Book Information
- Publisher
- Faber & Faber
- Published
- 2017-08-22
- Pages
- 268 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 12.9 x 1.8 x 19.8 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780571326853
- ISBN-10
- 9780571326853
- Price
- 2045 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Mystery & Thrillers/Thrillers/Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
Casper Laing, the young, fiery and brilliant Professor of Semitic Languages, is asked to decipher an ancient parchment found in Israel. Piecing together its mysterious fragments, his translation soon reveals directions to a shrouded location. Believed to be the secret hiding place of the True Menorah, an ancient and priceless Jewish candelabrum, the Jordanians and Israelis begin a frantic race to claim the prize. Surrounded by violent and treacherous rivals, Casper is enjoined on a deadly adventure deep into the burning Negev desert. A Long Way to Shiloh was originally published in 1966 in the USA as The Menorah Men , it was a no. 1 bestseller and further cemented Davidson's reputation as one of the pre-eminent genre writers of his generation. Long out of print, Faber is bringing this fantastic novel back into print.
Lionel Davidson was born in 1922 in Hull, Yorkshire. He left school early and worked as a reporter before serving in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. His first novel, The Night of Wenceslas , was published in 1960 to great critical acclaim and drew comparisons to Graham Greene and John le Carré. It was followed by The Rose of Tibet (1962), A Long Way to Shiloh (1966), The Chelsea Murders (1978) and Kolymsky Heights (1994). He was thrice the recipient of the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award and, in 2001, was awarded the CWA's Cartier Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award. He died in 2009.
Reviews
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Well preserved Fantastic old wine
This is one of the most original adventure/suspense books I have read. I had read it when it was published , kept and read it again and again, and bought the Kindle edition to have it with me. It is an archaeological fiction riddle embedded in a very realistic Israel of the 50's of the former century (I should know - I have lived here, in Israel - then and now). The goal - finding the only national symbol of biblical Israel - the Temple-Menorah - is really mind boggling. Especially when we bear in mind that it is the only symbol which may be verified by comparing it to it's representation in Titus Arc in Rome. The Israeli characters are enchanting. Written as a personal story by it's British hero - The archaeologist - the book is written in the hectic style of it's hero mind. The plot twists are ingenious. The solution is chilling in it's matching to real life politics. Lionel Davidson had done a very good job indeed !
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really enjoyed it.
Fabulously written, intriguing, really enjoyed it.
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A good read from a class adventure novelist
A good read from a class adventure novelist, somewhat dated now
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Brilliant, compelling thriller with some laugh-out-loud moments
I love Lionel Davidson! This one is great - better than the Night of Wenceslas but not as fabulous as Kolymsky Heights. Gripping detective story set in Israel with the usual type of excessively-drinking, excessively-smoking anti-hero.
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Comfort Food for the Brain
This was a re-read for me, after many years. Davidson has always been one of my favorites. He has the gift of creating a deeply textured plot and milieu, and placing interesting, 3-dimensional characters in it. This is a bit lighter than his two masterpieces: The Rose of Tibet and Kolymsky Heights, but still well worth reading and rereading.
Related Literary Awards
- Georg Büchner Prize Edition 41 (1966) ・Winner