My X Author

MEET ME AT THE FIGHTING COCKS: LUNCH, LAGER, AND THE HOLY GRAIL by FRANCIS X. MALONE

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


"This novel treats the reader to a series of timeless London Pubs and cozy country inns. Join the entourage on this adventure as they explore the essence of life.

"Following a pub frolic in tow of London's 'villages', plus a day-out to Cambridge, the trio takes off on an outer crawl. From Brighton through the Cotswolds and Oxford to Saint Albans the party visits endearing pubs, grand cathedrals, and architectural gems, including the Prince Regent's Oriental Fantasy, a lavishly restored Norman castle, Majestic Blenheim Palace, and medieval scholastic splendors.

"They relish the charms of the Isle of Wight, Henley-on-Thames, The Royal Naval Base ('Victory' and 'Mary Rose'), Stonehenge, and Stourhead Garden. All are liberally laced with historical background, delectable dining, great companionship, and a dollop of spirituality.

"Richard L. Schwartz M.D., Pioneer Preventist, and Counseling Professor, having agreed to recount his life story, regales the author with 9 separate episodes from 1 to 3 days apart. His inspiring conclusion reveals that the most potent weapon in our medical arsenal if FAITH, the bedrock for hope, the magic ingredient of 'the will to live,' the key to survival."
~~ back cover

I was absolutely in ecstasies when I found this book. Bouncing up & down at the mail box with anticipation until it came! What could be better than a book that explores English pubs, & other delights? (For those of you who don't know me, I am an entrenched Anglophile, and pubs are among my favorite places in the whole of Britain.) I sat me down at once and dove right in.

And hit bottom somewhere in the first 50 pages. This is the most ghastly piece of work I've stumbled across in some time -- boring, poorly written, merely a laundry list of directions to the various pubs, a dry recitation of their history, and what they had to eat &/or drink while they were there. Poor Dr. Schwartz's story is butchered as well -- emerging dry as dust.

I couldn't finish it. I just couldn't even get to page 100.

Don't you wonder what a Pioneer Preventist might be? I did too. Evidently a Preventist is a doctor who practices preventive medicine, and also evidently Dr. Schwartz was one of the first in the field.

And it's no surprise to me that the publisher, AuthorHouse, is a self-publishing company. No real publisher would have touched this lot with a 10 foot pole! And what do you want to bet that the author wrote that glowing precis!