Book

Author:	John James
Title:	Men Went To Cattraeth
Publisher:	Tandem
Country:	UK
Date:	1972
Format:	Paperback
Genre:	Fiction, History, Non-Fiction
ISBN-10:	426061462
Cat#:	6146
Total Editions:	2
Rating:	10.0 Rate
Collection:	I Own It I Want It
Community:	2 Own
Price Guide:	Valuation Page
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Comments and Reviews


ppint. 9th Nov 2021		beware: i've seen that in some places "men went to cattraeth" is given as the third ''photinus'' novel: - it isn't. ''men went to cattraeth'' stands entirely and proudly alone on its own - and it does so perfectly well, too.



ppint. 3rd Aug 2019		Rated 10/10 in the year 600 a.d. or as near as makes no difference, mynyddog mwynfawr, mighty and wise king in dun eidin, sent out a challenge to the whole of britain, whose warring kingdoms and quarrelsome principalities were sorely beset by the invading angles, under their jutish, saxon and anglic nobilities and royal houses: he would feast the three hundred greatest champions for a year and a day, during which they would lead the lives of heroes - his kingdom would refuse them nothing, no food, wine, mead or beer they demanded, and his womenfolk would refuse them nothing - after which he or his greatest generals, at the head of his armies, would lead them south against the invading angles of deira and bernicia, the two most powerful saxon kingdoms in the north of britain, slaughtering all who stood against them, and did not run back to their ships, and back to the angle whence their pestilential brood had come. and the three hundred champions gathered, and they were feasted as had been promised, and no woman refused them; and, at the end of the year and a day, they set out, riding with his generals at the head of the wise and mighty king of dun eidin's mighty armies, marching south against their enemies. and when they came upon resistance, from bands of warriors or armed, assembled farmers, or overtook folk fleeing too late, they made great slaughter; and much land was taken back from the invading foreigners. but when the time came for the battle against the combined armies of deira and bernicia, that were so many that they were countless, innumerable and well-equipped for war - if few or none of them properly armed and mounted as champions and heroes should be - the army of mynyddog mwanfawr the wise and mighty had all but disappeared, fallen far behind the three hundred heroes, who were left to fight - which they did, making great slaughter - and to die - which they also did, eventually, as though they were mightier in arms than any of those they faced, and were all also champions, and truly heroes, the armies that they faced were too many: the odds were overwhelming; and the tale that came back of the end they had made was glorious, indeed; but it came back by courtesy - if it can be called this - of their enemy, who did not understand why they had behaved so, either. - but why did mynyddog mwynfawr the wise and mighty, king in dun eidin, so basely betray the champions of the british? why did he devote the wealth of his kingdom and his people - aye, and his womenfolk - to feasting these heroes for a year and a day - giving not only the champions, but also the saxon, anglic and jutish chiefs, nobles and kings good warning of the whirlwind he would unleash upon the kingdoms of deira and bernicia? - john james here constructs a superb historical novel upon the bare bones of y goddodin, using his intelligence and a gift for imagining himself into not only the champions' minds, but also that of his survivor, to tell a powerful and exciting story well indeed: but, i think even more impressively, perhaps, he comes up with a reason mynyddog mwynfawr the wise and mighty might just have had, for plotting, planning, and paying so much and then - apparently - achieving so little but ruin. a gem. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?



ppint. 19th Dec 2021		transworld publishers bantam books uk p/b first printing, not first uk p/b edition cover art cover price £2.99, $7.95 australia, $9.95 new zealand 240pp. (check) including titles, indicia etc. (this comment is from another edition of this book)

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Other Editions

Book

John James - Men Went To Cattraeth - Bantam - Paperback - UK - 055317360X (1988)