The Stone Arrow

The Stone Arrow This is set in southern Britain in 5000 B.P., in the late Neolithic, which is of special interest to me as an archeology student. It's about the conflict between the native hunter-gatherers, leading a Mesolithic lifestyle, and the immigrant farmers from the European mainland. There is no evidence that such a conflict took place; on the other hand there is no evidence that it didn't: given the recent history of such places as Kosovo or northern Iraq, I rather incline to Herley's point of view. The artefacts, cultures and landscape are recreated with masterly skill. It's one of those rare novels that gives an immersive experience. There's something peculiar and remarkable about the effect that Herley's imagination has on your own. The action is rapid, luminous, and irresistible. I don't want to give any of the story away. Let me just say that it makes "Rambo" look like a vicarage tea-party. You have been warned! This novel predates Jean Auel's ponderous series of Paleolithic novels and may even have given her the idea. It's a shame it has been unavailable for so long, but the recent reissue of this and his other books is a welcome, and overdue, development.