bragg's most imposing achievements, both intellectually and creatively.

Regarding his other works, for historical romance on a more traditional scale, read "The Maid of Buttermere", based on a true-life scandalous affair in early 19th century England. Or for more contemporary settings: "A Time To Dance", about a convention-shattering love between a staid, aging banker and a young working-class girl; and "Crystal Rooms", with plotlines that course through modern-day London, from political heights to a Fagin-like character and his boy-slaves. And you wouldn't want to miss the author's special facility with erotic passages.

Although his myriad pursuits could probably qualify Melvyn Bragg as a Renaissance man, I continue to be drawn mostly to his fiction -- as the purest manifestation of the mind and spirit behind the whole body of work.

Melvyn Bragg's "The Sword and the Miracle" (or "Credo" as it is known in Britain) is astonishing. It is so well researched and so well written that the characters live in your head long after you have closed the pages for the last time.

It's a classical battle; between the Pagans and the Christians, and between the Christian Celts and the Christian Catholics, set in a violent and turbulent period of history.

What makes this book is such memorable characters: Bega, the devout christian, destined to become a saint; the pagan woman whom Bega so despises, yet who is so human, Bega's "man", who's love she is prepared to forgo to persue her love affair with God.

The strength of this book is that the characters react, not with 20th century eyes, but as you'd imagine them to in the 7th century. This is not a historical novel. It is, at least to me, a biography! I cannot recommend it highly enough

Read this book. It will change your outlook on life, love and religion. It is wonderful.

This novel reads like a sort of Christian saint's sword and sorcery.
The description of the Irish king's keep got me:
the very primitive characterizations of the warriors was almost as good.
The Irish always blame the English for their backwardness,
but it may have been a result of their cultural problems?
I had read before of a Celtic Christian sect that remained
independent of the church of Rome,
but I never knew it had to do with when Easter is celebrated.
In this book the saints have real visions and fasting is taking to
an unhealthy end. Reading this book gives you a real insight into
the 600th century in England.

Armed with careful scholarship and a deep insight into the personalities, tragedies and triumphs of his characters, Melvyn Bragg weaves an engrossing and remarkably authentic tale of the struggle to save Christianity in its original purity, even as it barely clings to life during the dark ages of the British Isles. This is an historic tale of true triumph through great tragedy of real people and the communities they served - or cruelly dominated - deftly mirroring the eternal struggle we all face between our dual natures of godliness and devilry.

The background and locale of the story is historical, as well as most of the characters Bragg summons from the dead pages of history. The protagonist herself is a mysterious and only partially mythical figure known as St. Bega. Her intense inner conflict between her most deserving earthly desires and her ideally pure devotion to God serves as a personal parallel for the historic struggle between Christianity and pagan rutuals which had hitherto served, yet chained mankind to a barely sustainable earthly existence.

As in true life there are no pure heroes, only men and women doing the best they know how to do in the circumstances they find themselves. In the face-off between Bega, servant of the new "one God," and the priestess of the old gods of stone and sky, druids and druidesses are portrayed - quite accurately - as largely benevolent and wise stewards of an ancient magic, and whose advice the sometime fanatical Christian monks and abbesses would have been better off to accept on occasion. The Celtic Church, though clearly superior in true devotion and spirituality, cannot match the necessary pragmatism of the falsely pious and worldy Roman church, whose demands that the Celtic church accede to the authority of Rome have much more to do with a raw lust for power than they do with saving souls. Indeed, the religious enemy is clearly not the pagan druids and priestesses, but the enmity between professed followers of Christ.

Finally, this is a story of sacrifice. True and noble sacrifice born of faith and love for one's fellow man no matter how undeserving they may be. This is not your Sunday School version of sacrifice where, in the end, God rewards the valiant with all the glory and worldy riches they had denied themselves in His service, but the true, Christly sacrifice where one gives up his or her most cherished dreams to bring about a better world for others. Then, finally perishing in the struggle, as they realize those dreams will be left forever wanting, the only reward they are left is a knowledge that such a sacrifice has been acceptable to God and has, indeed, brought a measure of divinity into a world which so desperately, though ignorantly, needs it.

If you're looking for simple, swash-buckling adventure, pass this book by. If you are not willing to accept Christianity or paganism on their own terms, don't bother. If you're ready to truly ponder what true devotion to God is, or requires, both in your own soul and society at large, then you truly owe it to yourself to read this work.

This fascinating book was originally published as "Credo" in the UK. The subject is Celtic Christianity and its unfortunate defeat by Romanism at the Synod of Whitby, essential reading for anyone interested in the evolution of the Church in the English-speaking world. Unfortunately the US title makes it sound like a sci-fi fantasy , which is both misleading and insulting. By the way, the book does work as a piece of romantic historical fiction too.

I'm halfway through the book and I can't put it down. Historical fiction at it's best. If you like this one read Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead. I'll give a final review when I finish this book.

When I first expressed an interest in this book, I thought it would be a work of fantastic historical fiction, with enough unexplained events to warrant the title's "miracle" and enough struggle to warrant the "sword" part. In fact, it sounded almost Arthurian. I was extremely disappointed to discover that instead, I was faced with two people in blissfully ignorant love who were torn apart by Christianity. How unfortunate. Padric, young prince of a small British kingdom, is called to defend his father's lands against a quasiChristian Saxon/Briton (known later as the "English") host. Bega, on the other hand, feels all the required guilt to enter the service of her god- a god which, somewhere in his "kind and merciful" heart, felt it was necessary to separate her and her beloved for life. She has been "blessed" with a piece of the True Cross, and she feels compelled and is commanded to keep it hidden from the public. She spends her life trying to please her god, and in so doing, is denied the simple pleasures of life on earth- like LOVE. In any case, I found some of the behavior of the supposedly saintly characters to be very unsaintly. The greed of Wilfrid, the envy of Hilda.. and the presumptuousness of Bega herself. She tells young Bede (yes, the same Venerable Bede of the "Histories"): "I wish to make God a gift of your life and your talents." As if someone has the right to give someone else as a gift! It was as if Bega were trying to buy her way to her Heaven, as if she was sure her earthly deeds were not enough for her god. Apparently there were no bounds for those who were out to "seek sainthood". Starvation, self-flagellation, and the deprivation of contact with civilization were all the roads to salvation- or death and insanity. I still fail to see what was so admirable in such religious fanaticism. One redeeming quality of this book would have to be the character Reggiani, the pagan priestess whose settlement was close to Bega's settlement. She provided a quirky, easy-going side to the story, and to me she was the root of reality lost in a sea of zealots. But she got the short end of things in that, as a pagan, she was discounted as a human being until she could be converted. She was "evil" and "lascivious" in her freedom to love and be loved. She was to be conquered, not respected- and in this way I do parallel the Christians to the Saxons, in their lust and determination to "own" everything in sight.
Bragg retains his "historical" part by including real figures of the time- Venerable Bede, Cuthbert, Hilda, Oswy, and also by referring to literary works and events: "The Dream of the Rood", "Caedmon's Hymn", the Synod of Whitby, the plagues.
All in all, I was dissatisfied with this book. I found it frustrating and offensive most of the time; the characters seemed focused on their religion and little else, which I'm sure was a normal occurrence at the time. But I found very little edge on the "sword", and it was a "miracle" when the book finally came to a long, arduous, painfully Shakespearean end.

The title of the book was catchy, I am a lover of Arthurian legend and historical fiction, mainly having to do with the British Isles. In this occasion and realizing Mr. Braggs is a good writer, the characters of the book were, in my opinion, most of them despicable. Zealous religious, though not totally convinced of their own believes. The best character in the book is Reggiani, the pagan, who was the only one to make sense. As she asked Bega, "Why do you have to pray so much? Is your God deaf?" I think this is the best line in the book. But to zealous Bega she was evil, and would not listen to her unless she embraced the True Faith. Luckily for me, Reggiani never did. These religious fanatics were so insecure, that they couldn't even discuss the matters, or at least try to convince. No, they only judge. Fanatism at its best. This is the book that I have taken the longer to read. Most of the time, I found it boring. The main character, Bega, couldn't even love the boy Bede. She was so arrogant as to make him a gift to her God. I need a good book to put this one behind me!