- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Robinson Publishing; New edition edition (25 July 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841195243
- ISBN-13: 978-1841195247
- Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 13.2 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 289,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'The Devil's Own is a marvellous book, colourful in its descriptions, its detail and rousing stories of battle exploits and highly informative in its historical imput' - Peterborough Evening Telegraph; 'Those who enjoy going into battle with Sharpe will love joining forces with Sergeant Jack Crossman... he's a hell of a character' - Darlington Northen Echo
Product Description
First of the colourful exploits of 'Fancy Jack' Crossman; The Crimean War is notoriously one of the most brutal and bloody conflicts of the nineteenth century. In an uneasy allience with the French, the Turks and the Sardinians, British soldiers faced death both on the battlefield from the fierce Cossacks and off it from cholera. Sergeant Jack Crossman, referred to by his admiring comrades as 'Fancy Jack', a tough, shrewd and skilful soldier, is part of the proud 88th regiment, the Connaught Rangers, also known as The Devil's Own. Within the regiment Crossman is picked out to lead a covert operation, well knowing that his success or failure could determine the outcome of the war. Gary Kilworth is a master of the period, and of writing sharp, page-turning military adventure.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent Fun, But it's No Sharpe,
By
This review is from: The Devil's Own: Sergeant Jack Crossman and the Battle of the Alma (Sergeant 'Fancy Jack' Crossman Series) (Paperback)
Set in 1854, some forty years or so after the bulk of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books, this first entry in Kilworth's"Fancy Jack" series finds the British Army in rather dire straights in the Crimea. The hero is a Sergeant in the 88th regiment (the mainly Irish Connaught Rangers aka The Devil's Own), who is an outsider in more ways than one. Born and bred a gentleman, "Fancy Jack" Crossman has done the unthinkable and renounced his upbringing and entered the army as a ranker. While in the Sharpe series, we see a lowborn orphan rise though the ranks, here we have a highborn Scotsman in much the same situation. Mostly hated by those below for his education and manners, he's also mostly hated by his superiors for being a class traitor.Kilworth seems to be attempting to emulate Cornwell's template in presenting an unvarnished ground-level view of historical military exploits. The book is full of details on equipment, procedures, social composition of the British forces, et., plus a parade of real historical figures. However, it's not done nearly as smoothly and seamlessly as Cornwell (or George McDonald Fraser's Flashman series for that matter). Clunky prose and exposition somewhat mars the storytelling, as Fancy Jack is sent on a few secret missions behind enemy lines with a band of misfit soldiers. For example, we're told three different times that the Allied (British/French/Turkish) forces number 55,000. We're also privy to a number of scenes of high-level commanders bickering that don't have much to do with anything other than to get across the historical reading Kilworth's on the ineffectiveness of the leadership. And in case you didn't get how devastating cholera was to the army the first time it's discussed, don't worry, you'll get several more chances to absorb the information. Kilworth has apparently written a number of children's books, and often the prose reads as if it's intended for a younger audience. But the battle scenes are plenty gory, and there are plenty of "adult themes", and a requisite love interest. All in all, it's a decent page turner, but not nearly as good as the Sharpe books. The Fancy Jack saga continues with Valley of Death, Soldiers in the Mist, and The Winter Soldiers, and perhaps in these later volumes Kilworth touch becomes more subtle.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Ripping Good Yarn!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Devil's Own: Sergeant Jack Crossman and the Battle of the Alma (Sergeant 'Fancy Jack' Crossman Series) (Paperback)
Not bad at all. If you're twiddling your thumbs awaiting the next Cornwall or Mallinson novel you'll like this. It doesn't have the detail of a Mallinson, but this serves to keep the momentum up much like a Sharpe novel. The formula is the usual fare with the hero possessing incredible guile and luck, but it's nevertheless thouroughly enjoyable . Well, I enjoyed it!
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review of the Devil's Own,
This review is from: The Devil's Own: Sergeant Jack Crossman and the Battle of the Alma (Sergeant 'Fancy Jack' Crossman Series) (Paperback)
I thought that it was a marvellous book - great for adults and children alike. I enjoyed the 'Sharpe' series and thought that this is a worthy rival. It is packed with action (though a bit gory in some places!) It really gives you an idea of the horrors of the Crimean war. The characters are colourful and imaginative and this really helps to capture the reader's attention. I would definitely recommend this and the other books in the series, which are just as exiting, action packed and emotional.
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