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Rowland Walker

Forfatter af Stories of British History

21 Værker 33 Medlemmer 3 Anmeldelser

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Dødsdag
20th Century
Køn
male
Nationalitet
UK

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Rowland Walker, Pepper's Crack Eleven, Here's a taster from page 35 - 'Tom Crick sending up googlies, twisters and yorkers, while Pepper and Jolly drove them to the boundary, and sent the bug-wumps scampering after them in all directions'. A gaudy front cover, probably what's left of a jacket glued on later, shows a demonic batter brandishing a bat above his head having played a 21st century style 20/20 shot.
 
Markeret
jon1lambert | Oct 12, 2019 |
An episodic adventure story that really requires the telephone number of the Royal Flying Corp recruiter at the bottom of each page. The eponymous hero of the story is a young, naturally gifted pilot, an enthusiastic fighter of the evil Hun, who flies with his Scottish observer, Jock. The book expounds on the various adventures of this duo as they fight over the front lines of France.

The books lacks any significant character development. The hero appears fully formed as the model of English public school chivalry, and remains through the book as a rather bland seeker of adventure, honour, and duty. There are frustrating holes in the narrative, dropping hints of interesting plots which are left dangling, or characters who abruptly fade away (did I miss what happens to Jock?)

The action sequences were solidly written and quite enjoyable. In order to meet his apparent goal to recruit more young men to the RFC, the author interspersed the story with paeans to the glory of the fledgling new British military arm, the heroism of the men who fly, and the great destiny that the RFC are fulfilling in the fight against evil.

If you enjoy air combat, this book might appeal, but there is much 'hooray for the Empire,' and little good story, character, or consistency.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
Beniaminus | Nov 1, 2017 |
This 1920s novel - reissued regularly, my copy was awarded as a school prize in 1932 - is what we would nowadays call a 'techno-thriller'; the protagonists hire an airship the way we would go out and hire a camper van for a holiday. This is also a book that we would nowadays call racist, imperialist, mysogynist and riven through with class prejudice and total lack of concern for the environment and any concept of conservation. Just so as you know.
 
Markeret
RobertDay | Aug 17, 2011 |

Statistikker

Værker
21
Medlemmer
33
Popularitet
#421,955
Vurdering
½ 2.5
Anmeldelser
3
ISBN
5