Windsor Books

Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. I seem to have angered a Mormon over my negative reviews of books attempting to proof the Book of Mormon is an ancient document and not Joseph Smith's religious novel. This person gives me a negative vote almost as soon as my reviews are posted. Oh, well. To be so threatened by the facts.

The plot of the "Seventh Scroll" grabbed me and wouldn't let go. A woman archaaeologist and her husband find an Egyptian scroll that leads to the lost tomb of a pharoah. The husband of Royan is murdered for the scroll, Royan escapes, and is soon aided by an Indiana Jones character named Nicholas. The wealthy Nicholas funds an expedition, and Nicholas and Royan head off to Ethiopia and find a lost tomb that had been ingeniously hidden by a river.

I don't want to give the whole story away, but I really got lost in this grand adventure. I had to overlook the fact that Smith referred to his previous novel "The River God" in this novel. That takes the reader out of the story, in my opinion. It sounded like an ad for "River God," and makes me less likely to read that novel.

Overall, it kept me turning the pages. If you haven't read "Cry Wolf," by Wilbur Smith, then you are in for another treat of an African adventure. An Indiana Jones character in the 1930s takes a convoy of armored cars into the Ethiopian highlands with the Italian army in hot pursuit.

Urge Holywood to make these to novels into movies. We need some new takes on the Indiana Jones genre. Go for it, Hollywood!

Cry Wolf: Cry Wolf

After reading River God I had to jump right back in to another great Wilbur Smith book. It ties in nicely with River God - both are excellent books although I enjoyed Rived God slightly more. Wilbur Smith's books are great I just wish I had time to read them all.

In this sequel to "River God", Wilbur Smith leaps forward 4000 years to tell the story of archeologists, adventurists, and opportunists as they converge on the secret tombs of Pharaoh that Taita, the brilliant slave, constructed in Ethiopia during the exodus of that earlier story. The opportunities for continuity were enormous, but sadly, Smith does not develop these opportunities.

His main character is a refined British adventurer, a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones, whom Smith endows with virtue and a cunning, clever mind, even though this character stalks an endangered species for the purpose of killing it as a trophy, and removes ancient Egyptian artifacts for later sale at auction. The female love interest is an Egyptologist who inexplicably looks past this behavior with adoring eyes. Woven throughout are mercenaries, insurgents, wealthy bad guys, and traitors: so many characters that "The Seventh Scroll" would have become a "War and Peace" of Africa had Smith fully developed these separate story lines. And then there is a backstory that is not fully described: the discovery of ancient scrolls in Egypt, the seventh of which alludes tantalizingly toward an undiscovered tomb that might contain enormous wealth. This story alone could have introduced the quest and the action in a satisfying continuation of the earlier story, yet Smith skips over this. Rubbing salt into the wound, Smith inserts himself and his book, "River God", into the story, as Clive Cussler does in the later Dirk Pitt novels. This gimmick collapses the suspension of disbelief to become annoying.

These are harsh words for the follow-up to a marvelously-written novel. "The Seventh Scroll" is readable as a light (although long-winded) adventure story, just wince at the corny dialog and wooden characters and focus instead upon those few connections to Taita that extend the story in "River God" just that little bit further.

Wilbur Smith is brilliant. You must read River God first, or you lose the effect of this book. He has done things which will surprise and delight you in this book. One the characters in this modern novel about people searching for the tomb of the hero of River God was the author himself and his book River God! I loved the fact that one of his characters, the beautiful and brilliant Egyptian/English archiologist was critical of how Smith portrayed the character of Taita, the slave genius. It adds an amusing twist to a story. You can imagine the author smirking as he wrote it.

The thing about Smith's books is a pure sense of adventure that captures you and makes you feel you've had the adventure as much as the character had. His violent scenes are startlingly brutal, almost beautifully so, but elegantly brief and non exploitive. I appreciate his restraint and cower at the terrifying depth of his imagination.

The only criticism I have is his use of language. The speech pattern is odd. I find it bothers me. Instead of saying "I'm coming" his characters say "I am coming." which sounds to, at least the N. American ear, stilted and odd. Perhaps its an English thing, maybe it's African, or maybe it's a product of his generation. But I wish he'd knock it off, it gets in the way when you have to stop and chew on a bit of dialog like that trying to "hear" it in your mind in a way that works yet failing and mentally having to change it to "I'm coming" in order to move on. Give it up, Wilbur. Like it or not, people don't speak that way!

I loved River God and hestitated to read a modern story when I wanted to linger in the past with Taita, but I'm so, so glad I did!

I loved river god, my favorite book ever...and i have to say though i was skeptical about reading this one (thinking it would surely be a disappointment since it was not dealing with our original characters) i must admit, it was really quite captivating and very very good. I loved feeling as if i was somehow in the know having read River God and being ever so slightly two steps ahead of the characters in the story, while unsure what would happen next! But I was really glad i finally did read this book, and i am intending to read warlock too as soon as i can!

I was only 11y/o when I read the book.It's also the first D.Steel's book that I read!Im already 26 y/o and some of the lines still lingers in my mind.."Some people aren't meant to live in our lives forever...some just passes by to give us a GIFT."..etc. My sister also read it and she also love it.On some days, we would still talk about Maribeth and her story! That's how the movie striked me! It's a simple, short story but you'll definitely love it!

This is the ONLY Danielle Steel book I have ever gotten into. It's a real tearjerker, and I have read it 5 times and I can read it another 5 times, it's that good!!!

Danielle Steel is simply Brilliant! I sincerely recommend this novel to anyone who has ever lost someone they love!

My mom told me about this book so i decided to give it a chance since I am not a big fan of romance novels. I read this book in a couple days and when I got to the end I cried for a long time. I have told everyone I know to read this book. They all tell me how much they loved it and how it made them cry also. I would recommend this book to everyone.

This book is a perfect `gift' for you or anyone that love romance.

An amazing conclusion to an incredible series. Cornwell's Arthur is like no other, with a believable story that is brilliantly written.

Just finished it Cornwell's Warlord Trilogy. I thought it was absolutely phenomenal. I have an issue with how quickly he ended it though, it seems very out of keeping. Everything else in Derfel's life is described extensively, and by having the story be from Derfel's POV and ending it with the last battle at Camlann, he leaves out so much story which could easily have fitted into an epilogue. Were I his editor I would at least have advised to spend some time on tying that up properly. Too many questions unanswered. What happens to Guinevere, Galahad, Gwydre and the others on the boat for instance? Does Derfel ever meet them again? Where does he go to live with Ceinwyn and how many more years are they given? I understand that he wants to keep Arthur's final fate unknown, even though we can deduce from his never coming back that he did die, but the final chapter just doesn't seem right in how fast Cornwell goes about tying things up. Also the Silver Mist and him never returning, while typical of the traditional Arthurian ending of Arthur going to Avalon to sleep forever, seems like a rather out of place "magical" ending to this starkly realistic series where everything has a logical explanation.

Other than that niggle about the unsatisfying ending, nothing but praise. Well almost. I thought the characterization was great, particulary for the secondary characters. He does a great job of building a big cast of characters in a way few authors can. Especially the group of Arthur's companions such as Sagramor, Culhwch, Galahad, Tristan. Derfel is the star of the show in this series rather than Arthur, whose portrayal I am ambivalent about. The same applies to Merlin, who has been portrayed better elsewhere ( Stewart). Merlin to me was too powerless as well as too vulgar. I understand he went for the Dark Merlin/Mad Merlin take but I don't think it fully worked, he is too diminished for my taste. Nimue was interesting, as was Guinevere. So many good enemies as well, Lancelot, the Saxons, Amhar and Loholt, Mordred, Nimue, the vicious twins Dinas and Lavaine that killed his daughter, so many weak men set off against strong ones, the story of Tristan and Iseult, the character of Gawain gets a completely different treatment,a great sense of melancholy for a lost reign. Wonderful how Cornwell gives us the story through the eyes of a man writing at the end of his life, excellent device. Actually a great romance between Derfel and Ceinwyn as well, touching.

His portrayal of magic in the story seems to shift at the end of the third book from how it has been portrayed up until that late point in the story however, and I found that quaint. After two and a half book of pretty much no magic and alternate explanations for everything that could be construed as magical, he does seem to want to make it plain at the end that there is some real magic being done ( Nimue's curse, the use of shadowbodies to torture Ceinwyn).

Lancelot: He's a total tool, bereft of good qualities, unlike Galahad who is his opposite and who Derfel calls his best friend.

The Saxons: not villains in the sense that they are just like the Britons, trying to gain land so continious flow of Saxons coming to the British shores can be accomodated. And enemy yes, but it depends on the POV. Nimue, the druid twins, Lancelot etc are more clearly defined as villains.

Strange how Nimue turned out. From Merlin's best friend in youth to ally in maturity to cruel enemy at the end. Mordred was a truly terrible human being, rotten even as a boy.

Merlin's portrayal leaves too much to be desired here. As does Arthur's, who is lead around the nose too much by Guinevere in the first two books, something which is corrected in book 3. He is very human, but for me just a bit much and too flawed. Some of his decisions were just poor and as Derfel said, poor for all to see but Arthur.

Loved the companions. The bachelor Galahad, Christian knight of great prowess, coarse Culhwch, built like a bull, Derfel himsel with his marvellous life story, Sagramor the black demon. Tristan was a great character as was the brutal Lord Owain in book 1, I was sad to see him killed. Same for Aelle, Derfel's father.

In the end, a superb portrayal of Arthurian legends. The only Arthurian series that rivals it is the vastly different Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart. I've still yet to read Sword at Sunset though, which has no Merlin as I understand it. He puts a different hat on almost every character, and on many known events. He has great storytelling flair and displays great characterization abilities. He shows us battles, passion, romance and makes the Arthur story new to those had become tired of it.

9/10

Cornwell is brilliant as always. Excalibur, the last book of the Arthur series, is wonderfully written, bringing the reader into the final chapters of Arthur's life. A great read, sure to keep you turning page after page.

Warlord Chronicles, a tale of Arthur
1. The Winter King (***)
2. Enemy of God (***)
3. Excalibur (**)

"Arthur was probably no king, he may not have lived at all, but despite all the efforts of historians to deny his every existence, he is still, to millions of folk about the world, what a copyist called him in the fourteenth century, Arturus Rex Quondam, Rexque Futurus: Arthur, our Once and Future King." --Bernard Cornwell, Historical Note in EXCALIBUR

Cornwell's EXCALIBUR marks the crowning jewel of a fulsomely callous portrayal of women in 5th-century Britain, at least any woman of note (with the lone exception of Ceinwyn). Maybe it's unfair and provincial of me to view ruthlessness and calculated ambition potentially admirable in men but singularly unbecoming in women. Regardless, Guinevere's promiscuous ambition for power, glory and fame while Nimue's cold, religious fanaticism to sacrifice women and children for her pagan religion both distinguished Cornwell's final Arthurian installment EXCALIBUR. Although some may see EXCALIBUR as Guinevere's road to redemption, I can't say I really saw it that way. Admittedly, EXCALIBUR belongs to Guinevere, but I couldn't get over Guinevere betraying Arthur with Lancelot and then ready to betray him again with the druid twins back in ENEMY OF GOD, and all for power and glory. The humble first-person narration in a flashback makes for an inviting reading experience though the portentously gloomy tones tends to drown some of the enthusiasm. Cornwell's settings, historical backdrop and prose are all solid.

EXCALIBUR highlights the monumental battle in Arthur's lifetime which repels the Saxon conquest of Britain for an entire generation: the battle at Mynydd Baddon, or simply, Mount Badon. Of the three books in this Arthurian rendition, magic plays the biggest role here, and I can't say it was for the better. In the first part, The Fires of Mai Dun, Merlin and Nimue attempt to bring the old gods back. I found myself most engaged in the second part Mynydd Baddon in which we're treated to the warlord in Arthur at his best: battling against insurmountable odds. The final two parts, Nimue's Curse and The Last Enchantment concludes with Nimue's pagan fanaticism.

As opposed to the madness of Christianity in ENEMY OF GOD, EXCALIBUR now turns its attentions to painting the pagan religion of 5th-century Britain in a very gruesome light via Nimue's fanatically insane group of followers. Again, you have to admire Cornwell's decided aversion to black-and-white storytelling. Where ENEMY OF GOD describes a mad and violent Christian movement, EXCALIBUR now concludes with a fanatically cruel pagan depiction with child sacrifices. Past friends and lovers now become cruel enemies (Nimue), allies plot and scheme (King of Gwent Meurig, Mordred), traitors repent and expiate (Guinevere), while apparent enemies exhibit valor and heart (Derfel's Saxon father, King Aelle). Readers will find merit in evil and cruelty in apparent good. All of it adds to Cornwell's well-researched and captivating tale of Arthur.

By the end of ENEMY OF GOD, I thought Guinevere's betrayal would teach Arthur something of ruthlessness and cold retribution. Unfortunately, Arthur's downfall rested on his most noble quality: his persistence to forgive and believe in the goodness of people and the sanctity of oaths. In the end, he wanted gratitude, but both the Christians and the pagans hate him by EXCALIBUR and he finally relinquishes his power in EXCALIBUR.

I actually liked all three books, but the first-person, melancholy tones in the flashback absorbed some of my enjoyment. I thought EXCALIBUR was the weakest out of three actually.

This was a very good trilogy, but the finale, this book, was by far the best. The Winter King, book 1, and Enemy of God, book 2, were both well written, entertaining and interesting (I gave both 4 stars as they were good but not great), but this book finishes off the trilogy with war, carnage, destruction and misery; it had its good things too, but we are talking about dark ages England and what else would you expect of Arthur. This was definitely a 5 star read.
Again, as with the first 2 books, this is a different tale of Arthur. There is no sword in a stone, no grail quest, and little magic; other than superstition and luck, there is a reference to a curse that, in the book, seems real enough. But, for the most part, this is real world soldiers and warlords facing enemeies, deception, battle and chaos as the world is perched on the verge of Armageddon; at least that is how the book tells it.
Our storyteller is again Lord Derfel Cadarn, Derfel "the Mighty". Son of a Saxon (and that Saxon, you will find, adds an interesting twist to the story), but raised by Merlin (a druid with what is described as much power, but which even Merlin admits is mostly smoke and mirrors) Derfel (a Welsh name pronounced "Dervel") is one of the mighty men of Arthur's fighting force. One of Arthur's round table; well, sort of, the oath sworn men are called the men of the round table oath though no round table existed. There is no Camelot, though that title is also addressed.
What you have here, just as was in the first 2 novels, is a tale of the Britons fighting to save themsleves from fanatical religions, attacking Saxons and backstabbing traitors. The tale finishes well, cleaning up all loose ends nicely. I read in one review that the book was a let down becuase it "fizzled" at the end. I would disagree. The book does end quite abruptly; I was reading and realized I had only a handful of pages left and wondered how it was going to end so quickly, but it does end without leaving the reader hanging. I believe the ending was perfect; a necessary abrupt cliff where everything just falls, but you will know all you need to know by the time you reach the back cover.
I have read many of Cornwell's books and would call myself a huge fan of Cornwell's work. I prefer and recommend highly his current and continuing work, collectively known as the Saxon Chronicles (The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, and Sword Song), but this trilogy was very good and Cornwell provides his ubiquitous details of battle, strategy and tactics, and weaponry of the times in his usual highly accurate and descriptive manner. Don't take that as a dig on this trilogy. This was a wonderful trilogy, I just enjoy the other a little more but that may simply be because I am a student of the Northmen who populate the Saxon tales.
Back to this story; why does this book rate 5 over the 4 I gave to the first 2 books? Well, for starters, the entire tale comes to a head here and suspense and mystery is all laid out, a prize for having completing the trilogy. Also, the characters become more real in this tale as they have aged and lived full lives. They become more honest with themselves and their comrades, lovers, spouses and enemies. Finally, the tale brings to an end, without destroying myths, the tale of the Arthur that we all know without destroying the possibilities of the myths.
You really should read books 1 and 2 before coming to this novel and I highly recommend you enjoy each; but I encourage you that you will come to an excellent end with this final installment.
Arthur lives in glory in these tales as does Derfel and it is Derfel that we truly get to know in these books and through him we learn Arthur's tale. Derfel is a wonderful character and I am sad to now leave him behind. This trilogy was very enjoyable and stands up to Cornwell's high standard of writing and historical knowledge.
Enjoy!!!

For more dark age England, other than the Saxon Chronicles mentioned above, I also recommend Cornwell's Grail Quest Trilogy which takes place during the 100 years war (those books are, The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, and Heretic).

This book has a contemporary setting, and is more believable
than others in its genre. I really enjoyed it. It is readable
and does not confuse or have too many characters to keep track
of.

This is another book from my Top 5 List. Mike Martin really helps us to understand what's all about Iraq's Gulf War. If more politicians read this book, we would probably dealt better with war conflicts. This should be readed by everyone in school, a military/historical fiction which lots of lessons to everyone.

Not enough human intelligence.


Even then, in Iraq, it seems. A desperate military sends one of the few men it has that has a shot at passing locally into Iraq because of worries about a superweapon.

Quite literally, a BFG. He does a bit of rabble rousing of the spook kind to aid his cause, while he tries to work out what is going on and stop it.

Just passable, as far as Forsyth goes.

This is a 'docu-Drama' with all the nitti-gritty of building up to the biggest military action in history - all the major real players are there , plus a great character.

Better than any James Bond, this is a coworker of Andy McNab - SAS wins the day.

How close did we actually come?

BeechSportBill
Bravo Two-Zero

I usually do not post my reviews of books, but this book was so good I feel obligated to tell other potential readers to buy it. I've read a lot of espionage books and this one is at the top of the list. It's better than Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, Eye of The Needle, Brotherhood of the Rose, Fraternity of the Stone, etc.

This book has real characters, believable plots, and about ten twists and turns I never saw coming. From start to finish, this book kept me captivated with its characters and how they all interact and are intertwined. Forsyth does a great job in this book and paints a very grim picture of how close Iraq came to having a weapon of mass destruction. Or did they?

I am always impressed at how Forsyth's research is so thorough. It makes it very difficult to differentiate where fiction starts and fact ends. This book is no exception.

Jim Dixon is in his first year as a college lecturer and he's been in trouble nearly from the second he arrived...unfortunately, since he's also on probation, he's panicking a great deal that he'll lose his job. He despises his boss - an elderly, absent minded and rather self important gentleman called Professor Welch - and doesn't even like his subject, Medieval History. (He only ever studied it himself because he'd seen it as the easy option when he was a student). He's had a few unfortunate encounters with his fellow academics since he started - he'd barely arrived at the college when he accidentally caught the Prof of English (??) with a stone on the knee, and then knocked over the Registrar's Chair at his first Faculty Meeting. (If only the Registrar himself hadn't been on the verge of sitting down...) There had also been the essay submitted by one of Dixon's pupils had submitted an essay heavily criticising a book written by one of Welch's ex-pupils. What made this difficult to sweep under the carpet was the level of Welch's involvement - the book was written at his suggestion and under his guidance - while the essay was based heavily on Dixon's lecture notes.

Jim, however, does have a few allies - including Alfred Beesley, (who works in the college's English Department), Bill Atkinson (someone always happy to provide Jim with a cover story) and Carol Goldsmith (the wife of a colleague at the history department). However, Jim spends most of his time with Margaret - another member of staff at the university. It's not that he particularly wants to - rather, he more or less feels morally obliged to. The problem is things have now got to the point where they're widely seen as a couple. Margaret is now "recovering well" at Welch's house after a recent (apparent) suicide attempt. (Prior to Jim, she'd been spending some time with an utter cad called Catchpole...who, rather understandably, ran off with his new girlfriend to North Wales for a couple of weeks). Jim had been supposed to meet her for a pot of tea that evening , but had backed out to write the following day's lecture...it's something he feels rather guilty about that, bearing in mind what had happened. (This guilt is something Margaret shamelessly trades on throughout the book).

Since Margaret is staying at the Prof's house, Jim can't avoid visiting once in a while. One of the most significant - not to mention disastrous - visits is for a weekend long artistic gathering. Jim manages to set fire to his bedclothes, destroy his bedside table, and make an enemy of Bertrand - one of the professor's sons. Bertrand, a pretentious artist with an awful beard and a significant superiority complex, arrives from London for the proceedings with a very pretty guest called Christine Callaghan. Jim naturally is smitten - but is afraid to make any move...partly for fear of what it will do to Margaret, and partly because he knows stealing Betrand's girlfriend will lower his standing in the Professor's eyes even further. Still, at least he's interested in Christine herself...unlike Bertrand, who's only interested in her uncle - the noted art critic, Julius Gore-Urquhart.

An amusing and easily read book. Jim proves a likeable character - although the laughter comes mostly at his expense, as he lurches from one disaster to another.

I enjoyed the clever satire of the absurdity of British academia where status and pretension can be valuable, and yet luck, both good and bad, can suddenly change everything. Very smart, but I just didn't feel the connection with the story personally.

This novel almost cost me my job. Many years ago I taught a seminar in satire, and one of the books on my reading list was "Lucky Jim." When a senior faculty member heard about this, he tried to rally others in my department to deny me tenure, proving, of course, that the novel's searing attack on academic snootiness was right on. I got tenure anyway, and the novel still makes me smile.

"Lucky Jim" borders upon enduring excellence as a novel. The writing is strong, but the characters and story are weak which makes this a "good read" or "light fiction" or "popular press" rather than literature. I offer this distinction at the outset since many reviews of this novel praise it so highly and it can lead one to expect something more than you get. When you read to pass time, this is good pasttime reading.

I was particularly struck by Kingsley Amis's strong observation and artful writing. He seems to observe the world closely and accurately, then comments upon it with strong writing. For example, he describes a character as disliking another couple so much the character wonders why the couple doesn't hate each other, too. A fabulous observation and conceit, too.

As other reviewers have noted the situation of the novel is highly specific - post World War II England with academics at a second rate college. The story revolves around a small set of characters most of whom are employed by a college. As someone who spent a lot of time at American universities, I can affirm that the stereotypes of academics appear on both sides of the ocean and it was painful at times to see myself and other colleagues in the characters in this novel. However, you can enjoy the book even if you know nothing about post World War II, England, or universities.

The British literary theorist Terry Eagleton characterized Kingsley Amis as a "racist, anti-Semitic boor, a drink-sodden, self-hating reviler of women, gays, and liberals." Well well! And what is the reader of "Lucky Jim" to think of such a venomous outpouring of contempt toward the author whose book he innocently holds in his hands? Indeed, Kingsley's famous offspring, Martin Amis, stands accused of following in his father's infamous footsteps. He has had his fair share of literary dust-ups too and is in the middle of a raging and anguished public argument about England's cultural identity. Like father, like son?

Certainly, no matter what anyone says about Kingsley, "Lucky Jim" stands up as a comic masterpiece. For me it's a memorable and complex characterization of British class differences as shown in the myopic world of academia. The tortured reflections of Jim Dixon, lecturer, as he tries desperately to appease the abominable and self-absorbed Professor Welch are at the crux of this classic. Dixon's troubles only begin with Welch. They also involve two women, one who's highly neurotic and rather plain, and another who's very young, very attractive, and very confused. Margaret and Christine are both unfortunately connected to the good Professor, which sets up drawing room comedy of the highest order. Hilarious confrontations and elaborately absurd schemes inundate the action. But what lifts this novel above the rest is the precise and brilliantly realized writing. Listen, for instance, to this passage about Dixon waking up the morning after an excess of drinking: "Dixon was alive again. Consciousness was upon him before he could get out of the way; not for him the slow, gracious wandering from the halls of sleep, but a summary, forcible ejection. He lay sprawled, too wicked to move, spewed up like a broken spider-crab on the tarry shingle of the morning." Wow! Then there's this passage about having breakfast early at his lodging house: "There was something about Miss Cutler's cornflakes, her pallid fried eggs or bright red bacon, her explosive toast, her diuretic coffee which, much better than bearable at nine o'clock, his usual breakfast-time, seemed at eight-fifteen to summon from all the recesses of his frame every lingering vestige of crapulent headache, every relic of past nauseas, every echo of noises in his head." Yes!

I read the Penguin edition with David Lodge's entertaining Introduction (a plot spoiler, by the way, which should be read after you turn the last page of the book). There you can find from Lodge a bit of an apology for Amis' 1950s "politically incorrect" characterization of women. From Amis: "Christine was still nicer and prettier than Margaret, and all the deductions that could be drawn from the fact should be drawn: there was no end to the ways in which nice things are nicer than nasty ones." But Lodge is generous about this rather simple view of things, since Amis later on found the "nasty" things inescapable. Lodge also places this work in the context of the British literary and theatrical scene of the late-1950s and points out "Lucky Jim"'s mold-breaking impact on that generation. No question this entertaining work cracked open some stodgily sealed doors and piquantly pointed out British academic and cultural absurdities.

O lucky me, to have found this book, warts and all. I highly recommend it.

A great novel in the zombie/vampire genre, with a solitude-induced dystopia akin to Matheson's I Am Legend and Brook's World War Z.

Some may see the sci-fi concepts as far fetched, specifically the triffids themselves, but the overall story congeals well bringing about stressful situations and sparking philosophical questions regarding morality, social convention, principles, and what would be the appropriate type of organization in the chaotic aftermath of pandemic blindness.

This is a book that shouldn't work, but it does. It is based on two absurd and totally unrelated science fiction premises. The first is the evolution of "triffids." Triffids are a new species of plant of unknown origin (probably artificially cultivated) that, when mature, pick themselves up out of their roots and begin walking around and killing people. The other spectacular premise is that one night there is a terrific "comet shower." The entire world watches it. The only problem is, much like a solar eclipse, if you look straight at it, it blinds you.

The triffids have already been around a while by the time of the comet shower. They have become domesticated and people have become bored with them. After the world is stricken blind, nobody thinks much about the triffids, until...

I was expecting a schlock science fiction novel about marauding killer plants. What I got instead was a very well-written, literate, thoughtful book about survival and sociology. (Don't be put-off - there are still those scary killer plants.) I was reminded of The Stand and the George Romero "Dead" films. The difference is, the rest of the world doesn't have to be killed off - they just have to go blind. It is shocking to think of how collectively helpless the world would be if that happened.

The focus of the novel is more on the post-apocalyptic aspect than the killer plants. The triffids do take over the Earth, but it is not a story like I am Legend, in which the triffids are such a threat no one can leave the house. The triffids are relatively week and can be dealt with - but there's so many of them.

After reading this book, I am not surprised that it is reprinted by Modern Library. It is a very nice paperback edition with helpful "reading group" questions at the end. It is worthwhile to pick up this "rediscovered" classic and see what good science fiction is.

"The Day of the Triffids" was for many years my favorite sci-fi novel; afterwards it was replaced in that honor place by Dune and Hyperion.
I've read this novel when I was a teenager in the mythical Argentinean sci-fi magazine "Mas Alla", it was published there as the main story of the inaugural number. I've treasured my collection for more than 40 years.
"The Day of the Triffids" still stands in my all-time best novels list and I've reread it once every couple of years.

It is a typical product of the '50 immersed in the "Cold War", but with a forceful story line, exploring a post catastrophe world.
The drama evolves smoothly, griping you up to the last page; it has a somewhat melancholic background, our known world fading into dust and a new one emerging from the ashes in a pitiless confrontation with the Triffids of the title.
It is a novel that fifty years after it was written still catch your interest and keep you going on.
In sci-fi not to be dated is a commendation.

If the reader wants to have a vivid picture of London in a state similar to this book descriptions I encourage he/she to see the movie "28 Days Later".

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all sci-fi fans and general public too!
Reviewed by Max Yofre

Not much I can add that others haven't.
This is an excellent book, which, because it deals with human nature, surely has to remain timeless.
In the aftermath of the comets, the loneliness of people who are literally left in the dark is tangible and help to make this novel remain in your mind long after you've finished reading it.

The part the triffids play in this chaos is remarkably easy to imagine, especially knowing the scientific research that is carried out now into genetic engineering. The triffids, although dangerous, are tolerated and managed because of their useful oil. If some degenerative diseases could be eradicated by cultivating a deadly plant...would we?

I really enjoyed the way Wyndham makes us think about human behaviour and how hard it is to unlearn. The ideas on what to tell future generations and the references to disasters in the ancient world I found really thought provoking.

While I stand by the reviews that state the excellence of this story, and the skill of the author, intending purchasers should know that this is an *edited* edition - something I didn't pick up on until reading along with a BBC unabridged reading of the book.
Example - in Chapter 1 when Bill Masen encounters the doctor in the corridors of the hospital - this has been removed from this edition.

The fact this is an edited version needs to be made clear to intending purchasers

I wish this book were more conclusive about Allyson's fate- but I guess you can't have everything. It sure is easy to hate the husband in this book!

I'm a huge fan of Danielle Steel I have read all but maybe 8 of her books.This book is one of the first books I read of hers.The first book I ever read was House On Hope Street and I was hooked.I Love all of her books so far,but this is my favorite with House on Hope Street my second.That was a hard choice to make since I really love all of her books so much.I'm reading Loving now.......ENJOY

I really liked this book. I hadn't read any of her books before and I owned 3 of them I got from a bookstore a while back and decided to go with this one because it seemed the most interesting. It was a good first choice..Very good book, she keeps you interested right from the beginning and throughout the entire book you are constantly wanting to know what happens next which is the fun part of reading a book! I do agree with someone that wrote a review saying that it tends to get a bit repetitive but it's not really in a bad way. One of the big things I noticed about Danielle Steel, is the way she writes. She words things nicely and keeps the interest without trailing off about stuff you don't care about. The story is very suspensful at times and also very sad. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it seems like she tries cramming the ending all in one chapter. Like she made the middle of the book so big and at the end she just had rush it. Other than that, great book..highly recommended!

This book is not a tear jerker like Fine Things or Once in a Lifetime, but it is very moving, inspiring and brilliantly written. The novel was a bit predictable and I found myself skipping through some of the pages, but it is still a novel that I would recommend!

i made the purchase as a gift for a friend and she loves it and because of that i am very happy with choosing to buy this novel.

The second book in Patrick O' Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, 'Post Captain' is a worthy follow up to 'Master & Commander'. This novel has the usual naval action, but much of it takes place on land giving the reader a broader overview of English society in the early years of the 1800's.
I have some quibbles, the difficulty in understanding nautical terms and 19th century slang made following the plot difficult at times, which was compounded by O'Brian's writing style, where scenes change without warning. Also I found the lack of a map(s) irritating.
On the other side of the scale there is the fascinating detail in not just naval life in the Napoleonic era, but life in early 19th century England in general. There is also the wonderful characters of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. And of course lots of action with the occasional bit of humour (for example Stephen's bees on the 'HMS Lively')

This second volume in the Aubrey/Maturin Series continues both the friendship and the adventure for the two protagonists. They vie for love, struggle with poverty, and continue to harass both French and Spanish shipping. Anyone who enjoys a good sea adventure will be sure to be entertained.

I am a great fan of the Aubrey-Maturin series, so I am loathe to write anything negative. However, I have struggled to finish "Post Captain". It is tedious reading, and dull for the most part. The book never really establishes a plot line. It shifts through a listless struggle between Aubrey and Maturin's romantic aspirations, and then back to Jack's dicey struggle with his chain of command. The book confuses and makes painful reading at times. It lacks the sublime feeling I had from reading other volumes in the series.

Many complain that this volume lacks sufficient adventure, focusing too much on the manners of the time. I can understand that sentiment, although I don't sympathize with it. Patrick O'Brian was not merely trying to write rousing adventure novels - pot boilers, as they're commonly called. This he could have easily done, and saved much paper. However, I wouldn't have read them more than once, if that.

Instead, he chose to weave a complex tapestry of the time, to immerse us in the history, society and characters as they lived and breathed. The difficulty of this undertaking can hardly be overstated, and his mastery of languages, history, science, seamanship, culinary arts and the craft of authorship is astounding.

I am grateful that he would not sacrifice history to make a story more exciting; I don't mind having our doughty protagonists watch a battle as prisoners so that I can have a grander view of the events of the time. Or that we see how they would have found their respective spouses in the Dickensian society of the time. It doesn't make Aubrey and Maturin any less interesting -- and provides a depth to the plots that could not be had otherwise.

In fact, it is truly amazing how well these novels tie together, how events in earlier books can naturally lead to complications and subplots several volumes later. And how the characters evolve with extreme subtlety and psychological depth.

Perhaps, then, these novels were written specifically for me; sometimes I feel as if it were so. I revel in the minutiae, in the playful humor, in the nascent science and discovery. I enjoy the story on land as much as on the sea; the manners as much as the adventures. I have read them all several times.

Patrick O'Brian, whatever his faults, bequeathed upon humanity a rare and wonderful gift: a fully encompassing view into another time and place that let's us understand our own world better. And he did it with compassion and understanding and marvelous wit. It is with that view that I implore readers with a similar bent to embark on this enthralling voyage.

The setting is strong and the characters are interesting. This series has been given accolades for a quarter-century, and I know it has promise, and I know I'll keep reading. Even with all this, the sophomore entry in this series was a let-down in tension.

Tension doesn't have to be big sea battles between military-grade warships, but it does have to be engaging and threaten the protagonist. Other than a somewhat minor relationship issue between Jack and Sophie and Diana the only real novel-length theme was Jack's continuing struggles with his finances.

As a chronicle of the life in opening of the nineteenth century it is a great book. It demonstrated the core of military power - the Navy and it's ongoing internal political struggles as well as a rivalry with the Army. More interesting than Jack Aubrey and his money troubles is the revelations in this volume of the hidden life of Stephen Maturin, land-heir and intelligence spy - but for whom? His mini-adventures and influence keep one interested in the book and keep one guessing.

It's a serviceable book in the series, which put it above many author's best work.

- CV Rick, February 2008

Pelagia has grown up on the peaceful Greek island of Cephallonia with her father, a widower and rather eccentric doctor who has taught her to be strong and independent. She takes for granted, somewhat ruefully, the fact that she will marry a local boy and settle down to a quiet life of her own.

Instead of her quiet life, Pelagia finds herself touched by World War II. Her fiance leaves to fight, hoping to prove himself worthy of her. Meanwhile, Cephallonia is occupied by German soldiers as well as Italian soldiers, one of whom is quartered in Pelagia and her father's home.

Pelagia and her father try their best to hate this Captain Corelli, who is an Italian soldier and therefore one of their oppressors. But as he continues to be charming and even seems apologetic about his place in their lives, it becomes harder and harder to cheerfully make his life miserable.

I loved the middle of this book. I found it funny and engaging in many parts. I especially enjoyed the story of Carlo and the events that led him to Cephallonia. It was interesting to see how the characters and the island changed as a result of war, and how such an idyllic setting could be tarnished. I liked the determination of Corelli to charm Pelagia, and the pace at which their relationship developed.

However, I found the beginning and the end of the book to be weak. It was hard for me to get a handle on the characters at first, as the story kept jumping from one to the other, and didn't start off with any context to make things easier. The ending was disappointing to me as well. After such a detailed story of Pelagia's life and the building relationship with Corelli as well as the development of her own talents and ambitions, her entire adulthood was simply skimmed over. Her descendants were made of cardboard, seemingly added in not to round out the story but just to prove that time had passed her by. A vibrant character was reduced to a caricature of a weepy grandmother, which I found unsatisfying. The Pelagia and Corelli plot twist also left me feeling empty, like this book about a young woman finding her place in her world was all a waste, as she ended up pining away in unhappiness.

Friends who know I`m interested in war history recommended this book. But this is not war history. This is a rather banal love story mixed up with a lot of bloody details. If you are looking for the real stuff, go somewhere else.

Make no mistake about it. This is not a romantic novel and even though one cannot help but get carried away with the romance that gradually develops in Pelagia's life this is rather a humorous novel for even within the romance itself and the harsh reality of the war that is soon to overwhelm the life of every character there is plenty of humour making the entertainment value of the novel undeniably high. Just one reservation about the actual plot of this book or rather not so much the plot itself but the way the novel actually ends. It makes one wonder whether the author was having second thoughts about this since the end seems rather contrived and quite detached from the development of the rest of the plot, particularly if one considers the point in time at which Captain Corelli escapes from the island of Cephalonia.

In my life so far, the enormity of 17years i have NEVER read a book that was so beautifully constructed. The characters are perfect, and the beautiful island of Cephallonia leaves a taste in the mouth that lingers for months afterwards. Carlo, Antonio, Pelagia, and Dr Iannis are wonderful, and each in there own way unique. This is the only book that as soon as i finished i immediately began again. My only word of advice is not to watch the film, which pales in comparison to the book!A book that puts things in perspective!The best i've ever read!

A superbly crafted story of a woman caught in the throes of transition from deep tradition to the modern world. For Pelagia Iannis the cost of transition is heavy. Daughter of the village's widower doctor, she is caught up in global forces beyond her ken. The imperial ambitions of Italy's dictator, Benito Mussolini, bring the Italian army of occupation. Among the troops is Captain Antonio Corelli, artillery officer and musician. An unwitting and hesitant imperial minion, he is billeted in the Iannis household. Although the doctor urges passive resistance, Pelagia, although committed to a partisan youth, is drawn to Corelli's musical talents and unworldly charm. De Bernieres weaves an intricate tale of love, war, humour and pathos with unrivaled skill. His characters sparkle with realism, an aspect permeating this outstanding work. His descriptions of the interactions of the differing nationalities and ideologies ring vividly true.

As he builds the story through the characters and events, de Bernieres gives little away. There are continual surprises as events twist and bend the characters. Some break, others find a means to extricate themselves from a tangling fate. Pelagia bears the main burden throughout. Her love for Corelli, after a fitful start, blossoms, then is tested by the swirl of events. Other characters come into her life, remain or depart. All make some impact as de Bernieres adroitly builds her role. Each chapter becomes a minor tale in its own right, with all tied together flawlessly. Characters and events are imparted with meticulous detail, yet, like a Mozart opera, not one word would bear excision.

If you like a story that successfully ranges over a variety of issues and people, you will seek far and wide to surpass this tale. De Bernieres' skills in portraying life's complexities, yet maintaining reader attention and interest are peerless. He has clearly build his work on thorough scholarship - there's even a source list at the end. His sweeping view will leave you exhilarated and breathless, but fulfilled. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This little BIG book was described to me as a "wahoo! book".
I have nothing else to add.

This is one of my favorite books ever. Anna is a delightful little girl with a most tragic background, but she has all she needs to go back home! This book is simply wonderful.

A life-changing, heart-opening, mind-expanding story. I highly recommend it. I was dissappointed with my order though - the books were in perfect condition but in an unusual size - very small making the book hard to read - and the paper is not of good quality. I don't feel i got great value for money with this purchase.

This is a nice fairy tale, but no more true than Rousseau's Emile or Kipling's The Jungle Book. I've known many five year olds, including some very gifted ones, but Anna simply doesn't ring true. Her short stature, mysterious origins, and bright red hair all suggest that she is a figment of "Finn"'s imagination, in the tradition of stories of "the wee folk". In fact, Finn is a frequently used pseudonym of Celtic folk tales, somewhat like "Mother Goose" is the authoress of English folk tales. The words "a true story" emblazoned on the front left a bad taste in my mouth, like I'd been conned. Somewhere in the book there is a mention that "all fairy stories are true" and I realised that this was the author's disclaimer. This is a good story, but the author's sly attempt to pass it off as literal truth taints it all. Had it been presented frankly as inspirational fiction, like "The Little Prince", it would have gone over a lot better, without the bitter aftertaste.

I hate to begin a book and walk away from it without finishing. I did read the entire book but found it real struggle to hang in there.