The Legend of Luke [Paperback]

Brian Jacques (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Philomel Books; Advanced Copy edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1862303312
• ISBN-13: 978-1862303317
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,097,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A well-known radio personality in his native Liverpool--as well as an actor, stand-up comic, and playwright--Brian Jacques (1939-2011) was the host of "Jakestown" on BBC Radio Merseyside. Ever the performer, Jacques was well-known for applying his acting and entertainment background to his lively presentations to legions of young fans at schools across the United States and England. Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact. He grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks. His interest in adventure stories began at an early age with reading the books of: Daniel Defoe, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Thomas Malory, Robert Michael Ballantyne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Kenneth Grahame. He attended St. John's School, an inner city school that had its playground on the roof. On his first day at St. John's, at the age of ten, he had an experience that marked his potential as a writer. When given an assignment of writing a story about animals, he wrote about the bird that cleaned a crocodile's teeth. The teacher could not, and would not, believe that a ten year old could write that well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then, that he realized that he had a talent for writing. "My favourite teacher was Mr. Austin Thomas. He looked like Lee Marvin. Big Man. A Captain in World War II. He came to school on a big bush bike with the haversack on back. He was a man's man. Always fair. I was fourteen at the time when Mr. Thomas introduced the class to poetry and Greek literature. (Because of him, I saved seven shillings and sixpence to buy The Iliad and The Odyssey at this dusty used book shop.)" This interest in poetry extended to Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Goldsmith. It was also at St. John's that Brian met a teacher, Alan Durband (who also taught two Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison), who, more than thirty years later would bring about a major change in his life. After Brian finished school at fifteen, he set out to find adventure as a merchant seaman. He travelled to many far away ports, including New York, Valparaiso, San Francisco, and Yokohama. Tiring of the lonely life of a sailor, he returned to Liverpool where he worked as a railway fireman, a longshoreman, a long-distance truck driver, a bus driver, a boxer, a bobby (Police Constable 216D), a postmaster, and a stand-up comic. Jacques passed away in February of 2011 at the age of 71.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! Truly AWESOME!, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Legend of Luke (Redwall, Book 12) (Hardcover)

This book is a must-read! It's about how Martin travels to the northlands to find out what happened to his father, Luke the Warrior.

Vilu Daskar is not a very nice stoat! He abused his crew, once having some of them whipped then doused in salt water. Ouch!

Luke is always after Daskar in his tiny vessel, the Sayna, named after Martin's mother. Beau the hare is so funny, his whole crew is. This book is filled with the usual action, adventure, and sadness that is in all the other Redwall books. It has a very sad ending. Sad, but extremely heroic. To those of you that have read it, you know what I mean! And Ranguvar Foeseeker the squirrel warrior, whoa... she's cool! She's one of the most savage warriors in the whole series!

You learn lots of secrets too, like about how Saint Ninian's was built, how the tapestry was made, and all that stuff!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Newest Redwall Novel a legend in the making, May 23, 2000

By 

Harry Almquist (Boston, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of Luke (Redwall, Book 12) (Hardcover)

The Legend of Luke by Brian Jacques

On a misty summer morning, a stranger arrives at the Redwall Abbey. However, as soon as Trimp the Hedgehog enters the Abbey, she immediately causes a commotion. As she works in the fields, she sings the song of her homeland, little does she know she sings of Luke the Warrior, father of the Redwall hero Martin. Martin, having never known his warrior father, is filled with curiosity and wonder. He must know more, and eventually he, Gonff the prince of mouse thieves, and Trimp, travel to the North shores to uncover the secret of Luke the Warrior. Little do they know what legend they will uncover.

In this thrilling saga of the Redwall Series ( It takes place chronologically after Mossflower and before Redwall ), Brian Jacques once again mixes animal life into a medieval fairy tale. He descriptively paints a tapestry into your mind to make you feel every as if you were actually there. He holds you in suspense and wonder until it's over.

In my personal opinion I enjoyed the book. After a slow start, it immediately picks up. The vivid description lets you use your imagination to no end. The battle strategy and plot was astounding, and the character development was terrific. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys adventure, and anyone who has an imagination.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book!, January 30, 2000

By 

Jinn Resso - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of Luke (Redwall, Book 12) (Hardcover)

In the beginning of The Legend of Luke, Martin the Warrior, Gonff Prince of Mousethieves, Dinny Foremole, and Trimp the Hedgehog travel to the Northland Cliffs in search of anything that would help Martin discover what happened to his father, Luke. Along the way they find many friends and foes, including an otter named Folgrim, the Guosim Shrews, a tribe of Dunehogs (Hedgehogs), a small squirrel named Chugger, and a funny group of vermin lead by a fox.

After Martin finds members of his fathers old crew, the story really begins. Vilu Daskar has just smashed Luke's tribe on the Cliffs, and has killed Luke's wife, Sayna. Luke vows to get revenge, and to settle the score with his arch enemie, Vilu. Luke evenually gets his paws on a ship, and with a small crew, takes off after Vilu and his slaveship, the Goreleech. To make a long and great story short, Vilu Daskar and his vermin die, unfortunatly, as does Luke. But knowing that his father was ever the warrior, and that he stood true to his promise and got revenge, Martin travels home to Redwall with a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

The Legend of Luke really deserves more than 5 stars, and is the best Redwall book (in my humble oppinion). Brian Jacques really is a great writer, and deserving of every bit of praise that he gets.