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Puffin, 1996, £3.99. 336 pages ISBN 0140367071
Oxford University Press, (abridged), 124 pages, £4.00. ISBN 0195863208
A classic.
Devon at the end of the seventeenth century. The Doone family of outlaws terrorise the neighbourhood and then retreat to their fastness in a valley high up in the moors. Then one day a boy, Jan Ridd, climbs a waterfall and finds a secret way into the valley. Years later he puts this knowledge to good use and leads a force to defeat the Doones.
But there is one member of the Doone clan who is different from the rest. Lorna. What is her secret?
A thrilling story with a detailed historical background set against the wild Devonshire countryside. Unfortunately it may be rather long for modern children but there are always abridged editions.
This book was first published in 1947. It was written at the end of the Second World War when Geoffrey Trease was in India. When he wrote it he had only three books to refer to. Later, with better research facilities, he revised it and the revised edition was published in 1994.
Early one morning John - or Jack - Norwood is in the church of the little village of Brinton in Somerset. He is picking out a tune he has written himself on the organ. He is alone except for Jane Goodrich. She is the daughter of the lord of the local manor and she is blowing the bellows for him.
Then they find that they are not alone. Fleeing from the Battle of Sedgemoor, a Major Dudley Sinclair has taken refuge in the church. Jack and Jane help the Major to escape and in return the Major helps Jack. Sinclair is also a musician and he gives Jack a letter to take to Henry Purcell if he is ever in London.
In due course Jack does go to London - and to Henry Purcell, who suggests he should learn a new instrument, the instrument of the future - the violin. He arranges for Jack to have free lessons and, when more experienced, Jack plays with the orchestra in Drury Lane Theatre and earns enough to pay his Great Aunt Elizabeth.
Jack is told to concentrate on his music and ignore politics but he finds it impossible to do this. He has the chance of a wealthy patron and a place in his household but Jack's bluntness loses him this great opportunity. He tells Lord Bablocke that his music is for sale but not his mind. As time goes on Jack becomes more and more convinced that it is wrong for the King to be all-powerful. Jack believes in Parliament. He meets Major Sinclair again and becomes involved in the plotting to bring William of Orange over to Britain. His music is also involved in the form of sheets of music which are actually a message in code. Later his violin becomes a hiding place for an important document. All this leads Jack into danger and the shadow of the gallows.
Always in the background is Jane driving him on. She is one of Geoffrey Trease's most determined heroines. She herself says that she usually gets what she wants. She gets herself packed off to a boarding school for young ladies in Chelsea - a school which also teaches music and dancing, something which her mother had not realised.
Throughout the book Jane is always urging Jack on and helping him. She herself wants to become an actress and singer but she cannot because she is a lady. Or can she? Remember Jane usually gets what she wants.
Many of Geoffrey Trease's most successful books have been about the theatre. Trumpets in the West gives an absorbing picture of the life of musicians at the time together with a gripping story written around the events of the Glorious Revolution.
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Project Gutenberg has a large number of copyright-free books which can be downloaded free.
This book is included to show the wide variety of ways in which books can be obtained nowadays. I like the classics. I enjoyed this book as a child and I am glad that modern technology enabled me to read it again. Now for the story.
Martin Hyde was brought up among the Norfolk Broads. He was orphaned at the age of twelve and sent to live with his uncle in London.
Martin does not settle down in London. Once, for disobedience, he is locked in his room. In a fit of rebellion he escapes through the window and goes to investigate the strange goings-on in the house opposite. He finds it is occupied by the Duke of Monmouth and some of his supporters, all busy plotting the overthrow of James II. Young Martin agrees to join them and becomes the Duke's messenger.
Then follows an action-packed tale of adventure and intrigue in Holland, an eventful crossing of the Channel, and, finally, a description of the pathetic efforts of the untrained countrymen who took part in teh Monmouth Rising and the dreadful retribution which was to follow.
Throughout all Martin often finds himself up against the young and beautiful government agent, Aurelia. They start as adversaries but when he needs her Martin discovers that she is a true friend.
Told in the first person by Martin so we know right from the start that he is going to survive the Rebellion.
I downloaded the Text Only version of this book and imported it into Word. In an attempt to be kind to my eyes I gave it a sea-green background. I found that scrolling through it was a problem so I split it up into files of no more than three chapters. Finally I used my CD-RW to transfer it to disc as I am trying to save my hard disc space.
It is good that this book is still available.
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