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Vagabond cover art

Vagabond

Written by: Bernard Cornwell
Narrated by: Tim Pigott-Smith
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Publisher's Summary

1347 is a year of war and unrest. England's army is fighting in France, encouraging the Scots to invade their old enemy. Thomas of Hookton, sent back to England to follow an ancient trail which suggests his family once owned the Holy Grail, instead becomes embroiled in the savage fight when the Scots come to Durham. Out of the horror he finds a new companion for the quest, but also discovers a new enemy in a Dominican Inquisitor.

All of Europe wants the grail. Many may doubt it exists, but no one would willingly allow an enemy to find Christendom's most precious relic, and Thomas finds himself in a murderous race with the Inquisitor and with Guy de Vexille, the mysterious black rider who murdered Thomas' father.

Thomas' father bequeathed him a mysterious notebook which confirms the grail's existence and offers clues to where it might be hidden. But his rivals have the advantage of the torture chamber of the Inquisition. Thomas, seeking help to decipher the book's cryptic pages, is delivered instead to his worst enemies.

He finds refuge in Brittany with the Countess of Armorica, but fate will not let him rest. He is thrust into one of the most desperate fights of the Hundred Years' War, the battle of la Roche-Derrien, and amidst the flames, arrows, and butchery of that night he faces his enemies again.

©2002 Bernard Cornwell (P)2002 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

What the critics say

"Cornwell is meticulous about historical facts and period detail, and his descriptions of butchery with arrow, mace, and battleaxe are nothing if not convincing." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Vagabond

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Where is the unabridged version?

This is an abridged version and I am very annoyed that it was not clear before I purchased it.

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15 people found this helpful

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Abridged confusing garbage

Don't waste the credit on this one. I loved the first book but this was shortened and a mess.

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Missing half the story

I am a lifelong fan of Cornwells various works, and The Grail Quest has long been a favorite series. In audio format the Andrew Cullum unabridged versions are excellent, this version unfortunately is so heavily abridged that half the story seems to be cut away leaving an often incomprehensible mess. Why audible gives us the 1st, 3rd and 4th books in unabridged format but not the 2nd makes no sense ( especially since it appears to be available in other regions on audible)

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Hugely Disappointing

Do NOT waste a credit on this abridged version. Should have paid attention to other reviews. Loved the series, but this is junk!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing compared to Harlequin

The storyline was a lot weaker, quite disjointed, and the change of narrator really didn't help matters. I will try the next one in the series, though - Cornwell is too good a storyteller to miss!

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