The book that kicked off the phenomenon is now reissued with brandnew jacket art in honor of its 20th anniversary. Readers will delight anew in the thrilling adventures of young Matthias as he discovers the hero within. Brian Jacques’ classic tale of peaceful creatures forced to band together in battle has never felt more timely or full of life.
James Brian Jacques was an English author celebrated for the Redwall series of children’s fantasy novels and the Castaways of the Flying Dutchman books, along with several collections of short stories that blend adventure, folklore, and the supernatural. Raised in Liverpool, he left school at fifteen and pursued a wide range of occupations, including merchant seaman, truck driver, bus driver, and entertainer, experiences that later enriched the characters and settings of his fiction. His love of literature, encouraged from childhood, remained constant, and he continued writing poems, plays, and stories throughout adulthood. While working as a milkman, he began reading aloud to students at a school for the blind, inspiring him to craft vividly descriptive tales that relied on sound, smell, taste, and touch. These readings evolved into the manuscript for Redwall, which launched a bestselling series known for its heroic quests, detailed feasts, and intense battles between good and evil. The books achieved international popularity, selling millions of copies and being translated into many languages, as well as adapted for television and audio. Jacques also hosted a long-running radio program devoted to opera and maintained strong ties to his hometown. His stories, rooted in memory, imagination, and compassion for young readers, continue to captivate audiences worldwide.