An interesting and provocative biography of a man virtually unknown in Anglo-American history. Sherwood's work is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the crucial battle for control of French policy in the years leading up to the Second World War. You cannot understand France between the wars without understanding Mandel and there is no better place to begin understanding Mandel than Sherwood's text.

First notice: do NOT read an abridged version of the tales. You will lose too much.

Second notice: do NOT be fooled into beleiving this is a history book. This is a work of fiction, and a magnificent one.

So, with that in mind, what can one say about The Three Musketeers? Athos, Porthos, Aramis, D'Artangnan, the great friends, the great heros, the part-time cads, the drinkers, womanizers, war heros, saviours of the Queen's honour, foils to M. le Cardinal -- these are the ultimate Larger Than Life characters. They foil dastardly plots, they involve themselves in high politics and affairs of state, the duel constantly, and still find time to learn lessons of friendship, honour, and betrayal.

This is not a children's book, no more than 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is a children's book. It was written for adults and there are many scenes children will not understand and will become bored with. Do not let that stop YOU from reading it. Teach you children parts of the tale and then work them towards it. Do yourself a favour and find out just how rich and complex this tale is. You will enjoy it.

For those trying to read The Musketeers Saga:
In the original French, there are only three (3) books - 1. The Three Musketeers 2. Twenty Years After and 3. Ten Years Later. But when translated, most English editions split the behemoth Ten Years Later into a Trilogy (and some four - which make it all the more confusing!).

The reading list should be 1. The Three Musketeers 2. Twenty Years After and 3a. The Vicomte de Bragelonne 3b. Louise de la Valliere and 3c. The Man in the Iron Mask. Five books - that's the total series!

I highly recommend this series from Oxford University Press containing the complete unabridged and annotated versions of all of these books. The notes are located in the back of each book so as not to slow down the flow of the text. Most of the notes give additional info on historic characters and places. And a few point out that Dumas was a better storyteller than historian, as keeping dates seems to be such a nuisance!

THere is a reason that most classics are regarded as classics: they are timeless and very fun to read, often far more interesting fun than you would imagine. THis is a long book, 900 pages in the French version, but I sliced through so fast that I was sorry when it ended.

The plot outline is simple. The four musketeers - for there really are four - want to help the queen in her love for Lord Buckingham of England. All the rest is intrigue and adventure related to that. But the episodes are so funny, the chemistry between the characters so subtle and realistic, that it makes for a truly great read. Indeed, the characters of the musketeers are so well drawn, their inter-relations so complex, that a film or even a miniseries simply cannot do it justice. The glimpses at historical personnages is also fascinating, from Richelieu to Louis XIII. Finally, you get a flavor for the Paris of that epoch, with the rumbling of the religious wars in the background. But this is not a dark book, Like the Reine Margot: it is a great frolic of brotherhood and good guys and bad guys. Taken for what it is, it is one of the greatest.

Highly recommended.

This book contains the basic elements of the history, design, and decoration of homes. This book contains some interesting information; however, it not the most comprehensive.