Men at Arms

Name: Men at Arms
Author: Terry Pratchett

by Terry Pratchett

1993 · 404 pages · Fiction

78.6Must-Read
Score Modern

Lifetime bestseller

≈ 10 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on the brink of change: Captain Sam Vimes is about to marry the richest woman in the city and retire, and the Watch has new recruits, including a troll, a dwarf and a werewolf. Then a mysterious weapon starts killing people, and the Watch has to find out who's behind it, in a city that would rather they didn't.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the BBC's Big Read and is one of the best-loved Discworld City Watch novels. It's funny, warm and surprisingly thoughtful about prejudice and power.

You'll love it if you liked

Night Watch, Hogfather or Small Gods

Good to know

It's the second City Watch book; Guards! Guards! comes first, but this stands alone.

Quick answers

Is Men at Arms worth reading?

Yes. It's on the BBC's Big Read and is one of the best-loved Discworld City Watch novels. It ranks #485 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Men at Arms about?

How long does it take to read Men at Arms?

About 10 hours (404 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Men at Arms?

If you liked it, try Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, Hogfather by Terry Pratchett or Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.

By the numbers

78.6Must-Read Score

Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
Bestseller47 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

On the BBC's The Big Read list.