Beau Geste Paperback – May 23, 2010

Definitely have to recommend this book for these reasons. First the author presents the story in a unique fashion exhibiting great thought continually surprising his readers. I kept asking myself is there any way I would have thought of this. Answer, No. Secondly, it offers an imaginative trip through North Africa with the Foreign Legion, truly exciting.Third, a mystery that you cannot guess how it will play out and the reason for it. I would give it a 5 star rating except for the last part of the book which sort of drags on in the desert of N. Africa. It doesn't last long enough to get irritated but it could have been lessened. Yes, by all means it is thoroughly enjoyable.

The Kindle-version reads like it was translated from a foreign-language version by someone with a loose-grasp of English. Some paragraphs are so muddled that they are meaningless. A few quick examples. "Patricia Brandon sat at the leader of the table". Does anyone actually refer the leader of the table rather than head of the table? Frequent reference is made to," Woman Brandon". Lady Brandon? " The girls retreated to the illustration room", Drawing room? This sort of thing goes on and on, and gets much worse.

‘Beau Geste’ by P.C. Wren is a fun, romanticized adventure story of running off to join the French Foreign Legion due to the shame of committing some grievous act. The descriptions of life in the legion and being stationed in French North Africa would make any adventurer today want to go visit some of those cities and historical French forts. Highly recommended to read on lazy afternoon with a good cup of coffee. I give it four stars for one reason - the kindle version is a copy from the Project Gutenberg Australia website which can be read for free. :-) But oh well...still a good read.

Beau Geste is a ripping good yarn, well-written, well-plotted, thoroughly stirring. I would suggest it to mature readers as a great piece of escapist literature. I would also suggest that it is a good "boy's book"—and just as boys like good "girl's books," many girls will enjoy a tale like this one—with the proviso that the young person must be mature enough to understand that attitudes toward race and empire Wren assumes are—well, simply wrong.

This is a novel I first read in seventh grade, that is actually a better read decades later! It not only is a solid mystery and adventure; but for those who love the English language, it is loaded with subtle puns and plays on words. Considering the period in which it was written, there are some anachronistic words and phrases; but if you read it on a Kindle or other device with an online dictionary, it actually makes it more fun to read. Throw in the occasional French or Latin phrase and by the end of the book you've received quite an education! One caution - there is a bit of racism and jingoism typical of the English Empire during this period. But if you can get past that, it is a rollicking good adventure.

I read BEAU GESTE as a young lad wet behind the ears. The only part of the story that stayed with me through all the subsequent years was the Fort Zinderneuf under-siege sequence, which is a marvelous tale in its own right. So I had forgotten what a fun and entertaining read P.C. Wren's novel is--a tale of the three Brothers Geste (Beau, Digby, John) and a missing sapphire (the "Blue Water"), set in the Sahara desert at remote Fort Zinderneuf, manned by the French Foreign Legion and under the command of the evil and cunning Adjutant, Lejaune. This is such a riveting read, not only for the story, but it's a time capsule of the 1920s, when it was first published. Accordingly it very much has its own vocabulary, borrowing extensively from French, and three young upper class Brits in those days exchanged dialogue in a jolly delightful way.Courage. Devotion. Mystery. Intrigue. Heartbreak. Action. BEAU GESTE contains all of these elements, and the story is weaved seamlessly from (primarily) John's point of view. But do be prepared: Again, because this was written in a different age, many of the words, jargon, and slogans are jarring, and very politically incorrect. One star off due to this absolutely revolting Munsey's edtion. The type setting is an eyesore and the margins literally go right into the binding. Very tricky to read. If you get the chance to obtain a different edition I very much recommend doing so; otherwise get ready for one grand adventure.--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning

I have been meaning to read this novel for many years having seen almost all the Beau Geste films, of which there are many. Although the book is written in an old fashioned style (first published 1924) it is worth persevering with as it is a strong and well written story. That said, Wren could have made this a better book by editing down his manuscript by about one third as he belabours some scenes for too long.Essentially Beau Geste delivers as a classic adventure story. The tale of a stolen diamond forms the backdrop but the main focus rests upon the experiences of the main characters in the French Foreign Legion. It gives a good impression of how the English upper classes used to be with values such as honesty and personal honour being paramount. Be warned that it is a book of it's day though and descriptions other nationalities and religions may offend in these politically correct times. I think that is one of the reasons that the book is not as widely available as it once was.The attack on Fort Zinderneuf is the thrilling climax of the story and I absolutely loved that part of the book. The characters are all believable and interesting, especially the three Geste brothers, Captain Beaujolais and Corporal Baldini. But is the villainous Sergeant Major Lejaune who steals the show with his implacability, treachery and sole redeeming feature - courage. Surely he is one of the greatest villains of his time and a fascinating character.This book is an absolute classic that should not disappoint.

A REVIEW OF 'BEAU GESTE' by P.C. WREN'Beau Geste' has the unenviable status of being a book that people know of, but which fewer and fewer have actually read. Mention its name, and the typical response is, "Oh, that's about the French Foreign Legion." And that's about it.All of which is a shame, because 'Beau Geste' is a stylish and clever novel which merits far more attention than its one-dimensional, pub-quiz-friendly reputation would suggest. Part tale of the supposed supernatural, part mystery, part 'whodunnit', part autobiography, part romance and part war/adventure novel, 'Beau Geste' certainly ticks all of the boxes. Perhaps the book's growing obscurity is due to the fact that it is not old enough to fall under the title of a 'classic', but not new or fashionable enough to remain prominently in print.However, those who do hunt down a copy of 'Beau Geste' will not be disappointed. Opening with the eerie discovery of a French Foreign Legion fort being 'defended' by strategically-positioned dead soldiers, which then mysteriously and spontaneously combusts, the tale immediately takes us back to an English country home and the disappearance of a priceless sapphire. It's like jumping out of John Buchan's 'Prester John' straight into Agatha Christie's 'The Adventure of The Christmas Pudding'. Wren expertly interlinks the two opening sections so that the ending cleverly explains the beginning through the words of John Geste, one of three brothers who flee to North Africa, having claimed to have stolen the jewel.The opening chapters are excellent and genuinely engage the reader as we first encounter the 'haunted' fort from the perspective of its would-be liberators. Equally impressive is the description of the desert-warfare in the later passages which explains the high body count. However, it is as a first-person narrative of leaving England to join the French Foreign Legion that 'Beau Geste' arguably works best because of the writer's attention to detail which gives a real authenticity. P.C. Wren was a particularly private man, but his precise description of the customs and trappings of the legion leave the reader in little doubt that much of the story is based upon personal experience.However, not everything about 'Beau Geste' hits the spot. Following the theft of the sapphire and before the conflict at the fort, Wren rather overplays the dialogue scenes. Conversations seem to ramble onwards without developing the plot as the same points (about the possible thief and possible mutineers respectively) are repeated to an almost ponderous degree. Similarly, the final few chapters seem to take the story off in directions which distract the reader away from the key plot resolution. At times, the temptation to plump for one of the numerous abridged version of the novel might be felt strongly.Nevertheless, the actual finale is short, sharp and memorable, ensuring that the pages which follow the less-engaging extracts of the book compensate for the slowing of plot and pace. Talking of plot, this reviewer has deliberately avoided describing all but the skeleton of the story, a decision based upon respect for Wren's stylish unveiling of narrative and character.Thus, in 'Beau Geste' we have a very good book, indeed. Perhaps not a masterpiece, but a great read which rewards the reader's trust and patience, much like a thirst-quenching drink after a hard day's desert marching.Barty's Score: 8/10

Ever since I first came across this book in the library as a teenager it has been something that I have come back to, time and time again. For boys and men this is classic adventure, with some mystery thrown in as well.When George Lawrence is travelling through Africa from his post back home on leave, he bumps into an old friend, Henri de Beaujolais. Beaujolais recounts to Lawrence a mystery. Called to aid a Legion fort which he has been told is under attack from Arabs his force arrives to find that everyone is at their post at the fort, and there are no Arabs around. All the soldiers at the fort are dead though. Shortly beforehand there is shooting from the fort, but where is the person who did it? With dead bodies moving about in the fort, the first person to enter it disappearing, and then the fort mysteriously catching fire, can it be haunted?From there we are taken back to what happened, all the events leading up to the mystery at the fort, and to the conclusion of the tale. Starting with the disappearance of a sapphire, this tale takes in high adventure, with loyalty and honour as its main ingredients, along with mutiny and treachery. Always a thrilling read, if you love adventure then you should devour this. With the romanticism associated with the French Foreign Legion, I have always wondered how many people over the years have run off to join its ranks due to this novel.

I read these books as a teenager in penguin form and enjoyed them then. Now as a man in his sixties I wanted to read them again for the stories have always had an effect on me. I know now that I will never join the French Foreign Legion as I wanted to do as a teenager. I really believe that P C Wren was there as he described events so vividly. Absolutely brilliant

The French Foreign Legion exists to satisfy those who wish to escape from whatever cruel fate has trapped them into (providing they are male, of course) and the Beau Geste trilogy exists to satisfy those timid souls who like the idea of escaping, but prefer to read about it. Set in the days when all was private incomes, manly handshakes and clean left hooks to the point of the jaw, the three books add up to an oddly satisfying read. Go on try them.