The Ballad of the White Horse [Library Binding]

G. K. Chesterton (Author), Gilbert Keith Chesterton (Author)

Product Details

• Library Binding: 295 pages
• Publisher: Reprint Services Corporation (August 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781274966
• ISBN-13: 978-0781274968
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,766,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, good read, May 22, 2002

By 

Frederic C Putnam (Hatfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Ballad of the White Horse (Hardcover)

One of the great poems in the English language--and certainly a top contender for the greatest narrative poem. A retelling of the Alfred the Great's defeat of Guthrum and the Danes at the Battle of Ethandune (or the victory of the true power of Christianity over the inherent weakness of paganism), written to be read aloud or to oneself (but please do read it aloud). A ranking of ten stars would be more accurate. [This review refers to the first edition.]

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest poem of the century, June 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ballad of the White Horse (Library Binding)

The greatest poem of the century. The100-page saga of King Alfred the Great's apparently hopeless war against the Vikings is all one dreams poetry might be - stirring the heart and soul, filled with beauty, wisdom and excitement. A timeless message of hope and wonder. A few passages stumble, as is inevitable in a work of this length, but these can be overlooked. Read this wonderful poem and it will lighten and change the world for you. The greatest antidote to depression and despair that I know!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome ballad with powerful lessons for the new "dark ages", May 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ballad of the White Horse (Paperback)

G.K. Chesterton died in 1936 and The Ballad was written years before that, yet he could already foresee the bitter harvest that would come as a result of the growth of utilitarian humanism. The Ballad is the powerful retelling of the story of King Alfred's ultimate triumph over the invading Danes, despite repeated losses, decimated forces and overwhelming adversity. It's a great story of a significant moment in history, but in it Chesterton also teaches us much we can apply in our own cultural wars against the forces of the "New Dark Ages". He brings his prodigious intellect and wit to the task and in so doing offers hope to the "men signed of the cross of Christ (going) gaily in the dark". The book is filled with memorable quotations and insights that will leave readers inspired to perservere in the face of their own adversities. It is abook worth owning and cherishing for the ages!