A review by kiwikathleen
The Great and Calamitous Tale of Johan Thoms by Ian Thornton

5.0

I want to do a real review of this fascinating book, but it's probably not going to happen due to pressing other things. But, very briefly, it's funny and sad (tragic, even), has a story wound around real-life history (going from its subtitle of 'How one man accidentally started World War One' and on through the Spanish Civil War and World War Two), and the most engaging characters. The style is fun, with some lovely use of words and the ability to make everything seem very present. What a great find this book was for me!