A beautiful masterpiece, truly Haggard at his best. It depicts an English youth, who lost his fortune and his fiancee's hand. Swearing with his brother to win back their home, he ends up in Africa, trying to make a fortune. It is only afterwards that he rescues a maid from a slave-dealer (for payment, of course!) falls in love with her, and ends up in a place no one has ever heard of. Narrow escape, love, intrigue, and more make this book great! It's worth every penny!

Although not of the Allan Quartermain storyline, which has some great novels, and not one of Haggard's more famous novels, I view "People of the Mist" as the best novel that Haggard ever wrote. I have read it several times and it is still fresh and exciting.

This is an incredible adventure, complete with terror, tears and laughs! After a brief introduction into the scenario, the pace and mystery picks-up to a 'can't-put-it-down' pace! After lending my tattered copy to someone years ago, forgetting who, and searching for a copy ever since, I've FINALLY FOUND IT!!! Thanks,AMAZON!!!!!!!!

One of the greatest losses to cinema is the old-fashioned, politically incorrect but thoroughly enjoyable British Empire film that was designed to prove no point other than its value as entertainment. In recent decades John Huston's "The Man Who Would Be King" managed to distill the old and the new sensibilities into a cohesive whole; but alas, the increasing lack of hardy and rugged actors of the caliber of a Sean Connery or a Victor McLaglen or an Errol Flynn have made the task of filming Kipling or Haggard yarns all the more formidable; and audiences are the losers.

What Philip Leibfried has achieved here is an immensely readable and enlightening survey that details just how many such films have been made based on the writings of these two authors. The survey goes beyond the films to also include adaptations in other media. The list is staggering: some 110 adaptations all told, each one described (where information was avaliable) with cast and credits, production history, and criticisms. Each of the authors' works is also delineated in a plot summary; and stills illustrate the book liberally. (How the author managed to find some of the more obscure stills remains no small achievement). The lives and careers of both men are also described in some depth in the Introduction.

The author's approach is sensible and fair: even the poorest film gets coverage and consideration. Space obviously did not allow for it, but on rare occasion, however, one wishes for an even more expansive approach, as in the case of the 1950 adaptation of "King's Solomons Mines". Because that film was almost unrecognizable as an adaptaion of Haggard, it receives less coverage than most of the other major productions. However, the author is clearly more respectful of the more faithful filmings, and he rightly bemoans the fact that this 1950 film left out the book's fantasy elements, many of its characters, and much of its action and plot.

These adaptations of Kipling and Haggard brought forth the best that Hollywood and the world had to offer in order to make them: directors such as John Ford, Victor Fleming, William Wellman, George Stevens, John Huston, and the Korda brothers; and actors of the caliber of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Michael Caine, Deborah Kerr, Ronald Colman and the three mentioned in the opening paragraph; not to mention inimitable players such as Sabu, Shirley Temple, and of course Sam Jaffe, whose heroic and poignant portrayal of the simple regimental "bhisti" Gunga Din remains the most unforgettable of them all.

The book is handsomely packaged, on fine paper, with the stills very sharply reproduced. It is the kind of book that can be opened to any page for reading; and for once we have a "Complete List" film book that offers up a healthy serving of fresh and virtually unknown material, both written and pictorial.

This well-written and delightful book, a comprehensive guide to the works of Rudyard Kipling and Sir Henry Rider Haggard on screen, stage, radio, and TV, is the perfect gift for both the cinéaste and the casual moviegoer and reader of adventure lore. The stills and posters are great. Many of the scenes come alive in memory. The synopses and reviews are exhaustive. Mr. Leibfried's knowledge of his subject is encyclopedic. His aside on the Haggard-Hayden feud is proof alone of that. A great book for film buffs everywhere.

Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book) and Sir Henry Rider Haggard (King Solomon's Mines) were close friends who wrote popular stories and poems about exotic adventure in very different ways. Their various works have been adapted many times for screen, stage, television, and radio productions. Rudyard Kipling And Sir Henry Rider Haggard On Screen, Stage, Radio And Television is a complete and definitive guide to those adaptations and each original literary work is summarized, followed by a complete filmography and analysis for each film based on a particular story or poem. Separate sections provide information on adaptions created for radio, stage, and television. The informative text material is enhanced further with numerous photographs from films. Rudyard Kipling And Sir Henry Rider Haggard On Screen, Stage, Radio And Television is an invaluable addition to literary and film histories, and an important reference for all Kipling and Haggard fans.

Rider haggard at his best. This amazing Fantasy story takes place in ancient Egypt. The hero, a prince, has to go through many extreme challenges to win the throne and the heart of his beloved women. The book gives a great insight on Egyptian religions and culture. It is a great book for Egyption culture fans, adventure and fantasy lovers, and for anyone else too...

when i was about 11years old,i came across this book back home in west africa.it is a story about an egyptian royal family.ramses .it is captivating to the point where,it made me to cry,laugh,and be kept in feverish suspense,but at the same time gave me an understanding of what power,position greed,and betrayal means. an absolute must read.

Sadly, Rider Haggard is no longer required reading in the school system. Nevertheless, this rip-roaring action story about the early life of Umslopogas, a character more usually found in a supporting role in the novel Alan Quartermain, is probably Haggard's most poetic and free-flowing yarn. A multiplicity of interesting characters is to be found in this tale, although the central theme is the moving love story of Umslopogas and Nada (a native girl of great beauty). If you have been moved by West Side Story or Romeo and Juliet, and also enjoy a rollicking action-packed adventure saga, this book is a must for you!

Almost everyone is familiar with King Solomon's Mines, She and Alan Quatermain etc but I have encountered relatively few readers of Nada the Lily. This is extraordinary since it is one of Haggard's greatest stories. Given the scenario of an adventure/love story spread out accross the South African landscape during the ruthless and absolute rule of the Zulu king Chaka, this is, as they say, a story that has everything. In this regard I have often wondered that whilst Haggard is one the most filmed if not over filmed authors, Nada the Lily has never made it to the cinema even though it reads as if it was written for the big sreen and the bigger the screen the better.

ONE OF THE BEST OF THE QUATERMAINS, March 1, 2000
Reviewer: s.ferber (see more about me) from new york

This is one of the best works by H. Rider Haggard that I've read, and I've read a good number of them.

This is the tale of how Allan Quatermain, hero of 14 of Haggard's books, including "King Solomon's Mines," met his first wife. It is set against the time of the Great Trek in the 1830s, and is jammed with action, adventure and romance. There are two terrific villains, Dingaan (brother of Chaka) and a Portuguese who's trying to not only kill our hero, but rob him of his wife in the bargain.

The book starts out with a thrilling battle scene, and ends with a scene of tremendous emotional intensity. In between there is so much colorful action and movement that you find yourself zipping through the chapters as quickly as you can.

The book is a true "page turner," with great sweep and drive. The supporting characters are either colorful, comedic or memorable. Hans--Quatermain's Hottentot sidekick from many of the other books--is featured here, too, and his is always a welcome presence. What a shame that this book has been out of print for so many years, along with the great preponderance of the other works of this wonderful writer.

Haggard has been called the greatest adventure fantasist of all time, and I would tend to agree with that assessment. So do yourself a favor and go to the trouble of seeking this book out. It will reward your efforts.

Child of the Storm, August 2, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Brookline, MA United States

The story takes place in Zululand, Africa. It happens so that Allan Quatermain stops by his Zulu friend's kraal (to those of you who never read Haggard, Kraal=household) to find that yet another friend is madly in love with the well known beauty: Mameena, or, in other words, Child of the Storm.

Allan is curious to see this well known Mameena, but his friend who is in love with Mameena (his name is Saduko) goes on a crazy battle to win 100 cattle for Mameena's dowry. After going with Saduko on his quest and helping him win 600 cattle, Allan meets Mameena, and determines she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and, though at that time Africans were thought of as savages (most unjustly, I have to add), Allan, after observing some treachery done by Mameena while pretending to be unconscious, after knowing she was false, cannot find any reason to resist her love to him, for indeed Mameena tries to engage him in a marriage, but Allan remembers her treachery and tells her no.

Many adventures follow after that, until the Zulu King declares Mameena a witch, and Mameena pleads guilty. It is not the kind of Salem witchcraft that is talked about here. It is more like herb-knowledge and doctoring that the Zulus call witchcraft. After recieving her death sentence for many more offenses, including causing a civil war and it's outcome, Mameena makes a last wish.

The last wish is... You'll have to figure out this as you read along with the mystery of Mameena's character. Suggested background books: Any Allan Quatermain book. Here are some Allan Quatermain titles: Allan and the Holy Flower, Marie, Allan's Wife, King Solomon's Mines, She and Allan, The Ancient Allan, Et cetera. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Ayesha is She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, a 2,000-year-old queen who rules a fabled lost city deep in a maze of African caverns. She has the occult wisdom of Isis, the eternal youth and beauty of Aphrodite, and the violent appetite of a lamia. Like A. Conan Doyle's Lost World, She is one of those magnificent Victorian yarns about an expedition to a far-off locale shadowed by magic, mystery, and death.

Tim Stout writes, in Horror: 100 Best Books, "As the plot takes hold one has the fancy that [Ayesha] had always existed, in some dark dimension of the imagination, and that [H. Rider] Haggard was the fortunate author to whom she chose to reveal herself." Haggard did, in fact, write this book in a six-week burst of feverish inspiration: "It came faster than my poor aching hand could set it down," he later said.

This edition of the 1887 classic features an introductory essay by literary critic Regina Barreca, who likens Ayesha to Flaubert's Madame Bovary or Tolstoy's Anna Karenina--"literally fantastic female figures who must be stopped before they love again."

The story takes place in Zululand, Africa. It happens so that Allan Quatermain stops by his Zulu friend's kraal (to those of you who never read Haggard, Kraal=household) to find that yet another friend is madly in love with the well known beauty: Mameena, or, in other words, Child of the Storm. Allan is curious to see this well known Mameena, but his friend who is in love with Mameena (his name is Saduko) goes on a crazy battle to win 100 cattle for Mameena's dowry. After going with Saduko on his quest and helping him win 600 cattle, Allan meets Mameena, and determines she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and, though at that time Africans were thought of as savages (most unjustly, I have to add), Allan, after observing some treachery done by Mameena while pretending to be unconscious, after knowing she was false, cannot find any reason to resist her love to him, for indeed Mameena tries to engage him in a marriage, but Allan remembers her treachery and tells her no. Many adventures follow after that, until the Zulu King declares Mameena a witch, and Mameena pleads guilty. It is not the kind of Salem witchcraft that is talked about here. It is more like herb-knowledge and doctoring that the Zulus call witchcraft. After recieving her death sentence for many more offenses, including causing a civil war and it's outcome, Mameena makes a last wish. The last wish is... You'll have to figure out this as you read along with the mystery of Mameena's character. Suggested background books: Any Allan Quatermain book. Here are some Allan Quatermain titles: Allan and the Holy Flower, Marie, Allan's Wife, King Solomon's Mines, She and Allan, The Ancient Allan, Et cetera.

"Finished" comprises the third book in H. Rider Haggard's so-called Zulu trilogy, the first two novels being "Marie" and "Child of Storm." This is a magnificent set of books that deals with the downfall of the Zulu people, as personally witnessed by Allan Quatermain, the hero of 14 of Haggard's novels, including "King Solomon's Mines." "Finished" has all the elements that Haggard's fans have come to expect from him: a great and fast-moving story, scenes of big-game hunting, interesting and amusing characters, bloody and well-described battles, all with a dash of mysticism and some supernatural elements thrown into the mix. It is a real rouser. In the first half of this book, our hero Quatermain gets personally involved in the problems of a young couple in the bush veld in Africa, but the entire second half of the book details his stay with the Zulus, their war councils, and the great battles that the Zulus fought against the English in the late 1870s. The tone of the book is suitably elegiac, mourning the passing of a proud people and culture. This is a magnificent trilogy of books, and it is a real shame that they are all out of print. But I heartily recommend that you seek them out.

The author of numerous romance-adventures in the 19th century tradition, Haggard turned his hand, at least once, to the older saga tradition of the northern peoples. The result may well have been his best work. Skillfully crafted, this tale proceeds at breakneck pace to unfold the saga-like adventures of the stout Icelandic yeoman, Eric Thorgrimurs' son (surnamed 'Brighteyes' for his most notable trait), as he struggles to win the hand of his beloved, Gudruda the Fair, despite the vigorous opposition of her half-sister, Swanhild the Fatherless (who seeks Eric for her own). Caught between these two beautiful women and faced with the need to overcome the opposition of Gudruda's father, Asmund the Priest (not the Christian sort) and his son, the greedy Bjorn (who would prefer to marry his sister off to a wealthy chieftain in lieu of a liaison with the farmer's son Eric), our hero must prove himself worthy of his destined bride while dodging the snares of those who would unman him. Conspiring with her mysterious mother, Groa the witchwife, Swanhild arranges to have Ospakar Blacktooth, a northern chieftain from Swinefells, pay Asmund's household a visit in order to see and woo Gudruda for himself. This Ospakar and Eric become immediate foes for Ospakar is as ugly and vile as Eric is handsome and honorable. And the tale only accelerates from here. From death-defying feats of derring-do to duels between deadly foemen to treachery and mayhem in blinding blizzards and on the high seas, this is an adventure which, once having grabbed you, will not let you go. Written in an archaic prose, mirroring the old nineteenth century translations of the original Icelandic sagas, and intended to simulate the voice of the old sagas themselves, the power of this narrative is compelling and unrelenting. And yet it is less exhausting than exhilirating as it unfolds the tale of Eric and the two women who loved him -- no matter what the cost. If the tale has a flaw at all it is that the characters are not real in any sense of that word but only larger-than-life actors who strut about upon the stage which Haggard has drawn for us here. At the same time the sensibility offered is one of pure and unmitigated adventure. But it's great fun and marvelous escapist fare. A must for lovers of Norse and viking times.

A must for all Haggard fans, "Eric Brighteyes" is strongly recommended to anyone who enjoys a great tale of heroic endeavour. Perhaps the fastest-paced of all Haggard's many novels, it races from one highspot to another with manly verve and vivid scene-setting. The stalwart Eric and his "thrall" Skallagrim fight back to back against a horde of foes, while two beautiful women vie for Eric's love. The eerie battle at sea is an exciting read in itself, to say nothing of all the rest. Eric is one of the most virile of Haggard's heroes and, like so many of them, is susceptible to earthly temptations and ambitions---unlike Haggard's too often impossibly spiritual females. The reader familiar with Haggard's favourite "archetypes" will recognize in Eric, Skallagrim, Gudruda the Fair, and the wicked Swanhilde the traits of a cast of characters immortalized under other names, in other times and places, in other titles of his famous canon. "Eric Brighteyes" is also distinguished by an interesting author's preface that furnishes some insight into Haggard's imaginative overlay of "high romance" and occult themes on what, in a writer of less lively invention, might have been just a simple adventure story. Both heroes and villains come on strong with splendid confrontational dialogue before coming to blows. A feast for escapists of all ages! Long may it remain in print.

A must read for anyone fascinated by Vikings or anything nordic. This adventure's got everything for you; greed, jealousy, envy, love, betrayal, murder...etc. I couldn't put the book down till I finished it. The hero is every woman's dream, but unfortunatly he croaks at the end. Ahhh, but what an end!!