Product Description

The third volume in a series of adventures in the land of Pern.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56997 in Books
• Published on: 1986-11-12
• Released on: 1986-11-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 468 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345341679
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Publisher
There are dragons all over Anne McCaffrey's house. Some she's bought, but many have been made for her by adoring fans and given to her as gifts. I don't make dragons, of course. But whenever circumstances allow, I do try to bring her American bacon, something she can't get easily in Ireland, and something which she has taught all her friends there to love, as well! I remember the first time I went to visit her, when she was still living in her old, much smaller but very homey, house. My husband and I arrived at the doorstep, and she immediately began bustling about, frying up some of the bacon we'd brought and sharing a lovely late breakfast with us before sending us off to the hotel for a nap. She made us dinner that night, too--the one and only time in my life that I've actually liked shrimp cocktail. Maybe that's because if you squint your eyes and look sideways, shrimp are kind of dragonlike, and I was eating them in the right company!
                        --Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor

From the Inside Flap
The Bookcassette® format is a special recording technique developed as a means of condensing the full, unabridged audio text of a book to record it on fewer tapes. In order to listen to these tapes, you will need a cassette player with balance control to adjust left/right speaker output. Special adaptors to allow these tapes to be played on any cassette player are available through the publisher or some US retail electronics stores.

About the Author
Anne McCaffrey was born on April lst, l926, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 1:30 p.m., in the hour of the Sheep, year of the Fire Tiger, sun sign Aries with Taurus rising and Leo mid-heaven (which seems to suggest an early interest in the stars).

Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent. She had two brothers: Hugh McCaffrey (deceased l988), Major US Army, and Kevin Richard McCaffrey, still living.

Anne was educated at Stuart Hall, Staunton, Virginia, Montclair High School, Montclair, New Jersey, and graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College, majoring in Slavonic Languages and Literatures.

Anne McCaffrey has tried to live up to her auspicious natal day. Her first novel was written in Latin class and might have brought her instant fame, as well as an A, if she had written it in that ancient language. Much chastened by teacher and father, she turned to the stage and became a character actress, appearing in the first successful summer music circus in Lambertsville, NJ. She studied voice for nine years and, during that time, became intensely interested in the stage direction of opera and operetta, ending that phase of her experience with the direction of the American premiere of Carl Orff's "Ludus de Nato Infante Mirificus" in which she also played a witch.

Her working career included Liberty Music Shops and Helena Rubinstein (l947-1952). She married in 1950 and has three children: Alec Anthony, b. l952, Todd, b.l956, and Georgeanne, b.1959.

Anne McCaffrey's first story was published by Sam Moskowitz in Science Fiction + Magazine--and her first novel published by Ballantine Books in l967. By the time the three children of her marriage were comfortably in school most of the day, she had already achieved enough success with short stories to devote full time to writing.

Her first novel, Restoree, was written as a protest against the absurd and unrealistic portrayals of women in science-fiction novels in the 50s and early 60s. It is, however, in the handling of broader themes and the worlds of her imagination, particularly the two series,The Ship Who Sang--and the fourteen novels about the Dragonriders Of Pern, that Ms. McCaffrey's talents as a storyteller are best displayed.

Although she used to make appearances throughout the world as guest of honor at science fiction conventions, arthritis has now restricted such travel. She lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill (because she had to dig out a hill on her farm to build it) in Wicklow County, Ireland. It is not remotely like a castle, "on purpose," she says to people who believe "hold" is synonymous with "castle" in Ireland.

Anne runs a private livery stable and her horses have been successful in Horse Trials and showjumping. She does not ride in competition, she hastens to add, but has enjoyed the success of horse and rider and, until recently, rode out on her black and white mare, Pi.

Customer Reviews

Meet Dragon Rider Jaxom & His Wonderful Dragon Ruth!
Jaxom is the future Lord Holder of Ruatha, one of Pern's oldest and most venerable holds and has been groomed for his role since he was very young. When he accidentally impresses a white dragon named Ruth, everyone is dismayed and worried about what to do with him. Dragonriders belong in the Weyr, after all, and a man simply cannot be a dragonrider and a Lord Holder - or can he? Jaxom is determined to keep Ruth and to learn how to fly, breathe fire and kill Thread - and be the future leader of one of the most prosperous Holds on Pern. What others refuse to teach him, Jaxom discovers for himself. It is as Ruth and Jaxom are experimenting that they find themselves in the position to prevent a great disaster on Pern and to unite the Oldtimers and the Weyrs of the Northern Continent through Ruth's unique ability of always knowing when he is and his rapport with fire lizards. Ruth and Jaxom even discover some new "secrets" on the Southern Continent that the ancients left behind!

The White Dragon is simply a superb book. I loved the characters and really felt that I identified with Jaxom as he was growing up and growing into his roles as both a dragonrider and as a Lord Holder. Readers who have read McCaffrey's previous books in the Pern series will simply find that it is another story about Weyleaders F'lar and Lessa (Dragonflight & Dragonquest), as well as Masterharper Robinton and Journeyman Menolly (Dragonsong & Dragonsinger) told from a different, very enjoyable perspective. I loved the way McCaffrey took the time to incorporate older characters so that the readers know what is happening in their lives. The White Dragon is an exciting link between the first several books and the next grouping as there are many surprises and new discoveries that take place here. Ruth is also one of my favorite dragons and was such a joy to read about. Anyone who loves fantasy will enjoy this book so do yourself the favor and buy this book!

All right McAffrey
I've read a lot of Anne McAffrey books, so I'm pretty familiar with her writing style. This book is a good one; it keeps you interested in what's going to happen next until it's over. If you haven't read any other McAffrey books, though, I recommend you read Dragonflight and DragonQuest before you read this one, as this is the sequel to those.

To those who HAVE read those other two, you should definitely buy this one. Problems with the lord holders, thread of course, and a discovery... Jaxxom is the center of the story, involved in most events. The masterharper and Menolly are more involved in this book than the other two, and you also hear more about Lord Lytol, Jaxxom's guardian.

There are a few things I didn't like about the book. 1 was the casual way in which Jaxxom treated his relationship with another character (you'll have to find out which one). The other is the way that Lessa and F'lar are so much in the background in this one; they're really not that involved, except for a few key parts.

Anyway, if you like fantasy/sci fi, and you've read McAffrey before and like her, like me, then buy the book; it's worth it. :)

I'll never mock Fantasy again!
I always thought Fantasy with its Dragons and such like was strictly for kids and juveniles till by chance I picked up the White Dragon. Picked up and could not lay it aside. Perhaps I was wrong to begin in the middle, but now, even after reaing many of the series, White Dragon rmains my favourite Pern novel. The story of Jaxom growing to manhood, with his doubts and worries, with Ruth, Menolly, Robinton and of course Sharra, with a continent to discover, Thread to overcome and a whole new world to open up was beyond all my expectations. I immediately began haunting bookstors for the rest of the Pern novels. I also promised never again to knock Fantasy!