The City of Gold and Lead [Mass Market Paperback]

John Christopher (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 2003 | Series: The Tripods (Book 2)

Long ago, the Tripods--huge, three-legged machines--descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives. But for a brief time in each person's life--in childhood--he is not a slave. For Will, his time of freedom is about to end--unless he can escape to the White Mountains, where the possibility of freedom still exists. The Tripods trilogy follows the adventures of Will and his cohorts, as they try to evade the Tripods and maintian their freedom and ultimately do battle against them. The prequel, When the Tripods Came, explains how the Tripods first invaded and gained control of the planet.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Christopher (Sam Youd) was born in England in April 1922, during an unseasonable snowstorm. His early years were spent in Lancashire and Hampshire. He left school at sixteen to work as a local government clerk until being called up for army service in 1941, and spent the following four and a half years with the Royal Corps of Signals, in Gibraltar, North Africa, Italy, and Austria.

On leaving the army he renewed a teenage ambition toward being a writer, and in 1947, on the basis of an unfinished novel, won an Atlantic Award, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation, which enabled him to devote himself to writing for a year. He tried to justify the award by writing serious novels, but subsequently also wrote detective thrillers, light comedies, novels based on cricket, and science fiction, to which he had been passionately devoted in his early teens. After several adult science fiction novels, he was asked to write for the young adult field, and ended up writing sixteen books in that genre, including The Guardians, The Lotus Caves, Dom and Va, Empty World, and the Sword and Fireball trilogies, as well as the Tripods trilogy. Following a BBC television series in 1984 based on the Tripods books, he wrote a prequel, When the Tripods Came, explaining how it all came about.

Sam Youd is a widower with five children and numerous grandchildren, and lives in Rye, in the county of Sussex, England. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One: Three Are Chosen

Even when we first came to the White Mountains, in summer, the upper reaches of the Tunnel looked out over fields of snow and ice; but at the lower end there were rocks and grass and a view of the glacier, stained brown with mud and dripping into rivulets that ran down to the valley, far far below. In September there was a fall of snow which did not lie, but in the early days of October the snow came again, more heavily, and this time remained. The grip of winter tightened around us, and it was to be more than half a year before those white bony fingers unclenched.

Preparations for the siege had been made long before. Food had been stored, cattle and winter fodder taken into the inner recesses of the mountain which sheltered us. We did not need a great deal by way of heat, protected as we were by dozens, hundreds of yards of solid rock. Cool in summer, our deep caves were warm, by comparison, in winter. We wore furs when we were outside, but the rest of the time our normal clothing was enough.

Our lives were confined, but by no means idle. Reveille, for those of us in the training cadre, was at six, and was followed by half an hour's brisk exercise. After that came a simple breakfast, and then the first study period of the day, lasting three hours. There were more exercises before the midday meal, and in the afternoon exercise and instruction in our particular sports. If the weather were fine, this took place outside in the snow; otherwise in the Great Cavern. There was a second study period before supper, and afterward generally there was discussion among our seniors, to which we listened but in which we did not presume to join. It had one subject -- the Tripods -- and one purpose: their overthrow.

The Tripods had been rulers of the earth for more than a hundred years. They governed simply and effectively, by dominating the minds of men. This was achieved through the Caps, meshes of silvery metal which fitted closely around the skull and were woven into the very flesh of their wearers. Capping occurred in one's fourteenth year, marking the point at which one ceased to be a child and became an adult. It was taken for granted, an expected, looked-for thing, attended by feasting and celebration.

A few months earlier I had seen my cousin Jack, a year older than myself, go through the ceremony, and had noticed the change in him afterward. I was to be Capped the following year. I had some misgivings, but I kept them private -- no one talked much about Tripods and Cappings and, of course, no one ever queried the rightness of these things. Not, that is, until the Vagrant, Ozymandias, came to the little village where I lived.

The Vagrants were those for whom Capping had not worked properly. Their minds had refused to accept the conditioning of the Tripods and, in refusing, had been broken. They wandered from place to place, never resting long, and were looked after but pitied and disliked by normal Capped men and women. Now, though, I found myself more interested in them; particularly in the one who called himself Ozymandias, a big, red-haired, red-bearded man who sang strange songs, and spoke lines of poetry, and mixed sense and nonsense when he talked. Defying my parents, I invited him to come to the den which Jack and I had made just outside the village. He told me a strange story.

He was, in the first place, not really a Vagrant, but posing as such so that he could travel through the land, unchallenged and unremarked. The Cap he wore was a false one. He explained that the Tripods were enemies of men, not benefactors, invaders, perhaps, from another world, and how, through Capping, minds which were just beginning to think for themselves were subdued and harnessed to the worship of their oppressors.

He told me, too, that although the Tripods ruled the planet, there were a few places where free men survived, and that one of these was among the White Mountains, across the sea from England far to the south. He asked me if I would be willing to make a difficult and dangerous journey there, and I said I would.

He himself traveled on in search of more recruits, but I did not go alone. Another cousin of mine, Henry, an old antagonist since before our schooldays, saw me leaving the village and followed me. We crossed the sea together, and in the land called France found a third, Jean-Paul -- whom we named Beanpole. Together we made our way south. It was as difficult and dangerous as Ozymandias had promised. Near the end, we fought a battle with a Tripod and, by luck and a weapon of the ancients which we found in the ruins of one of the great-cities, destroyed it.

So, at last, we reached the White Mountains.

There were eleven of us in the training cadre, being prepared for the first move in the counterattack against our enemies. It was a hard schooling, in body and mind alike, but we knew a little of the task before us, and how heavy the odds against success were. The discipline and hardship we had to endure might not shorten those odds by much, but every bit counted.

For we -- or some of us -- were to conduct a reconnaissance. We knew almost nothing of the Tripods -- not even whether they were intelligent machines or vehicles for alien beings. We must know more before we could hope to fight them successfully; and there was only one way to get that knowledge. Some of us, one at least, must penetrate into the City of the Tripods, study them, and bring back information. The plan was this:

The City lay to the north, in the country of the Germans. Each year some of the newly Capped, chosen in different ways, were brought there to serve the Tripods. I had witnessed one such way at the Château de la Tour Rouge, when Eloise, the daughter of the Comte, had been made Queen of the Tournament. I had been horrified to learn that at the end of her brief reign she should want to be taken to be a slave of the enemy, and go gladly, thinking it an honor.

Among the Germans, it seemed, there were Games each summer, to which young men came from hundreds of miles away. The winners were feasted and made much of after which they, too, went to serve in the City. At the next Games, it was hoped, one of us might win, and gain admission. What would happen after that was unknown. Anyone who succeeded would have to rely on his wits, both in spying on the Tripods and in passing on what he had learned. The last part was likely to be the hardest. Because although scores, perhaps hundreds, went yearly into the City, not one had ever been known to come out.

One day the snow was melting at the foot of the Tunnel where we exercised, and a week later it lay only in isolated patches, and there was the green of grass, dotted with purple crocuses. The sky was blue, and sunlight flamed from the white peaks all round, burning our skins through the thin pure air. During a break we lay on the grass and looked down. Figures moved cautiously half a mile below, visible to us but taking cover from those who might look up from the valley. This was the first raiding party of the season, on its way to plunder the fat lands of the Capped.

I sat with Henry and Beanpole, a little apart from the rest. The lives of all those who lived in the mountains were closely knit, but this strand was a more tightly woven one. In the things we had endured, jealousies and enmities had worn away and been replaced by true comradeship. The boys in the cadre were our friends, but the bond between us three was special.

Beanpole said gloomily, "I failed at one meter seventy today."

He spoke in German; we had learned the language but needed to practice it. I said, "One goes off form. You'll improve again."

"I'm getting worse every day."

Henry said, "Rodrigo's definitely gone off. I beat him comfortably."

"It's all right for you."

Henry had been chosen as a long-distance runner, and Rodrigo was his chief rival. Beanpole was training for long and high jumping. I was one of two boxers. There were four sports altogether -- the other was sprint running -- and they had been arranged to produce a maximum of competitiveness. Henry had done well in his event from the start. And I myself was fairly confident, at any rate, as far as my opponent here was concerned. This was Tonio, a dark-skinned boy from the south, taller than I and with a longer reach, but not as quick. Beanpole, though, had grown increasingly pessimistic about his chances.

Henry reassured him, telling him he had heard the instructors saying he was coming on well. I wondered if it were true, or said for encouragement: the former, I hoped.

I ...

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Reprint edition (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689856660
• ISBN-13: 978-0689856662
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will leave the reader hanging and wanting more! February 7, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

"The White Mountains" is fine as a stand alone book; but any reader who enjoyed it will want to find out the answers to so many questions left unanswered. What would happen to the main characters: Will, Beanpole, and Henry? Will we ever learn more about the Tripods? And, of course, will the Tripods ever be defeated?

"The City of Gold and Lead" answers some of these questions. It explains the Tripods and how they came to dominate the world and enslave mankind. It informs us of the new lives that Will, Beanpole, and Henry have in the White Mountains. It introduces us to the characters of Fritz and Julius who become major figures in the struggle against the Tripods.

It also answers the question of the fate of Eloise, the beautiful girl who Will befriended in "The White Mountains." (It is disappointing that the ONLY female characters of any importance in the entire trilogy are Eloise and her mother, the Comtesse.) Personally, my favorite part of the series was Will's temptation by the good life at the Castle of the Red Tower where he met Eloise. In "The White Mountains" Eloise said goodbye to Will forever because she had been chosen to serve the Tripods in their city and would remain there as a slave for the rest of her life. One of main reasons I felt compelled to read "The City of Gold and Lead" was to find out what happened to Eloise and would she ever be freed from that slavery. The reader will discover the answer to that question at the Pyramid of Beauty in "The City of Gold and Lead."

Although "The City of Gold and Lead" answers many questions left from "The White Mountains," it also leaves the reader with new questions about the fate of a major character, the conflict with the Tripods, and the future of mankind. There are so many unanswered questions that most readers will have to read "The Pool of Fire," which is the last book of the series, to fully enjoy "The City of Gold and Lead."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Juvenile Science Fiction novels I ever read May 8, 2008

By Peter Dykhuis VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I do not think there are three juvenile novels that I enjoy nearly as much as these three. The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire are absolutely perfect examples of Juvenile fiction. The books teach moral lessons as well as tell a rip roaring good tale.

Without giving to much plot away this tale is covers a not too distant future when Aliens who roam the Earth in giant Tripods rule the land. Every person who reaches puberty is capped and there mind is controlled or at least molded by the Tripods.

These three books follow a group of runaways and rebels who have never been capped and who desperately want to free Earth and its inhabitants. This band of rebels must find a way to defeat the Aliens without knowing who they are, what there weaknesses are or any worthwhile knowledge. On top of this the `rebels' have to defeat these space age aliens with technology at roughly 19th century levels.

The first book was a mystery unfolding and the last was tension and triumph. The book is really the most emotional of the bunch and you feel a real sense of helplessness.

These books are even more remarkable as they were written in the late 60's. I first read these books as a cartoon serial in `Boys Life' in the early 80's. I enjoyed the tale back then and still enjoy the stories now. I highly recommend all these books for kids and or there parents. Read and enjoy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of The City of Gold and Lead September 29, 2005

A Kid's Review

Format:Mass Market Paperback

The City of Gold and Lead is a fascinating book. In fact, I was a little sad when I finished it, but the cliffhanger for the next book lifted my spirits.

This book was the second book in the series, The Tripods. It began where the last book ended, The White Mountains. Friends Will, Beanpole, Henry, and other people that lived in the white mountains were completing their training to try to get in the games. The games are like the Olympics. The winners of the game would go on and serve the master in the City of Gold and Lead. The City of Gold and Lead is where the tripods live. Tripods are evil machines that take control of your mind using caps. Will, Beanpole, and another boy named Fritz were accepted to go to the games. Henry had to stay back because he was not selected to participate in the games. Both Will and Fritz won in their sports category. They now had to serve the masters because winners were considered strong and fearless. However, the real purpose of a winner serving a master is to gather information on the dreaded Tripods. If by chance the winner escapes, he will be able to take the information back to his land. No one has ever been known to escape. I will not give away any secrets and reveal if Will and Fritz escaped. You will have to read the book to find out.

I found the entire book exciting. The characters are very well developed. At the end of each chapter, I was anxious to find out what happened next. The book ended with a spectacular cliffhanger. When I read the last sentence, "We would come back," I instantly wanted to read the next book in this series.

I recommend this book for ages 12 to 101 years old. This is a great book waiting to be read. After you read this book, you should also read the first book and the preface book. The preface book gives you background information on how the tripods invaded earth and where the caps come from. The City of Gold and Lead is a must read book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!