Maker Pro
Maker Pro

very cool book

P

Paul Burridge

Jan 1, 1970
0
"The Last Duel" by Eric Jager.

I hope for your sake Bill Sloman doesn't see this post of yours, John.
He *hates* books. Prepare for a tongue-lashing.
 
J

John Larkin

Jan 1, 1970
0
"The Last Duel" by Eric Jager.

"In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a huge crowd gathers at a Paris
monastery to watch the two men fight a duel to the death meant to
prove which man's cause is right in God's sight. The dramatic true
story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the
devastating Hundred Years War between France and England, as enemy
troops pillage the land, madness haunts the French court, the Great
Schism splits the Church, Muslim armies threaten Christendom, and
rebellion, treachery, and plague turn the lives of all into toys of
Fortune.

At the heart of the tale is Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight who
returns from combat in Scotland to find his wife, Marguerite, accusing
Jacques LeGris, her husband's old friend and fellow courtier, of
brutally raping her. The knight takes his cause before the teenage
King Charles VI, the highest judge in France. Amid LeGris's vociferous
claims of innocence and doubts about the now pregnant Marguerite's
charges (and about the paternity of her child), the deadlocked court
decrees a trial by combat; that leaves her fate, too, in the balance.
For if her husband and champion loses the duel, she will be put to
death as a false accuser.

Carrouges and LeGris, in full armor, eventually meet on a walled field
in Paris before a massive crowd that includes the king and many nobles
of the realm. A fierce fight on horseback and then on foot ensues
during which both combatants suffer wounds;but only one fatal. The
violent and tragic episode was notorious in its own time because of
the nature of the alleged crime, the legal impasse it provoked, and
the resulting trial by combat, an ancient but increasingly suspect
institution that was thereafter abolished. Based on extensive research
in Normandy and Paris, The Last Duel brings to life a colorful,
turbulent age and three unforgettable characters caught in a fatal
triangle of crime, scandal, and revenge. It is at once a moving human
drama, a captivating detective story, and an engrossing work of
historical intrigue."


Really, I found the final fight scene more gripping than any crap
Hollywood "action" movie.

John
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
"The Last Duel" by Eric Jager.
[snip]

Really, I found the final fight scene more gripping than any crap
Hollywood "action" movie.

John

Movie makers seem to have a way of screwing things up.

In the BOOK, "The Godfather", the part where Michael kills the police
captain and Sollozzo had my heart pounding.

The movie scene just didn't quite muster up.

...Jim Thompson
 
W

Winfield Hill

Jan 1, 1970
0
John Larkin wrote...
"The Last Duel" by Eric Jager.

... A fierce fight on horseback and then on foot ensues
during which both combatants suffer wounds;but only one fatal.

OK, John, you know we're not going to read the book, especially
after your fine synopsis (did you write that?), so tell us ...
who won?
 
J

John Larkin

Jan 1, 1970
0
John Larkin wrote...

OK, John, you know we're not going to read the book, especially
after your fine synopsis (did you write that?),

Nope, pasted from a bookseller's site; that's why it was in quotes.
so tell us ... who won?

Doesn't matter; they're all dead now.

John
 
K

Ken Taylor

Jan 1, 1970
0
Jim Thompson said:
"The Last Duel" by Eric Jager.
[snip]

Really, I found the final fight scene more gripping than any crap
Hollywood "action" movie.

John

Movie makers seem to have a way of screwing things up.

In the BOOK, "The Godfather", the part where Michael kills the police
captain and Sollozzo had my heart pounding.

The movie scene just didn't quite muster up.

...Jim Thompson
--
They never do. Oddly enough our brains can muster up a *way* better scene
than any movie. Well, those of us who read, of course.... :)

Cheers.

Ken
 
OK, John, you know we're not going to read the book, especially
after your fine synopsis (did you write that?),
Nope, pasted from a bookseller's site; that's why it was in quotes.
so tell us ... who won?
Doesn't matter; they're all dead now.
OK,

Since John's being a weenie, I'll do it:
"
t was decided that the coming combat would be located next to the walls
of St. Martin-des-Champs. It was held in the presence of the king and
the princes according to custom, and a huge crowd of common people
assembled. Both men entered the lists ready for the uncertain trial
of combat. And when the marshal gave the signal for the attack, they
drove their horses forward, let their lances of war drop, and
proceeding at a gentle pace, they dashed against each other
courageously and with spirit. In this first rush the other man
pierced Lord Jean's thigh with his lance; and this blow would have
done him much good if he had held the lance in that wound. But when
he immediately drew it out, it was covered in blood, and the sight,
rather than stunning the wounded man, made him bolder. Meanwhile,
great horror paralyzed the spectators for a long time, and no one spoke
or breathed, held as they were between hope and fear, until Jean
gathered his strength, and advancing, shouted "This day will decide
our quarrel." With his left hand he seized the top of his
opponent's helmet, and drew Jacques toward him and then pulling back
a little, threw Jacques to the ground where he lay weighed down by his
armor. Jean then drew his sword and killed his enemy, though with
great difficulty, because he was fully armored.

Although the victor many times asked the defeated man while he was
lying there to confess to the truth, the vanquished completely denied
the event; but after all he was condemned, according to the custom of
the duel, to be hanged from a gibbet. Thus the mother of errors, the
stepmother of good counsel, rash cruelty occasioned this unjust duel.
Afterwards everyone found out who had committed the foul rape, when
someone else confessed while being condemned to death. The aforesaid
lady took note of this, and thinking over the fault in her mind, after
the death of her husband became a recluse and took an oath of perpetual
continence.

"

Bob Stephens
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
OK,

Since John's being a weenie, I'll do it:
"
t was decided that the coming combat would be located next to the walls
of St. Martin-des-Champs. It was held in the presence of the king and
the princes according to custom, and a huge crowd of common people
assembled. Both men entered the lists ready for the uncertain trial
of combat. And when the marshal gave the signal for the attack, they
drove their horses forward, let their lances of war drop, and
proceeding at a gentle pace, they dashed against each other
courageously and with spirit. In this first rush the other man
pierced Lord Jean's thigh with his lance; and this blow would have
done him much good if he had held the lance in that wound. But when
he immediately drew it out, it was covered in blood, and the sight,
rather than stunning the wounded man, made him bolder. Meanwhile,
great horror paralyzed the spectators for a long time, and no one spoke
or breathed, held as they were between hope and fear, until Jean
gathered his strength, and advancing, shouted "This day will decide
our quarrel." With his left hand he seized the top of his
opponent's helmet, and drew Jacques toward him and then pulling back
a little, threw Jacques to the ground where he lay weighed down by his
armor. Jean then drew his sword and killed his enemy, though with
great difficulty, because he was fully armored.

Although the victor many times asked the defeated man while he was
lying there to confess to the truth, the vanquished completely denied
the event; but after all he was condemned, according to the custom of
the duel, to be hanged from a gibbet. Thus the mother of errors, the
stepmother of good counsel, rash cruelty occasioned this unjust duel.
Afterwards everyone found out who had committed the foul rape, when
someone else confessed while being condemned to death. The aforesaid
lady took note of this, and thinking over the fault in her mind, after
the death of her husband became a recluse and took an oath of perpetual
continence.

"

Bob Stephens

....perpetual "continence" ?:)

Wow!

...Jim Thompson
 
J

John Larkin

Jan 1, 1970
0
OK,

Since John's being a weenie, I'll do it:
"
t was decided that the coming combat would be located next to the walls
of St. Martin-des-Champs. It was held in the presence of the king and
the princes according to custom, and a huge crowd of common people
assembled. Both men entered the lists ready for the uncertain trial
of combat. And when the marshal gave the signal for the attack, they
drove their horses forward, let their lances of war drop, and
proceeding at a gentle pace, they dashed against each other
courageously and with spirit. In this first rush the other man
pierced Lord Jean's thigh with his lance; and this blow would have
done him much good if he had held the lance in that wound. But when
he immediately drew it out, it was covered in blood, and the sight,
rather than stunning the wounded man, made him bolder. Meanwhile,
great horror paralyzed the spectators for a long time, and no one spoke
or breathed, held as they were between hope and fear, until Jean
gathered his strength, and advancing, shouted "This day will decide
our quarrel." With his left hand he seized the top of his
opponent's helmet, and drew Jacques toward him and then pulling back
a little, threw Jacques to the ground where he lay weighed down by his
armor. Jean then drew his sword and killed his enemy, though with
great difficulty, because he was fully armored.

Although the victor many times asked the defeated man while he was
lying there to confess to the truth, the vanquished completely denied
the event; but after all he was condemned, according to the custom of
the duel, to be hanged from a gibbet. Thus the mother of errors, the
stepmother of good counsel, rash cruelty occasioned this unjust duel.
Afterwards everyone found out who had committed the foul rape, when
someone else confessed while being condemned to death. The aforesaid
lady took note of this, and thinking over the fault in her mind, after
the death of her husband became a recluse and took an oath of perpetual
continence.

"

Bob Stephens

Damn, you ruined the best part of the book for anybody who reads it.

In the book, the battle is described in much more detail, and the
author discounts the (more than one) rumor that someone else was the
actual rapist.

John
 
Paul said:
I hope for your sake Bill Sloman doesn't see this post of yours, John.
He *hates* books. Prepare for a tongue-lashing.

"The Last Duel" isn't published by Artech Press, who have been sending
me unsolicited flyers for years - but by Broadway, who have never
pestered me.

So I've got no initial prejudice against this particular book - and in
fact, it sounds quite interesting, though not interesting enough to
actually buy from Amazon.

For someone who is claimed to hate books, I do have a surprisingly
large number of them around the house - several thousand at last count.
Quite a few of these do belong to my wife, but I think I still buy more
than she does.

I have though about making a collection of Paul Burridge's errors of
fact and doctrine, but we really haven't got the shelf space - they
certainly aren't rare enough to count as collector's items, and in
fact have more in common with the worn-through right plimsol you now
find on the beach of the remotest Pacific island.
 
B

Barry Lennox

Jan 1, 1970
0
"The Last Duel" isn't published by Artech Press, who have been sending
me unsolicited flyers for years - but by Broadway, who have never
pestered me.

Why do you have a bug up your ass about Artech? While I only have one
of their books: "CAD of Microstrip Antennas for Wireless Apps" I do
find it quite useful.
I have though about making a collection of Paul Burridge's errors of
fact and doctrine, but we really haven't got the shelf space - they
certainly aren't rare enough to count as collector's items, and in
fact have more in common with the worn-through right plimsol you now
find on the beach of the remotest Pacific island.

Funny you should mention that, My dog found a LH one on the beach a
few weeks back (East Coast, South Island, New Zealand) I guess I'll
have to send him further afield to find the missing RH one.
 
P

Paul Burridge

Jan 1, 1970
0
"The Last Duel" isn't published by Artech Press, who have been sending
me unsolicited flyers for years - but by Broadway, who have never
pestered me.

So I've got no initial prejudice against this particular book - and in
fact, it sounds quite interesting, though not interesting enough to
actually buy from Amazon.

So you've no objection to John posting a synopsis of a 14th Century
story set in France here, but you take great exception to my pointer
to a reference book on electronics. The former is germane, the later
isn't. What a strange world you inhabit. :-|
 
Paul said:
So you've no objection to John posting a synopsis of a 14th Century
story set in France here,

Like I siad, it sounds like an interesting book,
but you take great exception to my pointer
to a reference book on electronics.

Which you were trying to sell, under the thoroughly misleading subject
line "An absolute "must have" book for all engineers" - as if all
engineers were involved in electronic warfare systems!
The former is germane, the later isn't. What a strange world you inhabit. :-|

Not half as strange as yours, where you equate an interesting, if
off-topic post from one of the more respectable regular posters with an
inaccurate bit of spam from one of the less valuable contributors.
 
Barry said:
Why do you have a bug up your ass about Artech? While I only have one
of their books: "CAD of Microstrip Antennas for Wireless Apps" I do
find it quite useful.

Have a look at

http://www.artechhouse.com/Default.asp?Publish=1&Frame=reason12.html

They aren't exactly vanity publishers, but they exist to exploit a
niche market. Their authors are typically academics, or engineers
working in very specialised areas, who are strongly motivated to write
and publish books to boost their prestige and perceived value withn
their professional niche, so they are prepared to sell their work to
anyone who will publish it for a lot less than the real cost of doing
the work.

The core buyers for Artech House books would be university libraries -
practicising engineers who fiid themselves pitchforked into new areas
would seem to be a smaller group.

The customers aren't in a position to be all that discriminating, so
most of the books are cobbled together out of published papers, and are
correspondingly inaccessible. In most cases, if you feel the need to
read an Artech House book, you'd be better off digging into the
literature to find the original papers. That way you get to see the
latest work, as well as getting a broader picture of the field.

As publishing houses go, it fills a much needed gap.
Funny you should mention that, My dog found a LH one on the beach a
few weeks back (East Coast, South Island, New Zealand) I guess I'll
have to send him further afield to find the missing RH one.

Clearly, NZ isn't remote enough for right-hand plimsols.
 
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