Asterix the Legionary: Album #10

Tip: out of stock does not mean you cannot find it in other bookstores.As a child, I read all of the "classic" Asterix books in Swedish. As an adult and now living in the U.S., I am reading them again to my children, but this time in English. This is a good classic. In Swedish, this book was called Asterix in Africa, but I read this English version to my children. As others have pointed out, the Asterix books are not very popular in the U.S., but American kids (like mine) are not much different from European kids, so I think someone is missing a business opportunity here. American kids respond positively to these books.Asterix and Obelix live in a village in Gaul that the Romans failed to conquer. The reason for this is that the village druid knows how to make a magic potion that endows the villagers with super human strength. In this book a villager, Tragicomix, is kidnapped, and later he and his girlfriend are sold as slaves in Rome. Asterix and Obelix set out to find him and rescue him (them), but to do that they have to join the Roman army. Their search leads them to North Africa. It is an interesting and entertaining story full of lighthearted good puns. Thanks to Obelix the Roman army finally got good food.In general I find that, children the age 5-13 really enjoy these books, and so do my children. Adults can enjoy these books as well. The Asterix comic books are a great way to teach children ancient history. Naturally, the adult needs to help with the differentiation between fiction and history. From these books, my kids have learned about the Roman Empire, the ancient Greeks, the Vikings, the Goths, the Phoenicians, ancient Gaul, ancient Egypt, and the ancient Mediterranean world in general.My ten year old started loving these books at the age of eight and he cannot get enough of them. My six year old started liking them at the age of five. Even though many Asterix puns may be a little bit above his head, my younger son still loves these stories.In my opinion the best Asterix albums are: Asterix and the Normans; Asterix in Corsica; Obelix and company; Asterix the Gladiator; Asterix the Legionary; Asterix and Cleopatra; Asterix and the Goths; Asterix in Belgium; Asterix and the big fight; and Asterix all around Gaul. The last title is a translation from Swedish and might be wrong.

Can’t go wrong with any of these! Must read them all.

Studying Latin? Or perhaps have a Latin student at home? At an admittedly steep price the extraordinary Asterix and Obelisk comic books are available in Latin translation which is highly appropriate given the historic context of the stories. Translated from their original French into more languages and even dialects than any other book, these comics were just the rage in Europe during my younger days. Read one and you know why. Beautifully illustrated, with great stories and fun lines on every page these books are towering above all else in comic book land. So take a break from Cicero and enjoy Latin on the lighter side. You may become a collector.

Goscinny hones his usual recipe of farce and sattire in this amusing tale that once again parodies various nationalities, but on this occasion seems to lack any deeper message. It is fun to spot the historical allusions and inside jokes however.Our heroes manage to bend the romans to their will as usual and soon Asterix and Obelix are enjoying an expenses-paid holiday on the back of the army as they look for the kidnapped Tragicomix.I agree that the Bell/Hockridge translations of the 70's were generally funnier however, they had more kick.

The Asterix books are all funny, and clever in their use of language. They are for a wide range of ages. My daughter has been enjoying reading them since she was eight years old, and I still love them.

I loved it, most americans might not be familiar with this story but it is amazing and all the collection a must for you to read not only for you son but also to your daughter .

6 fun Asterix tales in one inexpensive hardcover -- what a deal! These 6 are each top-drawer Asterix stories and getting them in a space-saving hardcover at a good price makes them all the sweeter.

A classic series and a fun satirical issue. Must read for kids and adults ! Would recommend starting from the first issue - the later issues are not as good as the earlier issues.

I have a large collection of French BDs which are either by the cultish legend Jacques Tardi or Romain Hugault's volumes which invariably pitch vintage aircraft being flown by extremely glamourous women. Asterix has always been on my radar but I think the style of drawing requires large pages simply because the amount of movement shown in each frame makes them difficult to understand if reduced in scale. The hard back editions are just about large enough to appreciate even if there is a lot of detail crammed into the frames and the characterization is not as clear or vivid as Tardi's more politicized efforts. I concur with the account of an archaeologist from the city of London museum who commented in an article in a broadsheet I read many years ago that they are worthwhile reading simply because of the authors' understanding of 1st century BC history. On the face if it, each story is slightly ridiculous and aimed at young children yet there are genuine elements of both Roman and Iron Age history where things are captured in such a fashion that it is clear that research has not only gone into putting the stories in to a genuine historical context but also to include details such as the multitude of languages spoken in the Roman army, the rule of Druids, Roman bureaucracy, etc which have much basis in fact. If you like, whilst Uderzo and Goscinny are commenting on the then contemporary society, these books are something that a Roman might find amusing too - although the unflattering portrayal of the Roman army would mean that they would be considered more politicized if this was the case!I feel that these books work on three levels. The slapstick nature of much of the humour is clearly going to appeal to kids whereas the clever, punning names and the gentle sending up of national stereotypes means that there is sufficient for adults to enjoy too. In this volume, the joke regarding the search for Panacia's handsome fiance is not fully realized until near the end when it become clear that they are portrayed as an Iron Age Ken and Barbie! The humour is pretty sophisticated despite Asterix and Obelix tending to mete out "Tom and Jerry" style violence. However, the final level of jokes will be the appeal to anyone with an understanding of history who will appreciate the subtle reworkings of Julius Caesar's Gallic War account.I ripped through this book within an hour and then immediately re-read parts as it became clear that not all the jokes are immediately apparent. This is the first Asterix I have read although I have previously bought a few for my nephew who was totally under-whelmed. Having finished this volume which satirizes training and conscription in the Roman army, I think that Uderzo and Goscinny were really writing for historians. All in all, I really recommend these books although to appreciate them fully it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the history.

ce commentaire est commun aux versions anglophones reliée rigide et brochée souple grand format de l'éditeur Orion (2004/1967)traduction d'Astérix légionnaire; cette dixième aventure de nos héros gaulois met en scène nos deux célibataires en voyage Tunisie pour sauver Tragicomix enrôlé de force dans la légion romaine; le fond historique est cette fois-ci Massilia, Rome et l'Afrique du nord; apparaissent quelques vieilles connaissances comme les inévitables pirates, qui finissent sur le radeau de la méduse; seuls deux personnages nouveaux l'adjudant romain et son interprète sont hilarants dans leurs tentatives de discipliner tous ces légionnaires venus du monde romain; bref, on est en présence d'une des meilleures des histoires de la série, celle-ci est bien ficelée et on passe un bon moment; l'anglais est abordable et l'on est bien aidé par la fantastique dessin d'Uderzo; cette édition Orion grand format est confortable, les textes lisibles le papier est épais et solide et si dans certaines versions, l'absence de couverture rigide n'est pas préjudiciable, sauf pour les vrais collectionneurs de BD (on trouve de nombreuses occasions à bas prix dans ce format); idéale pour parfaire son anglais tout en s'amusant même si un bon dictionnaire s'avérera indispensable pour comprendre certains jeux de mots

Schön gezeichnet und witzig.

Book in good condition

My dad used to buy us Asterix books when we were kids and I bought these two for my son as they are not ones I'd read previously and also based on other reviews as amongst the best of the Asterix stories.Really recommend - the illustrations are so clever and well observed, and carry the humour even without reading the speech bubbles. Much of the wit of these stories is the play on words of the characters' names, which some kids might not always get, but this is one of the reasons why they continue to amuse as a grown up!