Sword of Marathon

Whether you are the history buff, the political philosophy geelk, or the ordinary no-nonsense novel reader next door, you will definitely find some reward in getting a copy of this well-written, entertaining and insightful book. Let's hope Jack England's first novel won't be his last. Oct 13, Peted rated it it was amazing. Let's not forget the occasional Amazon either tip: Jack England serves up a brilliant mix of ancient history as it should have been taught but never was , romance, bravery and rampant skulduggery, into a damn good yarn which makes for a great read - the style is informal, but achieves graphic, no-holds-barred, portrayals of the raw shock of combat and life during difficult and treacherous times.

He presents just enough historic tit-bits on the politics, economy, geography, seafaring, warmongering and survival during this volatile era, to paint his scenes all the more convincingly without overpowering the underlying story - nor forgetting that it is still just that - a 'damn good yarn'. Roll on the next instalment Oct 13, Sue rated it it was amazing. As "Mrs England", I'm probably biased, but I think the novel is fantastic.

When I started reading it after Mr England had finished , I thought it would be a book for the menfolk, but I really love the heroes. They come across as real young men and have a bond that sees them through some tough times. Miltiades, the Athenian General, is huge in stature reminds me of the actor Brian Blessed. Agariste is a right strumpet, but lovable. There are some fairly yucky descriptions usually deaths but As "Mrs England", I'm probably biased, but I think the novel is fantastic.

There are some fairly yucky descriptions usually deaths but they fit with the situation at hand. The novel explains the political dilemas of that period well, and it's a meaty read with a believable plot. Most of all, it's freat fun. I laughed loads of times and I'm looking forward to the next installment. Keep going Mr England Jan 05, Bobby Mckeown rated it it was amazing. Being a student of European history I found this work by Jack England fascinating. It reads so well and the reader would find it hard to put it down once it gets started.

A well written story can unfold in the mind like a Hollywood movie as this one certainly does. The story blends very well with actual historical events and the reader has to remind themselves that the characters and events are only part of a story from Jack England's mind. I kept thinking of the book in the sense of Conan the Ba Being a student of European history I found this work by Jack England fascinating.

I kept thinking of the book in the sense of Conan the Barbarian meets Gerard Butler would be a good cast choice when the movie release comes out. A really great read for those who like a good saga. Oct 13, Roman Skaskiw rated it really liked it. This book was a lot of fun.

• Ignore Reality and Trust GOD.
• Je suis un poète afro-caraïbéen (French Edition)!
• Piano Forte.
• .
• ?

It's a tour through ancient history. What little I remember from school treated every ancient culture as separate from all the others. Sword of marathon has them all mixing and interacting and commenting on one another. It's a little violent for my delicate demeanor. Oct 13, Michael Mckay rated it it was amazing. Finished the book Wow. Cant' wait for the next one.

Sep 26, Richard Blake rated it it was amazing. The hero of this novel is an Englishman of great intelligence and beauty who settles in Greece. He begins telling his story in extreme old age, and, though aged, nearly has to kill someone in the first chapter. Much of the novel takes place in Athens.

However, anyone who thinks the author has been influenced by my own Ghosts of Athens will be wrong. Jack told me he was writing Sword of Marathon in May , when we were both attending a conference in Bodrum. I had just finished Ghosts of Athens, The hero of this novel is an Englishman of great intelligence and beauty who settles in Greece.

I had just finished Ghosts of Athens, though it would not be published until August By then, Jack had finished Sword of Marathon, and was working on a sequel. There is a similarity between our novels, but I do swear that neither of us could have had any influence on the other. This really is one of those times when great minds have thought alike. The story begins when Luke and his brother Hal are on a trading mission and are captured by nomadic and more than usually demented barbarians.

Through a series of exciting and well-paced adventures, they arrive in Athens in , just when Darius of Persia has finally decided to have his revenge on a city that has not only resisted his invitation to accept him as overlord, but has consistently made trouble along the western fringes of the greatest empire that has ever existed.

1. Shopping Cart.
2. ;
3. Sword of Marathon by Jack England;

Embraced by the Athenians as one of their own, Luke plays a key part in the victorious defence of Greece against the first Persian assault, and ends the story covered in well-deserved glory. Rather than explain in detail what I like about the novel, let me quote this passage from when Luke and Hal are taken prisoner by the barbarians: A wide circular pit, twelve feet across, with vertical sides, occupied most of the space inside the hut, with a post standing beside its lip, which had a long length of rope coiled around it.

Luke could hear laughter and mutual back slaps amongst the men above. The group of horse-riding captors left the hut. From the floor of the pit, to the lip at the top, was at least ten feet above the surface of the water. This was an old well, thought Luke, but clearly not used for drinking water. Ordinary sounds of town life re-filled the hut through the wicker walls; chickens squawked, dogs barked, and domestic arguments all flowed in, along with the smells of cooked meat and wood smoke. Almost drowning himself, and at risk of dislocating his shoulders, Luke managed to bring his hands around to his front.

The top had been sliced off and there were the telltale signs of a heavy axe blow, to mark the remains of what was left. This pit involved death; that much was clear. He clearly imagines a situation, even down to the sounds of normality beyond the confines of its horror. He does this through the perceptions of his hero, leaving nothing to objective description.

Did you think we would run from these fucking Persian bastards and these cock-sucking Median cuts? The teeth flew overboard, in a blood-and-spittle rain, mostly into the brackish lagoon water, though one rotten tooth fell onto the exposed sandbar that had trapped the trireme….

Why is it necessary to have all this foul language and graphic descriptions of violence? The answer is because this is how people often speak, and this is what they often do. People also have sex in ways that seem less than decorous to observers, and they go to the toilet, and they drink too much and throw up. Describing all this will not save a broken plot, but it is something that has a place in any novel that tries to put the reader into a world filled with real men and women.

As for the further complaint that the specific words used may be anachronistic, and may sound more like Ray Winstone than the men whose smooth, marble busts have come down to us from classical antiquity — well, the answer is obvious. The convention is that what the author writes is a good translation into English from the original Greek. It would never do to have a character say: But anything else, no matter how vulgar, is fair game for an historical novelist.

Oh, and there is also this, from Jahiz, an Arab writer of the ninth century: But most men you find like that are without knowledge, honour, nobility or dignity. My choice of early Byzantium is a good one. Contrary to the general view, this was an age of heroism and genius. The fight the Byzantines put up against the barbarians and Persians and Moslems saved Western civilisation. There are few stories more inspiring than the defeat of the Arabs outside the very walls of Constantinople in and At the same time, nothing compares with what the Athenians achieved a thousand years earlier.

Forget the Egyptians and the Jews. Forget what we are told about the ancient Indians and Chinese. Forget even the Romans. Between about and BC, the Greeks of Athens and some of the cities of what is now the Turkish coast were easily the most remarkable people who ever lived. They gave us virtually all our philosophy, and the foundation of all our sciences.

Their historians were the finest. Their poetry was second only to that of Homer — and it was they who put together all that we have of Homer. They gave us ideals of beauty, the fading of which has always been a warning sign of decadence; and they gave us the technical means of recording that beauty. They had no examples to imitate. They did everything entirely by themselves. In a world that had always been at the midnight point of barbarism and superstition, they went off like a flashbulb; and everything good in our own world is part of their afterglow.

Every renaissance and enlightenment we have had since then has begun with a rediscovery of the ancient Greeks. Modern chauvinists may argue whether England or France or Germany has given more to the world. In truth, none of us is fit to kiss the dust on which the ancient Greeks walked.

This is the world that Luke and Hal do their bit to save. The Greeks had to win at Marathon. They had to win at Salamis and Plataia. Anything else would have condemned humanity to more of the same. Everything I was brought up to think had been achieved at Trafalgar or the Battle of Britain really was achieved in those three battles. It is the most inspiring story that can be told. You need to be a wretched novelist not to catch something of its universal importance. And Jack England is a very fine novelist.

He does not denigrate the Persians — Datis is a most interesting and even sympathetic character. Nor, as shown, does he fail to recognise the brutality of the Greeks. At the same time, he knows which side he is on in the war for civilisation. So buy this book. Buy many copes, and given them to your friends and loved ones.

Oct 18, Sara Bagshawe rated it it was amazing. I was looking to try something a bit different to my usual reading genre, so I thought I would give this book a try - by page 5, I was hooked!

More titles to consider

The story is a really great romp - following the fortunes of the leading characters, Luke and his younger brother Hal. Somewhat by accident, they find themselves travelling to the political heartland of Greece. The journey proves dangerous and educational and there are understandable amounts of blood and gore along the way. What I particularly enjoyed thou I was looking to try something a bit different to my usual reading genre, so I thought I would give this book a try - by page 5, I was hooked!

Sword of Marathon

What I particularly enjoyed though, was the transformation of these two from adolescents to young men. Whilst Hal maintains a steadfast gung-ho approach to everything, Luke matures into a true hero inspired by the various colourful characters he meets. Eventually, Luke and Hal find themselves embroiled in the battle at Marathon.

There are several nasty deaths some, if I'm honest, a little too graphic for my taste!



• Lenfant du Mistral (French Edition);
• From Pong to Call of Duty: Video Game History for N00bs and Charity?
• Join Kobo & start eReading today;

As far as my limited knowledge of ancient history goes, it seems pretty accurate in its general setting. I cannot wait to see this made into a Movie — something I can truly enjoy and not have to feign ignorance to get through. Entertainment with Reality Economics!

See a Problem?

This should be a movie! You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Mises Institutes Around the World. Read For Free Here. Fascinating Tidbits like this only deepened the hook in me. Damn Good Read…and very welcome indeed. You will love it.