Confusion, The (Airport/Export only) - Softcover

Neal, Stephenson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0434012386 ISBN 13: 9780434012381

Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd, 2004

Synopsis

It is the late 1600s on the high seas. A group of Barbary galley slaves plot as they ply the oars of a pirate ship. These ten men - unfortunates from around the world impressed into servitude - have heard whispers of an enormous cache of Spanish gold. Together, they hatch a daring scheme - escape their chains, seize a ship, and find the treasure. And, amazingly, they succeed - leaving some very unhappy men behind who vow to hunt down the vagabonds and bring them to justice, no matter the cost. Meanwhile, back in France ...The beautiful Eliza, toast of Versailles and spy extraordinaire, attempts to return to London with her baby, a child whose paternity is shrouded in mystery. As she makes her way home from the Continent, her ship is stopped by a French privateer - and she is returned to the Sun King's court. Thrown back into a web of international intrigue, Eliza must contend with all manner of characters, including buccaneers, poisoners, Jesuits, financial manipulators, and ever the stray cryptographer or two.- In this hugely ambitious, profoundly compelling adventure, Neal Stephenson brings to life a cast of unforgettable characters in a time of breathtaking genius and discovery - men and women whose exploits defined an age known as the Baroque.

About this title

Review:

"Ideas about currency and calculus become thrilling because of the way Stephenson incorporates them into his story... Huge in scope - rich in detail... This weird, wonderful collision of scholarship and storytelling has no peer" (Time Out)

"A rip-roaring, swashbuckling Romance with a capital R ... A blood-soaked, silver-plated depiction of 17th-century life from both ends of the economic scale, and with enough headlong, balls-to-the-wall buccaneering and Machiavellian plotting to satiate the most jaded of palates" (Ink)

"Stephenson excels in marrying geekspeak wtih riotous action. When he describes a battle or a duel, his prose acquires thrilling panache... Jack Shaftoe is magnificent, a swashbuckling hero with a foul mouth and few morals, and his adventures are most appealing" (Guardian)

"The definitive historical-sci-fi-epic-pirate-comedy-punk-love story. No easy feat, that" (Entertainment Weekly)

From the Publisher:

Neal Stephenson follows his acclaimed historical novel, Quicksilver, with the extraordinary second volume of the Baroque Cycle

About this edition

• Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0434012386
• ISBN 13: 9780434012381
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 832