Act of Oblivion
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- Create Date：2022-09-06 04:53:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Robert Harris
- ISBN：1529151767
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Summary
'From what is it they flee？'
He took a while to reply。 By the time he spoke the men had gone inside。 He said quietly， 'They killed the King。'
1660， General Edward Whalley and Colonel William Goffe， father- and son-in-law， cross the Atlantic。 They are on the run and wanted for the murder of Charles I。 Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion， they have been found guilty in absentia of high treason。
In London， Richard Nayler， secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council， is tasked with tracking down the fugitives。 He'll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice。 A reward of £100 hangs over their heads - for their capture， dead or alive。
ACT OF OBLIVION is an epic journey across continents， and a chase like no other。 It is the thrilling new novel by Robert Harris。
He took a while to reply。 By the time he spoke the men had gone inside。 He said quietly， 'They killed the King。'
1660， General Edward Whalley and Colonel William Goffe， father- and son-in-law， cross the Atlantic。 They are on the run and wanted for the murder of Charles I。 Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion， they have been found guilty in absentia of high treason。
In London， Richard Nayler， secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council， is tasked with tracking down the fugitives。 He'll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice。 A reward of £100 hangs over their heads - for their capture， dead or alive。
ACT OF OBLIVION is an epic journey across continents， and a chase like no other。 It is the thrilling new novel by Robert Harris。
Reviews
Lady
，
This was a great historical fiction book。 I have always admired Harris's style of bring true historic events to life with a few embellishments here and there。 Making this story exciting to read。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading it。 This book had a fantastic medium pace that contained some great atmosphere and tension。 And plenty of unexpected events。 I found it very interesting that in one American state you could only travel a few miles a day。 Its is a fantastic way of learning history if you take This was a great historical fiction book。 I have always admired Harris's style of bring true historic events to life with a few embellishments here and there。 Making this story exciting to read。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading it。 This book had a fantastic medium pace that contained some great atmosphere and tension。 And plenty of unexpected events。 I found it very interesting that in one American state you could only travel a few miles a day。 Its is a fantastic way of learning history if you take what is said with a pinch of salt。 I still feel fatherland is his best book。 But this book is not far behind。 I definitely recommend reading this book if you love great controversies in history。 It covers a very controversial time in Britain when characters have to escape Britain to avoid being sent to death。 I have always found this time in history especially in respect to Oliver Cromwell and religion。 Many thanks to the author and publishers for creating this wonderful thrilling story。 I will definitely be looking out for more books by this talented author。 。。。more
Peter Evans
，
1660-Colonel Edward Whalley and his son-in-law Colonel William Goffe have crossed the Atlantic to the colony of America， looking for safe haven。 They are two of the men who put their name to the document that allowed the regicide of the King of England， Charles the First。Charles the Second， his son has been restored to the throne and he wants vengeance。 He appoints Richard Nayler， a highly dedicated and diligent man who will leave no stone unturned and will not rest until justice has been done a 1660-Colonel Edward Whalley and his son-in-law Colonel William Goffe have crossed the Atlantic to the colony of America， looking for safe haven。 They are two of the men who put their name to the document that allowed the regicide of the King of England， Charles the First。Charles the Second， his son has been restored to the throne and he wants vengeance。 He appoints Richard Nayler， a highly dedicated and diligent man who will leave no stone unturned and will not rest until justice has been done and every man is hanged for his part in this heinous act。This becomes the ultimate game of cat and mouse， but which side will prevail？One of the most intriguing books I’ve read in a long time。 Showing life in the new world， Puritans living life along side the native tribes of America， coupled with life in a paranoid England and the disasters of the plague and the great fire of London。 This might be Robert Harris’ best book to date。A very special piece of writing by a master of the craft。 Simply outstanding。 。。。more
MarySue
，
Harris pens this story of the complicated political and social shifts in 17th century England with the shifting powers between the Royalists and Roundheads。 The action follows two Englishmen sought for their involvement in the beheading of Charles I and their escape to New England。
Alex Anderson
，
3。5 * rounded up to 4*。Most readers of historical fiction tend to treat an author’s written production like a safe and sanitary time-machine that hurtles them back through time/space to encounter an alternate reality。In this case we follow a couple of Cromwell’s men as they flee to America to avoid the unlucky fates of many of their Roundhead puritan compatriots。 The two protagonists of this novel were amongst the 50 or so signatories to the death sentence on King Charles during the English Civi 3。5 * rounded up to 4*。Most readers of historical fiction tend to treat an author’s written production like a safe and sanitary time-machine that hurtles them back through time/space to encounter an alternate reality。In this case we follow a couple of Cromwell’s men as they flee to America to avoid the unlucky fates of many of their Roundhead puritan compatriots。 The two protagonists of this novel were amongst the 50 or so signatories to the death sentence on King Charles during the English Civil War。A conscientious writer will do all that is necessary to make his work as historically accurate as possible。 Then an excellent writer takes this historically accurate puzzle and in the blacksmithy of his soul forges the pieces into an immersive story that， whether it really happened that way or not， doesn’t try to fool his reader with something that makes little sense or rings untrue。 It is in the author’s best interest to get his reader to suspend disbelief as early into the process as possible， thru shrewd & competent use of the tool of verisimilitude。Harris drops us into the middle of 17C England and then transports us back and forth to the US to follow the two main characters during their years of exile， hiding out and evading arrest and execution by the monarchists， one man in particular， whose obsessive mission it is to destroy all of the regicides involved。 Harris uses a number of loaded plot twists in this story， which the reader needs to allow him to do， without too much fuss， if the story is to be fully enjoyed。Good immersive historical stuff。Solidly written， good character-dependent driven plot development although the pacing is a little strange and perhaps a little slow moving for some。Good narration。 。。。more
Mark taylor
，
I got Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris from NetGalley for a fair and honest review。Robert Harris Latest novel Act of Oblivion， is set after the return of the English monarchy after the rule of the Commonwealth by Oliver Comewll and the hunting down of the people involved with the trial and beheading of Charles I。Act of Oblivion is what is called an old fashioned page turner that had me gripped as a reader from the start， not only the time period， which has always been such an interest to me。 Add I got Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris from NetGalley for a fair and honest review。Robert Harris Latest novel Act of Oblivion， is set after the return of the English monarchy after the rule of the Commonwealth by Oliver Comewll and the hunting down of the people involved with the trial and beheading of Charles I。Act of Oblivion is what is called an old fashioned page turner that had me gripped as a reader from the start， not only the time period， which has always been such an interest to me。 Add to this the engaging characters such as those that existed historically and in the mind of Robert harris all added to the flavour of the book。 Making this old pursuit style novel， had me both wanting the hunt to fail and succeed at the same time。While Act of Oblivion like most novels of this type has moments of tense action which is the least as a reader you should suspect。 What took the novel from an average to an above average novel was the way that the writer Robert Harris allowed himself to look into the minds of the people involved tn the story， Particullay General Edward Whalley， the elder of the two fugatives， who as he grew older started to examine his role in the execution of Charles the 1st and his beliefs started to change but in a way that seemed believable to his character。The other main character in the novel i want to quickly examine is Naylor the hunter in this pursuit novel， While Nayler did not exist in real life with his history and development throught the book he really became a main stay of the story。For me Act of Oblivion is almost the perfect novel of its type with both a griping story and a writer on top of his craft this is definitely one for you to read 。。。more
Tredaran
，
My knowledge of the restoration of the monarchy is mainly as a background to studying restoration comedy for English A level and I knew， and gave very little thought， to the more grizzly aspects of retribution and revenge against those individuals who had signed the death warrant of Charles I。 This story follows the hunt for those individuals， with a particular focus on Edward Whalley and William Goffe， who leave their families and flee to America， where they seek refuge with puritan sympathiser My knowledge of the restoration of the monarchy is mainly as a background to studying restoration comedy for English A level and I knew， and gave very little thought， to the more grizzly aspects of retribution and revenge against those individuals who had signed the death warrant of Charles I。 This story follows the hunt for those individuals， with a particular focus on Edward Whalley and William Goffe， who leave their families and flee to America， where they seek refuge with puritan sympathisers to their cause。 The book is impeccably researched and has terrific attention to the historical detail and key events from the period， but is also well-plotted and compelling to read。With thanks to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review。 。。。more
Gee
，
This is the sort of book I wish I could have read when doing history at school。 It brings this period to life， using real people， times and places in amongst fictional dialogues。 It tells the story of the hunt for 2 ‘regicides’， Colonel Ned Whalley and his son in law Colonel Will Goffe， tracked by a zealot， Richard Naylor， who makes it his life’s work to track down all the men who signed King Charles I death warrant， but particularly Whalley and Goffe， who he has more cause to blame than just a This is the sort of book I wish I could have read when doing history at school。 It brings this period to life， using real people， times and places in amongst fictional dialogues。 It tells the story of the hunt for 2 ‘regicides’， Colonel Ned Whalley and his son in law Colonel Will Goffe， tracked by a zealot， Richard Naylor， who makes it his life’s work to track down all the men who signed King Charles I death warrant， but particularly Whalley and Goffe， who he has more cause to blame than just a Kings death。 It shows the politics and religions of the time， fledgling America and the brutality of life both there and in Great Britain。 An excellent read， so well researched and written。 Highly recommended。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Josephine Gale
，
I must be one of the few people who have never read a Robert Harris novel but I have always wanted to so I was delighted to be given this opportunity。Act of Oblivion is set in the 17th Century and follows the story of the manhunt for the men who signed the death warrant of King Charles I。 It is mainly focused on General Edward Whalley and Colonel William Goffe， father and son-in-law and two of the signatories of that warrant。 They crossed the Atlantic to America to escape the justice that was ha I must be one of the few people who have never read a Robert Harris novel but I have always wanted to so I was delighted to be given this opportunity。Act of Oblivion is set in the 17th Century and follows the story of the manhunt for the men who signed the death warrant of King Charles I。 It is mainly focused on General Edward Whalley and Colonel William Goffe， father and son-in-law and two of the signatories of that warrant。 They crossed the Atlantic to America to escape the justice that was handed down to them - that they were guilty of murder and should be hung， drawn and quartered。While I have called this a story and while Harris makes it clear that much of the events， thoughts and conversations are fictional， it is based on fact。 Most of the characters who appear existed in real life。 Harris must have done a huge amount of research and that really shows in the book。It also reads much like a thriller and while I feel like some of the "chase" got a bit repetitive， I was still very invested in finding out the end of the story。I would definitely recommend this book， particularly to fans of historical fiction。 And I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it。 。。。more
Jane Dolman
，
With the restoration of the monarchy and Charles II back on the throne the Act of Oblivion pardons those involved in the revolution with the exception of the 59 men who signed the death warrant of Charles I 。 Robert Naylor is the man tasked with finding and bringing these men to justice and his relentless hunt takes him to Europe and America。 The novel concentrates on the hunt for Colonel Edward Whaley and his son-in-law Colonel William Goeffe who have escaped to the puritan colonies in America。 With the restoration of the monarchy and Charles II back on the throne the Act of Oblivion pardons those involved in the revolution with the exception of the 59 men who signed the death warrant of Charles I 。 Robert Naylor is the man tasked with finding and bringing these men to justice and his relentless hunt takes him to Europe and America。 The novel concentrates on the hunt for Colonel Edward Whaley and his son-in-law Colonel William Goeffe who have escaped to the puritan colonies in America。 I knew little of this hunt and I loved this book for the intricate details of the times and lives of the characters both the fugitives and the families that they left behind。 An meticulously researched book resulting in a great historical read and one I would highly recommend。 Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
jean
，
My first thought on starting this book was that it was really long， but I soon got caught up in the sweeping tale of revenge and fugitives focussing on England and America。 Robert Harris really brought this period of the 17th century to life with the downfall of the King， then Oliver Cromwell and its effect on the people of the country。 The importance of religion was also highlighted and I was really interested in the idea of 1666 being the year of the Second Coming。 So much research and informa My first thought on starting this book was that it was really long， but I soon got caught up in the sweeping tale of revenge and fugitives focussing on England and America。 Robert Harris really brought this period of the 17th century to life with the downfall of the King， then Oliver Cromwell and its effect on the people of the country。 The importance of religion was also highlighted and I was really interested in the idea of 1666 being the year of the Second Coming。 So much research and information， but most impressive was that the author managed to write a very readable thriller without becoming a textbook。Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book 。。。more
Julie Friar
，
Colonel William Whalley and his son in law Colonel William Gough have fled to America after being found guilty of high treason in 1660。Brilliant novel with strong characters。 Can they stay hidden for years or will they be caught and offered no mercy？ Read to find out。
Aileen （Ailz） Grist
，
A full historical account of Colonels Edward Whalley and William Goffe following the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660。 The council and King Charles II hunted down those who played a part in the death of CharlesI。 Some fact， some fiction， all interesting。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book。 This review is voluntary， honest and my own opinion。
Jim Hanks
，
An obsessive chase is at the centre of this superb historical thriller from Robert Harris。 The King has been killed and the hunt is on to catch those responsible。 The level of detail is extraordinary as the tale takes place over many years。 It’s all very well paced and the characters are all interesting on both sides of the law。
Roger
，
As usual it was well written and researched but not that exciting imo。 And I disliked all the characters - religious fanatics and/or simply nasty on both sides。 I like most of Robert Harris's books but this one left me cold。 As usual it was well written and researched but not that exciting imo。 And I disliked all the characters - religious fanatics and/or simply nasty on both sides。 I like most of Robert Harris's books but this one left me cold。 。。。more
Brian
，
Set shortly after the Restoration， Act of Oblivion focuses on the pursuit by the new government of anyone who had a hand in the execution of Charles I， and， in particular， the former military leaders， Edward Whalley and， his son-in-law， William Goffe。 The hunt for the fugitives is pursued obsessively by Richard Naylor， secretary to the Regicide Committee， who bears a personal grudge against the two men。 The action takes place both in England where Frances， daughter of Edward and wife to William， Set shortly after the Restoration， Act of Oblivion focuses on the pursuit by the new government of anyone who had a hand in the execution of Charles I， and， in particular， the former military leaders， Edward Whalley and， his son-in-law， William Goffe。 The hunt for the fugitives is pursued obsessively by Richard Naylor， secretary to the Regicide Committee， who bears a personal grudge against the two men。 The action takes place both in England where Frances， daughter of Edward and wife to William， remains with her children， and America to which the wanted men have fled。 As usual， Harris has based his fiction on meticulous research and he succeeds in bringing the world of seventeenth century England and America vividly to life， particularly the close-knit Puritan community， once so powerful in England， now marginalised and under suspicion。 What I found particularly interesting was the insight the novel offered into the lives of the early settlers in America and their close links with the communities they had left behind in England， links which inclined them to provide assistance to the regicides even at great personal cost。Nail-biting from the very first page， and Harris’s best book for a long time in my opinion， Act of Oblivion is a rich and compelling examination of a fascinating chapter of English history。 。。。more
K Bates
，
I'm a huge fan of Robert Harris and this one doesn't disappoint。 It is a story of pursuit， determination， perserverence， hardship and family。 Cromwell supporters and fugitive regicides pursued across decades and continents。 The rise and fall of Cromwell and the Civil Wars brilliantly told and fast paced。 Historical fiction isn't usually my first choice， but this one certainly is， it is superb。 I'm a huge fan of Robert Harris and this one doesn't disappoint。 It is a story of pursuit， determination， perserverence， hardship and family。 Cromwell supporters and fugitive regicides pursued across decades and continents。 The rise and fall of Cromwell and the Civil Wars brilliantly told and fast paced。 Historical fiction isn't usually my first choice， but this one certainly is， it is superb。 。。。more
Lottie
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This was a fantastic epic tale based in the 1600’s of a chase which spanned the world。Incredibly well written and researched - it was incredible to read。 A truly unique novel。
Lady Fancifull
，
Immersion into lived history : The Civil War， and the RestorationFor me， Robert Harris is at his absolute best when he writes novels about closely researched， highly dramatic moments or periods of history。As he does here。 I was as thoroughly gripped by this as by my up-till-now favourite， An Officer and A Spy。 It’s neck and neck for me， with these two。This one is a visceral manhunt， both violent and hugely thoughtful， philosophical。The period covered is the English Civil War， the trial and execu Immersion into lived history : The Civil War， and the RestorationFor me， Robert Harris is at his absolute best when he writes novels about closely researched， highly dramatic moments or periods of history。As he does here。 I was as thoroughly gripped by this as by my up-till-now favourite， An Officer and A Spy。 It’s neck and neck for me， with these two。This one is a visceral manhunt， both violent and hugely thoughtful， philosophical。The period covered is the English Civil War， the trial and execution of Charles 1st， the Interregnum， the Restoration and beyond to 1674。 The main thrust of the book is the search for， capture and brutal killings （public hanging， drawing， quartering） of some of those who had been involved in the bringing to trial， judgement， and execution of the king。 The search for those involved spread over many years， outside the UK， to Protestant Europe where some of the Puritans had fled， and， in this book， primarily to America， to Connecticut， New Haven and Massachusetts。 In his foreword， Harris tells us that all the characters existed – except for one of the 3 main characters， the obsessive Richard Naylor， Royalist， leading the manhunt for personal reasons。 As Harris points out though， the Manhunt itself went on， he has just invented one character to give us personal thrust and character to the story of the search for two high ranking officers in Cromwell’s New Model Army， Edward Whalley， and William Goffe who had secretly fled to America， and were pursued over many years。This has the intensity of a thriller， with the fact that ‘this really did happen’ only adding to the tension。 I learned a lot of history along with reading this wonderfully dramatic， immersive， novel。Highly， highly recommended。 I received this as a digital ARC， from the publishers， via NetGalley 。。。more
Janet
，
An enthralling historical thriller about two of the regicides of Charles I and their pursuer。 The story is well-researched and expertly told。 I particularly enjoyed the characterisation of the central characters， my sympathies were definitely divided。 Unbelievably， this is the first book I have read by Robert Harris， but I have enjoyed this one so much that I shall be reading more of his books as soon as possible。 Highly recommended。I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in An enthralling historical thriller about two of the regicides of Charles I and their pursuer。 The story is well-researched and expertly told。 I particularly enjoyed the characterisation of the central characters， my sympathies were definitely divided。 Unbelievably， this is the first book I have read by Robert Harris， but I have enjoyed this one so much that I shall be reading more of his books as soon as possible。 Highly recommended。I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review。 。。。more
Sharyn
，
Robert Harris is one of my go-to authors as he rarely disappoints。 And this book certainly doesn't disappoint， in fact I think it is one of his best。 I enjoy historical fiction based on true events as I usually learn about something that I knew little or nothing about。 That is certainly true of the hunt for the regicides after the restoration of the monarchy in England。 The cat and mouse chase kept me reading and the utter belief and faith of the Puritans had me in awe。 A very good read with a v Robert Harris is one of my go-to authors as he rarely disappoints。 And this book certainly doesn't disappoint， in fact I think it is one of his best。 I enjoy historical fiction based on true events as I usually learn about something that I knew little or nothing about。 That is certainly true of the hunt for the regicides after the restoration of the monarchy in England。 The cat and mouse chase kept me reading and the utter belief and faith of the Puritans had me in awe。 A very good read with a very good ending。 And a good bibliography for those who want to read further into this fascinating period in English history。 With thanks to NetGalley， the publishers and the author for a e-ARC of this title to read and review。 。。。more
Kerry
，
In this re-imagining of history， Harris tells the story of how Richard Naylor travels Britain， Europe and USA following the death of Oliver Cromwell， chasing fugitives Whaley and Goffe。 This is a cat and mouse type story， and though the characterisation are， as you'd expect from Harris， good， I don't know。。。 there was something missing for me。 Whalley and Goffe hide in New England， periodically letting their families know they're still alive， and of course there is a level of suspense that carri In this re-imagining of history， Harris tells the story of how Richard Naylor travels Britain， Europe and USA following the death of Oliver Cromwell， chasing fugitives Whaley and Goffe。 This is a cat and mouse type story， and though the characterisation are， as you'd expect from Harris， good， I don't know。。。 there was something missing for me。 Whalley and Goffe hide in New England， periodically letting their families know they're still alive， and of course there is a level of suspense that carries the narrative forward， but I found it hard to get into。 This， I think， is more to do with my personal taste rather than the skill of writer。 I'm sure that many readers will devour this novel。My grateful hanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC。 。。。more
Kevin
，
I am trying to get more into historical fiction as it is not generally a genre that I read too much。 However， I will always read Harris's books therefore I was delighted to get an ARC of Act of Oblivion。This book tells the story of William Goffe and his father in law， Edward Whalley who are wanted for regicide - the killing of the King。 Their adventures take them away from their families off across America as they run from Richard Nayler who has been commissioned to hunt them down - dead or aliv I am trying to get more into historical fiction as it is not generally a genre that I read too much。 However， I will always read Harris's books therefore I was delighted to get an ARC of Act of Oblivion。This book tells the story of William Goffe and his father in law， Edward Whalley who are wanted for regicide - the killing of the King。 Their adventures take them away from their families off across America as they run from Richard Nayler who has been commissioned to hunt them down - dead or alive。I have to say I really enjoyed this book。 Like I say， I am not a history buff or a lover of historical fiction but this book made me want to understand this period of time so much more。 The stories of Goffe and Whalley， based in reality， were excellent and both characters leapt of the page。The ending was also excellent and brought a long novel to a very satisfying and entertaining conclusion。 。。。more
Heather Greaves
，
I am a huge Robert Harris fan and enjoyed this work immensely。 I don’t know much about the civil war and its aftermath and I have learnt a lot from reading this。 I did find it a bit drawn out at times but it does have a great last quarter。
Alison Bradbury
，
Oliver Cromwell is dead， Britain has returned to being a monarchy and Richard Naylor is hell bent on bringing to justice all of Cromwell's men who signed the death warrant of Charles I。 Naylor travels the lengths of Britain， forays into Europe and twice travels to America in pursuit of the people who have fled to evade justice。 Even when ordered to give up on the pursuit， Naylor can't let it rest as he has a personal grievance against two particular fugitives。 Colonel's Whalley and Goffe have ma Oliver Cromwell is dead， Britain has returned to being a monarchy and Richard Naylor is hell bent on bringing to justice all of Cromwell's men who signed the death warrant of Charles I。 Naylor travels the lengths of Britain， forays into Europe and twice travels to America in pursuit of the people who have fled to evade justice。 Even when ordered to give up on the pursuit， Naylor can't let it rest as he has a personal grievance against two particular fugitives。 Colonel's Whalley and Goffe have made their escape to America and are in hiding in New England。 Relentlessly pursued by the dogged Naylor。 Whalley and Goffe spend much of their life in hiding and moving from place to place。 Even sending letters home to reassure their wives and children that they are alive and safe is too risky and they go long periods with no word from the outside world。 Robert Harris does what he does best， by reimagining history and building a fictional story from factual events。 A cracking read。Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nic
，
Act of Oblivion takes us back to the 17th century。 Charles I has been put to death and， as the fickle world of politics， church and monarchy ebb and flow， it is decreed that those responsible for the trial and death of the former King must be found。 Colonels Whalley and Goffe are among those who flee their homes and leave behind their family。 Running from Naylor， clerk to the Privy Council and someone with a personal grudge against Whaley and Goffe which will drive him to hunt them down at all c Act of Oblivion takes us back to the 17th century。 Charles I has been put to death and， as the fickle world of politics， church and monarchy ebb and flow， it is decreed that those responsible for the trial and death of the former King must be found。 Colonels Whalley and Goffe are among those who flee their homes and leave behind their family。 Running from Naylor， clerk to the Privy Council and someone with a personal grudge against Whaley and Goffe which will drive him to hunt them down at all costs。 Unlike others who head for Europe， our protagonists head west across the Atlantic to New England。 There they must keep their wits about them， aware that there is a bounty on their head and a manhunt led by Naylor is under way。 Robert Harris had used his impeccable skill of taking historic events and building a skin around the facts。 Act of Oblivion is a riveting read。 The characters are well rounded and the plot zips along。 There was however （aligned with the times） a little too much scripture for me - but that’s because it sets my teeth on edge。 Gritty and real I absolutely loved this book。 Thanks to Random House Cornerstone and Netgalley for an ARC。 。。。more
Paromjit
，
Robert Harris's latest offering is a gripping piece of historical fiction， a blend of fact and fiction that imagines the turbulent period of history after the Restoration。 It is 1660 and the monarchy in the form of Charles II has been returned to power， Colonel Edward Whalley and his son-in-law， Colonel William Goffe are wanted for the execution of King Charles I， a consequence of the English Civil War， followed by the rule of Oliver Cromwell。 They board a ship to cross the Atlantic to America a Robert Harris's latest offering is a gripping piece of historical fiction， a blend of fact and fiction that imagines the turbulent period of history after the Restoration。 It is 1660 and the monarchy in the form of Charles II has been returned to power， Colonel Edward Whalley and his son-in-law， Colonel William Goffe are wanted for the execution of King Charles I， a consequence of the English Civil War， followed by the rule of Oliver Cromwell。 They board a ship to cross the Atlantic to America and the New England colonies， where many Puritans reside， sympathetic to their plight， landing in Boston。 They are on the run， with the royalists demanding a savage retribution。 Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion， 59 men who signed Charles I's death warrant have been found guilty in absentia of regicide and high treason。 Harris argues that there must have been someone who served the role of the fictitious Richard Nayler that he has created here， in London he is the secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council， he has the responsibility of tracking down the traitors。 He is implacable in his pursuit of Whalley and Goffe， driven by a strong personal motivation， and willing to do whatever it takes， including manipulating the Duke of York。 A huge reward of £100 each hangs over their heads for their capture， dead or alive。 In a richly detailed and immersive narrative， Whalley and Goffe's predicament is given life beautifully， at first finding support and living openly amongst the community， but its not long before they are forced into hiding， having to move， facing betrayal as danger draws ever nearer。 They have to survive in an inhospitable， if magnificent， unknown wilderness and harsh weather conditions， living under a cellar in virtual imprisonment， having to develop survivalist skills， learning from and bartaring with Native American Indians。 They desperately miss their loved ones back home， with Frances Goffe， Whalley's daughter and Goffe's wife， under close surveillance， and Whalley draws on his memories to try and write a memoir of his experiences of the Civil War and his relationship with Oliver Cromwell and Charles I。 Will they be able to escape the powerful forces arraigned against them？ One of the highlights for me was the stellar characterisations and the skills deployed in evoking Whalley and Goffe's challenging experiences in the New World， and showing how both sides believed they had God on their side。 I have no doubt Harris's enthralling novel will be a success， it covers such a fascinating period of English history， it is very well written with a surprising twist at the end。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Michael Mills
，
You’re looked after with a Robert Harris book: solid prose， graspable characters， twists galore， and plenty of historical intrigue。 Focusing on the darker side of the Restoration， Act of Oblivion delivers everything you want from a Harris historical thriller， while also mixing in intriguing samples of the folk horror of The Second Sleep （the past erupting into the present with horrific results） and the bloodthirsty satire of The Ghost （Lady Castlemaine picking out expensive wallpaper while the p You’re looked after with a Robert Harris book: solid prose， graspable characters， twists galore， and plenty of historical intrigue。 Focusing on the darker side of the Restoration， Act of Oblivion delivers everything you want from a Harris historical thriller， while also mixing in intriguing samples of the folk horror of The Second Sleep （the past erupting into the present with horrific results） and the bloodthirsty satire of The Ghost （Lady Castlemaine picking out expensive wallpaper while the plague ravages London is not an accidental aside）。 Even after 30 years， Harris is a writer who continues to synthesise and evolve in his work; his books may be a comfort， but they’re still surprising。 。。。more
Sarah
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Goodness - I feel as if I have lived through the aftermath of the Civil War having read this book。 At times it is long and gruelling; the descriptions of the executions are not for the faint hearted。 Two of the main characters are compelled to spend most of their time in attics or cellars so their lives are not fast paced， however their story and their religious zeal make for an interesting tale。 Robert Harris is an excellent researcher and uses his talents to present history in a palatable stor Goodness - I feel as if I have lived through the aftermath of the Civil War having read this book。 At times it is long and gruelling; the descriptions of the executions are not for the faint hearted。 Two of the main characters are compelled to spend most of their time in attics or cellars so their lives are not fast paced， however their story and their religious zeal make for an interesting tale。 Robert Harris is an excellent researcher and uses his talents to present history in a palatable story form。 Thankfully towards the end of the book he diverts from the history lesson and gives us an old fashioned love story。 。。。more
C A
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Well I’m not disappointed， such a well written detailed book， the attention to detail is brilliant。 A fantastic read
Debra Davidson-Smith
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Act of Oblivion is yet another cracking good read from the master storyteller Robert Harris。 Whatever period of history he turns his attention to， Harris manages not only to tell a wonderfully researched tale， but also to seamlessly blend in his own imagined but believable events and characters。In Act of Oblivion Harris has written a recreation of the true story of the tracking down of the men behind the execution of Charles 1， in what must have been the biggest manhunt of the 17th century。 In d Act of Oblivion is yet another cracking good read from the master storyteller Robert Harris。 Whatever period of history he turns his attention to， Harris manages not only to tell a wonderfully researched tale， but also to seamlessly blend in his own imagined but believable events and characters。In Act of Oblivion Harris has written a recreation of the true story of the tracking down of the men behind the execution of Charles 1， in what must have been the biggest manhunt of the 17th century。 In doing so he has turned this historical event into a thrilling page-turner。 There were 59 signatories on the death warrant for Charles 1， but， in 1660， with the monarchy restored， the tables have dramatically turned， and the search is on to track down and punish all those who signed。 Two of these regicides flee to America and Harris creates a wonderful character， Richard Naylor， secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council， who for very personal reasons is determined to bring them to justice。There was considerable cruelty， violence， and evil on both sides in the English Civil War and in its aftermath， so this book is not a battle between obvious ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’。 Both sides honestly believe that God is on their side， and it’s almost painful to watch as one of the regicides begins to question the past， when he asks how， if winning their early battles was a side that God was on their side， how should they interpret their eventual defeat？It's a real testament to Harris’ skills that he humanises both the hunter and the hunted， so you are never entirely sure whose side you are on。 Act of Oblivion is clever， gripping， insightful， and hugely entertaining and yet another success for this champion of the intelligent thriller。 With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Act of Oblivion
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Act of Oblivion&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Act of Oblivion&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0