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Jack Lark #5
The Last Legionnaire
Jack Lark has come a long way since his days as a gin palace pot boy. But can he surrender the thrill of freedom to return home?
London, 1859. After years fighting for Queen and country, Jack walks back into his mother's East End gin palace a changed man. Haunted by the horrors of battle, and the constant fight for survival, he longs for a life to call his own. But the city - and its people - has altered almost beyond recognition, and Jack cannot see a place for himself there.
A desperate moment leaves him indebted to the Devil - intelligence officer Major John Ballard, who once again leads Jack to the battlefield with a task he can't refuse. He tried to deny being a soldier once. He won't make the same mistake again.
Europe is about to go to war. Jack Lark will march with them.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2016
46 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Paul Fraser Collard
18 books137 followersPaul's love of military history started at an early age. A childhood spent watching films like Waterloo and Zulu whilst reading Sharpe, Flashman and the occasional Commando comic, gave him a desire to know more of the men who fought in the great wars of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. At school, Paul was determined to become an officer in the British army and he succeeded in winning an Army Scholarship. However, Paul chose to give up his boyhood ambition and instead went into the finance industry. Paul stills works in the City, and lives with his wife and three children in Kent.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 24, 2016
I’ve been a fan of the Jack Lark books since I first picked up ‘The Scalet Thief’. Paul Fraser Collard has created a character and an overall story that was fresh, new and exciting, and while it looked like it might be a ‘one hit wonder’, he has consistently proved otherwise. I have heard Jack Lark being described as ‘like Sharpe’. To some extent that’s true, but we’re just about at the point now where I would say Sharpe is like Jack Lark, for he is a far more vivid, exciting and three dimensional character than his Napoleonic comparison.
Lark has been through 5 books now. He has been in Britain, the Crimea, India and Persia. What could Collard do with him next? Where could he take him? To be honest, I had certain expectations with this book. The title evokes certain things, and before I picked it up, my mind was already loaded up with Algeria, forts, white feathers, berbers and exotic African desert scenery. I was wrong, of course. The Foreign Legion has been involved in conflicts all over the place, not just in North Africa.
Having been finally released from the military and retired under his own name, Jack returns to London, hoping to pick up where he left off a decade ago. Here we are treated to a view into his past, prior to even the first book, and a view of mid 19th century Lond that rivals any I have read. Unfortunately, he is unable to keep himself out of trouble and, when his actions inadvertantly put those about whom he cares in danger, he finds himself in an untenable position.
In the end he is given a good old ‘offer he can’t refuse’ by a former Intelligence officer he neither trusts nor likes, and finds himself shipped off to Italy on a mission to find a boy who has fled his comfortable life and joined the French Foreign Legion, and to bring him back. But things are never as easy as they seem, and the Legion are committed to war against the forces of the Austrian Empire. His mission is further complicated by the addition of the London girl he once loved and her young son to the travel group – a pair he has vowed to look after. He must now protect people while throwing himself into deadly danger to retrieve a boy who might not even want to come home.
It’s a rich plot. All Collard’s books have rich plots, but this one overtakes them all, in my opinion. Though all his novels have been good, the first (The Scarlet Thief) I had still held to be my favourite. I do believe, though, that The Last Legionnaire has overtaken it to become the best in the series, and by quite some margin at that. The exploration of Jack’s origins and his return to old haunts leads to a very complex examination of his character and motivations, which is given far more space than in previous books. Additionally, we are moving into a whole new era. The war into which Jack is heading is one of those pivotal moments where the old world meets the new. This is a time when the ancient butts up against the mechanised, (cavalry charges and railways, for instance) with spectacular results.
As always, Collard’s writing is flawless. His prose is excellent, his characterisation vivid and realistic, his description cinematic and his pace relentless. The story will enthral and fascinate you, you will learn things (I know I did), and at times you will feel the edge of heartbreak. Moreover, it is anything but predictable.
This is an absolute cracking book. Collard proving he deserves to be placed among the very best writers in the genre. HIGHLY recommended.
Lark has been through 5 books now. He has been in Britain, the Crimea, India and Persia. What could Collard do with him next? Where could he take him? To be honest, I had certain expectations with this book. The title evokes certain things, and before I picked it up, my mind was already loaded up with Algeria, forts, white feathers, berbers and exotic African desert scenery. I was wrong, of course. The Foreign Legion has been involved in conflicts all over the place, not just in North Africa.
Having been finally released from the military and retired under his own name, Jack returns to London, hoping to pick up where he left off a decade ago. Here we are treated to a view into his past, prior to even the first book, and a view of mid 19th century Lond that rivals any I have read. Unfortunately, he is unable to keep himself out of trouble and, when his actions inadvertantly put those about whom he cares in danger, he finds himself in an untenable position.
In the end he is given a good old ‘offer he can’t refuse’ by a former Intelligence officer he neither trusts nor likes, and finds himself shipped off to Italy on a mission to find a boy who has fled his comfortable life and joined the French Foreign Legion, and to bring him back. But things are never as easy as they seem, and the Legion are committed to war against the forces of the Austrian Empire. His mission is further complicated by the addition of the London girl he once loved and her young son to the travel group – a pair he has vowed to look after. He must now protect people while throwing himself into deadly danger to retrieve a boy who might not even want to come home.
It’s a rich plot. All Collard’s books have rich plots, but this one overtakes them all, in my opinion. Though all his novels have been good, the first (The Scarlet Thief) I had still held to be my favourite. I do believe, though, that The Last Legionnaire has overtaken it to become the best in the series, and by quite some margin at that. The exploration of Jack’s origins and his return to old haunts leads to a very complex examination of his character and motivations, which is given far more space than in previous books. Additionally, we are moving into a whole new era. The war into which Jack is heading is one of those pivotal moments where the old world meets the new. This is a time when the ancient butts up against the mechanised, (cavalry charges and railways, for instance) with spectacular results.
As always, Collard’s writing is flawless. His prose is excellent, his characterisation vivid and realistic, his description cinematic and his pace relentless. The story will enthral and fascinate you, you will learn things (I know I did), and at times you will feel the edge of heartbreak. Moreover, it is anything but predictable.
This is an absolute cracking book. Collard proving he deserves to be placed among the very best writers in the genre. HIGHLY recommended.
July 7, 2020
Having picked up two books of the series at the start of lockdown, the first book being my first lockdown read, I’m now back as we near the end, for the second in the series.
We start the narrative in London amongst the back streets & Gin dens, Lark no longer a soldier finds himself before long back among his roots in a time before he ran away to join the army. A lot of Lark’s backstory is uncovered, family, lost loves et al…. It’s a different pace than normal, although there is a villain to be dealt with in the usual uncompromising way that only Jack lark knows!
A soldier can only do so much drudgery, before long Jack has had enough & boredom sets in which is broken by an event that changes his life again as does an unwelcome face from his past….. it was a welcome interlude as tending bar isn’t the life for soldier Jack Lark!
The second part sees us in Northern Italy with the war between the Habsburgs & the French along with their Sardinian allies where we meet the titled…. The French foreign Legion…. And our story proper starts.
The story is one of a mission with Jack & his merry little band trailing the French Army, much is about the set up & drudgery of an army on the march as the battle itself which only occurs as we near the end of the tale……. But a tumultuous battle it is too, covering great detail about the warfare, tactics & weaponry of the age.
The story in itself is smooth enough, combining many elements but I didn’t find myself as enrapt as the prior adventures in India & Persia, it was a little slow in places & certainly didn’t move forward quite so fast as prior reads.
3.5 for this one rounded to a three.
We start the narrative in London amongst the back streets & Gin dens, Lark no longer a soldier finds himself before long back among his roots in a time before he ran away to join the army. A lot of Lark’s backstory is uncovered, family, lost loves et al…. It’s a different pace than normal, although there is a villain to be dealt with in the usual uncompromising way that only Jack lark knows!
A soldier can only do so much drudgery, before long Jack has had enough & boredom sets in which is broken by an event that changes his life again as does an unwelcome face from his past….. it was a welcome interlude as tending bar isn’t the life for soldier Jack Lark!
The second part sees us in Northern Italy with the war between the Habsburgs & the French along with their Sardinian allies where we meet the titled…. The French foreign Legion…. And our story proper starts.
The story is one of a mission with Jack & his merry little band trailing the French Army, much is about the set up & drudgery of an army on the march as the battle itself which only occurs as we near the end of the tale……. But a tumultuous battle it is too, covering great detail about the warfare, tactics & weaponry of the age.
The story in itself is smooth enough, combining many elements but I didn’t find myself as enrapt as the prior adventures in India & Persia, it was a little slow in places & certainly didn’t move forward quite so fast as prior reads.
3.5 for this one rounded to a three.
October 14, 2017
Jack Lark is now proving he is much more than a one trick pony. He hasn't really ever, just impersonated a soldier, his ability has shone through whichever conflict he has found himself, but that ability has, because of his impersonations, been appropriated by the character he has 'hidden' in. He is a soldier, through and through and in Legionnaire, he perhaps comes to realise that is the truth, no matter how hard he tries to think, and make others believe, differently. He can escape the life around him by impersonating others, but he can't escape who he is. He hasn't really come to terms with that as yet, with its attendant baggage of killing and bleeding, but maybe he's on the way there. Though, I suppose, it could be argued if he does come to terms with it, then madness can't be far off. If it is, it doesn't happen here. Yes, he is in another army's uniform for the fighting, but it's almost not intentional.
The return to his old stamping grounds is superbly drawn by PFC, bleak and desperate. People more or less abandoned to their fate by the rest of the country. Hard to call it home or have fond memories of, unless you've escaped. There's no doubt that Jack will have to get away and the conflict, desperation and guilt he feels is conveyed masterfully. If you've paid for the battles, then you'll also be amply rewarded. But be prepared, it isn't an easy ride, as Jack fights the only way he can, and PFC writes the way it should be written - in the middle, at the sharp end down and dirty, in the mud, the blood and the beer. Well, maybe not beer...gin?
Previously, Jack fought as different people by appropriating their uniform, so people don't know who he is. Here, the search for an identity, is mostly internal. As he searches for the real Jack Lark. Who is he and what does Jack Lark want from his life next? It's not a struggle that is, or is going to be, easy, but it's one that will keep me (and many more) glued to his wonderful story.
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The return to his old stamping grounds is superbly drawn by PFC, bleak and desperate. People more or less abandoned to their fate by the rest of the country. Hard to call it home or have fond memories of, unless you've escaped. There's no doubt that Jack will have to get away and the conflict, desperation and guilt he feels is conveyed masterfully. If you've paid for the battles, then you'll also be amply rewarded. But be prepared, it isn't an easy ride, as Jack fights the only way he can, and PFC writes the way it should be written - in the middle, at the sharp end down and dirty, in the mud, the blood and the beer. Well, maybe not beer...gin?
Previously, Jack fought as different people by appropriating their uniform, so people don't know who he is. Here, the search for an identity, is mostly internal. As he searches for the real Jack Lark. Who is he and what does Jack Lark want from his life next? It's not a struggle that is, or is going to be, easy, but it's one that will keep me (and many more) glued to his wonderful story.
The world's best ever book blog: Speesh Reads
The Facebook Page: Speesh Reads
January 3, 2018
Jack Lark is back! And this time he must survive the stews of Victorian London and the bloody battlefields of north Italy.
April 17, 2017
Stepping into the east end of London Jack once called home. He finds the place has changed from what he once knew. But things have a habit of staying the same. Here in 19th century London Jack hopes to find maybe a home or at least some kind of refuge. So he returns to his childhood home, his Mother's Gin Palace. Does he find peace there? Of course not as with the other volumes in the series as soon as our hero looks like finding some kind of peace and quiet things go sideways to say the very least. Within a short period of time Jack discovers his mother is being held to ransom by the local bully boy, so Jack being Jack steps in to sort out the situation, in the only way Jack can. As such things start going from bad to worse. When Jack is about to be murdered by the local bully, who steps in to stop his unfortunate demise. The Devil himself. This is where the book takes quite an emotional turn, to say the least. And also leaves a loose end that could well feature in possible future tales. So Jack is back in the clutches of the Devil and is given a mission what appears straight forward. Shame its not quite that simple. And there is a nice twist or two at the end, one which if you read carefully is not that unexpected and the other well.... enough of that go read and discover it.
As ever Paul Collard's creation Jack Lark is battered both in mind and body and has developed into a soldier with his own set of demons that he carries around with him. The settings and climatic battle of Solferino are well written and gives a sense of being there as the bullets fly and body count rises.
So the question is where does Jack go from here?? Its easily answered at the end of book. Just go buy it and find out.
As ever Paul Collard's creation Jack Lark is battered both in mind and body and has developed into a soldier with his own set of demons that he carries around with him. The settings and climatic battle of Solferino are well written and gives a sense of being there as the bullets fly and body count rises.
So the question is where does Jack go from here?? Its easily answered at the end of book. Just go buy it and find out.
December 28, 2017
Ahh, home sweet home. Jack is back in London; back with his mother; back to Mary. Settled in and working at the gin joint owned by his mother, life has taken a turn for the good for Jack – or has it? The part of London Jack inhabits has it’s own problems, ones that Jack cannot overcome; ones that drive Jack back to The Devil. If you have followed along with Jack Lark, you know that there is one thing that he is good at, killing. In The Last Legionnaire, Jack finds himself in another war, ostensibly to find a man and get him out of harm’s way and back to England. A simple enough mission. Yeah right. The author has once again crafted a fast paced, emotional drama that had me pulled in by the end of chapter one. The horrors of war are laid bare in this French versus Austria/Hungary tussle. The methods of battle that Jack is used to have been changed by the rifling of musket barrels and cannon. Massive destructive power now enhanced and much more deadly. Jack is back in his element, though the price is steep; mentally and physically.
A superb tale full of surprises, and certainly entertaining awaits you dear reader. 5 Stars
A superb tale full of surprises, and certainly entertaining awaits you dear reader. 5 Stars
February 1, 2017
Jack Lark's new adventure leads him into the Franco-Austrian War of 1859, but not as a volunteer but than forces by his 'friend' Major Ballard and his willing accomplice the shady Mister Palmer from Lark's third adventure 'The Devil's Assassin'.
Why does Jack find himself in the latest mess? Returning to London to see his mother and his old love Mary Jack gets involved with a mobster who is running a protection racket on Ma Lark's gin palace. Well you know Jack will fight, running into Major Ballard and Palmer who save Jack from death, after Mother Lark's mother's palace burns to the ground.
With Mary and her son Billy, the team goes to Italy find a son that Ballard must find. The son has joined the French Foreign Legion fighting the Austrians. Ending up in the horrific battle of Solferino.
As always Mr. Collard's battle scene are stark realism of fighting, battles and foolishness of war its own self. Always a great read especially about a war that most Americans never heard of. Can't wait until August for the sixth installment of this fine historical fiction series.
Why does Jack find himself in the latest mess? Returning to London to see his mother and his old love Mary Jack gets involved with a mobster who is running a protection racket on Ma Lark's gin palace. Well you know Jack will fight, running into Major Ballard and Palmer who save Jack from death, after Mother Lark's mother's palace burns to the ground.
With Mary and her son Billy, the team goes to Italy find a son that Ballard must find. The son has joined the French Foreign Legion fighting the Austrians. Ending up in the horrific battle of Solferino.
As always Mr. Collard's battle scene are stark realism of fighting, battles and foolishness of war its own self. Always a great read especially about a war that most Americans never heard of. Can't wait until August for the sixth installment of this fine historical fiction series.
March 29, 2016
Review
Paul Collard’s Jack Lark series has joined a celebrated few that are on my “drop what ever you are reading and read his new book now” list. Which is exactly what i did when i got my hands on The Last Legionnaire.
The books have always had comparisons to Bernard Cornwell’s iconic character Sharpe, and with good reason, both are the same character from the gutter making their way in an officers world, only their routes there differ, Sharpe by battering his way to the top, Jack Lark through lies, fraud and skill and courage. They both also have that fast flowing action packed writing style that keeps you turning the next page through to the early hours of the morning.
Read the rest of review here: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
Paul Collard’s Jack Lark series has joined a celebrated few that are on my “drop what ever you are reading and read his new book now” list. Which is exactly what i did when i got my hands on The Last Legionnaire.
The books have always had comparisons to Bernard Cornwell’s iconic character Sharpe, and with good reason, both are the same character from the gutter making their way in an officers world, only their routes there differ, Sharpe by battering his way to the top, Jack Lark through lies, fraud and skill and courage. They both also have that fast flowing action packed writing style that keeps you turning the next page through to the early hours of the morning.
Read the rest of review here: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
May 27, 2016
I got a review copy of this book via Net Galley.
The latest instalment of the Jack Lark series doesn't disappoint. Action and intrigue throughout the story. It would be hard not to compare these books to the Sharpe series given the similar tones and themes but where I find the Sharpe novels can be a little heavy in plotting these novels are light and fun to read.
I'd been a fan of these novels since the first one I read (second in the series) and had actively searched out the other novels and short stories. I'd missed the previous tale however before starting this one but as that novel deals with Jack leaving the Army to come back to England. This story picks up with him arriving back home, it didn't feel like I'd missed anything and was right back in that world.
I great fast read as always. I highly recommend it and can't wait for the next!
The latest instalment of the Jack Lark series doesn't disappoint. Action and intrigue throughout the story. It would be hard not to compare these books to the Sharpe series given the similar tones and themes but where I find the Sharpe novels can be a little heavy in plotting these novels are light and fun to read.
I'd been a fan of these novels since the first one I read (second in the series) and had actively searched out the other novels and short stories. I'd missed the previous tale however before starting this one but as that novel deals with Jack leaving the Army to come back to England. This story picks up with him arriving back home, it didn't feel like I'd missed anything and was right back in that world.
I great fast read as always. I highly recommend it and can't wait for the next!
May 11, 2016
Another great book from Paul Frasier Collard
Yet another great book from Paul Frasier Collard.
Jack Lark has led into yet another battle and fighting for his life having been deceived by his so called Betters.
Look forward to the next episode in Jack Lark's tale.
Yet another great book from Paul Frasier Collard.
Jack Lark has led into yet another battle and fighting for his life having been deceived by his so called Betters.
Look forward to the next episode in Jack Lark's tale.
November 28, 2018
Not as good
This is the fifth outing for mr collards jack lark(not counting the excellent short storys available on kindle) i didn't find this one as entertaining as the rest in the series, although I had no trouble finishing it. This one finds Jack in the ranks of the french foreign legion and nicely sets the story up for the next in the series, which will find jack fighting in the opening battles of the american civil war. All in all a decent read, but in my humble opinion, not up to the standard of the earlier novels.,having said that i am looking forward to the next in the series.
This is the fifth outing for mr collards jack lark(not counting the excellent short storys available on kindle) i didn't find this one as entertaining as the rest in the series, although I had no trouble finishing it. This one finds Jack in the ranks of the french foreign legion and nicely sets the story up for the next in the series, which will find jack fighting in the opening battles of the american civil war. All in all a decent read, but in my humble opinion, not up to the standard of the earlier novels.,having said that i am looking forward to the next in the series.
July 1, 2021
Once more Paul Fraser Collard takes Jack Lark down an historical road less travelled. Collard admits he'd never heard of the Battle of Solferino before researching 'The Last Legionnaire' and neither had I. As always the battles are detailed and harrowing, but it's what Jack Lark does best. Historically interesting and written at a heady pace once it gets going, this novel is great pub-grub fare for historical military fiction fans.
October 16, 2020
Jack Lark always delivers
Another amazing chapter in the series. Every time I think that Jack Lark cannot do something that’s interesting the author always finds another amazing tale to tell that I would’ve never seen coming. The battle scenes are amazing and detailed making me feel like I was in the midst of it . I cannot wait to see were Jack goes next.
Another amazing chapter in the series. Every time I think that Jack Lark cannot do something that’s interesting the author always finds another amazing tale to tell that I would’ve never seen coming. The battle scenes are amazing and detailed making me feel like I was in the midst of it . I cannot wait to see were Jack goes next.
June 13, 2018
Great read
I have read all the books in the series up to this one. I have enjoyed each one as they are better then the previous ones. Once more Jack Park is with Major Ballard and his man Palmer.
I have read all the books in the series up to this one. I have enjoyed each one as they are better then the previous ones. Once more Jack Park is with Major Ballard and his man Palmer.
August 27, 2019
The best Jack Lark book in the series so far.
A step up on the previous books that kept me reading overtime. Read the last chapter and absorb what happened during the battle at Solferino, it is truly humbling. I look forward to the American civil war.
A step up on the previous books that kept me reading overtime. Read the last chapter and absorb what happened during the battle at Solferino, it is truly humbling. I look forward to the American civil war.
February 3, 2018
It was OK but starting with book 5 in the series probably not the best idea.
June 12, 2021
Ok action, “historical novel” minus much history, sense of place, etc.
March 30, 2021
This was the most disappointing of the Jack Lark books to date. Not a surprise as Mr Collard tries to move Jack on from his false impersonation of an officer books to a real jack Lark story. The campaign between France and Austria was a bit of a non event to a Brit. As it did not involve our glorious Redcoats, I was less interested in which side won or lost. The punchline of Ballard's son that was being sought was again disappointing storyline in the same way that Ballard's big and loyal sidekick was just tossed aside when his days were numbered. I will continue with the books, but hopefully the next in the series will be a little better from Mr Collard.
September 5, 2017
Still enjoy reading this series of Jack Lark, English soldier from Whitechapel, East London. Engaging characters and good story lines.
July 23, 2016
It's hard not to read a Jack Lark novel without thinking of Richard Sharpe.
Indeed, I'm not the only one to think so ...
https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
The latest in Paul Fraser Collard's Jack Lark series, this sees Lark return home - under his own name - back to the London Rookeries where he grew up.
However, all does not go according to plan - when does it ever? - , and he soon finds himself drawn back into war, this time (ostensibly) as a British observer into a three-way war between the French and Sardinians who were allied against the Austrians that resulted in the battle of Solferino. I say ostensibly, as their is really an ulterior motive for Jack (or, rather, his sponsor) to be there, in that they are looking for someone who has run away to war - the tilte of the novel may give a clue to where they have ended up!
Like the author himself (and as he freely admits), this is not a battle that I had heard of, despite it being the biggest battle fought in Europe since the days of the first Napoleon. Like the previous books, this is a fast moving, 'boys-own' adventure story, only let down slightly by the fact that Jack starts and ends pretty much every novel on his own, as an outsider!
Indeed, I'm not the only one to think so ...
https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
The latest in Paul Fraser Collard's Jack Lark series, this sees Lark return home - under his own name - back to the London Rookeries where he grew up.
However, all does not go according to plan - when does it ever? - , and he soon finds himself drawn back into war, this time (ostensibly) as a British observer into a three-way war between the French and Sardinians who were allied against the Austrians that resulted in the battle of Solferino. I say ostensibly, as their is really an ulterior motive for Jack (or, rather, his sponsor) to be there, in that they are looking for someone who has run away to war - the tilte of the novel may give a clue to where they have ended up!
Like the author himself (and as he freely admits), this is not a battle that I had heard of, despite it being the biggest battle fought in Europe since the days of the first Napoleon. Like the previous books, this is a fast moving, 'boys-own' adventure story, only let down slightly by the fact that Jack starts and ends pretty much every novel on his own, as an outsider!
November 26, 2017
Sick of killing and lying Jack seeks solace in his past and returns to the Rookeries of London and his mother's Gin palace, there are familiar faces working hard to stay alive and whilst on the surface things are same, everything has changed none so more than Jack.
soon Ballard returns to Jack's life and with him both the menacing figure of Palmer and a new mission. Jack finds himself on a journey of war, kidnap and death, the one thing that Jack is good at above all others.......
fast paced and literally action packed this book moves along at break neck speed, but for all that it's almost a character study as we see Jack once again having to 'let slip' the deadly warrior inside and all the while hating what comes after, but what what Mr. Collard does really well is not only give you a well rounded lead, but also excellent supporting characters, both complicated and filled with their own motivation.....
If you are a fan of historical fiction and you haven't yet then I suggest you read this series as soon as.
soon Ballard returns to Jack's life and with him both the menacing figure of Palmer and a new mission. Jack finds himself on a journey of war, kidnap and death, the one thing that Jack is good at above all others.......
fast paced and literally action packed this book moves along at break neck speed, but for all that it's almost a character study as we see Jack once again having to 'let slip' the deadly warrior inside and all the while hating what comes after, but what what Mr. Collard does really well is not only give you a well rounded lead, but also excellent supporting characters, both complicated and filled with their own motivation.....
If you are a fan of historical fiction and you haven't yet then I suggest you read this series as soon as.
June 16, 2017
Jack Lark just keeps me coming back for more. He's a conflicted character who is at heart an honourable man for whom life's turns has seen him develop one hell of a knack for self preservation.
In The Last Legionnaire, faced with war a la French Foreign Legion, vividly recreated in graphic battle scenes ,Jack is a ruthless killer. Yet first we find him a solitary soul seeking a place to call home and all the comforts that home represents. His hopes are soon shattered when confronted with crisis. A desperate decision lands Jack once again begrudgingly in the service of a face from the past. Is Jack's nemesis this 'devil' or is it his own inability to escape his life built on lies and his penchant for violence?
These Lark episodes are a winning formula for a great series and I for one enjoy them immensely.
In The Last Legionnaire, faced with war a la French Foreign Legion, vividly recreated in graphic battle scenes ,Jack is a ruthless killer. Yet first we find him a solitary soul seeking a place to call home and all the comforts that home represents. His hopes are soon shattered when confronted with crisis. A desperate decision lands Jack once again begrudgingly in the service of a face from the past. Is Jack's nemesis this 'devil' or is it his own inability to escape his life built on lies and his penchant for violence?
These Lark episodes are a winning formula for a great series and I for one enjoy them immensely.
September 29, 2024
Jack Lark gets better with every adventure he has. No stranger to a fight, Lark finds himself reeling from calamitous events in London when he follows British intelligence Major Ballard AKA the Devil to Europe on the hunt for a man who has joined the French Foreign Legion. So Lark must join the Legion to protect the man Ballard wants brought safely out of the conflagration, and ends up taking part in the horrific battle of Solferino.
Another fantastic entry in Fraser Collard's series. Lark is for the Victorian era what Sharpe was for the Napoleonic era, and Fraser-Collard has mastered writing battle scenes like Bernard Cornwell can and does.
Really looking forward to the next instalment of the series, where Lark journeys to America to join the Union ranks in the early days of the Civil War.
Another fantastic entry in Fraser Collard's series. Lark is for the Victorian era what Sharpe was for the Napoleonic era, and Fraser-Collard has mastered writing battle scenes like Bernard Cornwell can and does.
Really looking forward to the next instalment of the series, where Lark journeys to America to join the Union ranks in the early days of the Civil War.
June 3, 2016
A gripping account of the Battle of Solforino which later lead to the Geneva Convention and Red Cross. Paul Fraser Collard's "Jack Lark" sagas go from strength to strength.
August 13, 2017
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We are in 1859 and Jack finally returns home to his mother’s gin palace in East End, London. As a battle-hardened veteran, Jack strives to leave the war behind and start a new life. Upon arrival Jack finds matters different than expected however. After his mother’s partner died, she had to pay protection money (or Danegeld) to one of the gang-bosses, in order to keep her business intact – a matter that Jack immediately intends to change. Predictably, the situation escalates and Jack finds himself – ones again – at the mercy of our old friend and intelligence officer Major Ballard. Ballard drags Jack back to his real home – the battlefield, this time in Europe. In 1859, an alliance between France and Sardinia fought against the Austrians for a unified Italy. The conflict results in the last and greatest battle of the time – the battle of Solferino with about 300 000 men fighting each other. Jack Lark and Palmer (Ballard’s introverted bodyguard) have a seemingly impossible task at hand. While they officially act as international observers of war, their real task is to find one particular soldier from the French Foreign Legion. As if that alone was not enough, soldiers in the Foreign Legion change their name, which leaves Jack and Palmer with nothing but a 10-year-old picture to go with. Against all odds, they find their man in the heat of battle, but what now, when all around them men struggle to survive?
Fortunately, this book really pulled me in again! There are so many fascinating aspects hidden behind this mad suicide-mission. Why go in the first place? Ballard explains the search as a favour to an “influential and important” man in the British government, which seems odd, given that the group of people going on this mission seem rather random and are travelling on Ballard’s expenses. Almost immediately, we suspect more behind Ballard’s motives and are not disappointed.
Jack on the other hand who is stuck on his never-ending journey to find his place in the world seems to me, to have succeeded more in this book than in any previously. His ever-present naivety in believing he could just go home a changed man and start a new “old” life causes the death of his mother and the destruction of his home. He accepts that he his only good in fighting and it seems like he escapes from this hard reality by throwing himself into action again.
On a side-note, I was not aware, that the battle of Solferino marked the birth of the Red Cross by Jean-Henri Dunant. Dunant visited the battlefield and was horror-struck by the lack of regard the monarchs and generals gave to the dead and injured and the mounting death-rate in the aftermath of this large-scale conflict.
To conclude, this is another example of Collard’s skill to choose the perfect historical background and combine it with an action-filled tale, recommendable for every historical fiction fan.
We are in 1859 and Jack finally returns home to his mother’s gin palace in East End, London. As a battle-hardened veteran, Jack strives to leave the war behind and start a new life. Upon arrival Jack finds matters different than expected however. After his mother’s partner died, she had to pay protection money (or Danegeld) to one of the gang-bosses, in order to keep her business intact – a matter that Jack immediately intends to change. Predictably, the situation escalates and Jack finds himself – ones again – at the mercy of our old friend and intelligence officer Major Ballard. Ballard drags Jack back to his real home – the battlefield, this time in Europe. In 1859, an alliance between France and Sardinia fought against the Austrians for a unified Italy. The conflict results in the last and greatest battle of the time – the battle of Solferino with about 300 000 men fighting each other. Jack Lark and Palmer (Ballard’s introverted bodyguard) have a seemingly impossible task at hand. While they officially act as international observers of war, their real task is to find one particular soldier from the French Foreign Legion. As if that alone was not enough, soldiers in the Foreign Legion change their name, which leaves Jack and Palmer with nothing but a 10-year-old picture to go with. Against all odds, they find their man in the heat of battle, but what now, when all around them men struggle to survive?
Fortunately, this book really pulled me in again! There are so many fascinating aspects hidden behind this mad suicide-mission. Why go in the first place? Ballard explains the search as a favour to an “influential and important” man in the British government, which seems odd, given that the group of people going on this mission seem rather random and are travelling on Ballard’s expenses. Almost immediately, we suspect more behind Ballard’s motives and are not disappointed.
Jack on the other hand who is stuck on his never-ending journey to find his place in the world seems to me, to have succeeded more in this book than in any previously. His ever-present naivety in believing he could just go home a changed man and start a new “old” life causes the death of his mother and the destruction of his home. He accepts that he his only good in fighting and it seems like he escapes from this hard reality by throwing himself into action again.
On a side-note, I was not aware, that the battle of Solferino marked the birth of the Red Cross by Jean-Henri Dunant. Dunant visited the battlefield and was horror-struck by the lack of regard the monarchs and generals gave to the dead and injured and the mounting death-rate in the aftermath of this large-scale conflict.
To conclude, this is another example of Collard’s skill to choose the perfect historical background and combine it with an action-filled tale, recommendable for every historical fiction fan.
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