Book 2), Vagabond (The Grail Quest

Again, a fascinating period of history is brought to vivid life by a writer who, I think, must have been there. I see and hear and smell what is happening in his word pictures and, as always, there is a great deal happening.

I really like Cornwell's writing. Nothing jars, nothing distracts, there is nothing missing that should be there and nothing superfluous that should have been edited out.

ok, escapism is a noble pursuit, right? not all reading has to better you, right? sometimes, a man can just kick back, escape the wife and kids, and enjoy some historical fiction-lite. and nobody does it better than bernard cornwell in his sharpe series and now the holy grail series. i'm not sure his books deserve 4 stars really. they're not literature after all, but they set out to accomplish entertaining the reader and they're always successful.
here thomas of hookton arrives back in england in 1346, continuing his search for the holy grail, which his father may or may not have possessed. thomas loses a friend and lover, but gains a companion in robbie douglas of scotland. it's a formula readers of cornwell know nearly verbatim, but one cannot help enjoying the ride. cornwell's battle scenes are as usual the highlights of the story, though at one point thomas and robbie are guerillas and i would have enjoyed a bit more of that. so, no surprises here, but a rousing, good read. enjoy!

Just like the author's other novels, this book keeps your attention until the very end. The realism of his writing allows the reader to believe you are there. I would recommend this and the other books in the grail series to anyone in search of a great book.

Bernard Cornwell is by far one of the BEST historical fiction writers I've read. I can't put his books down! I have been reading the Saxon Series, and then I started this series (starts with the Archer's Tale). Awesome! Keep writing Bernard!

After the highly enjoyable "The Archer", I was very much looking forward to the follow up work, "The Vagabond". Unfortunately, the second book in this series does not live up to its predecessor and is in fact quite disappointing.

What makes it such a weak work is its lack of believability. One of the joys of reading a historic novel is that one can suspend disbelief and really feel that one is viewing a chunk of history through the eyes of the participants at the time. This I found it nearly impossible to do with "The Vagabond". For one thing, the main character plays too critical a roll in too many major historic events. This much coincidence is simply too much to believe from a simple man-of-arms of low aristocracy in medieval Europe. Time and again, no matter which country he is in, he is always there at the forefront when some major event occurs. Another such area is in the weak characterization. With the exception of the main character, most characters are presented as highly two dimensional, with evil characters being closer to caricatures, and good ones lacking any flaws. Given these two shortcomings, the whole work reads more like a fantasy novel than a historic one.

There are of course entertaining passages. Further, I enjoy Cromwell's frequent peppering of his writing with explanation of historic tools and items no longer in use today. However, on the whole this was a weak work and not a worthy follow up to his excellent "The Archer".

cornwell writes with skill that pulls you into the past. he also takes time at the end to let you know what he fictionalized. i have found myself fascinated by a time period i was never interested in before. .

I love this series and will read them all. Bernard Cornwell is very good at bringing you into the timeframe written about; the 1300s England and France. I look forward to reading the other book in this series.

An exciting and fascinating read. Looking forward to Book 3.
If I have one gripe it's the sometimes flippancy between Thomas and Robbie in the heat of battle.
However, I highly recommend Vagabond but you would do well to read Book 1 first.

If you've read the very fine "The Last Kingdom" and "The Arthurian" series, you already know what an exceptional writer Bernard Cornwell is.
So what happened with "The Archer's Tale" series? Repetitious, meandering, and downright boring, with Thomas wandering aimlessly about the story. Such a one dimensional character! Bring back Uhtred! Bring back Dervel! Give us characters that jump off the page!

Take it from me, if you've read "The Last Kingdom" and "The Arthurian" series, you will be bored.

There is no let up in the action from the ending of the Archer's Tale to the start of Vagobond. The way the author
describes the period when the novel takes place is amazing. You think you are there living in this period of time.

If you are a fan of Mr. Cornwell, or historical fiction in general, you will love this book. It is the second in a trilogy so I would recommend reading the first book and I will definitely be moving on to the third book!

This was another awesome book from this author. I have read all three of the Grail Quest books, and found them next to impossible to put down until I had read them all. I am a great fan of history, and especially English history. I learned yet more of history in this read. And ordered more books from the same author. Will do so again too, his writing is fascinating.

This writing is just ok. We have a chance for a really good series but it just does not seem to come together. It seems like about half of each of these books could just be skipped since they have very little to do with the main plot. Thomas' travels are erratic and do not make sense, they seem to be there just so he can meet up with the villians that have become his enemies just because they are pricks. Also his waxing and waning interest and belief in the grail tend to get annoying. Robbie is an interesting stereotypical barbaric tag-along that really does get involved in the story. I guess I like the books because they take place in a setting that I find interesting but they really are not that good.

Another great Cornwell classic. The Grail trilogy is a delightful piece of historical fiction, combined with enough facts to keep you constantly turning each page. Fantastic research goes into every book, making each a must read.

My wife said there is no way you can mop floors this way. But after seeing the results she was a little less negative. The down side of the cleaner is of course the wand for cleaning furniture but it is also difficult if not impossible to clean under objects like a bed.

Bernard Cornwell seems to just take the same plot lines that appear in all his novels and recycle them. The, oh so predictable, death of any female character that becomes involved with the hero. As I was reading it I kept thinking, "I hope that doesn't happen again." Why not let it happen in childbirth as was very common? Why does it have to be violent?

Bernard Cornwell seems to just take the same plot lines that appear in all his novels and recycle them. The, oh so predictable, death of any female character that becomes involved with the hero. As I was reading it I kept thinking, "I hope that doesn't happen again." Why not let it happen in childbirth as was very common? Why does it have to be violent?

This first book in the "Grail Quest" series ended with the hero, an English archer named Thomas of Hookton, on the winning side of the Battle of Crecy. Now back in England, he is dispatched to learn more about his father and whether or not he had any connection to the Holy Grail. Also hot on the trail of Thomas and the Grail are his murderous French cousin, a Dominican member of the Inquisition, and a nasty English knight. This trio of villains is perhaps one too many, serving to dilute the tension a little bit more than enhancing it. And to keep the conflict bubbling, there's a a fair amount of to-ing and fro-ing around the country, which ultimately climaxes Scottish invasion of Northern England, and his taking part in the Battle of Neville's Cross. Once again, the combat scenes are vivid yet clearly detailed, and the historical details are immersive, but this one felt a little too much like the joinery between the start and end of the series than it did it's own standalone story.

In this second installment of The Grail Quest, Thomas of Hookton is back in England, facing a horde of murderous Scots, a fanatic priest and some truths about his father. He goes back to his ruined village to find an old clay cup, which he immediately discards as unimportant (wink wink) and a book written by his father, containing stories about the Grail. Some of the writings are in old Hebrew, but luckily Thomas has a Jewish friend from his time in France. So to France he goes - not for the Grail, offcourse, but to help Sir Guillaume, who is besieged by his own lord in his castle.
In his quest for the Grail but especially for revenge on the priest who's ruined his life Thomas enlist the help of Robbie Douglas, one of the captive murderous Scots, who also has a score to settle with the priest.

I may have liked this book a bit better. There was a lot scheming and intrigue and the Catholic church was presented in all its "glory". Jeanette, Sir Guillaume and Mordechai, my favourites, are back.

'Did you know,' he went on, 'that Flemish sailors claim that you can calm a storm by throwing a Jew overboard?'
'Do they really?'
'So I'm told,' Mordecai said....... 'Do you think the Flemings carry Jews aboard their ships as a precaution? It would seem a sensible, if cruel, thing to do. Why die when a Jew can die?'

The coolest character this time was Robbie, who is completely awesome and utterly Scottish. He's the Scottish Patrick Harper, just like Jeanette is the French Teresa Moreno.
I've decided I don't mind that Cornwell is a one-trick pony. It's like this toy I had - a cartboard cutout of a man and a woman and you have different sets of paper clothes to put on them. Cornwells characters are like that - a set of prototypes he puts different clothes on according to an historical period he writes about at that moment. It was my favourite pass time in childhood and I've decided to enjoy it this time, too - I'll read on the series with pleasure.

The 2nd book in the Grail Quest trilogy with Thomas of Hookton. Thomas helps the English repel an invasion by the Scots, then acquires an unlikely ally in Robbie Douglas who is in pursuit of the tortuous Dominican Inquisitor who killed his brother. Thomas has found a mysterious notebook left by his father which allegedly gives clues as to the whereabouts of the Holy Grail, the cup which Christ used the night before He died. Thomas and Robbie find refuge in Brittany with Jeanette, where they are thrust into the Battle of La Roche-Derrien, and they find themselves face-to-face with their bitter enemies Charles of Blois, Guy de Vexille (who murdered Thomas' father), and the Dominican Bernard de Taillebourg. A splendid read.

1356 by Bernard Cornwell

Thomas of Hookton returns to life in the spellbinding second chapter in Cornwell's Grail Quest Trilogy. This time, Cornwell bases his story on the famous battle of Poitiers, held on September 19, 1356, between Edward, Prince of Wales and son of King Edward III of England, and King Jean II of France.

The story starts with Thomas of Hookton, or Le Batard, as he is known, in a mercenary war with the Bishop of Lavence to avenge the count of Labrouillade, whose wife has abandoned him for the younger and handsomer Lord of Villon. After rescuing the count's wife, Bertille, the count cheats Thomas of his spoils and Thomas strikes back at the count.

Chased throughout France, Thomas is given a task by his lord and protector, the Earl of Northampton to find La Malice - St. Peter's sword used to defend our Lord, Jesus Christ when he was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane - and bring it back to the English. The French seek the sword too, so the story narrates Thomas' adventures as his quest is thwarted at every turn and betrayal, by promises made and broken until Thomas joins forces with Prince Edward to defeat The French.

The book is a pleasure to read. Well researched, well written - each change of point of view is clearly marked so that reader can follow easily. The character development is excellent - my favorite character was the picaresque countess of Malbuisson, an octogenarian at the convent of Saint Dorcas, who not only comes to Thomas' rescue, but also helps him decipher the clues of the saint who held la Malice - St. Junen of Poitous - and also manages to rob Thomas of a small fortune as he is forced to gamble with her to keep her entertained all night.

I read the book in three days, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction as much as I do.

Many "second in a series" seem to lose steam or meander aimlessly. Unfortunately, Vagabond manages to do both, with Thomas of Hookton reluctantly traipsing about England and Brittany in search of the elusive Holy Grail. Cornwell's character has enormous potential but in this edition his heart just doesn't seem in it. Along the way our hero loses his betrothed and an unborn child but seems able to shrug off the loss as though they were just a good hunting dog--shed a few tears,, swear revenge, move on.

The battle scenes are, as ever, terrific, but this reader would have liked a more motivated quester--one whose heart seems really in it. Or some examination of the hubris of searching at all--how does an archer from a fishing village expect to succeed in obtaining what Sir Gawain and Sir Perceval failed to acquire. But there is none of that. Lots of greedy, sanctimonious priests (a Cornwall specialty) and an annoyed young man who can't make up his mind what he wants to do. Which is okay--just not terribly interesting.

It is efforts like this that makes one wish the author slowed down his output and put a bit more time into polishing the end result. Vagabond should have been much better.

If we were taught history the way Bernard Cornwell writes it, we'd all be historians. "Vagabond", the middle of Cornwell's superb "Grail Quest" series, is as raucous, brutal and riveting as the best contemporary thrillers, yet manages to stay close to the historical record, slashing and burning life and meaning into the early days of what would later be called "The Hundred Year's War". I was mesmerized by the prequel, "The Archers Tale", finding it the most illuminating and insightful primer of Medieval England found between pages. But after reading "Vagabond", I'm convinced that only a time machine could deliver a more vivid description of love, war, politics, and religion in those turbulent, treacherous times.

Back from "Archer" is Thomas of Hookton, the English archer whose black-yew bow makes widows of enemies while he is half-heartedly seeking the Holy Grail, part of his family's history that Thomas would prefer didn't exist. Instead, he continues on a more personal quest, hunting down his murderous cousin Guy Vexille who torched Thomas' village and murdered his father while seeking the Grail for himself.

In "Vagabond", it is 1347 and Cornwell resumes his tale in northern England. King Edward III, still in France holding down his conquests in Normandy and Brittany, has apparently left his northern flank exposed, inviting the Scots, with some prodding from their French allies, to stream into a vulnerable England. Cornwell's description of the very real Battle of Neville's Cross between the Scots and an outmanned English army is a literary classic, from the strategy and tactics to the stink and gore of war fought helmet-to-helmet and shield-to-shield in violence and carnage simply unimaginable in today's gentler times. But aside from documenting the mechanics and horrors of war in the 14th century, Cornwell, as usual, spins his fiction in a fascinating backdrop of the culture and lore of the period. The power of the Church, as well as the hypocrisy, is never quite as disturbing as when told by Cornwell, burnished in this episode by the righteousness terror of the Inquisition. Indeed, the medieval punching bag Thomas finds little respite this time around, having his suffering delivered by the hand of a sadistic priest.

In short, if you love an action-packed page-turner, but prefer some education and even a bit of history infused with your time spent reading, I couldn't recommend a better author than Bernard Cornwell, and a better saga than "The Grail Series". This one just may be the best of the bunch, but then, I'm looking forward to giving sequel "The Heretic" a chance to better it.

I found this slow going. While I like Thomas, I don't love him. He isn't larger than life.

Maybe it's the confused journeying around England and France that occupies half the book. Maybe it's the complicated Grail story. I can hardly keep track of the relationship of the Vexille family to the Grail, the Knights Templar, the Cathar heresy, the church and so on. Maybe I'm tiring of the magic bullet that the archers represent, although Cornwell is still inventive with battle scenes and keeps digging up interesting historical battles to refight. (Ones where the English defeat both the enemy and the odds.)

Maybe it's that in writing medieval Christians, Cornwell has trouble writing sympathetic ones that, while not overly pious, have a certain baseline of belief, as does Thomas. Thomas worries about his soul, about the afterlife, and believes in saints' miracles. He struggles with the idea of the Grail but ultimately believes in it. Cornwell does better in the Alfred series with Uhtred, whose belief in Norse gods, while superstitious, is just more fun and more in synch with that warrior's character. ("When we get to the corpse hall, we'll wench and revel and fight just like we did here." Now, that's the afterlife I want.)

Thomas, back in England after the first volume's victory at Crecy, journeys north to question an old monk about the Grail. Others are interested - anyone who gets a sniff of what they're up to, really, this is the Holy Grail we're talking about - but particularly Bernard de Taillebourg, a torturing Inquisitor with a mysterious black-clad bodyguard.

Thomas stumbles into an imminent battle between the fierce Scots, French allies, and the outnumbered English with their ace in the hole - archers, whose long-distance accuracy and killing power trumps even armored knights on horseback. This is one of the only times Cornwell depicts a battle between these two historic enemies. He gets to flesh out the Scots a little more.

Afterwards Thomas and Robbie Douglas, a Scottish prisoner released into his custody, journey south, in equal parts Grail quest and revenge mission for various deaths. De Taillebourg hunts them. So to do other powerful enemies - Guy Vexille, the French cousin who killed Thomas' father; and the vicious Scarecrow, a heavily indebted English lord. Near the ruins of his home village on the Channel, Thomas finds a mysterious book left by his father, and then they head to France.

Many characters in the first book are brought back, including Thomas' old commander Will Skeat, now head-injured; Mordecai, the Jewish doctor; Sir Guillaume, the French lord who had befriended Thomas; Jeanine Chenier, the beautiful widow who abandoned him for the Prince of Wales; and Charles of Blois, who took Jeanine's young son, heir to a title and key to Charles' gaining all Brittany - if he can ever drive the British out. Jeanine, too, wants revenge and her boy back. Thomas wants to help her get it, but finds himself up against the Inquisition.

Charles has carefully planned an invasion, with a massive force of knights and crossbowmen and, more importantly, a well-reasoned out tactic to defeat the previously invincible archers. The vastly outnumbered garrison Thomas rejoins awaits reinforcements that never seem to come from faraway Calais.

Some fine things about the book include the introduction of Douglas, a boon companion whose Scots-English rivalry with Thomas echoes the rivalry of Sharpe with the Irish Harper; the portrayal of the fearsome trebuchets, souped-up late Medieval catapults; a sailing scene where a local trader helps Thomas and his crew outrun pursuers on faster boats; and his portrayal of Inquisition torture. Bernard plays subtle head games with his victims. And who knew they weren't allowed to draw blood?

And I must admit I actually like Charles of Blois, a villain from the first book but here a cool military commander willing to sacrifice glory to gain his objective by fighting a defensive battle much more likely to lead to victory. Yeah, he's a jerk, but he's also a grownup.

Bernard Cornwell has continued "The Grail Quest" trilogy with book 2 of the series, "Vagabond". This book continues the story of Thomas of Hookton, master archer in the English army, son of a "crazy" priest, and apparently, heir to the family burden, grail-keeper.
Book 1, "The Archer's Tale" in the U.S. (Harlequin in the U.K.), begins the story and the first battles of the hundred-years-war, but if you don't read the first book, you can still read "Vagabond" and be kept up to speed. This is both a positive and a negative. The positive is that, due to the fact that there is so much happening in the first book, Cornwell must recap alot of the information as backstory in the second book; the negative is that, having just finished the first book, I was a little bored with the redundancy of the backstory because I wanted to move on with the current storyline. The book was good nonetheless and I was never too put off by the inclusion of the backstory. I STILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THAT THE FIRST BOOK BE READ BEFORE THIS ONE. The "Archer's Tale" ("Harlequin") was wonderful and, obviously, all of the first book cannot be included in the second.
This is well written historical fiction, accurate concerning the battles, the cities and the major players (i.e. kings, lords, dukes, etc.), that were all part of the beginnings of the hundred-years-war. Cornwell is meticulous in his descriptions of the battles and the reasons for why each commander did what he did during the battle, providing interesting insight in to the nature of man and the causes of the war.
Cornwell also delivers the information with surprising candor and does not present the story from the side of the French, the English, the Scottish, or the many other countries who had men fighting in the war.
Most surprising and liberating about this book, as with the first, is Cornwell's blunt portrayal of Catholicism, The Inquisition, priests, and the greed of the church during this time. Cornwell again leaves nothing to the imagination and removes any shroud of solemnity or respect that is often offered the medieval church, but truly not deserved.
This book continues the story of Thomas of Hookton, his travels from France to England, back to France, his capture and torture by The Inquisition, his return to his love from the first novel and, ultimately, the acceptance of the burden that was presented to him in the first book; he is responsible for recovering the grail, the cup of Christ, and restoring his family, which was wiped out by the French aristocracy and the Catholic church as heretical, to their proper place in the world. His family, the Vexilles, were lords and members of the Cathar religion that was wiped out by the early Inquisition due to their growing numbers and their defiance to the Catholic church. They were, according to Thomas of Hookton's father, the chosen ones of God, responsible for protecting the grail and using it's power to bring peace to the world. Thomas was given the burden of recovering the grail after his father was murdered in the first book.
Historically accurate, vividly descriptive, with well-developed characters both from the first book and some newly added, and intriguing from beginning to end, I am again desperate to get to the next book and discover the fate of Thomas of Hookton.

You like battle scenes, do you? VAGABOND is the second in the The Grail Quest series by Bernard Cornwell and while some reviewers might find this book less 'original' than the first that may have something to do with the fact that it is an on-going pulse-pounding saga. What is new is the continuation of a bold, original tale with, once again, typical Cornwell characters that are anything but typical. His bad guys are exceptionally bad, his good guys are usually bad at trying to be good, and an occasional good good guy and gal (lady, wench, whore,or hag) who bring the past into better historical view.
Few of us actually read history for the joy of it but how many times has Cornwell drawn us into it with page turners that make it breathe? I'm smarter now in spite of myself.
Yeah, his battles scenes are gory but you know what? So are real battles? How better to describe the horrors of warfare than to make it as real as it is! It's all adrenaline pumping fun and games until the first piece of metal slices into you then you go on survival, whatever it takes mode. He doesn't glossy it up or make it pretty and there's value in that a well.
VAGABOND is action-packed historical fiction. I'd give it five stars but hey, I don't want fame to go to his head. I just want him to keep writing his books.

for lovers of English history this is a awesome treat, filled with action, detailed and gory battle scenes, riveting adventure and emotion, we trace the adventures of Thomas of Hookton, an archer in the English army and the bastard son of a French priest and nobleman who was villainously murdered.
In this novel Thomas is sent back to England to discover its whereabouts and becomes involved in the Scottish invasion of 1347. He soon discovers that his cousin, Guy Vexille, is working with powerful figures within the Catholic Church in France to discover the Grail for their own ends. The novel ends with fierce fighting at La Roche-Derrien back in Brittany.
His beautiful young French wife Eleanor is murdered by evil men, and he must avenge this and their other foul deeds, together in his search for the grail with his new found Scottish friend and comrade, Robbie. Cornwell succeeds in creating a thrilling adventure while bringing alive the history of the 1300s in England, Scotland and France.

Nobody, since Homer, writes battle and fight scenes better than Cornwell. He gets your blood up, it feels like you're there. And then you're bloody glad glad you're experiencing in an armchair instead of amidst the fighters slashing and hacking each other to death. But this Grail Series is the weakest one of the three I've read. The characters just don't come alive for me, except in battle. I did come to care enough about Thomas that i winced during his torture, and I wanted revenge on the beastly cruel Church Inquisitor-torturer.

I loved the Utred series, and wish Cornwell would spend the rest of his life writing about Utred.
MONSTERS OF THE MIDWAY Love and Redemption in College Football

Last year, Bernard Cornwell introduced Thomas of Hookton, a young English archer. He filled the pages with great adventure, gory battle scenes, distressed damsels, armored knights, wayward bishops and beleaguered castles. Now, Thomas returns to England after a victory in the famed battle at Crecy, France. He bears a letter from the bishop and King Edward III that is meant to gain him an audience with an old priest who, it's been rumored, has knowledge of the Holy Grail --- the object of Thomas's quest. Of course, he must fight his way there. After the surprising outcome of the battle at Durham, Thomas forms an odd alliance with Scotsman Robbie Douglas. The two set out on their crusade, a crusade of revenge for several recent deaths, coupled with the hunt for the holy treasure. Their journey takes them back to Hookton first, where Thomas recovers a book written by Father Ralph, his father, who was killed by cousin Guy Vexille (in the opening of THE ARCHER'S TALE). The tome, an apparent clue in the puzzle of the Grail's whereabouts, baffles Thomas --- and later, others --- with its cryptic passages. With book in hand, he and Robbie make the perilous crossing to France over stormy seas, dodging pirates and French war ships, forced into the fray upon landing. They hook up with some of Thomas's old friends and fight some new battles. The quest continues --- and probably will again in Cornwell's third installment in the Grail Series, which is sure to be as eagerly awaited once readers have feasted on VAGABOND.
Cornwell recreates, with brutal realism, the battles stretching across 1346 and 1347. He vividly imagines the gruesome skirmishes, flaying his readers open with horrific details. The most feared battlefield weapon, the longbow, comes into bright focus through Cornwell's words. I gained a new respect for archers. While I am no fan of war stories (due mostly to a squeamish temperament), the tale of young Thomas is utterly captivating. Despite the repugnance of the cruelest scenes, I reminded myself that the violence and savagery are an integral part of the story. In truth, it would be hard to call it a war if there was no pain, carnage or death.
Before the fighting, the men are whipped into a frenzy with exhortations of "Kill them! Kill them all! The lord will reward you for every Englishman (or Scotsman, or Frenchman) slaughtered!" The hatred is fierce and very personal. Without knowing the enemy's face, swordsmen slash with heated vehemence at their opposition, butchering men and animals, all in the name of righteousness. It struck me as a medieval jihad and hammered home the point that man has been fighting holy wars for centuries. Despite the ugliness of the subject, VAGABOND reads fast and leaves one immensely satisfied with the story.
It is indeed a pleasure learning to love history through Bernard Cornwell's work. He takes an otherwise dry subject (to me, at least), works his storytelling magic and turns it into high entertainment. I greedily look forward to being among his audience when he releases the next in the series.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Bernard Cornwell's "Vagabond" continues the saga of Thomas of Hookton, archer extraordinaire, that began in "The Archer's Tale." In the first novel, we meet Thomas, illegitimate son of a seemingly mad, definitely murdered priest. Thomas is educated but has a ne'er-do-well streak a mile wide, and his life's ambition is to be an archer.

Living during the Hundred Years War, Thomas's devotion to archery is smart, since the archer rules the battlefield. Archers use mighty bows that smash arrows through shields and armor with horrible effect. Cornwell opens "Vagabond" with one of the archers' most notable historic triumphs, where an outmanned English force destroys a larger Scottish army at Neville's Cross near Durham. Nobody writes a better battle scene than Cornwell - his descriptions of violence are gripping, and he never loses sight of the logistics of a battle as well as its ebb and flow.

Some of these descriptions are most vivid when Thomas and Robbie, a Scotsman, terrorize the countryside, picking off an invading force piece by piece, using supersitition as well as lethal force to bring terror to their foes.

Thomas is doomed to spend much of "Vagabond" in the deepest despair. He loses friends and lovers -- life at during the Hundred Years War truly was precarious, and Cornwell does not spare characters merely because they are Thomas's friends. Cornwell's willingness to "kill off" characters, in addition to being realistic, keeps the reader on the edge of his seat because all characters are in peril at any given moment. Fortunes can turn on a dime.

Thomas is also charged with tracking down the Holy Grail, using an arcane book drafted by his father. Thomas has no mania for the Grail, but others do. Not only are other members of Thomas's family after the Grail, so is the Inquisition. And Thomas has an unfortunate encounter with the Inquisition that is even more terrifying than Cornwell's vivid battle scenes.

"Vagabond" sweeps the reader from the northern reaches of England to a battle on the English Channel and back to France and Brittany. Cornwell does not waste too much time on travelogue-exposition, but he provides enough detail that the reader is always grounded in the scene.

Long on action, spiced with humor and romance, "Vagabond" tells a rip-roaring tale that commands that you tear through its 400 pages. A great read!

In some series, the later books "stand on their own" and can be read out of sequence without missing anything. "Vagabond" is not one of them -- do not read "Vagabond" without reading "The Archer's Tale" first.

The second entry in the Grail Quest series has the reader following Thomas Hookton aka Vexille from Brittany to England, just when the Scots decide to invade nothern England during the start of the Hundred Years War, thereby taking advantage of most of Britain's forces being occupied in France. Thomas is still the reluctant archer responsible for finding the Grail although his lack of faith in the hallowed cup finds him much more eager to be an archer and leader of man than a "knight of the round table following an elusive quest. The English turn back the Scots at the battle as they did historically, yet soon after Thomas's lover is killed by his cousin Guy Vexille or the Harlequin, the same man that killed his father. Around this time a captive Scot Robbie is ransomed in a manner that makes him a companion of Thomas as Thomas travels to hunt down Vexille and maybe find the Grail.

Bernard Cornwell perhaps is the best historical thriller writer in the business today. He economially sets scenes in fourteenth century Europe. Reading this I almost felt I had travelled back in time and joined the fictionally hero as he wandered across harsh landscape meeting bandits, corrupt monks and other dangers in his quest. Cornwell's characterization is so three-dimensional it is amazing. Instead of falling to temptation of making Thomas another Arthur or Robin Hood type hero(although there are allusions to Robin and his merry men cleverly placed in the story) he makes him a reluctant hero complete with doubts and lusts to distract him on his journey. In other words he is not infallible by any means but a portrait of perhaps a real archer in that time period.

Perhaps though the most interesting aspect for me was how detailed the background and supporting characters personalities are drawn. There are shifting alliances and betrayals much as I imagine there were in the historical setting. Hard to imagine how political everything was even in Medieval Europe with land being perhaps even a holier treasure than anything besides the Grail which was really hunted by many in the 14th century. But the strong writing in this second novel helped me to imagine just that and more.

Lovers of historical fiction, and admirers of thrillers should both give this series serious consideration.

Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series, set during the Napoleonic Wars To my shame I have not read any of these. The books about Arthurian England are much more my cup of tea and I read those avidly. He has also written among others, Stonehenge 2000 B.C. Bernard Cornwell lives with his wife on Cape Cod.

This second book in the series is even better than the first, perhaps because the reader is now more aware of the storyline and is familiar with the main characters. Although the first book was a good read and well up to Mr. Cornwell's high standard. In this one the story gathers pace and takes the reader along on a wave of emotion for Thomas of Hook ton.

Thomas, a young archer has been fighting in what became known as the Hundred Years' War. He has been with the English army in France and while the English are on foreign soil the Scots see it as their opportunity to come down from the north.

Sent back to England Thomas becomes involved in the fighting at Durham. He he meets an enemy, a Dominican, who, like most other people is looking for the holy relic, the grail. Thomas has one advantage, an old book left by his father seems to offer clues to its resting place. But after all the turmoil and upheaval will the relic even be in the place where it has rested for so many years . . . ?

if you like the sharpe series and the starbuck series you'll love vagabond and bernard cornwell's new hero, thomas of hookton. as bernard cornwell derscribed thomas as "sharpe with a long bow." the book is pretty similar to the sharpe and starbuck series. the book is action packed with excellent battle scenes. it also continues thomas' search for the holy grail. the charachters are realistic. cornwell doesn't try to create 21st century characters and put them into the 14th century like so many other authors do. these are characters with the types of prejudices and beliefs you would find in a typical 14th century person. however, cornwell's hatred of the french also seems to have caried over from the sharpe books. he paints charles of blois into a villain. perhaps he did that for effect or to create a more compelling story. however, charles of blois was known to be a pious individual who gave to charity. charles has also been beatified in the catholic church. overall, though the book is excellent, and is good as any of the other works cornwell has done.

Cornwell is probably the best historical fiction author that I have read. His attention to detail and the amazing strength and skill the English Longbowmen exhibited during this era is without question extensive and fascinating.

Also great are his heart stopping, gritty battle scenes and the everyday life in this turbulent time. Priests are not priestly, plunder and pillage go hand in hand with honor and glory. The harsh reality of the matter is that in this era, the Archers were the lords of the battlefields. And Vagabond helps depict this.

Cornwell, on the other hand, does not do as well developing the plot of the "Holy Grail". His chief character, Thomas of Hookton, is an exceedingly reluctant searcher for the grail and while educated, shows glimpses of an interesting character who wishes to be a "leader of archers" but he acts much like a petulant little boy when confronted with the Grail quest.

Again, an amazing story in the historical archer/longbow perspective and the battle scenes are second to none, but in this book, too many convenient coincidences along the plot for my tastes.

Bernard Cornwell's `Vagabond' picks up where `Harlequin' ended, though Thomas has left France and is approaching Durham with both Father Hobbe and his pregnant soon-to-be-wife, Eleanor. We are told that Edward III has tasked Thomas with finding out more about the legendary Grail and his family's (the Vexilles) connection to it. Before he can reach Durham to speak to Broker Collimore who was the monk responsible for Thomas' father's, Father Ralph of Hookton, care the wily Guy Vexille, present as the servant of the Inquisition Dominician priest De Taillebourg gets there first and ends up murdering the monk, Eleanor and Father Hobbe. I must confess it was slightly surprising the way these two major characters suddenly got written off but further plot lines dicate it was a necessity.
Thomas ends up defending Durham from the invading Scots under David the Bruce, goaded by the French that northern England lay undefended in the Battle of Neville's Cross and we are treated to another particularly intense battle sequence so common to Cornwell's writing. The introduction of Sir William Douglas (who character provides some levity in a time of war) and his son Robbie ensures that Thomas has a new companion when he returns south to Hookton. Whilst Thomas ensures his enemies are fed false information as to his whereabouts he returns to France, to Evecque and becomes the temporary scourage of the Comte de Coutances who is besieging Sir Guillame. Both Thomas, Robbie and Sir Guillame make their escape with the assistance of the friendly Pierre Villeroy and his doting wife, Yvette. Sir Guillame reunites Thomas with Will Skeat (who's not too bad after nearly dying in the previous novel at Crecy) and Mordecai and after a brief skirmish in the English Channel they find themselves back at La Roche-Derrien where Thomas' old flame, Jeanette, has returned. Much of the rest of the novel centres around here, from Thomas' ill-fated raid on Roncelles and capture by de Taillebourg, his subsequent torture and ransoming to Charles de Blois' siege of La Roche. Right down to the final battle scenes where a mixture of luck and sheer bravery save the day, Cornwall's penmanship is excellent. Guy Vexille makes his escape and a lot of the initial wrongs to the other characters associated with Thomas are rectified, but we are left with Thomas and Robbie ready to chase down Guy in the third installment, `Heretic'.
The two novels of the Grail Quest to date are an enjoyable read. Cornwell's placement of his characters within the reality of history is faultless, his prose-style and plot lines gripping. He provides both magnificent villains and flawed heroes in a world of violence and the right mixture of political intrigue and grim reality to shock. A historical writer at the pinnacle of his time.

This is the sequel to _The Archer's Tale,_ the second novel of the adventures of Thomas of Hookton, English archer in the wars with France during the 1340s, and of his involvement in a quest for the Grail. The author is masterful in his descriptions of medieval warfare, and also in his delineations of character, whether of Thomas and his friend, Robbie Douglas, or of their implacably vicious enemy, Father Bernard Taillebourg, or of minor figures like the deeply wounded Will Skeat and the impressively ambitious Cardinal Bessieres. The story begins with the Battle of Neville's Cross, just outside Durham, and ends with the startling defeat of Charles, Duke of Blois. Startling, because Charles was intelligent and did everything right, and ought to have won -- but no battle plan, as they say, ever survives contact with the enemy. Perhaps what I like best about this series is that Cornwell gives as much attention to the minutiae of everyday existence in the 14th century as to the great battles, and that even with the Grail figuring importantly in the plot, there's no hint of mysticism or the supernatural on the part of the omniscient narrator. I'm waiting for the third volume!

Bernard Cornwell has always had a talent for writing great novels and will always be known for the Sharpe serires, but this Grail Quest series is probably his best. This book is the best for any fan of historical fiction, or history in general. It is one of those rare books that I could hardly put down and found myself constantly thinking about it when I was not reading it.
To be honest, I was worried when the book first started as Thomas had seemingly become somewhat holier since the first book ended, but that simply turned out to be a mistaken interpretation on my part, as Thomas is quickly up to his neck in the same chivarly and devilry as in The Archer's Tale.
As with his other books, Cornwell has blended the fictional events and the historical events so well as to make it almost impossible to tell when the history ends and the fiction begins. Thankfully, Cornwell is one of the few honest historical fiction writers to actually offer historical notes with his books to tell what's what.

Beginning where The Archer's Tale left off after the battle of Crecy, Vagabond continues the tale of Thomas of Hookton, by sending him back to England in search of the Holy Grail. It may sound a little hokey, but it makes for a great story. During his quest Thomas has to fight against the Scot's at the battle of Neville's Cross, and face his worst memories when he returns to the ruins of his hometown of Hookton. Along the way Thomas meets up with new friends and foes and ultimately ends up back where he began his wanderings in France. Vagabond has it's share of great battle scenes and interesting characters but it is obvious that it was written as part of a series and ends with no resolution. The reader must continue on to Heretic for the conclusion of Thomas' tale.

#2 in the story of English archer Thomas of Hookton during the Hundred Years War and a cracker.
The historical notes on p.495 give the ransom for Scottish King David as £66,000 and advises this should be multiplied by at least 100 to give a modern value. This equates to £6.6 million. This seems paltry for a king. You need over 10 times this to make it to the bottom of the Times Richest 1,000 People in the U.K list.

I thought Vagabond was even better, by quite a large margin, than the first in this series, The Archer’s Tale, although I liked that one, too. It's probably because Vagabond is more of a “buddy” story, and requires less set-up because it’s a sequel. Bernard Cornwell does battles better than anyone, and this one does not disappoint; the battle scene at the end is amazing. Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

Another 'off the cuff' epic from Bernard Cornwall who must surely rank as one of the world's most prolific writers.
However, you MUST have read the Archer's Tale in order to understand 'this' tale. There are too many weird named characters with long histories to grab the story without knowing the first book.
As usual the book ends with a settle-piece blood and gore pitched battle - when both foe and friend are scewered, decapititated, run-through and generally disembowled in excellent Cornwellian fashion. Great boys stuff!
Recommended to anyone for sitting out a long aeroplane trip, sipping a beer on the beach, or generally stuck indoors' a rainy sunday afternoon.
Mr Cornwall, you are the best.

Cornwell picks up the saga of Thomas of Hookton and his Grail quest in this second volume of his treatment of the Hundred Years War. From the Battle of Neville's Cross at the beginning to the French siege of La Roche-Derrien at the end, fans of Cornwell's battle scene descriptions will enjoy a feast of arrows and gore. In between there are plenty of new and old villains, the return of Jeanette, and enough ups and downs to keep the pages turning. If you have read the first volume, "The Archer's Tale," you can't stop now--read "Vagabond," and you won't be disappointed.

Vagabond

This just didn't live up to my expectations. I was expecting a hunt across Europe and possibly elsewhere looking for the Grail, but instead I got a small slice of the 100 year war.

Apparently this is 2nd in a series. Our hero is Thomas whose family is rumored to have at one time been in the possession of the Holy Grail. Thomas's father a nobleman turned priest who is also supposed to be a little crazy has died and left Thomas a book that supposedly will lead him to the Grail. Instead of searching for the Grail, Thomas goes off to avenge his murdered girlfriend's death, and in the process try and recover his ex-lover's child. This lands him smack in the middle of a couple of sieges in France and tortured by the inquisition.

The characterizations seem a little off too. While Thomas is supposedly off to avenge the death of the woman carrying his child and the woman he says he was going to marry, he takes back up with his ex-lover who at the end of the book he admits he has no intention of marrying. He's portrayed as a reluctant potential keeper of the Grail, but he doesn't seem to be too tormented by the responsibility, (except the torment inflicted by the Inquisition trying to find the Grail's whereabouts).

There's also a Jewish doctor who seems to be able to cure just about anything. The best character is Robby Douglas, a Scott being held for ransom that is sent with Thomas and ends up fighting for the English.

Also, there's a scene in the book fairly early on that I think shows where the Grail is, but it's just thrown out there as a not too obvious hint and is then dropped.

The novel will while away the time, but it's not a page turner.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book

Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author

Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.

Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.

Five stars - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.

Bernard Cornwell has long been recognized for his ability of bringing facial events in history to life. And he has done it again with Vagabond, the second volume in his Grail Quest series. He bookends the story with. Vivid descriptions of two battles during the 100 Years War between England and France. In between he advances the story of Thomas of Hookton, an English archer who seems to have a knack for being in the right place but at the wrong time. But that's the essence of good storytelling, isn't it?

"Vagabond" is the 2nd book in the 3-book medieval Grail Quest series. Thomas Hookton is the bowman-protagonist from the 1st book, Harlequin/Archer's Tale. ("Harlequin" is the name of the book published in the UK; "The Archer's Tale" is the same book with a different title, published in the USA.) Vagabond begins with Thomas and his wife Eleanor traveling with a monk. England is still fighting with the French, while the Scots decide to help France in destroying England. Thomas also finds his cousin has been enlisted in the Bishop/ Cardinal's service as an assassin. Thomas receives a book written by his crazed father about the Grail. All of Europe learns of the Grail, and all seek it. While Thomas seeks help to decipher the book, he is given into the hands of the enemy by spies who wish to gain the Church's trust. This book in the Grail series is more about mystery than love; there are still many blood-broiling battle scenes across England. Thomas may lose some close friends in Vagabond; he also gains many new friends. Bernard Cornwell keeps you in suspense throughout the book, while foreshadowing uncertain futures. I recommend this book and the Grail Quest series whole heartedly. For anyone who likes traveling history via intrigue, drama and acts of bravery, this book will be perfect for you.

This story is a little different as Thomas is really questing for the Grail and only accidently gets into the battles.
It is typical Cornwell:exciting, fast paced and the historical details flow with the plot and characters to keep you turning page after page.
About 90% of the way through I found myself thinking how Cornewll was going to get Thomas out (of the seemingly impossible situation) and was a little suprised.
I love the new characters of the boat skipper and his wife! I hope they are comming back in the third volume.
I am a Cornwall fan. Has he ever considered (re)telling the story of Robin Hood?

I love Bernard Cornwell and this book, the second in the Thomas of Hookton saga is as exciting as the first. Cornwell is an excellent historian and he has given me a whole new appreciation for the role of the archer in England's part of the 100 years war. Lots of historical fact (which I love) with just enough literary fiction to make a fascinating story and develop interesting characters. This series and his "Agincourt" make me wish I had learned this period of world history from someone like Cornwell.

I tried to like this book. I really enjoy the early Sharpe work that Mr. Cornwell has written and his King Arthur trilogy is one of the most stirring accomplishments of the last 50 years. BUT Thomas of Hookton is no Richard Sharpe and the Grail is no Excalibur. 'Vagabond' is uneven in places with no real sense of 'quest' about it. For all the roaming around our hero does, he seems to be jogging in place. The killing of two characters from the earlier book is pointless and does nothing to further the story except clear the way for Thomas' former lover to return. By the way, how many sieges must we read about? This book has one at the beginning and one at the end. Most redundant, considering we have already experienced a siege in 'The Archers Tale'. Wait till the paperback comes out.

Whether you fancy 14th Century England/France and its historical interest or not, you cannot escape the excitment which Cornwell brings out in the characaters who existed in that time. Such good writing with attention to detail is lost and Cornwell brings it back. I thought I would never find a writer like Glenn Cook or Michael Moorcock, but I have and I will continue to enjoy his good writing for years to come....

T. Williams, Michigan

Second Book in an outstanding series about an English Archer tasked with trying to find the Holy Grail. Great descriptions of English battles against the French in the 1300 or 1400's. Super character development, great story line, I'm anxious to get the 3rd book in the series delivered any day now.

Cornwell manages to maintain the momentum and attention to detail of his first archer novel. What I really appreciate is his ability to balance the technical nuances of the battles with the tension and excitement.

I have read a dozen Bernard Cornwell books and have enjoyed everyone of them. The character development is great, the storylines are compelling, and the historical accuracy of the great events depicted in the books makes them come alive period The character development is great, the storylines are compelling, and the historical accuracy of the great events depicted in the books makes them come alive.