Reviews by Janet

What a lovely man. And here we have him chatting about his early career and he even does some affectionate impressions (his Alan Bennett is very good).

Chatting? well yes because Stephen's tone is one of a chum telling of mutual friends. He just includes you in his life, somehow.

I'm afraid this is not to my taste. I have given up after repeatedly falling asleep waiting for something interesting to happen . . . The book is read well (from what I have heard) but is just not for me. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

Still haven't got through this turgid volume. Excellent reading by Lisa Tarbuck but I'm finding it a chore to listen to all too often because it's just not interesting.

Could not be better read, could not be better written. Perfection. I have listened to it several times and tire of it not one bit.

I really enjoyed this. It sounds like a wonderful conversation with a very interesting man who gives you the inside view. But also he is not afraid to criticise journalists where he feels they are overmighty. Very well written, very well read.

The is very well read indeed. And to make it very good the story is varied and interesting. Not just a super account of Crecy, not just a bit of a love story, not just an adventure, it's all of these things. Thomas is an appealing hero, and the supporting cast of characters are all well drawn.

This accompanied me (along with a spanial) around a weekly North Yorkshire reservoir walk. There are parts of the route I will always associate with battle!

Excellently read, this compelling story had me supporting the 'Vikings' throughout and I am looking forward to hearing further adventures of the likeable hero.

The first part of the book held my attention and had a real sense of place and excitement. But after a while I just became bored with the catalogue of disasters that made you wonder why the hero bothered.

Mantle's reading at first seemed to fit the bill - I certainly had no problem with the voice and accent, but somehow there was never any sign of warmth or enthusiasm even when called for, and too often there was a feel of a cold debrief.

The nature of a diary is that the context is not explained, and in the long term this will be this book's downfall. For this is fascinating stuff as long as you can recall what the story of the day was all about.

Surprising who came out well and who badly sometimes but the candour is refreshing and the author reads his tale well, with an urgency sometimes that really makes you feel you are seeing a story unfold.

There were times when the plight of the staff annoyed and upset me - and isn't that a telling fact? I got involved in the story so much I regretted the fact that an English accent is identified with a bully in the mind of the main character. I liked the fact that there was no happy ever after ending (there was a price to pay for the job taking over). And these are just three reasons why I liked this book.

The reading was pitched just right, the pace superb and it was far more edgy than the film. Not a story to leave you complacent but also entertaining and at times laugh out loud funny. Well worth the time.