Monstrous Regiment: A Novel of Discworld (Discworld, 31)

“Wickedly satirical . . . nothing short of brilliant.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)New York Times bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett explores the inanity of war, sexual politics, and why the best man for the job is often a woman in this acerbically funny and poignant Discworld novel.In the small country of Borogravia, there are strict rules citizens must follow. Women belong in the kitchen—not in offices, pubs, nor pants. And certainly not on the front lines when war comes to Discworld.Polly Perks took over running her family’s humble inn when her brother, Paul, marched off to war. But it’s been more than two months since his last letter home, and the news from the front is bad. To find her missing brother, the resourceful Polly cuts off her hair and joins the army as a young man named Oliver.As Polly closely guards her secret, she notices that her fellow recruits seem to be guarding secrets of their own. And before they’ve learned to properly march, Polly and her fellow raw recruits find themselves in the thick of a losing battle. All they have on their side is the most artful sergeant in the army and a vampire with a lust for coffee.No matter, it’s time to make a stand. . . .The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Monstrous Regiment is a standalone.

Washington Post Book World

“Mate gender politics with geopolitics and you get either a PC nightmare or something very funny. Fortunately, in MONSTROUS REGIMENT it’s the latter. Pratchett takes full and unfairly hilarious advantage of the opportunity to skewer everything from miliary court martials to male swagger.”

New York Times Book Review

“As ever, Pratchett revels in pricking pomp and assurance, but it isn’t going too far to say that of late his real subject, like Wilfred Owen’s, is the pity of war. . . he can move from farce to sadness in seconds . . . MONSTROUS REGIMENT is most often spirited and shambolic, but it has some serious heft. Pratchett is on the side of those who make very little fuss, which means he gets to shiv those who do.”

Kirkus Reviews

“Surprisingly meaningful but never short of hilarious: a monstrous success for Pratchett.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Hilarious . . . wickedly satirical . . . nothing short of brilliant.”

a feat that might be hard to imagine after so many books. It is fresh, witty as ever, and brings a whole new look to Ankh Morpork.”

“Extraordinarily amusing . . . Pratchet has outdone himself with MONSTROUS REGIMENT

From the Back Cover

War rages on—with one unconventional soldier—in Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld® seriesWar has come to Discworld . . . again. And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centers around the small, arrogantly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on its unrelenting aggressiveness. A year ago, Polly Perks's brother marched off to battle, and Polly is willing to resort to drastic measures to find him. So she cuts off her hair, dons masculine garb, and—aided by a well-placed pair of socks—sets out to join the army. Since a nation in such dire need of cannon fodder cannot afford to be too picky, Polly is eagerly welcomed into the fighting fold, along with a vampire, a troll, an Igor, a religious fanatic, and two uncommonly close "friends." It would appear that Polly "Ozzer" Perks isn't the only grunt with a secret. But duty calls, the battlefield beckons, and now is the time for all good, er . . . "men," to come to the aid of their country.

About the Author

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) is the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.

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