This was such an intriguing book.
I couldn’t quite believe that it was based on true events!
Real letters were cleverly interwoven with their imagined replies and story.

This is a real masterpiece and amazing insight in to the hubris of politics of the age. It certainly puts some of today’s political scandals into a different light.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Love, War and Obsession: H.H. Asquith, Venetia Stanley and the 1st World War 4.5 rating

Robert Harris was a journalist before he became a novelist. This means, in his case, he is accustomed to forensic research and the investigation of facts, whilst also having the ability to give the dryness of facts, the minutes of meetings, shape, colour and vitality.

Precipice is absorbing and deeply shocking. It recounts how this country moved towards that fatal. Horrific 1914-1918 war, through the recounting of meetings by various factions and individuals in Cabinet and outside it.

The deeply shocking elements come from a single source – passionate, revealing letters disclosing information of national security, written by Liberal Prime Minister H.H. Asquith, aged 61, to 26 year old socialite Venetia Stanley. Clearly there was intense, reciprocated passion between the two. The ‘shocking’ does not lie in the fact of that mutual passion, nor even that Asquith was a married man. Rather, it is because in Asquith’s letters, at a time when this country was moving inexorably towards war, and then into war itself, Asquith was giving Venetia the details of Cabinet meeting, including proposed military actions, and even sending her decoded ‘flimsies’ detailing such actions and their results. And sending these through the post.

Venetia kept Asquith’s letters, and they came into public knowledge and as source material decades after the people involved had all died. Asquith though, destroyed her letters at some point.

So, Harris uses the reality of Asquith’s voice, and other historical sources detailing the political considerations of the day, but imagines (wonderfully) Venetia’s epistolary responses.

He also creates a fictional character, a policeman, later within the secret service, tasked with investigating potential security breaches which had come to the knowledge of some. Even if Deemer (his policeman) did not exist, there were of course those who were involved in the investigations within the security services

The only reason I couldn’t go quite to a straight 5 star rating , is because, years later, I am still so much in thrall to the brilliance of Harris’ ‘Act of Oblivion’, and ‘An Officer and a Spy’ both, similarly this wonderful combination of thorough research fleshed out with the novelist’s imagination of character, from known facts, and his ability to create dramatic, shaping narrative. I suspect long dead history may give a greater freedom to explore character.

Nonetheless, highly recommended

Typically brilliant blending of fact and cracking fiction from Robert Harris. Refreshing to see this applied to the First World War rather than the usual Second World War. Readable in the extreme and taught and thrilling blend of fact and fiction. Highly recommended.

Although the affair between the PM H H Asquith and Venetia Stanley is not a secret it is still unbelievable the the PM wrote to her, disclosing confidential war information. A well written and well researched novel that tells the story of the events around the beginning of WW1. A few subplots along the way keep this novel interesting and not just a research book full of facts.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

A fantastic read from an author that I knew but had never read. I'm so glad I did and will be reading his others. This was so interesting about the goings-on leading up to the first world war. Loved it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Nobody can tell a tale as well and compellingly as Robert Harris who has maintained such a high standard over the years ever since "Fatherland" stunned and amazed everybody over 30 years ago. This is no exception, a beautifully plotted and written account of an affair between the married prime minister and a lady 30 years or so younger than him but it is also so much more whorl brilliant descriptions of life in aristocratic London of 1914, the sharing of private papers and the massive political issues of the day, all tied up in a Special Branch investigation.

A compelling and fascinating brew which I relished.

This riveting read is a seamless blend of fact and fiction, and the fact in ways is more shocking than the fiction! Set in London 1914, this book provides a very unique viewpoint on the outbreak of world war one, as Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith exchanges frequent letters - and confidential information - with his mistress. This is a compelling read; even though as a reader you know exactly how world events are going to unfold, you get caught up in the personal dramas developing the main characters. A history lesson with a very human element!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the review copy.

Books by Robert Harris are always a delight and this one is no different. Looking at the topic this is not a book I would have ordinarily chosen but I was willing to try it, and this was all down to the draw of the author. I certainly wasn't disappointed, in fact this book opened my eyes to a period of history I know little about. Robert Harris has deftly woven fact and fiction to make a compelling story about the illicit affairs of the then Prime Minister. Whilst today the idea of a PM having affairs (Boris) is nothing new but Edwardian Britain is a different story, making the police cover up all the more serious. A recommended read to all.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


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Precipice by Robert Harris is an historical novel which begins as the tensions leading to the start of World war 1 in 1914 at the start of world war 1 about an affair between Venetia Stanley and Herbert Ausquith a man also twice her age and at the time Prime minister of the UK at the time.

Precipice by Robert Harris is one of those historical novels that allows a glimpse into the world of historical figures without the restrictions of a textbook.

Apart from Asquith who is the lead character in the novel a number of other significant people appear in the story including two future British Prime Ministers Lloyd George, Winston Churchill amongst other UK politicians and notable people.

WHile we may never know what these people are like, Harris uses his skill as a writer to write real people in a way that seems to write with what is known about them.

There is a note at the start which advises the reader that the letters between Ausqith and Venetia are real ( which does take some getting used to in today's world).

But the character of Deemer is entirely made up, however you could see someone like him existing and being connected to the relationship in some way.

Of the three main characters in the novel both the real life ones Ausquth and Venetia and the policeman Deemer Robert Harris is very good at allowing readers to have sympathy with them as they all seemed to be trapped in a situation of not necessarily their own making.

Yes Asquith is the one who probably has the most control of the situation but Harries writes him in a way like a 13 year old school boy not listening in cabinet meetings and writing endless notes to a girl who he is infatuated with.

Which makes Asquith maybe not sympathised with but looked on with pity

Venetia and Deemeron the other hand are almost trapped in the situation but not of their own making and can not see a way out.

All this makes Precipice by Robert Harris an enjoyable fascinating read about people involved in a key moment of British / world history, Examining individuals in a way the historical fiction can but text books can not.

This is a superb new novel from Robert Harris. It blends the serious topic of war with daily routine- albeit it through letters between the Prime Minister Asquith and his mistress, an aristocrat Venetia Stanley. The characters are truly brought to life in this novel as Harris conveys conversations in which the reader feels like they are eavesdropping. We come across Churchill, Haldene and Kitchner and their heated discussions as the war progresses with horrendous casualties. Harris has created a story around the letters between the PM and Venetia and it transpires that Asquith’s letters are authentic which makes this novel even more enthralling. With meticulous research and the potential national security breaches with the letters, Harris has excelled himself with this. This unique perspective on such an important part of history is original and commendable. Harris never disappoints. Long may it continue.

I knew little about this period of history - 1914-16 and the actions of the then Prime Minister - Herbert Asquith. Harris intertwines a riveting account of the beginnings of the First World War with a love story, between Asquith and Venetia Stanley, a young aristocrat who at 26 was less than half his age.

Initially I thought that the letters between Asquith and Venetia (delivered amazingly within a few hours by the ultra efficient postal service) were fictional and was astonished to find out that whereas hers are fiction (the real ones were destroyed) those from Asquith to her are entirely genuine. A young policemen (a fictional character) investigates what appears to be a leak of secret government documents and the personal and political become intertwined in a devastating way.

Harris always delivers on the mix of historial fact and fiction and this is no exception. A riveting read. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

The almost unbelievable fact that the letters written between the PM H H Asquith and Venetia Stanley form the core of this enthralling tale of events around the beginning and early events of WW1. Full of historical figures including Churchill, Lloyd George, Kitchener and many more the clever insertion of an investigation by the Secret Service keeps the story never less than fascinating. Superb.

Summer 1914. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley is part of an aristocratic group who like to party but she has a secret – she is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state. As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, Paul Deemer a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents . He discovers their relationship & suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history.
I lost count of the number of times I googled whilst reading this book to find out what was fact & what was fiction. A riveting book which once I got into it, it was slow at the beginning, I found it hard to put down. The author has certainly done his homework as the attention to detail is very impressive.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Another excellent historical novel from Robert Harris. The story starts in 1914 just before the First World War and introduces us to Prime Minister of the time, Herbert Asquith and his affair with 26 socialite, Venetia Stanley. I knew the historical facts about the build up to the First World War but Robert Harris really brings the human aspect of this to life. The discussion about decisions by those in power seemed, at times blasé and, knowing the devastation and the terrible loss of life to come,made it all the more shocking for me. I was unaware of Asquith’s many affairs, including with Venetia Stanley. The fact that the book includes the actual letters written by Asquith to Stanley was fascinating and, again shocking, with the amount of information he disclosed. A fascinating and eye-opening read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the review copy.

Robert Harris is never short of excellent so this was unlikely to score less than max stars from me; he writes too fluently and engagingly to risk being dull, even for someone who generally avoids fiction about both world wars.

I did enjoy this- partly as a scandalous love story and an insight into the politics of the time, with which I was unfamiliar., but also as a tense and exciting drama.

(Mild spoiler for those who don’t know the background ahead )
What I was left curious about was whatever happened regarding the police knowledge of the letters- Was the investigation ever recorded? And did Northcliffe’s press ever expose the information Kell gave him?

Once again Robert Harris illustrates his abilities to blend fact and fiction, here his focus is the Liberal PM HH Asquith in 1914 and his close and obsessive relationship with a bohemian socialite, part of 'the coterie', 26 year old Venetia Stanley, unimpressed by the men who surround her, the daughter of Lord Sheffield. I was aware of the relationship but the details provided here are eye opening in their depth, as Harris informs us all the letters, telegrams, newspaper reports, official documents, quoted are authentic, including the correspondence between Venetia and Edwin Montagu, are authentic.

It is shocking just how careless and reckless Asquith is with the details and documents he shares with Venetia, a woman thrilled to be at the centre of thistime of turbulent politics and history in the run up to the Great War, becoming aware there is no other woman in England who knows more about the unfolding crisis than her. When she is staying in Penrhos in Wales with her family, despite the horror of war inching ever closer, Asquith is jaw droppingly reluctant to give up his plans to travel there. It is Kitchener who first provides him with an inkling of war, what is in store, the potential timescales and huge losses that might be expected, in direct contrast to what his advisors forsee coming.

The ambitious Detective Sergeant Paul Deemer is in the right place to document a boat tragedy on the Thames, as requested by the Head of Special Branch, Patrick Quinn, which is how he first comes across Venetia. He interviews her, although she backed out of the trip, attending the inquest, and ends up investigating the disturbing discarded leaks clearly emanating from the highest offices in the land.

This is a fascinating and gripping read, of sexual intrigue, a picture of the London is painted of the time, in which the PM could walk around, virtually unrecognised. and a postal service that made 12 deliveries a day. Venetia retained the PM's letters, covering their romantic feelings, politics, military secrets and more, this large collection is kept at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. I can see this compelling read appealing to a wide range of readers, from those interested in history, particularly the details of this important political period in Europe, fans of the author, to other readers drawn by the characters, themes, and the intrigue. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Herbert Henry Asquith served as the British Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916. He took Great Britain and the British Empire into the First World War and was the last Liberal Prime Minister to command a majority government. Through his term as P.M. he was married to wealthy socialite Margot. Asquith was a bit of a drinker and enjoyed the company of younger women (he was in his early 60’s by the time of the Great War). He’d met and befriended Venetia Stanley (daughter of Edward Stanley, 4th Baron Sheffield) and had become close to her when Venetia accompanied a group including Asquith and his daughter Violet on a trip to Sicily. The pair were to become entangled in an affair and met up regularly and exchanged letters in the period 1912 to 1915.

Asquith’s letters to Venetia were kept by the recipient and, to this day, are held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The collection comprises more than five hundred items. In his letters, Asquith declared his love and also shared many political and military secrets, and even sometimes included top secret documents. They comprise one-half of the story of a romance and also a unique insight into Asquith’s mind and actions during a pivotal moment in world history. In this book, Robert Harris does what he always does: he takes known facts and events and fills in the gaps with a good deal of conjecture. He’s a master at this – it’s what makes his novels so compelling.

It seems that more than a hundred years ago, the postal system was much more efficient than it is today. In fact, deliveries in London at least were running at three times per day! In effect, letters were the text messages of the time. And Asquith made the most of this, often writing three letters each day, sometimes drafting them during meetings and debates. There’s a lot of love in the letters, but also – and increasingly so as time passes – a good deal of political and military commentary. Figures such as David Lloyd George, Edwin Montagu, and particularly Winston Churchill are regularly discussed.

For me, this story started slowly. I found the romantic element to be interesting enough but hardly compelling. But once the events leading up to the war, and also the early parts of the war itself, became a substantial component then I was truly gripped. Clearly, the author had to assume some elements and even admits to inventing a key character in order to flesh out the tale, but much of this story is historical fact. It’s a gripping and also, in many ways, a sad tale: one for history buffs and the romantics too. Another top class effort from this terrific writer.

It’s wise to include up front that all letters from the PN to Venetia are genuine, as if it weren’t for that emphasis on historical record I would have likely been deeply critical of what can only be described as unbelievable events. The combination of politically febrile times in the run up and first year of the war, the unwise affair, the shocking sharing of sensitive information and disregard for priorities, and the background police investigation make for thrilling reading. Another superb read from Harris.

Goodness this book was a real eye opener, and a shocking indictment of people in power and their ability, or otherwise, to make life or death decisions regarding other people's lives. As ever Mr Harris' writing is easy to read and engaging, so the reader learns a lot without trying too hard. However, I had to keep reminding myself it was true that a British wartime Prime Minister had an affair with a younger aristocratic woman and entrusted her with confidential details of what was happening in the Cabinet and abroad and valued her opinion! I heard Mr Harris interviewed on the radio this morning and was interested to hear him say he thought Venetia was one of the country's unsung but very powerful women and it added a definite nuance to read the book in this way.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book

Is there a better chronicler of history who converts the facts to fiction than Harris? NO is the definite answer!
Here we find ourselves as readers instantly set into the careless 'coterie' of rich and feckless aristocrats on the Thames where two men drown and 'luckily' the guest Venetia Stanley had not attended. That she had been distracted by a potential meeting with the Prime Minister of the time Herbert Asquith soon sets the scene for their 'affair.'
How very 1914 is this tale. Of letters sent often three times a day through a postal system that delivers them that same day - often within hours! Of chauffeur driven cars picking up Venetia, with the PM in the back tossing out 'flimsies' - that are Top Secret communications in the build up to WWI. (I recall a certain Minister having 'left' letters on park benches and bins and confidential laptops 'lost' even in recent years)
Asquith was an obsessive in his pursuit of the younger Venetia - hundreds of letters were sent to her - and it seems he chased other younger women too, whilst his devoted (to his position in society) wife Margot had seen it all before.
Where Harris is clever is using the river incident to introduce our Detective -Paul Deemer into the plot. Our unassuming plod is thrown from witness statements (where he meets Venetia) into a place in the developing intelligence services seeking out German spies as War is declared and bringing us into the intrigue and openly dangerous correspondence leaving and entering Downing Street.
Harris makes the machinations of war and government decisions highly readable and conveys the frenetic approach to decision making- yet contrasts it against the futility and fatalities of war- with dinner parties, weekends in castles and the country and endless games of bridge. we ought to feel our leaders are focused on the plans for war, the immense trust placed in politicians to lead from the front focused and in charge. Yet here we see the men (and sometimes women) of that time scurrying to a lover's tryst, a underhand leak to the press or a note (more often with Asquith a long letter) even written around the Cabinet table.
Totally absorbing as a read. Hard to look beyond Asquith (although Winston Churchill makes many a mention) to find respect for the rulers of the time (even the King) but Harris does not treat with contempt just layering human lack of judgement with love/lust against the tumult of a way that will kill millions.
Brilliant.