This solid historical from Ripley, best known for his Angel crime series (Angel's Share
, etc.), chronicles the exploits of Hereward the Wake, an 11th-century rebel against the Norman rulers of England. The story alternates between the narrative of Gerald of Wales, a 13th-century monk commissioned to write the family history of a nobleman who may be related to Hereward, and an account of Hereward's life by Thomas of Ely, a 12th-century churchman. Gerald comments on the historicity of Thomas's work, which traces Hereward's rise from obscurity to legend as a sort of Robin Hood figure. Swashbuckler fans will appreciate the tales of Hereward's ambushes of William the Conqueror's men. Readers who may wonder why Gerald devotes so much space to assessing the reliability of Thomas's text will be rewarded in the end. (Apr.)
