The 50th Anniversary Edition of one of Arthur C. Clarke's best-loved collections featuring a brand new White Hart story written in collaboration with Stephen Baxter. Although written, as the author informs us in his Introduction to the 1969 edition, in such diverse locations as New York, Miami, Columbo and Sydney there is something inherently English about these stories. London's famed Fleet Street district has changed dramatically in the five decades since the collection's first appearance as a Ballantine paperback original... and, of course, many of the regulars of the White Hart (based on the White Horse pub on Fetter Lane) are no longer with us. But the White Hart's most prominent raconteaur, Harry Purvis can still be found propping up the bar and regaling us all once again with tales of quirky and often downright eccentric scientists and inventors. Here, for example, are a man who could control a giant squid; a man who could silence an entire orchestra at the flick of a switch; and a French genius who invents a machine that can record all human pleasures and transmit them to any client rich enough to afford such luxury. And rounding up the whole affair is 'Time Gentlemen, Please', in which we encounter a gadget able to accelerate the passage of time in a small volume... immensely useful for vaccine research where an entire year's worth of study could be completed in seconds. But the hapless inventor finds himself walled off by immobile air molecules... and even worse. It's a tale which points out, with some nostalgic resonance, that we simply cannot slow the passage of time. A fitting la
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
"Tales From the White Heart" brings some true fun into science fiction reading; a break from the deadly serious which is so often the hallmark of sci-fi. Like tall tales of the old west, the stories here are almost believeable, which makes them perfect for the English Pub background. Presented in short-story form, the book makes easy evening reading. I highly recommend "Tales From the White Heart" for both serious and casual sci-fi readers, from adolescent up.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By DGT
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
First, this (the PS publishing edition) is a beautiful book. The publishers have done a grand job. I first read the stories in this book in pb many more years ago than I care to remember, but coming to them again, when the world, and science, has moved on, I still found them amusing and (just) credible. I remember thinking when I first read them that I wish Clarke had produced more. Well, he has - just one more, up to date and in this volume. The stories are not very typical of his writing, but brilliant nonetheless, and just show what we have lost with Clarke's death. RIP a master storyteller.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Blackhorse47
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
Harry Purvis, wit, raconteur... every good pub should have one. The White Hart isn't a good pub. It's a bit stuffy and full of scientists, but it does have Harry. So settle down for the evening, order a drink, and prepare to be amazed as Harry relates tales of wonder in far off places. And every word of it is totally true, or then again perhaps not.
Clarke's short story style is an enjoyable one, being different from his rather formal and often pretentious novels. His stories are always short, always tongue-in-cheek, and nearly always depend for their impact on a great last line. This collection shows off this talent. Each tale is about ten pages long. They are all amusing in a sly, offbeat manner and they are all thoroughly enjoyable.
Clarke's short story style is an enjoyable one, being different from his rather formal and often pretentious novels. His stories are always short, always tongue-in-cheek, and nearly always depend for their impact on a great last line. This collection shows off this talent. Each tale is about ten pages long. They are all amusing in a sly, offbeat manner and they are all thoroughly enjoyable.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic!
Wonderful, charming, and yet containing sombre notes within its outrageous tall tales depicted with wit & warmth. Read more
Published 4 months ago by RIJU GANGULY
4.0 out of 5 stars
tales of the white hart
A fun series of short stories by Arthur Clark. A must for science fiction lovers. I had read it long ago but lost the book. Tried to find it for a long time to no avail. Read more
Published 6 months ago by marysolari
4.0 out of 5 stars
good condition at a good price,
Was everything in order, the delivery took a bit longer, but when i asked they answered me very fast, and they were concern avout all the situation, luckly i got the book yesterday... Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2010 by M. S. Paz
5.0 out of 5 stars
A C Clarke
A great collection of short stories based around a pub just off of Fleet Street.
Published on 4 Feb 2010 by Mr. G. P. Barnett
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not up to Clarke's usual standards
These short stories almost all focus on some technological gizmo and how someone gets screwed over by it. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2008 by D. R. Cantrell
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very funny book!
There is not so much to add to the fact that this is a great and VERY funny collection of short-stories, from the days when Clarke was a master of sci-fi. Go buy it!
Published on 22 Aug 2000 by Normann Aaboe Nielsen
5.0 out of 5 stars
An old classic back again!!
Written in the in the era when Brits talked about the "White Hot Fire" of Technology, when Nuclear Power was cool ("Enough plutonium in Sellafield to boil the Irish... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 1998
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