Product Description

This is where the dragons went. They lie...not dead, not asleep, but...dormant. And although the space they occupy isn't like normal space, nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put you in mind of a can of sardines, if you thought sardines were huge and scaly. And presumably, somewhere, there's a key..."Guards! Guards!" is the eighth "Discworld" novel - and after this, dragons will never be the same again!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2109 in Books
• Published on: 1990-11-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
This is where the dragons went. They lie...not dead, not asleep, but...dormant. And although the space they occupy isn't like normal space, nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put you in mind of a can of sardines, if you thought sardines were huge and scaly. And presumably, somewhere, there's a key..."Guards! Guards!" is the eighth "Discworld" novel - and after this, dragons will never be the same again!

From the Back Cover
This is where the dragons went. They lie...not dead, not asleep, but...dormant. And although the space they occupy isn't like normal space, nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put you in mind of a can of sardines, if you thought sardines were huge and scaly. And presumably, somewhere, there's a key...

Guards! Guards! is the eighth Discworld novel - and after this, dragons will never be the same again!

About the Author
Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular authors writing today. He lives behind a keyboard in Wiltshire and says he 'doesn't want to get a life, because it feels as though he's trying to lead three already'. He was appointed OBE in 1998. He is the author of the phenomenally successful Discworld series and his trilogy for young readers, The Bromeliad, is scheduled to be adapted into a spectacular animated movie.

Customer Reviews

Funny endeavours of Anhk-Morpork's greatest watchmen!
Guards!Guards! is Pratchett's 8th Discworld novel and one of my favourites. The story focuses on the City Watch comprising of Corporal Nobbs a chain-smoking opportunist and not so avid soldier, the big-bodied Sgt Colon and their Captain Samuel Vimes a prolific drunk who turned to the bottle after a woman brought him down and kicked him in the 'thingy'.Life is routine for them, all about surviving , policing the streets by looking the other way and ringing their bell to confirm...that 'all is well'. This story takes all three of them out of their comfort zone.

Firstly, a new recruit is thrown into the Watch- Carrot, Discworld's first 6ft Dwarf,sporting a muscle-bound physique and steely determination to do good and enforce the laws of the city. Something of a contrast to the other three. Secondly, throw in an incompetent brotherhood manipulated into summoning a dragon and you have the start of an engaging storyline, with vivid characters and copious humour. Along the way they are ably assisted by the City Librarian an Orang-Utan that is fond of using the words ook & eek and takes offence at being called a monkey. Another character worthy of note that is properly introduced into the Discworld series is Cut me own throat Dibbler, purveyor of quality merchandise...

I like the way in which Carrot helps inspire the rag tag City Watch to grow in their roles and be almost reluctant heroes as they seek to curb the menace of the dragon. There is a bit of a budding chemistry between Vimes and Sybil and Carrot's innocence in certain situations helps generate more humour.

There are many funny episodes in this book such as: Brother Fingers being forced to run through countless passwords whilst being drenched outside in the pouring rain, Sgt Colon's lucky million to one in a chance arrow and the consequnces of Sgt Colon's catchy liitle slogan 'the people united will never be ignited' as the dragon descends upon them. These are just a few that especially stand out for me,obviously they have a lot more resonance when read alongside the rest of the novel as a whole.
To conclude, this is a surefire 5 Star novel that is definitely worth owning and should have you laughing and smiling.

Four Misfits, One Dragon , No Hope!
In Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett places Ankh-Morpork in danger by releasing a dragon. And producing the most unlikely heroes in the world: Captain Sam Vimes, a worthless drunk, Fred Colon a overweight sergeant, Nobby Nobbs chain smoking thief and allround good guy and Carrot the Discworlds tallest dwarf.

Together they are the Night Watch the city's last line of defence. Pratchett parodies the cop genre in fine style by making Vimes a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Dirty Harry. The plot is full of comedy, drama and romance (of sorts) with loveable characters like Cut-Me-Own Throat Dibbler, snobbish clerks like Wonse and deadly serious Vetinari who is annoying but likeable.

With these elements Guards! Guards! is a great read and should be classed as one of Pratchetts greats.

FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC !
"Guards ! Guards !" is the eighth book in Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series and is the first to focus on Sam Vimes and Ankh-Morpork's City Guard. Although the City Guard was once a fine and noble profession, it has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Once, there had been hundreds of members : as the book opens, the City's Night Watch is staffed only by Sam, Sergeant Fred Colon and Corporal Nobby Nobbs. Like the Night Watch itself, Sam has also fallen on hard times. Having started drinking to forget (it was possibly something to do with a woman), he now drinks to forget the drinking. Despite his faults, though, he's a likeable cynic who has a well-developed sense of fair play and identifies with the underdog.

Things start turning around for Sam and the Watch in "Guards ! Guards !". The force sees a dramatic rise in numbers with the arrival of Carrot Ironfoundersson. Orphaned as a baby, Carrot had been taken in by the dwarfs and raised in a gold mine. Until shortly before he left home, he didn't realise he was human - he'd always thought he was just tall for his species. His adoptive father decides it's best for Carrot to spend some time with other humans and 'manages' to secure a position for him in the Ankh-Morpork City Guard. Carrot, on his arrival, is viewed with some amazement : an actual, honest volunteer. He takes things very literally (as dwarfs tend to do), is very innocent (he wouldn't know what to do with a seamstress if one fell into his lap) and a lot of the humour comes from his utter confusion.

The problem for Sam and the Night Watch is presented by the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren. Well, actually, the problem is its mysterious (and big-headed) Supreme Grand Master, an ambitious and manipulative individual. (The remaining members are bitter, vitriolic, small-minded, jealous, resentful and a bit stupid. As a result, they're very easy to manipulate). He's devised a Machiavellian plan that will involve the removal of the Patrician (Ankh-Morpork's tyrant) and lead to the restoration of the monarchy. Unfortunately, his plan involves the controlling of a very dangerous dragon - to that end, Brother Fingers has managed to 'acquire' De Malachite's book on summoning dragons from the Unseen University's library. For some reason, it doesn't seem to bother him that the book is badly burnt.

This is the first of the Discworld books to feature Sam and the City Guard. As a result, it's a pretty good starting point if you've never read any of the other Discworld books before and want to see what you're missing. Pratchett's books are always very funny and this one gets better as it goes along. Definitely recommended.