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 Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:18 am
 A great author sadly he has passed on Feb. 5th, 2011, he will be missed! crying
James Brian Jacques (pronounced "Jakes") (15 June 1939 – 5 February 2011) was an English author best known for his Redwall series of novels and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. He also completed two collections of short stories entitled The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns and Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales. Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England, on 15 June 1939. His parents were James Alfred Jacques, a Haulage Contractor, and Ellen Ryan. James Alfred Jacques was born in Liverpool in 1907. His family moved to Liverpool from the St Helens area of Lancashire in the 1890s. Many generations of the Jacques family had lived in the Lancashire area. There is no record of them having French roots. His work gained acclaim when Alan Durband, a friend (who also taught Paul McCartney and George Harrison), showed it to his (Durband's) own publisher without telling Jacques. Durband told his publishers: "This is the finest children's tale I've ever read, and you'd be foolish not to publish it". Soon after, Jacques gand was summoned to London to meet with the publishers, who gave him a contract to write the next five books in the series. Jacques has said that the characters in his stories are based on people he has encountered. He based Gonff, the self-proclaimed "Prince of Mousethieves", on himself when he was a young boy hanging around the docks of Liverpool. Mariel is based on his granddaughter. Constance the Badgermum is based on his grandmother. Other characters are a combination of many of the people he has met in his travels. His novels have sold more than twenty million copies worldwide and have been published in twenty-eight languages. Until recently, Jacques hosted a radio show called Jakestown on BBC Radio Merseyside. In June 2005, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Liverpool.
He lived with his wife in Liverpool. Jacques and his wife had two adult sons, David and Marc, and grandchildren Hannah and Anthony. Marc is a carpenter and bricklayer. David is a contemporary artist.
Jacques was admitted to the Royal Liverpool Hospital to undergo emergency surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Despite the efforts to save him, he died from a heart attack on 5 February 2011. (Wikipedia)
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:51 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:05 pm
I have loved Brian Jaques books since I stumbled across The Outcast of Redwall as a little kid in my local library. I even got to meet the man who was the only living author I liked in 2004 at a Rakkety Tam book signing, I got a hug and several books signed by Brian Jacques. I have not read any of the Ursa Brunov or Castaways of the Flying Dutchman books. I have the Rabbajack but I have not yet read it.
I like the otters the best in the Redwall world but I am not sure who my favorite character would be. What about you guys which Jaques books have you read? Do you have a favorite character, or perhaps and animal type form the Redwall series? Please discuss the great books written by this truly gifted author.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:12 pm
Redwall is an amazing series and some of the more grisly parts really makes me question why a lot of people think they're wuvy duvy kid books. I am started reading them way back when my brother and I were at ours Meme's (grandmother's) and a show came on about a mouse who lived in an Abbey called Mathias. Well, after that sparked my brother's interest, he asked for Redwall books for gifts. As his collection expanded, I started to read the books once he had finished. My favourite by far has to be Rakkety Tam. As for my favourite creatures? Badgers hands down.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:52 am
Why am I not surprised at all? blaugh So which Lord/Lady of Salamandastron is your favorite then?
Also which of you voted yet never said anything? Are you a ghost or just a poll whore? whee
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:39 am
I have a bunch of the Redwall books, and I got the Ribbajack for Christmas a few years back. I would recommend it. It's really short and a lot of fun. It is different from the Redwall series but still Brian Jacques awesomness!
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Darth Ghranna Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:53 pm
Well, many of them are unknown to me, so that question is not very fitting. Of the ones I do know however, I like Rusano the Wise, being of such great stature but gentle demeanor. With that said, I think Stonepaw is my favourite, due to how old he was and he still went down fighting, defending his friends from the enemies of Salamandstron.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:43 pm
Now you sound like my roommates boyfriend. He wants to die protecting someone because that apparently is the best way to die!? I figured you would like the badgers because they kick everyone's butt. Of course in your first comment you said you liked Rakkety Tam the wee Scottish Squirrel! Now do you love him just because he is Scottish of because of his fighting style and weapons?
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