Buy Used
Used - Good See details
Price: £2.68

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
A History Maker
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

A History Maker [Paperback]

Alasdair Gray , Alasdair. Gray
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover £13.99  
Paperback £7.19  
Paperback, 26 Oct 1995 --  
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (26 Oct 1995)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 014024803X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140248036
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.7 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,286,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alasdair Gray
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Visit Amazon's Alasdair Gray Page

Product Description

Product Description

A tale of border warfare, military and erotic, set in the Ettrick Forest in the 23rd century. Wat Dryhope, son of the Ettrick chief, is unhappy with his clan's violent and permissive lifestyle. Only when challenged by the seductive Delilah Puddock does he learn to embrace the traditional values.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Limbs are hacked off and people make love., 6 Mar 2001
This review is from: A History Maker (Hardcover)
Gray grabs hold of the Scottish Literary Tradition and with Science Fiction in the other hand he squashes them together. This works very well, surprisingly, and the novel still has a broad range of issues and emotions that you would expect from such a fine author. Sometimes, the novel is annoyingly clever.

It is set in a future where wars are tribal and are leagued and bound by rules, although still bloodthirsty and violent. A glance in the veterans club is proof of that. There is little hope for Wat Dryhope, the novel's anti-hero, as he tries his best to stop the senseless killing. No one listens to him and those that do misinterpretate him. Even the armless, legless, eyeless veterans oppose his peaceful stance.

But this book is more than just a diatribe about war. The Public Eye, which is everywhereTV, is nasty and cruel, and promotes bloodthirsty battles for their pulling power. However, declining audience numbers call for drastic measures, and they call for even more blood, for even bloodthirstier battles than the one Wat was the unwitting hero of. All in the name of family entertainment. On Wat's peace mission he meets his father, sleeps with his sister and falls foul of a sinister bitter plot to cause global disaster and give birth to a televised dark age.

In this novel limbs are chopped off and people make love. Televised wars meet the Ettrick shephard, an unlikely combination it is true. Gray is a great writer and like his many other books this is very good.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars full marks for creativity, 24 July 2006
This review is from: A History Maker (Paperback)
I think the synopsis and the previous review have said most of what needs to be said. I shall just add my vote for this book. A humorous and creative sci fi yarn about the future. Very unusual, but a quality read, which was refreshing, and opens new horizons for literature and raises many issues about violence, sex, work, the roles of women and men, the role of the media, sporting/military psychology, sexual freedom and historical interpretation. Telling historical judgements are made. An intelligent author who seems to be able to rise above conventionality.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Alasdair Gray, 8 Oct 2009
This review is from: A History Maker (Paperback)
As Alasdair Gray isn't an Oxbridge thesaurus-junky, he will never be nominated for the booker prize, or taken as seriously as much lesser but much more celebrated talents south of the Scottish border, but this book confirms that he is one of the greatest living British writers (and I'm English by the way!).

There isn't much point in trying to describe the book - it's a relatively short novel by Gray, although the glossary at the end is almost as entertaining as the story itself. There are fewer of his wonderful illustrations but the unmistakeable touch of beguiling imagination, social and political polemic, brilliant dark humour, biting wit, and above all a lightness of touch on grand themes which not many people can pull off convincingly. I would recommend this to fans or newcomers.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
 Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars 
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback