by Neal Stephenson.
Historical page-turner.
I don't read much fiction. Not because I don't enjoy it, but because I much prefer reading factual stuff. But I do occasionally read novels on holiday. When I do, I like them to be thick, historical page-turners. Quicksilver fitted the bill perfectly.
I really enjoyed Stephenson's Cryptonomicon (Amazon: UK, US), so, when I heard he'd written a whole series of prequels, known as The Baroque Cycle, I thought I'd give the first one a go.
What can I say? Totally brilliant! It's set after the Restoration, in the early days of the Royal Society, and features a clever mix of historical and fictional characters and events. The famous names include Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke and Samuel Pepys.
I can't wait for my next big holiday, and volume two of the cycle.