Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Excellent read, thoroughly enjoyable, 03 Oct 2008
This is a great story, especially for anyone with an interest in Japanese history and Samurai culture. I had previously read and enjoyed Shogun, but this is a different style of book, and for me more enjoyable because of it. Other reviewers will describe the book in more detail - but for anyone that reads either of these books and wants to learn more of the time in question, I would recommend Stephen Turnbull's short but informative War in Japan 1467-1615 (Essential Histories).

star buy! exallent story, well made book., 08 Feb 2008
even though im only 13, i still realy enjoyed reading this book even though it is very long and was heavy to carry to school each day! but trust me, it is one of the best books i have ever read because you carn't put it down and it is totaly differnt to any western book (e.g structure and ending)because it goes into so much depth and understanding of the main character (Musashi)and isn't just focused on making money, so i would only advise you to read this book if you are into japan and japanesse culture.

Excellent read!!, 06 Dec 2007
I think Musashi is an excellent read and the history period it depicts is really interesting as well, the end of the book is not what one would expect from a western book but really enjoyed it.

Catch up on sleep 1st - you won't want to put it down!, 16 Jan 2006
I can add little to the other reviews other than to confirm that this is an excelent book. Those with an interest in fuedal Japan will be drawn to it, whilst those who shun it because of this, it's length or price are missing a gem. Despite it's length it is too short by half. You'll find yourself immersed in the world of Musashi and staying up late to read just a little more.

The characters are brought to life and are without the idolisation that might have been the case for such an historic figure in Japanese culture. It is so much more than a martial arts inspired book that it has a much broader appeal that it will ever realise. Charting the life, fortunes and falures of Musashi and those close to him it is a love story, action thriller and inspirational text all rolled into one.

Simply put this is the one of the best books I've read and would stand head and shouders above mainstream 'bestsllers'. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

Fantastic, 16 Feb 2004
If you have any interest in Feudal Japan then you probably already own it. Buy this and the DVD trilogy (Musashi, Duel at Ganryu, Duel at Ichi??) as the book fills in those moments of thought and emotion from the main characters which is difficult to portray in the films, and the films bring the characters to life.

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Excellent read, thoroughly enjoyable, 03 Oct 2008
This is a great story, especially for anyone with an interest in Japanese history and Samurai culture. I had previously read and enjoyed Shogun, but this is a different style of book, and for me more enjoyable because of it. Other reviewers will describe the book in more detail - but for anyone that reads either of these books and wants to learn more of the time in question, I would recommend Stephen Turnbull's short but informative War in Japan 1467-1615 (Essential Histories).

star buy! exallent story, well made book., 08 Feb 2008
even though im only 13, i still realy enjoyed reading this book even though it is very long and was heavy to carry to school each day! but trust me, it is one of the best books i have ever read because you carn't put it down and it is totaly differnt to any western book (e.g structure and ending)because it goes into so much depth and understanding of the main character (Musashi)and isn't just focused on making money, so i would only advise you to read this book if you are into japan and japanesse culture.

Excellent read!!, 06 Dec 2007
I think Musashi is an excellent read and the history period it depicts is really interesting as well, the end of the book is not what one would expect from a western book but really enjoyed it.

Catch up on sleep 1st - you won't want to put it down!, 16 Jan 2006
I can add little to the other reviews other than to confirm that this is an excelent book. Those with an interest in fuedal Japan will be drawn to it, whilst those who shun it because of this, it's length or price are missing a gem. Despite it's length it is too short by half. You'll find yourself immersed in the world of Musashi and staying up late to read just a little more.

The characters are brought to life and are without the idolisation that might have been the case for such an historic figure in Japanese culture. It is so much more than a martial arts inspired book that it has a much broader appeal that it will ever realise. Charting the life, fortunes and falures of Musashi and those close to him it is a love story, action thriller and inspirational text all rolled into one.

Simply put this is the one of the best books I've read and would stand head and shouders above mainstream 'bestsllers'. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

Fantastic, 16 Feb 2004
If you have any interest in Feudal Japan then you probably already own it. Buy this and the DVD trilogy (Musashi, Duel at Ganryu, Duel at Ichi??) as the book fills in those moments of thought and emotion from the main characters which is difficult to portray in the films, and the films bring the characters to life.

The Original Arabian Nights, 08 Sep 2008
This is a translation of the oldest manuscript of the Alf Layla wa-Layla, the Thousand and One Nights. It is a lively tale. The 'thousand and one' nights of the title are the nights during which, as the other reviewers have already written, Shaharazad entertains her murderous husband with a tale with cliff-hanger at the end of each to force him to put off her execution for another day. There never were a thousand and one actual nights in the story - that came partly from the title of the book whose translation from Persian into Arabic more than a thousand years ago formed the nucleus of the book we have now, the Hazar Afsan or 'Thousand Tales'.

In this volume are to be found the oldest tales of the Alf Layla wa-Layla. You need to buy the companion The Arabian Nights: Sindbad and other stories: Vol 2 published by Norton in paperback or hardback (it's also available as an Everyman hardback The Arabian Nights: Vol 2) to get the old favourites like Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. These tales were added to the Arabian Nights by Galland around 1710-1720. He was the first translator of the Arabian Nights (into French) and added tales from other Arabic sources on his publisher's request. These have been part of the Arabian Nights ever since: even modern Arabic editions all include these tales now!

Be aware there are two editions of this book, the Norton and the Everyman edition. I like the Everyman hardback, which is not very expensive but nice to read. I haven't tried the Norton, but it's exactly the same text. I think there's a Norton hardback too.

[N.B. These aren't childrens' editions... the behaviour can be adult at times.]

If you want to read more about the Alf Layla wa-Layla, you could try Robert Irwin's The Arabian Nights: A Companion (his Penguin Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature is a great intro to classical Arabic literature). Both are quite serious; still more academically, Muhsin Mahdi's "Thousand and One Nights" discusses the history of the book (Mahdi was the editor of the Arabic manuscript this book is based on).

Fantastic tales, 14 Mar 2008
After finding out that his first wife commited adultry, King Shahrayar holds the view that all women were to be untrusted, therefore his choice to marry a woman and have her killed the next morning after spending a night with her.

Shaharazad, a smart educated woman who willingly (NOT FORCED) marries the King in order to show that she can survive as the Kings wife (unlike the other women who are killed the next morning) has the idea of telling him a different tale every night, but concluding it the next night and beginning a new one. This went on for 1001 nights, hence the title.

This book contains the first 271 tales.

An amazing classic story, 13 Jan 2002
Shahrazad is forced to marry a king, who on the next night has a nasty habbit of killing his wives the next morning. Her idea to save her life and women after her from the king's evil ways it to tell him a story each night, always finishing with a cliff hanger ending, so that he will spare her life, to find out what happens next. This goes on for 1001 nights; hence the former title. This box is made even better by the fact that it list what happens each night. In this volume nights 1 to 271 are covered.

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Excellent read, thoroughly enjoyable, 03 Oct 2008
This is a great story, especially for anyone with an interest in Japanese history and Samurai culture. I had previously read and enjoyed Shogun, but this is a different style of book, and for me more enjoyable because of it. Other reviewers will describe the book in more detail - but for anyone that reads either of these books and wants to learn more of the time in question, I would recommend Stephen Turnbull's short but informative War in Japan 1467-1615 (Essential Histories).

star buy! exallent story, well made book., 08 Feb 2008
even though im only 13, i still realy enjoyed reading this book even though it is very long and was heavy to carry to school each day! but trust me, it is one of the best books i have ever read because you carn't put it down and it is totaly differnt to any western book (e.g structure and ending)because it goes into so much depth and understanding of the main character (Musashi)and isn't just focused on making money, so i would only advise you to read this book if you are into japan and japanesse culture.

Excellent read!!, 06 Dec 2007
I think Musashi is an excellent read and the history period it depicts is really interesting as well, the end of the book is not what one would expect from a western book but really enjoyed it.

Catch up on sleep 1st - you won't want to put it down!, 16 Jan 2006
I can add little to the other reviews other than to confirm that this is an excelent book. Those with an interest in fuedal Japan will be drawn to it, whilst those who shun it because of this, it's length or price are missing a gem. Despite it's length it is too short by half. You'll find yourself immersed in the world of Musashi and staying up late to read just a little more.

The characters are brought to life and are without the idolisation that might have been the case for such an historic figure in Japanese culture. It is so much more than a martial arts inspired book that it has a much broader appeal that it will ever realise. Charting the life, fortunes and falures of Musashi and those close to him it is a love story, action thriller and inspirational text all rolled into one.

Simply put this is the one of the best books I've read and would stand head and shouders above mainstream 'bestsllers'. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

Fantastic, 16 Feb 2004
If you have any interest in Feudal Japan then you probably already own it. Buy this and the DVD trilogy (Musashi, Duel at Ganryu, Duel at Ichi??) as the book fills in those moments of thought and emotion from the main characters which is difficult to portray in the films, and the films bring the characters to life.

The Original Arabian Nights, 08 Sep 2008
This is a translation of the oldest manuscript of the Alf Layla wa-Layla, the Thousand and One Nights. It is a lively tale. The 'thousand and one' nights of the title are the nights during which, as the other reviewers have already written, Shaharazad entertains her murderous husband with a tale with cliff-hanger at the end of each to force him to put off her execution for another day. There never were a thousand and one actual nights in the story - that came partly from the title of the book whose translation from Persian into Arabic more than a thousand years ago formed the nucleus of the book we have now, the Hazar Afsan or 'Thousand Tales'.

In this volume are to be found the oldest tales of the Alf Layla wa-Layla. You need to buy the companion The Arabian Nights: Sindbad and other stories: Vol 2 published by Norton in paperback or hardback (it's also available as an Everyman hardback The Arabian Nights: Vol 2) to get the old favourites like Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. These tales were added to the Arabian Nights by Galland around 1710-1720. He was the first translator of the Arabian Nights (into French) and added tales from other Arabic sources on his publisher's request. These have been part of the Arabian Nights ever since: even modern Arabic editions all include these tales now!

Be aware there are two editions of this book, the Norton and the Everyman edition. I like the Everyman hardback, which is not very expensive but nice to read. I haven't tried the Norton, but it's exactly the same text. I think there's a Norton hardback too.

[N.B. These aren't childrens' editions... the behaviour can be adult at times.]

If you want to read more about the Alf Layla wa-Layla, you could try Robert Irwin's The Arabian Nights: A Companion (his Penguin Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature is a great intro to classical Arabic literature). Both are quite serious; still more academically, Muhsin Mahdi's "Thousand and One Nights" discusses the history of the book (Mahdi was the editor of the Arabic manuscript this book is based on).

Fantastic tales, 14 Mar 2008
After finding out that his first wife commited adultry, King Shahrayar holds the view that all women were to be untrusted, therefore his choice to marry a woman and have her killed the next morning after spending a night with her.

Shaharazad, a smart educated woman who willingly (NOT FORCED) marries the King in order to show that she can survive as the Kings wife (unlike the other women who are killed the next morning) has the idea of telling him a different tale every night, but concluding it the next night and beginning a new one. This went on for 1001 nights, hence the title.

This book contains the first 271 tales.

An amazing classic story, 13 Jan 2002
Shahrazad is forced to marry a king, who on the next night has a nasty habbit of killing his wives the next morning. Her idea to save her life and women after her from the king's evil ways it to tell him a story each night, always finishing with a cliff hanger ending, so that he will spare her life, to find out what happens next. This goes on for 1001 nights; hence the former title. This box is made even better by the fact that it list what happens each night. In this volume nights 1 to 271 are covered.

Not what we were waiting for... SPOILERS, 01 Dec 2008
Ed, Ed where for art thou Ed? This isn't what we'd hoped for from the creator of the Forgotten Realms, the very bard himself. I can understand the apathy after what they did to your, heck OUR, beloved Realms in the name of crass commerce, but this outing, indeed all of the books in the trilogy read as more of a *insert name of lesser author here* writing in the style of Ed Greenwood than an offering from the master himself. Contractions? Check. More characters with odd names than one can keep track of? Check. Lesser people speaking their minds to important people and those important people thereby learning? Check. Everyone laughing when that happens except the protagonists? Check? Elminster being irascible? Check.

It's all there, but it doesn't flow, it has no soul and the characters, should I say caricatures?, just don't seem to matter; they seem to be actors playing the Knights and not the Knights themselves, it all feels somehow empty. As to the characters where are they? Merith Strongbow, Lanseril Snowmantle, Illistyl Eleventree, Sharantyr, Mourngrym Amcathra and Shaerl Rowanmantle do not appear in the trilogy. I'll say that again as it may defy belief on the first reading; they don't appear. Torm and Rathan Thentraver are bit parts! You see I've been moved to the use of an exclamation mark in my disbelief. It's arguable that Torm and Rathan are two of the best of the Realms, let alone Ed's stable and they have about three lines each.

It even has stlarning continuity errors for Oghma's sake: Why is Vangerdahast kitting up in a mage's panoply only to sit behind a desk? Poor show Ed. The thing is Ed Greenwood is such a competent writer. He's a man who can not only create a world, but can convey it in rich detail in way which so few other Realms writers can, this tripe is not worthy of him. I recommend his other work, or that of the ever improving R. A. Salvatore.

Sweet water and light laughter then,

pm

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Excellent read, thoroughly enjoyable, 03 Oct 2008
This is a great story, especially for anyone with an interest in Japanese history and Samurai culture. I had previously read and enjoyed Shogun, but this is a different style of book, and for me more enjoyable because of it. Other reviewers will describe the book in more detail - but for anyone that reads either of these books and wants to learn more of the time in question, I would recommend Stephen Turnbull's short but informative War in Japan 1467-1615 (Essential Histories).

star buy! exallent story, well made book., 08 Feb 2008
even though im only 13, i still realy enjoyed reading this book even though it is very long and was heavy to carry to school each day! but trust me, it is one of the best books i have ever read because you carn't put it down and it is totaly differnt to any western book (e.g structure and ending)because it goes into so much depth and understanding of the main character (Musashi)and isn't just focused on making money, so i would only advise you to read this book if you are into japan and japanesse culture.

Excellent read!!, 06 Dec 2007
I think Musashi is an excellent read and the history period it depicts is really interesting as well, the end of the book is not what one would expect from a western book but really enjoyed it.

Catch up on sleep 1st - you won't want to put it down!, 16 Jan 2006
I can add little to the other reviews other than to confirm that this is an excelent book. Those with an interest in fuedal Japan will be drawn to it, whilst those who shun it because of this, it's length or price are missing a gem. Despite it's length it is too short by half. You'll find yourself immersed in the world of Musashi and staying up late to read just a little more.

The characters are brought to life and are without the idolisation that might have been the case for such an historic figure in Japanese culture. It is so much more than a martial arts inspired book that it has a much broader appeal that it will ever realise. Charting the life, fortunes and falures of Musashi and those close to him it is a love story, action thriller and inspirational text all rolled into one.

Simply put this is the one of the best books I've read and would stand head and shouders above mainstream 'bestsllers'. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

Fantastic, 16 Feb 2004
If you have any interest in Feudal Japan then you probably already own it. Buy this and the DVD trilogy (Musashi, Duel at Ganryu, Duel at Ichi??) as the book fills in those moments of thought and emotion from the main characters which is difficult to portray in the films, and the films bring the characters to life.

The Original Arabian Nights, 08 Sep 2008
This is a translation of the oldest manuscript of the Alf Layla wa-Layla, the Thousand and One Nights. It is a lively tale. The 'thousand and one' nights of the title are the nights during which, as the other reviewers have already written, Shaharazad entertains her murderous husband with a tale with cliff-hanger at the end of each to force him to put off her execution for another day. There never were a thousand and one actual nights in the story - that came partly from the title of the book whose translation from Persian into Arabic more than a thousand years ago formed the nucleus of the book we have now, the Hazar Afsan or 'Thousand Tales'.

In this volume are to be found the oldest tales of the Alf Layla wa-Layla. You need to buy the companion The Arabian Nights: Sindbad and other stories: Vol 2 published by Norton in paperback or hardback (it's also available as an Everyman hardback The Arabian Nights: Vol 2) to get the old favourites like Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. These tales were added to the Arabian Nights by Galland around 1710-1720. He was the first translator of the Arabian Nights (into French) and added tales from other Arabic sources on his publisher's request. These have been part of the Arabian Nights ever since: even modern Arabic editions all include these tales now!

Be aware there are two editions of this book, the Norton and the Everyman edition. I like the Everyman hardback, which is not very expensive but nice to read. I haven't tried the Norton, but it's exactly the same text. I think there's a Norton hardback too.

[N.B. These aren't childrens' editions... the behaviour can be adult at times.]

If you want to read more about the Alf Layla wa-Layla, you could try Robert Irwin's The Arabian Nights: A Companion (his Penguin Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature is a great intro to classical Arabic literature). Both are quite serious; still more academically, Muhsin Mahdi's "Thousand and One Nights" discusses the history of the book (Mahdi was the editor of the Arabic manuscript this book is based on).

Fantastic tales, 14 Mar 2008
After finding out that his first wife commited adultry, King Shahrayar holds the view that all women were to be untrusted, therefore his choice to marry a woman and have her killed the next morning after spending a night with her.

Shaharazad, a smart educated woman who willingly (NOT FORCED) marries the King in order to show that she can survive as the Kings wife (unlike the other women who are killed the next morning) has the idea of telling him a different tale every night, but concluding it the next night and beginning a new one. This went on for 1001 nights, hence the title.

This book contains the first 271 tales.

An amazing classic story, 13 Jan 2002
Shahrazad is forced to marry a king, who on the next night has a nasty habbit of killing his wives the next morning. Her idea to save her life and women after her from the king's evil ways it to tell him a story each night, always finishing with a cliff hanger ending, so that he will spare her life, to find out what happens next. This goes on for 1001 nights; hence the former title. This box is made even better by the fact that it list what happens each night. In this volume nights 1 to 271 are covered.

Not what we were waiting for... SPOILERS, 01 Dec 2008
Ed, Ed where for art thou Ed? This isn't what we'd hoped for from the creator of the Forgotten Realms, the very bard himself. I can understand the apathy after what they did to your, heck OUR, beloved Realms in the name of crass commerce, but this outing, indeed all of the books in the trilogy read as more of a *insert name of lesser author here* writing in the style of Ed Greenwood than an offering from the master himself. Contractions? Check. More characters with odd names than one can keep track of? Check. Lesser people speaking their minds to important people and those important people thereby learning? Check. Everyone laughing when that happens except the protagonists? Check? Elminster being irascible? Check.

It's all there, but it doesn't flow, it has no soul and the characters, should I say caricatures?, just don't seem to matter; they seem to be actors playing the Knights and not the Knights themselves, it all feels somehow empty. As to the characters where are they? Merith Strongbow, Lanseril Snowmantle, Illistyl Eleventree, Sharantyr, Mourngrym Amcathra and Shaerl Rowanmantle do not appear in the trilogy. I'll say that again as it may defy belief on the first reading; they don't appear. Torm and Rathan Thentraver are bit parts! You see I've been moved to the use of an exclamation mark in my disbelief. It's arguable that Torm and Rathan are two of the best of the Realms, let alone Ed's stable and they have about three lines each.

It even has stlarning continuity errors for Oghma's sake: Why is Vangerdahast kitting up in a mage's panoply only to sit behind a desk? Poor show Ed. The thing is Ed Greenwood is such a competent writer. He's a man who can not only create a world, but can convey it in rich detail in way which so few other Realms writers can, this tripe is not worthy of him. I recommend his other work, or that of the ever improving R. A. Salvatore.

Sweet water and light laughter then,

pm

Well, you might even fall asleep "reading" this one :), 22 Aug 2004
Through ideas and stories that Clarissa Pinkola Estes presents in Bedtime stories, I have discovered more internal space that opens up before going to calm deep sleep. I love the smoothness and non-hurriness of her voice, and I enjoy the rythm through which she directs you into being with yourself. This is listening material to remind you of important things.
She says that "adulthood is only a disguise we wear during nightime". And here is her gift to us of wonderful bedtime stories that you will enjoy no matter if you are in touch with your inner child or not :)

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Excellent read, thoroughly enjoyable, 03 Oct 2008
This is a great story, especially for anyone with an interest in Japanese history and Samurai culture. I had previously read and enjoyed Shogun, but this is a different style of book, and for me more enjoyable because of it. Other reviewers will describe the book in more detail - but for anyone that reads either of these books and wants to learn more of the time in question, I would recommend Stephen Turnbull's short but informative War in Japan 1467-1615 (Essential Histories).

star buy! exallent story, well made book., 08 Feb 2008
even though im only 13, i still realy enjoyed reading this book even though it is very long and was heavy to carry to school each day! but trust me, it is one of the best books i have ever read because you carn't put it down and it is totaly differnt to any western book (e.g structure and ending)because it goes into so much depth and understanding of the main character (Musashi)and isn't just focused on making money, so i would only advise you to read this book if you are into japan and japanesse culture.

Excellent read!!, 06 Dec 2007
I think Musashi is an excellent read and the history period it depicts is really interesting as well, the end of the book is not what one would expect from a western book but really enjoyed it.

Catch up on sleep 1st - you won't want to put it down!, 16 Jan 2006
I can add little to the other reviews other than to confirm that this is an excelent book. Those with an interest in fuedal Japan will be drawn to it, whilst those who shun it because of this, it's length or price are missing a gem. Despite it's length it is too short by half. You'll find yourself immersed in the world of Musashi and staying up late to read just a little more.

The characters are brought to life and are without the idolisation that might have been the case for such an historic figure in Japanese culture. It is so much more than a martial arts inspired book that it has a much broader appeal that it will ever realise. Charting the life, fortunes and falures of Musashi and those close to him it is a love story, action thriller and inspirational text all rolled into one.

Simply put this is the one of the best books I've read and would stand head and shouders above mainstream 'bestsllers'. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

Fantastic, 16 Feb 2004
If you have any interest in Feudal Japan then you probably already own it. Buy this and the DVD trilogy (Musashi, Duel at Ganryu, Duel at Ichi??) as the book fills in those moments of thought and emotion from the main characters which is difficult to portray in the films, and the films bring the characters to life.

The Original Arabian Nights, 08 Sep 2008
This is a translation of the oldest manuscript of the Alf Layla wa-Layla, the Thousand and One Nights. It is a lively tale. The 'thousand and one' nights of the title are the nights during which, as the other reviewers have already written, Shaharazad entertains her murderous husband with a tale with cliff-hanger at the end of each to force him to put off her execution for another day. There never were a thousand and one actual nights in the story - that came partly from the title of the book whose translation from Persian into Arabic more than a thousand years ago formed the nucleus of the book we have now, the Hazar Afsan or 'Thousand Tales'.

In this volume are to be found the oldest tales of the Alf Layla wa-Layla. You need to buy the companion The Arabian Nights: Sindbad and other stories: Vol 2 published by Norton in paperback or hardback (it's also available as an Everyman hardback The Arabian Nights: Vol 2) to get the old favourites like Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. These tales were added to the Arabian Nights by Galland around 1710-1720. He was the first translator of the Arabian Nights (into French) and added tales from other Arabic sources on his publisher's request. These have been part of the Arabian Nights ever since: even modern Arabic editions all include these tales now!

Be aware there are two editions of this book, the Norton and the Everyman edition. I like the Everyman hardback, which is not very expensive but nice to read. I haven't tried the Norton, but it's exactly the same text. I think there's a Norton hardback too.

[N.B. These aren't childrens' editions... the behaviour can be adult at times.]

If you want to read more about the Alf Layla wa-Layla, you could try Robert Irwin's The Arabian Nights: A Companion (his Penguin Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature is a great intro to classical Arabic literature). Both are quite serious; still more academically, Muhsin Mahdi's "Thousand and One Nights" discusses the history of the book (Mahdi was the editor of the Arabic manuscript this book is based on).

Fantastic tales, 14 Mar 2008
After finding out that his first wife commited adultry, King Shahrayar holds the view that all women were to be untrusted, therefore his choice to marry a woman and have her killed the next morning after spending a night with her.

Shaharazad, a smart educated woman who willingly (NOT FORCED) marries the King in order to show that she can survive as the Kings wife (unlike the other women who are killed the next morning) has the idea of telling him a different tale every night, but concluding it the next night and beginning a new one. This went on for 1001 nights, hence the title.

This book contains the first 271 tales.

An amazing classic story, 13 Jan 2002
Shahrazad is forced to marry a king, who on the next night has a nasty habbit of killing his wives the next morning. Her idea to save her life and women after her from the king's evil ways it to tell him a story each night, always finishing with a cliff hanger ending, so that he will spare her life, to find out what happens next. This goes on for 1001 nights; hence the former title. This box is made even better by the fact that it list what happens each night. In this volume nights 1 to 271 are covered.

Not what we were waiting for... SPOILERS, 01 Dec 2008
Ed, Ed where for art thou Ed? This isn't what we'd hoped for from the creator of the Forgotten Realms, the very bard himself. I can understand the apathy after what they did to your, heck OUR, beloved Realms in the name of crass commerce, but this outing, indeed all of the books in the trilogy read as more of a *insert name of lesser author here* writing in the style of Ed Greenwood than an offering from the master himself. Contractions? Check. More characters with odd names than one can keep track of? Check. Lesser people speaking their minds to important people and those important people thereby learning? Check. Everyone laughing when that happens except the protagonists? Check? Elminster being irascible? Check.

It's all there, but it doesn't flow, it has no soul and the characters, should I say caricatures?, just don't seem to matter; they seem to be actors playing the Knights and not the Knights themselves, it all feels somehow empty. As to the characters where are they? Merith Strongbow, Lanseril Snowmantle, Illistyl Eleventree, Sharantyr, Mourngrym Amcathra and Shaerl Rowanmantle do not appear in the trilogy. I'll say that again as it may defy belief on the first reading; they don't appear. Torm and Rathan Thentraver are bit parts! You see I've been moved to the use of an exclamation mark in my disbelief. It's arguable that Torm and Rathan are two of the best of the Realms, let alone Ed's stable and they have about three lines each.

It even has stlarning continuity errors for Oghma's sake: Why is Vangerdahast kitting up in a mage's panoply only to sit behind a desk? Poor show Ed. The thing is Ed Greenwood is such a competent writer. He's a man who can not only create a world, but can convey it in rich detail in way which so few other Realms writers can, this tripe is not worthy of him. I recommend his other work, or that of the ever improving R. A. Salvatore.

Sweet water and light laughter then,

pm

Well, you might even fall asleep "reading" this one :), 22 Aug 2004
Through ideas and stories that Clarissa Pinkola Estes presents in Bedtime stories, I have discovered more internal space that opens up before going to calm deep sleep. I love the smoothness and non-hurriness of her voice, and I enjoy the rythm through which she directs you into being with yourself. This is listening material to remind you of important things.
She says that "adulthood is only a disguise we wear during nightime". And here is her gift to us of wonderful bedtime stories that you will enjoy no matter if you are in touch with your inner child or not :)

The partition problem, 09 Nov 2008
Various factors played a role in partition: the utterly manipulative role of Winston Churchill and his henchmen in dividing the two countries must be taught in all history books of teh Indian subcontinent...he may have been a great man in the war but as a human being he had no humanity about him. His corresponednce with Jinnah using code names are clearly mentioned in Alex Tunzelman's book Indian Summer.
Jinnah in his rekindled enthusiasm let loose the mullah's and this continues to be the bane of Pakistan....and that part of the world. Yet Jinnah himself was very cosmopolitan in his outlook, he ate bacon and drank wine happily....it was only after partition and seeing the large scale of murderous deaths did he question himself on the worthiness of the whole venture.
Over the centuries Hindus and Moslems had learnt to live in peace and harmony ...in which case why did all this flare up in partition? No doubt the politicians played a key role in it abetted by teh British. The religions are so vastly different: Hinduism (like Judiasm) is not a proselytising religion whereas Islam chose to impose itself by force, and in the early days with brutal force....
What does the future hold? Will the Indian subcontinet become one as before? only time will tell....but this book portarys these aspects so well...


One of the finest works of partition fiction, 23 Sep 2007
Published as Ice Candy Man and Cracking India (and made into a movie called Earth) the book tells the story of the partition. Initially I was put of by the fact that we had a child narrator, but Lenny's insights and interpretations of the events around her can be almost hilarious and work very well in what is otherwise an almost violent read. Much has been made of the pro-Pakistani slant to the book, it's a bias that's hard to deny but it is an almost impossible to task to find literature on the partition, both from fact or fiction that is truly objective. Sidwa presents a view point and it is a view point shared by many and therefore should be read for that reason alone. As a work of literature this is almost with equal and is the finest piece of partition fiction I have read to date. It's not a tale of politicians, but of people and how they react to the events unfolding. Central to the story are the many men of all religions courting Lenny's Ayah, we meet the Ice Candy Man, the masseur, the butcher all vie for her affections. The book, though it takes a few chapters to get going soon becomes impossible to put down, the mixture of humour and violence can leave one laughing one minute and almost reduced to tears the next. A must read.

well written but not accurate, 06 Dec 2005
miss sidwa claims this to be a historical account but she was only a child herself back then. some people here have said that as a parsi she was an unbiased observer, but the fact is that this book is the outcome of the post-partition prejudices of pakistan which she grew up in and obviously absorbed.

one reviewer correctly pointed out that whilst the depiction of muslims in the book is sympathetic that of the hindu and sikh characters is far from so (all the hindus are depicted as cowhardly, weak and conniving and all the sikhs as oafish, mosterous brutes). the portraits of everyday white characters are equally as crude.

the history is censored- no mention of any build up, or the 'direct action days' of the muslim league etc etc. there is no balance of 'both sides of the story'. she totally omits any context and throws in a chronologicaly inaccurate and wholly fictional encounter with gandhi. infact the historical liberties she has taken in this book are quite disturbing.

and so if you are interested in actually understanding the partition and the events around it i suggest you find a good history book by a truely unbiased observer, to supplement this or any other fiction you read.

however miss sidwa IS a good writer with a gift for aesthetics. the book DOES have some fascinating insights into human nature.

putting the flaws aside Bapsi Sidhwa is a bold and gifted writer.

warmly felt novel -- but one reviewer is laughable, 27 Jun 2005
Sidhwa's book is a warm depiction of one child's experience with an atrocious moment in history.

But what I want to discuss is the comment below, by V. Sharma. It's ridiculous to say: '...this would be akin to Jews in America demanding a separate state -- it would never happen.' Excuse me? Since the reviewer does not live in this world, let me state the obvious: Israel IS a separate Jewish state that came into existence in 1948 (one year after the Partition of India), and that today would not exist, certainly not as the political and nuclear power it is, if it weren't for Americans, both Jews and non-Jews. It's unfortunate that in this day and age, when the war against Palestinians has killed, displaced, and tortured millions, murders that are in large part being funded by American taxpayers, this needs to be pointed out.

Pakistan and Israel are both separate states that were made on the basis of religion. However, since the Jewish faith is innate (that is, there is a Jewish race, you cannot become Jewish by conversion) while Islam is not race-based (anyone can become a Muslim), the two states do not have much else in common. As human rights activists keep pointing out, Israel practices Apartheid: state-sanctioned supremacy of one race over another, i.e., Jews over Arabs.

The Partition of India was an awful event, and I agree with Sharma that it is simplistic to blame Hindus or Sikhs. But that is all I can agree with. Bapsi Sidhwa does not blame them. And Sharma should not blame Muslims either. The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, had innitially wanted Muslims in India to have provincial autonomy, not a separate state, but because the Indian Congress (which was entirely Hindu) did not agree, his goals -- fortunately or unfortunately, that I can't say -- switched to a separate state. I know Pakistanis and Indians who say that if Congress had allowed space for Muslims within it, Partition would not have occurred. Some would even argue that it is Hindus who wanted the Partition, not Muslims. The bottom line is: Clearly, there is a lot to this episode that still needs to be learned so there is no point blaming any one side.

That is why Sidhwa's book (she herself is Parsi -- not Hindu, Muslim or Sikh) is so valuable. It is refreshingly unprejudiced.

This author's relative obscurity is inexplicable., 18 Oct 2003
Bapsi Sidhwa's Cracking India will expand and alter your view of India, Pakistan, and the British Raj. Using a child-narrator, a literary device over-employed and often unsuccessful, this author has found the perfect vehicle for conveying the heart-breaking story of the Partition of India in l947, without being coy and without descending into bathos.

Lenny, as the child of a Parsee family, roams freely through the Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, and Parsee society of her household and neighborhood in Lahore. Because she is lame and receiving private schooling, she is at home when momentous events and important conversations occur, and because she is very young and has no ethnic biases, she observes the disintegration of her society with the puzzlement of an outsider.

An active, loving person, Lenny makes us see the personal and emotional costs of the founding of Pakistan, especially to women and children. Whether your interest is historical, literary, or feminist, Cracking India will illuminate the dangers and tragedies of creating artificial geographical boundaries. Mary Whipple

Short but sweet, 22 Oct 2008
This is basically 2 Newspaper Christmas stories expanded and published for the fans. As a huge Cornwell & Sharpe fan I really wanted to read these, and was very glad I did. 2 very good stories full of Christmas spirit done in a way that only Sharpe can manage. OK, this is expensive for 2 short stories but a must have for all Sharpe fans, and the profits are for the Sharpe appreciation society and their charities, so was happy to pay for this.

Sharpe's Christmas, 03 Feb 2008
These stories are typical "Sharpe" with attention to historical detail, fluid prose and lively military action - a great Christmas present. However the book or rather booklet is rather short, and printed very poorly on cheap paper giving the book a rather home-made feel and therefore poor value for money.

Short but enjoyable, 16 Nov 2007
Sharpe's Christmas is a thin volume of two stories that were originally in the Christmas editions of the Daily Mail and like Sharpes Skirmish have been reprinted and added to by Mr Cornwell. it is a thin volume of two short stories but I loved them and I am sure every Sharpe fan will too.

Excellent, 28 May 2005
For those of as all who know and love Sharpe, this story comes just after "Sharpe's Regiment", set in the Pyrenees, and it's a typical Sharpe story.Excellent, but too short.

Cornwell at his best (But too short), 06 Jul 2004
I have read every Sharpe book and have enjoyed them all. These two short stories keep up the trend, though I found them on the short side. I especially enjoyed the Peace time Sharpe's Ransom and would like to hear more of how Sharpe copes with civilian life in enemy territory. As with all the books you are left wanting more and I hope Cornwell fills in more of the gaps in the Sharpe years.

Not Great, 15 Aug 2007
Not up to the standard of O'Brian or Mallinson. Needs to do more research to get it right. Plot was thin and the attempts to reproduce a Welsh accent were poor. Could do better

SORRY! Didnt like it all., 30 Apr 2006
Poor characters, flimsy and unlikely plot, thin on historical detail and does not flow at all. No improvement on the first book in the series, which was equally disappointing.

Entertaining read, 26 Mar 2006
As a fan of Sharpe and Flashman, this was my first foray into the life on Simpon Fonthill. Although not written as well as Cornwell or Fraser it is still a very entertaining story. However it is slightly unbelieveable. Simon Fonthill appears to be a very lucky man escaping from scrapes (although not always unscathed) in a very timely manner. The female character Alice also appears to have multiple personalities and has not been developed well. I would still recommend this book if you want an entertaining and mildly educational historical story.

Fonthill comes of age!, 18 Oct 2005
This represents a significant improvement over the first of the Fonthill novels, 'The Horns of the Buffalo', which I rated as a '4 star' read due to the relative weakness of the central character, the then Lt Simon Fonthill . In this latest offering, our characters have travelled from southern Africa to the North-West Frontier, where the 'hero' of the piece, Captain Simon Fonthill, now of The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, accompanied by the ever faithful Sgt Jenkins 352, must infiltrate the war-like hill tribes and provide intelligence for the Indian Army. The author, John Wilcox has successfully 'fleshed out' Fonthill's character, who now emerges as a far more convincing, red-blooded military hero in the Sharpe/Hornblower tradition. The book is beautifully written, well-researched, and pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutality of the battlefield in this theatre of war. Again, the 'romantic' interest is provided by the strong character of Alice, a very liberated woman for her day, now operating as a Foreign correspondent for the 'Morning Post' of Fleet Street. Additional colourful supporting characters such as 'W.G.', the Sikh guide and interpreter, provide further, entertaining additions to the central plot, ably underpinned by the brave yet still despicable Colonel Covington.
All in all, a most enjoyable read, which will appeal to fans of Cornwell, Scarrow, Mallinson, Iggulden et al.

Sharpe like thrills, 26 Sep 2005
This is the author's second book to feature Fonthill and his sidekick 352 Jenkins. This story takes the pair away from the Zulu conflict and into Afghanistan to gather intelligence on a possible uprising...
This is a vast improvement on the first book and although the dialogue is occasionally stilted, this is quite an entertaining romp.
This does tread on well-worn Bernard Cornwall territory and there are many familiar touches (such as the oafish senior officers) but the relationship between Fonthill and 352 is getting better and the introduction of an entertaining support character in 'WG' works very well.
So, while not quite up to Sharpe standards, this is still worth picking up and if the series continues to improve, a new star may be born!

Excellent read, thoroughly enjoyable, 03 Oct 2008
This is a great story, especially for anyone with an interest in Japanese history and Samurai culture. I had previously read and enjoyed Shogun, but this is a different style of book, and for me more enjoyable because of it. Other reviewers will describe the book in more detail - but for anyone that reads either of these books and wants to learn more of the time in question, I would recommend Stephen Turnbull's short but informative War in Japan 1467-1615 (Essential Histories).

star buy! exallent story, well made book., 08 Feb 2008
even though im only 13, i still realy enjoyed reading this book even though it is very long and was heavy to carry to school each day! but trust me, it is one of the best books i have ever read because you carn't put it down and it is totaly differnt to any western book (e.g structure and ending)because it goes into so much depth and understanding of the main character (Musashi)and isn't just focused on making money, so i would only advise you to read this book if you are into japan and japanesse culture.

Excellent read!!, 06 Dec 2007
I think Musashi is an excellent read and the history period it depicts is really interesting as well, the end of the book is not what one would expect from a western book but really enjoyed it.

Catch up on sleep 1st - you won't want to put it down!, 16 Jan 2006
I can add little to the other reviews other than to confirm that this is an excelent book. Those with an interest in fuedal Japan will be drawn to it, whilst those who shun it because of this, it's length or price are missing a gem. Despite it's length it is too short by half. You'll find yourself immersed in the world of Musashi and staying up late to read just a little more.

The characters are brought to life and are without the idolisation that might have been the case for such an historic figure in Japanese culture. It is so much more than a martial arts inspired book that it has a much broader appeal that it will ever realise. Charting the life, fortunes and falures of Musashi and those close to him it is a love story, action thriller and inspirational text all rolled into one.

Simply put this is the one of the best books I've read and would stand head and shouders above mainstream 'bestsllers'. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

Fantastic, 16 Feb 2004
If you have any interest in Feudal Japan then you probably already own it. Buy this and the DVD trilogy (Musashi, Duel at Ganryu, Duel at Ichi??) as the book fills in those moments of thought and emotion from the main characters which is difficult to portray in the films, and the films bring the characters to life.

The Original Arabian Nights, 08 Sep 2008
This is a translation of the oldest manuscript of the Alf Layla wa-Layla, the Thousand and One Nights. It is a lively tale. The 'thousand and one' nights of the title are the nights during which, as the other reviewers have already written, Shaharazad entertains her murderous husband with a tale with cliff-hanger at the end of each to force him to put off her execution for another day. There never were a thousand and one actual nights in the story - that came partly from the title of the book whose translation from Persian into Arabic more than a thousand years ago formed the nucleus of the book we have now, the Hazar Afsan or 'Thousand Tales'.

In this volume are to be found the oldest tales of the Alf Layla wa-Layla. You need to buy the companion The Arabian Nights: Sindbad and other stories: Vol 2 published by Norton in paperback or hardback (it's also available as an Everyman hardback The Arabian Nights: Vol 2) to get the old favourites like Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. These tales were added to the Arabian Nights by Galland around 1710-1720. He was the first translator of the Arabian Nights (into French) and added tales from other Arabic sources on his publisher's request. These have been part of the Arabian Nights ever since: even modern Arabic editions all include these tales now!

Be aware there are two editions of this book, the Norton and the Everyman edition. I like the Everyman hardback, which is not very expensive but nice to read. I haven't tried the Norton, but it's exactly the same text. I think there's a Norton hardback too.

[N.B. These aren't childrens' editions... the behaviour can be adult at times.]

If you want to read more about the Alf Layla wa-Layla, you could try Robert Irwin's The Arabian Nights: A Companion (his Penguin Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature is a great intro to classical Arabic literature). Both are quite serious; still more academically, Muhsin Mahdi's "Thousand and One Nights" discusses the history of the book (Mahdi was the editor of the Arabic manuscript this book is based on).

Fantastic tales, 14 Mar 2008
After finding out that his first wife commited adultry, King Shahrayar holds the view that all women were to be untrusted, therefore his choice to marry a woman and have her killed the next morning after spending a night with her.

Shaharazad, a smart educated woman who willingly (NOT FORCED) mar