- Edward Rutherfurd
Infobox Writer
name = Edward Rutherfurd
imagesize = 110px
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pseudonym =
birthdate = 1948
birthplace =Salisbury ,England
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Writer
nationality = British
period =
genre =Historical novels
subject =
movement =
notableworks = Sarum
spouse =
partner =
children =
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influences =James A. Michener
influenced =
awards =
website = http://www.edwardrutherfurd.comEdward Rutherfurd (born 1948 in
Salisbury ,England ) is primarily known as a writer of epichistorical novel s. His debut novel "Sarum" set the pattern for his work with a ten-thousand year storyline."Edward Rutherfurd" is probably a
pen name for Francis Edward Wintle.Biography
Educated locally, and at the Universities of
Cambridge , andStanford , he worked in political research, bookselling andpublishing . After numerous attempts to write books and plays, he finally abandoned his career in the book trade in 1983, and returned to his childhood home to write "Sarum", a historical novel with a ten-thousand year story, set in the area around the ancient monument ofStonehenge , andSalisbury . Four years later, when the book was published, it became an instant international bestseller, remaining 23 weeks on theNew York Times Bestseller List . Since then he has written five more bestsellers: "Russka", a novel of Russia; "London"; "The Forest", set in England'sNew Forest which lies close by Sarum, and two novels, "Dublin: Foundation" ("The Princes of Ireland") and "Ireland: Awakening" ("The Rebels of Ireland"), which cover the story of Ireland from the time just beforeSaint Patrick to the twentieth century. His books have been translated into twenty languages. Rutherfurd settled nearDublin ,Ireland in the early 1990s, but currently divides his time between Europe and North America. [Edward Rutherfurd Official Website; See also: "A Tale of Ireland Forever, or at Least 1,100 Years" , [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/28/books/28RUTH.html?ei=5007&en=48830b01d42a248c&ex=1398484800&adxnnl=1&partner=USERLAND&adxnnlx=1185552619-dXCRnLyOWBkeDc5iWQXgfw] ,Mel Gussow, 4/28/2004,New York Times]Rutherfurd’s novels chronicle the history of settlements through their development up to modern day, mixing fictional characters and families with real people and events – a kind of
historical fiction pioneered byJames Michener .tyle
Known as a
James Michener disciple, [Quilligan, Maureen, "Older Than Texas, Bigger Than Israel", "New York Times Book Review", 9/13/1987; see also: Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher, "London: Greed, Lust and Glory on the Thames", [http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/08/03/daily/london-book-review.html?] "New York Times", 8/7/1997] Rutherfurd invents four to six fictional families and tells the stories of their descendants. Using this framework, he weaves them in and out of historical situations, having them interact not only with each other, but also with significant historical figures. As a result, his books serve an educational purpose.Format
Rutherfurd's novels are generally at least 500 pages and sometimes even over 1,000. Divided into a number of parts, each chapter represents a different era in the area of the novel's history. There is always an extensive family tree in the introduction, and each generational line matches with the corresponding chapters.
Works
*"Sarum" (1987) latterly titled "Sarum: the Novel of England"
*"Russka" (1991) sometime titled "Russka: the Novel of Russia"
*"London" (1997)
*"The Forest" (2000)
*"" (2004) titled "The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga" in North America
*"" (2006) titled "The Rebels of Ireland: The Dublin Saga" in North AmericaFootnotes
External links
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040626072813/http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/8626167.htm "Crafter of the epic narrative"] , interview, "ContraCostaTimes.com" 9 May 2004
* [http://www.edwardrutherfurd.com/ Edward Rutherfurd's Official site]
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