I haven't read the book, but this mini-series stands as a well-made piece of entertainment. The handsome and dashing, but dastardly, Rupert is contrasted with the home-loving, all-round decent, underdog, Jake. The characters are drawn with a broad brush, but there are many colourful characters, and it's tightly plotted, with unexpected twists. The horses and the men are very good-looking, and Michael Praed and Anthony Calf do a great job as the more complex characters in the story. Great fun altogether.