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Beau Geste #3
Beau Ideal
1925. Wren immortalized the French Foreign Legion in Beau Geste and many other novels of high adventure and romance. Beau Ideal is the sequel to Beau Geste. Prologue; The Story of Otis Vanbrugh; Epilogue. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s): 0766194272, 0766193594.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
About the author
P.C. Wren
117 books48 followersPercival Christopher Wren (1 November 1875 – 22 November 1941) was a British writer, mostly of adventure fiction. He is remembered best for Beau Geste, a much-filmed book of 1924 involving the French Foreign Legion in North Africa, and its sequels, Beau Sabreur and Beau Ideal.
Born as plain Percy Wren, in Deptford, South London, England, Percy was the son of a schoolmaster. After graduation with a Master of Arts degree from St. Catherine's College, Oxford, a non-collegiate college for poorer students, Percy worked as a boarding school teacher for a few years, during which he married Alice Shovelier, and had a daughter (Estelle, born 1901). In 1903 he joined the Indian Education Service as headmaster of Karachi High School (now Pakistan). While in India, he joined the Poona Volunteer Rifles with the rank of Captain, before his service was terminated in October 1915 after sick leave. He resigned from the Indian Education Service in November 1917. It is presumed that his wife died in India, for no record of her return to Britain has been found; his daughter having died in England in 1910. From there it is claimed that he joined the French Foreign Legion for a single tour of five years though he would have been 42 years of age on enlistment, somewhat older that the usual recruit. He lived out the remainder of his life in England concentrating on his literary career. One of the few photographs of Wren known shows a typical British officer of the Edwardian era with clipped moustache, wearing plain dark blue regimental dress.
Wren was a highly secretive man, and his membership of the Legion has never been confirmed. When his novels became famous, there was a mysterious absence of authenticating photographs of him as a legionnaire or of the usual press-articles by old comrades wanting to cash in on their memories of a celebrated figure. It is now thought more likely that he encountered legionnaires during his extensive travels in Algeria and Morocco, and skillfully blended their stories with his own memories of a short spell as a cavalry trooper in England. While his fictional accounts of life in the pre-1914 Foreign Legion are highly romanticised, his details of Legion uniforms, training, equipment and barrack room layout are generally accurate. This may however simply reflect careful research on his part - the descriptions of Legion garrison life given in his work The Wages of Virtue written in 1914 closely match those contained in the autobiographical In the Foreign Legion by ex legionnaire Edwin Rosen, published Duckworth London 1910.
Born as plain Percy Wren, in Deptford, South London, England, Percy was the son of a schoolmaster. After graduation with a Master of Arts degree from St. Catherine's College, Oxford, a non-collegiate college for poorer students, Percy worked as a boarding school teacher for a few years, during which he married Alice Shovelier, and had a daughter (Estelle, born 1901). In 1903 he joined the Indian Education Service as headmaster of Karachi High School (now Pakistan). While in India, he joined the Poona Volunteer Rifles with the rank of Captain, before his service was terminated in October 1915 after sick leave. He resigned from the Indian Education Service in November 1917. It is presumed that his wife died in India, for no record of her return to Britain has been found; his daughter having died in England in 1910. From there it is claimed that he joined the French Foreign Legion for a single tour of five years though he would have been 42 years of age on enlistment, somewhat older that the usual recruit. He lived out the remainder of his life in England concentrating on his literary career. One of the few photographs of Wren known shows a typical British officer of the Edwardian era with clipped moustache, wearing plain dark blue regimental dress.
Wren was a highly secretive man, and his membership of the Legion has never been confirmed. When his novels became famous, there was a mysterious absence of authenticating photographs of him as a legionnaire or of the usual press-articles by old comrades wanting to cash in on their memories of a celebrated figure. It is now thought more likely that he encountered legionnaires during his extensive travels in Algeria and Morocco, and skillfully blended their stories with his own memories of a short spell as a cavalry trooper in England. While his fictional accounts of life in the pre-1914 Foreign Legion are highly romanticised, his details of Legion uniforms, training, equipment and barrack room layout are generally accurate. This may however simply reflect careful research on his part - the descriptions of Legion garrison life given in his work The Wages of Virtue written in 1914 closely match those contained in the autobiographical In the Foreign Legion by ex legionnaire Edwin Rosen, published Duckworth London 1910.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 6, 2013
Reread Jan 2013. As a side-note, every young man I've recommended this series to has loved it, as has my oldest boy.
---
I love the inscription on the inside of my copy:
“To My Darling Wife, from Mac. ‘X-mas’ 1928.”
As the term is used quite often in this book, I was interested in the meaning of the title, “Beau Ideal.”
“Beau ideal\ [F. beau beautiful + id['e:]al ideal.] A conception or image of consummate beauty, moral or physical, formed in the mind, free from all the deformities, defects, and blemishes seen in actual existence; an ideal or faultless standard or model.”
Before I explore that, I wanted to share the quote that opens the book.
“A MAN’S PLACE IN THE SCALE OF CIVILIZATION IS SHOWN BY HIS ATTITUDE TO WOMEN. THERE ARE MEN WHO REGARD A WOMAN AS SOMETHING TO LIVE WITH. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO REGARD HER AS SOMEONE TO LIVE FOR.”
Something like that just can’t be passed over, especially when it heads the beginning of an adventure book for boys. In this trilogy, Wren has created some very memorable characters of strong, loyal, brave, intelligent, virtuous, honest men—and in this book he creates his ideal in “The Story of Otis Vanbrugh.”
The themes in the book are the same as the others, (the manly virtues named above) as well as brotherhood, (sweet sibling relationships in general), friendship, chivalry and self-sacrifice. I’m loving that most of these old “reactionary” novels for boys promote the much forgotten virtue of doing something right, because it’s right, even at the cost of self-interest. The characters are never full of bravado and revenge, but instead are humble and not too macho to say they’re afraid. But they do what they have to do anyway. They very much believe that one is given the ability to deal with the responsibility at the moment it is required.
I really can’t relate the story at all without giving too much away, sorry for that. But I can tell you that this trilogy is staying in my home and I hope my sons read it. I want them to be the second sort of man—the one who lives for a woman—that kind of man sees all that is good and pure in that woman and knows that because she is so good, he understands that God is good. These kind of heroes think about how their actions affect/influence others. These kind of heroes know there’s always One who knows the smallest action. I want my daughters to read it as well, because I want them to want to be the kind of woman a man lives for (me too!). His women have the same virtues. Old fashioned? I don’t care.
This is the kind of book I’m collecting to help teach my sons how to become true men—but in such a way that they don’t know it. They’re classics in every sense of the word—exciting, moving, inspiring—but all in a non-cloying, non-preachy, non-“I’m trying to teach you a lesson here” kind of way. The writing style is very witty and funny, you’ll laugh as much as gasp and have to dry a few tears of—what is it when you’re not really sad, but it’s not joy—but you’re just—filled? as well.
Here’s a really long quote, if you care to read on. It really reflects the character of the author and the underlying message of his books. It’s too bad there’s really not much information about P.C. Wren out there—I would have liked to know him better. The .... are the author’s—not my editing. He really liked that literary device.
This is a conversation between our hero, Otis, and a doctor (after Otis has suffered a breakdown due to a horrifying experience).
--
“Did you love your father when you were a boy?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Certain?” he queried.
“Er—yes—I think so….” I said.
“I don’t. In fact, I know you didn’t,” he countered.
I thought a while, and realized that the doctor was right. Of course I had never loved my father. I had respected, feared, obeyed and hated him…. He had been the Terror that walked by day and the Fear that stalked me by night….
“Face the facts my dear chap,” said the doctor.
“What is, is—and your salvation depends on freeing your mind from repressions, and making a new adjustment to life…. The truth will make you free—and whole…. Get it up, and get it out….”
I pondered deeply and delved into the past.
“I am sorry to say that I have always hated my father,” I confessed. “Feared and hated him terribly….”
“Yes—and you made your God in your father’s image,” said the doctor….
“I have ‘feared God’ but not hated Him,” I replied.
“Nonsense!” exploded [the doctor:]. “Don’t we hate everything and everyone we fear? … Fear is a curse, a disease, a deadly microbe…the seed of death and damnation…. Since we are speaking of God—get rid of that foul idea of ‘fear God.” …
“Love God…. What decent God would rather be feared than loved? … Let’s have a God that is a little more divine that a d’d savage Ju-Ju! … That cursed injunction to fear God! … Killed more souls and bodies than anything else…. Love God and fear nothing! Some sense in that….
“Now look here—get your father in perspective. He’s a poor human sinner like yourself and me. a man of like passions with us…. Probably always meant for the best—and did his best—by you…. Nothing to fear—a frail sinner like the rest of us…. No power over you now, anyway….
“When you go to sleep tonight, say out loud:
“’Poor old Dad! I feared and hated you—but now I do neither…. I never understood you—but I do now.’” Then say, also out loud, ‘God means Good, and Good means God…. God is Love and Love is God’….”
--
And yet, the story is every bit as gloriously exciting and sufficiently bloody for any adventure-loving soul. And if these words have inspired any of you to pick up a Wren, my job is well done!
---
I love the inscription on the inside of my copy:
“To My Darling Wife, from Mac. ‘X-mas’ 1928.”
As the term is used quite often in this book, I was interested in the meaning of the title, “Beau Ideal.”
“Beau ideal\ [F. beau beautiful + id['e:]al ideal.] A conception or image of consummate beauty, moral or physical, formed in the mind, free from all the deformities, defects, and blemishes seen in actual existence; an ideal or faultless standard or model.”
Before I explore that, I wanted to share the quote that opens the book.
“A MAN’S PLACE IN THE SCALE OF CIVILIZATION IS SHOWN BY HIS ATTITUDE TO WOMEN. THERE ARE MEN WHO REGARD A WOMAN AS SOMETHING TO LIVE WITH. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO REGARD HER AS SOMEONE TO LIVE FOR.”
Something like that just can’t be passed over, especially when it heads the beginning of an adventure book for boys. In this trilogy, Wren has created some very memorable characters of strong, loyal, brave, intelligent, virtuous, honest men—and in this book he creates his ideal in “The Story of Otis Vanbrugh.”
The themes in the book are the same as the others, (the manly virtues named above) as well as brotherhood, (sweet sibling relationships in general), friendship, chivalry and self-sacrifice. I’m loving that most of these old “reactionary” novels for boys promote the much forgotten virtue of doing something right, because it’s right, even at the cost of self-interest. The characters are never full of bravado and revenge, but instead are humble and not too macho to say they’re afraid. But they do what they have to do anyway. They very much believe that one is given the ability to deal with the responsibility at the moment it is required.
I really can’t relate the story at all without giving too much away, sorry for that. But I can tell you that this trilogy is staying in my home and I hope my sons read it. I want them to be the second sort of man—the one who lives for a woman—that kind of man sees all that is good and pure in that woman and knows that because she is so good, he understands that God is good. These kind of heroes think about how their actions affect/influence others. These kind of heroes know there’s always One who knows the smallest action. I want my daughters to read it as well, because I want them to want to be the kind of woman a man lives for (me too!). His women have the same virtues. Old fashioned? I don’t care.
This is the kind of book I’m collecting to help teach my sons how to become true men—but in such a way that they don’t know it. They’re classics in every sense of the word—exciting, moving, inspiring—but all in a non-cloying, non-preachy, non-“I’m trying to teach you a lesson here” kind of way. The writing style is very witty and funny, you’ll laugh as much as gasp and have to dry a few tears of—what is it when you’re not really sad, but it’s not joy—but you’re just—filled? as well.
Here’s a really long quote, if you care to read on. It really reflects the character of the author and the underlying message of his books. It’s too bad there’s really not much information about P.C. Wren out there—I would have liked to know him better. The .... are the author’s—not my editing. He really liked that literary device.
This is a conversation between our hero, Otis, and a doctor (after Otis has suffered a breakdown due to a horrifying experience).
--
“Did you love your father when you were a boy?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Certain?” he queried.
“Er—yes—I think so….” I said.
“I don’t. In fact, I know you didn’t,” he countered.
I thought a while, and realized that the doctor was right. Of course I had never loved my father. I had respected, feared, obeyed and hated him…. He had been the Terror that walked by day and the Fear that stalked me by night….
“Face the facts my dear chap,” said the doctor.
“What is, is—and your salvation depends on freeing your mind from repressions, and making a new adjustment to life…. The truth will make you free—and whole…. Get it up, and get it out….”
I pondered deeply and delved into the past.
“I am sorry to say that I have always hated my father,” I confessed. “Feared and hated him terribly….”
“Yes—and you made your God in your father’s image,” said the doctor….
“I have ‘feared God’ but not hated Him,” I replied.
“Nonsense!” exploded [the doctor:]. “Don’t we hate everything and everyone we fear? … Fear is a curse, a disease, a deadly microbe…the seed of death and damnation…. Since we are speaking of God—get rid of that foul idea of ‘fear God.” …
“Love God…. What decent God would rather be feared than loved? … Let’s have a God that is a little more divine that a d’d savage Ju-Ju! … That cursed injunction to fear God! … Killed more souls and bodies than anything else…. Love God and fear nothing! Some sense in that….
“Now look here—get your father in perspective. He’s a poor human sinner like yourself and me. a man of like passions with us…. Probably always meant for the best—and did his best—by you…. Nothing to fear—a frail sinner like the rest of us…. No power over you now, anyway….
“When you go to sleep tonight, say out loud:
“’Poor old Dad! I feared and hated you—but now I do neither…. I never understood you—but I do now.’” Then say, also out loud, ‘God means Good, and Good means God…. God is Love and Love is God’….”
--
And yet, the story is every bit as gloriously exciting and sufficiently bloody for any adventure-loving soul. And if these words have inspired any of you to pick up a Wren, my job is well done!
August 4, 2013
This is the third volume in the "Beau . . ." series by P.C. Wren of which the first, "Beau Geste" Is the most well-known, In my opinion "Beau Ideal" is the best of the three. It is more coherent--avoiding the extended coda of the first book and the quite unsympathetic hero of the second, "Beau Sabreur". Yes, it has the colonial patriarchal racism, the culturally accepted sexism, and the ridiculous sense of duty and "stiff upper lip" of the time Here, however, the hero has a certain darkness of soul and the adventures are as exciting as ever.
September 23, 2014
Pure art. Nothing better compares the hardships and tough decisions of life like this book. It sets up a sort of ideology of what is important and what is not. It teaches the reader of the virtues of a true friend, and of giving you life for others, which is a trait of which Beau Geste is based on. READ THIS BOOK. Read it along with the first two and if you have half a brain you wont be disappointed!
November 8, 2019
The third Geste novel about the Foreign Legion. And it's very good. Some people might be offended --or self-righteously claim they are -- by the way that Arabs are depicted. But the book was written almost a century ago. No reason to get upset. PC Wren's historical novels are first-rate.
January 23, 2020
Beau Ideal is the third book in a trilogy of French Foreign Legion stories involving the Geste brothers (think Beau Geste the more famous first book in the trilogy). While each book completes a story and could be read independently, this third installment connects the dots on the various characters and plots from all three books. The author had a tendency to repeat facts and details and provide repetitive explanations that made reading the book rather tedious at times. Don’t get me wrong, I want and need the explanations and details; but, in this case it often felt like the repetitions amounted to beating a dead horse. This slows down the action and flow of the plot. In this story a Geste family friend who is an American, Otis Vanbrugh, joins the Legion to search for the last Geste brother, John, who is still in the Legion and probably in a penal battalion. The time period seems to be in the 1920s. Otis meets many of the same characters from the first two books in this trilogy along with some new ones. His search reveals the connection many of these characters have with one another, which wasn’t readily apparent in the first two books. For my money, there could have been more action scenes to make this a better adventure story.
April 6, 2020
Quizá, de la trilogía de 'Beau Geste' , 'Beau Ideal' es el que menos me ha gustado, ya que la trama no me ha parecido tan desarrollada como las otras dos novelas. Además, algunos personajes me exasperaban un poco.Creo que podría haber dado mucho más de si, pero se ha quedado corta. De todas formas la he disfrutado bastante.
October 27, 2023
The epilogue of the Beau Geste series which romanticizes the days of the French foreign lesgion in Africa.
Chivalry, honor, integrity are highlighted within the European context: Protecting the weaker sex, honor to the crown, death before indignity.
The Geste boys are nearly absent in this final installment. Only John, the younger brother, is present, but mostly obliquely referenced. However the two American soldiers, now living in the Sahara as secret sheiks, provide much needed comic relief and a device to close the story.
The writing style wans significantly in this title, leading the reader to wonder if the author ran out of words, plots, or motivation.
As a finale I would recommend it to others. But it lacks the mood of the original.
Chivalry, honor, integrity are highlighted within the European context: Protecting the weaker sex, honor to the crown, death before indignity.
The Geste boys are nearly absent in this final installment. Only John, the younger brother, is present, but mostly obliquely referenced. However the two American soldiers, now living in the Sahara as secret sheiks, provide much needed comic relief and a device to close the story.
The writing style wans significantly in this title, leading the reader to wonder if the author ran out of words, plots, or motivation.
As a finale I would recommend it to others. But it lacks the mood of the original.
July 8, 2021
The story of a minor character made major. Not as enjoyable to me as the prior two, but a good twist/reveal at the end.
January 2, 2025
This trilogy started out strong. I’m glad to be done with it.
September 11, 2009
Borrowed from the Canadian Gay Archives. This is the second sequel to Beau Geste, and deals with thte fate of John Geste, Beau's youngest brother. Though I haven't read either Beau Geste or Beau Sabreur, I've seen the movies somewhere along the line, and there's enough of a plot summary given here that I can follow reasonably well. The narrator of this story is an American called Otis Vanbrugh, who forms a friendship in childhood with the Geste boys, and with Isabel, who grows up to be John's beloved. Otis is also madly in love with her, and it is on her account that he throws himself heroically into the penal divisions of the French Foreign Legion in the middle east in order to save John for Isabel. (John himself has gone on an addle-pated but honourable rescue mission. In fact, the men in this story are all so busy rescuing each other, they seriously endanger each other at every turn!) So we're operating in the realms of High Honour here, with all the repressed misogyny masquerading as devotion, and all the similarly repressed homoeroticism that that world entails. However, though there's a certain element of David-and-Jonathanism in this story, there's very little reason why it should have ended up at the Gay Archives. In fact, the accounts of the Englishman Geste trying to thank the American for his life and his love at the end are almost painfully funny. What I find not at all funny is the blatant racism and xenophobia that permeates this novel. The patronizing tone with which the Arabs are treated is enough to make you gag. Add that to the singularly patronizing attitude to women that I have already mentioned, and it was enough to make this a far less enjoyable experience than, say, a Broster (same period, same kind of themes, but oh what a difference when it's written by Percival Christopher rather than Dorothy Kathleen!) I'll say this for Mr. Wren; he certainly has a taste for macabre torture and death. He also has a penchant for bad puns, which provoke giggles at the oddest moments in his gruesome narrative. I rather think, you know, that he didn't take this stuff at all seriously. Good for Mr. Wren! [These notes made in 1991:].
June 5, 2011
It's hard to say if I was more plesed with the story or pleased to be finished with the project of reading the three Geste books. I lean toward the latter. If I never read another line extolling the unattainable in feminine OR male virtue, it will be just fine with me. These books would be three cracking novels of adventure and intrigue if every second mention of the manly virtues and feminine, dare I say it, ideal had never been penned. Wren spent more time talking about what could not be said (other than "stout fella") than he did in plot development and action. Perhaps had I read these in my adolescent years rather than my dotage, I might be more generous. I'm glad I read them and glad I'll never face them again.
September 21, 2023
I was a big fan of the author when I was at school so I probably read this in 1966. As I recall it this was the first of this author's books which I read so I then had to find the previous two books! I read this again in 1986 and felt a bit disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews