The Last Battle Book store 7 In The Chronicles Of Narnia By CS Lewis read by Michael York Vinyl Record Album LP
The Last Battle is the 7th book In The Chronicles Of Narnia series written by C.S. Lewis and read by Michael York in an abridged format on vinyl. The Last Battle is set almost entirely in the Narnia world and the English children who participate arrive only in the middle of the narrative. The novel is set some 200 Narnian years after The Silver Chair and about 2500 years (and 49 Earth years) since the creation of the world narrated in The Magician's Nephew. A false Aslan is set up in the north-western borderlands and conflict between true and false Narnians merges with that between Narnia and Calormen, whose people worship Tash. It concludes with termination of the world by Aslan, after a "last battle" that is practically lost.
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The Last Battle Book 7 In The Chronicles Of Narnia By CS Lewis read by Michael York
Vinyl: VG+
Cover: VG+, Minor edge wear
Album Tracks:
Side A - 30:49
Side B - 30:35
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From the back cover: If you've ever had to go to the dentist (or get up enough courage to apologize to someone) you have probably discovered that it's the only thing that can put things right. But always there is that pull backwards: the desire to avoid any unpleasantness if at all possible. Keep this in mind as you listen to Michael York read the last Chronicle of Narnia. Before he is half way through you will be saying "Oh, no! Don't let Shift the Ape and the Calormen destroy Narnia!" And no one could blame you for feeling so. Just as no one could blame you for feeling exactly like Jill when she says "I do hope we can soon settle the Ape and get back to those good, ordinary times." But we live in a world-or haven't you noticed?-in which, whether things get very much better or very much worse, they never stay the same. We can never simply "get back" to what was.
So it is in this last Chronicle when Shift the Ape dresses Puzzle the Donkey in a lion's skin and attempts to pass him off as Aslan. Puzzle is kept in a stable and brought out only at night-when he won't be recognized so that Shift can order everybody about as he pleases. Such is the Ape's greed that he begins doing "deals" with the Calormen. But King Tirian of Narnia is not deceived, and Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole are pulled out of this world in order to help overthrow Shift and unmask the false Aslan. It is much more difficult than they think and what one can't admire enough is that when all seems lost they go on fighting for the right side. Just because they seem to be losing is that any reason for changing allegiance and joining the enemy? But this ancient store enemy is especially terrifying when it has as its leader the false god, Tash. You have heard of him in the other stories. Now he has been called for-and he comes, foul with corruption and withering all in his path. Who can endure it? King Tirian and his few followers hope they can. Even so, it's not easy to be heroic when the true Aslan shows no signs of coming to their rescue. When it becomes clear that they may die, Jill wishes she had not returned to Narnia. She quickly changes her mind. "Even if we are killed", she exclaims, "I'd rather be killed fighting for Narnia than grow old and stupid at home and then die in the end just the same." In this frame of mind the loyal Narnians approach the Stable for what they hope won't be - but is - the last battle.
A little later, as they are forced into the Stable they wonder what they will find there. Nothing? Straw? No wonderful things. Let me put it this way. When I was a small boy I was taken to hear a concert by a symphony orchestra. Being very ignorant, I thought the disconnected scrapings of strings and blowings of horns was the concert. Actually the orchestra was merely "tuning up'', preparing for the music that both terrified and delighted with its great beauty. That is the way it is on the other side of the Stable door. What you find there will break your heart as much by its poignant sweetness as by its triumphant majesty. In fact, what you will hear on this record anticipates what cautious people tuck away in their minds as "wishful thinking'' but what more courageous ones hope will be true, but hardly dare to believe can be. So, put the record on. As Aslan says "Do not dare not to dare."
And isn't it just so appropriate that this story should be read by one who, like C.S. Lewis years before him, was educated at University College, Oxford? What is more, his tutor had once been Professor Lewis's pupil. When I met Michael York I was struck by his resemblance to noble Tirian. Brothers? With all the comings and goings between this world and Narnia I am not much surprised by anything. -Walter Hooper
Walter Hooper was CS Lewis's personal secretary. When Lewis died he became one of the trustees of CS Lewis's Estate, and over the last 15 years he edited ten volumes of Lewis's literary remains. Walter Hooper is the co-author of C.S. Lewis: A Biography (1974), Past Watchful Dragons (1979) which deals with "The Narnian Chronicles," and the editor of They Stand Together: The Letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves (1979).
Michael York, one of the most celebrated film stars today, recently returned to Broadway in Bent having last appeared in Tennessee Williams' Outcry. Since his film debut in 1966 in The Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, his impressive cinema career has won him worldwide recognition. While still at school in England, Mr. York joined the National Youth Theatre, appearing in Shakespeare productions, London's West End and on tour in Europe. He graduated from Oxford University with an honors degree in English and a wealth of practical stage experience having written, directed, stage-managed and above all, acted in many student productions. His first professional stage appearance was with the Dundee Repertory Theatre where, among other plays, he sang the juvenile lead in Salad Days! Laurence Olivier then asked him to join his National Theatre Company and he appeared in several productions at The Old Vic as well as in the Chichester Festival Productions of Armstrong's Last Goodnight and Trelawny of the Wells. There followed a sequence of films including Losey's Accident, Smashing Time, The Guru, Justine, and Zeffirelli's acclaimed Romeo and Juliet in which he played Tybalt. He worked for BBC-TV in several plays including an appearance as Young Jolyon in the celebrated Forsyte Saga. He returned to the stage in Any Just Cause and also played the title role in Hamlet. Some of his most memorable film roles have been in Hal Prince's Something for Everyone with Angela Lansbury, in Cabaret with Liza Minnelli, and in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers. In 1975 he returned to the American stage in Ring Round the Moon with Glynis Johns in Los Angeles. Recent TV work includes an unforgettable John the Baptist in Jesus of Nazareth, the BBC's True Patriot and NBC's A Man Called Intrepid. Recent films include Logan's Run, The Last Remake of Beau Geste, The Island of Dr. Moreau and Billy Wilder's Fedora. Since 1968 Mr. York has been married to photographer/writer Pat McCallum, and they make their home in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Cover: Illustrated by Roger Hane from THE LAST BATTLE by C.S. Lewis. Reprinted by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. © 1956 by
C.S. Lewis. Library of Congress #81-740009
1981 Caedmon Directed by Linda Morgenstern
Abridged by Walter Hooper
Studio Engineer and Tape Editor: Daniel A. Wolfert
SOURCE: THE LAST BATTLE, Book 7 in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA by C.S. Lewis. Copyright 1956 by C.S. Lewis.
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