Book Description
Tormented by agonising illness, British Major General James Wolfe was an unlikely hero. In 1759, however, he led a successful attack on French troops on the Plains of Abraham above Quebec, ensuring that Britain, not France, would become the dominant power in North America. By crippling French ambitions on the continent, Wolfe also paved the way for American independence from Britain. Wolfe won the Battle of the Plains of Abraham - but he lost his life on the battlefield. He was thirty-two years old. His death at the very moment of victory at Quebec gained him posthumous fame and veneration as a founding father of the British Empire, cementing his heroic status on both sides of the Atlantic. Epic paintings of Wolfe's dying moments transformed him into an icon of patriotic self-sacrifice and a role model for Horatio Nelson, the English admiral who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Wolfe's reputation has recently undergone sustained assault by revisionist historians who cast him as a bloodthirsty and mediocre general who owed his fame to one singularly lucky - though crucial - victory. In the first full-length biography of Wolfe to appear in almost half a century acclaimed writer and historian Stephen Brumwell draws on a wide range of sources - many of them previously unpublished - to boldly and vividly reassess the life of a soldier whose short but dramatic life altered the course of world history.
Customer Reviews:
Nice.......2007-10-05
Very well-done book; good background too on the events Wolfe was involved in as well, esp. the '45 in Scotland. Well written.
A First Class Biography.......2007-08-29
Stephen Brumwell's biography of General James Wolfe is a top notch read for those interested in the man behind one of the most decisive battles in North American history. Through extensive research, Mr. Brumwell delves into the known facts, testimony and controversy surrounding this determined and inspirational leader and gets as close as anyone can to the truth, heart and life of General James Wolfe. As I read the book I felt I got to know Wolfe as a real person--through his hopes, desires, disappointments, doubts and courage during his short lived life leading up to his death on the Plains of Abraham in his "against-all-odds" victory against the French at Quebec. For anyone interested in the history of North America--this is a Must Read! I only hope this book is used as a blueprint for an epic movie about one of the greatest British Generals of the French and Indian War.
Absorbing in-depth chronicle of a pivotal historical figure........2007-06-09
Paths of Glory: The Life and Death of General James Wolfe is the first full-length biography published in half a century of Major General James Wolfe, a British military hero whose decisive 1759 victory against the French, on the Plains of Abraham before Quebec, ensured that English would become the dominant language of North America. Wolfe paid for his victory with his life; since then he has been enshrined in paintings, praised for his military genius and self-effacing modesty, and reviled by revisionist historians who paint him as bloodthirsty and snooty. Paths of Glory seeks to uncover the truth, as best as historical records and testimonies can deliver, of the chronically ill Wolfe's life and death. An inset handful of color and black-and-white illustrations, notes, and an index round out this absorbing in-depth chronicle of a pivotal historical figure.
Book Description
Anthony Clayton is an acknowledged expert on the French military and his book is a major contribution to the study and understanding of the First World War. He reveals why and how the French army fought as it did. He profiles its senior commanders - Joffre, Petain, Nivelle and Foch - and analyses its major campaigns both on the Western Front and in the Near East and Africa. PATHS OF GLORY also considers in detail the officers, how they kept their trenches and how men from very different areas of France fought and died together. He scrutinises the make-up and performance of France's large colonial armies and investigates the mutinies of 1917. Ultimately, he reveals how the traumatic French experience of the 1914-18 war indelibly shaped a nation.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding Summary of French Army During WWI.......2004-11-09
The book summarizes all the famous major operations of the French Army during WWI, along with numerous thoughtfully-included maps and photos. It goes into much greater detail about the formation of French strategy, tactical doctrine, leading personalities, organization, equipment, logistics, and, significantly, unit morale (including the 1917 mutinies). In addition, the book also has a nice set of appendices with the August 1914 order-of-battle as well as summary bios of leading French generals. The author, Anthony Clayton, also covers the power struggles at the top of the military hierarchy between major military figures along with increasing interference from French gov't officials. Clayton did an excellent job describing Petain, Joffre, Mangin, Castelnau, and Foch.
This book is an ideal introduction to the major challenges facing the French army during WWI and its response to them. An English-language book covering the French army during WWI is somewhat difficult to find compared to the numerous works on the British army, and I was highly pleased with the quality of this one. Excellent, well-researched work! I hope the author makes an in-depth follow up sequel to this one.
Almost one of a kind.......2004-04-22
As other reviewers have said, getting anything in English about the French army in WWI is difficult, especially compared to the numerous English and American accounts. I therefore snapped this book up immediately looking for an account of those little known engagements. It's a fine book, well researched and informative, well written for the most part. But it left me wanting more detail. It primarily looks at strategic and operational level action rather than the tactical. Excellent for understanding the French command. I was hoping for more of a Lyn MacDonald approach. Perhaps this author will see these reviews calling for a more detailed view and write another in that vein. I would certainly purchase it.
The French Army.......2004-01-07
I enjoyed this book very much. Almost everything I've read on the Great War has been from either the British or American point of view. The author states in the preface that little of the French experience from WWI has been translated into English. I was very pleased that a book about the war from the French point of view was written in English. France after all had the majority of the troops and suffered the most looses on the Allied side. I had hoped the author whould have gone into more detail on French equipment and weapons than he did, but that in no way detracts from this fine book. I highly recommad this work for anyone interested in WWI.
David Murphy
Great Effort but Too Short.......2003-12-05
In Paths of Glory, former Sandhurst professor Anthony Clayton provides the first complete history of the French Army in the First World War. While the narrative is a bit short (200 pages) and does not offer the depth necessary to analyze operations in detail, Clayton's work represents an excellent overview of the army that bore the brunt of the fighting for the Allies on the Western Front in 1914-1918. Clayton also makes the point that this army, much maligned because of its poor preparation for combat in 1914 and pitiful performance in 1940, still was capable of four years of sustained combat against the best army in the world. For readers accustomed to viewing the Western Front through German or British eyes, this volume offers a wonderful alternative.
Clayton begins Paths of Glory with a chapter on the French frontier offensive in 1914 and then backtracks in the second chapter to discuss pre-war strategy and doctrine. After this, Clayton then devotes one chapter to operations in each year of the war, plus a separate chapter on developments within the French army. There is also a separate chapter on peripheral operations involving the French (Gallipoli, Salonika, Italy, Africa and the Mideast). Appendices include order of battle in 1914, tactical organization, conscription and reserves, equipment, capsule biographies of the main French generals, and the career of a single French infantry regiment in 1914-1920. Clayton includes 14 simple sketch maps, which unfortunately only a few depicting operational movements or dispositions. The author also includes 43 photographs, ranging from leaders, to equipment to tactical scenes.
Clayton assesses the main French problem in 1914 as a failure of "strategic intelligence" in not anticipating that the main German army would fall in Belgium or that reserve formations would be used in the enemy's first echelon. This faulty intelligence assessment led to a rash offensive plan known as "Plan XVII", which was handicapped by rigid adherence to a faulty tactical doctrine, over-age commanders and inadequate heavy artillery. Despite all the French military flaws, the French army somehow survived the heavy losses in the frontier battles and managed to thwart the German drive on Paris by quick repositioning of forces. Clayton does not do a particularly good job of assessing how the French were able to avoid defeat in 1914, but tends to favor the "tough" no-nonsense leadership of Joffre, Foch and a handful of other French operational-level commanders. However, Clayton's defense of Joffre's command style rings hollow; certainly Napoleon would not have thought much of a commander who emphasized regular meals and uninterrupted sleep over visiting his troops.
Clayton focuses heavily on morale issues - always critical for French armies - in the chapters on Verdun and the 1917 mutinies. The mutiny is assessed as relatively limited in scope, but extensive in long-term effects. Perhaps the best chapters in Paths of Glory cover the post-mutiny period where Petain was able to lead the battered French army through a period of recovery. While Petain's later career as leader of Vichy France has darkened his name, his leadership abilities with a deeply-shocked army were astoundingly effective. Indeed, Petain was not only able to rebuild the French army's morale, but to re-equip and re-train the forces to fight a modern war; the result was a much more powerful French army in 1918 (although a brittle one).
Although Clayton offers some useful nuggets of information in places - such as information on French tank developments or the greater reliance on African troops - the volume is a bit too much of an overview, albeit with a Gallic perspective. Indeed, Clayton writes well and offers excellent insight about the fighting capabilities of the much-maligned French army, but the reader will come away from this book wishing that it had been 200 pages longer.
Excellent account of the French army during World War One.......2003-09-19
The author has done a splendid job of gathering his facts and doing his research. The book spells out the various campaigns, battles and commanders and the ordinary soldier. The book is rich with detail and informs the reader on the horrific conditions and enormous casualties the French suffered.
Easy to read and the chapters are detailed out well.
Worthy of any World War One bookshelf.
Average customer rating:
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The Paths of Glory: Social Change in America from the Great War to Vietnam
Brian M. Downing
Manufacturer: Cybereditions
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1877275581 |
Book Description
The Paths of Glory is a timely and engaging study of the effects of modern war on America. The World Wars and Vietnam, the author argues, formed the basic contours of much of twentieth-century American history - political, economic, social, and cultural.
America in 1917 was a confident and optimistic nation. Only a year later, after the Great War, this was no longer the case. Leaders lost the romantic aura they had long enjoyed. Religious strictures began to fall away; consumerism replaced denial. In 1938, the country was mired in depression, the New Deal was in disarray, and unemployment was soaring - the country seemed near collapse. At the close of the Second World War, unemployment was low; beliefs and institutions were once more held high. Confidence and faith continued until the 1960s, but Vietnam undermined almost all beliefs and institutions.
Wars have propelled America from a traditional past structured by families, communities, religion, faith in progress, and a sense of a national whole to a postmodern present of atomization, fragmentation, secularization, and anomie. We may see the old beliefs and institutions of America as good or bad, fair or unjust, universal or particularistic; but they served an important integrative role, and nothing has taken their place.
Download Description
The Paths of Glory is a timely and engaging study of the effects of modern war on America. The World Wars and Vietnam, the author argues, formed the basic contours of much of twentieth-century American history - political, economic, social, and cultural. America in 1917 was a confident and optimistic nation. Only a year later, after the Great War, this was no longer the case. Leaders lost the romantic aura they had long enjoyed. Religious strictures began to fall away; consumerism replaced denial. In 1938, the country was mired in depression, the New Deal was in disarray, and unemployment was soaring - the country seemed near collapse. At the close of the Second World War, unemployment was low; beliefs and institutions were once more held high. Confidence and faith continued until the 1960s, but Vietnam undermined almost all beliefs and institutions. Wars have propelled America from a traditional past structured by families, communities, religion, faith in progress, and a sense of a national whole to a postmodern present of atomization, fragmentation, secularization, and anomie. We may see the old beliefs and institutions of America as good or bad, fair or unjust, universal or particularistic; but they served an important integrative role, and nothing has taken their place. Brian M. Downing is the author of several works on the influence of war in history, including The Military Revolution and Political Change. At the age of eighteen, he studied Vietnamese history under the auspices of the Department of Defense, and he later held positions at Harvard University and the University of Chicago. He is currently writing a study of war, religion, and the state in Antiquity, part of a larger study of "war romance" in Western history from ancient times until the present.
Book Description
Brilliant paintings of the great outdoors highlight spiritual and reflective quotes that celebrate the wonder and beauty of nature.
Customer Reviews:
Buckeye art in full flower.......2000-10-17
Thomas Kinkade is the name of a painter, and now an industry, that produces highly colorful, saccharin kitsch that is found decorating all sorts of objects. I first encountered Kinkade's work as elaborately framed "paintings" displayed in a gallery at the front of a local furniture emporium. I was shocked to see four-figure prices attached to pieces that were obviously some sort of reproduction. These prices led me to suspect a scam was under way, especially when I noticed blobs of white pigment standing in bas relief from the surface, obvously meant to give the illusion of a hand-painted work. When I asked a hovering saleslady whether she was aware the pieces were reproductions, she readily admitted they were. And recently, an ad in the local paper invited all and sundry to come watch an expert from the Kinkade factory apply these white "highlights" to the lithographs, which are apparently shipped without them. I would suggest that the lithos be sold with a tube of paint so the buyer can apply his own "highlights" and thus create a real original. For the prices asked, you should get at least enough paint to do your living room, too.
Book Description
Anthony Price's series of espionage thrillers featuring Dr Audley and Colonel Butler who were rivals to Le Carre in the 1970s and 1980s. In OTHER PATHS TO GLORY a contemporary mystery has its roots in the horrors of the trenches in 1915.
Customer Reviews:
Rightly Included in a "masterwork" series.......2005-10-02
I picked up a copy of this book at my local library at some point in the Eighties. Almost twenty years later, I suspect I've forgotten the plot of more mysteries and thrillers than any single person in my tri-state area. But "Other Paths to Glory" remained with me. In "Other Paths," a young military historian is recruited as a cold war spy when it appears that a modern mystery is somehow connected to World War I. The characters are well-developed, the plot is tight and suspenseful, but most of all the haunting past pervades the book and becomes its most compelling character. Price evokes the immanence of history so well that the book is elevated from a good-read-that-might-still-be-forgotten to a genre classic.
A complex spy thriller with a strong historical basis........1998-06-29
This is one of Anthony Price's strongest works. The narrative is taut and suspenseful, with a complex chain of events occurring in the modern day which hark back to a little-known battle of the First World War. For historical and military buffs, this is one of the essential books of this genre.
Customer Reviews:
YOU CAN'T HELP BUT LAUGH.......2006-10-05
It's so dead-on in its observations that you can't help but laugh!
Ostensibly about golddigging, this book shows women the absurdity of greed while encouraging them to be better people instead of blinded by bling.
It should be under Humor instead of Self-help.
SHE IS A HE.......2005-06-20
This is a favorite item to give favorite women. The title has been recently updated and issued under the author's real name KEVIN DOYLE. Both versions have great covers and it's fun to gift wrap them in currency.
DETRACTORS LACK SENSES OF HUMOR.......2005-01-21
This is a book I almost didn't buy because of a detracting review. I'm glad I listened to a friend who emailed me the Amazon page
While the author's tongue is firmly in cheek, there is a lot of useful information. Some common sense bears re-emphsis.
Three cheers for the light-hearted among us!
"Ruth Leslee Greene" is obviously a pen-name
CHECK OUT THE LATEST .......2004-08-25
This is a good book by Kevin Doyle writing under pen-name "Ruth Leslee Greene."
The nom de plume is obviously a play on the word "ruthless."
Another version of HOW TO MARRY MONEY just out from Penguin/Plume under Doyle's own name has been revised, expanded and updated.
Either way, both have great covers and make perfect gifts for birthday girls, graduates, hostesses, and stockings over the holidays.
Check out Doyle's HOW TO MEET BEAUTIFUL WOMEN.
ANOTHER EDITION UNDER THE AUTHOR'S REAL NAME IS EVEN BETTER.......2004-08-13
This is a fun read by KEVIN DOYLE, writing as RUTH LESLEE GREENE.
A even bigger, better. less expensive version is the one Doyle has out this year under the same title but using his own name from Penguin/Plume.
Also fun by Kevin Doyle are two other titles - HOW TO MEET BEAUTIFUL WOMEN and DATING YOUNGER WOMEN.
This author is truly the King of Shallow Pursuits and his books make perfect host/hostess gifts.
Average customer rating:
- This book shows the hunger of a challenger & fall of a champ
- Very good book, even if author went to Dook!
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Three Paths to Glory: A Season on the Hardwood With Duke, N.C. State, and North Carolina
Barry Jacobs
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0025584006 |
Customer Reviews:
This book shows the hunger of a challenger & fall of a champ.......1998-10-13
This book really guides any basketball lover through the rigors of a season of ACC basketball. From the ups and downs of the rebuilding N.C. State program, to the fall of the two-time National Champions (Duke), to the rise of the new champions, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Simply a book that any ACC, or basketball lover, has to read. It will indulge you and take you through a real life journey of the young men at these institutions. This book will show you that while basketball is an important part of these young men's lives, it is yet only a game. From the suicide of one young player to the departure of the all-time assist leader in NCAA history to the rise of the national champions, this is a must read!!!
Very good book, even if author went to Dook!.......1997-05-07
An interesting concept, to chronicle three powerhouses(historically, considering NCSU's recent struggles) in the same season. My only complaint is that the book spends far too much of it's attention on an also-ran Duke team to the detriment of NCAA champ UNC and NCSU. That is to be expected, however, when the author is a Dookie
Book Description
When the Nova Cat Clan is forced to ally with the Inner Sphere it forces two MechWarriors from different worlds into a precarious friendship. For Zane and Yoshio, the line between ally and enemy will be drawn in blood...
• #49 in the popular series based on the bestselling role-playing and video games
Customer Reviews:
Decent addendum to the main fasa plot.......2002-04-09
This average btech novel mainly serves as throw in for some open questions after the Star League's successful attempt to bring a decisive end to the clan invasion of the inner sphere.
The issue dealt with focusses on Clan Nova Cat's search for a new home and a new identity within the Draconis Combine. At the same time Randall Bills uses his book to roughly describe the problems at hand for the current 1st Lord of the SL, Theodore Kurita. On one side is the impending civil war that threatens the Federated commonwealth; on the other side looms imminent desaster as the Combine is lead into a clash with the mighty Ghost Bear Dominion.
Considering all these ancillary conditions Bills manages quite well to weave a coherent story around his main protagonist Mechwarrior Zane. Yet, at the end, I cant deny the feeling that too many issues were left a bit short, and questions which arose during this novel were left unanswered. But, sadly, this has become a major problem for the majority of recent btech novels as too few books are being used to describe the political developments of over 25 involved factions in a short and recapulating manner, whereas at the same time, the original focus of btech, which is mech combat, also shouldnt fall too short.
Under these aspects Path of Glory needn't stand back behind most of the other btech novels since the end of the 'Blood of Kerensky' trilogy: There is a plot and people involved, there is some mech combat, there are several side infos for the main fasa plot, but in the end everything comes a tad short.
Bottom line: The interested btech reader, who wants every tiniest piece of info bout the general fasa story, might want this book to fill some gaps. But the average sci-fi reader, who's tempted to read some btech novel to get his routine dose of war machine combat, might want to look for some more detailed and exciting reading.
Decent addendum to the main fasa plot.......2002-04-09
This average btech novel mainly serves as throw in for some open questions after the Star League's successful attempt to bring a decisive end to the clan invasion of the inner sphere.
The issue dealt with focusses on Clan Nova Cat's search for a new home and a new identity within the Draconis Combine. At the same time Randall Bills uses his book to roughly describe the problems at hand for the current 1st Lord of the SL, Theodore Kurita. On one side is the impending civil war that threatens the Federated commonwealth; on the other side looms imminent desaster as the Combine is lead into a clash with the mighty Ghost Bear Dominion.
Considering all these ancillary conditions Bills manages quite well to weave a coherent story around his main protagonist Mechwarrior Zane. Yet, at the end, I cant deny the feeling that too many issues were left a bit short, and questions which arose during this novel were left unanswered. But, sadly, this has become a major problem for the majority of recent btech novels as too few books are being used to describe the political developments of over 25 involved factions in a short and recapulating manner, whereas at the same time, the original focus of btech, which is mech combat, also shouldnt fall too short.
Under these aspects Path of Glory needn't stand back behind most of the other btech novels since the end of the 'Blood of Kerensky' trilogy: There is a plot and people involved, there is some mech combat, there are several side infos for the main fasa plot, but in the end everything comes a tad short.
Bottom line: The interested btech reader, who wants every tiniest piece of info bout the general fasa story, might want this book to fill some gaps. But the average sci-fi reader, who's tempted to read some btech novel to get his routine dose of war machine combat, might want to look for some more detailed and exciting reading.
good book!!.......2002-01-23
I like the charicter descriptions you really can tell how they felt.
The story is full of suprise and comes down to reality at the end-people die in wars!
A Solid, Yet Unexceptional Battletech Story.......2001-12-02
"Path of Glory" is a solid effort by first time author Bills. I rank it a tad higher than 3 stars, but round it down since it is closer to 3 than 4 stars. It is a good story that is hindered primarily by its brevity. The characters and the story are interesting, but the length of this novel limits the exposition and exploration that would have done a better justice to this story.
The bulk of this story takes place in 3062. It tells the story of Zane, a Mechwarrior in Clan Nova Cat. After the Star League Defense Force (SLDF) had traveled to the Clan Homeworlds, and challenged the Clans to a Trial of Refusal on the issue of the Clans' invasion of the Inner Sphere, Clan Nova Cat decided to side with the SLDF, and fought in the Trial as part of the SLDF. The Clans were incensed by this action, and voted to Abjure, cast out, the Nova Cats, giving them 30 days to leave Clan space. Some Clans didn't wait for the 30 days to expire before launching attacks on the Nova Cats.
As a result, the Nova Cats lost large numbers of warriors in battle, who fought hopeless rearguard actions, but were able to evacuate some of their civilian populations to the Nova Cat holdings in the Inner Sphere.
Zane feels betrayed by his leaders, first, for siding with the Inner Spere forces. Second, for agreeing to accept worlds from the Draconis Combine.
Zane has a counterpart, Palmer Yoshio, a Draconis Combine officer who feels betrayed, first, that his nation has let in the Nova Cats, and second, that his nation has not gone after the powerful Clan Ghost Bear, which still holds Combine territory.
"Path of Glory" tells the story of these two warriors, disparate, but similiar men, and their emotional and mental sorting out of their predicaments. It also features high level intrigue, and gives a nice glimpse into Clan Nova Cat, including a meeting with Minoru, a Nova Cat warrior, who was born in the Inner Spere with the the last name of Kurita. Oh yes, there's a good bit of action as well.
This is a solid story, with intriguing characters. Although it deserved and needed greater length to fully do this story and these characters justice, this a nice first effort by Mr. Bills.
Clanner.......2001-07-30
I am not going to pretend that I do not find books featuring the clans interesting. The entire mythos surrounding them has always interested me and this book looks further into one of the more mystical clans - the Nove Cats. The book readily shows how this clan is attempting to intergrate itself with the conquering Inner Sphere and the feelings of warriors from both sides as to these affairs. It may not further the primary story line of the civil war but it does begin a very important secondary plot that may well spill over into the main conflict.
If I were reading this story as a stand alone, with no knowledge of the current storyline I would give it top marks, the author is very gifted and his mix between action and thought is very well balanced and I will certainly be anticipating more of his work.
Customer Reviews:
The Irony of Glory.......2004-07-07
Soldiers have forever obeyed the commands of officers, knowing sometimes that to obey the command was to die and to refuse to obey it was to die. Compound the situation when the officer is acting solely in self-interest, for pride's sake, for the sake of a promotion, for his own ego regardless of the lives of the men he leads. The paths they must follow, the paths of glory, leads but to the grave.
This army is French, but it could be any nation's, any year's, any war. Cobb's evocation of pride and prejudice affectinfg the lives of innocent men is scary in that we know it is not over.
A powerful Anti-War story. Highly Recommended!.......2001-10-23
After seeing the excellent movies from Stanley Kubrick, I decided to read the novel, which it was based upon. Being out of print, it was difficult to locate. But I finally found a copy at a local library. It was worth searching.
Paths of Glory was written by Humphrey Cobb and first published in 1935. Cobb, who had served in the Canadian Army during the First World War, wrote this novel as an anti-war statement. In my opinion, it's one of the best. Cobb shows an unpositive view of war. There are no heroes. Not even Regiment Commander Colonel Dax is the courageous man he was in Kubrick's film. He doesn't even have that big of a part.
French General Assolant is given orders by his Army Commander (Whose name is not revealed) to take an important German position called the Pimple. To take the "Pimple", Assolant calls the 181st regiment, which was supposed to be placed on leave.
We see the attack beforehand from the eyes of those on the battlefield. A patrol is sent out, where one of the men gets killed by the drunken commander due to a careless accident. The incident is covered up, but would play a part later.
The next morning, the eargely anticipated attack on the Pimple is launched. It proves however to be impossible. The 181st is made up of a combination of battle weary vets and fresh new recruits to compensate for losses. Thus, casualties are high. The bombardment from artillery and machine guns also is so difficult to go through that many soldiers never even leave the trenches. Believing the men are mutinying, Assolant orders the battery commander to fire on the men. Fortunately, in what may be the only sensible act in the novel, the man refuses without a written order. Assolant then orders a court martial to preserved his dignity at the expense of others.
Four men are selected: One from each of the attacking sections. One section refuses to send a man but the other three select. The men are sent in front of a court-martial with a well-trained lawyer at their side. But it is really more of a Kangaroo Court. This is because the Indictment against the convicted is not read ("It basically states the accused are convicted of cowardice"), no Stenographic notes are kept of the trial, thus denying the convicted the possibility of a pardon, and the defense is not allowed to build its case. For example, when an attempt is made to call witnesses, it can only be "To prove that they made it to the enemy wire", which no one of the regiment did. And when the defense attempts to state the decorations one of the men has received (So it can be shown he isn't a coward) the president of the council says "The men are on trial for their current cowardice, not their former bravery" and that "Medals are no defense".
What is most ludicrous is the line of questioning on the defendants. It is absurd in the way it forces the men to answer irrelevant questions. An example by the President of the council on the convicted Private Ferol:
President: Did you advance?
Ferol: Yes, Sir.
President: How far did you advance?
Ferol: To about the middle of no man's land.
President: Then what did you do?
Ferol: Well, the Boche machine guns were like a hailstorm and I saw that-
President: No. Answer my question. What did you do?
Ferol: Well, sir, I saw that me and Meyer-
President: I didn't ask you what you saw. I asked you what you did.
Ferol: Yes, sir.
President: Did you advance?
Ferol: Not after I saw that me and Meyer-
President: Did you turn round and go back?
Ferol: Well, when I saw that-
President: Attention! Answer my question. Did you turn round and go back? Yes or no?
Ferol: Yes, sir.
This edition (Paperback, University of Georgia Press, 1987) includes a fascinating afterward by Stephen E. Tabachnick. He mentions about the book's placement of the chain of command and about themes from the book.
Sadly, Paths of Glory has become largely underrated over the years. My English teacher hadn't even heard of it. This book should be put back in publishing as soon as possible so more people can experience how great it is and should be recommended reading at schools so people can see how ridiculous war can be.
Average customer rating:
- Great epic fantasy
- A Classic Fantasy by a New Author
- An entertaining epic and a deftly written saga
- Path of Glory (Boundary's Fall, 1)
- A complete novel
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Path of Glory: BOUNDARYS FALL BOOK 1 (Boundary's Fall, 1)
Bret Mathew Funk
Manufacturer: Tyrannosaurus Press
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Sword of Honor (Boundary's Fall, Book 2)
ASIN: 097188191X |
Book Description
The Boundary.
The greatest feat of magic in the history of Madryn. An impenetrable barrier, raised to imprison the Darklord Lorthas, bringing an end to the long and bloody MageWar.
Nearly a millennium has passed since the Boundary's creation, and its power is fading. The four Races struggle amongst themselves; their once-proud alliance is little more than a distant memory. Old enemies have resurfaced and new ones lurk in the shadows, eager to use the chaos to their advantage.
The truth is known by only two: Jeran, an orphan, raised by his uncle on a farm near the Boundary; and Dahr, an outcast, hiding from his past. Together, they must take news of the Boundary's fall to the King of Alrendria. Haunted with knowledge of the Darklord's weakening prison and pursued by Tylor Durange, exiled Prince of Ra Tachan, the boys race across Madryn, facing danger at every turn.
And yet their greatest threat may come, not from the Darklord, but from the secrets they try so hard to keep from themselves.
Customer Reviews:
Great epic fantasy .......2005-01-25
In the land of Madryn, the four races are forced to work together to defeat the evil Darklord Lorthas. The elves, the humans and the Garan'ah fought courageously at the final battle when the mages erected the Barrier to contain Lorthas. The Barrier is a magical mountain range with only one entrance, a portal guarded by a garrison of troops.
A millennium later, the segregated races keep totally to themselves distrusting one another. Young orphan Jeran lives on a farm near the Boundary; he befriends a runaway slave Dahr. The twosome share many happy times together before two outlaws thought to have been exiled inside the barrier attack their homestead. Jeran's uncle sends him to warn King Mathis that the Barrier is weakening. Accompanied by Dahr, Jeran meets allies and enemies in their quest to see the king; even after their message is delivered, the adventures of Jeran and Dahr are just beginning as the monarch has plans for his youthful messengers.
PATH OF GLORY is epic fantasy in the tradition of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and the SHANNARA series. The protagonists are two young people who must learn about their different heritages if they hope to understand what is happening and being able to help when the seemingly inevitable war begins. No one will be in a funk after reading this fine coming of age novel except those who fail to read the next tale, SWORD OF HONOR, in the Boundary Fall series.
Harriet Klausner
A Classic Fantasy by a New Author.......2002-07-16
Path of Glory, by Bret M. Funk, has all the clichés: reclusive Elves, powerful magicians, and
long-forgotten evil in a pre-industrial society. But if you thought the classic fantasy novel had
nothing left to offer, think again. Told mainly from the intimate perspective of two intriguing,
three-dimensional characters, Funk puts a realistic and thought-provoking spin on the typical
sword-and-sorcery tale. This first book in the Boundary's Fall series combines modern prose and
sensibilities with the epic storylines of Tolkienesque fantasy.
The story follows Jeran, a farm boy living with his uncle, and Dahr, an escaped slave whom
Jeran's family befriends and unofficially adopts. When two former warlords escape from a
magical prison, Jeran and Dahr find themselves saddled with the duty of reporting the news to
the king. They are aided by two Magi, who help Jeran discover his illustrious family roots and
his own magical abilities.
Jeran's ambivalence regarding his magical "gift" is one of many double-edged topics in Path of
Glory, and it adds a degree of thought and relevance that few fantasy writers even consider.
Magi are responsible for most of the civilization's greatest accomplishments, yet they are
resented for their power and have been hunted nearly to extinction. The mysterious Elves, while
revered as wise and nearly immortal, have both helped humanity and enslaved them at various
times in their history. The king of Jeran's land must cope with bickering politicians before he
can worry about the decay of a millennia-old magical Boundary. Not many fantasy novels
discuss the economic disadvantages of tariffs, but Funk avoids Star Trek preachiness by
introducing questions, not answers, and leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions.
In fact, just as with real bureaucracy, years pass before the various countries and races gear up
for the impending war reported by Jeran and Dahr. The story rejoins the boys, now young men,
as they embark on a diplomatic mission to the Elves-the first Elf-Human encounter in over a
century. The friendship is shared by a third, the young prince Martyn, who hasn't quite figured
out the balance between authority and responsibility. The journey along the title Path serves as a
test of strength and loyalty, especially when Dahr is forced to choose between his sworn duty
and his lifelong hatred of slavery. The book ends just as the party enters the Elves' domain,
leaving the rest of the story maddeningly untold until the next installment is published.
This novel is a character-centered work; events unfold in an episodic fashion, but the main
storyline barely gets beyond setup in this first entry of the series. Instead, we experience the
characters' everyday life. Dahr's knack with animals and Martyn's addiction to flirtation are
demonstrated in numerous character-building scenes. The writing is not nearly as concise as one
expects; scenes can exist simply for atmosphere and entertainment, but the witty dialogue among
Jeran, Martyn, and Dahr keeps boredom from setting in. The writing style wavers somewhat
between archaic formalism and modern slang, but taken as a whole it's a fast read and doesn't get
bogged down in purple prose. The whole novel has a warmth to it that is atypical of story-driven
fantasy and Sci-Fi; characters don't just exist to fill a plot point, they have their good and bad
points that grow on you over time. The strength of Funk's writing is his ability to evoke
sympathy for the characters; you are drawn in to their struggles without really noticing, and
putting the book down becomes more difficult each time.
However, there's more to Path of Glory than guilty pleasure. The author has taken great pains to
weave a history of his world; the tales of warriors and noble sacrifices will satiate even the most
hard-core fantasy reader. The descriptions of controlling and using magic are creative and
evocative on their own, but the passages truly come alive in the context of Jeran's experiences.
The bond between the reader and the characters heightens the drama of every situation, holding
the reader's interest throughout every extraordinary revelation.
Path of Glory makes the classic fantasy approachable for every reader, even those turned off by
fantasy series in the past. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in seeing down-to-earth
characters coping with larger-than-life events.
An entertaining epic and a deftly written saga.......2002-07-06
Book One of Bret M. Funk's "Boundary's Fall" series, Path Of Glory is a high fantasy about Jeran (an orphan raised by his uncle on a farm near the Boundary) and Dahr (an outcast hiding from his past), two men who find that they must brave a perilous and uncertain journey in order to warn their king of an impending darkness, as the boundary that has sealed the imprisoned Darklord gradually weakens. The four major races of the world, once in alliance, are now squabbling, and new enemies seek to exacerbate the chaos to their own ends and benefits. Path Of Glory is an entertaining epic and a deftly written saga of hope, determination, and courage.
Path of Glory (Boundary's Fall, 1).......2002-06-21
I enjoyed Path of Glory very much. It was little slow getting started as the author had to set up the world, characters and story, but a few chapters into the book it got very interesting. I found the characters so believable I feel as if I know them. The description was so well written, that I could have actually visited the places. The story gets a hold on you and you can't put it down. I can't wait for the next book. I think that is book is a definite must read. If you like books like the Wheel of time by Robert Jordan, you will love Path of Glory.
A complete novel.......2002-05-28
Bret M. Funk's Path of Glory is the kind of book you often look for but rarely find. It is a complete novel; plot, setting, and character development are fully realized. Themes of loyalty, friendship, and courage are interwoven with the greater themes of good versus evil and the impossibility of knowing what we think we "know"-about historical facts, about other cultures, and even about ourselves.
The imaginative new world created by Funk is familiar enough to be easily understood, yet different enough to leave room for magic and extraordinary powers. The book is appealing and fresh, creative, and just plain fun. It is a fast read that can only be described as a rousing adventure, but the story is textured and the characters complex. I highly recommend Path of Glory to all age groups.
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