5.0 out of 5 stars Once Again, a Triumph for Robert Harris

C. · 27 September 2024

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } With Precipice, Robert Harris brings to life a story that is familiar to historians but, I suspect, less so to a popular readership. This is the 1912-15 affair between the British Prime Minister of the day, Herbert Henry Asquith (62) and the aristocratic Venetia Stanley, more than 30 years Asquith’s junior. Matters culminated during and after the start of the Great War with Asquith sending 560 letters – usually three per day – to Venetia – often writing them while chairing cabinet meetings. In content, these were a mixture of quite maudlin expressions of love mixed with disclosures of war-related information of the highest sensitivity. Venetia replied but, because Asquith destroyed all her letters, we are uncertain of their number.I have seen some reviews of Precipice complaining that it’s not a thriller, that it is weak on plot, that it’s short on action. This leads me to think that writers of such reviews don’t ‘get’ Robert Harris. Precipice is not a thriller; rather it is a historical portrait of time, place, atmosphere and people at a critical inflection-point in world events. Provided you accept that as what you’re getting, the book is brilliant. Harris creates a world that you occupy with him: it’s July 1914 and the belle époque still reigns but is soon to be shattered; we see dissolute pre-war London and the “Coterie” of upper-class socialite wasters; the shock of war and mobilisation; espionage and counter-espionage; the Asquith and Stanley homes; the Stanley estate at Penrhos near Holyhead; early wartime rumours and reverses; the power elite including Asquith, Churchill, Kitchener, Haldane, Bonar Law and Montagu; the London hospitals; and the epistolary conversation between the Prime Minister and Venetia Stanley. With all that provided by history, Harris didn’t have to make up the central ‘plot’. As for action, or lack thereof, we get the standard Harris style of no violence, little or no sex, no titillation, no ‘shock-horror’, and little or no personal unpleasantness. He is understated, telling the tale straight down the centre line: a good story well observed.Harris is a master of looking at an episode of history, noting aspects that are unknown or must be subject of conjecture, and inserting characters, documents and events to yield a story that is partly fictional, but within the known bounds of fact. He doesn’t tamper with known history, but populates the interstices of the unknown to the limits of flexibility. In Precipice, this results in the police investigation by the (fictional) Sergeant Paul Deemer; the text of Venetia’s own letters; investigation and interception of the correspondence; and the addition of nuance to events on the historical record, such as Asquith’s ‘four capitals’ speeches of September 1914. All the time, Harris gives enough detail from the forensic record – Times headlines in the lead-up to war; Sir John French wanting to withdraw the BEF to La Rochelle; Churchill in Antwerp; First Ypres – to ground the story within a solid frame of historical reference.The folly of H.H. Asquith’s written indiscretions with Venetia Stanley is unbelievable, but true. The Prime Minister is guilty of recklessness tantamount to treason. His crush on Venetia, and their love story, is obvious in plain sight but – in a surprisingly permissive and adulterous aristocratic circle – it’s easiest for all parties to pretend that they don’t exist. In 1914, Mr Harris tells us, there were 12 postal deliveries daily in London. The intensive daily exchange of letters between Asquith and Venetia Stanley is not so very different from what is possible today with email or social media. The main characters are well drawn. Harris likes Venetia: she is “handsome”, intelligent, able, politically aware and level-headed. He is more equivocal about Asquith but still portrays the character quite deeply. And he doesn’t like Churchill (or Kitchener) at all.In the end, the affair with “HHA” becomes, from Venetia’s standpoint, a question of her own identity and independence as a person. She ends the affair, and the reckless danger of the correspondence, distancing herself from the childish neediness of the Prime Minister. Perhaps as a reflection of the patriarchal times in which she lived, Venetia underscores her exit by taking refuge in an ill-advised marriage to Edwin Montagu.It was midnight as I approached the last 50 pages of Precipice. I was about to suspend, but the thing continued to draw me in and I finished it. This, Precipice, is a great story, admirably concluded.Do I have any gripes? The writing style is a bit uneven: sometimes eloquent, descriptive and flowing; sometimes rather basic and of short sentences. And there’s one gratuitous anachronistic Americanism on page 347 of the hardcover, in which Mr Harris has the British Prime Minister of 1915 say “I fear there’s no alternative except to double down.” Really!But these are nowhere near enough to stop me giving this tour-de-force by Robert Harris a resounding five stars.

4.0 out of 5 stars The usual grasp of detail and atmosphere

T.R. · 2 September 2024

Precipice has many of Harris's greatest strengths: a gift for conveying authentic detail and the minutiae of the social and political life of the time, a sharp eye for character, and a lucid and readable style.But it lacks any element of suspense. For all the dramatic progress of the war, the story of the actors in this drama is boring and extremely repetitive; I found myself getting so frustrated with the endless indulgent letters fuĺ of overblown sentiment, the hideous, empty social events threaded through the narrative, and the lack of any sympathetic characters. Only Venetia Stanley is at all likeable. Asquith quickly becomes unbearable, as does the experience of reading the story of his downfall. It's a bit of a slog, I'm afraid.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating thriller!

A.B. · 1 June 2025

Certainly! Here's a short review of Robert Harris's *Precipice*:---Robert Harris's *Precipice* offers a captivating glimpse into the intricacies of Edwardian high society, masterfully weaving historical facts with fiction. The novel centers around the clandestine affair between Prime Minister H.H. Asquith and the young aristocrat Venetia Stanley, providing readers with an enthralling peek behind the curtains of power and privilege during the dawn of the First World War.Harris excels in portraying the opulence and the social dynamics of the era, immersing readers in the lavish lifestyles and the political intrigues of the time. His meticulous attention to detail and his ability to bring historical figures to life are commendable, making Precipice a compelling read for those fascinated by this period in history.However, while the novel shines in its depiction of the upper echelons of society, it misses an opportunity to contrast this with the stark realities faced by the working class at the onset of the Great War. A perspective from the working class could have added a profound layer of depth, highlighting the vast disparities and the true horror of war from a different vantage point.

Disappointed

S.P. · 21 November 2024

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } I have read a number of Robert Harris’ books and I don’t recall ever being bored….. sadly not this time…… this is not Erik Larson who is brilliant at mixing historical, factual content with fictional characters and scenarios …… I thought Mr Harris was similar based on previous books…… the writing is tedious to say the least….. can’t wait to finish it and move on to something more satisfying!

Excellent, excellent, excellent

Y.W. · 9 February 2025

Intriguing and well-paced historical fiction. I’ve read most of Harris’s novels and highly recommend Precipice. It is such a sad story, whilst being highly compelling.

Packaging quality is so pathetic.

A. · 11 May 2025

The packaging and handling of books has become so worse that I've had tk return this THRILLING book 3 times. Needs improvement.

An exciting book about British political in 1914

M.L. · 13 January 2025

Against the backdrop of an imminent the book tells the fascinating story of Prime Ministère Asquith's affaire with a young woman

Eccellente

V. · 30 January 2025

Come tutti i suoi libri, Precipice è il frutto di una ricerca approfondita ed una scrittura magistrale.