Drums of Autumn (Starz Tie-In Edition): 4 (Outlander) Paperback – 16 Oct. 2018

I have been reading this in parallel with watching the TV adaptation (this book corresponds to Outlander Season 4 which at the time of writing is halfway through airing with a new episode released on Amazon Prime every Monday.)The books and TV stories tell the story of Claire Randall, who had been a combat nurse with the British Army during World War II, and, while on a second honeymoon with the husband from whom she had largely been parted during the war, is transported back 203 years in time from 1946 to 1743 by a stone circle. This story and the events over the following year were told in the first novel, originally published in the UK as "Cross Stich" but subsequently as "Outlander" which is also the title of the series of novels and of the TV series.The books published or anticipated to date are:1) Cross Stitch/Outlander2) Dragonfly in Amber3) Voyager4) Drums of Autumn5) The Fiery Cross6) A Breath of Snow and Ashes7) An Echo in the Bone8) Written in My Own Heart's Blood9) Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (forthcoming)Historical events which are covered include the sequence leading up to and aftermath from the 1745 uprising and the battle of Culloden, the settling of North America, and the American War of Independence.So far each season of the TV series has told more or less the same story as the equivalent book of the series.Throughout the first four books and TV series (I'm not going to say any more to avoid a spoiler) the readers' or viewers' perspective shifts between the 18th and 20th centuries.The description of the world of the 18th century, with its glories and horrors, is at times exquisite and at times horrifying but very well done.The TV version corresponding to this book, Season 4, is actually quite good but in my humble opinion the book much better for two reasons.For one thing, there is a great deal of entertaining writing in the book which does not make its' way into the TV version. And secondly, the clash between 18th and 20th century worldviews is handled much better in the books, by which I had better explain that I mean that the characters in the books are far more likely to compromise enough to keep themselves alive in the 18th century while the characters in the TV series are more likely to behave in ways which will win the approval of politically correct 21st century viewers but would in practice have been only too likely to get themselves and their loved ones killed.The heroine would have been born about 1920 which would make her a contemporary of my parents' elder siblings, so she would have been a child during the great depression, and she had survived World War 2 as a nurse in a British army field hospital just behind the front lines.As such she would have seen more death, pain and suffering than most people alive today can begin to imagine and she would also have to be a deeply pragmatic and tough survivor type : she would also probably be that much closer to understanding the attitudes of people in earlier centuries than people living today would.I can think of many ways in which 20th century Brits had attitudes closer to those of the 21st century than the 18th, but objectively, and without meaning this as a criticism of the people living in any of those three centuries, I can also very easily think of several issues on which the attitude of my parents' generation were closer to those of the 18th century than they are to the attitudes of many members of my children's generation.To explain in detail any of the instances in the book and TV series which inspire this opinion would be a spoiler, but although the conflicts between modern and 18th century attitudes are very much present in the books as they are in the TV series, the characters in the former show much more awareness of how dangerous it could be to get yourself accused of being a witch, or of getting too far ahead of even the most enlightened attitudes of the time on issues like slavery, the place of women, or gay rights.Indeed in some cases the story is ahead of the 20th century, never mind the 18th. A couple of important characters in the story are gay or bisexual. The TV series barely notices that there is anything unusual about this, while the books do at least record that the gay 18th century characters are living, quote, "in a time when that particular predilection could get one hanged."Neither the books or the TV series are suitable for the sqeamish or those who like everything to be light and cheerful. Both are set in an era where terrible things happen to good people and indeed good people are sometimes forced to do or go along with cruel things.Nevertheless if you are interested in history or time travel I can strongly recommend "Drums of Autumn" and the rest of the Outlabder series of books, and indeed the TV series too.

Drums of Autumn continues the story of Claire and Jamie and their enviable all consuming romance and now builds on it by intertwining the story of their child Brianna. Ending with a great gathering of the Clans in America - but a gathering that holds true to the now forbidden (bloody English) Highland traditions, Diana Gabaldon once again manages a flawless cliffhanger than means I'm about to go and buy the next book just so I can find out what happens next.Basically - if you start on Outlander be prepared to read all of them!

I love these books and although my favourite so far is the first outlander book which I thought complete in itself. The subsequent and this one included is a very satisfactory read. We are now in America and given the meticulous research that Diana Gabaldon has done about the colonies fascinating. I am only one quarter of the way through but I am desperate to find out more about Claire,Jamie and now we have Brianna and Roger and there story set in1969. I would not recommend these books though if you read in bed as you will never get to sleep as they are real page turners.

The 4th book in the Outlander Saga sees Claire and her beloved Jamie settling at Fraser's Ridge with a handful of loved ones. 202 years in the future, Brianna and Roger grow closer, so close it almost tears them apart completely when Brianna discovers a small detail of her parent's fate.This has been my favourite book in the series so far. I'd definitely recommend people new to the series to read at least this far.

I can't rate the Outlander series highly enough. I've read almost all of them and not even in the correct order! Absolutely fantastic historical read. The characters are so real; the life they live is so real; the history is so real! I can't thank the author enough. I love especially that she uses a lot of words 'of the time' that are forgotten in todays English. I've enjoyed looking them up as I've gone along. They don't detract from the story at all (so can easily be ignored) but they add education if you want it. Just love this series and will be buying whatever GB writes. Thank you so much for many, many hours of enjoyment.