![]() November 1915. Richard Hannay is tasked to undertake a top secret mission to investigate a plot to create a holy war throughout the Muslim world and draw troops and resources from the Western Front. Hanny must journey through war-torn Europe with only his three loyal friends, Peter Pienaar, John S Blenkiron and Sandy Arbuthnot, to help him as he unravels coded messages, es November 1915. Richard Hannay is tasked to undertake a top secret mission to investigate a plot to create a holy war throughout the Muslim world and draw troops and resources from the Western Front. Hanny must journey through war-torn Europe with only his three loyal friends, Peter Pienaar, John S Blenkiron and Sandy Arbuthnot, to help him as he unravels coded messages, escapes murderous mobs and tracks down the mysterious prophet who holds the key to everything - the man known as 'Greenmantle'. Greenmantle is a gripping reflection on the power of political Islam (to the extent that it was pulled from Radio 4's schedule at the time of the 7 July bombings and demonstrates Buchan's exemplary storytelling ability and political insight. I first read this book when I was 10 or 11. It was a library copy, borrowed from the Kodaikanal Club in Kodaikanal, a hill station in south India. It used to be the local English club and the contents of the library still include a large number of old hardbound editions of authors who were popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Early on in this novel, Hannay remarks on the ability of the English for 'getting inside the skin' of distant races. He goes on to say: 'Perhaps the Scots are bette I first read this book when I was 10 or 11. It was a library copy, borrowed from the Kodaikanal Club in Kodaikanal, a hill station in south India. ![]() It used to be the local English club and the contents of the library still include a large number of old hardbound editions of authors who were popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Early on in this novel, Hannay remarks on the ability of the English for 'getting inside the skin' of distant races. He goes on to say: 'Perhaps the Scots are better than the English, but we're all a thousand per cent better than anybody else.' Someone had underlined this sentiment and jotted down in the margin: 'Oh, really?' The rejoinder, in a different hand, was: 'Yes, really, my dear anonymous!' This was followed by a phrase, apparently in Dutch, that I cannot recall. As we contemplate the death of print, it strikes me that little exchanges like these are going the way of the dinosaur, and the loss isn't necessarily a great step forward for civilization. ![]() Greenmantle Download greenmantle or read online here in PDF or EPUB. Please click button to get greenmantle book now. All books are in clear copy here, and all files. Greenmantle eBook: Charles de Lint: Amazon.in: Kindle Store. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Greenmantle - Kindle edition by Charles de Lint. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking. ![]() But reading these books tends to put me in that kind of frame of mind. They are so much a product of their age, all Empire and honour and robust manly values pitted against all sorts of 'nastiness'. Hannay faces immense dangers, but in a way he never ventures very far from home, with the whole of the world seeming to be a sort of backyard to Europe, where you may encounter an old boy from the old school around the next hill or valley. It was a world in which countries like mine figured as little more than pawns in the machinations of the Western empires and the phrase 'white man' could be meant as a compliment without necessarily entailing any specific degree of racism apart from the generic assumption that one's own type are superior which, truth be told, is probably as prevalent today, behind the eye-wash of politically correct phraseology. Meanwhile, what we have here is a remarkably exciting adventure, full of broad generalisations about national character, memorable characters and daring exploits. Buchan's old-fashioned beliefs don't hinder the novel - I'd say they help it along by giving the narrative a real sense of vitality because the writer believes in the stakes being fought for.
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