If you require cliff's notes, then you ought not to be reading Le Morte D'Arthur. It isn't even that difficult a book. Reading the notes makes you a chimpanzee.

The Cliff Notes for Le Morte D'Arthur were very helpful. I must say that using Cliff Notes does not make you a chimp! Although Le Morte D'Arthur is not the most difficult reading it is not the easiest. For those who utilize Cliff Notes it may just be to supplement the book to get a better understanding. I feel bad for the reviewer who felt the need to place judgement on all who use Cliff Notes without knowing the reason why. For those of you who are having difficulty with this book the Cliff Notes will help and don't be ashamed, it doesn't make you an evil or stupid person!

IT'S AWESOME:p SIR THOMAS MALORY IS HARD TO READ IF YOU REALLY LIKE HIS VERSION OF EVENTS, THEN READ T.H.WHITE'S "THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING" WHICH IS HEAVILY BASED ON SIR THOMAS MALORY'S STORY. IT'S A WHOLE LOT EASIER!:p

I think that this book is very good for the people wno likes to be in suspense. It gets you inside of the story and surprises you each chapter. One of the things I most liked about this book is that James Bond gets personally involved. What surprised me about me about James Bond was how much he cares about inocent people diying. I think that this book is different from the other books about James Bond because the other books have more action and I think this change is because it wasn't written by Ian Fleming.I liked this book because when you read the first two chapters you can't stop reading it because you want to know what is going to happen next.It gives you information about the characters chapter by chapter and I like that because you can imagine everything that is happening.This book makes you think alot because you have to remember what happened in last chapter in order to know what is happening and you also start to imagine what is going to happen next.The first couple of chapters were my favorites because you start thinking about all possible resolutions and you start liking the book. I didn't like Sukie Tempesta's character because she was kind of predictible.One of my favorite parts of this book is the end and the phrase were it says "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end.But it is,perhaps, the end of the beginning" because it makes you think.Finally,I think that every James Bond's fan should read this book, and even if this is the first book about James Bond that you will read I am sure you will find it very interesting.

I believe that this is a very good book for people who like suspense, because this edge of your seat thriller keeps you involved every chapter. In this sotry James Bond gets involved sentimentaly because he thiks that his girl friend was killed, later he found that she wasn not dead. She betrays him. One of the things I liked the most about this book, is that each of the caracters are described in detail. I think this bood is different from the other James Bond's books, because it was written by John Gardener. I think that James Bond's boss shouldn't assign this mission to him because he knew that James Bond will get personally involved. This book was good, but some ot the parts were a little confusing because you had to remember perfectly what happend in the last chapter's to understand what was going on. I didn't like that character of Sukie Tempesta, it was very predictible since chapter 2 and in chapter 23 you realize that she wasn't as good as she seemed to be. I think that the other stories I have read have more action than this one, and James Bond cares more about inocent people dying. James Bond continues to be very smart like in the other stories.

Slam bang action. This adventure hits the USA and Washington DC! Bond is sent to take charge! And that is what he does in this great Bond adventure! Great reading! Loved the ending!

After reading Ian Fleming's Bond Books and Raymond Benson's novelizations of the movies, this almost top it all. SPECTRE is brought back into play after almost 30 years of absence. Gardner does an exquisite job of re-creating Ian Fleming's style. Plus a great twist at the ending. This should be a movie.
The only problem was the SAAB, who drives a Saab?

"For Special Services", John Gardner's second James Bond novel, improves on the first as he builds a tale of mystery and almost constant suspense. This time, Bond is teamed with Felix Leiter's daughter Cedar to find out more about the return of SPECTRE. More fleshed-out villains, a great Bond girl (who Bond can't go after due to her father), and exciting, suspenseful writing make one realize how underrated Gardner's books are. One of his best.

This book is without a doubt Gardner's finest work. SPECTRE has returned under the leadership of Nena Blofeld. Markus Bismaquer is a formidable villian and Cedar Leiter shines as a bond girl. What can anyone find wrong with this book? It is a masterpiece!

Why do most of John Gardner's James Bond novels seem like screenplays? I think that is what was always missing from his writings. Because they were similar to screenplays they read like movie scripts, not novels. It just leaves the reader so uninvolved. Detail and flavor for the settings are always noticeably absent from his Bond novels. This one is no exception. I suppose we all lose!

Like the other reviewers here, I don't much care for John Gardner's James Bond novels. Gardner just doesn't seem to be in touch with Ian Fleming's classic character or the special world Fleming created for him. The only reason I am reading Gardner's Bonds is that I want to read those by Raymond Benson...

However, although it gets off to a slow start, I would have to say that (so far) "Win, Lose or Die" is arguably a highlight of the Gardner books. It is also the only one that I feel could actually work as a Bond film. The characters are a bit more respectable than most of Gardner's creations, especially his usual cookie-cutter villains. The book also carries some of the wonderful, sinister, almost supernatural imagery that Fleming was so fond of, portraying Bond and the other characters as players in a strange spiritual plane that seems to stretch beyond Earthly bonds.

Now, if only Gardner could have learned to do away with all those...one-liners he has Bond spout after he does something. This is supposed to be Fleming's Bond, not Roger Moore's. Furthermore, the book continues to slip with the horrid scenes in which Bond interacts with M and Bill Tanner. In Fleming's books, M was a man of few words, and when he said something, it was to the point and deadly serious. Unfortunately, Gardner again sinks to the level of having Bond and M trade barbs, if you will. Fleming's Bond would NEVER smart off to his boss the way Gardner's does.

However, once you get past the tepid first third of the novel, the narrative really picks up. This book actually has enough high points to outweigh the low points. The section where Bond is used as bait at the Italian villa is almost up to Fleming's speed. And the climax aboard the hijacked carrier is absolutely spellbinding.

"Win, Lose or Die" is one of the few Gardner Bonds that those of us "Fleming purists" can get through without rolling our eyes darn near every page.

This novel has screenplay written on it. It is fairly simple and would translate to the screen well. Good as a started Bond book for the casual suspense reader.

_The Secret Generations_ contains a lot of nice prose that does an admirable job of conveying mood and scenery. What it lacks, however, is a coherent and compelling story. The biggest issue I had with the story line was that it completely lacked closure. There were so many threads that still needed to be tied off at the end I wonder whether Gardner, the author, had any idea of where he eventually wished to conclude the story.

In short, the book was relatively entertaining, but I wanted more.

This is a good read and gives a rough overview of the foundations of the UK's MI-5 and MI-6 during WW I. Not an incredible read, but a nice summer read.

Excellent reading for Gardner fans! This book is a must read. I fully recommend this book to all.

I have read a few of Gardner's Bond books and have liked them as escapist fare, but this book is poorly plotted and the relationship between Bond and "Flicka"(?)was insipid. Can you imagine a James Bond who is called a ...well let's just say the phrase was so inappropriate for Bond that I felt like I was reading James Bond by way of Beavis and Butthead. Weak.

Bond is set against a serial killer who is assasinating celebrities in this thriller. Bond's love interest is probably the best one he's had in a novel of movie since Ian Fleming's novels.

Great story! Endearing and great escapism at its best! ***** Loved this a lot! fantastic scenes and great ending! Loved this to the max! High explosive! Octane excitement! Bond stays Irrisistable! Great plotting by a master!

An okay read, nothing great. Gardner once said of himself, "I am the greatest writer since Chaucer." Gardner died in the 1980's and most of his books are now out of print. Chaucer died in the 1300's and we're still reading THE CANTERBURY TALES. Gardner hasn't really lived up to Chaucer, has he?

First of all, if you are a John Gardner fan boost this rating to a five. There are many John C Gardner's to enjoy: the poet, novelist, teacher, critic, playwriter. To me this man was at his best as a teacher and novelist and for this reason I rate 'On Writers and Writing' highly. His insights on the works of contemporary and some not so contemprary writer's offer, most particulary to Gardner fans, a better view of the mans opinions, values and philosophies, ones that come through a bit more cryptically ( most often for artisic purposes) in his often underrated fiction. For Gardner fans this is a must own. For others, an enjoyable read.

Coming on the heels of "Icebreaker" this ranks as a major disappointment from John Gardner. The plot and prose is a collection of disjointed and very uninspiring ideas for our hero James Bond. However, several of these ideas did seem to make it to the screen shortly after in some of Roger Moore's later Bond films and Timothy Dalton's first outing. "Role of Honor" ultimately has a rambling plot that leaves the reader totally disinterested. I was very disappointed with this novel.

The plot to this novel is pretty intrigueing and it's good to see Bond square off against SPECTRE again. The book does have some bad points, but all in all it's one of Gardeners better Bond novels.

Not John Gardner's best, but certanly not his worst. The plot and villians could be spruced up a bit to make it better. At least SPECTRE is in it. This 007 book is very complex and only should be read by true 007 fans!

If you want to read a good book, do not read this. All James Bond does in it is walk around Russia wearing Mukluks. The book could have been made a lot better if it had some decent action scenes in it to sustain it, but all it has is a part where James Bond rolls over the bonnet of a car and stuffs up his shoulder, a short gun battle at a chalet in Russia which is hardly worth mentioning and a final skirmish in my home town of Baku, which is at least some violent relief for us. The plot makes no sense, as do some characters that change sides later on in the story. Why? Why?

This book is a departure that I think failed. It is a Bond story with very littl action and lots and lots of boring dialog. If this was your first exposure to a Bond novel, don't give up. Read some of the original Ian Fleming books and have a ball.

Amazing! THE MAN FROM BARBAROSSA is full of wild action-packed stunts and action. James Bond is forced to fight against a secret group called The Scales of Justice who want to control Russia and wish to film an legal trial of a spy. If you're searching for thrills, this is the book for you. It is fulled of action, and the besat part is when James Bond fights the men in the house. Disagree with the one and two stars and go for the five, You will be happy with results if you read John Gardner's best. Others best include the action-fulled ICEBREAKER, NO DWEALKS MR BOND and COLD FALL and BROKEN CLAWS.