Fourth Book
People keep talking about the three books... it is widely known that John Christopher wrote a fourth, albeit a prequel, isn't it? I haven't looked for the books lately, perhaps its no longer in print...
shareI think When the Tripods Came is the fourth book. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
shareThat's the book. It's on Amazon, Thebookdepository.com etc....
shareI think people dont really include it as it was published in 1988, some 21 years (I think) after the last of the trilogy was published.
Not sure if it really adds to the overall story much myself.
Its an interesting book but not part of the trilogy.
A few years ago, our public library had a booksale and I was able to find hardcover versions of all three books with the original artwork for 1.50. I've since read them to all three of my kids.
I read the trilogy in... probably 1979-ish, I would have been about 10. I didn't find out about the fourth book until around 15 years ago. I remember being really happy that there was a new book and I ran out and got it and read it... but I don't remember anything about other than I didn't care much for it.
shareSPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I liked the fourth book 'When The Tripods Came' because Mr Youd put in some background as to how the Tripods/Masters were able to invade a planet full of aggressive, heavily armed natives, using machines that were like shonky (barely) mobile cranes!I also found it interesting that the two boys who were on the edge of the first Tripod landing in the UK had such differing reactions to it, and that there was a real sense of fear and horror at what was going on.
The overconfidence in military hardware that the narrator felt was totally undermined by the way that military power was eventually divided between those Capped and non Capped, showing that the power wasn't in the equipment, but in the control of the equipment. One particularly shuddery moment was when there was a report of 'Capped tanks heading for Portsmouth' Brr. Clearly the Tripods followed the motto of the Special Boat Squadron: 'Not By Strength, By Guile'!
Whit sad old loser'd be thick enough to don thon get-up?