Mr Stephenson's Regret by David Williams

Mr Stephenson's Regret by David Williams

This incident-packed novel brings to dramatic life the pioneers of the railway age. Significant figures appear on the big canvas of history - Wellington, Peel, Dickens and Queen Victoria among them - but the story belongs as much to the modest mining community that is home to George and Robert Stephenson in the early years, and to their intimates, not least the women in their lives (who have remained all but anonymous in the biographies). Central to the narrative is the complex, often tense, relationship between father and son. Both have ambitions and desires that provide the engine for their achievements but also create a crisis of conflict that threatens to derail their journey at a crucial stage. In following the battles the Stephensons face, personally and as a partnership, much is revealed about the mores of nineteenth century society - about class division, self-interest and greed, indulgence and sexuality, repression and guilt - that may taint even the sweet taste of success. Mr Stephenson's Regret was a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. This richly detailed and meticulously researched storyline breathes life and a palpable sense of intimacy into these historical figures and immerses readers in an England embroiled in political and social upheaval as it teeters on the cusp of the industrial revolution. Publishers Weekly 'The hallmark of any historical novel must surely be that, primarily, it tells an entertaining story whilst at the same time arousing an interest in the period or subject matter so that the reader may be encouraged to carry out some later research. With this novel about the pioneers of the railway age, George and Robert Stephenson, David Williams has succeeded admirably on both counts. Williams must be congratulated for bringing to life what is challenging subject matter in an interesting and thought provoking way.' The Historical Novel Society