A surprisingly good novel about the 1714 siege of Barcelona. I set out to read this as background 'research' for the third book in my Ferenc Marlowe series, because it seemed like it would be easier reading than a history of the War of the Spanish Succession. In fact it turned out to be much better than I expected, and I also learned quite enough about the war itself. It starts out in what I think is the picaresque genre, with quite a bit of slapstick and knockabout humour, but gradually becomes more serious. I don't like war stories all that much, but this is well written and emotionally connecting, at the same time providing a lot of detail about the mechanics of the siege and the politics of C18th Catalonia.
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