One of my favorite movies as a kid, on its initial release, which started my love of Renaissance history and fiction.

The book itself is not outstanding, but is a serviceable action story, although I have not verified its historical veracity yet. Very suitable for junior readers.

Re-read after many years. ( )

Dec. 2012: At last I own the book I was awarded at track meet in grade one and could not yet read. I shall honour the sisters' gift soon! Cheers, Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Winnipeg, 1963.
May 2013: I finally got around to reading this. How strange that a literary debt of fifty years should be so easily lifted. I feel so relieved! How strange that a child can feel so guilty for not honouring a gift by making use of it, and that the guilt would carry over palpably (though under the radar, until twigged). It's not a great book, though I can see why the Irish Catholics liked it so much. Too my surprise a Catholic book shop I went into maybe five years ago had a whole pile of hardcover copies of this book.

Not so well written but not awfully written. It moves along well and the descriptions of the action, etc are fine. But when O'Reilly gets into that horrible fake Irish talk it is just agony to read. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot if I had been given it maybe three or four years later. Not my cup of tea now, though. ( )