This would have been a much more famous work if it hadn't spent so much time in the crypt of the church at the beginning, and if it had actually have more first person adventure rather than narrated adventure offscreen. Still, it was fun to read a book of this ilk again. ( )

Brilliant should I give it five stars? Maybe...
Now I am female not male
I could be the lads grandma ..
I live 250 years approximately after him..
I live in England but at the opposite end..
Never sailed or explored..

So we could not be more different and if you have a description of the subject matter it would not appeal really but this grabbed me and kept me enthralled.
( )

El primer libro de la serie de Aventuras de la editorial Zenda donde Arturo Perez Reverte re-edita clasicos de aventuras olvidados.

Entiendo lo que le gusta a Perez Reverte de este libro. Es una aventura a pie, a barco, de gente normal, gente humilde, donde el protagonista tiene que superar el miedo a la oscuridad, a los cadaveres y a las alturas por ejemplo. No hay superpoderes, no hay grandes efectos, no hay grandes heroes. Cometiendo errores a veces, haciendolo mejor otras en una aventura donde la avaricia, el dolor, el arrepentimiento, la amistad y el amor se mezclan en una mezcla muy humana.

Me ha gustado como el autor nos explica porque el protagonista es capaz de hacer ciertas cosas. Por ejemplo, en un momento para intentar distraer su mente y mirada se fija en varios detalles de un jardin, lo que luego se usa para que el protagonista tenga la confianza de haber visto algo en concreto.

Las descripciones son perfectas. Es increible como en el mundo actual, aun da aprensión leer la descripcion de armas de fuego de hace 200 años. O las tormentas, un mundo en el que unos kilometros de distancia o un cambio en el tiempo era la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte. ( )

[This is a review I wrote in 2006]

**A brilliant story for everyone!**

Brilliant! A great book for readers of any age. Older children, teens & adults should all enjoy it. I don't know how I missed this one out when I was younger, but it's definitely not just for kids... I loved it!! A smuggling tale of adventure that sees the main character, John Trenchard, mature from boy to man. A well-orchestrated twist to the end of the tale too. A classic! ( )

I was sure I had previously read this in Grade 8 but barely remembered any of it. What's with that? Coles Notes? I don't imagine it's assigned anymore, given a section on a conniving Jewish jeweller. It is a wonderful tale, though, and my Folio Society edition, beautifully illustrated by Michael Manomivibul, helped warm quite a few winter nights. ( )