Product Description
Join celebrated tarnsman Tarl Cabot in his latest adventure on the parallel planet of Gor and its exotic lifestyle and social norms. Tarl has dedicated his life to ensuring that the Priest-Kings survive the harsh lands of Gor, but a savage tribe that closely guards its secrets has halted his quest. To continue his quest, Tarl must unravel the mysteries of this strange, private band of nomads called the Wagon People or die trying. He is the only man alive who has not trembled in the presence of this mysterious tribe. Now he is embarking on the most perilous adventure of his time on the counter-world of Gor. Will he be accepted by the tribe and learn the secrets they guard with their lives or will he die trying? Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Gor's Southern Hemisphere
Nomads of Gor is a book that introduces us to a new region and people for the first time in the series. To this point previous locations were only variations of the "High Cities" of Gor. But the Wagon Peoples were a whole new society with customs and mores of their own. This is what intrigued me to the book.

The introduction of Elizabeth Cardwell was also a plus. As a kid when reading the book for the first time I could only imagine how beautiful she was. There were honorable allies such as Kamchak and Harold as well as evil villains like Saphrar of Turia. Then there was the neutral and amoral mercenary Ho-Hak. These sundry characters-along with an original alien monster-make Nomads one of the most enjoyable books in the series.

I certainly reccomend this book to those who are invested in the series.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

A Great Book
So far, the best in series.This book has some very humorous characters and lots of action and detail about the world of Gor.The Wagon Peoples are described to perfection.There is only one boring chapter concerning Tarl and Elizabeth in the wagon but other than that, the story was fantastic.

Good Adventure
I want to make it clear that I am reviewing the older version of this book, since it's clear that John Norman changed a lot when he revised his novels. I found Nomads of Gor to be a fun read, with lots of exciting adventure in the vein of Edgar Rice Burroughs and his Mars series. There is more sex in Gor, including sexual slavery, but in the early Norman novels like this one that sort of thing is kept in the background. The hero, Tarl Cabot, repeatedly saves Gor from insidious, hostile aliens, and does so with daring swordplay, witty lines, and stalwart friends like Harold and Elizabeth. It's all good fun and quite frankly the early novels like this one and Assassin of Gor are far more titillating than the later, more explicit ones.

The best of the early Gor books
This is easily my favorite among the earlier Gor books. It is the most action-packed and exotic, in terms of the locale of the setting. The friendship between Tarl and Kamchak came off as the most genuine of all the his "running partners".

This book gets to the essence of what Gor is better than any of the early books. If Tarl had already made the transition from soft Earth man to true Gorean, it would have been perfect.

Far and away the most popular of John Norman's Gor novels
I have always considered "Assassins of Gor" to be John Norman's magnum opus in his Counter-Earth series, but there is no more enjoyable novel than the one that comes before it, "Nomads of Gor." After bonding with the Priest-King Misk, Tarl Cabot is sent from the Sardar Mountains to find the last egg of the Priest-Kings, which has been hidden among the Wagon People. Unfortunately, the Wagon People are probably the most xenophobic on Gor and will not take kindly to Cabot just walking up and joining them.

"Nomads of Gor" has two great strengths, both of which are rather unique to the series. First, Norman does a masterful job of creating the civilization of the Wagon People, which consists of four tribes. I suppose he might be basing his research on some nomadic tribes of Earth, but I did not sense any strong parallels as I did, for example, with the "Viking" like "Marauders of Gor." We get a sense of the culture of the Tuchuks, one of the four tribes that Cabot stays with as he searches for the egg, which goes well beyond what we have seen up to this point in the series. The customs, especially the competitive games the Wagon Peoples play, are much more detailed than what we had seen in the towered cities of Ar and Ko-ro-ba.

Second, this is the funniest of the Gor books, with the humor coming mostly from conversations that involve the character of Harold the Tuchuk, although Kamchak, also of the Tuchucks, has his moments as well. It is not far fetched to say that these are two best-developed supporting characters in the Gor series, and I would contend that this is due in large measure to their sense of humor. But the humor is clearly Norman's, who has this style of using short sentences to develop his droll wit. This is character driven humor, where who says what in which situation makes all the difference; none of the lines that tickle your funny bone would ever evoke a laugh by themselves, because context is everything in Norman's humor.

I always wondered why Norman did not return to the Tuchuks later in the series, but maybe he did not think he could pull off a return visit that equaled the success of this effort. This is also the novel that introduces Vella, the former Elizabeth Caldwell of Earth, who becomes one of the key continuing characters in the Tarl Cabot novels. Of course, this opens up the giant can of worm regarding Norman's Gorean philosophy that "slavery" is the natural state of women, who can only be truly "free" when they totally submit to a master. I have to admit that I never took this idea beyond the fictional level and that as the series progressed I flipped through the long philosophical discussions between masters and slaves in later novels (Norman is the pseudonym of philosopher Professor John Lange). I also know that there are people who take the Gorean lifestyle very seriously. I could quote Abraham Lincoln in response to this topic, but I would probably be closer to the mark if I just said different strokes for different folks and went my own merry way.

The bottom line for me is that I enjoyed Norman's early Gor novels in the seventies the same way I had enjoyed reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars novels in the sixties (when I discovered them). The first six novels of the Gor series standup well against the Burroughs novels that obviously inspired Norman in part (there are strong parallels between the first work in each series). If you find the philosophical aspects of these books offensive, then do not read them. ... Read more

Product Description
In this tenth volume of John Norman's Gor series, Tarl Cabot must prove his final loyalty to the harsh and caste-bound planet known as counter-earth. "Surrender Gor," reads a message sent from the Others, a mysterious people from the worlds of steel. Either the proud rulers of Gor submit or be destroyed. Now Tarl Cabot is leaving the decadent city of Port Kar to wander in the wilds of Gor, taking up the sword to defend his rulers and enemies, the Priest-kings. For he knows that the fate of his home planet, earth, is inextricably tied to the fate of Gor. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Tarl Triumphs Over The Terrors In The Tahari
As I said in a previous review this book is Norman's masterpiece. I've read the book thrice and all I can say is--Wow! I can't stress enough how imaginative Norman was in extending the scope and size of his world of Gor. For instance, Tor had been alluded to in Assassins of Gor, but the actual description and size of the city and the Tahari Desert had yet to be described. The geography of the Tahari was so richly detailed that Norman could have based several more adventure stories there had he so chosen.

Tarl Cabot's amazing willpower to survive the march to Klima was absolutely phenomenal. One could only be in awe of his manhood. His determination to live is absolutely astounding! Even when offered the chance of a quick death by Ibn Saran, Tarl declines, determined to have his revenge on the perfidious slave-girl Vella! He was indomitable!

But before he could force her to submit to him he had to undergo the fury of a woman scorned. The way Norman describes her joy at seeing Cabot condemned to the penal colony at Klima perfectly describes a woman who is enjoying seeing the man she once loved suffer a fate worse than death. Then later on she sexually taunts him by throwing her perfumed camisk out her window for him to "get his last scent of a woman." Ouch! That hurts even just reading it. It would be like Claudia Schiffer or Tyra Banks throwing their lingerie at a man condemned to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security prison. Vella was basically saying: "Don't you wish you were getting this [Her]; too bad, you'll never have any [Sex] for the rest of your life." Oh how women can be so vindictive! But Tarl proved her wrong by taking the camisk and wrapping it around his arm. It's scent provided him the incentive he needed to endure the march. In my opinion it was that and her treachery that added to his willpower to survive both the march to and the arduous journey from the pits Klima in order that she might be in his power again.

The Tahari is an arid desert in Gor's southeastern region. Modeled after the Sahara and Kalahari Deserts of Earth, it is this region where Cabot must journey to discover the dreaded steel tower. Whilst on the journey, he will encounter assassins, a Salt Merchant and the deadly Ibn Saran and his terrible cronies--including the beautiful and deadly swordswoman named Tarna. Somehow Tarl triumphs against these great odds and even gains several allies.

I highly recommend this book. It is better than Marauders of Gor and has the action and adventure of Hunters of Gor. You will not be disappointed.

One more thing. Masquerade Books (Now Defunct) printed their Book #10 title as Tribesman of Gor (Singular). The DAW Books printed their copies as Tribesmen of Gor (Plural). Why this was done I do not know; either way, both books have the exact same text. I know this for a fact because I own both copies.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Tribesmen of Gor
I enjoyed this installment of the series. Tarl is once again employed in the service of Priest-Kings. He meets up with Vella, A.K.A. Miss Elizabeth Cardwell of New York, in a harsh desert environment.

The Kur are up to no good and Tarl is out to find out what they are up to. He finds an ally named Hassan and their journey includes the typical Tarl Cabot adventure but if you are a fan of the series you will find this book enjoyable.

I recommend it to those who are fans of John Norman and Counter-Earth.

An enjoyable Gor book
Not the best written book in the series, but enjoyable from an adventure standpoint. There is also much more direct interaction with a member of the Kurii, and we find that they too, have differences of opinions on what is to be done with Gor - the world they yearn to conquer or destroy. This is one of Norman's grittiest novels, where one can truly feel the desperation of the situation through his writing. It is especially the case in the portion of the novel involving his march to Klima.

The frienship that Tarl forms in this book with Hassan the bandit is not quite as strong as in some of the others (Nomads and Marauders, for example), but overall it works quite well.

Early books are the best in Gor Series
I read the Gor series as a boy in the 70's and early 80's. IMHO the series is most appealing to teenage boys. I recently pulled "Assassins of Gor" off the shelf one night while bored, and re-read it. I was shocked that there was no real sex, and only a handful of pages of philosophy and psychology that I had to skip over. The book was really excellent, although in a straight forward, uncomplicated sort of way. These are escapist novels, richly detailed, which immerse you in an exotic world, not real thinkers. My enduring memories were of the later books in the series, which were almost unreadable because whole chapters were devoted to philosophy and psychology.

I am not offended by the idea that it is natural and enjoyable for women to be submissive to men. Although I recognize it as wish fulfillment fantasy, still I consider it harmless, especially in such an obviously fictitious setting. I even found it mildly interesting the first time it was mentioned. It is the umpteenth repetition that I find boring. I just turn those pages, skipping ahead to the next action sequence. Speaking of wish fulfillment, I wish someone would edit the series, and re-publish it without these parts. Maybe Eric Flint could do it? He likes to edit, according to his afterword to "1633" and he's good at it. Of course, if you take the sex out of Gor you get Barsoom, and that story has already been written.

I looked on Amazon to see if there was anything new going on with the series, and there was. It is being reprinted, starting at the beginning, and at least 2 new books seem to be published, or at least in the works. I was disappointed though that Amazon didn't have the whole series listed under one easy to find heading. I guess there are, after all, millions of books and only so many Amazon employees. So I'm listing the series, in order, along with some brief info. Some of these books I haven't read, as noted.

1.) Tarnsman of Gor - 1966. Earthman, Tarl Cabot, goes to another planet, hidden on the opposite side of our sun, and becomes a master swordsman and Warrior. This is the book that is most like "Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which I highly recommend. Note - the 1966 copyright is held by John Lange, the author's real name.

2.) Outlaw... - 1967. Tarl Cabot returns to Gor, to find he's been outlawed.

3.) Priest-Kings... - 1968. Tarl Cabot goes to lair of Priest-Kings to clear his name.

4.) Nomads... - 1969. Tarl Cabot goes to Southern Plains, and meets Mongol type nomads.

5.) Assassin... - 1970. Tarl Cabot returns to Ar, greatest city-state on Gor. Note - this is the first copy I have by Del Rey books, and it has cover art by Boris. I may not like reading about the Gorean philosophy on sexual roles for men and women, but I can't get enough of Boris' artwork depicting it.

6.) Raiders... - 1971. Tarl Cabot goes to Port Kar, pirate capitol of scum and villainy, and learns the meaning of shame. More Boris art on the cover of the Del Rey edition.

7.) Captive... - 1972. A new character, Elinor Brinton, is captured on Earth and becomes a slave girl on Gor. The first time this is done, it may be slightly creative and a little interesting, but it is a radical departure from the earlier books and I consider it to be the beginning of the end. At least Tarl Cabot has a few pages at the end, to tie this book into the rest of the series. This is also the last book published by Ballantine books, which I think is significant in the content and direction of the rest of the series.

8.) Hunters... - 1974. Tarl Cabot goes to the Northern Forest and meets amazon type women. This seems to be the first time there was a break in John Norman's writing, undoubtedly related to his switch to Daw books as a publisher.

9.) Marauders... - 1975. Tarl Cabot goes to the land of the Norsemen and meets Viking type Marauders.

10.) Tribesmen... - 1976. Tarl Cabot goes to the Tahari desert.

11.) Slave Girl... - 1977. Earth girl Judy Thornton enslaved on Gor. Again. No Tarl Cabot at all.

12.) Beasts... - 1978. Tarl Cabot goes to the Arctic ice pack and meets Eskimo type people.

13.) Explorers... - 1979. Tarl Cabot goes to the equatorial rain forests.

14.) Fighting Slave... - 1980. Earthman Jason Marshall is enslaved and forced to fight in a pit on Gor.

15.) Rogue... - 1981. Jason Marshall wanders free on Gor.

16.) Guardsman... - 1981. Jason Marshall earns a homeland.

17.) Savages... - 1982. Tarl Cabot goes to the great plains and meets American Indian type savages. Note - If you like this, John Norman also wrote "Ghost Dance" in 1970, a similar type story about real American Indians. I'm impressed that he kept the writing schedule he did on the Gor novels, and still wrote other books on the side. He also wrote "Time Slave" in 1975.

18.) Blood Brothers... - 1982. Savages and Blood Brothers are a two-part set. Just recently read this conclusion to Savages.Brings closure to Ubar of the Skies.

19.) Kajira... - unread. Another Slave girl story.

20.) Players... - 1984. Tarl Cabot joins the Carnival.Cos goes to war with Ar.

21.) Mercenaries... - 1985. Tarl Cabot returns to Ar again to try to save it.

22.) Dancer... - unread. Another Slave Girl novel? This is where I stopped even looking in the bookstore.

23.) Vagabonds... - unread.

24.) Magicians... - 1988, unread.

25.) Witness... - 2002, unread. I read on amazon that this is a story about Marlenus with amnesia, told by a slave girl.

26.) Prize... - unread. This is not yet published.

Marching Orders
If unregenerat male chauvinism is your dish this fare has a soupcon of militarism plus a dash of puerile fascism, so dig right in
and keep the rollaids handy
Norman is obviously so concerned with the philosophy an practice of mastering women that the story gets short shrift
no great loss sinc our "hero", Tarl Cabot runs his own "Mein Kampf out only until he gets to sit above the salt
Steak it aint, more mutton than mignon you have been warned ... Read more

Product Description
Thrust into a life full of woeful twists and turns, Jason Marshall has contended with the prehistoric customs and immeasurable power of the Goreans. His struggles on Gor, a planet resembling Earth, included escaping imprisonment, enslavement, and redeeming lost land. Jason has fought to regain control of his life. Having ascended to a position of power in the Gorean army, Jason must prevail in a battle that seems destined to destroy Gor. Jason has a lot riding on his success as a war leader: prestige, wealth, and an Earth girl of goddesslike beauty. Will Jason be able to win the war and avoid a fate worse than death? Will he be able to find the girl who holds his affections? Will he be able to live as a free man on Earth's counterpart and rise to a still higher position of power and respect? Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Interesting New Yarn
Guardsman of Gor culminates the trilogy centered on the new character of Jason Marshall, an everyday man who was abducted to Gor and forced into slavery. In the first two books Jason was bewildered at his circomstances, but his coming of age came when he escaped from slavery and gained his freedom.

Like the great Fredrick Douglass (Read My Bondage My Freedom), Jason escapes and forces his former owners and tormenters to learn the error of their ways. Then he becomes a guardsman who fights against the pirates who are opressing the river towns of the Vosk River.

This book was one of the few books where Norman went into detail concerning pirates, who had previously only been alluded to. Here we see pirates and a massive naval battle (A Rarity In The Gor Books). This was what enthralled me-and why I give it Four Stars.Seeing the fighting aboard vessels and the tactics that were used. I wish that Norman had gone into more details like these in his later books instead of boring us with verbose and pedantic ideas on the "superiority" of one gennder over another. I felt like saying: "OK, I get the idea and I heard it all before 100 times. Now I want adventure and action with the principle characters!"

Ironic, because there is actually very little sex in any of these Gor books. Just theoretical discussions about what can and will and should be done, etc. If you want to read a really good book trilogy with lots of sex but with plenty of thick plot, I highly reccomend The Seer King, The Demon King and The Warrior King by the late Chris Bunch. See my review concening the Seer King. It was great! The character Damastes Cimabue would give Tarl Cabot a serious run for his money.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Far Better Than Anticipated
Now, for more than fifteen years I've avoided the Jason Marshall books and stayed with the Tarl Cabot-led titles because I once went through about the first 50 pages of "Fighting Slave Of Gor" and felt let down.Of course, that was many moons ago and, just for the hell of it, gave in and went through books 14, 15, & 16 - found myself unable to put them down!!!What a moron for not having read through them in the first place, years ago!But then, after reading Guardsman of Gor, I can remember WHY I may have decided to put it off:MINDNUMBING EPIC-LENGTH RANTS ON THE DOMINATION OF WOMEN BY MEN.Now, I'm not going to waste my breath on the argument - in fact, I can quite safely say that the entire proposal in the series is self-contradictory; instead, my problem lies in the nearly unbearable REPETITION & LENGTH - as though our good fellow Mr. Norman has been trying to convince the unconvinced by beating them about the head and shoulders - some of us who like the series can make it through the abuse by circumventing much of the cognitive drudgery.I've gotten so good at skipping through THOUSANDS of words of it that I feel like I'm only reading 1/4 of a book, and that I'm reading the same 3/4's of a book over and over again with merely the names changed.Still, I keep reading the series, repeatedly.Why?Because it's John, and John's stuff has a certain fascinating magic to it, as though he actually loves the imaginary places he writes of; as if he loves the adventures themselves.

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY:Why is it that EVERYBODY in the Jason books possesses, apparently, the 'Second Knowledge', in that EVERYBODY knows everything there is to know about the existence of Earth; whereas, in other books, most people are generally clueless?

Some folks don't like the Vosk ship battles - I thought they were great.Matter of fact, all the scrapping in all three books of the Jason trilogy are way neat - I don't care how fantastically unlikely some of them are, ya gotta admit they moved things along.

One thing I can definitely say is that when I wasn't skimming over the repetitive slave stuff, it was a speedy read even when he was detailing such things as markets, crops, tools, towns, etc.

Okay, I'm a weakling Earth Man, so I will betray my codes by making one commentary on the male domination thing, and it is this:Those of you who are Gor fans who are perplexed by the reactions of those who despise the series based on the treatment therein of female characters should perhaps consider this formula, constantly expressed throughout:

A:Women are natural slaves
B:Slaves are as low or lower than animals (common livestock)
C:No amount or extreme degree of abuse to women is cause for outrage
D:Any such outrage flies in the face of the natural order and demonstrates cowardice, weakness, and a lack of intelligence
E:Women, being livestock, and yet intelligent, naturally enough, secretly desire and love to be abused - and are only fulfilled when such cruelty is forthcoming...

REALITY begs to differ, of course.The series pretends to embrace reality that is denied by Earthlings, yet reality is reality; hence, this world and the way we live in it is entirely natural and normal, whilst the Gorean concept is self-contradictory and delusional; hence, FANTASTY.Of course, any truly thinking person must inevitably reach the conclusion that any Gorean society would collapse in upon itself.If, in the series, the Priest Kings were to go hands-off on technology restrictions, Gor would be a smoldering cinder.

Now, imagine if your race, religion, or ideology were substituted for 'WOMEN' in the equation listed above, and perhaps you, being smarter than a doorknob, might comprehend why not everybody sees any appeal in the Gor series.If you like it, fine - enjoy it.If you don't like it - fine.Shut up already (some of you apparently have a difficult time handling your emotions) and go find yourself something you DO like.As for myself, I don't need to justify reading the series - I like it.Period.We could always address the matter with the sword.Some people just "GET IT", and some people don't.Hey, don't judge me - I don't judge YOU when you're watching your friggin' JERRY SPRINGER and your LARRY THE CABLE GUY MOVIES!

Happiness is A Great Book
My first recommendation would be to start at the beginning of the series.While you can figure out what is going on; and each book is a story unto itself - the climax which builds in knowing the full history of Gor, the characters and emotions driving the plot line, is critical in my opinion.As any who have encountered Norman's undertakings knows, there are aspects of his writing style that are dry; redundant and so explicitly technical it borders on dullness.However, this also denotes a seeming trademark, something you come to expect and almost relish as you submerse yourself into the world he has created for us to escape to.Holding true to form, there are twists and turns that leave you cheering for the hero and celebrating a clearly ingenious mind!I highly recommend picking this up, whether you are a long time follower of Gor or if you are just beginning .. you'll get hooked I promise!

No Better than Porn
If you've read any of this "man's" books, you'll notice they almost all have the same theme: all female characters are portrayed as either dominant witches or cowed love slaves to men. Apparently, Norman believes these are the only two kinds of women who exist. I realize there's a reason these books are called "fantasy", but this is one sick fantasy I wish to God never showed its hideous face to the world.

In just about every book, Norman clearly pushes his agenda that the world is full of wimpy men and dominant women. Therefore, he removes these people from Earth to Gor, where men are quickly lifted as gods and women are eventually shoved to their knees for something even more degrading than forced oral pleasuring. If the men begin as slaves in these books, they end as masters. If women start out as controlling witches, they end up as lust slaves to the pitiful men, often beaten and cowed into doing so. The only thing more amusing and pitiful than this joke of an author's picture of "Earth" women as man-hating feminazis is his pathetic view that they are the way they are because they don't have men to control them, and this is what they all secretly want! And, in Norman's weak hands, that's the ending they get: the women in these books, man-haters all, are eventually whipped and/or raped into becoming faithful slaves who love their macho masters and promise to serve them always.

Hey, I hate female-controlling males, but even I don't pen sick fantasies about nasty women raping them, whipping them, and otherwise mentally and physically breaking them into slave-hood. I don't believe in doing that to anyone, and even indulging in such sick fantasies would hurt me emotionally and mentally. You don't play with sadism and ultimately, it's not just a fantasy, it's a state of mind. The only thing as pitiful as this author's "fantasy" solution to dealing with feminists is his apparent idea of what women want: to be slaves! Norman never deserved sympathy because of feministic attacks to begin with, because his ideal of womanhood was warped from the start. One could very well conclude that the reason he hates feminism is not because it abuses manhood, but because it uplifts womanhood to something beyond slavery.

The fact that this sickness came from any man's head and especially was actually published is very disturbing to me. I can't see why anyone would love this kind of fantasy anyway, but maybe it would help to know that this is NOT just fantasy. There are women tortured in other countries, whipped by their husbands here in the US, and raped as well. If you shudder when hearing a horrible story on the news about a psycho keeping a woman chained and whipped in his basement, yet feel any kind of satisfaction when reading trash like this, you're a class A hypocrite. Just think of the porn images that have emerged of women being raped from behind or degraded in some other way. If you'd ever care to see some fictional story behind those sick images, this is basically what Norman has written.

Last of the Fighting Slave trilogy
Guardsman of Gor continues the story of Jason and Beverly, both from New Your City who were captured and transported to Gor in Fighting Slave.Guardsman begins with a naval battle on the Vosk river between pirate fleets and a loose confederation of river cities.Norman spends the first several chapters on three days of the battle during which time the battle is almost lost and the remaining 3 confederation ships make and escape.In a dramatic turn around things get better from there.While the river battle has been going on the men of the cities have formed a fighting alliance on land and wait in ambush for the remaining pirate vessels.Victory over the pirates is complete with Jason earning considerable wealth, including female slaves, captured from the pirate fortress.The last part of the book describes Jason as a dominant man of Gor, no longer the Earth wuss who had been controlled by feminist women in a feminist dominated culture.Jason plays match maker, distributing appropriate female love slaves to the heroes of the pirate battle who are now his friends.Because they are slaves, the females fall deeply in love with strong manly men who control and dominate them, much more so than Earth feminist women.Finally, Jason completes his complete enslavement and domination of the former Beverly of New York City, now transformed into a submissive Gorian love slave.Jason gives her a good whipping and makes her grovel at his feet.Miss. Beverly, now transformed into Norman's vision of true femininity, loves her life as Jason's salve and vows to serve him fully and well.

I found the book tedious in many places with slow action and long repetitive conversations that could be skipped, especially in the last half.If you're reading the whole Gor series you might enjoy it and it wraps up the 3 Jason books.Tarl Cabot of Port Kar is not mentioned, nor are the Priest Kings or other space aliens, nor the war between Cos and Ar. The Fighting Slave trilogy stands by itself set on Gor as a commentary on Earth men and women.John Norman's commentaries on human sexual instincts and personalities is interesting, though some would disagree with his assessments. ... Read more

Product Description
In this sixth book in the Gorean series, former earthman Tarl Cabot finds himself in the most depraved city that Gor has to offer. Port Kar is a city of robbers, brigands and men without allegiance to any cause or kingdom where the weak are quickly consumed by the strong. However, Tarl Cabot is able to flourish in the cutthroat environment of the city, for he is a powerful Tarnsman, used to having his way. He finds that there is much to learn in Port Kar, where the people are celebrated for their skill of training their voluptuous slaves into utter obedience. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

The Covers Suck
Is it just me or do the new bondage porn covers (pictured above) just really suck? It's obviously stock photography and really has nothing to do with the "Gorean Saga".

What idiotic firm did the covers for these reprints? I'll take the classic covers anyday.

One Of The Best Of The Early Books
Raiders of Gor is by far one of the best of the early books in the counter-Earth series of books brilliantly penned by John Norman.

The story was quite interesting and diverged from what was usual up to that point. Having Tarl Cabot be stripped of his honor and thus humiliating him- although an ends to a means- (Concerning The Subsequent Books) may well have been detrimental to the overall texture of the series. Previous to this book Cabot had worked directly for the Priest-Kings; subsequent to this book he only worked indirectly for them through his handler Samos. Although his most harrowing adventures came during the latter period, this took the series into uncharted realm, an arc which included heavy bondage and many other ridiculous theories.

The books had originally been Sword & Planet Space-Operas, but diverged into something quite different between the time book #6 started and books #8 were completed. Many fans of the series were turned off by this tangent. What turned me off was not so much the B&D but the utter lack of description when it came to sex. Norman almost never described sex between his characters and when he did it was either lacking in detail or abstract. John Norman would have done well to have hired the late great Chris Bunch to pen some of his books. That man knew how to write a love scene! See and read The Demon King, The Seer King and The Warrior King to understand my points!

Despite the above criticisms, Raiders of Gor takes the series to a whole new level by showcasing Port-Kar, heretofore only alluded to in some of the previous books. The naval battles could have been better described, but were enjoyable nonetheless for their uniqueness in the Gorean pantheon.

Yes, please read this book. You will not be disappointed.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

The absolute BEST one so far...
I've now read the first six books straight through without pause or break.By far, this is the best of the first six.The action never stops and I love the self-loathing Bosk goes through.I really hope the next books stick to this same forumula.For the first time, there wasn't a single chapter that irritated me.

Raiders of Gor
I have been reading the series in order and enjoyed this book. I was surprised at the change in character of Tarl Cabot and wonder what it means for his part in the remaining books. For a fan of the books it is a good read. Predictable at times, but more of Gor can be learned from the book and the readers's study of the continuing development of Tarl's character is enjoyable.

I recommend it for followers of the books.

Classic Gor...but purists beware!
One of the most important and classic novels in the series. The appeal of Norman's pure unadulterated GOR, so prevalent in the early books in the series, rich with his masterful writing, make it a tour de' force that is unforgettable. I've read it many times over the years, and its as intoxicating as ever each time.

One thing to note though. The new edition through E-reads mentions on the back cover that it has been specially edited by the author...an ominous note to my mind, which revealed itself shortly thereafter. Norman is adding text to the book to enhance the female dominance theory that becomes predominant as the series progresses. (I invite readers to see my review on the hardbound version of Witness of Gor). There are some blatant new additions that to my eye stick out like a sore thumb. In the classic scene at the throne room of Cos, in front of the Ubars Lurius and Chenbar, while addressing the Lady Vivian, the now prisoner Tarl's interaction was always brief, subtle, and appealingly witty. In this version, he enters into a laboriously enhanced version which has him spewing forth slave gibberish to the flabergasted royal, all the while the entire court is silent...? Not realistic or believable at all, even forced.

As a (self-proclaimed) purist, I take offense at this. Corrupting the beauty of his original work does not make this a 'definitive text' to my mind. Rather get your hands on the previous published versions, is what I recommend. ... Read more

Product Description
In this second volume of the Gorean Series, Tarl Cabot finds himself transported back to Counter-Earth from the sedate life he has known as a history professor on Earth. He is glad to be back in his role as a dominant warrior and back in the arms of his true love. Yet, Tarl finds that his name on Gor has been tainted, his city defiled, and all those he loves have been made into outcasts. He is no longer in the position of a proud warrior, but an outlaw for whom the simplest answers must come at a high price. He wonders why the Priest Kings have called him back to Gor, and whether it is only to render him powerless. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

"Weep, free maiden. Remember your pride and weep."
Outlaw of Gor is the second novel in John Norman's cult classic Gorean Saga. After languishing on Earth for seven years, Tarl Cabot is finally returned to the Counter-Earth where he hopes to find his father and the woman he loves. Instead, he finds that things are not at all as he left them. After a bit of roaming, he winds up in a city he's never been to before and gets tangled up in a battle of the sexes.

Tarl Cabot is a bit like Richard Rahl -- effortlessly subduing evil, fighting oppression, and spreading nobility wherever he goes. He loves and serves his fellow man ("How could I be free when others are bound?"). He spends a lot of time talking about how he reveres women and hates those Gorean cultures which capture women and consider them useful only as pleasure slaves.

Yet, for all of Tarl's assurances that he's a feminist, it's a bit hard to swallow when his only descriptions of the women he meets are their stunning beauty and how he admires their spirit. (Spirit is shown by a woman saying things like "No, never!" to men who want to subdue her.)

And the reader knows it's just a matter of time before one of these beautiful and spirited women, with her dress ripped to shreds, will be on her knees with her arms raised and wrists crossed and begging Tarl to enslave her. Even women who were previously powerful are anxious to know if Tarl finds them beautiful and pleasing and when he insists that he doesn't want to purchase them, they pout. He buys one of them as "an act of sentiment"! (There is no sex of any sort in these books so far, by the way.)

This is all fine for a little bit of fun and fantasy roleplay, but when Tarl suggests that women don't really want freedom, but actually want to be men's full-time pleasure slaves.... that's a little much for me. One ruling woman says that slave girls have it better because their skimpy clothes are easier to walk around in. Okay, I'll give her that point, but when she says that being chained is the only way that many women can learn to love...? And that she really would rather be a slave than to take up her former ruling position?... yeah, right.

Tarl goes on to explain why matriarchies don't work: men lose their self-respect and then the women lose respect for the self-loathing men and "hating their men, they hate themselves." This is a point I'm willing to consider, but he goes too far with his next point: "I have wondered sometimes if a man to be a man must not master a woman. And if a woman, to be a woman, must not know herself mastered." Unfortunately, "mastered" seems to mean that men are free and ruling and women are collared, leashed, scantily clad, and serving and dancing for men. How can Tarl Cabot, the feminist, justify this? Easily: the women say they like it this way.

But for all of this, I must admit that I've got a strange fascination with this series and I plan to read the next book. However I think that it wouldn't work for me if I was reading it in print instead of listening to it on audio. I believe that it's the reader, Ralph Lister, who manages to "fix" what otherwise I'd read as just plain sexist masculine fantasy. Lister gives Tarl a voice that's innocent and enthusiastic enough to deceive me into believing that he's not really as shallow as he demonstrates that he is.

Shame on the publisher's of the Gor series
This is not a review of the Gor series.I read many of them when I was younger and was completely enchanted by them, they are a good read.The problem is, now that hard cover editions of the Gor series are being released we can not buy the series on Kindle in the United States.I recommend you go to your local half price book store and look for them.I was going to buy and reread all the books on Kindle but now I think I will be boycotting them completely.The publisher's need to know we are the ones that make their living for them, and they need to have a little respect for the fans of the books they publish.

Not As Good As Tarnsman
Outlaw of Gor is not as good as Tarnsman was but still light years ahead of anything that came after book #18 in Norman's Gor series.

Outlaw has Tarl Cabot returning to Gor. Seeing that his city has been destroyed, Tarl seeks vengence upon the Priest Kings. But before he can confront the rulers of Gor, he gets caught up in the machinations of the people from the city called Tharna.

I highly reccomend this book. It is a jewel amongst Norman's earlier works in the series.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Just finished Outlaw of Gor...
Much easier to read than Tarnsman.Either his writing improved over the two years, or I'm just used to it now.In either case, it flowed much better.Plus, the story is better than Tarnsman.Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Tarnsman, even it was quite simple.However, Outlaw is a much better overall story.Still simple, but a little more complex than Tarnsman.The main character is given a little more depth.There is plenty of action sequences and his "luck" remains true from the first book.I call it, the will of the Priest Kings... not luck.:-)The author paints a nice picture as he describes Tharna, the people, and the dungeons below.As soon as I finish writing, I'm starting Priest Kings.

His writting is improving
The first couple of books in this series did not keep my attention as well as I thought it should have.As I have continued to read this series, I can see Mr. Norman has improved his writing and his way of story telling. The creation of the Gorean world, while not original, Mr. Norman's slant is refreshing.It seems that he is exploring his view of the differences between what evolution wants a Man to be and what evolution wants a Woman to be.I look forward to reading more in this series. ... Read more

Product Description

For more than a quarter century, Philip Norman's internationally bestselling Shout! has been unchallenged as the definitive biography of the Beatles. Now, at last, Norman turns his formidable talent to the Beatle for whom belonging to the world's most beloved pop group was never enough. Drawing on pre-viously untapped sources, and with unprecedented access to all the major characters, here is the comprehensive and most revealing portrait of John Lennon that is ever likely to be published.

Customer Reviews (85)

No One Deserves a Greater "What If?"
It may be the music, it may be the age, but no performers captivated the world quite like the Beatles through the 1960's. Not surprisingly, the library of literature about the quartet and its extended family is immense [Cynthia Lennon, John's first wife, has published two autobiographies herself], and the canon of Beatle writing ranges from the brilliant to the awful. This reader was floored by Bob Spitz's "The Beatles" in 2006 and equally taken with our work at hand, Philip Norman's "John Lennon." Norman's 1980 work "Shout" has been considered the authoritative work on the group, and though I personally give that nod to Spitz, it is intriguing to see Norman's new treatment of John Lennon.

Norman's biography is exquisitely detailed, though as other reviewers have noted, it does not have a professional bibliography aside from citations in the text itself. The author depends heavily upon both recorded interviews and conversation with living witnesses, of whom a fair number [Paul McCartney, George Martin, and Yoko Ono, among others] still survive. Norman keeps his text lively despite the fact that some of these living sources are recalling events of forty years or more distance, and certainly in retrospect.

Most readers, I assume, know something of the outline of John Lennon's life. Norman strives to introduce the man to present and future generations in his time, as well as to tie together the continuing loose ends of the Lennon saga. Norman thus treats extensively of Lennon's natural parents, neither of whom has fared well in the transmission of the Beatles tradition. In particular, Norman seems to make special effort at a rehabilitation of Lennon's father, Alfred or "Freddy," with the son holding serve at the time of his murder. Norman appears to find something of Lennon's reckless behavior and chronic anger in "abandonment issues," but nothing in this work changed my mind that Lennon's primary adult difficulty was substance abuse [poly-substance abuse, to be more correct, and this work strengthened my conviction.] Yoko Ono, for all her own baggage, at least recognized this fact and tried to move him in the direction of better living.

By his young adult years Lennon was writing and singing to his own pathology. His great fortune, to be sure, was his collaboration with Paul McCartney and George Martin, both of whom harnessed his intensity and rage into the energized and harmonized product we celebrate today. Norman's treatment of Martin is expansive: the Beatles' producer has come down to us over time as the buttoned down man of classical music who swallowed hard and tackled this most unusual studio challenge. Norman loosens the conductor's tie; Martin is depicted here as unflappable through thick and thin, carrying on his work enthusiastically even with Yoko Ono propped up on a bed beside him like Madame Lafarge. Martin came to enjoy the innovation of the successive Beatles' albums and threw himself into the fledgling science of sound technology and special effect, sometimes at the danger of his own job.

It is regrettable that after 1966 Lennon never quite connected with McCartney and Martin on a vision for the future. By late 1965 the Beatles were in general agreement that their touring days were over and that they would henceforth work as a studio band, to the beat of their six month album deadlines for recording giant EMI. McCartney, with Martin's support, began to rethink the concept of long-play albums. Even though Beatles' albums generally carried an artistic/thematic trademark, McCartney saw the traditional LP as a grab bag of a dozen independent songs of varying style and quality. His thinking took him into the realm of the unified album, something along the lines of what would later emerge as "Tommy" and its cohorts in the 1970's.

Lennon, however, entered a phase of significant breakdown, even by his standards. He would meet his obligation of the six month album, though his contributions were erratic and egocentric. The rest of his time was devoted to significant drug use and other offbeat personal pursuit with fellow substance abusers Bob Dylan and later Harry Nilsson. Coming up for air from times to time, he immersed himself in the trendy and opportunistic world of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who at least planted seeds for a more humanitarian, if not a more reality based, John Lennon.

However, his new relationship with Yoko Ono in 1967 came to dominate Lennon's musical and personal affairs in ways that have drawn the wrath of many Beatles' fans. Their relationship was a battle for control tempered by pathological need. By the late 1960's, with Lennon generally absent, the other three Beatles were cultivating individual success: Harrison became a splendid performer/composer in his own right, and the affable Starr found himself in the movies, among other ventures.

Manager Brian Epstein, whatever his faults, might not have been fully appreciated by the Beatles until his sudden death in 1967. Lennon, at least, realized this if dimly; advice from his new guru Ono resulted inApple Corporation, a TARP, if you will, for struggling musicians, an operation rife with abuse and misplaced do-gooder-ism that significantly drained Beatle cash flow and proved to be a of limited success.Despite Apple's demise, Lennon was still considerably wealthy when the Beatles dissolved in 1970.

Norman divides the final decade of Lennon's life as half "lost-weekend" and half "house husband." With the birth of his son Sean in 1975 Lennon found a new focus for his compulsive energies--child raising. Norman includes a post script, a curious interview with the late Lennon's son. [Julian evidently declined participation, a statement in itself.] After an idyllic description of his impressions, Sean remarks casually that he required emergency room treatment to his ears after an episode of his father's screaming at him about table manners. It occurred to me that young Sean had captured his father very well, like the hundreds of adults [and Julian] who passed through his life: nothing the man did would surprise anyone

Don't bother with the Abridged Audio version...
This is a awesome bio of Mr. Lennon but I got the abridged version which is such a hatchet job its not worth listening to. It just keeps making huge skips over important moments and events:
- no mention of the beginnings of the Quarrymen or starting to play music
- no mention of meeting Paul and George
- no mention of coming to American and the Ed Sullivan Show
- and so on and so on
The full version is long but its such a great book and the level of detail reveals John to be as complex and conflicted a guy as anyone ever was. A fascinating and obsorbing tale. Get the full version!!

John Lennon the person we knew little about.
Excellent, its as if the writer was beside John throughout his life. Many suprising and wonderful stories about his childhood. And through these you can see what influenced him to become the man, musician, and legend he would become. John was witty, clever, torn throughout his life by his own created contradictions. And absolutely brilliant.

The (Almost) Complete Lennon
At more than 800 pages, "John Lennon: The Life" by Philip Norman may be the most comprehensive portrait yet of one of rock `n' roll's most intriguing pioneers - one that exposes the many facets of the man's complex personality.The book is refreshingly balanced: neither a vindictive hatchet job nor an overly reverential paean. It's a compelling and endlessly fascinating look at a story we've all heard before, but with enough fresh twists that even the most grizzled Beatlemaniac (and I've been one since 1965 when my mom took me to see "Help" on my ninth birthday) will perk up in wonder.

At its core it is a look at what extreme fame and celebrity can do to a fragile human being.John Lennon had a troubled childhood in which he was bounced back and forth between a party-girl mother and a seafaring dad, and at the age of six was forced to choose between the two. Having just come off a holiday with his dad, he chose him, but when he saw his mother start walking out the door, he ran to her in a panic.Ultimately he went to live with his mother's sister, Mimi, who raised him to adulthood in relatively secure comfort.Lennon got hooked on rock `n' roll after hearing his first Elvis record, learned to play the guitar, and formed a band at his high school called The Quarrymen.The Quarrymen became the Beatles. The Beatles became superstars, and Lennon became one of the most famous people on the planet.

The constant pressures of screaming fans, concert schedules and record contracts would have warped anyone, but Lennon was particularly vulnerable.When he was 17, his mother was hit by a car and killed - an event that traumatized Lennon for the rest of his life. More deaths followed: his beloved Uncle George, his friend and bandmate Stu Sutcliffe (which Lennon himself may have prompted), and The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein.Add to this mix copious amounts of drugs and alcohol, the guilt of being an absentee dad, the reemergence of his own long-lost father, and his forced reinvention after the acrimonious breakup of The Beatles, and you have a recipe for disaster.It's a wonder he survived past 30.

Lennon was a genius, a charmer, a rebel.He could be heartwarmingly sweet and generous, and he could be shockingly cruel.Norman covers all sides of the man objectively, as well as giving well-rounded portrayals of some of the biggest players in Lennon's life, particularly Mimi, his father "Alf," Yoko Ono, and Sutcliffe.Some of the most enjoyable and surprising passages are about these peripheral characters.Mimi somehow strikes up a letter-writing relationship with 13-year-old Beatle fan, and at one point sends her an old guitar string she found in John's wastebasket.A middle-aged Alf shows up on John's doorstep at the height of Lennon's fame, and spends the next several years trying to explain why he had been gone from Lennon's childhood.At one point we see the two being driven home from a party in Lennon's Rolls Royce: an inebriated Lennon with his head in his father's lap, the father wistfully stroking his boy's hair.These are just a couple of gems out of hundreds.

And yet there are problems with the book that knock it down a notch.It ends all too abruptly with the shooting in front of The Dakota in December 1980.What was the aftermath of Lennon's murder?How did his death affect the other ex-Beatles?Whatever happened to Mimi, Alf and some of the other characters we grow so close to throughout the book?We don't know, because Norman doesn't tell us.What he does, however, is include a final chapter called "Sean Remembers," in which he interviews Lennon's son, who was five years old when Lennon died.It's good, but it would have been better if it was pared down slightly and included within a broader epilogue that includedthose other characters.

It also has errors - some trifling (calling the island of Bermuda "tropical" when in fact it's hundreds of miles north of the Tropic of Cancer), and at least one that was egregious (to a Beatle fan, anyway): identifying John as singing "All together now!Everybody!" at the end of "All You Need is Love," when it's patently obvious that it's Paul McCartney.Those, together with a dozen or so examples of sloppy editing, take a bit of the shine off an otherwise five-star biography.But, warts and all, it's still a fabulous read.

To get another perspective of Lennon, I highly recommend "John" by his ex-wife Cynthia Lennon.It's a real insider's view of the man, and is surprisingly sympathetic given how badly he treated her. Celebrity comes at a price, and unfortunately it's often the innocent bystanders who pay it.

A Rounded Biography, Not a Pop Book
Philip Norman has written a serious John Lennon biography.Here we see the Liverpool "abandoned" child, rock 'n' roll punk, prima donna superstar, absurdly talented and original lyricist, gross exhibitionist (for good and for ill), and tormented husband in all his good and ill detail.I couldn't put it down.

While once (1977-82) a Lennon fanatic who filled love letters to girlfriends with Lennon lyrics, I had since become an attorney, a PhD, and a history professor.Not in decades had I read a Beatles book.

Then, for my 47th birthday, my wife blessed me with this.

Norman has provided a wealth of previously unknown details, which he gleaned from personal interaction with everyone significant in Lennon's life:his first wife, his second wife/widow, his son, his stepmother, Paul McCartney, and a host of other people who knew him as a child, young Beatle in Germany, househusband, and at seemingly every other juncture of his life.

This book sheds much new light on the most important facet of Lennon's life:his lyrics.The most insightful appraisal of Lennon's work I've ever read comes at the book's end, where his second son reminisces about the father he barely remembers.This chapter, like much else in the book, is gripping, rousing, intellectually stimulating, and profoundly sad.

If you like John Lennon, read this book.If you dislike him, read this book.If you would understand the world in the last 50 years, read this book.

If you can't get "I Am the Walrus" out of your head after all these years, read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Doreen Williamson is a quiet, shy librarian on Earth. As many other young women she is distrustful of her attractions, frightened of men, introverted in manner and sexually inhibited. She lives in a quiet, lonely, dissatisfying, sheltered, frustrated desperation, distant from her true self, her nature denied, her only friends books and her secret thoughts. In the realization and enactment of a profound fantasy, after acute self-conflict, she dares to study dancing, a form of dance in which she is at last free to move her body as a female, a form of dance in which she may revel in her beauty and womanhood, a form of dance historically commanded by masters of selected, suitable slaves, belly dance. Thusly may she fantasize her longed-for desirability. This is, of course, her delicious, shameful secret, one which must be concealed from all, one which must be forever carefully guarded. Unbeknownst to herself, however, she has independently come to the attention of skilled assessors of women, of Gorean slavers. While secretly practicing in the library after hours she is surprised by three men. She must then dance, for the first time, before men. For the first, time, too, she discovers her own desirability, and that she is such as may be well bid upon. She will be taken to the beautiful, perilous world of Gor, there, in a collar, to learn her womanhood, and there, at last, to beautifully and profoundly find and fulfill herself. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Annoying
I did not like the unnecessary page details. For example in the opening, we read page after page after page of the main character looking at herself in the mirror dicussing- not discussing but thinking about how she feels. I understand building the main character is important, but ramblings like this was so bad, I kept pressing next page, next page too skip ahead. The author also repeats the same lines, "I was chained and afraid because I was chained. It was the chain that made me afraid because I was a slave- chained." Need I say broken record? How chained can one be?Or, just when you think the character has gotten beyond some major emotional or mental feat- the very issue will come up again to be repeated word for word again. I found myself rolling my eyes about thinking, 'She is chained once more." She was chained throughout the whole book, imagine hearing this line over and over again. Yes the author wants to immerse the reader into the story and help bring understanding that Gorean slavery was a major difference than Earth slavery, but it does not have to be done in this way.

I personally, don't believe this book was written by Norman. The writing style was very different it felt as if the writing and tone was a bit modern for this Gorean planet. I read Captive of Gor, Kajira of Gor, and Slavegirl of Gor, and all written from the time and perspective of the planet the women were on. Not Dancer of Gor, poor Doreen might have been with earthly men who staged a planet called Gor. This is exactly how I felt this book read, like a play by totally different characters and concept.

I was given a piece of fake material and told to believe this was something genunine. So I eventually became annoyed with the characters. The description of Doreen's experience while interesting didn't seem authentic. I found Doreen a little likable, but the author focused so much on her negativity- I had to stop reading book several times and force myself to try to gain some new respect for the character and the author. This is suppose to be a character who is quite differet than most Earth women- a woman who wants no desires wait- NEEDS to be captured and made a slave, she longs for it, but it seems the author wants to make the reader run around and suffer though pages of details, experiences, and through things that did not seem realistic for the main character. For example, Doreen is about to be sold, she comes to the realization that she is about to be sold, and is taking through slave paces, suddenly out of no where she becomes frigid. I was like huh? What is happening? This is a woman in which the author built the character to be more submissive and more ready for her experiences on Gorthan any other character in his books. But right at the moment of compliance the author gives Doreen a fake insecurity that is never explained. Everyone in the book wonders what is wrong with her? I was wondering the same thing too. Simply unrealistic.

I tend to agree with one reviewer who doesn't understand why Doreen is begging for slave sex. She is always frightened and scared, why would she? Some would say, I don't understand the Gorean Lifestyle enough to see that she is having all these conflicts within herself. But her conflict does not match the kind of woman the author portrayed her to be. I felt so for Doreen- would have been better off dancing on earth.

Norman or whomever wrote this, is so focused on slavery and manacles, hoods, and chains, whips, and sex- the author forgets that there has to be fairness in the writing. If you write your character one way don't try to change them in the middle of the book- it won't work. At least it didn't for me.

Worst book I have ever read. Seriously.
This was the first Gor book I read, because I heard it had belly dancing in it. After forcing myself to finish it, I can honestly say it is the most poorly written book I have ever read. John Norman has the most annoying writing style I have ever seen. He somehow manages to fill an entire book with words that don't seem to say anything. He likes to drag out his sentences by adding extra words that don't need to be there such as "to, therefor, also..." and he seems to think that run on sentences will make him sound smarter. Example:

Poor writing aside, his characters have as much depth as a sheet tray. The main character is supposed to be smart, but I don't recall one smart thing she did in the entire book. Apparently we are supposed to believe she is smart because people are always telling her she is. Mind you, the people telling her this are men who are her Masters and consider a "smart" woman to be one who obeys them at all times. The other characters are no better. The men are all sexist, controlling pigs who only care about war, drinking and reminding slave girls they are slaves (see dialogue example below). We are told that these Gorean men are somehow better than our Earth men, but I didn't see one example of a man who was in the least bit admirable either for his charm, intelligence, or any other characteristic aside from his ability to boss around naked women.

Which brings me to another point. Yes, this book is about women being slaves to men. I get that. It's not the pinnacle of feminist ideals. I could appreciate if it was the fantasy, sexy fun I figured it would be. Instead it's filled with pages full of Norman's own insistence that "modern women" are somehow denying their true femininity by not enslaving themselves to men. Norman *constantly* bashes feminism. If I had a nickel for every time a slave said or thought something about how they love to be a slave, how they were meant to be a slave, how they were now fully "aware" of their femaleness, how badly Earth women are
missing out, etc. I would be rich. Instead of feeling like I am taken to another world where things are different, I feel like I am reading a book that is the authors soap box for his anti-feminist views and his sexual fantasy land (despite the fact he conveniently skips describing the sex scenes and spends all his time detailing how the women are chained instead). Not to mention the fact this idea is incredibly flawed. The main character is chosen to be a slave because the person who went to Earth and picked her out tested her by telling her to do things and seeing if she would comply, even though she didn't know this man or have any reason to do what he said. How many women would really do this? She was basically culled from the flock! But we are told that, deep down inside, all women are like this. It's so far off the mark it's completely unbelievable. I find myself wishing Norman had instead chosen to make her fully resist being a slave and showed her growth as a character despite this drastic change in her life. But no, she's pretty much a slave before she's ever selected. There is no growth, no struggle. She takes to her slavery like a fish in water. What is this book about again?

The dialogue is atrocious. It's full of pointless conversations such as:
Master: You are chained
Slave: Yes, Master
Master: You enjoy being chained
Slave: Yes, Master. I am a slave!
Master: You enjoy being a slave
Slave: Yes, Master!
Followed by the slave begging for sex, although what she's all hot and bothered about remains to be seen.

The plot is weak, weak, weak. At one point Norman actually switches a main character out for another and doesn't seem to notice his error. Where is the editor of this book?? He also likes to constantly not tell you what is going on or what happened between the last chapter you finished and the next chapter you just started. He seems to think this is suspenseful when in fact it's just plain annoying.

To give you an idea of what you would be reading, here is my own impersonation of John Norman's writing "style" which I have been told men many "Goreans" is a sad, yet accurate impersonation:

"Or instead of self mutilation I could just read another John Norman book. Too, therefore, also I might read something, on occasion, which might sometimes go like this, whoever the reader, when reading a John Norman book, as well. I might also, when reading a John Norman book, find, that also, I might shoot myself in the head, sometimes to avoid further reading which might, in time, drive me insane from frustration which, is brought about by the reading of John Norman, and I would be well shot in the head, if done by a true Gorean Master, who are well versed in such things as the shooting of women, and would not miss. How lucky I would be to have such a master! Truly, I would be shot well, for I would be only a slave, and how grateful I would be, for I would be shot well."

Acceptance v. Defiance
Humbly, I would strongly disagree with the one star review ~ I found Doreen's genuine acceptance of her status on the world of Gor to be a refreshing deviation from J.N.'s typical 'rich snotty young woman who pretends to detest men & foolishly tries to resist what is so apparent to everyone else'... that is, that men on Gor ARE Masters & females in slavery WILL serve.

Personally, I have found this to be the most enjoyable of the Gor series.From the perspective of one who would like to have an honest interpretation of living in accordance to the ideals of a Love Master/love slave relationship, it was a decidely engaging & insightful read.

The Gor Saga
The Gor Series nearly disappeared, becoming "collector's items" because it isn't "politically correct" to have strong men and submissive women.

Glad to see them available and affordable.Get all 27 of them.

Dancer is a very good book in the series and one of the most popular.

Captive of Gor
I find these books very arousing.Woman need to know that they are wanted but also to serve.In these books women get both, pleasure from pleasing and pleasure from the men, they make them beg for it to the point that they will just submit. Men could take a few pointer from these books in that pleasure department ... Read more

Product Description
Former Earthman Tarl Cabot is now a powerful Tarnsman of the brutal and caste-bound planet of Gor, also known as Counter-Earth. He embarks on an adventure in the dangerous and mysterious wilderness of Gor, pitting his warrior's skills against treacherous outlaws, bandits and fighters. Three different women are working to bring change to Tarl's far-from-peaceful life on Gor: Talena, his one-time queen and first love; Elizabeth, his brave fighting partner; and the Amazonian Verna, chief of the fierce and wild panther women. As Tarl journeys through the wilderness, the fates of these three remarkable women will finally be decided. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

As good as any of them...
A lot of people seem to think Norman goes off track during Captive and thereafter.I disagree.Captive is different but still goood.Hunters is as good as any of the previous books.If you llked the first 6, you'll like Hunters.It's no better, nor worse than those books.

One Of The Best Of The DAW Books
Hunters of Gor introduces us to a brand new geographic area of Gor for the first time since Nomads of Gor (Book #4). Like Nomads of Gor, Hunters of Gor showcases both the denizens and the flora and fauna of the area (Northern Forest). Simply put, the Panther Women are absolutely incredible! For the second time John Norman showcases them in all their resplendent glory! Women who are not afraid of men and who are in fact able to give as good as they get. I loved this premise! It was first alluded to in the fifth book; Assassins of Gor.

The Northern Forest is a coniferous forest land biome that hosts outlaws and Panther Women. Both of these groups cannot co-exist. So naturally there is great conflict between males and females when they encounter one another. The exception for this is at the trading/exchange points where booty is traded to merchants for the sundry goods of Gor.

The story has Tarl Cabot entering the forest to save his long lost love Talena from the degradations of slavery. Talena has been captured (Since Captive Of Gor), and is in the custody of Slavers. With a detachment of his men he journeys up the Laurius River in search of his former Free-Companion. But before he can intercept her he is captured by Panther Women. However, Marlenus of Ar rescues him from the ignominy of a gang rape by Panther Women. After his rescue, Tarl becomes embroiled in the machinations of Marlenus of Ar, who himself is later captured by warriors from Tyros.

This is when Tarl Cabot is at his best. By the end of this book Norman showcases the ruthless skill Tarl Cabot uses to dispatch his foes while wrapping up the riveting plot. This will set the table for Marauders of Gor, the direct sequel of Hunters of Gor.

The descriptions of the forest floor and its animals are surreal and truly engage one's full imagination. This is a book that can only hook you to the Gor Series right on through to Explorers of Gor (Book #13) and Blood Brothers of Gor (Book #18). These novels showcase a bonanza of Gorean locales that truly will mesmerize any true Gor fan! By all means you must buy this and the above mentioned books!

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Hunters of Gor
I started reading the series from the beginning and am progressing through it, just having finished reading the "Hunters of Gor."

The story line was good and answered a few questions about Elizabeth Cardwell and Talena but left me wondering if the was the last we might read of Miss Elizabeth Cardwell of New York.

As has been the case so far, Tarl finds himself in situations that appear to have no way for him to extricate himself from and yet he manages to escape and survive.

I like it though. Granted, the prose is somewhat stiff at times (a characteristic of the novels I've read so far) but I cannot help finding myself caught up in Tarl's adventure and anxious to see how they turn out.

Most of the major characters have been mentioned in the previous books so it is just not Tarl that we learn more about. I think this reappearance of previous characters makes for interesting reading and helps to build an interest for later novels. It left me curious to obtain the next volume in the series to see how Tarl fares upon his return to Port Kar after being grievously wounded.

For the most part I found the book mostly readable and at times rather enjoyable. A good read for fans of the Gor series.

Good Adventure but Obnoxious Philosophy about Women
While I enjoy the Gorean series for adventure and some fantasies I will first give a bit of background of myself. I am far from a politically correct woman and celebrate the enjoyment of consensual safe exciting BDSM with my life partner for years. I can also appreciate BDSM fantasies that are too heavy to act on, they are simply fantasies. However, I think John Norman's constant bombardment of his philosophy that women are never happy unless they are slaves broken down in the the cruelest manner possible crosses a line.The cruelty towards slaves gets worse with every book.A few examples, using women as live bait in the water to hunt for rats, keeping a woman in a freezing room for hours until her lips turn blue and she submits. To me this is a flaw in his writing.I know he is a professor of Philosophy.All I can imagine is that he might have had women in positions of authority over him or bad experiences with women.Just like Michel Angelo painted some of the people he disliked in hell in his very famous ceiling painting, these same women may have turned up as female characters in his Gor novels.

There's a reason that the planet rhymes with "Bore".....
To be sure, I was ready to be open-minded. Some people like s/m/b/d fiction, heck, I've even written some. I like classic pulp fiction, of which this is a late, but not bad example. I'm aware that there are women, intelligent, confident, attractive women, who like the books, and even want to live the life of a collared slave. And then...

Perhaps I ought to have read the first book first, though many people consider this a fairly representative book of the series. I got about two-thirds of the way through. And then...I just hit a wall.

OK, so Gorean women love being slaves. (Except for Panther Women, who hate men, and get all hot and bothered because they can't have normal sex.) OK, so why do you have to tie them up all the time? And, although they mention housework (I'm kind of amused at the fact that this includes ironing, since there seems to be few clothes that really need it.) no one seems to do any, since that would mean less time for hanky-panky. The forests are supposed to be jumping with panthers and sleen, which means that there's more megafauna than there are prey species. Men are always screaming the equivalent of "Resistance is futile!" and "Obey or die!" which means the ladies all start with the waterworks and pleading: here again, they're supposed to *like* this kind of treatment.And of course, if Norman/Cabot is supposed to be comfortable with the arrangement, then why does he feel as if he has to explain (and explain, and explain) why women and men are the way they are.

In real life, slaves, and people forced into coercive living situations, tend to adapt, not by some mystical "surrender" but by becoming simply cynical and resisting in other ways -- African-American society is built on it, and people have reported doing the same thing in concentration camps and other places. (On the 'master' side, nothing is worse than having someone obey you for the wrong reasons.) Fantasy slavery works, if only because the 'slave' is usually the one who's really in charge: no matter how bad the bad boy is in your dreams, he's unlikely to do anything you *really* don't like.

But don't you like the *book*? No, not really. It made me want to read Harry Harrison's Deathworld, if only to feel heroic and slightly silly.

... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to Gor, a parallel Earth, where social norms are exotic and the way of life is brutal. In the fifth book in the Gorean Series, the deadly assassin Kuurus is intent on a bloody mission of vengeance. His adventure takes him from the caste of the pleasure-slaves, which are rigorously trained in the rules and techniques of sexual ecstasy, to the brutal arenas where humans participate in deadly hand-to-hand combat. He witnesses violence, conflict and uncertainty, as the inhabitants of Counter-Earth are forced to confront their destinies . no matter how exalted or debased. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Not As Good As Previous Entries
Assassin of Gor is not as good as the previous books in the series nor does it hold its own against any of the next six to seven volumes (Save Captive Of Gor).

While I did not thoroughly enjoy this novel, I did not hate it either. The book did add much colorful detail to the World of Gor. Desert city Tor is mentioned for the first time, as is the character Samos, soon to become a mainstay in the series. This in addition to the bringing back of a pivotal character in the series, a man that would become Tarl Cabot's foil in many future volumes of the series.

While Norman is overly descriptive and extremely verbose at times, he only held his own in Assassins of Gor. I too wish the book had been edited of some 100 more pages, but I guess the people of Del Rey and later DAW wanted to give him a free hand in adding to his colorful World of Gor.

To sum this up, I would advise readers to temporarily skip this book. Return to it after you have read up to and through Explorers of Gor.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Not as good as Nomads but still a great book
I missed the humor of Nomads but I loved the deviant, Cernus.The man was beyond evil.How did Norman even dream up the slaves that were raised never having laid eyes on a man?A wicked, wicked mind maybe?Still, it was very interesting to read and find out their fate at the end of the book.There was a little too much detail sometimes and yes, there were a few "over-the-top" chapters but it was still a very fun read.

Thinly veiled pornography
I read the first 2 Gor novels about 25 years ago, and was fond of them. Imagine my surprise when I found the first 6 all in one place. The first 3 are excellent, fast-paced escapist reads. "Priest-Kings" explores the themes of caste, destiny and slavery more profoundly than Norman had done previously. "Assasins," however, is another story altogether. First - it's about 100 pages too long. The plot is also complicated and plodding. That is when it's not interupted by truly disturbing descriptions of the systematic degradation of women. Page after page of sexual degradation lovingly retold by the author. Lovingly and, strangely enough, boringly since you will read the same words and phrases again and again, repeatedly. This novel wants to be a sci-fi, Roman-style fantasy but is really soft-core porn. If you try to skip those parts, the novel becomes virtually unreadable. I would not recommend this book, and, at this point I will confess that I couldn't make it to the end of the book myself.

Last of the Best
This if one of the finest of the Gor series - written at a time when the tone of Norman's work was still vaguely romantic and his characters optimistic. It centres around intrigue in the city state of Ar (Glorius Ar!) and the machinations of Tarl Cabot's erstwhile father-in-law - the indomitable Marlenus of Ar, Ubar of Ubars (Lord of Lords), - who has lived in exile since the first novel in the series.

Tarl thinks that he's been sent to Ar in disguise to discover and forstall the plans of the mysterious Others, the enemies of the Priest Kings. Whilst a paramount warrior and hero, Tarl is not too bright when it comes to intrigue. Not even his fellow spy, the beautiful slave girl Elizabeth (Vella), who is also of Earth, can help him see through the myriad of plots that surround him.

Whilst their relationship hits its zenith, it is also unfortunately near the peak of Norman's writing as well. There are gladatorial battles, Tarn races, revolutions and the ubiquitous diatribes on the training of slave girls and what women *really* want.

Too over the top
Having read every single book in the Gor series, I can honestly say that this is the only one of the early books that I don't like, and can't re-read. Norman does best when the physical action is coming at you fast and furious; not so good when the only action taking place involves complex human interactions.

Not only are many of the scenes way over the top, but there were too many characters to keep track of. At times, Tarl Cabot gets lost in the storyline. I simply didn't care enough about many of the minor characters to want to hear much about them.

I think it was just a bit too ambitious an undertaking for Norman, and it didn't play into his strengths as a writer. Fortunately, this is the last book of this type. ... Read more

Product Description
Some might suppose that the Kurii are monsters, but that is distinctly unfair.  They are merely another life form.  The Kur is often eight to ten feet in height, if it should straighten its body, and several hundred pounds in weight, and is clawed, fanged, long armed, agile, and swift, often moving on all fours when it wishes to move most rapidly, and that is far faster than a man can run.  It does not apologize for its strength, its speed, its formidableness.  Nor does it attempt to conceal them.Once, it seems, the Kur race had a planet of their own, but somehow, apparently by their own hands, it was rendered unviable, either destroyed or desolate.  So they searched for a new home, and in our solar system found not one but two suitable planets, planets they set their minds to conquering.  But these planets, Earth and it's sister planet Gor, the Counter-Earth, were not undefended.  Four times have the Kur attempted their conquest, only to be beaten back by the mysterious Priest-Kings, rulers of Gor.As the Kurii lurk deep within an asteroid belt, awaiting the chance to seize their prize, their attention is drawn to a human, Tarl Cabot.  Cabot was once an agent of Priest-Kings, but is now their prisoner, held captive in a secret prison facility.  But what is their interest in Tarl Cabot?  Whatever it may be, one thing soon becomes clear - that Tarl Cabot is a man to be taken seriously. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

AWESOME
John Norman does it again with his 28th book of GOR.Cant wait for Swordsmen of Gor. You inspire me John Norman.

28th in the Gor saga - and at last another Tarl Cabot book
This is the 28th book in the lengthy "Gorean saga" of SF/Fantasy novels. Up to now these have been set mostly on the planet Gor, which supposedly shares the orbit of Earth but on the opposite side of the sun so that our astronomers cannot detect it.

And at long, long last, after a wait of about 21 years, we finally get the next major installment in Tarl Cabot's story.

Tarl Cabot - presumably pronounced "Cabbo" since he was born in Bristol and apparently related to the famous Bristol family of explorers, and as a former Bristol resident I can confirm that's how that surname is pronounced in Bristol - is the main hero of the series, but this is the first book since 1988 which has concentrated on the story from his perspective.

This book differs from the previous books in the series in two respects: first, it is told in the third person by a narrator who is never identified. Secondly, none of the action of this story takes place on either Earth or Gor: this book is set entirely in space. It starts on the "Prison Moon" which is an artificial satellite of the planet Gor which is used as a prison by the rulers of Gor. But the actions soon moves to one of the "Steel Worlds" which are artificial habitats in this system's asteroid belt.

This is the first "Gor" book for about thirty years which in my humble opinion comes anything close to the standard of the first thirteen or so books in the series.

The first 25 books in the saga were published between 1969 and 1988. Then after a long gap, John Norman published two more novels in the "noughties" but both "Witness of Gor (Gorean Saga)" and "Prize of Gor" are narrated in the first person by slave girls whose sufferings and experiences were incidental to the wars, revolutions, and inter-species conflicts which the story arcs of the previous books described. And frankly, both are indifferent 700 page books, inside which a moderately good, much shorter book is struggling to get out and which will have disappointed most mainstream fans of the Gor series.

"Kur of Gor" is an entirely different kettle of fish, resuming the story of Tarl Cabot as the major character. Apart from being narrated in the third person, this is much like the last half-dozen or so Tarl Cabot books and has some of the flashes of brilliance which characterised books like "Priest-Kings of Gor: Volume III in the Chronicles of Counter-Earth" and "Tribesmen of Gor: The Tenth Book of the Saga of Tarl Cabot."

In all the Gor books from about number fourteen onwards, you have to wade through page after page of male supremacist lectures in support of enslaving women to get to the heroism, courage and action of the story. But at least compared with the last two efforts, "Kur of Gor" is back to the situation where the story is most of the book.


To understand what is going on in "Kur of Gor" you really need to have have read a good chunk of the previous 27 books in the series. If you haven't, do not touch this with the proverbial barge-pole. To describe the book I will have to refer to a number of places, characters and races with which we share this solar system according to John Norman's narrative, e.g.

PLACES

Gor (or "Counter Earth") - an artificial earthlike planet which shares Earth's orbit but on the opposite side of the sun. Apparently maintained in this position by the rulers of the planet, a high-tech nonhuman race called "Priest-Kings."

The Prison Moon - third satellite of Gor, which as the name suggests is used by the Priest Kings as a (supposedly) maximum-security prison

The Steel Worlds - a series of artificial habitats in the system's asteroid belts, built and maintained by a rival high-tech nonhuman race called the Kurri.

Ar - greatest city on Gor, recently conquered and as at book 27, still occupied.

Port Kar - a coastal city: main "industries" are piracy and slave trading. Tarl Cabot made this city his home from books 6 to 20.

Sirdar - a mountain range near the city of Tharna where the Priest Kings have their nest and centre of power.


CHARACTERS

Tarl Cabot - narrator and anti-hero of the majority of books in the series, central character (but not narrator) of this one. Originally from Bristol, then Ko-Ro-bar on Gor. Also known as Bosk of Port Kar, where he made his home from books six to twenty, but has been an outlaw since then because someone seems to have persuaded the Priest-Kings (see below) that he had betrayed them.

Zarendargar (which means "Half-ear") - a war general of the Kurri. Was commander of a Kurri invasion base in book twelve, Beasts of Gor. Lost power and became a hunted fugitive for a time after getting the worst of an encounter with Tarl Cabot. However, Zarendargar and Tarl Cabot regard one another as worthy enemies, even when both paid a price for treating the other honorably. Zarendargar is now rumoured to have returned to the steel worlds and to be back in a position of power.


SPECIES

Priest-Kings - reclusive rulers of Gor, and apparently also creators of the planet. They live in the Sirdar mountain range and rarely allow themselves to be seen by humans. Have promulgated laws banning certain forms of technology, for example "forbidden weapons" such as guns. Worshipped as gods by most of the human population of the planet. Some others wrongly assume that they are mythical: if this leads them to break the laws of the Priest-Kings by using forbidden technology, this may be the last mistake they make.

Kurii or "Others" - another space travelling race, who are large, furry and extremely fierce carnivores. Cruel and bloodthirsty but capable of honour. Appear to have blown up or otherwise destroyed their original home planet, possibly in a civil war, and now looking for a replacement. Consequently plotting to conquer Gor, but often divided among themselves: for example, one Kur, at the cost of his own life, worked with Tarl Cabot to frustrate a plot by others of his kind to blow up the entire planet in book ten.


At the start of "Kur of Gor", Tarl Cabot wakes in a glass cell on the Prison Moon. He appears to have been captured and imprisoned there by the Priest Kings, shortly after the events of "Magicians of Gor" and "Prize of Gor". Tarl Cabot was warned by a friend in book 20 that the Priest Kings think he has turned traitor: the narrator offers an opinion in the first chapter of this volume about which of the events of books twelve, seventeen, and eighteen caused the rulers of Gor to arrive at that opinion.

But whatever the reason for his incarceration, he is not there for long. Soon an old friend and enemy, General Zarendargar, drops in to see Tarl. Shortly thereafter, Tarl finds himself on one of the asteroid belt habitats of the Kurri. And caught up in a very bloody civil war ...


If you don't follow the references in this review, don't buy the book because you won't understand "Kur of Gor" either. I would advise anyone who is thinking of reading any of John Norman's "Gor" books to start at the beginning with "Tarnsman of Gor" and work through until you reach this one, lose interest, or lose your temper. And there is a good chance that it will be the latter.

For me the first book was good, numbers two through six were excellent, but then the series gradually goes downhill. As I have mentioned, to get to the flashes of imagination and excitement which made the first few books fun to read, you have to wade through ever more interminable male supremacist lectures calling for the enslavement of all women.

Yes, you really did read that correctly. And the endless repetition of the case for making women slaves eventually gets quite boring and almost makes you wonder if Norman actually means it. But at least compared with the last two efforts, "Kur of Gor" is back to the situation where the story is two-thirds of the book and you only have to wade through a couple of hundred pages of "women belong naked in a slave collar!" This is a big improvement on two hundred pages of story buried in five hundred pages of "women belong naked in a slave collar!"


For reference, the full series in its' proper sequence is

1) "Tarnsman of Gor" - Tarl Cabot first comes to Gor
2) "Outlaw of Gor" - Tarl returns to Gor to find his home city destroyed
3) "Priest-Kings of Gor" - Tarl meets the alien rulers of the planet
4) "Nomads of Gor" - a search for the stolen last egg of the Priest-Kings
5) "Assassin of Gor" - a plot to restore Marlenus as Ubar of Ar
6) "Raiders of Gor" - Tarl Cabot becomes known as Bosk of Port Kar
7) "Captive of Gor" - Elinor Brinton from Earth meets an alien monster
8) "Hunters of Gor" - Tarl hunts for his lost love Talena in the forest
9) "Maurauders of Gor" - of Viking raiders and the monstrous "Others"
10) "Tribesmen of Gor" - of a Doomsday weapon in the deserts of Gor
11) "Slave girl of Gor" - with a warning of invasion hidden in her head
12) "Beasts of Gor" - of an invasion base at the North Pole of Gor
13) "Explorers of Gor" - Tarl Cabot explores the equatorial jungle
14) "Fighting Slave of Gor" - part one of the Jason Marshall trilogy
15) "Rogue of Gor" - part two of the Jason Marshall trilogy
16) "Guardsman of Gor" - part three of the Jason Marshall trilogy
17) "Savages of Gor" - the Kurii stir up trouble on the plains, part one
18) "Blood brothers of Gor" - trouble on the plains, part two
19) "Kajira of Gor" - Tiffany is brought to Gor to impersonate a Queen
20) "Players of Gor" - of Gorean chess, drama, and war between Cos and Ar
21) "Mercenaries of Gor" - the invasion force from Cos moves against Ar
22) "Dancer of Gor" - a librarian from earth is caught up in a war on Gor
23) "Renegades of Gor" - Ar's war against Cos begins to go badly wrong
24) "Vagabonds of Gor" - Ar's soldiers meet disaster in the Vosk Delta
25) "Magicians of Gor" - Ar has been conquered - but resistance begins
26) "Witness of Gor" - a girl planted in Treve to look out for a prisoner
27) "Prize of Gor" - Cos's puppet regime in Ar starts to look shaky
28) "Kur of Gor" - Tarl Cabot is taken to one of the Kurri "Steel Worlds"


Norman's greatest strength is not that he is a particularly good writer, and the prose in this work is sometimes quite impenetrable. It is the breadth of his imagination, to bring to life creatures like huge birds (the tarns of Gor, which do not appear in this novel) which can be trained to carry a warrior on their backs, and in particular his ability to set your own imagination off. This book often does do that. I particularly like some of his battle and fight scenes. This is the first "Gor" book for 21 years in which he actually makes use of that imagination, for which I, and I suspect most of the rest of his readership, read the books. ... Read more

Product Description
Former earthman Tarl Cabot has been struggling to free himself from the cruel control of the Priest-Kings of Gor to no avail. As he pits his strength against such a formidable enemy, a terrible beast appears from the mysterious northern lands, bearing a token of the demise of Tarl's once-beloved woman Talena. The missive is a sign of defiance and disrespect from his enemies, meant to humiliate him and force him to challenge them in response. To gird his weapons and set out on a mission of vengeance against those who sent the beasts means Tarl must jeopardize his fortune and position as a wealthy slave merchant. But he is no longer practical and calm as he was on earth. He must conform to the social codes of Gor, where the only way one can avenge wounded manhood is to respond with all one's might! Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Tarl Travels To Torvaldsland
Marauders of Gor is a direct sequel to Hunters of Gor. The novel takes place immediately after the events of Hunters of Gor.

I liked this book tremendously. Norman showed and described the savagery of the Kuri monsters from space. Marooned on Gor and commanded by those of their brethren from the steel cities, these creatures are tenacious to the extreme. The pitched battles they fought between the Torvaldslanders show a different aspect of Gor; this aspect is one we have seldom seen in the series.

The companions Tarl meets up with are first-rate as well. Ivar Forkbeard and the berserker Rollo may have been more frightening than the Kuri! Rollo himself was unstoppable! These men are the kinds of characters we wish could be reprised in other Gor novels.

In the climactic end of Marauders of Gor we see the Kuri and their perfidious allies defeated by tenacity and guile. The actual downfall of the Kuri comes after the final battle where the monsters are permitted to "flee" to "safety" and then trapped by the bridge and annihilated by accurate Viking archery. Norman later describes how the Kuri would be declawed and defanged and then made into thralls! That would be something to see/read about in any upcoming sequel he pens. The fighting in this book was surreal; just as was the metaphorical descriptions of what was taking place on Earth at the very moment the climactic battle was being fought for the survival of the Torvaldslanders.

I did not give this book Five stars because I felt that Norman held back in his descriptions of sex and violence. Case in point: He held back in describing the menage trios Ivar was having with two of his bond-maids. The late Chris Bunch would never have done this- nor would Larry Niven. However, the book is a solid read and I would reccomend that any Gor fan buy the book. Indeed, any fan of action-oriented science-fiction would like this novel. Buy it at all costs!

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Friend was happy
I bought this book for a friend and they were very happy with the book and the condition that it arrrived in.

Disappointing for the Series
I have read the Gor books sequentially, the last being The Marauders of Gor.This book to me is the weakest by far in the series.The previous books had revolved around the differences and tensions between Cabot's values as brought from Earth, and the cultural norms of Gor. These values often involved the status of women with respect to submission and their domination by strong men.These same tensions were reflected in the Gor characters themselves, although they generally did not have the philosophical background that Cabot, being from Earth, had.An example of this is when the ultimate leader, Marlenus, fell in love with the panther, Verna, whom he had captured and subdued as a slave.Marlenus released her.

However, absolutely none of these tensions or contradictions were used in The Marauders.Norman instead opts for a tired repetition of his "women all want to be ravished" philosophy.This novel is an unbroken saga of kidnapping, killing, and rape, with a little bit of "War of the World" justification thrown in.Again, my objection is the complete lack of any effort to get inside the characters of the slaves, or indeed of anyone.Cabot seems to be returning to his original identity, but there is no reason for him to do so, other than that he has taken part in enough battles.

I hope the books following this in the series are better.The Gor view is controversial, but up to this book, the setting has always provided a groundwork for actually thinking about the questions.To me, this novel is just a hack, cut-and-paste conglomeration of his previous work.

Early books are the best in Gor Series
I read the Gor series as a boy in the 70's and early 80's.IMHO the series is most appealing to teenage boys.I recently pulled �Assassins of Gor� off the shelf one night while bored, and re-read it.I was shocked that there was no real sex, and only a handful of pages of philosophy and psychology that I had to skip over.The book was really excellent, although in a straight forward, uncomplicated sort of way.These are escapist novels, richly detailed, which immerse you in an exotic world, not real thinkers.My enduring memories were of the later books in the series, which were almost unreadable because whole chapters were devoted to philosophy and psychology.

I am not offended by the idea that it is natural and enjoyable for women to be submissive to men.Although I recognize it as wish fulfillment fantasy, still I consider it harmless, especially in such an obviously fictitious setting.I even found it mildly interesting the first time it was mentioned.It is the umpteenth repetition that I find boring.I just turn those pages, skipping ahead to the next action sequence.Speaking of wish fulfillment, I wish someone would edit the series, and re-publish it without these parts.Maybe Eric Flint could do it?He likes to edit, according to his afterword to �1633� and he�s good at it.Of course, if you take the sex out of Gor you get Barsoom, and that story has already been written.

I looked on Amazon to see if there was anything new going on with the series, and there was.It is being reprinted, starting at the beginning, and at least 2 new books seem to be published, or at least in the works.I was disappointed though that Amazon didn�t have the whole series listed under one easy to find heading.I guess there are, after all, millions of books and only so many Amazon employees.So I�m listing the series, in order, along with some brief info.Some of these books I haven�t read, as noted.

1.) Tarnsman of Gor - 1966.Earthman, Tarl Cabot, goes to another planet, hidden on the opposite side of our sun, and becomes a master swordsman and Warrior.This is the book that is most like �Princess of Mars� by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which I highly recommend.Note - in my copy, a 1975 reprint, the 1966 copyright is held by John Lange.Makes me wonder if Norman isn�t a pen name.

2.) Outlaw� - 1967.Tarl Cabot returns to Gor, to find he�s been outlawed.

3.) Priest-Kings� - 1968.Tarl Cabot goes to lair of Priest-Kings to clear his name.

4.) Nomads� - 1969.Tarl Cabot goes to Southern Plains, and meets Mongol type nomads.

5.) Assassin� - 1970.Tarl Cabot returns to Ar, greatest city-state on Gor.Note - this is the first copy I have by Del Rey books, and it has cover art by Boris.I may not like reading about the Gorean philosophy on sexual roles for men and women, but I can�t get enough of Boris� artwork depicting it.

6.) Raiders� - 1971.Tarl Cabot goes to Port Kar, pirate capitol of scum and villainy, and learns the meaning of shame.More Boris art on the cover of the Del Rey edition.

7.) Captive� - 1972.A new character, Elinor Brinton, is captured on Earth and becomes a slave girl on Gor.The first time this is done, it may be slightly creative and a little interesting, but it is a radical departure from the earlier books and I consider it to be the beginning of the end.At least Tarl Cabot has a few pages at the end, which sort of tie this book into the rest of the series.This is also the last book published by Ballantine books, which I think is significant in the content and direction of the rest of the series.

8.) Hunters� - 1974.Tarl Cabot goes to the Northern Forest and meets amazon type women.This seems to be the first time there was a break in John Norman�s writing, undoubtedly related to his switch to Daw books as a publisher.

9.) Marauders� - 1975.Tarl Cabot goes to the land of the Norsemen and meets Viking type Marauders.

10.) Tribesmen� - 1976. Tarl Cabot goes to the Tahari desert.

11.) Slave Girl� - 1977. Earth girl Judy Thornton enslaved on Gor.Again.No Tarl Cabot at all.

12.) Beasts� - 1978. Tarl Cabot goes to the Arctic ice pack and meets Eskimo type people.

13.) Explorers� - 1979. Tarl Cabot goes to the equatorial rain forests.

14.) Fighting Slave� - 1980.Earthman John Marshall is enslaved and forced to fight in a pit on Gor.

15.) Rogue� - 1981.John Marshall wanders free on Gor.

16.) Guardsman� - 1981.John Marshall earns a homeland.

17.) Savages� - 1982.Tarl Cabot goes to the great plains and meets American Indian type savages.Note - If you like this, John Norman also wrote �Ghost Dance� in 1970, a similar type story about real American Indians.I�m impressed that he kept the writing schedule he did on the Gor novels, and still wrote other books on the side.He also wrote �Time Slave� in 1975.

18.) Blood Brothers� - unread.Savages and Blood Brothers are a two-part set.I read Savages and was bored when it just petered out at the end with no dramatic climax.So I didn�t buy Blood Brothers.Now I hear that this book has all that and more, oh well.

19.) Kajira� - unread.Another Slave girl story.

20.) Players� - 1984.Tarl Cabot joins the Carnival.

21.) Mercenaries� - 1985.Tarl Cabot returns to Ar again.

22.) Dancer� - unread.Another Slave Girl novel?This is where I stopped even looking in the bookstore.

23.) Vagabonds� - unread.

24.) Magicians�- 1988, unread.

25.) Witness�- 2002, unread.I read on amazon that this is a story about Marlenus (or possibly Tarl?) with amnesia, told by a slave girl.

26.) Prize�- unread.It seems that this is not yet published, but forthcoming.

One of the best gor books
I have read all the Gor books. But this was the first I ever did read so prehaps I view it through rose tinted glasses.
It really is one of the best.
Tarl travels north to a Viking type country and we finally see open battle with the ferocious Kurii.
If you have not read Norman before you will be suprised. His descriptive style of writing is like no other author I have ever seen. Meticulous descriptions of weapons, objects, places, set pieces, give Gor a flavour unlike any other land.
And now onto the controversy. It is all about the ultimate in co-dependant roles with males being the domintator and females the submissive partner.
Now I can understand the viewpoint but we dont need to hear it over and over again. Just do what I do, and skip over these pages. Thankfully you will not have to do it that much in this book, unlike say the last few in the series where over half of the text is taken up with it.
Despite that quibble get this book now. ... Read more

Product Description
Tarl Cabot has always believed himself to be a citizen of earth. He has no inkling that his destiny is far greater than the small planet he has inhabited for the first twenty-odd years of his life. One frosty winter night in the New England woods, he finds himself transported to the planet of Gor, also known as Counter-Earth, where everything is dramatically different from anything he has ever experienced. It emerges that Tarl is to be trained as a Tarnsman, one of the most honored positions in the rigid, caste-bound Gorean society. He is disciplined by the best teachers and warriors that Gor has to offer...but to what end? This is the first installment of John Norman's wildly popular and controversial Gor series, which has sold millions of copies. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

audio version
While walking in a New Hampshire forest, college professor Tarl Cabot unexpectedly receives a strange communication from his long-lost father. Suddenly he is whisked away by spaceship to Gor, the Counter-Earth, a planet which we never see because it lives on the other side of the sun. Its powerful priest-kings have been able to shield it from even our theoretical view and, though the society seems primitive, its aloof rulers seem to be hoarding and selectively doling out secret knowledge and technological advances (such as spaceships and advanced medical and communication techniques).

After Tarl Cabot meets his father, he is thoroughly educated in the Gorean language, history, and customs, and trained as a Tarnsman (a warrior who rides the huge carnivorous flying Tarns). Gor's caste system doesn't sit well with Professor Cabot's 20th century Earth ideas and, at least at first, he's especially appalled that Goreans keep slaves and even have them branded, collared, and leashed. Though not prevalent in this first book, there is a caste of pleasure slaves whose prominence in future books have given the Gorean Saga its reputation and made it a cult classic. But when Tarl is given a dangerous mission, he finds out that not all women on Gor are weak and submissive!

Tarnsman of Gor (originally published in 1967) is quintessential male-oriented sword & sorcery fantasy: intelligent but modest Earth man goes to another planet where he's suddenly courageous, powerful, and important and he whoops up on all male challengers. He meets women who are a lot more exotic and exciting than any Earth women he knows and they may be wearing collars and leashes and it's acceptable to drag them around by their hair. I couldn't help but chuckle when one feisty woman who was wearing a veil and heavy voluminous robes gets muddy and ends up stripped to her silk slip which has to have a couple of inches removed at the bottom when a bandage is needed. Oh, yeah, and against his original ethics, Tarl occasionally has to tie her up (but she definitely deserves it, and maybe she even likes it).

So far (I have not read further in this series), I find John Norman's treatment of the male-master/female-slave theme much more palatable than that which I recently encountered in Christine Feehan's Dark Prince. Norman's women (so far) are not only beautiful, but intelligent, strong, and brave. Some of them are forced to be slaves because of their circumstances and their society. That is, they wouldn't actually choose to be submissive unless it were temporary and on their terms which, of course, doesn't really make sense (that we can choose when to be slaves), but is how we want it nonetheless.

I listened to Tarnsman of Gor on audio, narrated by the very pleasant Ralph Lister who has a lively energetic tone appropriate for this action-packed novel. The story is told in first person by Tarl Cabot as if he's relating his adventure to his friends at the dinner table. So we only know he's astounded, afraid, enraged, in love, etc. because he tells us he's astounded, afraid, enraged, in love, etc. We don't really feel it. Thus, there's not much emotional depth (or any other kind of depth) to Tarnsman of Gor, but it's fast and fun and most likely appealing to young men and to women who find it amusing to discover what entertains (or what we assume entertains) young men.

Not For Me

I am not able to objectively review this book as it is not at all the type of book I read.Others may like it very well.

A Disappointment Delayed
I remember seeing later books from the Gor series on the bookshelves when I was a young G.I. on weekend passes, and thought them intriguing, but wasn't into fantasy at that point in my life. After I did begin to appreciate fantasy, I decided to start the series from #1 and fully expected it to be like John Carter of Mars, only perhaps better.

There are similarities between this and Burroughs' John Carter of Mars, but it's certainly not better, or even as good.

The adventure takes place on the "counter earth"--a planet in an orbit that keeps it perfectly opposite the earth and therefore hidden by the sun. A mysterious power structure called the priest-kings keep weapons technology stuck in the middle ages, while allowing other tech to advance even beyond the earth's. Norman rambles on at length explaining his world-building, which really tested my patience (but I would have forgiven this if the story had been better)--though he obviously thought out those parts thoroughly.

The big weak elements are character and plot. Tarl Cabot is a naive, gullible adolescent rube in the body of an action hero. There's a romantic subplot, of sorts, with a princess of an enemy city, but what they see in each other is a mystery to me. She despises him as a clueless wimp from the beginning, and as he proves himself even more of a clueless wimp, she falls in love with him. And he her. I guess because she was the first female character Norman tried to develop in this book, and he was too lazy to introduce another one. So far as that goes, I suppose he's following in the footsteps of other pulp writers.

Tarl Cabot is romantic and grandiose in his sterling chivalry. His thick-headed foolishness is a plot device to get him into the obligatory perilous pitfalls, and dumb luck is the device which gets him out.

In the climactic swordfight against Gor's greatest swordsman, Tarl is overmatched and just barely escaping a mortal wound, until Norman got bored or just decided to wrap things up. Then, without explanation, Tarl magically becomes the superior swordsman and wins the fight. I see this in Hollywood movies all the time, so I admit I was sick of it even before reading this scene.

After reading some of the other reviews, I think I'll give the series 1 more try, starting with Assassin of Gor. This idea had much potential, but the execution fell short.

Henry Brown
Virtual Pulp: Tales of High Adventure, Low Adventure, and Misadventure
Hell and Gone

The Best Of The Bunch
Tarnsman of Gor is by far the best Gor book I ever read. Even today years later, I feel the thrilling excitement I read when I was but a twelve-year-old boy. The plot and excitement were riveting and still hold me to this day.

Tarnsman of Gor may not have been original, but it certainly added to and improved the Sword and Planet genre. This is the book I would reccomend to anyone who is planning to read Gor for the first time.

I only wish that Norman had used this format for the entire series. The repetitive bondage and domination over women was a turn-off to me-especially since it was the exact same thing throughout all his books. Despite this, Norman created a world that is enduring to this very day. Through five decades of printings the book continues to endear itself to old and new fans alike. It is unfortunate that Norman never got his due as a writer and has now been virtually blacklisted by all of the publishing houses. This is a shame because as we now know censorship is the bane of humanity. These books should be on the bookshelves of Barnes & Noble and Borders Books instead of strictly being available online or languishing in used book stores. I loved the Wildside Press reprints of the first couple books in the series, but they too bowed out due to complaints from various sources.

This book and the next ten or twelve (Excluding The Female Viewpoint Novels) are the best books to read concerning Gor. My one major complaint about the series is that there is no map inside any of the volumes to give the reader an idea of the geography that the character(s) must travel. This could be excused in the first two or three books, but by the fourth or fifth--and definately seventh thru twelfth books it becomes inexcusable. But despite this glaring weakness, the Gor series has much to offer a science-fiction/fantasy reader. It is definately a great yarn to read.

Buy this book at all costs.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Awkward, but good.
I said "good", not great.I really enjoyed the beginning and the end but the middle was a little burdensome.I don't mind all of Tarl Cabot's "luck" at all (as some have taken issue with).It is the will of the Priest Kings.:-)

I'm working my way back through the series.I read it all as a teenager back in the early 80's but only made it to about Assassins.I can't even remember why I quit but I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

Norman's writing style is difficult at best.But the storyline wins out.I read this 40th anniversary edition of Tarnsman in single day.It was well worth my time and I found the last few chapters went by entirely too quickly.Looking forward to Amazon sending out the next 5 to me.
... Read more

Product Description
Modern firefighting is a continually evolving science. New technologies are constantly being applied to the fire service, both from within and without. In the latest edition of this perennial favorite, author John Norman examines these new technologies and how they affect fireground tactics. He also details the new role firefighters play in homeland security. What is offered here is a guide for the firefighter and the fire officer who, having learned the basic mechanics of the trade, are now looking for specific methods for handling specific situations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

You shall read this.
A good book with excellent insight into the challenges posed by the many types of building we as firefighters will encounter in the field. A must read for any firefighter looking to become an officer, or who is concerned with the safety of his men.

A must read for aspiring Company Officers
This is a great book that covers the strategies and tactics needed to safely and effectively manage fire ground operations. It not only gives the tactics needed but includes many real life scenarios encountered by the author that demonstrates how the skills taught can be applied. It is a must read for any company officer

Good overal picture
The book has a good overall explanation of techniques used by firefighters.There are examples of personal experiences which help illustrate the need for the protocols discussed.As with all good books however, it contradicts itself while describing the recommended procedures based on the extenuating circumstances.

Best firefighting book I have read (and reread, and reread).
If there was only one book I could recommend about firefighting, this would be it. It is filled with easy to read, interesting, and quite possibly life saving tips and techniques based upon the real world experience of Chief Norman and the many other leaders in the fire service that he has learned from. I had the first edition, then the second edition, and now the third. If there is ever a fourth, I'll probably buy that too.

A CLASSIC
THIS BOOK HAS TO BE A CLASSIC AS FAR AS FIREFIGHTING IS CONCERNED. IF YOU ARE A FIREFIGHTER, THIS BOOK SHOULD BE IN YOUR LIBRARY. YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND UPON IT. ... Read more

Product Description
This enchanting escapade is the most important quest of Tarl Cabot's career. He must retrieve a potent shield ring from a strange explorer. It is imperative that the omnipotent Priest Kings obtain this ring so that the Goreans do not challenge their enormous power. Throughout his expedition, Cabot learns of uncharted territories on Earth's cosmic counterpart. In the dense forests he discovers, Cabot must use his skills to endure the perils that await his arrival. Cabot will encounter Gor's barbarism in full force through enchantingly dangerous beasts, bloodthirsty men, and exotic kingdoms. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Tarl Cabot in Darkest Africa
This 13th Gor novel marks the halfway point in the series thus far. (As I write this the 26th book is being prepared for publication after a 13 year hiatus and a 27th volume has been announced.) In this one Tarl Cabot once more goes on a mission for the Priest-Kings, this time to recover the shield ring of the Kurii (last seen in Volume 10, Tribesmen of Gor). During his wanderings through the African landscape of the unexplored equatorial region of Gor he encounters intrigue, treachery, a hidden empire, crocodilian river tharlarion, cannibals, a boar-like tarsk, pygmies, army ants, amazons, an 8-foot thick rock spider, a lost city, a ring of invisibility, and the Kurii. Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it? Unfortunately it's not as exciting as it sounds. None of those things show up until you're about 200 pages intothe novel! Somehow the villains in this one don't seem as villainous and the dangers don't seem as threatening as they should be. In his better adventures Tarl Cabot usually meets up with a stereotypical rogue who is charming, knowledgeable, a true warrior, and knows how to handle women a la Gor (i.e., terrorize, brutalize, and rape them). In this one the role was divided between 2 characters: Ayare who is the smart charmer and Kisu who is a violent lout (which is good on Gor). It just doesn't work as well. But the real reason this one didn't click is because the flow of the story was continually broken up by interminable discussions of Gorean philosophy. At 464 pages this may very well be the longest of all the Gorean books (some of the later ones have more pages but they also have bigger print). The difference in length is taken up entirely by the theory and practice of the enslavement of females. The author may have invented a few new ways to restrict his slave girls both physically and psychologically but philosophically speaking I don't recall anything in this book that he hasn't already beaten to death in previous volumes. At this point in the series he is just preaching to the converted---if you've bought in to his point of view, it's redundant and if you haven't, further haranguing will not change your mind. I realize that a lot of the people who buy his novels are into bd/sm and therefore expect this but I suspect that there are a lot of readers who are not. It would better serve the stories and all of the readers to confine the bd/sm aspects to example and leave the unnecessary and unrealistic philosophical discussions out.

The worst Gor novel..............by far
Long winded, low on plot, high on pages upon pages of boringdescription. The only redeming feature of this book was the Chris Achilios cover on the UK edition. If you are a fan of Gor just skip this one, it adds nothing.

Way to go stirner!!!
As an avid Gor fan I must agree that the Master/Slave relationship is a big part of the Gorean ethos. I feel that John Norman is trying to put over a fundemental point that men and women have stopped talking to each other about what concerns us most the continuation of the human species.Procreation has become a chore and increasingly if you listen you can hearthe words "men (or women just don't understand us women (or men)"how can we if we don't or won't or can't talk frankly and openly to eachother.The situation he uses may be distasteful to some but it is merely ametaphor for our inability to talk to one another.She is offered thechoice "Talk or Die" I know I would rather talk.The book offersmarvellous views of life up the amazon (Gorean equivelant) or the nile itis a book of discovery and adventure.the correctness is subjective.

Into darkest Gor
I must disagree with scuba: the slavegirls add _everything_, as any Gorean-aspirant could tell you. Tarl's probing of the blonde slave girl gets to her incandescently-hot Aztec/Mayan fantasy, counterpointing the Search-for-the-source-of-the-Nile adventure Tarl is taking with a black Livinstone expedition. The black masters make good use of the slavegirls, black and white, whilst Tarl confines himself to white slavegirls, tiptoeing safely past the whole race/and/color minefield. Pity: Tarl is at his best when he samples every morsel of wenchflesh in his surroundings, and some of the dark meat looks _really_ tasty!

excellent
This book unfortunately sees Norman's last gasp at the Kurii for about 5 or 6 books.The Guardian series is BS.Explorers has action suspense and is well researched and imagined.Marauders is better, but this book is well done.Skip the slave stuff.It adds nothing ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the popular singer/songwriter discusses John's childhood dreams of soccer fame, the marriage he avoided in his youth and the one that failed in the 1980s, his bisexuality, and his musical success. 35,000 first printing. $35,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sensitive
This is a sensitive and articulated unauthorised biography of Elton John. In fact Elton has favourably stated that this is quite an accurate account of his life.

Only Elton can fill in the gaps.

For compelling reading by Philip Norman and for a great insite to the life of a legendary music star try to get your hands on a copy of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Taken as a possession, Judy Thornton, an Earth resident, is found meandering in the wilderness of the Earthlike planet of Gor. In keeping with the uncivilized culture of the Goreans, she is trained and used as a slave. What her masters don't know is that Judy is more than just a beautiful chattel. She has the power to obliterate Gor and all that is related to it. Determined to seize control of her, Priest Kings and Kur-Monster enter combat, neglecting the fact that the fate of Gor rests in the hands of the ethereal Judy. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

repetitive, only 1/3 of the book was readable
Holy crap.John Norman Just goes on and on and on about stupid woman hating psychobabble.Time and time again I would find myself thinking: did I skip back 3 pages?He just said this.
It pretty much goes like this: read a couple minutes of story, read 10 pages of ranting, couple of minutes of story, 10 pages of ranting, repeat.
I wish I would have listened to the reviews.Just me coming on here to write a review shows how bad this book was.
Can I have my money back?
This was the worst John Norman book I have read yet.

Gads! He Made it Worse!
Okay, I think that Slave Girl of Gor is an important book in the history of erotic science fiction and fantasy, and even though it was badly written back in 1977, I was still able to get through it, and there was still some of the exotic world he had created present. And let's face it, back then it was pretty risque stuff, what with abduction and rape and Norman's endless efforts to rationalize his growing misogyny, which had been pretty muted in the earlier Gor books (which is why the first five are pretty fun to read if you want a good adventure story with some sexual naughtiness thrown in).

But then came the internet, and then the fans of the Gor novels got organized, and then Norman decided to go through his books and rework them. Since I remembered Slave Girl of Gor from the old days, I thought I'd have a look at the new version. And I read it, and I cringed, because Norman, no master of prose before, actually managed to make the writing significantly worse with his revisions, which seem to consist mostly of adding the same sort of long philosophical diatribes that doomed the books before. Now maybe I'm foolish, but I would have thought that he might have put in more sex, since the limitations on that sort of thing are much more relaxed these days than they were in the 1970's. And let's face it, if you're going to buy a book titled Slave Girl of... well anything, you're probably expecting sex, right?

To make matters worse, he actually took out some good stuff from the original; in one scene in a paga tavern, our heroine makes mention of another Earth girl who serves as a dancer in that tavern. In the original, this is one of the rare tight passages that says a lot in a short paragraph. In the new version, half of that paragraph has been taken out for no reason (if you're interested, it's on page 297 of the original and page 353 of the new version).

So why two stars? Well, the basic story is the same, even though you'll have to skim through more babble than before, and the basic story is still a decent one. But be forewarned: Norman did his readers no favors when he decided to "improve" his work.

Have not read it, may not read it.
I haven't read this book, and may not, based on my reaction to Kajira of Gor. Too much sex, too much hatefulness toward women. I would return it if I could.

Gor blimey
This is my second John Norman book, and somewhat different to the very first book in his Gorean saga, written back in the sixties. I found it odd to begin with that he wrote in the first person as a female. Not sure that many females will be pleased with how they are portrayed in this novel. However for my part I thought it was great. Gor sounds like a fabulous place, where men are men and women are gorgeous and naked.

Please somebody teach him grammar!
Ok, I have to say that this is the most horrible book ever. I was getting so frustrated trying to find out where I was at in the book, because it would say the same thing every other paragraph!. To say that this book is actually literature would be the biggest lie ever. The whole first chapter accounts for about 2 minutes of just struggling and crying, then talking about how the sky is soooo blue, and then some more crying. It sounds as if the character has ADD because she keeps "realizing" or "remembering" the same things every other paragraph. Please, somebody tell the author to consult an editor before writing a book. ... Read more

Product Description
The long-awaited 26th novel in the bestselling Gorean saga. Deep within the cells of Treve, a glorious and mysterious city at the center of Gor's struggle for supremacy, awakens a nameless slave girl who will witness events about which others will only dare to whisper. Witness of Gor takes us on a whirlwind ride from political plots to tarn raids, epic love stories to relentless Assassins, our witness experiences all the beauty, spender, mystery, brutality, honor and intrigue of the awesome world of Gor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Skipping Pages Found 'Boring"...
I am amazed at how many peeps here who gave Witness poor ratings can even consider themselves qualified to give a rating, if they have skipped hundreds of pages!Yes, John Norman is repetitive in several aspects, but he has been that way through-out the series, so why complain about it now?

To me, JN's philosophies of the Love Master/love slave relationship are learning tools which, in addition to other literary works, can be applied to a real life Love Master-love slave relationship: "Boring"?Not even!"Slave gibberish"?Perhaps, if owning a loving & pleasing slave is only something you dream about...

And yes, to those who do not understand such, there truly is freedom in slavery & I for one am honored to wear my Masters collar. I'm also appreciative that my Master is strong enough & intelligent enough to read the books with his thoughts on the philosophies found therein, and is not just focused on the fighting/action.

Although Witness is not my favorite of Professor Normans' works, it was surely well worth the read: I highly disagree with the 1 star reviews!

Tal John
Short and sweet then gang. Over 30 years ago I entered the world of Gor. Collecting every book up to and including Magicians.Wrote my one and only ever fan letter to John Norman. Actually received a prompt reply. From someone that stated he wasthe Author.Encouraging me to write, and I wasn't a writer at that time in the mid 80s.During a long bout with illness. 25 Gor books read back to back was my greatest comfort.Gor has entered my RPG worlds.

Had no idea there was this amount of a fan base. And as for this book, been waiting20 years for it, I am not disappointed in the least.

Lord Ronin from Q-Link

Why Did The Pit Master Want To Leap To His Doom?Because He Was Forced To Read The First 400 Pages Of Witness Of Gor.
I hadn't realized that I would need to summon from the depths of my being the titanic will necessary for me to slug through the endless preaching of submissive female/dominant male rhetoric that bogged down the first two thirds of this otherwise enjoyable work.Three times I got ready to just toss it in the garbage for fear of a compulsion to throw myself off a bridge rather than continue, yet knowing from experience that there's always that worthwhile nugget in these latest of the series if one simply demonstrates the patience of a sleen.This has been, by far, the most torturous of them all - and I've read them all except for 'Prize Of Gor', the prospect of which I am now dreading, but cannot possibly hope to resist.

Once I heaved my battered eyeballs out of the muck and, gasping, numbed of mind, to some degree, you see, and found myself in the final third of the story, then, deservedly, having thus sacrificed, and so on, for did I not deserve this as I had fought so courageously, you understand, as thus I had, you see, things fired up nicely and I found myself utterly unable to stop reading clear to the end.Was it worth it?Yes.And, no.Yes.No.Okay, yes.Blast.Yes!

Apparently, as my surveillance has revealed, I need to suffer one more time to be similarly rewarded with 'Prize Of Gor.'Very well.The sacrifices I make for this series.First, though, I think that I'll refresh my mind by starting over at the beginning of the series and enjoy the first 13 or so adventures, to remember the glory days - skipping the slave girl-narrated editions, and maybe bypassing the 'Jason' editions (yawn).It's all about honor - this series has been my Home Stone for 25 years.Curse me for my weakness.

The news is there's an upcoming one narrated by a Kur.Thank the Priest Kings.Let the suffering end.

So NOT worth the investment
First things first. It is patently clear that this book wasn't recently written, but probably written a decade and a half ago, on the heals of the previous book, and has been simply been laying around collecting dust all these years, until the current publisher picked it up, packaged int and distributed it. Well, it probably should have collected dust a while longer, because it is just bad. a shadow of the former glory that was this series.

Anyway, I finally purchased and read this volume of Gor, and Let me say that having acquired all of the previous paperbacks the $25.00 hardbound price was something of a sticker shock for me and yes, the inflated price tag that kept me away. When I finally did buy and read it, I wondered why I had even bothered. First of all the book was about two or three hundred pages too long. Second, the main character, Tarl Cabot, had been written out (not the first time, but generally a bad idea, as the books sans-Tarl are generally a poorer read). Third, the book's main character was an Earth woman who was kidnapped and brought to Gor to perform a very specific task (yeah, that, but something actually relating to the story as well).

Still the worst part of this book was that Norman was still stuck in his "A women's job is to be sexually dominated by a man, and that she is only truly fulfilled when she comes to accept this role and surrenders to the slave that is in every woman's soul" rap. Seriously, I not only got that in the first book (though it was way less apart of the story than it was in the most recent book), but anyone who never read that book would have picked up on that in the second chapter of this new book.

The real problem with this book was not its price-point, nor its length, nor even its subject matter. The problem is that Norman needed an editor. Someone that would have told him, "Look John, all the T&A is fine, but you really have to let someone kill someone soon, or you are going to lose your audience." Believe me when I tell you that nothing (nothing) happens in the first third of the book. then a little something happens, but all of the real action (which is still drawn out and boring) happens in the final 100 pages. Plus, all of Norman's characters speak in the same voice, they all have the same speech patterns, and all make the same observations. He never makes any attempt to differentiate one from another.

To make matters worse, there were truly shoddy production values utilized in the production of this book. Not only were there were a number of typos, but throughout the book (much of which is people talking to each other) utilizes dumb (or straight) quotes. This makes me crazy, as all you need to do to get smart (or curly) quotes, it to turn that functionality on in your word processor. Something the publisher of this book simply didn't understand. Personally it kept bringing me out of the story, which helped ruin it for me.

Ultimately, the book was way better when I was a teen and there was more violence than sex (as opposed to this version that had more implied, if not actual sex than violence). Truth-to-be-told, Norman is still writing around the sex, rather than about it. He describes the motions leading up to it, and hints that it is actually taking place, but he is like a prude when it comes to writing the naughty bits themselves. (It is like he has a "M for Mature" rather than an actual "R" rating in is writing ability). According to the book jacket's interior (and the new website) there was supposed to have been a 27th book out by now. Seeing as it didn't appear, I have to guess that Norman's style of gender politics has finally jumped the shark, and no one cares any more.

Mores the pity, as I really liked those books, and really wouldn't have minded to have gotten one of those, rather than the one that I wound up getting. One can only hope that if there is another book, that Norman returns to the earlier books, and the political intrigue what made this series interesting in the first place.

Witness of Gor? LOL
I have been a fan of the Gor series since the beginning. I have all original paperbacks with dustcovers intact. My favorite being Magicians of Gor; I waited and waited for number 26 to surface, wrote the author numerous times and just simply forgot about it. Then one day, email arrived: Witness of Gor is available for purchase. Woot! Book 26...Boy o boy was I ever disappointed. The female slavery-bondage, ok, fine. toss it in, but this book is so similar to the other one: Slave Girl of Gor. I wanted to see what happened to Tarl and his one true love Talena, his adventure with Marcus, Vela his 2nd true love..
I was disgusted with this book. It sits on the shelf beside the other 25, but I won't read it again. Once was enough. Actually, once was one time too much.
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Product Description
In this, the twelfth book in the famous Gor series, the fight for survival on the primitive, Earthlike world, Gor, continues with a ferocity that matches the rest of the series. On Gor, there are three different kinds of beings that are labeled beasts: there are the Kurii, a monster alien race that is preparing to invade Gor from space; the Gorean warriors, who fight with viciousness almost primitive in its blood lust' and then there are the slave girls of Gor, lowly beasts for men to do with as they see fit, be it as objects of labor or desire. Now all three come together as the Kurii fight to take over Gor with its first beachhead on the planet's polar ice cap. As all three kinds of beasts struggle together, an incredible adventure is told, one that begins in lands of burning heat and ends up in the bitter cold of the polar north among the savage red hunters of the polar ice pack. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Partnering with the enemy
One of the better Gor books finds Tarl forming a friendship with one of the Kurii - the alien species determined to conquer Gor. I enjoyed the subtleties of the relationship with Zarendargar, and compared them to those that Tarl formed with humans. The settling is analgous to an Inuit environment.

The book is a bit too wordy at times, but features enough action to "save" it.

Tarl Cabot meets Nanook of the North
This is Volume 12 of the Gor series. The first six volumes were action-adventure stories with increasing amounts of bondage material present but the adventure aspects dominated. Volumes 7 and 11 were written from the perspective of slave girls so it's not surprising that the bondage aspect took center stage in those books. Volumes 8, 9, 10, and the present volume are somewhere in between, maybe 50/50 bondage and action-adventure. This trend is a good thing if you are interested in bd/sm but not for the rest of us. Several things appeal to me about this series. First of all, the incredible detail in which Gor is depicted. There is no other world in all of fantastic literature that is so fully realized. Secondly, John Norman is a master at creating engaging characters (even though I don't always approve of the activities that they are engaged in!). Thirdly, the man knows how to tell a story. Sure, the plot twists are frequently predictable but he keeps me turning those pages anyway. Also, he has created two truly alien races, the Priest-Kings and the Kurii, and made them believable. I even like his style. Is it clunky? Yes. Is it ungrammatical? Yes. Does he keep repeating stock phrases? Yes. But somehow it all seems to work. If you don't like his style, it's bad writing. If you do, it's "a distinctive auctorial voice"! In this book Tarl Cabot attempts to locate and destroy the arctic beachhead of the Kurii, the staging area for a full-fledged invasion of Gor. Along the way he encounters Imnak of the red hunters (who are based on the Innuit culture of Earth) and enslaves six (!) girls. (On Gor "girl" means any attractive female regardless of age.) One touch and they are putty in the hands of the master. Male power fantasies, anyone? Two things make this volume stand out in my mind: One, for the first time since Volume 4 (Nomads of Gor) humor returns to the series. Several scenes are quite funny and the courtship of Poalu had me laughing out loud. Two, we learn more about the natural history of the Kurii, a race which is highly intelligent and yet also ferocious. Norman even indicates how their savage nature relates to their life cycle with its 4 sexes (or 3 depending on how you count!). This is a good book but would have been better with more action and less repetitive discussion of Gorean philosophy.

Tarl Cabot
John Norman strikes again with the Beasts of Gor.The twelfth book in the series.Tarl Cabot's exploits take him to the far north of the planet Gor. An excellently written book.John Norman explores how a culture, similarto our Eskimos, fits in to the fantasy world of Gor.He continues hiserotic venture into the world of domination/submission.

Tarl Cabotventures to the North trying to stop the beginnning of a potential invasionof the Kurii.The on-going battle between the Priest-Kings of Gor andthier arch-nemisis the Kurii, draws Tarl once again into the roll of Hero. An excellent mix of humor, action, the truth of human-nature and fantasyrivaling that of John Carter of Mars. ... Read more

Product Description
This study guide is for all serious students of firefighting. John Norman offers lessons learned from an extensive and honored career by developing a thorough understanding of the third edition of Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics. This practical study guide gives updated questions and new sections that offer training, development, and guidance that can benefit every person in the fire force.



The study guideÂ’s format includes multiple choice and short answer questions. The Fire OfficerÂ’s Handbook of Tactics Third Edition Study Guide also includes a 100-question final examination, answers with corresponding textbook page numbers, and tear-out answer sheets for easy classroom use. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excelent source for all firefighters!
I can't say enough about how enlightening this book is.Different strategies that apply to all types of firefighting departments, ie rural, urban, suburban, etc.The book reads well and is very informative with hundreds of photos, and diagrams.Many situations encountered and explained.A great book for any firefighter, or officer who wants to improve their skills and those of their engine or truck companies.A must read for any serious fire officer!

Fire Officers Handbook
As a fire protection engineer, I found the Fire Officers Handbook to be well written, providing broad coverage of the proper strategy and tactics to use on the 'fireground' or at a 'working fire'...both terms undefined in the book. In my opinion, the writing is strongly biased towards the fire service and somewhat 'emotional' in its presentation but those issues are a minor inconvenience compared to the content. The 'glossary' is extremely limited, yet many technical terms are left undefined... a lot of fire service lingo.
Overall, I'm glad I purchased/read it, well worth the money!

Good study guide
I thought that the study guide reinforced what was taught in the hardcover edition. The questions are often seen on promotional tests.

Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics study Guide
Very informative considering that I have ambitions of becoming an officer someday.It give's you a different perspective about what we do and how to handle situations that we come across from someone else's point of veiw.

fire officers handbook of tactics study guide
very tough book to understand but very helpful ... Read more