Men at Arms: The Play

Discworld Stage Adaptations

by Stephen Briggs (Adapter), Terry Pratchett (Creator)

In this latest #1 international bestseller, the hilarious and twisted author of Soul Music delivers readers once again into Discworld. Since the captain of the City Watch has left the force to become a gentleman, Discworld is in search of a few good cops. And being a cop in this unpredictable universe is no easy job, so the search goes on for a few good trolls, dwarves, and such.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Plays, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction

182 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

Stephen Briggs is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy Discworld. He is also a narrator of many Discworld audiobooks
who graduated from Curtin University with a double major in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing before attending WAPPA and studying Broadcasting. Midway through his time there he decided he didn't want to be a journo and moved to Sydney to join RMK Voice Productions. Stephen has voiced countless campaigns and appeared in numerous professional plays. He has written and directed six short films, one of which, Whatever it Takes, satirises the Voice Over business.

Please note that there is a separate Stephen^^Briggs whose area of expertise is psychotherapy.

Reviews

[Jayne Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the discworld 'themes' I like the City Watch the best. This one introduces some great new characters who stick around for several more books. Good story, good jokes

[Simona Ardelean-Samanta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hahaha and wow!

[Keeloca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read.

Ah, this is a good one. Not one of my FAVOURITE favourite Discworld novels, but one of the best, oh, 15 for sure! Carrot and Vetinari both feature strongly, and. I am ever so fond of subverted fantasy tropes. Sybil has not QUITE developed into the formidable character of the later books, and neither have Vimes' and Vetinari's relationship, but yeah. You can bet you sweet ass I dived right inot Feet of Clay after finishing this one.

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

very fun

The book came well recommended and it was very fun. Lots of laughs and I had a very good time reading it.

[Ian Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best of Mr Briggs’s scripts that I’ve read. And I think that’s largely due to the procedural nature of the plot. It follows on from Guards! Guards! easily, explaining who the characters are and what happened to them last time around. There’s a lot of character development shown really well in the script that treats the cross as people who don’t need to signpost everything that happens - which is a thing that I just realised bugs me about Briggs’s adaptations and it’s largely because he knows he’s writing for an amateur theatre audience and may need to spell things out for less experienced actors. I’m looking forward to acting this out.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own a different copy (the 0413774449 copy), but it's crossed-over with the actual novel so Goodreads thinks they are the same book. ANYWAY. Unrelated.

It was fun to read this directly after finishing the novel of the same name. There were a couple of minor quibbles in the dialogue that I felt like I didn't agree with, but over-all really impressed with how Briggs took a 400+ page novel and condensed it into a play. I would love to see one of his Discworld adaptations one day.

[Lisa Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know this is a good book/audio when your 10 yo starts quoting from passages that he heard. A great listen that makes me want to go back and actually read the book. It is a tie between Gaspode and Lance corporal Detritus. My son even made the comparison of the troll Coleface with Donald Trump ("I ain't done nothing").

[Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique writing style. Story flows rather effortlessly but it does little good to try to anticipate the flow of events.
A good read especially if you want to avoid any reference to modern day events.

[Wm. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best of "The Night Watch" Disc World books I have read thus far.

[Katie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best so far. Funny and touching as always, but also a great mystery.

[Richard Mailloux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carrot for President!! These reads are most enjoyable.

[Arch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Adolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Maye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Jaqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Jovani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

una secuela superior en todos y cada uno de los aspectos

[Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Jedidiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. Enjoyed reading it.

[Courtenay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just one of Terry Pratchett's many Discworld novels, the entire series is terrific. I am partial to the ones that focus on Ankh Morpork's City Watch and the always entertaining and clever Commander Vimes. It's easy to become overwhelmed when approaching this series for the first time as there are well over 40 of them, so my advice is start at the beginning and if you don't like the subject or storyline, go on to the next. They are all semi-stand alone so you won't get too lost. I find the ones focusing on the Wizards to be slow but be sure to check out the witches(The Wyrd Sisters)and anything set in Ankh Morpork.

[Chaitali Chakraborty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am actually disappointed! It is a little lethargic, and you really need to cajole yourself to get into main story. And, when things become interesting, Mr. Pratchett, does not give details, which keeps you pondering through the pages to look for answers. This really makes it a toil.
The political sarcasm exists but it failed to lure me. It could have been better with more things happening, but the story lacks adrenalin!
Its a comic-crime novel. But, the comedy stops, as soon as you start to grin and the crime scenes does not give you a vivid picture!
In short, I really can't say I liked it. Hope, I don't come across the same with other stories!

[Oliver Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining book. Some of the same issues I typically have with Pratchett: sometimes too silly and not really fantasy. In Men at Arms, he introduces some very likable characters who deal with circumstances that actually raise some thought-provoking questions, including race relations, gun control, and capital punishment. The murder mystery is a little hard to follow, at times, and it seemed like a lot of running around with nowhere to go for much of the book. Overall, reasonably fun, sometimes funny, but not great literature.

[Wamuyu Kiragu · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Personal isn't the same as important' Carrot does it for me in this book. He is, I think, one of my most beloved characters. He and Gaspode constantly tugged at my heartstrings. Poor Detritus, to loose Cuddy so soon after finding him. I wonder what Vetinari's end game is? I simply loved this book. Thoroughly enjoyed it too.

Terry Pratchett had a brilliant, brilliant mind. Witty, wickedly funny and smart. I almost wish I'd discovered his work a little sooner, but I guess, some books only find you when you are ready.

[LL B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly well abridged to maintain the story words flow and feel of Pratchett's novel, while making it possible to perform on stage. Impressed by the feel of wholeness despite being less than half the length.

[Kibeth the Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I was re-reading this until my 10 month old puppy chewed it to shreds... Luckily it was my own personal copy and not a library book. I have moved onto another City Watch Discworld book: Feet of Clay.

[Richard Denning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Watch (like the faculty) - any books with them in is a good one although this is an early one and not yet as developed.

[Kerr Cuhulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a major Discworld fan. The Ankh Morpork City Watch series is one of my favorite series, being a retired cop. Great characters.