Sarum
Edward Rutherfurd
Published Century Hutchinson Ltd,
897pp, hardback
ISBN: 0-7126-1447-8

At first, the sheer volume of this epic novel may seem daunting, but it is well worth all the time you will spend reading it.

The book tells the story of the interwoven lives of five families. It is based geographically in that part of Southern England where Salisbury is located, and tells the history of the city itself with the two major religious landmarks of the area, Stonehenge and Salisbury cathedral, playing their part in the story.

It is an immense sage, starting back in pre-historical times, when the first settlers came to the area, and following through to the mid 1980's when the book was written. With the passage of time, the families become more and more interconnected as they intermarry and feud with each other; at times they are allies, at times rivals.

The book took three and a half years to research and write and is well worth reading not only as a good story, but also for the historical information it contains. It is well crafted and the mixing of fiction with factual detail is impressive.