Product Description

It is 1679 and England is awash with suspicion. Fear of conspiracy and religious terrorism has provoked panic in politicians and a zealous reaction from the legal system. Everywhere - or so it is feared - Catholic agents are plotting to overthrow the King. Now Samuel Pepys, Secretary of the Admiralty, finds himself in a position few people then or now would have expected - charged with treason and facing a show trial and execution. Imprisoned in the Tower of London and abandoned by the embattled King, Pepys sets to work investigating his mysterious accuser, Colonel John Scott, and uncovers a life riddled with ambition, forgery, treason and - ultimately - murder. Using rare access to Pepys' own account of the affair, James Long and Ben Long brilliantly evoke a turbulent period in England's history - and tell the forgotten story of the two most dangerous years in the life of the legendary diarist.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #199668 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 322 pages

Sunday Times
'Part spy tale, part courtroom drama, the book brilliantly re-creates the atmosphere prevalent at the time.'

Daily Telegraph
'The authors have uncovered "the secret workings of the 17th century" and shaped them into a taut Restoration thriller.'

About the Author
James Long graduated from Oxford with a degree in politics, philosophy and economics. He has written eleven novels, several based on historical fact. His son Ben studied history, has directed several plays and written one, which has been performed on both sides of the Atlantic. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

A sub-plot well researched
Like Pepys' famous diary, the story starts with a mix of the consequential and the inconsequential and for a while the reader has to concentrate hard to sift the pieces into a discernable whole. But then it gathers pace and the value of the meticulous research comes through as we learn the extraordinary story of Pepys' contemporary and the villain of the piece, Col. John Scott. The book covers three plots - that of Titus Oates, Pepys own, and that of Capt. James Ayres. The story really starts with the Titus Oates allegations in 1678 and Pepys' peripheral role in the hunt for Godfrey's murderer. The frightening fanatical partisanship of the London mob, the lack of balance in the justice system and the fragility of the monarchy are well portrayed as the context to Pepys' arrest. Sidelined by the trial of strength between King and Parliament, Pepys has time to marshal his defence and we are given a detailed insight into the domestic and international intrigues in which he finds himself. The more his detractors attempt to blacken Pepys, the more we too search to find an adequate motive. The answers are provided at the end of the story, but only after a third plot - that of the wrecking of the Gloucester by Ayres - nearly includes Pepys among its victims.
Politics and religion are brave subjects for any narrator and the Longs have done well to keep the tale as objective as possible. While the story may lack some of the cohesive strength of Kenyon's "Popish Plot", in focussing on the plot on Pepys, it does highlight a tributary of that Whig conspiracy that Kenyon ignores. The research is thorough, so I'd be nit-picking to point out that Pepys being `elected' by Harwich, a Parliamentary borough of 32 voters in the pocket of the Admiralty, should be explained as typical of the undemocratic majority of the members of the Commons at the time. Also the Longs suggest Pepys, in contrast to his villainous contemporary, earned his success through diligent application. Given the factional distribution of office in those days, one is bound to wonder how much Pepys deserves such an accolade: This "man on the make" to use the Longs' description, must have demonstrated some shrewd politicking himself to survive the fallout of the Anglo-French v Dutch war of 1672-4 and end up Secretary of the Admiralty, a period not explored by the Longs. Nevertheless, a reasonable perspective, especially to those new to the period.

Loved it!
A fantastic read! Was recommended by a friend and i can honestly say it was one of the few books i've read that kept me awake on the 7am train to work! Brilliantly paced and full of an astounding level of detail, the Plot Against Pepys was a delight to read. The Long's breathe life into the intrigue of the period; plots, counter plots and dramatic ship wrecks are all described with equal gusto. The descriptions of 17th century London and Pepys endeavours are full of great writing but when combined with the outrageous adventures of Colonel John Scott, the book becomes a true page turner. Would definitely recommend!

Accurate but not the finest example of 'popular' history.
This is a strange half-a-book. To complain about the outcome may seem a little nonsensical, but it would be right to criticise the authors' choice of focus to create the relatively feeble denouement at the end at the expense of writing a book of more substance.

Apart from the odd chapter the 1st half was very enjoyable, but the book then exposes its dead-end, made worse with a corresponding deterioration of language; banal clichés and many tedious repetitions to pad out the pages to a saleable amount added insult to disappointment. At the conclusion I did begrudge the time spent, what at the start appeared to be a 4 star effort descended to 2 stars, I suppose 3 is a fair mark.

*N.B. the number of pages is not 480, not including the index there are 277.