Stallion Gate (1986)

Following up on the previous post about the film Oppenheimer, it seemed like a good time to re-read and comment on Stallion Gate, a 1986 novel by Martin Cruz Smith (the cover image is from the paperback edition).

Stallion Gate was Smith's second novel, following his very successful debut with Gorky Park, but having no tie-in with or references to the earlier novel.

Smith's novel is a fictional biography of U.S. Army sergeant Joe Peña, member of a Pueblo community native to the Los Alamos area around the Trinity test site. When the story begins, Peña is in solitary confinement at Leavenworth, having run afoul of an officer. 

He is suddenly rescued by an Army intelligence officer and assigned to be aide and bodyguard to Joseph Oppenheimer. Agostino believes Oppenheimer is a Russian spy, and Peña must report anything he learns about the scientist - or be sent back to Leavenworth.

The novel is better at dramatic descriptions (perhaps exaggerations) of events than at scrupulous adherence to the historical record, but never strays into make-believe. 

Some of Peña's character development reminded me of the protagonist in From Here to Eternity. Both novels are set in the WWII military. Like Private Lee, Sergeant Peña follows instincts that constantly get him into hot water with his superiors, while remaining popular with non-military peers. Also like Lee, Peña is a boxer and, in both novels, one source of dramatic tension is the buildup to a big boxing match. A third similarity is that both characters are musicians. Peña is a jazz pianist, and Smith demonstrates an expansive knowledge of that genre.

Some historical Persons appear as themselves in Stallion Gate, while others are replaced by similar but fictional characters. For example, in the actual events, a Polish-British physicist named Joseph Rotblat quit the Trinity team for reasons of conscience after Germany surrendered. A fictional British scientist does that same thing in the novel.

Stallion Gate is a very entertaining historical novel that doesn't mess with the history (or the science). Highly recommended. Next up is a re-read and review of the 1997 Joseph Kanon novel Los Alamos.

Oppenheimer (2023 film)

 

The Wikipedia article calls Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer an "epic biographical thriller drama film". It also gets pretty good marks on its use of history, although the biographical arc introduces problems in the dramatic arc. The first half of the film ramps up the dramatic tension, culminating in the (literally) explosive climax of the Trinity A-bomb test. That makes the film's second half, dealing with Oppenheimer's post-Trinity career, seem anticlimactic. Still, the film deserves the honors it has received, and belongs on the top tier of Hollywood "historical" productions, where filmmakers are not bound by any constraints of historical accuracy. The film is about a person, not a big explosion, so kudos to Nolan for resisting the temptation to end the film with that dramatic mushroom cloud (or with Hiroshima).

The film also prompts a re-examination of that important period in history. Oppenheimer and those around him are fascinating characters, and many of them have also become the subject of scholarly biographies. I just finished reading The Pope of Physics by Gino Segré and Bettina Hoerlin, a fine 2016 biography of Enrico Fermi co-written by two children of Fermi colleagues. A re-reading and reviewing of two novels I read before these reviews began is also called for: Stallion Gate (1986) by Martin Cruz Smith, and Los Alamos (1997) by Joseph Kanon. 

Booth (2022)

Before beginning Booth, Karen Joy Fowler's masterful 2022 historical novel, a reader might fairly assume that the central character of Booth will be Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth. Fowler surprises us, however. The central role is given to the entire family as a unit, and John Wilkes is actually one of the lesser figures in this drama. The assassination itself is not a central focus - this novel is very much a family saga. From father Junius Booth down to the several Booth children who died young, the members of the famous American acting family each take roles to form a company in the telling of this tale. 

John Wilkes' brother Edwin and sister Asia - both prolific journal and letter writers - provided much of the primary research material for Fowler. Little known sister Rosalie, however, plays the central role as the oldest sister who sees it all play out. Fowler is able to fill in the blanks in Rosalie's life, making her narrative the one that ties all the other family member stories together. 

To place the Booth story in its historical context, Abraham Lincoln is included as an off-stage presence, his political life outlined in third-person sections interspersed among those of various Booths, all following a chronological presentation.

Thanks also to Fowler for adding a detailed "Author's Note" at the end, explaining the many and sundry sources consulted. I hope to see more historical fiction from this author. Highest marks across the board!

The Song of Achilles (2011)

The Song of Achilles (2011), the first novel by classics scholar Madeline Miller, retells Homer's ''The Iliad'' from boyhood to Achilles' death on the battlefield of Troy. Homeric events after that are skimmed over at the end. The first-person straight-narrative viewpoint is that of Patroclus, Achilles' best friend and lover. Being a minor character in ''The Iliad'' lets the Patroclus character be more accessible, with a more modern viewpoint than other more-familiar names in the story. At the same time, the unenlightened historical setting means the two boys have to begin from cluelessness to work out what it means to have and respond to homosexual feelings.

Starting so young makes this a coming-of-age story, as the two boys grow up and have to face the greed and power-lust of the adult world, while dealing with its opposition to their feelings for each other. Complicating matters are Achilles' half-divine nature, his sea-nymph mother, the always-feuding Greek gods, and the war against Troy instigated by the gods' constant meddling in mortal affairs (if only we could still blame "the gods" for our screwups!).

Miller obviously knows her Homer, so the persons and events in The Song of Achilles are faithful to The Iliad and selected supporting mythology. Miller also chooses to ignore some familiar Achilles lore, notably the story of his famous heel. The Iliad certainly can't be read as straight history, so this is not exactly a historical novel, but it reads like one and Miller earns high marks for faithfulness to her sources.  

A Dangerous Business (2022)

Jane Smiley won a Pulitzer Prize for a different historical novel - A Thousand Acres - but I was attracted to A Dangerous Business because it is set in Monterey, California; a town I'm pretty familiar with, not too far from where I live. The murder-mystery plot unfolds over a short span of years from 1850 to 1853, and falls into a category Amazon calls "amateur sleuths". Eliza was brought from Michigan to California by her new husband who dreamed of striking it rich in the gold fields, but he never makes it out of Monterey - killed in a barroom shooting. Eliza is left to fend for herself, and eventually finds employment at a local brothel. She makes a friend, and the two of them set out to find the killer of several other women from Eliza's profession. Along the way, Eliza learns a lot about life, and about herself. The climax comes, of course, when the killer is revealed.

Monterey itself is a character, and Smiley puts considerable effort into conveying a sense of its geography and climate, although a number of small details give away the fact that the author herself has not lived there. Only some very general Monterey history is included, and no historical persons - just general descriptions of the types of people that would have been found there in 1850: Californios, sailors, ranchers, etc. Many of the old streets and a few historical places make cameo appearances - as when Eliza and her friend follow a local lawyer to the courthouse in Colton Hall, but neither the building nor its namesake Walter Colton are described. 

The novel is well-written and enjoyable, but oddly low key for a murder mystery. The murder story seems to be mainly a plot device whose twists and turns allow Eliza room for some adventure and self-discovery. I was disappointed that the plot didn't incorporate more actual history (a la David Liss), which keeps this novel below my highest ranking, but it was fun to read a story set in old Monterey. 

The Years of Rice and Salt (2002)

The Years of Rice and Salt is a 2002 novel by Kim Stanley Robinson. Not exactly what is usually considered to be a historical novel, this work instead belongs to a science fiction sub-genre known as 'alternate history' - Robinson's only venture into this area. When the actual history is treated with respect, however, such novels allow the author to examine historical forces and how events lead to subsequent events. This novel does that by positing a change to one crucial historical event.

The 'Black Death' was a pandemic that began around 1345 CE and eventually killed a third of all Europeans. In Robinson's alternate history,  it is imagined instead as a much more deadly event - killing over ninety percent across Europe, effectively destroying Christian influence over world events. The dominant remaining and familiar world cultures are Islam, China, and the Indian subcontinent. 

The destruction of incipient colonial empires in Spain, Portugal, France, and England has far-reaching effects in many parts of the world. India never falls under British influence. The Middle East never sees Crusades from Europe. In the Western Hemisphere, the native cultures are given more time to develop and resist colonial pressures. While political history changes radically, however, science and technology develop along similar lines to our own history.

To tie the stories together over the book's 1400 projected years, beginning in the reign of 'Temur the Lame' (Tamerlane), Robinson uses several ideas borrowed from reincarnation theories to have the same small group of 'souls' appear over and over. In between mortal lives, the characters meet in the "bardo", a place where souls go after death to await their assignments to new bodies. While together there, the story's characters can discuss their spiritual evolution, and that of the physical world to which they will soon return.

A lot of actual history is used to set up the alternate story, and the historical research is well-done. Alternate history is not usually very attractive to me, but this one is well done and thought-provoking.

The Mirror and the Light (2020)

The Mirror and the Light (2020), by Hilary Mantel, concludes the trilogy of historical novels about Thomas Cromwell,  chief minister to Henry VIII of England. It lives up in every way to the high standards set in the previous two novels, Wolf Hall (2009) and Bring Up the Bodies (2012), earning straight 5's in my five criteria. The gap between 2nd and 3rd novels has been much longer than the three years between 1st and 2nd, even though it covers a period of only four years. 

Those were Cromwell's last four years in this life, of course, which filled them with dramatic tensions that Mantel captures so expertly. More childhood back-story is included, as well, which seemed appropriate as Cromwell progressed into later middle age. As Henry descended into a mid-life crisis that became dangerous to all around him, Cromwell meditated on the personal history that shaped him and brought to the position of second-most-powerful person in England, before it was all suddenly snatched away.

It's probably just me and/or the recent times we've been living through in the US, but it seemed that as the events of 1536-1540 unfolded in the novel's pages, Mantel's portrayal of Henry VIII's reign came more and more to resemble the presidency of Donald Trump, which has been unfolding in parallel with the end of her writing about Henry. And Cromwell's ultimate failure to please his king could be compared to numerous appointees who departed the administration because they failed to please Trump. Fortunately, their penalties for failure did not include beheading. 

The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington (2019) is a work of history by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch. Far from the stereotypically dry history tome, however, this book reads like a fast-paced historical wartime spy novel. Amazon's descriptive blurb says:

Taking place during the most critical period of our nation’s birth, The First Conspiracy tells a remarkable and previously untold piece of American history that not only reveals George Washington’s character, but also illuminates the origins of America’s counterintelligence movement that led to the modern day CIA.

The heart of the narrative takes place during the year-plus that newly-appointed commander General George Washington spent in New York City, 1775-76, preparing for the inevitable and overwhelming British assault against his ragtag Continental Army.

As if that weren't daunting enough, Washington learns of a treasonous plot within his own elite guard unit. The ensuing effort to expose the traitors and foil the plot has enough surprising twists-and-turns to satisfy the most demanding spy novel fan. New York legislator John Jay leads the investigation, and in the process lays the groundwork for future counterespionage and counterintelligence agencies in the US. Well-written and researched, and highly recommended.

Note: a good chronological follow-up to this history would be Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring, by Alexander Rose, which was adapted into the AMC TV series Turn: Washington's Spies.

Island of the Mad (2018), by Laurie R. King

Island of the Mad is the fifteenth and latest (2018) novel by Laurie R. King featuring her lead character Mary Russell as partner (both marital and investigative) of Sherlock Holmes. The series, which began more than twenty years ago, has always attracted (most) Holmes fans, but this one includes a healthy dose of history as well.

It's 1925, and a missing-person case takes the sleuthing duo to Venice. Mussolini had recently taken power in Italy, and his all-black-clad police were in evidence. In a subplot, brother Mycroft has asked Sherlock to do some casual spying to determine the country's mood under the new fascist regime. As a national-security adviser to Downing Street, Mycroft is concerned about similar sentiments beginning to be felt in Britain--beginning with the "British Fascisti" established in 1923 by Rotha Lintorn-Orman.

While Mussolini was still getting started, the real 1920s action in Venice was the social scene, led by American expats Elsa Maxwell and Mr. and Mrs. Cole Porter. All three are substantial characters in the novel. Several historical Venice locales have important roles, including the beach-resort island of Lido with its Hotel Excelsior, and the extravagant palazzo Ca' Rezzonico, rented by the Porters when in Venice--now a museum. Also, before leaving for Venice, Mary and Sherlock paid a visit to Bethlem Royal Hospital in south London, the fourth iteration of the infamous "Bedlam" (now housing the Imperial War Museum).

No criteria rating for this one--the Mary Russell novels are not intended to be read as historical fiction. My gratitude to author Laurie King, however, for investing enough research time to give the novel a surprisingly large dose of historical interest and authenticity.

For another history-lite but well-written novel set in the same milieu, Try The Girl From Venice (2016), by Martin Cruz Smith.

Justinian (1998), by H. N. Turteltaub

Justinian is an earlier historical novel by Harry Turtledove, under his favorite nom-de-plume. The summary below, from Library Journal, gives the basics.

Written four years before the first book of the Hellenic Traders series, Justinian lacks several elements that make those books so enjoyable. Mainly, it's the character of Justinian, whose lack of depth offers little insight into the bases of his unpleasant personality. As noted above, the "asides" of the faithful soldier Myakes are better, but still lacking depth. Development of an author's writing skills from one book to the next is interesting to track and, although the newer Greek novels are much better than Justinian, this earlier effort is still worth reading for the hist-fict fan.   

The five criteria:

1. Did the novel inspire me to further historical research?

Yes. This was my first novel set during the Byzantine Empire - not because it's an uninteresting historical period, but because I've found no other such novels. If nothing else, the development of the mighty imperial city of Constantinople from the earlier Byzantium would be a good subject for someone like Edward Rutherfurd (we can hope).
Score = 5

2. Did the novel include enough history to make it an interesting historical story?

Yes. The author's ability to read the original Greek was undoubtedly helpful. More detail would, however, have made the descriptions more compelling - even if it had to be based largely on educated conjecture.
Score = 4

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Yes. The history is well-researched, although the lack of detail and/or embellishment makes it somewhat dry.
Score = 4

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

Yes, as far as it goes. The author notes that little can be learned from the historical record about the lives of the principal figures of this era, which seems odd after the literary outpouring of the earlier Roman era.
Score = 4

5. Were the fictional or fictionalized plot and characters plausible?

Maybe. Justinian himself is the least plausible. It's hard to believe that he could have been as single-minded and lacking in self-doubt as he is portrayed. For me, Robert Graves' fictionalized Claudius remains the gold standard of hist-fict character development, and Justinian could have been more interesting with some of that psychological speculation.
Score = 3

From Library Journal

While not as well known as his namesake, the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, Justinian II certainly bears investigating. Treacherous, vicious, driven, and self-serving, Justinian took the throne in 685 at the age of 15. Overthrown in 695, he was cruelly mutilated and exiled across the Black Sea, where he languished for years with his bodyguard Myakes as his only companion. Although the bulk of the story is told from Justinian's point of view, the more interesting bits are found in the asides by Myakes, who, after the death of his emperor, was blinded and sent to a monastery. In spite of lengthy and tedious descriptions of military campaigns and an underpopulated cast of characters, the reader is drawn into a Byzantine world where the glory of God and the glory of earthly power are two sides of a glittering gold coin. Turteltaub is the pseudonym of sf author Harry Turtledove.
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