Against the Machine

"No book could be more timely. As concern grows daily about the impact of technology on the planet, Brian Van Norman traces the origins of the first organised resistance to machinery during the infancy of the Industrial Revolution in England. His evocation of the Luddite movement in its Yorkshire heartland is vivid and inspiring. The passing of an old way of life before the Juggernaut of economic progress is portrayed through a convincing cast of characters aligned on both sides of what the writer accurately depicts as naked class war...Van Norman succeeds in representing their fears of a rapidly changing world beyond their control and the doomed path their attempted resistance has forced them along...Jane Austen meets Quentin Tarantino." -- Alan Brooke, Huddersfield Local Historical Society
In muscular language, earthy and poetic, Van Norman evokes the beauty and harshness of the Yorkshire Moors in a manner vivid for any reader. -- Amanda Hale -- Ottawa Review of Books, 2020
Van Norman has just established himself as one of the great storytellers in the historical genre. -- David Reyes -- The Book Commentary, 2020
Against the Machine: Luddites challenged my preconception of historical fiction novels and has emerged triumphant. Brian Van Norman has, without doubt, opened my eyes to a genre that hitherto I was predisposed to overlook. It is a skilfully crafted saga based closely upon events and people in Yorkshire, England, in 1812, full of twists and turns. Right from the first line, "It was snowing indoors." it grabs your attention and won't let go. -- The Reading Room -- 2021