Product Description
Chapters: Eliseo Soriano, Karl Keating, Ross Tipon, Charles Caldwell Ryrie. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 22. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Eliseo Fernando Soriano (born April 4, 1947) is a Filipino televangelist. He is the current Presiding Minister of the Philippines-based Members Church of God International and is known as Bro. Eli in the congregation he leads, and through his radio and television program Ang Dating Daan (English: The Old Path, Portuguese: O Caminho Antigo). Soriano became controversial in 2004 due to his comments on his television program which ultimately led to a three month suspension of the program in a case that went to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Soriano was born to Triunfo Soriano and Catalina Fernando in Pasay City and is the seventh of eight children. He grew up in Pampanga. He started school at the age of eight. Soriano was supposed to receive the highest honors of the school, but he dropped out three months before graduation due to an alleged religious debate between Soriano and the school administrator. On April 7, 1964, three days after his 17th birthday, Eliseo was baptised in Seneguelasan, Bacoor, Cavite, and became an official member of the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan (Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Support of the Truth in English) founded by excommunicated Iglesia ni Cristo minister Nicolas Perez where his parents were also members. In 1969, Nicolas Perez, who was then the churchs presiding minister, bestowed upon Soriano the title minister making him the only minister in the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan at that time. Rumors were circulating that Soriano is going to be Perez's successor. However, after the death of Nicolas Perez in 1975, Levita G...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1580878 ... Read more

Product Description
George Hall is an unobtrusive man. A little distant, perhaps, a little cautious, not quite at ease with the emotional demands of fatherhood or of manly bonhomie. “The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely.” Some things in life can’t be ignored, however: his tempestuous daughter Katie’s deeply inappropriate boyfriend Ray, for instance, or the sudden appearance of a red circular rash on his hip.

At 57, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden and enjoying the freedom to be alone when he wants. But then he runs into a spot of bother. That red circular rash on his hip: George convinces himself it’s skin cancer. And the deeply inappropriate Ray? Katie announces he will become her second husband. The planning for these frowned-upon nuptials proves a great inconvenience to George’s wife, Jean, who is carrying on a late-life affair with her husband’s ex-colleague. The Halls do not approve of Ray, for vague reasons summed up by their son Jamie’s observation that Ray has “strangler’s hands.” Jamie himself has his own problems — his tidy and pleasant life comes apart when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to Katie’s wedding. And Katie, a woman whose ferocious temper once led to the maiming of a carjacker, can’t decide if she loves Ray, or loves the wonderful way he has with her son Jacob.

Unnoticed in the uproar, George quietly begins to go mad. The way these damaged people fall apart — and come together — as a family is the true subject of Haddon’s hilarious and disturbing portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely.

A Spot of Bother is Mark Haddon’s unforgettable follow-up to the internationally beloved bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Once again, Haddon proves a master of a story at once hilarious, poignant, dark, and profoundly human. Here the madness — literally — of family life proves rich comic fodder for Haddon’s crackling prose and bittersweet insights into misdirected love.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (118)

too funny
I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud at such well turned phrases and situational humor.I hope this one gets optioned for a movie because there are a number of scenes I would love to see.This family - so completely human and dysfunciotnal - pulls together through challenging times while never giving up the essence of who each of them is individually.A thoroughly entertaining read.Can't wait to pass along to other book worms.

A Spot of Bother
I loved this book! It was quirky and funny with bursts of insight and truths about what is truly important and what we really think despite the way we may act!

Disappointing
Mark Haddon's first adult novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, was so impressive, that when I picked up A Spot of Bother, I was sure it was going to be a great read. It wasn't.The characters were so disagreeable that I honestly could not drum up any kind of sympathy for them.

Basically, the plot revolves around George, a 61-year-old retiree, who is convinced that he is dying of a lesion on his hip.Of course, being British, he says nothing about the lesion, or his anxiety.Instead he politely goes mad. We don't really know why, because there was nothing in George's character to suggest that a small lesion would cause such intense paranoia.George's wife is having an affair.Again, we don't really know why, because, like her husband, she doesn't indulge in verbal expression.George's daughter, a selfish, impulsive creature, is about to marry a complete boor, whom nobody likes.Nor do we, as he seems to have no redeeming qualities.Various events occur, none of which you will remember five minutes after reading about them.Eventually, the boor shows himself to be a better person than we thought, and the other dysfunctional characters, while not really improved, somehow manage to resolve their various problems.I am pretty sure that I didn't actually care when they did.

I had the feeling that Haddon intended this to be a critique of British reserve.Critiques, like any other sort of novel, need to have characters we care about.They also need plots.Haddon, in spite of being a very fine writer, failed on both these counts. And while I didn't regret reading A Spot of Bother (it does have an occasional entertaining scene, and I wasn't doing anything else that day), I can't honestly say it is the sort of book that I would recommend to anyone else.

Read this book!
I was amazed at how short a time period the novel covered.After I accepted that the book was going to be about the day-to-day inner workings of each family member, I settled into it.Always I felt that George was the center of the novel, though the whole family is featured with each chapter shifting point of view.The story moves toward the inevitable wedding of George's daughter while watching the breakdown George is having.The book is not predictable (as the New Yorker said)--it is a genuinely affecting view of people in crisis.It's outstanding, that amid the chaos of family life that Haddon brings in so much humor.I laughed aloud many times, sometimes at the most macabre things.This is a completely engaging book, and I highly recommend it.

bodily functions palooza
wow, what a horrible book. It seems to be a chronicle of people peeing, pooping, vomiting, and bleeding, with a little bit of plot in between. oh and the people are mostly unlikable - the only likable, decent one was the guy the snotty family didn't want their awful daughter to marry. partway through I started just skimming through the pages and then I flipped to the end but I barely cared enough to do that. gross, disgusting, and full of cute little anecdotes about each person - yuk. it was like the author was a scatalogical five year old. read ANYTHING else. ... Read more

Product Description

In her most eagerly anticipated novel yet, Elizabeth George brings back Scotland Yard's Thomas Lynley to investigate a ruthless crime.

Customer Reviews (178)

Strong characters, powerful setting, but a bit light on plot
It's great to see Inspector Lynley back after the death of his wife, although there are certainly better novels in this excellent series by Elizabeth George.As far as Careless in Red goes, its chief attributes are deep and interesting characters and a tangible feeling of the power of place, in this instance the Cornwall coast.

The weak point here is plotting, which makes this novel less than a page turner yet certainly one to finish, despite its 700+ pages.I don't want to be a spoiler, so I will just say that the story drags somewhat, although it is hard to identify the character 'who done it' until well near the book's end, which I always view as a plus.And the incidental details about tin mining, the itinerant people called 'travelers,' and the sport of surfing add color and interest.(Who knew that England actually had a tourist business built around surfing?)

George's descriptions of Cornwall have convinced me that a trip there must go on my 'bucket list.'The countryside sounds starkly beautiful and the style of life still easy enough to offer genuine relaxation while on a holiday.

Over-written
I enjoyed Ms. George's earlier Lynleys and, of course, the excellent TV adaptations.But at her best the author tends to over-write-- and seems to have become obsessed with dysfunctional families.While this plot could have been interesting, half the book seems to be redundant and repetetive descriptions of families sniping at each other and the lead investigator's angry impressions and comments of just about everyone she encounters.She focuses ad nauseum on one suspect to the exclusion of everything else-- really a very poor detective when you stand back and look at her performance.Lynley here is at least focusing on that little thing call "motive," which Bea seems to have forgotten entirely. Her endless hatred for her divorced husband also wears.Please get back to the plot Ms. George-- and can we have one happy family-- just one? Forsyte.

What was the point?
I finished the book last night, and the story left me with one question, "what was the point of the whole thing?".It took 700+ pages to reveal the murderer who then isn't brought to justice.I realize that justice isn't always served in reality, but that's the thing with fiction.It isn't reality.If I want a story where the murderer isn't necessarily caught, tried, or convicted, all I have to do is read the newspaper where the entire situation is explained in 700 words.I also didn't see the point of Daidre and her story, other than to fill up 100 pages that could have easily been edited out of the book.
Of course, I still don't understand the point of killing off Helen in the previous book in the series, but this entire book seemed pointless once I got to the last page.
It seems pointless is the overall theme of this book, and if that continues to be the case with Elizabeth George's books, I think it will be pointless for me to continue buying them.I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone other than die-hard fans, and even then, I'd hesitate.
Hopefully the next book will be better.

CHARLES KEATING READS CARELESS IN RED
Charles Keating performs well but the script ( book) was not to my taste. Others might find it profound orpsychologically interesting but that is not what I want in a mystery. My taste runs to rather straightforward stories with a limited number of characters and a relatively rapid pace in unfolding the plot. I found this novel wearisome in its seemingly endless delineation of family dramas. I am quite prepared to find that others will revel in the plot and stylistic density as her depressed hero, Thomas Lynley, reluctantly helps lower ranking officers work on the case of an apparent murder. It is a matter of taste; other reviews should help the potential reader sort out the from more positive perspectives. I did not find it a fitting choice for light reading of a fast moving 'who dun it' sort.

careless in red
enjoyable but not as good as some of her other books.always enjoy the lynley series highly recommendWhat happened
before I shot her

... Read more

Product Description
Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revaled that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him....


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (579)

Complete Crap, but Entertaining Crap Nonetheless
I'll make this one short and to the point.

This book is quite simply a complete load of crap. And yes, as you've probably heard before (for example, from just about every other reviewer here), it is incredibly, unbelievably derivative of Lord of The Rings; even more so than most "epic fantasy" books of the same vintage.

That said, it is also quite entertaining. So if you like swords and sorcery epics, and aren't above reading total crap now and then, you might actually enjoy this novel. I know I did. Yes, I admit it! It's true that with every single word I was fully (indeed, unavoidably) aware that I was reading complete and total crap. But it was entertaining crap all the same.

References to fecal matter aside, this book really is garbage. So if you're looking for anything with any depth, originality, wit, style, or substance to it at all, look elsewhere. Otherwise... feel free to go ahead and enjoy some garbage. The literary equivalent of a bag of cheetos.

Hey, it's okay. We all do it from time to time.

Shannara is GREAT!
Some years ago I heard mention of SWORD OF SHANNARA and that it was very similar to LORD OF THE RINGS.That prompted me not to read it, since it sounded like a rip-off.Then I realized that being similar to LOTR means it's a great read, so I gave it a shot.

I'm glad i did--SWORD OF SHANNARA *is* a great book.It was like rereading the great LOTR while reading something new; all the rest of the books in the series are original.And also great.

(Note:SHANNARA is pronounced SHAN-uh-ruh.)

Sometimes characters in different books seem very similar, but, to me, they fit just fine into the storyline (after all, in how many *different* ways can someone be proficient with a knife or a sword?).And ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA and STRAKEN have endings that blew me away.

Some readers have commented on the times that Brooks repeats previous storylines.These are just one paragraph long and occur only when a new character is encountered and is being brought up to speed on previous events.Also, I think a couple of times the recap refers to events that happened several books earlier, so the refresher is even helpful to the reader.

I'll just put in my two cents' worth as to the reading order, which is neither chronological nor date published.

The books should be read as follows (no spoilers):

the original trilogy:
SWORD OF SHANNARA (first book written and definitely the kick-off point for the series)
ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA
WISHSONG OF SHANNARA

FIRST KING OF SHANNARA book (prequel to SWORD)

HERITAGE OF SHANNARA quadrology

VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA trilogy

HIGH DRUID OF SHANNARA trilogy

WORD AND VOID trilogy (these books are all urban thrillers)

GENESIS OF SHANNARA (these books are post-apocalyptic stories; a new book in this series has just come out, and another one is due out next year)



This is the order where, I think, the overall Shannara storyline(s) flow most logically and without interruption.

Some comments on WORD AND VOID.Each of the books builds to a climax that is both incredibly amazing and amazingly incredible.However, the bulk of each book was mostly uninteresting filler and just dragged on.I think these three could have had the filler removed and combined into one long book that would have been great.Also, as noted above, these are urban thrillers, so they don't take place in epic fantasy's customary medieval setting.

I gladly give five stars to the Shannara series proper.

Definitley Worth the Read
Ok, so, first things first.If you are a die hard Tolkien fan, you watch LOTR's every night before going to bed, and spend your time wishing you were at the shire, you should probably go ahead and skip "The Sword Of Shannara".You should still read the books that come after in the series,but more than likely you wont be able to not get upset at the similarities between The Sword and the LOTR.

Other big fans of LOTR but are a little more open minded, should bare in mind that A. This was Brooks first novel.B. He was 23 when he started writing it, and it took him seven years to do because he was in law school. and C. He stated that LOTR is what inspired and influenced him to write the book, along with various other materials.Hopefully, you can keep these things in mind, along with the fact that Tolkien laid the foundation for fantasy novels.You would be hard pressed to find many fantasy stories that dont have some kind of basis or inspiration stemming from the Tolkien world.

I do admit however, you probably wont find to many fantasy novels that resemeble LOTR quite as closely as The Sword.

For just plain fantasy fans, this is a must read, if for no other reason than to help set the backgrounds for the later books that follow.

I read The Sword of Shannara back in high school, and I loved it.I had already read Tolkiens works, and while I was a fan, I wasnt as mesmorized by the series as many others were.The Sword of Shannara, had a much darker and menacing tone to it, compared to what I thought in LOTR was more of a depressing atmosphere when the epic battles and key story points werent taking place.I felt Brooks did a very good job of setting the characters in much...I guess the best word I am looking for here is "scarier" back drop.

While the characters were definitley similiar to those in LOTR in the roles that they played.The mind sets and attitudes were definitley not.I dont want to go into every character here, you can get plenty of comparisons from other peoples reviews, but the one I want to mention is Allanon...

Allanon is compared to Gandalf in most critics reviews, however, where Gandalf was a caring and gentle man, and only rousted to real anger when confronted with the enemy.Allanon was brutal and vicous.He protected Shea and Flick thats for sure, but he always had this menacing air about him, and the potential to do violence upon anyone.Thats the feeling I got off of him anyway.A man who was willing to do whatever it took to stop Brona.

There are enough subtle changes in the characters and plot line for this book that venture away from LOTR for it to stand by itself.

Do yourself a favor, read it with an open mind, and dont go into it looking to nit pick the similarities between the two.Many great authors condemn and praise this book, and it was on the new york times bestseller list.But you should definitley get it under your belt so you have a proper back drop for the novels that follow...wait till you get to Garet Jax(BA!)

I guess this wasnt so much a review as more of advice for Tolkien readers before picking it up.Hope you enjoy it.

Fantastic book and a truly remarkable set
I've definitely read my share of fantasy novels, and plenty of fantasy novel "sets". (Yes, this does include Tolkien) I'm sorry some other readers didn't enjoy this, but personally I would strongly recommend it, and have done so on many occasions. I love this entire set immensely, and look forward to the day that I can read them all again without being able to remember most of what happened. (Making it fun all over again of course)

Give it a rest!
All this talk about how Brooks ripped off Tolkien is really getting tired.I read this book in my early teens and loved it, just as much as I loved the Elfstones and Wishsong of Shannara.I read them over and over, and to this date I'm fairly certain that I've read the this book more times than any other book with the exception of the Druid of Shannara.I hadn't heard of Tolkien at the time until my older brother gave me the song and dance about how it was a copy of Lord of the Rings.So I gave that a try.

MY GOD was it boring!And silly!I couldn't connect with the characters because they were absolutely rediculous.I quickly discarded the name Tolkien from my mind and moved on to the Heritage of Shannara series, which was even better than the original trilogy.I didn't even think about Tolkien again until the movies came out and it was suddenly a big deal.By this time I had quit reading fantasy (and fiction in general for the most part) in favor of non-fiction.Only recently have I started reading fiction again, and only a week ago I came across my old battered copy of The Sword of Shannara from Middle School and felt nostalgic enough to decide to reread the series, and it's just as much fun to read now as it was when I was a kid.

I watched the first movie simply because my sister bought me the ticket and it was a chance to spend time with her after she moved out of the house.I wasn't impressed.The other movies I saw simply because a friend or a family member was watching it.

My point being, if Terry Brooks simply copied Tolkien, than he did it better and took up less space doing it.I don't mean to go on a Tolkien bashing rant here; my point is simply that just because the guy set the mold doesn't mean that he perfected it.

I will admit that there are some glaring similarities (you know what, pick up Joseph Campbell and realize that some similarities are going to be necessary).But that doesn't mean that The Sword of Shannara can't be appreciated in it's own right.Here are a few primary differences (improvements?) that I have seen.Remember, I'm basing this off of my viewing of the movies (which, to be fair, wasn't recent), because honestly I don't feel like reading The Lord of the Rings just to prove a point:

Allanon vs. Gandalf - I didn't really see much magic coming from Gandalf.To me he seemed little more that a goofy old guy with a glowy rod.Allanon on the other hand is dangerous both with magic and in physical battle.He knows what he's doing and will do anything to do it.He is Saturnian whereas Gandalf is Jovial.I'm sorry but when in battle, the person I want at my side is not Santa Claus.

Warlock Lord vs. Sauron and The Sword vs. the One Ring - At least there was a backstory to the Warlock Lord.And the method of defeating him was sound.Okay, Sauron is this big mystical creature that makes a bunch of rings for reasons that I do not understand and one ring for himself that gives him some kind of special power that is never really explained as far as I can tell except that it turns normal people invisible when the put it on.But when they manage to destroy this ring that automatically destroys Sauron as well.Um, WHY?!And don't give me a line like, "That's how magic works."If Sauron was powerful before he made the ring, he'd be powerful after it was destroyed too.The Warlock Lord, on the other hand, actually makes sense that he would be a powerful sorceror who got consumed by his own magic into something unrecognizable.His destruction is equally believable for the same reason (Spoiler Alert) because the Swords function is to expose the fact that there is nothing of the man who made the magic left.

Hendel vs. Gimli - Gimli seemed to me to serve as comic relief where it was unneccesary and irritating.And he wasn't exactly three dimensional either.Seemed to me like the Dwarfs in the Lord of the Rings aren't much more than wannabe elves without the speed, skill, good looks, or the spooky language.Hendel on the other hand was as much a hero as anyone else.More so in many occasions.And his skill on the battlefield was equal to any elf!

I'm sure this review will piss a lot of people off, but I think it needed to be said. ... Read more

Product Description
Life imitates art. The redoubtable Commander Adam Dalgliesh is on the trail of a murderer whose MO mimics a museum exhibit. The Dupayne, a small London museum devoted to the interwar years 1919-1939, is in turmoil. As its trustees argue over whether it should be closed, one of them is murdered. Yet even as Dalgliesh investigates this mysterious killing, a second corpse is discovered. Thus paired, the two murders look uncannily similar to the crimes in the museum's "Murder Room" gallery. As Dalgliesh attempts to unravel this increasingly urgent puzzle, its complications impinge more and more upon the relationship he is developing with Emma Lavenham. And as he moves closer to a solution, he grows further from commitment to Emma. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (94)

A solid entry in the Dalgliesh series, but not her best effort.
First things first, this is a good book. I'll come to the "but" part in a minute, but for the most part this is yet another solid entry in the long-running Dalgliesh series. With the private Dupayne Museum's future uncertain, one of the trustees is determined to see its closure. So when he soon turns up murdered in horrific circumstances, there is no shortage of suspects; nervous staff, Dupayne family members, and a mysterious unknown man seen fleeing the scene of the crime. But is the murder really connected to the closure of the museum, or is there a more personal motive?

Long-term P D James fans will find plenty to like here, and all of the standard James devices are in place: a self-contained institution on the verge of radical shake-up, a ruthless agent of change making an obvious victim, a surprisingly brutal murder, plenty of plausible suspects, a number of clever red herrings, and some dark personal secrets that may or may not be relevant. Another positive is that there is plenty of personal development for the main characters; we follow Dalgliesh's complicated new relationship with Emma Lavenham, and there are hints of upcoming promotions for Kate Miskin and Piers Tarrant.

My problem with the book is that the motivation for the murder (once revealed) feels quite weak. Compared to the motives the other suspects had, the final revelation seems the least likely, and to be honest is a bit unconvincing. Perhaps this is because the relationship that apparently drove the killing was not well developed or explained. And the revelation that Dalgliesh and his team know who the murderer is, without yet revealing this information to the reader, adds to the sense of frustration and confusion. The conclusion does make sense, but compared to the powerful endings of 'A Taste For Death' or 'Original Sin', this one did feel a bit underwhelming.

Another potential issue is that the plot and structure of the book feel very familiar after 'Original Sin' and 'Death In Holy Orders'. The set up in the first 100 pages basically follows 'Original Sin' to the letter; swap the small, antiquated publishing house for the small, antiquainted museum and it could be the same book. While James' fans may appreciate the consistency in her approach, it would be nice to see her change the formula a bit.

Dedicated P D James fans, of which there are many, will still want to read this, and 'The Murder Room' certainly is not a bad book. But it's not one of her best either, and that ending really is quite lacklustre.

Somebody Wants to Close the Murder Room
The lease is due for The Dupayne museum and it may not be renewed. Then the burnt body of trustee Neville Dupayne (whose vote will close the museum) is discovered in a flaming car, a crime that resembles one committed by Alfred Arthur Rouse back in 1930 and commemorated in the museum's Murder Room, an exhibit dedicated to sensational murders. Two more murders follow, each resembling a famous case. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is asked to investigate.

The crime wouldn't normally be assigned to Dalgliesh and his Special Investigation Squad, but his bosses have their reasons for calling in the big guns. They say it's because someone at the museum has dealings with MI5. More murders occur, copy cats of crimes chronicled in the Murder Room. While trying to sort out all the suspects and their hidden stories, Dalgliesh patiently interviews people, sifts evidence, checks alibis and, of course, solves the case.

Nobody delves as deeply into a character as Ms. James and she's at her absolute level best here in this book that is full of twists, turns, red herrings and mystery. Well, maybe there were just one or two, too many red herrings for me, and maybe a hundred pages or so, was just a bit too long to keep me waiting for that murder. But still, as usual, from P.D. James, a very fine book.

The Murder Room Murders
The Murder Room is an Adam Dalgliesh murder mystery in which the stalwart detective and his team investigate a horrible murder at a small, family-owned museum.One of the unusual displays is called the Murder Room detailing information about infamous murders that occurred throughout English history.The first museum murder bears a resemblance from an earlier murder then another body turns up which points to a copycat theory.After a series of complications and twist, Dalgliesh manages to solve the cases.

I have been reading P.D. James series for over twenty-five years; I was introduced to the Dalgleish series through the PBS drama.After these many years, I still savor her work and enjoyed this book as much as her previous novels.Ms. James is a superb and masterful storyteller and at 83, she is still one of the finest mystery writers ever.

The Murder Room
As with all P.D. James books, especially the Adam Dalgliesh series, this was excellent.She is a fantastic writer.I have read many of her books, this one is a re-read.

A return to reading an old favorite
PD James has been writing murder mysteries with Dalgliesh as her main character since the 1960s. I've owned this book for several years, but only just got around to reading it.

The book and the series is not about Dalgliesh or his life. The book is about solving a series of ugly murders. His life, and the lives of his team are the background. I enjoy the fact that the ending of these books arrive with a reasonable, and fair conclusion.

But mostly you read PD James for the language. If there are literary books out there, this certainly is one of them. And it is a very good example of a book where you are reading, at least part of the time, for the language. ... Read more

Product Description

"The greatest writer of historical adventures today" (Washington Post) tackles his richest, most thrilling subject yet—the heroic tale of Agincourt.

Young Nicholas Hook is dogged by a cursed past—haunted by what he has failed to do and banished for what he has done. A wanted man in England, he is driven to fight as a mercenary archer in France, where he finds two things he can love: his instincts as a fighting man, and a girl in trouble. Together they survive the notorious massacre at Soissons, an event that shocks all Christendom. With no options left, Hook heads home to England, where his capture means certain death. Instead he is discovered by the young King of England—Henry V himself—and by royal command he takes up the longbow again and dons the cross of Saint George. Hook returns to France as part of the superb army Henry leads in his quest to claim the French crown. But after the English campaign suffers devastating early losses, it becomes clear that Hook and his fellow archers are their king's last resort in a desperate fight against an enemy more daunting than they could ever have imagined.

One of the most dramatic victories in British history, the battle of Agincourt—immortalized by Shakespeare in Henry V—pitted undermanned and overwhelmed English forces against a French army determined to keep their crown out of Henry's hands. Here Bernard Cornwell resurrects the legend of the battle and the "band of brothers" who fought it on October 25, 1415. An epic of redemption, Agincourt follows a commoner, a king, and a nation's entire army on an improbable mission to test the will of God and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. From the disasters at the siege of Harfleur to the horrors of the field of Agincourt, this exhilarating story of survival and slaughter is at once a brilliant work of history and a triumph of imagination—Bernard Cornwell at his best.

Amazon.com Review
Book Description

"The greatest writer of historical adventures today" (Washington Post) tackles his richest, most thrilling subject yet--the heroic tale of Agincourt.

Young Nicholas Hook is dogged by a cursed past--haunted by what he has failed to do and banished for what he has done. A wanted man in England, he is driven to fight as a mercenary archer in France, where he finds two things he can love: his instincts as a fighting man, and a girl in trouble. Together they survive the notorious massacre at Soissons, an event that shocks all Christendom. With no options left, Hook heads home to England, where his capture means certain death. Instead he is discovered by the young King of England--Henry V himself--and by royal command he takes up the longbow again and dons the cross of Saint George. Hook returns to France as part of the superb army Henry leads in his quest to claim the French crown. But after the English campaign suffers devastating early losses, it becomes clear that Hook and his fellow archers are their king's last resort in a desperate fight against an enemy more daunting than they could ever have imagined.

One of the most dramatic victories in British history, the battle of Agincourt--immortalized by Shakespeare in Henry V--pitted undermanned and overwhelmed English forces against a French army determined to keep their crown out of Henry's hands. Here Bernard Cornwell resurrects the legend of the battle and the "band of brothers" who fought it on October 25, 1415. An epic of redemption, Agincourt follows a commoner, a king, and a nation's entire army on an improbable mission to test the will of God and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. From the disasters at the siege of Harfleur to the horrors of the field of Agincourt, this exhilarating story of survival and slaughter is at once a brilliant work of history and a triumph of imagination—Bernard Cornwell at his best.

Historical Notes on Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell

The battle of Agincourt (Azincourt was and remains the French spelling) was one of the most remarkable events of medieval Europe, a battle whose reputation far outranked its importance. In the long history of Anglo-French rivalry only Hastings, Waterloo, Trafalgar, and Crécy share Agincourt’s renown. It is arguable that Poitiers was a more significant battle and an even more complete victory, or that Verneuil was just as astonishing a triumph, and it’s certain that Hastings, Blenheim, Victoria, Trafalgar, and Waterloo were more influential on the course of history, yet Agincourt still holds its extraordinary place in English legend. Something quite remarkable happened on 25 October 1415 (Agincourt was fought long before Christendom’s conversion to the new-style calendar, so the modern anniversary should be on 4 November). It was something so remarkable that its fame persists almost six hundred years later.

Agincourt’s fame could just be an accident, a quirk of history reinforced by Shakespeare’s genius, but the evidence suggests it really was a battle that sent a shock wave through Europe. For years afterward the French called 25 October 1415 la malheureuse journée (the unfortunate day). Even after they had expelled the English from France they remembered la malheureuse journée with sadness. It had been a disaster.

Yet it was so nearly a disaster for Henry V and his small, but well-equipped army. That army had sailed from Southampton Water with high hopes, the chief of which was the swift capture of Harfleur, which would be followed by a foray into the French heartland in hope, presumably, of bringing the French to battle. A victory in that battle would demonstrate, at least in the pious Henry’s mind, God’s support of his claim to the French throne, and might even propel him onto that throne. Such hopes were not vain when his army was intact, but the siege of Harfleur took much longer than expected and Henry’s army was almost ruined by dysentery.

The tale of the siege in the novel is, by and large, accurate, though I did take one great liberty, which was to sink a mineshaft opposite the Leure Gate. There was no such shaft, the ground would not allow it, and all the real mines were dug by the Duke of Clarence’s forces that were assailing the eastern side of Harfleur. The French counter-mines defeated those diggings, but I wanted to give a flavor, however inadequately, of the horrors men faced in fighting beneath the earth. The defense of Harfleur was magnificent, for which much of the praise must go to Raoul de Gaucourt, one of the garrison’s leaders. His defiance, and the long days of the siege, gave the French a chance to raise a much larger army than any they might have fielded against Henry if the siege had ended, say, in early September.

Maps of the Battlefield (Click to Enlarge)

England and France, 1415: One of the most dramatic victories in British history, the battle of Agincourt--immortalized by Shakespeare in Henry V--pitted undermanned and overwhelmed English forces against a French army determined to keep their crown out of Henry's hands.

The French Coast: The British campaign, which started at Harfleur, ended more than two months later on 25 October at Agincourt.	Harfleur: Henry's army landed in northern France on 13 August 1415 and besieged the port of Harfleur.	The Battle Lines: “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.” – William Shakespeare, Henry V

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Customer Reviews (123)

SUGAR COATED HISTORY; GOES DOWN EASY
This novel takes a lesser known yetpivotal battle of The Middle Ages and transforms it into an enjoyable read packed with sex, violence, and bone crunchingand gorymedieval battle scenes.There is no heavy lifting here.This history goes down easy.Nick Hook of 15th centuryEngland is the bastard son of a minor lord.Nick grows up to be a thief, a rogue, a murderer, and with his very broad back a non-pareil shot with a long bow.Early on a plot line is introduced about a feud with the Perrills; the bastard sons of a demented rapist priest.This feud gives ample opportunity for vengeance, rape, murder and vendetta.Anyway, in the heat of the moment and indefense of a maiden's honor Nick commits a crime and is outlawed.Nick has to leave England and becomes a mercenary archer to fight in France.About this time Nick starts to talk to saints; and, they talk back.Nick saves a hot French nun from rape.In gratitude she gives Nick a piece of hot, young, grateful, virgin, nun puss.Nickgoes on having talks with Saints ( if this was now they would put him on Abilifi anti-psychotic pharmaceuticalfast).Anyway, he winds up in the mud and offal filled battlefield of Agincourt.Bernie truly delivers a valuable history lesson.Agincourt was a defining battle which turned the tide of history.Lightly armored but deadly and agilelong bowmen could defeat much greater numbers ofheavily armored but ponderouscavalry and knights. I truly enjoyed Bernie's fictitious telling of this tale.It is a rousing cast of characters and I cried man tears as I shared their failures, foibles, and triumphs.The work is nicely tied together with a brief historical afterword.You don't have to be a graduate of M.I.T. to enjoy this.Worth the read and worth passing on to one of your man pals.

Read "The Archer's Tale" instead of this book.
I've been a fan of Bernard Cornwell's work for several years. I've read almost all of his books: The Sharpe Series, The Arthurian series, The Viking/Uhtred Series, and the Grail quest series. I've enjoyed all I've read before except for this book. My biggest complaint is that it draws way too many parallels from the Grail quest series, which is about an archer during the Hundred Years' War. Here is a list of the parallels off the top of my head.

-main character is tall, dark, noted to be exceptional by senior officers.
-about an archer with family problems
-good priest/evil priest in both books
-dark haired, rich villain
-teaches his love interest to use the crossbow, and both Nick Hook's and Thomas of Hookton's love interests behave basically the same throughout the novels.
-both main characters have some connection to religion, even though they don't originally believe in god. Grail Quest series= holy grail, Agincourt=Sts. Crispin/Crispinian

So, if you want to read a historical novel about an archer, I would highly recommend the Grail Quest series (The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, and Heretic) over this book.

Cornwell's Best
I've read many Cornwell books - the Viking ones, the Arthur ones, and Redcoat - and I must say that Agincourt is my favorite of them all.

A rousing historical novel
A rousing adventure story with a dash of romance. Nick Hook is an archer and a forester. The book trails him through some challenges in England (under the reign of Henry V). He goes to Europe to fight and escapes a massacre at Soissons, also saving the life of a young nun, Melisande. In part, the story is about their deepening relationship. It is also, in part, the story of Henry's campaign in France, starting with a siege that left many of his soldiers dead and weakened from illness. Then, the march that led to the sanguinary battle at Agincourt.

The book gives us a number of memorable characters. First Nick and Melisande. They begin as fellow escapees of the massacre at Soissons, and later wed. Then, the other characters such as Melisande's father, the Sire de Lanferelle (and a fierce fighter in battle who looks forward to dispatching Nick in battle while still wishing him well), the equally fierce Sir John Corneweille (leader of the English forces of which Hook was part), Henry V, Hook's brother Michael, Nick's sworn enemies from back home, and so on. The characters are decently drawn and their interactions move the novel along.

The difficult marches, the dysentery laying waste to many of the English during their siege, the terrifying battle at Agincourt where the English forces were outnumbered greatly (historians still debate how much outnumbered they were) and the French forces faced an almost impossible tactical situation. The military part of the novel works well by giving the reader a "soldier's eye view" of matters.

There is a bleak vision expressed throughout many parts of the book but it ends on a bright note. . . . The growing romance of Melisande and Nick adds a human element to the savagery that emerges in various parts of the book. The ending allows Nick to make up to some extent for a failure in protecting a human life at the outset of the volume, so there is a positive ending. . . . The book is pretty well written, too

When the going gets tough...
I have seen Cornwell's books on my library book shelf for some time now, but put off attempting any of them because I knew that many of them are set in wartime and that isn't my usual favorite subject. This author really helped me to get into the head of the main characters and made it more than just a wartime battle (but it was a lot of battle as well). As I anticipated, this was a male dominated novel - there was really only one woman in the whole book, but she was pretty significant. It was a very different angle and perspective to look at the world from.

At every stage of the novel I learned something new about medieval warfare: terminology, fighting formations, strategy, armor, archery. One of the things that I loved was the very lengthy, detailed historical note at the end of the book. The author gives credit, and recommendations, to the authors that he read and was inspired by. He also notes where there are discrepancies in the accepted historical research. This was incredibly interesting because there is currently research ongoing about how large the sizes of the 2 opposing armies were. The true answer could make a huge difference as to how inspiring this story is.

The characters were awesome! I LOVED the main character, Nick Hook. He was flawed but the author embraced that flaw and it built into a wonderful character. His bad characters were a range of evil, from not so bad to purely evil. I am glad that there was a range of characters and flaws in everyone because it made them more real.

As a little note, because this was an audiobook that I read, the narrator was great and there was dramatic music at the beginning and end of each disk that really set the mood.

I would certainly read more by this author and probably again in audio format. I think that his books would definitely appeal to both men and women who are interested in this time period. It was very war focused but still kept my attention.
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Product Description
Ancient Evil threatens the Elves: The ancient tree created by long-lost Elven magic, is dying. When Wil Ohmsford is summoned to guard the Amberle on a perilous quest to gather a new seed for a new tree, he is faced with the Reaper, the most fearsome of all Demons. And Wil is without power to control them....


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Customer Reviews (213)

Disappointing
I choked on the verbiage. Yakity, yakity, yakity yak. I tossed it in the garbage, after reading sixty or so pages. And this was a Bestseller? Obviously, a lot more people are tolerant of insipid, diluted stories than I am.

Fantastically entertaining!
Read it! As others have said, this book is better than the first book in the series. Really great plot, characters, battles, etc....

Probably the best fantasy book I've read to-date. Wishsong here I come!

A magnificent book!
Well, I read the reviews on page number 21, and I was shocked by the insanity. I personally love the fact that he actually describes the battle tactics and such. I really hate books in which battles are over-simplified. Also, I just love the plain story. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that the whole Ohmsford-family constantly complains about everything, and none of them can handle a weapon like a sword or an axe. That's the only complaint I can come up with.

Books like "the Lord of the Rings" from Tolkien are wonderful as well, but a bit too boring and with far too many details about the landscape and boring things like that. And I don't give a crap about the clothes that some stupid Elf or some stupid Human wears. Don't get me wrong: I love Tolkiens books, but I usually skip the descriptions of the landscapes and clothing. I am more interested in conversations and action.

Anyway, I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in fantasy :)

Intense magic in his second book
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3JZJCWOQELB0G Wonderful display of the magic in his second book.

Original and Highly Intense Sequel
Author Terry Brooks hit his stride in this second book of the Shannara trilogy. The plot of Elfstones of Shannara is more original than its predecessor. Whereas the first book set up the fantasy world of great characters and a complex plot of good versus evil, in Elfstones, Brooks weaves an elaborate tapestry that immerses itself in the ancient past of the Four Lands, its myths and legends.

Here, there is more character development, focusing on faerie creatures and their demon enemies. The magical tree, which serves as a barrier for humans, elves, trolls, dwarves and gnomes against the demons who've been locked below the planet's surface, is dying. Now those demons, bent on vengeance against the Elves for imprisoning the demons for centuries, are beginning to break through the thinning wall that prevent them from returning to the Four Lands.

This is a gripping tale centering around the quest of Wil Ohmsford, who must guard the Elven girl Amberle, as she carries a seed from the magical tree to a place where the seed can be planted and grow into a powerful new force to block the demon forces. Along their perilous journey they are being hunted by the Reaper.

The perilous adventure of Wil and Amberle and the ending to the book is very plausible, all of which makes this sequel quite realistic. This is outstanding work by Terry Brooks and a fantastic read.

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Product Description
P.D. James's great detective, Commander Adam Dagliesh, returns after four years.

An untimely death brings him to the East Anglian coast, where, atop a sweep of cliffs, sits the small theological college of St. Anselm's.At the base of these cliffs, buried in sand, lies the body of one of the school's young ordinands.He is the son of Sir Alred Treeves, a hugely successful and flamboyant businessman who invariably gets what he wants.And he wants Daliesh to investigate his son's death.Dagliesh doubts that there is much to investigate, but he agrees--mostly out of a desire to revisit a place where he spent several happy summers as a youth. No sooner does he arrive than he finds himself inextricably drawn into the labyrinth of a violent mystery.

Here is the classic detective story elevated by P.D. James to a brilliantly realized novel—gripping as much for its extraordinary pcychological and emotional richness and the complexity of its characters as for the suspense and horror at its heart.And here, once again, is proof that P.D. James is not only a master of the detective novel but also one of the finest novelists at work today.Amazon.com Review
Despite challenges from Ruth Rendell and (more recently) Minette Walters, P.D. James's position as Britain's Queen of Crime remains largelyunassailable. Although a certain reaction has set in to her reputation (and there are those who claim her poetry-loving copper Adam Dalgliesh doesn't correspond to any of his counterparts in the real world), her detractors can scarcely deny her astonishing literary gifts. More than any other writer, she has elevated the detective story into the realms of literature, with thepsychology of the characters treated in the most complex and authoritativefashion. Her plots, too, are full of intriguing detail and studed withbrilliantly observed character studies. Who cares if Dalgliesh belongs morein the pages of a book than poking around a graffiti-scrawled councilestate? As a policeman, he is considerably more plausible than Doyle'sHolmes, and that's never stopped us loving the Baker Street sleuth.Death in Holy Orders represents something of a challenge from Jamesto her critics, taking on all the contentious elements and rigorouslyreinvigorating them. She had admitted that she was finding it increasinglydifficult to find new plots for Dalgliesh, and the locale here (atheological college on a lonely stretch of the East Anglian coast) turnsout to be an inspired choice. We're presented with the enclosed setting sobeloved of golden age detective writers, and James is able to incorporateher theological interests seamlessly into the plot (but never in anydoctrinaire way; the nonbeliever is never uncomfortable). The body of astudent at the college is found on the shore, suffocated by a fall of sand.Dalgliesh is called upon to reexamine the verdict of accidental death(which the student's father would not accept). Having visited the Collegeof St. Anselm in his boyhood, he finds the investigation has a strongnostalgic aspect for him. But that is soon overtaken by the realizationthat he has encountered the most horrific case of his career, and anothervisitor to the college dies a horrible death. As an exploration ofevil--and as a piece of highly distinctive crime writing--this is James ather nonpareil best. Dalgliesh, too, is rendered with new dimensions ofpsychological complexity. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (130)

Can't be Topped
P.D. James is one of the best writers living on the planet.This book truly lives up to her reputation. The plotting is tight, the characters drawn out.I have been a fan of hers for years and will continue to enjoy her work long after she retires.Although part of a continuing series, it stands on its own and can be read separately.I highly recommend this one.

PDJ at her worst-not an inspired plot
I love P D James normally and love her descriptive writing, but this plot was ridiculous. The murderer turns out to be a character with no real motive for the crime-actually none of the characters have much of a motive for the crime. Oh well...bad day for PDJ. Book held my attention, but mostly from the descriptions of the places and characters and the hope of a clever ending which unfortunately never materialized.

My Favourite Dalgliesh Mystery
Having read nearly every P.D. James novel - and many of them more than once, I continue to come back to this as my favourite by far of all her books. Adam Dalgleish as a character shows more sensitivity here than in any of her other works -- partly because of the introduction of love interest Emma Levanham. The plot is well written, the characters complex, and the setting marvelous. Reading a P.D. James book to me is like reading Rosamunde Pilcher - only with murder, macabre and mystery. Her descriptions carry so much detail, you can feel the sea spray on your face, smell the earth and sense the cold clamminess of stone walls and floors. No other writer comes close to creating a world of reality within her books. The fact that not all her murderers gets caught shouldn't bother her readers -- because James' books are as much about the chase as they are about the solution of the crime.

Like Winter Solstice is an annual Christmas read for me -- so is Death in Holy Orders during a holiday at the seaside. Sand, salt water and P.D. James -- it doesn't get much better that that for me.

Intriguing and Well-Written
I'd never heard of P.D. James before, but this "book on tape" was really cheap at the book exchange so I decided to give it a listen. Charles Keating was a pleasure to listen to. P.D. James weaves an extremely intriguing mystery and creates very interesting characters. Her descriptions are so vivid I could almost see, smell and hear everything her characters experienced. Her main character, detective Adam Dalgliesh, is very likable. I will certainly be checking out more of P.D. James' work.

Death in Holy Orders
This is another re-read for me.Fortunately, it's been a long time since I read it the first time so I really don't remember "whodunit".Half the fun of a mystery is trying to figure it out before getting to the end. ... Read more

Product Description
Abridged Edition - 4 tapes. ... Read more