This spirited account of the exploits of a crew of Saxon archers during the Hundred Years War features cameo appearances by historical figures such as Edward III and the Black Prince. Flavorful and realistic in its depictions of medieval life, the novel combines the excitement of a rugged adventure with the romance of chivalry.
Historical Adventure ^ For anyone whose only expsure to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the Sherlock Holmes tales, this book will be an interesting read. It's a fantastic adventure book, featuring characters with depth set in a truly historical setting. Doyle did his research, and while the characters may be mostly fictional, the rest of the book is historically accurate.
Absorbing and Enjoyable ^ The White Company was said to be one of Canon Doyle's favorite creations, and it does show the great pains he took in research, both in speech and the customs of the day. The plot ramps up slowly at the start but once it gets going, hang on for the adventure of your life- it is non-stop heart pounding action. And throw in a budding romance and you have one heck of a tale. I found the White Company a more tightly constructed book then Sir Nigel, which was subsequently written as the prequel to the White Company. I found the final ending of the story a tad Hollywoodish, but I suppose he wanted a happy one. All in all, one of the most memorable books I've read.
Doyle at his best ^ Of all of Doyle's writing, The White Company has, perhaps, the best character development of all. The surrounding history, personal motivations and flavor of the times show him to be a formidable historian as well as a skilled story-teller.
If you have a young boy, this would be a wonderful way to get him excited about reading. Then again, you could plunk him in front of the TV and save the price of the book.
An old favorite revisited ^ I first read this book over 50 years ago, and wondered how I would like it now. I found it to be an absorbing description of feudal times in England and what we now call France. I can readily see why the French dislike the English, although 700 years seems a long time to hold a grudge! The book is a fine adventure, with lots of detail about combat in the 13th century. The style may be a little slow for those used to a modern pace.
Great story of chivalry ^ My parents had a series of books when I was a child. They a book-of-the-month collection that contained the collected works of many of the most famous western authors such as Shakespeare, Balzac, Wilde, etc. They had them mainly for show but being an avid reader, I went thru many of them.
My first introduction to Sherlock Holmes and Watson were in Sir Conan Doyle's volume but the story that fascinated me more than any other was "the White Company." I read that story dozens of times. When my parents moved and decided to give the books to the school library, I kept that volume. Somewhere in the last 35 years it disappeared. Thank goodness I found it and the previously unread companion piece, Sir Nigel.
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