The Mail on Sunday describes Simon Scarrow’s book, Young Bloods, as “a good, uncomplicated, rip-roaring read”, and the novel does not fail to live up to its billing.
Young Bloods is the first volume of a four part series based around the lives of two of the greatest generals of all time – Wellington and Napoleon. A work of historical fiction, it recounts the early lives of the two renowned figures from birth through to their first military experiences, demonstrating the often unknown challenges that they faced, while shining light on an aspect of their life which is largely left uncovered.
Of course not every detail is historically accurate, and some fictional liberties are taken by Scarrow, though nevertheless the book is, on the whole, one of the more reliable documentations of the generals’ lives. Both Wellington and especially Napoleon are well documented figures with numerous pieces of historical work composed on them, but often these focus on their military careers and neglect a key segment of their life- that is, their childhood and adolescence. Scarrow’s series of books serve to offer a more enjoyable and leisurely read than many of the biographical works, which often appeal only to the avid historian. Anyone can pick Young Bloods up without any prior knowledge of the subject area, and receive a compelling read which will undoubtedly fuel a desire to continue onto the second volume The Generals, which continues in a similarly intriguing fashion.
As well as the military aspect, Young Bloods vividly demonstrates society in the late eighteenth century, and highlights how it was dramatically transformed throughout the 1790s by the French Revolution. Linguistically Scarrow is sound, creating vivid scenes which enable you to relate to the characters, highlighting their emotions and providing an alternate perspective into the travails and challenges they faced throughout their lifetimes. As a piece of historical fiction, Young Bloods is one of the best books that I have read on a period of history which fascinates me. The skill of Scarrow is emphasised by one of the great fictional writers of the period Bernard Cornwell, who acknowledges that, “I don’t really need this kind of competition.”
I for one am glad that Cornwell does have this competition, and Young Bloods is a book that I’d definitely recommend to anyone who is either passionate about historical fiction, or simply wants a leisurely and enjoyable read.