Book Review: Attila

Ruthless. Fierce. Vicious. Barbaric. These are all words that may come to mind upon hearing the name "Attila the Hun". One of the instrumental players in bringing down the Roman Empire, Attila and his mounted army united warring Hunnic tribes and left a swath of destruction int their wake. But there was much more to Attila than that. In the first installment of a dramatic and sweeping trilogy, William Napier tells the story of a young Attila and how his enduring hatred for the Romans fueled his zealous dive towards conquest.

I am by no means an expert on this period, but certain aspects of Napier's storytelling do strike me as inaccurate; such as the weaponry used by the Roman legions, as well as the premise of Attila's early captivity in Rome (the basis of much of the first half of the novel). Nonetheless, the story is well-told, and the characters very well-developed.

Framed through the retrospect of a late 5th century Christian monk, the story tells of how young Attila was given as a hostage to Rome as part of an alliance with the Hun people. Despising the city and its people from the get-go, Attila eventually escapes and crosses the Alps, wide swaths of country and finally the Danube river to rejoin his people. When, however, he acts against the authority of the king, he is branded a traitor and sentenced to wander the steppes for no less than thirty years.

Richly varied in its plot structure and character development, Attila will bring to life one of the most infamous names in history and cast new light on this unflinchingly brave and passionate soul.  

Book Review: Raiders from the North

In the coming years, India will no doubt emerge as a leading superpower in today's world. However, throughout the long history of this mighty nation, powerful empires, sophisticated culture and vast wealth in natural resources have never been in short supply. One of the greatest and most luxurious periods of Indian history is captures in a groundbreaking new series of novels by author Alex Rutherford; "Empire of the Moghul".

The first novel in the series centers around Babur, the founder of the Moghul dynasty. After becoming the ruler of a small Central Asian tribal kingdom at the age of twelve, Babur is immediately faced with almost constant battle, hardship and conspiracy amongst his own court and comrades. Always on the watch for the rival Uzbeks and his sworn enemy Shaibani Kahn, Babur endures betrayal, extreme cold and heat and he tests the loyalty of his troops and followers to the absolute breaking point.

Later, in his adulthood, Babur leads a massive army across the towering Hindu Kush mountains to invade India. With one earth-shattering battle, he controls most of the north of the country ("Hindustan"). Unfortunately, before the kingdom can be fully put together Babur dies, leaving the empire at the mercy of rivalry between his four ambitious sons.

Filled with beautiful and gritty historical detail and brimming with plenty of wonderfully developed characters, Raiders from the North will delight any lover of Indian history, or anyone who simply looker for a good story.

Book Review: The Bread Givers

Growing up in New York City, one of the first things we learn as schoolchildren is the long history of immigration to this bustling metropolis. One story that captures that essence is Anzia Yezierska's chronicle of an Eastern European Jewish family living in a Manhattan tenement in the early 20th century.

Dealing with powerful themes including ethnic and religious identity, the struggle to adapt to a new world and, above all, the changing views of gender roles, Yezierska's work offers a powerful glimpse into a tumultuous period in New York City's history.

Sara Smolinsky is the youngest of four daughters living on the lower east side in the 1920's Her strictly traditional father spends all of his time at study and prayer, while Sara and her mother and sisters struggle to earn enough to get by. As her father marries off her sisters for his own gain and to increase his social standing, Sara becomes more and more restless until finally, she snaps. Leaving her family and setting out into the city with virtually nothing, Sara is determined to make her own way and, for the first time in her life, live for herself.

As an immigrant herself, Yezierska draws from her own background and experience to craft an emotionally moving tale complete with all the gritty realism and sophisticated plot structure one would expect from a good piece of writing.