They don't write them like this any more!, 28 Oct 2008
My mother used to read "Green Smoke" and all the other R Dragon stories to my brother and I at bed-time. The first page of "Green smoke" is one of the best pieces of child-orientated descriptive writing I've seen in a long while.

"I'm for Constantine Bay"!!!!!!!

You've just got to read this book. And if you can't read, then look at the wonderful pictures!

the BEST ever dragon story, 18 Jan 2006
I have a son who loves dragon books so much that I've done an amazon list of best dragon books (check out my website, too) but this is the funniest and most charming. Susan is on holiday in Cornwall, and while wandering along the sandy shore she notices a puff of green smoke come out of a cave. It comes from the greedy but toothless R. Dragon whose fondness for biscuits a buns leads to his telling her various stories, ranging from tales of his life in the court of King Arthur to traditional British fairytales, plus a visit to his friend the mermaid, and various other adventures. The humour, short chapters and lovely line-drawings makes this one of the best books with which to introduce a 6-8 year old to the joy of reading alone. The Dragon's Quest is also excellent.

Green Smoke - charming and heart warming, 18 Feb 2003
I first read this book when I was 7 during a holiday, near Padstow, where the tale is set.
It's about a young girl called Susan who meets a wonderful dragon in a cave at Constantine bay, near Padstow. (She is also on holiday, from St.Albans).
The friendship develops and he tells her marvellous stories of Arthur and his knights, of creatures and magical happenings. On one or two occasions the dragon even takes her to meet a friend or two.
The set is presently out of print, which is a great shame. I've just begun reading my copy to my son, who, though 4, loves to hear about dragons.

It may be a little twee for some of the more aggressively developed children of today. But as a tale of friendship it is a delight.

Give up the Gameboy, switch off the PC and pick up a book. If you're a child, you could do worse than this. If you're an adult, it may remind you of how childhood should be, innocence and happiness, without the dreadful woes and horrors that the real world can bring.

In case you're wondering:-

BK1: Green Smoke
BK2: Dragon in danger.
BK3: The dragon's quest. (Best of all, set in Arthurian times).
BK4: Dragon in the harbour.

If you can find them, buy them, at any cost.

Highly imaginative, 14 Jul 2002
This is the first book I read from cover to cover as a child without being told to and I have always remembered the dragon. It was a perfect introduction to reading for 7 to 10 year olds and it's a shame it's so hard to find now. Rosemary Manning really knows how the imagination of little girls works and I was totally immersed in the Arthurian legends she used in the narrative. I would love to read this book again if I could find it. (I am 27 now). I want my children (when they get here) to read this book too.

Superb book, unpredictable, but nice dragon meets young girl, 31 Jan 2001
This book started me off on my way to being a dragon lover, I'm now 23 and read this when I was about 9/10.

Young girl on holiday in Cornwall meets a dragon, this is not ordinary knight eating dragon - well he doesn't eat knights anymore! It's a fun book generally, girl on holiday on her own with parents finds a friend -a _very_ good friend who takes her on adventures ....but she always has to be home for tea !! I share the name with this girl and I wanted to be her!

It's not quite fantasy but it's good to start off with, not a very thick book, but I've read it over and over again.

There's adventures and meeting mermaids, its not king arthurs era although the dragon was apparently around in the days of King Arthur. He's a modern day dragon who doesn't like tourists unless they leave him food.He's very polite and well mannered - a little like winnie the pooh.

It's not an overly long book, but there are two other books that accompany it, another with Susan the girl and one based in the dragon's king arthur days.

They don't write them like this any more!, 28 Oct 2008
My mother used to read "Green Smoke" and all the other R Dragon stories to my brother and I at bed-time. The first page of "Green smoke" is one of the best pieces of child-orientated descriptive writing I've seen in a long while.

"I'm for Constantine Bay"!!!!!!!

You've just got to read this book. And if you can't read, then look at the wonderful pictures!

the BEST ever dragon story, 18 Jan 2006
I have a son who loves dragon books so much that I've done an amazon list of best dragon books (check out my website, too) but this is the funniest and most charming. Susan is on holiday in Cornwall, and while wandering along the sandy shore she notices a puff of green smoke come out of a cave. It comes from the greedy but toothless R. Dragon whose fondness for biscuits a buns leads to his telling her various stories, ranging from tales of his life in the court of King Arthur to traditional British fairytales, plus a visit to his friend the mermaid, and various other adventures. The humour, short chapters and lovely line-drawings makes this one of the best books with which to introduce a 6-8 year old to the joy of reading alone. The Dragon's Quest is also excellent.

Green Smoke - charming and heart warming, 18 Feb 2003
I first read this book when I was 7 during a holiday, near Padstow, where the tale is set.
It's about a young girl called Susan who meets a wonderful dragon in a cave at Constantine bay, near Padstow. (She is also on holiday, from St.Albans).
The friendship develops and he tells her marvellous stories of Arthur and his knights, of creatures and magical happenings. On one or two occasions the dragon even takes her to meet a friend or two.
The set is presently out of print, which is a great shame. I've just begun reading my copy to my son, who, though 4, loves to hear about dragons.

It may be a little twee for some of the more aggressively developed children of today. But as a tale of friendship it is a delight.

Give up the Gameboy, switch off the PC and pick up a book. If you're a child, you could do worse than this. If you're an adult, it may remind you of how childhood should be, innocence and happiness, without the dreadful woes and horrors that the real world can bring.

In case you're wondering:-

BK1: Green Smoke
BK2: Dragon in danger.
BK3: The dragon's quest. (Best of all, set in Arthurian times).
BK4: Dragon in the harbour.

If you can find them, buy them, at any cost.

Highly imaginative, 14 Jul 2002
This is the first book I read from cover to cover as a child without being told to and I have always remembered the dragon. It was a perfect introduction to reading for 7 to 10 year olds and it's a shame it's so hard to find now. Rosemary Manning really knows how the imagination of little girls works and I was totally immersed in the Arthurian legends she used in the narrative. I would love to read this book again if I could find it. (I am 27 now). I want my children (when they get here) to read this book too.

Superb book, unpredictable, but nice dragon meets young girl, 31 Jan 2001
This book started me off on my way to being a dragon lover, I'm now 23 and read this when I was about 9/10.

Young girl on holiday in Cornwall meets a dragon, this is not ordinary knight eating dragon - well he doesn't eat knights anymore! It's a fun book generally, girl on holiday on her own with parents finds a friend -a _very_ good friend who takes her on adventures ....but she always has to be home for tea !! I share the name with this girl and I wanted to be her!

It's not quite fantasy but it's good to start off with, not a very thick book, but I've read it over and over again.

There's adventures and meeting mermaids, its not king arthurs era although the dragon was apparently around in the days of King Arthur. He's a modern day dragon who doesn't like tourists unless they leave him food.He's very polite and well mannered - a little like winnie the pooh.

It's not an overly long book, but there are two other books that accompany it, another with Susan the girl and one based in the dragon's king arthur days.

Not my favourite Daphne Du Maurier book, 15 May 2008
Usually I can't put down a Daphne Du Maurier book but I found this one hard work. I did make it to the end of the book but am not sure why I bothered. Curiosity to see how the story panned out I guess. I thought that it would have be more interesting considering its well-known title. A surprising let-down.

thrilling to the end, 28 Feb 2001
the book will take you to through the streets of italy and a quiet revolution going on over there .the reunion of two brothers and the thrill of going through a ritualistic procession which aptly titled as per the book the flight of the falcon.one of the lesser known works of daphne du maurier but nevertheless a masterpiece guaranteed to keep u awake till the last page and leave you wanting for more.

They don't write them like this any more!, 28 Oct 2008
My mother used to read "Green Smoke" and all the other R Dragon stories to my brother and I at bed-time. The first page of "Green smoke" is one of the best pieces of child-orientated descriptive writing I've seen in a long while.

"I'm for Constantine Bay"!!!!!!!

You've just got to read this book. And if you can't read, then look at the wonderful pictures!

the BEST ever dragon story, 18 Jan 2006
I have a son who loves dragon books so much that I've done an amazon list of best dragon books (check out my website, too) but this is the funniest and most charming. Susan is on holiday in Cornwall, and while wandering along the sandy shore she notices a puff of green smoke come out of a cave. It comes from the greedy but toothless R. Dragon whose fondness for biscuits a buns leads to his telling her various stories, ranging from tales of his life in the court of King Arthur to traditional British fairytales, plus a visit to his friend the mermaid, and various other adventures. The humour, short chapters and lovely line-drawings makes this one of the best books with which to introduce a 6-8 year old to the joy of reading alone. The Dragon's Quest is also excellent.

Green Smoke - charming and heart warming, 18 Feb 2003
I first read this book when I was 7 during a holiday, near Padstow, where the tale is set.
It's about a young girl called Susan who meets a wonderful dragon in a cave at Constantine bay, near Padstow. (She is also on holiday, from St.Albans).
The friendship develops and he tells her marvellous stories of Arthur and his knights, of creatures and magical happenings. On one or two occasions the dragon even takes her to meet a friend or two.
The set is presently out of print, which is a great shame. I've just begun reading my copy to my son, who, though 4, loves to hear about dragons.

It may be a little twee for some of the more aggressively developed children of today. But as a tale of friendship it is a delight.

Give up the Gameboy, switch off the PC and pick up a book. If you're a child, you could do worse than this. If you're an adult, it may remind you of how childhood should be, innocence and happiness, without the dreadful woes and horrors that the real world can bring.

In case you're wondering:-

BK1: Green Smoke
BK2: Dragon in danger.
BK3: The dragon's quest. (Best of all, set in Arthurian times).
BK4: Dragon in the harbour.

If you can find them, buy them, at any cost.

Highly imaginative, 14 Jul 2002
This is the first book I read from cover to cover as a child without being told to and I have always remembered the dragon. It was a perfect introduction to reading for 7 to 10 year olds and it's a shame it's so hard to find now. Rosemary Manning really knows how the imagination of little girls works and I was totally immersed in the Arthurian legends she used in the narrative. I would love to read this book again if I could find it. (I am 27 now). I want my children (when they get here) to read this book too.

Superb book, unpredictable, but nice dragon meets young girl, 31 Jan 2001
This book started me off on my way to being a dragon lover, I'm now 23 and read this when I was about 9/10.

Young girl on holiday in Cornwall meets a dragon, this is not ordinary knight eating dragon - well he doesn't eat knights anymore! It's a fun book generally, girl on holiday on her own with parents finds a friend -a _very_ good friend who takes her on adventures ....but she always has to be home for tea !! I share the name with this girl and I wanted to be her!

It's not quite fantasy but it's good to start off with, not a very thick book, but I've read it over and over again.

There's adventures and meeting mermaids, its not king arthurs era although the dragon was apparently around in the days of King Arthur. He's a modern day dragon who doesn't like tourists unless they leave him food.He's very polite and well mannered - a little like winnie the pooh.

It's not an overly long book, but there are two other books that accompany it, another with Susan the girl and one based in the dragon's king arthur days.

Not my favourite Daphne Du Maurier book, 15 May 2008
Usually I can't put down a Daphne Du Maurier book but I found this one hard work. I did make it to the end of the book but am not sure why I bothered. Curiosity to see how the story panned out I guess. I thought that it would have be more interesting considering its well-known title. A surprising let-down.

thrilling to the end, 28 Feb 2001
the book will take you to through the streets of italy and a quiet revolution going on over there .the reunion of two brothers and the thrill of going through a ritualistic procession which aptly titled as per the book the flight of the falcon.one of the lesser known works of daphne du maurier but nevertheless a masterpiece guaranteed to keep u awake till the last page and leave you wanting for more.

Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

They don't write them like this any more!, 28 Oct 2008
My mother used to read "Green Smoke" and all the other R Dragon stories to my brother and I at bed-time. The first page of "Green smoke" is one of the best pieces of child-orientated descriptive writing I've seen in a long while.

"I'm for Constantine Bay"!!!!!!!

You've just got to read this book. And if you can't read, then look at the wonderful pictures!

the BEST ever dragon story, 18 Jan 2006
I have a son who loves dragon books so much that I've done an amazon list of best dragon books (check out my website, too) but this is the funniest and most charming. Susan is on holiday in Cornwall, and while wandering along the sandy shore she notices a puff of green smoke come out of a cave. It comes from the greedy but toothless R. Dragon whose fondness for biscuits a buns leads to his telling her various stories, ranging from tales of his life in the court of King Arthur to traditional British fairytales, plus a visit to his friend the mermaid, and various other adventures. The humour, short chapters and lovely line-drawings makes this one of the best books with which to introduce a 6-8 year old to the joy of reading alone. The Dragon's Quest is also excellent.

Green Smoke - charming and heart warming, 18 Feb 2003
I first read this book when I was 7 during a holiday, near Padstow, where the tale is set.
It's about a young girl called Susan who meets a wonderful dragon in a cave at Constantine bay, near Padstow. (She is also on holiday, from St.Albans).
The friendship develops and he tells her marvellous stories of Arthur and his knights, of creatures and magical happenings. On one or two occasions the dragon even takes her to meet a friend or two.
The set is presently out of print, which is a great shame. I've just begun reading my copy to my son, who, though 4, loves to hear about dragons.

It may be a little twee for some of the more aggressively developed children of today. But as a tale of friendship it is a delight.

Give up the Gameboy, switch off the PC and pick up a book. If you're a child, you could do worse than this. If you're an adult, it may remind you of how childhood should be, innocence and happiness, without the dreadful woes and horrors that the real world can bring.

In case you're wondering:-

BK1: Green Smoke
BK2: Dragon in danger.
BK3: The dragon's quest. (Best of all, set in Arthurian times).
BK4: Dragon in the harbour.

If you can find them, buy them, at any cost.

Highly imaginative, 14 Jul 2002
This is the first book I read from cover to cover as a child without being told to and I have always remembered the dragon. It was a perfect introduction to reading for 7 to 10 year olds and it's a shame it's so hard to find now. Rosemary Manning really knows how the imagination of little girls works and I was totally immersed in the Arthurian legends she used in the narrative. I would love to read this book again if I could find it. (I am 27 now). I want my children (when they get here) to read this book too.

Superb book, unpredictable, but nice dragon meets young girl, 31 Jan 2001
This book started me off on my way to being a dragon lover, I'm now 23 and read this when I was about 9/10.

Young girl on holiday in Cornwall meets a dragon, this is not ordinary knight eating dragon - well he doesn't eat knights anymore! It's a fun book generally, girl on holiday on her own with parents finds a friend -a _very_ good friend who takes her on adventures ....but she always has to be home for tea !! I share the name with this girl and I wanted to be her!

It's not quite fantasy but it's good to start off with, not a very thick book, but I've read it over and over again.

There's adventures and meeting mermaids, its not king arthurs era although the dragon was apparently around in the days of King Arthur. He's a modern day dragon who doesn't like tourists unless they leave him food.He's very polite and well mannered - a little like winnie the pooh.

It's not an overly long book, but there are two other books that accompany it, another with Susan the girl and one based in the dragon's king arthur days.

Not my favourite Daphne Du Maurier book, 15 May 2008
Usually I can't put down a Daphne Du Maurier book but I found this one hard work. I did make it to the end of the book but am not sure why I bothered. Curiosity to see how the story panned out I guess. I thought that it would have be more interesting considering its well-known title. A surprising let-down.

thrilling to the end, 28 Feb 2001
the book will take you to through the streets of italy and a quiet revolution going on over there .the reunion of two brothers and the thrill of going through a ritualistic procession which aptly titled as per the book the flight of the falcon.one of the lesser known works of daphne du maurier but nevertheless a masterpiece guaranteed to keep u awake till the last page and leave you wanting for more.

Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

Washington's ancestor is part of this story, 07 Oct 2008
The Stars of Fortune are those on the coat of arms of the Washington family which developed into the Stars and Stripes of the American flag; for this is a story of an ancestor of George Washington, an Englishman, living in the time of Mary Tudor at Sulgrave Manor, Northants, not far from Woodstock, with his lively family.
Princess Elizabeth was living near Woodstock, a virtual prisoner, and her presence gave opportunities for serious plots--and highly dangerous escapades in which the four eldest children were involved.
It is a vivid account of family doings and secret adventure against a background of life in that corner of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire where the Washingtons lived. The author's own illustrations complement the clarity of the story. As always she is detailed and meticulous in her approach to this interesting subject.

They don't write them like this any more!, 28 Oct 2008
My mother used to read "Green Smoke" and all the other R Dragon stories to my brother and I at bed-time. The first page of "Green smoke" is one of the best pieces of child-orientated descriptive writing I've seen in a long while.

"I'm for Constantine Bay"!!!!!!!

You've just got to read this book. And if you can't read, then look at the wonderful pictures!

the BEST ever dragon story, 18 Jan 2006
I have a son who loves dragon books so much that I've done an amazon list of best dragon books (check out my website, too) but this is the funniest and most charming. Susan is on holiday in Cornwall, and while wandering along the sandy shore she notices a puff of green smoke come out of a cave. It comes from the greedy but toothless R. Dragon whose fondness for biscuits a buns leads to his telling her various stories, ranging from tales of his life in the court of King Arthur to traditional British fairytales, plus a visit to his friend the mermaid, and various other adventures. The humour, short chapters and lovely line-drawings makes this one of the best books with which to introduce a 6-8 year old to the joy of reading alone. The Dragon's Quest is also excellent.

Green Smoke - charming and heart warming, 18 Feb 2003
I first read this book when I was 7 during a holiday, near Padstow, where the tale is set.
It's about a young girl called Susan who meets a wonderful dragon in a cave at Constantine bay, near Padstow. (She is also on holiday, from St.Albans).
The friendship develops and he tells her marvellous stories of Arthur and his knights, of creatures and magical happenings. On one or two occasions the dragon even takes her to meet a friend or two.
The set is presently out of print, which is a great shame. I've just begun reading my copy to my son, who, though 4, loves to hear about dragons.

It may be a little twee for some of the more aggressively developed children of today. But as a tale of friendship it is a delight.

Give up the Gameboy, switch off the PC and pick up a book. If you're a child, you could do worse than this. If you're an adult, it may remind you of how childhood should be, innocence and happiness, without the dreadful woes and horrors that the real world can bring.

In case you're wondering:-

BK1: Green Smoke
BK2: Dragon in danger.
BK3: The dragon's quest. (Best of all, set in Arthurian times).
BK4: Dragon in the harbour.

If you can find them, buy them, at any cost.

Highly imaginative, 14 Jul 2002
This is the first book I read from cover to cover as a child without being told to and I have always remembered the dragon. It was a perfect introduction to reading for 7 to 10 year olds and it's a shame it's so hard to find now. Rosemary Manning really knows how the imagination of little girls works and I was totally immersed in the Arthurian legends she used in the narrative. I would love to read this book again if I could find it. (I am 27 now). I want my children (when they get here) to read this book too.

Superb book, unpredictable, but nice dragon meets young girl, 31 Jan 2001
This book started me off on my way to being a dragon lover, I'm now 23 and read this when I was about 9/10.

Young girl on holiday in Cornwall meets a dragon, this is not ordinary knight eating dragon - well he doesn't eat knights anymore! It's a fun book generally, girl on holiday on her own with parents finds a friend -a _very_ good friend who takes her on adventures ....but she always has to be home for tea !! I share the name with this girl and I wanted to be her!

It's not quite fantasy but it's good to start off with, not a very thick book, but I've read it over and over again.

There's adventures and meeting mermaids, its not king arthurs era although the dragon was apparently around in the days of King Arthur. He's a modern day dragon who doesn't like tourists unless they leave him food.He's very polite and well mannered - a little like winnie the pooh.

It's not an overly long book, but there are two other books that accompany it, another with Susan the girl and one based in the dragon's king arthur days.

Not my favourite Daphne Du Maurier book, 15 May 2008
Usually I can't put down a Daphne Du Maurier book but I found this one hard work. I did make it to the end of the book but am not sure why I bothered. Curiosity to see how the story panned out I guess. I thought that it would have be more interesting considering its well-known title. A surprising let-down.

thrilling to the end, 28 Feb 2001
the book will take you to through the streets of italy and a quiet revolution going on over there .the reunion of two brothers and the thrill of going through a ritualistic procession which aptly titled as per the book the flight of the falcon.one of the lesser known works of daphne du maurier but nevertheless a masterpiece guaranteed to keep u awake till the last page and leave you wanting for more.

Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

Washington's ancestor is part of this story, 07 Oct 2008
The Stars of Fortune are those on the coat of arms of the Washington family which developed into the Stars and Stripes of the American flag; for this is a story of an ancestor of George Washington, an Englishman, living in the time of Mary Tudor at Sulgrave Manor, Northants, not far from Woodstock, with his lively family.
Princess Elizabeth was living near Woodstock, a virtual prisoner, and her presence gave opportunities for serious plots--and highly dangerous escapades in which the four eldest children were involved.
It is a vivid account of family doings and secret adventure against a background of life in that corner of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire where the Washingtons lived. The author's own illustrations complement the clarity of the story. As always she is detailed and meticulous in her approach to this interesting subject.


completely delicious, unexpected rom-com, 20 Aug 2004
I'm intrigued by the very different readers' reviews this novel has gained. Not having read any of Craig's previous books, I have ot say that this one made me immediately buy the two that remain in print. I think I've just discovered someone very unusual, a literary writer who is also a really good story-teller.
The setting, Tuscany, and the premise, a holiday house-party, both cliched but what Craig does with them is anything but. I suspect her novel should come with a health-warning, like Tibor Fischer's Don't Read This If You're Stupid, because if you don't twig that this is a version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, half the pleasure will be lost. Theo and Polly, the hosts, are a version of Theseus and Hippolyta, and two of their children, Tania and Robbie, are really Titania and Puck (Robin Goodfellow), with the son of their friend Hemani, Bron, as Oberon. The four quarrelling lovers are Daniel (Theo's serious academic brother, a Shakespeare scholar), Ivo, (a journalist who I see has appeared in another of Craig's novels), Ellen (a shoe designer, and Hemani (an Asian eye-surgeon). The cast of rude mechanicals are missing, but Bottom isn't, and neither is Hermia's creepy father , tranformed here into Theo and Daniel's creepy mother, Betty.
Craig's prose flickers in and out of each character's mind as she tells her story, which is how this group of affectionate, quarrelsome, selfish and unconsciously comical group of Anglo-Americans finally get off with the right person. The setting is described so vividly, but always related to psychology - "Each morning, the light came through the slats of the shutters in ripples, and as it washed towards the inhabitants of the Casa Luna, it smoothed away memories of the past. It was for this that they had endured long hours in the grey English winter or freezing American climes, for this that they had waited and planned and worked extra hours. The horrible feelings of stress, tension, anger, and frustration that coursed through their veins every day almost unnoticed began to fade."
If you don't enjoy writing of that calibre, you should stick to chick-lit is all I can say.

A Beautifully Composed and Magical Escape, 31 Jul 2004
A group of American and British people on holiday travel to the idyllic Italian setting of Casa Luna, Cortona for a fortnight and find that their expectations about what will happen are totally reversed. Craig introduces a large cast of characters who we get to know intimately over the course of the novel due to her skill at delicately portraying the psychological state of each one. She shows how Daniel's noble sensibility is at odds with his mother Betty's more ambitious goals for him. The author is able to beautifully conjure her characters sometimes in a single terse, meaningful line such as "Betty did not so much converse as hand down a smaller tablet of stone." Craig also creates the intensely fresh perspective of the young in the three children showing how their magical world melds with the vibrant physical landscape of the Italian countryside. Those that are familiar with Craig's earlier work will recognize Ivo as the mischievous critic who loves to be hated from A Vicious Circle. But even with this superficially unlikeable man, the author's meaningful phrases hint at an underlying insecurity giving his character a lot of depth. Over the course of the holiday the characters find themselves paired with the ones they could never admit to really desiring. All it takes is the madness of summer and a little fairy magic.

This is a thoroughly engaging and funny novel that is an up to date revisioning of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Although the tone of the novel maintains a comic air, Craig doesn't shy from tackling difficult social issues such as racism, sexuality and our culture's obsession with beauty. These problems are woven into the characters lives making them a fully-realized, modern and recognizable group of people. Most importantly, this book ponders the question of love in a way that is not trite or sentimental. Rather it shows the maddening confusion of it, the heart-stopping joy it brings and how it pulls us in the most unexpected ways.

Like eating a box of chocolates, 30 Jul 2004
I found reading this book a real treat - like eating a box of chocolates - you just have to sink into it and let the story carry you away. Craig has lost none of her touch for waspish one-liners. The revolting mother-in-law goes upstairs to meditate 'which was like napping but more fashionable' and the wicked but delightful Ivo Sponge is back. But there is also a real pathos at the book's heart - after all, aren't we all looking for love of one sort or another when we go on our summer break? It's the perfect holiday read.

Lovely countryside, less appealing characters, 22 Jul 2004
This book seems to lie uneasily between chick-lit and travelogue, with the travelogue side winning - it certainly made me want to visit the area described, but the characters seemed long-winded and unfortunately rather dull. I suspect it needed considerably more editing and then we would have had the light and frothy novel it thinks it is now.

I think Shakespeare did it better and with more style!

Ivo Sponge is back!, 18 Jun 2004
If you haven't read A Vicious Circle then you probably won't understand the thrill of encountering this irresistibly awful man again. Anyway, he's back, large as life and twice as smarmy, only this time he is struggling with the cliche of being in love in Tuscany. The amazing thing is that Craig makes him more and more sympathetic while never losing sight of his untrustworthiness. The story is great fun - as other reviewers have said, it's a modern version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but for any other fans of the Falstaffian rogue, don't hesitate.

They don't write them like this any more!, 28 Oct 2008
My mother used to read "Green Smoke" and all the other R Dragon stories to my brother and I at bed-time. The first page of "Green smoke" is one of the best pieces of child-orientated descriptive writing I've seen in a long while.

"I'm for Constantine Bay"!!!!!!!

You've just got to read this book. And if you can't read, then look at the wonderful pictures!

the BEST ever dragon story, 18 Jan 2006
I have a son who loves dragon books so much that I've done an amazon list of best dragon books (check out my website, too) but this is the funniest and most charming. Susan is on holiday in Cornwall, and while wandering along the sandy shore she notices a puff of green smoke come out of a cave. It comes from the greedy but toothless R. Dragon whose fondness for biscuits a buns leads to his telling her various stories, ranging from tales of his life in the court of King Arthur to traditional British fairytales, plus a visit to his friend the mermaid, and various other adventures. The humour, short chapters and lovely line-drawings makes this one of the best books with which to introduce a 6-8 year old to the joy of reading alone. The Dragon's Quest is also excellent.

Green Smoke - charming and heart warming, 18 Feb 2003
I first read this book when I was 7 during a holiday, near Padstow, where the tale is set.
It's about a young girl called Susan who meets a wonderful dragon in a cave at Constantine bay, near Padstow. (She is also on holiday, from St.Albans).
The friendship develops and he tells her marvellous stories of Arthur and his knights, of creatures and magical happenings. On one or two occasions the dragon even takes her to meet a friend or two.
The set is presently out of print, which is a great shame. I've just begun reading my copy to my son, who, though 4, loves to hear about dragons.

It may be a little twee for some of the more aggressively developed children of today. But as a tale of friendship it is a delight.

Give up the Gameboy, switch off the PC and pick up a book. If you're a child, you could do worse than this. If you're an adult, it may remind you of how childhood should be, innocence and happiness, without the dreadful woes and horrors that the real world can bring.

In case you're wondering:-

BK1: Green Smoke
BK2: Dragon in danger.
BK3: The dragon's quest. (Best of all, set in Arthurian times).
BK4: Dragon in the harbour.

If you can find them, buy them, at any cost.

Highly imaginative, 14 Jul 2002
This is the first book I read from cover to cover as a child without being told to and I have always remembered the dragon. It was a perfect introduction to reading for 7 to 10 year olds and it's a shame it's so hard to find now. Rosemary Manning really knows how the imagination of little girls works and I was totally immersed in the Arthurian legends she used in the narrative. I would love to read this book again if I could find it. (I am 27 now). I want my children (when they get here) to read this book too.

Superb book, unpredictable, but nice dragon meets young girl, 31 Jan 2001
This book started me off on my way to being a dragon lover, I'm now 23 and read this when I was about 9/10.

Young girl on holiday in Cornwall meets a dragon, this is not ordinary knight eating dragon - well he doesn't eat knights anymore! It's a fun book generally, girl on holiday on her own with parents finds a friend -a _very_ good friend who takes her on adventures ....but she always has to be home for tea !! I share the name with this girl and I wanted to be her!

It's not quite fantasy but it's good to start off with, not a very thick book, but I've read it over and over again.

There's adventures and meeting mermaids, its not king arthurs era although the dragon was apparently around in the days of King Arthur. He's a modern day dragon who doesn't like tourists unless they leave him food.He's very polite and well mannered - a little like winnie the pooh.

It's not an overly long book, but there are two other books that accompany it, another with Susan the girl and one based in the dragon's king arthur days.

Not my favourite Daphne Du Maurier book, 15 May 2008
Usually I can't put down a Daphne Du Maurier book but I found this one hard work. I did make it to the end of the book but am not sure why I bothered. Curiosity to see how the story panned out I guess. I thought that it would have be more interesting considering its well-known title. A surprising let-down.

thrilling to the end, 28 Feb 2001
the book will take you to through the streets of italy and a quiet revolution going on over there .the reunion of two brothers and the thrill of going through a ritualistic procession which aptly titled as per the book the flight of the falcon.one of the lesser known works of daphne du maurier but nevertheless a masterpiece guaranteed to keep u awake till the last page and leave you wanting for more.

Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

Washington's ancestor is part of this story, 07 Oct 2008
The Stars of Fortune are those on the coat of arms of the Washington family which developed into the Stars and Stripes of the American flag; for this is a story of an ancestor of George Washington, an Englishman, living in the time of Mary Tudor at Sulgrave Manor, Northants, not far from Woodstock, with his lively family.
Princess Elizabeth was living near Woodstock, a virtual prisoner, and her presence gave opportunities for serious plots--and highly dangerous escapades in which the four eldest children were involved.
It is a vivid account of family doings and secret adventure against a background of life in that corner of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire where the Washingtons lived. The author's own illustrations complement the clarity of the story. As always she is detailed and meticulous in her approach to this interesting subject.


completely delicious, unexpected rom-com, 20 Aug 2004
I'm intrigued by the very different readers' reviews this novel has gained. Not having read any of Craig's previous books, I have ot say that this one made me immediately buy the two that remain in print. I think I've just discovered someone very unusual, a literary writer who is also a really good story-teller.
The setting, Tuscany, and the premise, a holiday house-party, both cliched but what Craig does with them is anything but. I suspect her novel should come with a health-warning, like Tibor Fischer's Don't Read This If You're Stupid, because if you don't twig that this is a version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, half the pleasure will be lost. Theo and Polly, the hosts, are a version of Theseus and Hippolyta, and two of their children, Tania and Robbie, are really Titania and Puck (Robin Goodfellow), with the son of their friend Hemani, Bron, as Oberon. The four quarrelling lovers are Daniel (Theo's serious academic brother, a Shakespeare scholar), Ivo, (a journalist who I see has appeared in another of Craig's novels), Ellen (a shoe designer, and Hemani (an Asian eye-surgeon). The cast of rude mechanicals are missing, but Bottom isn't, and neither is Hermia's creepy father , tranformed here into Theo and Daniel's creepy mother, Betty.
Craig's prose flickers in and out of each character's mind as she tells her story, which is how this group of affectionate, quarrelsome, selfish and unconsciously comical group of Anglo-Americans finally get off with the right person. The setting is described so vividly, but always related to psychology - "Each morning, the light came through the slats of the shutters in ripples, and as it washed towards the inhabitants of the Casa Luna, it smoothed away memories of the past. It was for this that they had endured long hours in the grey English winter or freezing American climes, for this that they had waited and planned and worked extra hours. The horrible feelings of stress, tension, anger, and frustration that coursed through their veins every day almost unnoticed began to fade."
If you don't enjoy writing of that calibre, you should stick to chick-lit is all I can say.

A Beautifully Composed and Magical Escape, 31 Jul 2004
A group of American and British people on holiday travel to the idyllic Italian setting of Casa Luna, Cortona for a fortnight and find that their expectations about what will happen are totally reversed. Craig introduces a large cast of characters who we get to know intimately over the course of the novel due to her skill at delicately portraying the psychological state of each one. She shows how Daniel's noble sensibility is at odds with his mother Betty's more ambitious goals for him. The author is able to beautifully conjure her characters sometimes in a single terse, meaningful line such as "Betty did not so much converse as hand down a smaller tablet of stone." Craig also creates the intensely fresh perspective of the young in the three children showing how their magical world melds with the vibrant physical landscape of the Italian countryside. Those that are familiar with Craig's earlier work will recognize Ivo as the mischievous critic who loves to be hated from A Vicious Circle. But even with this superficially unlikeable man, the author's meaningful phrases hint at an underlying insecurity giving his character a lot of depth. Over the course of the holiday the characters find themselves paired with the ones they could never admit to really desiring. All it takes is the madness of summer and a little fairy magic.

This is a thoroughly engaging and funny novel that is an up to date revisioning of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Although the tone of the novel maintains a comic air, Craig doesn't shy from tackling difficult social issues such as racism, sexuality and our culture's obsession with beauty. These problems are woven into the characters lives making them a fully-realized, modern and recognizable group of people. Most importantly, this book ponders the question of love in a way that is not trite or sentimental. Rather it shows the maddening confusion of it, the heart-stopping joy it brings and how it pulls us in the most unexpected ways.

Like eating a box of chocolates, 30 Jul 2004
I found reading this book a real treat - like eating a box of chocolates - you just have to sink into it and let the story carry you away. Craig has lost none of her touch for waspish one-liners. The revolting mother-in-law goes upstairs to meditate 'which was like napping but more fashionable' and the wicked but delightful Ivo Sponge is back. But there is also a real pathos at the book's heart - after all, aren't we all looking for love of one sort or another when we go on our summer break? It's the perfect holiday read.

Lovely countryside, less appealing characters, 22 Jul 2004
This book seems to lie uneasily between chick-lit and travelogue, with the travelogue side winning - it certainly made me want to visit the area described, but the characters seemed long-winded and unfortunately rather dull. I suspect it needed considerably more editing and then we would have had the light and frothy novel it thinks it is now.

I think Shakespeare did it better and with more style!

Ivo Sponge is back!, 18 Jun 2004
If you haven't read A Vicious Circle then you probably won't understand the thrill of encountering this irresistibly awful man again. Anyway, he's back, large as life and twice as smarmy, only this time he is struggling with the cliche of being in love in Tuscany. The amazing thing is that Craig makes him more and more sympathetic while never losing sight of his untrustworthiness. The story is great fun - as other reviewers have said, it's a modern version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but for any other fans of the Falstaffian rogue, don't hesitate.

the new Angela Carter, 07 Jun 2003
What a wonderful writer Amanda Craig is. She is so funny, so wise, so understanding about people that I can't understand why she isn't as well-known as my other favourite women novelists. I first discovered her through A Vicious Circle, but this is also a brilliant novel. Dark and mysterious, it explores a man's descent into manic-depression and the way his son's love saves him. Set in London, New York and North Carolina, it interweaves fairy-tales, very much as Angela Carter and As Byatt have done, with the story.

a startling and compelling novel, 18 Mar 2003
I am bowled over by the brilliance of In a Dark Wood. No wonder authors such as Alison Lurie have loved it - it's mind-blowing, moving and full of dark comedy. Part detective-story, part ghost-story, it uses the darkest aspects of fairytales to examine both story-telling and the descent into madness.
The central character and narrator is an out-of-work actor, Benedick Hunter (whose name, slily, is shortened to Dick). His wife Georgina has left him for another man and taken their two young children. Benedick finds an old book of fairytales illustrated and rewritten by his mother, who committed suicide in Primrose Hill (shades of Sylvia Plath) and becomes obsessed with them as the key to his life, which he feels has begun to mirror hers. His story becomes intertwined with the fairytales - which, though they feature strong and resourceful heroines also fill the reader with foreboding - as he sets out on a kind of quest to discover more about her.
The earlier parts of the story are concerned with the difference between men's lives in the 1960s and those today, but it's when Hunter flies to his mother's native America with his 6-year-old Cosmo that the action hots up, and the dark woods of the title become more than a line out of Dante. Gradually you become aware that his strange behaviour and passionate outbursts are due to something more serious than bereavement and anger. Hunter is haunted by his mother, and when he meets a woman who looks just like her he falls passionately and catastrophically in love. But what it so marvellous about this wise and wonderful novel is that it describes not only the descent into madness but the journey out of it. Anyone who enjoys the clash between American and British culture, the war between the sexes or who just loves a great, intelligent read will love this.

extraordinary, hypnotic story, highly recommended, 11 Mar 2003
I wish more of Craig's work were on audiotape, because I borrowed this one from my local library to keep me going during a flight to New York. It could not have been more appropriate! Benedick Hunter's quest to find out why his mother, a brilliant American illustrator/children's author (shades of Sendak and Mervyn Peake here) killed herself when he was six. He can't remember anything about her, but his own divorce stirs a gothic unease. Soon he's hot on the trail, interviewing his parent's oldest friends. Some of his interviews are very funny (I was reminded of Alison Lurie's The Truth About Lorin Jones)and given great expression by the reader. Some are painful and even sinister.
Mixed up in this are his struggles to be a better father, and to avoid various predatory single women. Benedick (nickname, Dick) Hunter is no angel, and no feminist either - Craig has fun with the contrast between his mother's era, when men were never expected to push prams or change nappies, and now, when women are more dominant. However, the real shocks and surprises are to come, when he travels to the US with his six-year-old son, Cosmo. The detective story takes on an oedipal tinge, in that what he discovers most affects himself. As in one of his mother's fairy stories (intertwined with the narrative)he gets his hearts desire but it isn't unequivocally happy by any means. In fact, it's something that could kill him...
Since listening to this, I've also read A Vicious Circle, which is linked to In a Dark Wood, and hope that's made into a tape and a film. It certainly made my travelling time fly past.

Excellent reading of a dark and gripping tale., 08 Oct 2001
The plot is of a kind that has become fairly familiar in women's fiction, but it has several unexpected twists. The narrator, an out-of-work actor and divorce is given a new impetus when he discovers a book of fairytales, illustrated and rewritten by his American mother before her death from suicide while he was a child. This sets him off on a detective-story quest, interviewing people who once knew his mother. All have conflicting stories about her, but what he learns, combined with his conviction that her illustrations are conveying a secret message to him, draw him across the Atlantic to discover a terrible secret.
Daniel Hill moves effortlessly from comedy to seriousness. He is at his best when doing all the different voices of adults, and when reading the fairy-stories; worst when doing the voice of Benedick's small son, Cosmo, who is a key figure in the story. The narrator's descent into madness and eventual salvation is very well conveyed.