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1st out of 41 books
—
13 voters
Sword of Marathon
by
Jack England (Goodreads Author)
Luke, a Gothic prince of Angland and a shaman's pupil, sets out to prove himself worthy of kingship by finding traders for his people's amber jewels. His journey leads him south through treacherous waters and murderous barbarians. With younger brother Hal at his side, and trust in his sword, Luke finds a new and unexpected destiny.
In Greece, Luke finds manhood too, with t...more
In Greece, Luke finds manhood too, with t...more
Paperback, 280 pages
Published
August 13th 2012
by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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Jack has written an imaginative, fantasy tale with some interesting theories relating to historical events as we understand them.
The story is based on the historical background and enlivens the period pretty well One can forgive the warped timeline which puts Norsemen, Archaic and Classical Greeks and Roman artifacts co-existing in this area at the same time –for the sake of a good yarn. Myths have been woven into the yarn (pardon the attempted joke), but I was glad to see that Jack had not fall...more
The story is based on the historical background and enlivens the period pretty well One can forgive the warped timeline which puts Norsemen, Archaic and Classical Greeks and Roman artifacts co-existing in this area at the same time –for the sake of a good yarn. Myths have been woven into the yarn (pardon the attempted joke), but I was glad to see that Jack had not fall...more
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!
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...more
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...more
Take two Northern barbarian princes and place them in 5th century BC Athens at the time when Darius of Persia is about to teach the pesky Athenians a lesson and you have yourself the makings of a good story. If you can write as well as Jack England can you have the makings of a terrific story.
After a series of adventures and misadventures, the Anglanders Luke and his brother Hal find themselves caught up in the Athenian resistance to the ambitions of the Persian Empire under its ruler Darius. Th...more
After a series of adventures and misadventures, the Anglanders Luke and his brother Hal find themselves caught up in the Athenian resistance to the ambitions of the Persian Empire under its ruler Darius. Th...more
Sword of Marathon - Jack England
** Ancient history at its most entertaining **
Our two young Gothic heroes, Luke, a prince, and younger brother Hal, are ably supported (or thwarted, depending on your point of view) in their quest to secure vital trade routes, by a cast of equally believable and cunning seafarers, philosophers, soldiers, explorers, traitors and vagabonds. Let's not forget the occasional Amazon either (tip: if you ever meet one at a party, best avoid, especially if you're a bloke!)...more
** Ancient history at its most entertaining **
Our two young Gothic heroes, Luke, a prince, and younger brother Hal, are ably supported (or thwarted, depending on your point of view) in their quest to secure vital trade routes, by a cast of equally believable and cunning seafarers, philosophers, soldiers, explorers, traitors and vagabonds. Let's not forget the occasional Amazon either (tip: if you ever meet one at a party, best avoid, especially if you're a bloke!)...more
Never before have I found a novel that so brilliantly combines ancient history and the stories of Antiquity with a timeless modern-day tale of valor, interpersonal relationships, the fight of good against evil, and the primacy of the individual over the collective.
Jack England not only takes his readers on a rollercoaster ride of suspense throughout forgotten parts of our history but also manages to insert deeper principles into his story without losing sight of the ultimate purpose of the novel...more
Jack England not only takes his readers on a rollercoaster ride of suspense throughout forgotten parts of our history but also manages to insert deeper principles into his story without losing sight of the ultimate purpose of the novel...more
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...more
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...more
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...more
Obviously, as the author, I love this book. However, the really strange thing is this. As soon as I pressed the 'print' button and never needed to read it again, I actually now re-read it for enjoyment, along with all my other favourite authors, such J.R.R.Tolkien, Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwell, J.K.Rowling, Terry Pratchett, and George MacDonald Fraser. I also can't wait to read the sequel, Book Beta, to see what happens to Luke and Hal. Fortunately, as I'm writing the sequel, I get to see w...more
This book was a lot of fun. 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.
Sword of marathon has them all mixing and interacting and commenting on one another.
It's a little violent for my delicate demeanor.
As Jack England has asked me to help him market his book, I feel disobliged to write an extensive review. However, I can say that his love this novel and I'm really looking forward to reading its sequel.
Finished the book
Wow.
Cant' wait for the next one.
Jack England....you are my new favorite author!
MM
Wow.
Cant' wait for the next one.
Jack England....you are my new favorite author!
MM
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Ancient Athenian Escape | 1 | 2 | Oct 18, 2012 09:11am |
Jack England lives in Henley-on-Thames, in England, and has a keen interest in classical history; mythology and its relationship to language; and the world of Aristotelian economics and its later logical descendants.
He maintains an occasional diary blog for his ‘Blades of Freedom’ chronicles, covering the great struggle between Persia and Greece in the fifth century B.C., as it really happened.
My...more
More about Jack England...
He maintains an occasional diary blog for his ‘Blades of Freedom’ chronicles, covering the great struggle between Persia and Greece in the fifth century B.C., as it really happened.
My...more
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