Rating: 
Summary: Interesting novel, but flawed execution
Review: "Traveller" is an interesting attempt at telling the story of the Civil War, and of Robert E. Lee from a different perspective. It ultimately fails to produce anything memorable. Basically, Traveller believes that his Master can do no wrong, and believes that the South won the war. The book contradicts itself, and I found Traveller to be quite annoying. I never knew horses could be such know-it-alls.
Rating: 
Summary: Southern observations of the Civil War...
Review: As with his other books, Richard Adams's primary narrator is an animal. In this case, the animal is Robert E. Lee's beloved steed, Traveller. In the book named for the horse, the horrors of the civil war and the plight of the south are brought to light. Traveller has a unique view of the war because he was on the front lines but could not understand (from a horse's point of view) what all of the fighting was about. Instead, Traveller focuses on his relationship with Lee and Lee's relationships with the men around him. While Traveller is historically accurate, the reader is challenged to determine the characters and events behind the charicatures. Traveller refers to various participants in his own terms, resorting to more descriptives than acutal names. The reader will chuckle at descriptives such as "Cap in His Eyes" for Stonewall Jackson (whose horse was equally lank and serious). The book is ironically poignant on several fronts; from Traveller's eternal optimism over the success of the South in the war, confusion about God and war, to his view that Robert E. Lee must be the most important man in the world. In the end Traveller, like Adams's aclaimed Watership Down, shows us just how silly man's actions really are. Traveller is sweet, funny, and occasionally sad but ultimately engrossing and educational
Rating:
Summary: LOVE IT
Review: General Lee was a great man so he should have a great horse to go along with him. We always read how bad war is on human's well after reading this book I learned that war was just as bad for the horse. My heart went out to Traveller when General Lee died he just could not understand what happened. I know that you will come to read it time and time again, just like I have.
Rating: 
Summary: Good point
Review: I agree very much with Peter LaPrade's review. I liked the general message of this story and that it's written from the horse's point of view, but I found that it went on and on about the same thing and was too slow. Anna Sewel's Black Beauty is 10 times more gripping and is also told from the horse's point of view. Written for adults - Black Beauty should be read by anyone who considers themselves "animal lovers".
Rating:
Summary: Good point
Review: I agree very much with Peter LaPrade's review. I liked the general message of this story and that it's written from the horse's point of view, but I found that it went on and on about the same thing and was too slow. Anna Sewel's Black Beauty is 10 times more gripping and is also told from the horse's point of view. Written for adults - Black Beauty should be read by anyone who considers themselves "animal lovers".
Rating:
Summary: wonderfully enlightening
Review: I am buying this book for second time. I read it years ago and LOVED it. An amazing view of the war with an extremely unique perspective. This book is a wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: The Civil War from Traveller's Point of View
Review: Naturally, my favorite Richard Adams' novel is Watership Down, but the next favorite has got to be this book, Traveller. It is the simple of a horse who lived through horrible times. But this horse does not know why - because for the simple reason - he is just a horse. He tells (as only a horse can) of the Civil War (or is it the War of Aggression?). He does not know. He is a horse. He does not understand why men are doing these horrible things to each other. Why they are killing each other. Why there is so pain and blood. Why there is no food. No water.
His only concern is his owner, the tall man in grey. It is his duty to carry him safely everywhere and without fear. Traveller does enjoy despite the hardship when he is allowed to parade with his rider in front of the many men who cheer - are they cheering him or his rider. He wants to do a grand job whatever. It also tells of the horse and his owner - the bond they had for each other. Traveller's wanting to do as good a job as he can for his owner because of this bond. I really enjoyed this book as it tells of the war without taking sides. Of course, Traveller cannot take sides. He is just a horse, therefore, he can tell of the war without being prejudice to either side. Just the facts - all the blood, the gore and the questioning of why. If you can get a copy of this book, read it. It is a great novel.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Traveller is way beyond creative...
Review: Richard Adams' brilliant book Traveller is like his other animal novels only in that Traveller thinks and talks to us. This is more of a Civil War chronicle, told from the unique perspective of General Lee's famous horse. The history is not tampered with in the least. In fact, I think a strong familiarity with Civil War history and Robert E. Lee in particular is almost essential to a full appreciation of this book. The subtle nuances are there to delight the reader who recognizes them! So many people have written about General Lee, and the battles fought. There is enough great nonfiction and fiction about this subject to keep an avid reader occupied for a good long time. But Richard Adams has found a way to bring something new to the Civil War...what an accomplishment! If you have always been intrigued by the lore of Robert E. Lee, and can let your imagination run free, you are in for a tremendous treat. The story is still sad. The human suffering of the war is graphically portrayed, and the misery of the horses is given its due as well. I absolutely hated to approach the end of the book, because I knew how it had to end. But Adams' treatment of the end of the War and the end of Lee's life is perfect. In fact, the last sentence of the book by itself renders it worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Traveller is way beyond creative...
Review: Richard Adams' brilliant book Traveller is like his other animal novels only in that Traveller thinks and talks to us. This is more of a Civil War chronicle, told from the unique perspective of General Lee's famous horse. The history is not tampered with in the least. In fact, I think a strong familiarity with Civil War history and Robert E. Lee in particular is almost essential to a full appreciation of this book. The subtle nuances are there to delight the reader who recognizes them! So many people have written about General Lee, and the battles fought. There is enough great nonfiction and fiction about this subject to keep an avid reader occupied for a good long time. But Richard Adams has found a way to bring something new to the Civil War...what an accomplishment! If you have always been intrigued by the lore of Robert E. Lee, and can let your imagination run free, you are in for a tremendous treat. The story is still sad. The human suffering of the war is graphically portrayed, and the misery of the horses is given its due as well. I absolutely hated to approach the end of the book, because I knew how it had to end. But Adams' treatment of the end of the War and the end of Lee's life is perfect. In fact, the last sentence of the book by itself renders it worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: Get down and dirty with the army of Northern Virginia
Review: This book is a sleeper in two ways. Yes, it may put you to sleep. It's a little hard slogging through the rain and the mud with Traveller. You may really feel like you, too, are in the Army of Northern Virginia, wondering what all the loud banging noise and cloth on sticks are about, just like the narrator, Robert E. Lee's horse.
It is a sleeper, too, in the sense that the whole idea of a talking, thinking horse will creep up on you.
By the end of the book, it will make you sad to have to say goodbye to old Traveller, the old soldier who still believes his guys won the war, doesn't know his beloved master has passed on, and is still telling long war stories to his friend, the Lee's pet cat, Tom.
You may get a pretty accurate sense of what the Civil War looked like from General Lee's horse's perspective. Traveller is certainly eloquent, in a down home kind of way. Even though, as one of his fellow horses noted, he may not be too smart in the ways of the human world, he does have a lot of horse sense. He's 100% loyal to his master, who, Traveller believes, may have lived a previous life as a horse himself.
We don't learn a whole lot about General Lee, compared to what we learn about Traveller. Lee does seem to be unafraid of dying, he's always good to animals and to his troops, but it is clear he doesn't have the manpower and material tools needed to win the war.
Adams has inserted excerpts from a "human" writer, apparently a contemporary Southern historian or journalist, throughout the text. These excerpts help the reader to understand what all the slogging around in the mud in rain mean, in terms of battles and locations.
For someone who knows little about the Civil War (me), many more of these explanatory inserts into Traveller's narration would have been helpful to understand what exactly was going on and where the battlefields actually were. The historical relevance of Traveller's travels would have been made more clear. Civil War buffs would have no problem knowing all that.
I recommend this book, although it is not easy reading and it may take you a while to finish the book. Take your time. It's worth it. Diximus.
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