Brilliant authenticity to a great book.

I really loved this book and it reminded me of my time in the troubles
anyone who served in this theatre will relate to the research done by the author.

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Excellent listen

Where does Field of Blood rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of Gerald Seymour's best

What about John O'Mahoney’s performance did you like?

An excellent performance he voiced the different characters well. I will look out for other books narrated by him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Nearly!!

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Not as good as Harry's Game

Not as good as Harry's Game, but still a decent yarn. I wasn't sure about the narrator at first, but he does a decent job.

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Don’t judge in comparison: this is brilliant.

This is incomparable to Harry’s Game. Don’t be gone to hold them up against each other.

HG was brilliant. This is brilliant.

Superb plotting and character development with no wastage on the lean descriptions here. Everyone is important. There are no herrings or sub plots. It’s all linked.

Gerald Seymour is my new hero. Everything I read is jaw dropping in drama. It connects me, leads me and lingers with me the whole unabridged hours I spend. I find it impossible to to partake in any other form of entertainment when I’m in one of these books.

The narration here is amazing. He deftly goes from officer class to child: it’s a beautiful thing.

My life is richer for this book.

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1 person found this helpful

Hard-faced, Brutal Excellence

This is one of very few books that I have read by Gerald Seymour but I can't imagine he has written many better. Field of Blood brings together the unlikely combination of a British Army Lieutenant and a low level IRA member facing prison for acts of terrorism. The two men are as diametrically opposite to each other as you can imagine in terms of background and resulting character but develop a tortured personal relationship once they are forced together.

The book is brutal and it is hard-faced but when dealing with this subject there is no other way. There is no great nobility in the IRA man. no great dignity in the family that he seeks to protect and his situation is understated as being between a rock and a hard place.

The tragic human suffering of a troubled Northern Ireland and the impacts they have on both the main characters and the long-suffering divided communities that make their homes there are described vividly. The de-humanisation of whole sections of society are reflected well in the narrative which is delivered superbly by John O'Mahoney.

This isn't an easy or comforting book to read given how well it reflects the awfulness of real-life for those who live through the problems in Ireland but it is a thoroughly rewarding read with moments of great tension and humanity and occasionally honour from unexpected sources.

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7 people found this helpful

enjoyable, gripping but slow at times

Very enjoyable performance but the story was a bit ow at times and stretched credulity. well worth a listen though

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Really excellent read, for me one of his best

Another great story about the Troubles. Deeply layered characters, a very real setting. For me up there a close second to Harry’s game.

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Seymours words put me back in Belfast

Within 5 minutes of McNally returning home, I can literally smell West Belfast such was the power of Seymour's prose and description. My own memories of serving as a soldier in the province came flooding back. Seymour always gets his people right: his characterisation of Ulster folk is perfect, especially the women. My only criticism is that his portrayal of some of the military characters is a bit 2 dimensional and stereotyped, even from 1984. That doesn't detract from a cracking plot line that always keeps you guessing.

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Everything

Great story. Really enjoyed listening to my first audio book and this was a great story to get me into books. Well told and great range of characters. Northern Irish accents weren’t the best but generally a good effort at them. I found the narrator very engaging he brought the characters to life. Thank you. Highly recommended book.

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