Precipice - by Robert Harris

Book Synopsis

"Robert Harris is, simply put, masterful."--Karin Slaughter

A spellbinding novel of passion, intrigue, and betrayal set in England in the months leading to the Great War from the bestselling author of Act of Oblivion, Fatherland, The Ghostwriter, and Conclave.

Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe.

In London, twenty-six-year-old Venetia Stanley--aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless--is part of a fast group of upper-crust bohemians and socialites known as "The Coterie." She's also engaged in a clandestine 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, a young intelligence officer with Scotland Yard is assigned to investigate a leak of top-secret documents. Suddenly, what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that could topple the British government--and will alter the course of political history.

An unrivaled master of seamlessly weaving fact and fiction, Precipice is another electrifying thriller from the brilliant imagination of Robert Harris.

Review Quotes

"Gripping. . . . One of Harris's many admirable qualities as a novelist is his boldness. He ranges through the past to take on big subjects, whether the end of the Roman republic or the Dreyfus affair, and now one of the biggest puzzles of the 20th century, the outbreak of the first world war. As always, he has done his research to recreate a long-gone world, and yet again he tells a good story. " - Financial Times
"Robert Harris's enthralling new novel may be one of his three best. . . . Harris's cleverness lies in his psychological sophistication, carrying the reader along the twists and turns of this dubious love story, while the greater drama of the war in the trenches, vast casualties and the disastrous landing at Gallipoli plays off stage. . . . Harris is masterful at authentic dialogue, across all classes. There is not a false note in this novel." - The Independent
"The novel's brilliance lies in the way the author has written into the void, giving life and voice to Venetia, bringing her to dazzling life through her imagined letters to Asquith and Harris's portrait of a bright, unconventional and complex young woman seeking to escape the strictures of her aristocratic upbringing . . . . Asquith is presented with great tenderness and sympathy, as is his hard-edged but vulnerable wife, Margot. It's the character of Venetia, though, that turns Precipice from a very good novel into a great one." - The Observer
"A very good thriller which sails through the Downton Abbey test with the grace of a dreadnought cruising down the Channel. It feels realistic enough for us to suspend disbelief over the occasional bit of hokum, and makes us care enough about the characters to keep turning the pages." - The Spectator
"Compulsively readable . . . . The minor characters are sketched in superbly." - The Telegraph
"The strength of the novel lies in that central, almost unbelievable, relationship between Asquith and Venetia . . . . Precipice is historically literate, politically astute and gripping to the last page." - The Times (London)
"Fascinating views of the intersection of love and politics, and of aristocratic life and priorities on the eve of the Great War." - Bookloons
"Robert Harris's new book promises more than a couple of sleepless nights completing the latest from a true master of the political thriller." - Anniston Star
"Masterful . . . Precipice depicts the most shocking war to date, with descriptions that bring us into the historic moment and the intimate lives of Asquith, Venetia, and Deemer in England on the brink of a catastrophe that will change society and politics forever. Highly recommended." - Historical Novel Society
"Harris remains one of my favourite authors. His ability to combine serious historical research with fictional storytelling make his novels both authentic and riveting to read. He is one writer I recommend without hesitation to both crime fans and lovers of history." - Globe and Mail
"Award-winning actor Samuel West narrates the book with extraordinary empathy. He brings all the old-man yearning--poignant and desperate, needy and reckless--to Asquith's letters, ranges freely and credibly through a variety of British accents across classes and geography, and captures a bumptious Churchill and sly David Lloyd George, Asquith's successor." - Washington Post on the audiobook
"A World War I novel of love, politics, and a continent gone mad. . . . A foolish affair and a horrible war that will grab and hold readers' attention." - Kirkus Reviews