MARK REID

Interesting subject matter: radicalisation of a young Moslem in London and the effects it has on his family - especially his twin sister. Some of the plotting and momentum was very good; other times far less so. It seems far fetched sometimes especially in the character of the Moslem who happens to be British Home Secretary while the radicalisation is going on. I enjoyed many aspects of the other characters but Kamsie struggles to write effectively when it comes to what I would call the incidental music of the characters’ lives. When she tries to write humorously she feels the need to let us know by saying someone in the book found it funny. Writers need to trust themselves; and they need to trust that their readers can see what they are trying to do.

Historians pontificate or sift documents but they weren’t there. The author was. He points out that historical events are presented as the product of powerful people, when they are as much the aggregate of decisions taken by ordinary people. The author’s first-hand assessment of why Germans backed Hitler is unique.

As someone who studied history as a student I always knew what I was offering in essays was an outline, or a blag. I didn’t have the time or inclination to do better. One of my tutors did read everything on a subject before he put pen to paper, and wrote excellent books. But most just pretend they have. I really liked Binet’s approach. Great idea to be honest and say what else was in his mind when he wrote, other than the so-called facts.