A Sweep of History by a Brilliant Storyteller
ââ?¬Å"The Price of Gloryââ?¬Â? is a fresh and captivating historical fiction novel written by award-winning author, Patrick Shannon. Here, readers are introduced to Robert de La Salle, a French explorer and a fur trader who manages to convince the king that Franceââ?¬â?¢s influences in the world would be greatly enhanced by possessing the mid-section of America in the 1600s. His passion for adventure along with his hunger for fame makes him sell his nobility rights and sail from France in 1684 on a long and obsessive quest to locate the mouth of the Mississippi River, a journey that would be marred with unsurmountable obstacles and eventually cost him his own life.
As readers continue, they will be presented with an unstable and emotive character, whose erratic and eccentric style of leadership presents him and his team with great challenges all in a bid to fuel his lofty aspirations. From the beginning, the debt-riddled expedition experienced problems such as disagreements among the leadership. La Salle�s only compass also got broken at the beginning of the trip and his reliance on the sun for directions proved futile as it was often covered by fog and clouds. More challenges arose along the way and many lives were lost during the trip. Eventually, rather than bridging France and Native America, La Salle�s mission bore little fruit.
There is a lot that stands out in Patrick Shannon�s superior work. It is an absorbing history with many intense, often disquieting echoes in the present. His alternative take on the often-bestowed title of every explorer as a hero, instead challenges this notion, convincingly arguing that in addition to a person�s achievements, his or her character is also worthy of our consideration. I admire his commentary, which wraps up this intelligent work, cautioning us about true human nature, both good and evil. He also emphasizes the need to learn from the past and consider the fault lines appearing in our modern world.
Shannon�s work is beautiful, well-written, and concise. The narrative, unlike many I have come across in this genre, provides us with an engaging story that avoids an overabundance of historical detail, as characters contend with various elements, and their limits are often tested, an aspect that kept me engaged throughout.
ââ?¬Å"The Price of Gloryââ?¬Â? is undoubtedly a five-star work full of life and spirit, and one that you will not be able to put down. Here, no time machine is required as the richness of the words will effortlessly immerse you into another era. Simply put, Patrick Shannonââ?¬â?¢s work has managed to deftly portray a significant part of American history.
