Just before his regiment sails off to war in the Sudan, British officer Harry Feversham resigns his commission, wanting desperately to be free of his family’s proud military heritage and terrified of risking his life. He is immediately given four white feathers as symbols of cowardice, one by each of his three best friends and one by his fiancée. To disprove this grave dishonor, Harry dons an Arabian disguise and leaves for the Sudan, where he anonymously comes to the aid of his three friends, saving each of their lives. Having proven his bravery, Harry returns to England, hoping to regain the love and respect of his fiancée. This suspenseful tale movingly depicts a distinctive code of honor that was deeply valued and strongly promoted by the British during the height of their imperial power. Harry’s heroic attempts at redemption offer listeners a glimpse into a vivid array of human emotions.
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"Well written in my view. Themes of atonement, loyalty, and of course courage resonate with me at this time. Were people ever really this honorable? If so, I long for a return to these values. True, the Imperialism is hard to sell. Otherwise, I was amazed at the breadth of the story conveyed in so few pages." — Gary (5 out of 5 stars)
"Well written in my view. Themes of atonement, loyalty, and of course courage resonate with me at this time. Were people ever really this honorable? If so, I long for a return to these values. True, the Imperialism is hard to sell. Otherwise, I was amazed at the breadth of the story conveyed in so few pages."
“[A] rousing novel of redemption set during the height of British Imperialism.”
“Action and introspection complement each other in The Four Feathers...Mason’s achievement in this novel is significant in that it not only offers a thrilling and entertaining romance of adventure that has withstood the test of time, but that it also provides us with a revealing portrait of the mind-set of a people and a time and a place that has otherwise drifted into the dusty pages of a history textbook.”
" For pure escapism I have a secret weakness for stirring yarns of British imperial adventure, stiff upper lip, pith helmets, restive tribesmen and all that. This hoary classic has spawned a couple of decent movie versions. A disgraced officer goes undercover in the Mahdi's Sudan (see Churchill's The River War) to redeem himself after accusations of cowardice. Jolly good stuff. "
" ok the movies were much better "
" Good story. Rather different from the movie. "
" I listened to this one while running, and I can't say it's the best novel to listen to simply because it's a classic and very slow. I loved the main story, but would find myself zoning in and out during some of the war talk. One of my favorite romance stories is the tragedy of two people being in love but who can't be together for whatever reasons, so I enjoyed that part of the novel. I loved Harry's response to the four feathers and how he let them shape his life in a positive way. "
" I read this book for my book club and didn't really care a lot for it. Apparently one needs to have a decent understanding of 19th century Britain and its colonies to fully appreciate this book, and I do not. Even though I thought this book was essentially a poor man's Pride & Prejudice, for some reason I felt compelled to keep reading. It's well-written and all of the events lead up to something so maybe that's why I was able to make it through this one. "
" This was one of those rare cases where I saw the movie before I read the book. The book is way better! "
" A man so afraid of cowardice that he commits a cowardly act spends years trying to redeem himself. Romance, adventure... And much unchecked imperialistic colonialism. "
" Very interesting concept for a book. I enjoyed following the characters' stories as the feathers are redeemed. "
" Well it is dated and I don't like its attitudes to other races but it is a rip-roaring adventure. Heath Ledger's film version is a good re-telling, other film versions are also dated. "
" If I could, I think 3 1/2 stars would be more accurate. I can see why this book is a classic; it was an interesting read about a man who has been accused of being a coward by three other soldiers and how he goes about trying to restore his honor. "
" This was even better than the film and the film was great too! "
" A great story of honor. "
" Another wonderful classic I just discovered! How many more are out there? I loved the characters and the story had it all: romance, adventure, loyalty, bravery, treachery, intrigue! "
" great book but don't expect what you got with the movie! "
" Great ending. More of a love story than anything else. "
" I wasn't expecting to like this book but I actually LOVED it! It's not about Indians if that helps you out. I always read classics with a sense of foreboding... sometimes it's just torture, but this one held my attention & I read it in 2 days. "
A. E. W. Mason (1865–1948) was born in Dulwich, England. A graduate of Oxford, he was first a professional actor before becoming a playwright. When he turned to writing fiction, he proved to be a versatile and prolific author, excelling at historical fiction, adventure fiction, social melodrama, and crime fiction. A man of adventure himself, Mason served in the newly established British Secret Service during World War I. In 1943, he was made an Honorary Fellow at Trinity College, Oxford. He is perhaps best remembered today for his tales of adventure and detection, often set in exotic locales.
Ralph Cosham (1936–2014), a.k.a. Geoffrey Howard, was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles. His audiobook narrations were named “Audio Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly, and he won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery.
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