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Historical Sir David: The Life and Loves of a Welsh Knight by Garner Scott Odell $24.99 / Xlibris / 2002 Garner Scott Odell's fictionalized portrayal of Sir David Mathew chronicles the Wars of the Roses from the viewpoint of a Welshman allied with the House of York. Linking the Welsh struggle for independence that Owain Glyndwr championed early in the 15th century to the conflict between the Lancastrians and Yorkists that erupted in warfare later that same century, the author reminds readers that many modern Welsh citizens still yearn for political separation from England. The story begins with Sir David, a giant of man who lives with his lovely wife Wenllian in Llandaff, Glamorgan. David is an acclaimed warrior who answers the call to arms whenever beckoned, believing wholeheartedly that once the Duke of York sits on the English throne, Wales will gain its freedom. Initially, David is portrayed as a likeable, moral individual-perhaps even a bit of a prude-who is devoted to his wife and inspired by his religious convictions. And with a crisis of conscience spurred on by Wenllian's admonitions, David realizes that he loves his sons, whether or not they become warriors like him. Consequently, he begins a quest to make amends with his son John, who is in London completing his studies to become a lawyer. As the book progresses, however, David takes on a different persona. While he remains a popular and powerful leader in battle, he becomes so self-involved that he eventually betrays his marriage and himself. Clearly, Odell has taken great pains to research the Wars of the Roses, when Henry VI and his French queen Margaret battled supporters of the Duke of York. Several battles are described in some detail here, and Odell also relates historic events to the reader with the creative use of letter-writing and conversation. Nonetheless, the slow, stoic pace of the story, the introduction of unnecessary characters, and the prolonged obligatory sex scenes degrade the overall impact of what could have been an exciting adventure story. Besides several typographical errors and difficulties re-creating maps in black and white print, Odell also fails to check his facts (for example, that tobacco had arrived in England in the mid-15th century when, in fact, it was not intoduced until 1492) and uses slang that was not spoken at that time. Readers favoring the late Middle Ages will find the lengthy accounts of the Wars of the Roses of particular interest. Unfortunately, while the author endeavors to be historically accurate, he makes mistakes that detract from the excellence he sought to achieve. —Lise Hull

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