It's 1939. England has just declared war on Germany! And, the luxurious Pan Am Clipper, a gigantic seaplane, is set to make its final flight from Southampton, England to New York. That is the setting of this exciting, nostalgic thriller written by Ken Follett, the famed author of Eye of the Needle and The Pillars of the Earth. Being a fan of World War II movies and novels, I loved this book! My only disappointment was that Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet were not on the passenger list. But, this $675 round-trip luxury flight does have nineteen interesting guests that rival any Bogart movie cast.
The guests include a fascist marquis and his family, a grumpy Russian princess, a talkative movie actress, a Jewish nuclear physicist fleeing Germany, a baron, undercover British and American police, four American industrialists, a British millionaire chasing his wife, and a jewel thief. Add to them, terrified flight engineer Eddie Deakin, who is under orders from his wife's kidnappers to await further instructions from passenger Tom Luther. Believe it or not, Ken Follett manages to develop all of these characters, making the reader either root for or against every person in the novel...Great job!
Tom Luther informs Eddie Deakin that his mysterious boss expects Eddie to cause the thirty hour flight to land short of their destination, so that they can remove a passenger. But who, why, and how? The guessing game begins here and ends at the Bay of Fundy, Newfoundland. This is the main plot, but there are many delightful subplots.
The subplots include: the shoemaker owner, Nancy Lenehan, trying to maintain control of her company from her treacherous brother, Peter Black; Mervyn Lovesey trying to win his wife back from American, Mark Alder; the Oxenford daughters trying to escape the control of their fascist father; the jewel thief, Harry Marks, a.k.a. Harry Vandenpost, wooing Margaret Oxenford, while pondering the theft of famous jewels owned by her mother, the Marchioness; the fates of the fleeing German Jew Carl Hartmann and gangster Frank Gordon. And finally we have the wishy-washy Diana Lovesey flip-flopping between her husband Mervyn and Mark Alder. There are more, but these are the most noteworthy. Somehow the author ties all of these events together into an amazing climax!
This novel reminded me of an airplane version of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, but without Hercule Poirot. This is a must read for historical fiction and Ken Follett fans alike.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Pan Am was in business from the 1920's till 1991. As a young Marine, I flew Pan Am to Hawaii several times between 1964-1966. I remember those flights as being special with superior food and service. One of the legs of the North Atlantic Clipper service was a stop over at Foynes, Ireland. In 1942, passengers were served a drink in Foynes, now known as Irish Coffee.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
ONE SECOND AFTER
William R. Forstchen has written an apocalyptic novel with a twist. Three electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) triggered by high altitude nuclear explosions wave down upon America. In theory, these would wipe out America's power grid, all computers, cell phones, many types of transportation, and common appliances. Contact with ourselves and the rest of the world would be cut. Welcome back to the medieval times!
The story is set in a town in North Carolina called Black Mountain and centers on John Matherson, a retired Army colonel. He is celebrating his diabetic daughter's birthday when the EMPs strike. There isn't any explosion heard, just a electrical blackout, causing him no initial alarm, until he finds out that no modern transportation is running. Luckily his mother-in-law has an old Edsel that runs. Why? Because it has no computers. He goes to town the next day and finds out things are already get getting dicey.
How long after an catastrophic event would it take for panic to set in? With all communication cut off, it wouldn't be long. No television or radio to tell us what happened. No President advising us. Is there even still a President? Or a government? What happened and what should I be doing? Once people find out, there would be a panicked run on food, drugs, weapons, cigarettes, alcohol, anything for survival.
This story deals with the first 365 days after the Event. Can a well organized Town Council, led by the colonel, survive until help comes? With the nation under martial law, which we learn from the only government radio station working, cult gangs are out of control. The town needs military training to defend itself from the Posse gang heading their way. The students at Montreat College are trained by an ex-Marine D.I. to defend the town. The town is almost out of food, prescription drugs, and energy. The town's doctor, Kellor, warns that the U.S.A. is now technically a third world country and to expect many deaths from cholera, dysentery, and plague. Will the Colonel's daughter get her insulin in time? Will they defeat the Posse gang? Will the town survive the EMP attack, or is it curtains for them and the U.S.A. way of life?
This novel was very enjoyable and a big time eye opener. Mr. Forstchen has written the worst case scenario, but he could be right on the money. It's possible that a bomb dropped on the ground could actually be less damaging. It seems to me that President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative in 1984 was a great idea, but killed by President Clinton in 1993 as Star Wars fodder!
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Mr. Forstchen has written over 40 books and is a history professor at the college in the novel, Montreat in N.C. His book caught the attention of Congress and the House Armed Services Committee. Hopefully, they are studying the possibility of an EMP attack. Most of his current work has been historical fiction with writting partner, Newt Gingrich.
The story is set in a town in North Carolina called Black Mountain and centers on John Matherson, a retired Army colonel. He is celebrating his diabetic daughter's birthday when the EMPs strike. There isn't any explosion heard, just a electrical blackout, causing him no initial alarm, until he finds out that no modern transportation is running. Luckily his mother-in-law has an old Edsel that runs. Why? Because it has no computers. He goes to town the next day and finds out things are already get getting dicey.
How long after an catastrophic event would it take for panic to set in? With all communication cut off, it wouldn't be long. No television or radio to tell us what happened. No President advising us. Is there even still a President? Or a government? What happened and what should I be doing? Once people find out, there would be a panicked run on food, drugs, weapons, cigarettes, alcohol, anything for survival.
This story deals with the first 365 days after the Event. Can a well organized Town Council, led by the colonel, survive until help comes? With the nation under martial law, which we learn from the only government radio station working, cult gangs are out of control. The town needs military training to defend itself from the Posse gang heading their way. The students at Montreat College are trained by an ex-Marine D.I. to defend the town. The town is almost out of food, prescription drugs, and energy. The town's doctor, Kellor, warns that the U.S.A. is now technically a third world country and to expect many deaths from cholera, dysentery, and plague. Will the Colonel's daughter get her insulin in time? Will they defeat the Posse gang? Will the town survive the EMP attack, or is it curtains for them and the U.S.A. way of life?
This novel was very enjoyable and a big time eye opener. Mr. Forstchen has written the worst case scenario, but he could be right on the money. It's possible that a bomb dropped on the ground could actually be less damaging. It seems to me that President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative in 1984 was a great idea, but killed by President Clinton in 1993 as Star Wars fodder!
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Mr. Forstchen has written over 40 books and is a history professor at the college in the novel, Montreat in N.C. His book caught the attention of Congress and the House Armed Services Committee. Hopefully, they are studying the possibility of an EMP attack. Most of his current work has been historical fiction with writting partner, Newt Gingrich.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
KRAKEN
The choice of China Mieville's diction is highly suspect in this weird fantasy novel written in 2010. I think good vocabulary is not necessarily good when one doesn't understand what you are talking about. His loquacious style of penning real and made-up words require a college lexicon! It almost seems that he wrote this book for the late William F. Buckley, Jr. Yet, somehow, I understood what he was saying without looking the words up. He has Charles Dickens's ability to make a fake word seem real. And why does he constantly use double words through out the novel such as, that that! I don't know know!! Anyway, I had my say say.
The novel opens with our hero Billy Harrow, curator of mollusks at London's Darwin Centre, conducting a tour, when he discovers the star of the show, Architeuthis, an eight meter long squid, is missing. Where did it go (tank and all), and what does it mean? A cult squad, made up of officers Baron, Vardy, and Collingswood from the London Police quickly get involved. Apparently London is filled with arcane cults, magicians, familiars, thugs, and spirits without the general population's knowledge.
Billy gets involved with the Congregation of the God Kraken, and finds out the end of the world can result from this purloined squid. Billy and Dane Parnell, a member of the God Kraken, head out to find the preserved squid. They are not alone. Also looking are the shamanic Londonmancers, the Talking Tattoo with his numerous Fistheads, the frightful Goss and Subby, and the infamous Grisamentum and his hired Gunfarmers. The Talking Tattoo on the back of a man named Paul and his hirelings, Goss and Subby, are relentless in their pursuit.
Mr. Mieville comes up with some interesting fantasies: Did you know with extreme origami, you can fold up a person and carry it without the weight? Did you know Angels of Memory exist? What about the Brotherhood of the Blessed Flood, with the Sea as their God? My favorite is Wati, the ancient Egyptian spirit, who leaps from statue to toy to statue to communicate while helping Billy or leading his familiars on a strike. The biggest fantasy is why all these groups think the Apocalypse is coming just because a dead fish is missing!
Although the final chapters are exciting, I'm not sure I understood the ending. With Mieville's writting style and use of unknown words, things get a little foggy. I did enjoy the book, but I am not sure I would read another Mieville novel. Sometimes reading certain authors is painful, but I did finish this in normal acceptable time.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: China Mieville has won many awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke, Locus, British Fantasy, and the Hugo. Mieville is a accomplished Dungeons and Dragons player. He is active in Englands politics, leaning towards Marxism.
The novel opens with our hero Billy Harrow, curator of mollusks at London's Darwin Centre, conducting a tour, when he discovers the star of the show, Architeuthis, an eight meter long squid, is missing. Where did it go (tank and all), and what does it mean? A cult squad, made up of officers Baron, Vardy, and Collingswood from the London Police quickly get involved. Apparently London is filled with arcane cults, magicians, familiars, thugs, and spirits without the general population's knowledge.
Billy gets involved with the Congregation of the God Kraken, and finds out the end of the world can result from this purloined squid. Billy and Dane Parnell, a member of the God Kraken, head out to find the preserved squid. They are not alone. Also looking are the shamanic Londonmancers, the Talking Tattoo with his numerous Fistheads, the frightful Goss and Subby, and the infamous Grisamentum and his hired Gunfarmers. The Talking Tattoo on the back of a man named Paul and his hirelings, Goss and Subby, are relentless in their pursuit.
Mr. Mieville comes up with some interesting fantasies: Did you know with extreme origami, you can fold up a person and carry it without the weight? Did you know Angels of Memory exist? What about the Brotherhood of the Blessed Flood, with the Sea as their God? My favorite is Wati, the ancient Egyptian spirit, who leaps from statue to toy to statue to communicate while helping Billy or leading his familiars on a strike. The biggest fantasy is why all these groups think the Apocalypse is coming just because a dead fish is missing!
Although the final chapters are exciting, I'm not sure I understood the ending. With Mieville's writting style and use of unknown words, things get a little foggy. I did enjoy the book, but I am not sure I would read another Mieville novel. Sometimes reading certain authors is painful, but I did finish this in normal acceptable time.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: China Mieville has won many awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke, Locus, British Fantasy, and the Hugo. Mieville is a accomplished Dungeons and Dragons player. He is active in Englands politics, leaning towards Marxism.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
FOOTFALL
What is a Footfall? Would you believe that it's an asteroid pulled by a spaceship and then dropped on a planet! It's the ultimate "dinosaur killer" heaved at Earth by elephant-like creatures with tentacled multiple trunks, four clawed feet, and a tail. They are the Fithp! They have traveled eighty years from Alpha Centauri to get here, and they mean to stay. Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle wrote this entertaining space invasion novel in 1985, and it remains a classic sci-fi novel.
The Fithp's spaceship, Thuktun Flishithy (Message Bearer), is spotted by U.S. astronomers in Hawaii. The ship is seen moving through the rings of Saturn and heading for Earth. The Americans, led by Congressman Wes Dawson, take the position that the invaders are friendly, while the Russians, of course, assume they are hostile. All communications from Earth to the invaders goes unanswered; therefore, the U.S. and Russia decide to meet the Fithp in Earth's orbit aboard the Russian Space Station, Kosmograd. The delegation of Russian, American, Nigerian, and French personnel await the meeting totally unarmed!
Message Bearer finally arrives and destroys Kosmograd and captures or kills all aboard. From here on, we have two groups of Earthlings: the Captives and the Earth humans. The Fithp proceed to destroy all dams, major installations, bridges, and highways via laser cannons, dropped rocks, or strikes from their Digit ships. They land a herd of Fithps in Kansas, the U.S. food belt, with the thought that the Earth people will passively surrender. By the way, The Fithp's odd idea of surrendering is to lay on your back, feet and hand up, while one of the Fithp places his foot on your chest! Too much pressure and you are dead.
After the U.S. military in Kansas is destroyed, the Americans and Russians decide to nuke the Kansas Fithp herd, which surprises the invaders, since radiating your own area is unconscionable to their way of life. The Fithp strike back by dropping Footfall in the Indian Ocean, destroying India, and causing a constant salt-water rain. All of this happens early, so I'm not giving away any spoilers.
As the novel develops, we find that the Fithp are not as smart as we thought. If you had a mile long spaceship, would most of it contain a giant mud room in which to bathe? Do the aliens have a mating season? We find that the Fithp were pets to the Predecessors of their home planet eons ago. The herd evolved after the Predecessors damaged their environment and became extinct. They left the herd all their knowledge on stone cubes, somewhat like Moses. From here the story takes off, ending in victory, or defeat for the Elephantine herd? This will be determined 485 pages later in this wonderful tale.
If you noticed, I only mentioned one character in the book, Wes Dawson; that's because there are so many important characters. The good news is the book has a dramatis personae in the front of the novel. You will meet the Discoverers, the Washington and Soviet people, Survivors, Jayhawks, and the entire Fithp herd. This is a 26 year old novel that is better than most current sci-fi books that I've read.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Larry Niven has been nominated many times for Hugo and Locus awards, winning the Hugo award for his famous Ringworld in 1970. He later wrote seven more Ringworld novels, the first of which begins in the year 2850! Mr. Niven was an adviser to Ronald Reagan's famous S.D.I. anti-missile system. This pair of authors also wrote the classic novel Lucifer's Hammer in 1977.
The Fithp's spaceship, Thuktun Flishithy (Message Bearer), is spotted by U.S. astronomers in Hawaii. The ship is seen moving through the rings of Saturn and heading for Earth. The Americans, led by Congressman Wes Dawson, take the position that the invaders are friendly, while the Russians, of course, assume they are hostile. All communications from Earth to the invaders goes unanswered; therefore, the U.S. and Russia decide to meet the Fithp in Earth's orbit aboard the Russian Space Station, Kosmograd. The delegation of Russian, American, Nigerian, and French personnel await the meeting totally unarmed!
Message Bearer finally arrives and destroys Kosmograd and captures or kills all aboard. From here on, we have two groups of Earthlings: the Captives and the Earth humans. The Fithp proceed to destroy all dams, major installations, bridges, and highways via laser cannons, dropped rocks, or strikes from their Digit ships. They land a herd of Fithps in Kansas, the U.S. food belt, with the thought that the Earth people will passively surrender. By the way, The Fithp's odd idea of surrendering is to lay on your back, feet and hand up, while one of the Fithp places his foot on your chest! Too much pressure and you are dead.
After the U.S. military in Kansas is destroyed, the Americans and Russians decide to nuke the Kansas Fithp herd, which surprises the invaders, since radiating your own area is unconscionable to their way of life. The Fithp strike back by dropping Footfall in the Indian Ocean, destroying India, and causing a constant salt-water rain. All of this happens early, so I'm not giving away any spoilers.
As the novel develops, we find that the Fithp are not as smart as we thought. If you had a mile long spaceship, would most of it contain a giant mud room in which to bathe? Do the aliens have a mating season? We find that the Fithp were pets to the Predecessors of their home planet eons ago. The herd evolved after the Predecessors damaged their environment and became extinct. They left the herd all their knowledge on stone cubes, somewhat like Moses. From here the story takes off, ending in victory, or defeat for the Elephantine herd? This will be determined 485 pages later in this wonderful tale.
If you noticed, I only mentioned one character in the book, Wes Dawson; that's because there are so many important characters. The good news is the book has a dramatis personae in the front of the novel. You will meet the Discoverers, the Washington and Soviet people, Survivors, Jayhawks, and the entire Fithp herd. This is a 26 year old novel that is better than most current sci-fi books that I've read.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Larry Niven has been nominated many times for Hugo and Locus awards, winning the Hugo award for his famous Ringworld in 1970. He later wrote seven more Ringworld novels, the first of which begins in the year 2850! Mr. Niven was an adviser to Ronald Reagan's famous S.D.I. anti-missile system. This pair of authors also wrote the classic novel Lucifer's Hammer in 1977.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
And Then There Were None
This is a guest review from my eldest son, Deron:
After years of enjoying Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple on PBS, I've finally read my first Agatha Christie novel, which is also her most popular. The novel is set on the private island of Mr. and Mrs. U.N. Owens off of Devon, England where one by one the ten guests are murdered. Their host is mysteriously absent. The guests are the only ones on the island and are unable to leave. Therefore, one of them is the murderer. Possible suspects are winnowed from the innocent chapter by chapter.
Are any of the guests really innocent? We meet each in turn. Some are there to work, like Mr. Rogers as a butler and his wife as the cook, while others were invited for a vacation. We learn early on that every guest has either been directly or indirectly the cause of the death, but not necessarilly the murder, of others. Each guest has eluded justice...until now.
The nursery rhyme "Ten Little Soldiers", framed on the wall of every guest's room, figures prominently in the story. The rhyme describes the deaths of ten soldiers and foreshadows those of the guests. For example, "Ten little Soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine." The poem ends with the titular "...and then there were none." Besides the methods of murder, other clues can be found in the rhyme.
I don't normally read mysteries. I want to solve the mystery, before the murderer is revealed. A great deal of concentration is required, since every sentence might contain a clue or a red herring, and I'm a little too lazy to keep it all straight in my mind. But, every time I finish a mystery, whether I solve the crime or not, I find that I enjoyed the ride. This is no different with this novel. As with a good magician, there is enjoyment to be had in being deceived.
I especially enjoyed the literary device of the rhyme. Through the rhyme, she practically hand delivers clues that a lesser writer would not want to reveal so early in the novel, and then she delivers a whole new layer of mystery. You might expect that as each guest dies, the mystery would simplify, but instead it only becomes more confounding.
I didn't figure out who the murderer was. However, a good mystery writer provides enough clues for you to ascertain the murderer, and Christie does. The denouement was admitedly much more complicated than I would have expected, but one can still identify the murderer. In retrospect, there were clues I missed and words I misinterpreted. Hopefully, when you read this novel, you won't.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Comment: According to this, this book is the #7 top selling book of all time. I haven't actually met anyone that has read this book. I suppose this is because Agatha Christie is not in the public eye anymore as compared to someone like J.K. Rowling, who is also on the list.
After years of enjoying Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple on PBS, I've finally read my first Agatha Christie novel, which is also her most popular. The novel is set on the private island of Mr. and Mrs. U.N. Owens off of Devon, England where one by one the ten guests are murdered. Their host is mysteriously absent. The guests are the only ones on the island and are unable to leave. Therefore, one of them is the murderer. Possible suspects are winnowed from the innocent chapter by chapter.
Are any of the guests really innocent? We meet each in turn. Some are there to work, like Mr. Rogers as a butler and his wife as the cook, while others were invited for a vacation. We learn early on that every guest has either been directly or indirectly the cause of the death, but not necessarilly the murder, of others. Each guest has eluded justice...until now.
The nursery rhyme "Ten Little Soldiers", framed on the wall of every guest's room, figures prominently in the story. The rhyme describes the deaths of ten soldiers and foreshadows those of the guests. For example, "Ten little Soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine." The poem ends with the titular "...and then there were none." Besides the methods of murder, other clues can be found in the rhyme.
I don't normally read mysteries. I want to solve the mystery, before the murderer is revealed. A great deal of concentration is required, since every sentence might contain a clue or a red herring, and I'm a little too lazy to keep it all straight in my mind. But, every time I finish a mystery, whether I solve the crime or not, I find that I enjoyed the ride. This is no different with this novel. As with a good magician, there is enjoyment to be had in being deceived.
I especially enjoyed the literary device of the rhyme. Through the rhyme, she practically hand delivers clues that a lesser writer would not want to reveal so early in the novel, and then she delivers a whole new layer of mystery. You might expect that as each guest dies, the mystery would simplify, but instead it only becomes more confounding.
I didn't figure out who the murderer was. However, a good mystery writer provides enough clues for you to ascertain the murderer, and Christie does. The denouement was admitedly much more complicated than I would have expected, but one can still identify the murderer. In retrospect, there were clues I missed and words I misinterpreted. Hopefully, when you read this novel, you won't.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Comment: According to this, this book is the #7 top selling book of all time. I haven't actually met anyone that has read this book. I suppose this is because Agatha Christie is not in the public eye anymore as compared to someone like J.K. Rowling, who is also on the list.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
WORLD WITHOUT END
Ken Follett's sequel to The Pillars of the Earth is 1014 pages of unforgettable reading. I can't remember when I enjoyed a sequel better. This book is set two-hundred years after the first novel. There is, however, a flaw in this novel that is a little annoying. There are way too many calamities, seemingly every ten pages or so. This, coupled with the Black Plague running amok, witchcraft trials, and everybody seeking revenge, had my head spinning. If you like lots of characters, this is your book. There are at least six or seven major characters and thirty minor characters. With all of these people involved, you really have to give Ken Follett kudos for character development. I felt love or hate for each one of them.
The novel starts with four children witnessing a murderous conflict between a knight and two men at arms. The knight buries a secret letter and seeks asylum at the famous monastery at Kingsbridge, where he becomes a monk. The children Merthin, Ralph, Caris and Gwenda are forever tied together. Their trials and tribulations along with their families and the monks form the plot.
As with the first book, the clergy are fighting for power. This time they are led by the evil prior Godwyn. Edmund Wooler leads a township looking for commerce and independence from the church. We have the battle between the good builder, Merthin, and the bad builder, Elfric. There are love stories: Merthin and Caris and Gwenda and Wulfric. We have the horrible Ralph Fitzgerald, later to become the Earl of Shiring. Then we have the "common sense" medical theories of Caris versus the blood letting monk doctors. Finally, there is Prior Godwyn's sidekick, the scurrilous and conniving Philemon fighting for power and advancement.
The book gives the reader a good idea of how it must have been to live in Medieval times. Can you imagine being bled every time you got sick? Being accused of heresy by a enemy could get you quickly hung? If you were clergy, grab the wrong shirt tails and face failure. Any noble had life and death power over the peasants along with unlimited taxation. As Charles Dickens wrote of a different time in A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
There are too many sub-plots to describe, so my advise is to get hold of a copy and start reading. I found this book to be the fastest thousand page book I've ever read. Is it better than The Pillars of the Earth? No, but I think it's close, which is saying a lot. I think these books are the best novels that Follett has ever written.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Ken Follett is a Welsh writer who has appeared four times on the N.Y.Times best seller list as number one. His current work is Fall of Giants, the first of three books. Some of the thrillers he has written include Eye of the Needle and Night Over Water.
The novel starts with four children witnessing a murderous conflict between a knight and two men at arms. The knight buries a secret letter and seeks asylum at the famous monastery at Kingsbridge, where he becomes a monk. The children Merthin, Ralph, Caris and Gwenda are forever tied together. Their trials and tribulations along with their families and the monks form the plot.
As with the first book, the clergy are fighting for power. This time they are led by the evil prior Godwyn. Edmund Wooler leads a township looking for commerce and independence from the church. We have the battle between the good builder, Merthin, and the bad builder, Elfric. There are love stories: Merthin and Caris and Gwenda and Wulfric. We have the horrible Ralph Fitzgerald, later to become the Earl of Shiring. Then we have the "common sense" medical theories of Caris versus the blood letting monk doctors. Finally, there is Prior Godwyn's sidekick, the scurrilous and conniving Philemon fighting for power and advancement.
The book gives the reader a good idea of how it must have been to live in Medieval times. Can you imagine being bled every time you got sick? Being accused of heresy by a enemy could get you quickly hung? If you were clergy, grab the wrong shirt tails and face failure. Any noble had life and death power over the peasants along with unlimited taxation. As Charles Dickens wrote of a different time in A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
There are too many sub-plots to describe, so my advise is to get hold of a copy and start reading. I found this book to be the fastest thousand page book I've ever read. Is it better than The Pillars of the Earth? No, but I think it's close, which is saying a lot. I think these books are the best novels that Follett has ever written.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Ken Follett is a Welsh writer who has appeared four times on the N.Y.Times best seller list as number one. His current work is Fall of Giants, the first of three books. Some of the thrillers he has written include Eye of the Needle and Night Over Water.
Friday, February 25, 2011
TYRANNOSAUR CANYON
It seems to me that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are engaged in a duel to see who can write the best thriller. This book is Preston's turn, and he didn't disappoint. Both of these authors continue to write novels that you can't put down, don't want to put down, and will not put down! Mr. Preston takes us from the Moon to New Mexico to New York and back to New Mexico, along with a stop 65 million years ago for a day in the life of a Tyrannosaurus rex.
The story starts with Apollo 17 astronauts bringing back rock samples from the Moon in 1972. Mysteriously, one sample goes missing for 30 years. Meanwhile, Stem Weathers, a veteran prospector, is found dying from a gunshot wound in the New Mexico desert by Tom Broadbent. Before he dies, Stem gives Tom a "number-coded" notebook that he wants delivered to his daughter. After Tom leaves, Stem's killer, Weed Maddox, returns to the scene looking for the notebook, but only finds a piece of dinosaur bone. Weed flies to New York to give his boss, Dr. Iain Cuvus, assistant curator of the American Museum of Natural History, the bad news. From here on in the story explodes with excitement, intrigue, and mysterious characters.
Dr. Corvus gives the dinosaur sample to museum technical specialist, Melodie Crookshank, to analyze in secret. She is amazed by what she finds. The bone is from a fossilized T-Rex, but there is something else - something that can change the theory on what really caused the dinosaurs' disappearance for good. Conversations between Melodie and Dr. Corvus are picked up by a government listening devise, causing a black-op detail from the CIA to join the chase. Does this dinosaur sample have anything to do with the missing Moon rock from thirty years ago? Will the government use deadly force to obtain the location of the T-Rex and it's secrets?
Tom Broadbent, his wife Sally, and Wyman Ford, a ex-CIA agent (now a monk!), hit the desert looking the fossilzed T-Rex. Wyman, a ex-coder in the CIA, figured out what they were looking for. Meanwhile they are being followed by the crazed Weed Maddox, Detective Jimmie Willer of the Sante Fe police, and the secret black-op group, led by the murderous Mr. Masago. And what happens to Melodie and Dr. Corvus in New York? Who lives and who dies? What is the secret that people have to die for? What does the Moon and 65 million year old dinosaurs have to do with it?
For thrill seekers, this is a must read! The action is non-stop and rivals writing partner Lincoln Child's book Utopia for thrills and chills. I highly recommend reading novels like this in between serious reads. Between the two authors, this is the ninth book I've read, and they are all enjoyable.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Wyman Ford and Tom Broadbent have appeared in several of Mr.Preston's solo novels. Since Preston worked for the American Museum of Natural History from 1978 to 1985, the paleontology facts in the book are highly believable. Besides writing novels, Preston writes for three magazines including The New Yorker. If you read Prestons' The Monster of Florence, you will remember the stupidity of Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini. I find it interesting that he was involved in the recent Amanda Knox conviction, and so does Douglas Preston.
The story starts with Apollo 17 astronauts bringing back rock samples from the Moon in 1972. Mysteriously, one sample goes missing for 30 years. Meanwhile, Stem Weathers, a veteran prospector, is found dying from a gunshot wound in the New Mexico desert by Tom Broadbent. Before he dies, Stem gives Tom a "number-coded" notebook that he wants delivered to his daughter. After Tom leaves, Stem's killer, Weed Maddox, returns to the scene looking for the notebook, but only finds a piece of dinosaur bone. Weed flies to New York to give his boss, Dr. Iain Cuvus, assistant curator of the American Museum of Natural History, the bad news. From here on in the story explodes with excitement, intrigue, and mysterious characters.
Dr. Corvus gives the dinosaur sample to museum technical specialist, Melodie Crookshank, to analyze in secret. She is amazed by what she finds. The bone is from a fossilized T-Rex, but there is something else - something that can change the theory on what really caused the dinosaurs' disappearance for good. Conversations between Melodie and Dr. Corvus are picked up by a government listening devise, causing a black-op detail from the CIA to join the chase. Does this dinosaur sample have anything to do with the missing Moon rock from thirty years ago? Will the government use deadly force to obtain the location of the T-Rex and it's secrets?
Tom Broadbent, his wife Sally, and Wyman Ford, a ex-CIA agent (now a monk!), hit the desert looking the fossilzed T-Rex. Wyman, a ex-coder in the CIA, figured out what they were looking for. Meanwhile they are being followed by the crazed Weed Maddox, Detective Jimmie Willer of the Sante Fe police, and the secret black-op group, led by the murderous Mr. Masago. And what happens to Melodie and Dr. Corvus in New York? Who lives and who dies? What is the secret that people have to die for? What does the Moon and 65 million year old dinosaurs have to do with it?
For thrill seekers, this is a must read! The action is non-stop and rivals writing partner Lincoln Child's book Utopia for thrills and chills. I highly recommend reading novels like this in between serious reads. Between the two authors, this is the ninth book I've read, and they are all enjoyable.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Wyman Ford and Tom Broadbent have appeared in several of Mr.Preston's solo novels. Since Preston worked for the American Museum of Natural History from 1978 to 1985, the paleontology facts in the book are highly believable. Besides writing novels, Preston writes for three magazines including The New Yorker. If you read Prestons' The Monster of Florence, you will remember the stupidity of Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini. I find it interesting that he was involved in the recent Amanda Knox conviction, and so does Douglas Preston.
Friday, February 18, 2011
WORLD WAR Z
This is an intriguing way to write another book about zombies. The book consists entirely of interviews of three to seven pages with the survivors of the Zombie War. Max Brooks is both the author of this book and the interviewer. After giving the United Nations Postwar Commission the basic facts of the ten year war, Brooks decides to write a book about individual survivors of many countries. Since Brooks tells you upfront that humanity won the war, there are no "spoilers" required.
The first case of zombie infection was in China, involving a boy bitten by someone unknown. China basically stonewalls the problem, resulting in the virus spreading worldwide via black market "organ donor" traffic and bitten people leaving China. Soon the whole world is fighting zombies that can only be killed by destroying their brains! Cape Town, South Africa, is the first country that uses the "Paul Redeker" plan, which puts a certain amount of their population in safe zones and leaves the rest as bait. Israel, under a quarantine program, closes their borders. Pakistan and Iran have a nuclear war over fleeing refugees from Pakistan. The U.S.A., under the assumption they have a vaccine, have little concern of the black cloud approaching. Too late, they find out the vaccine is for rabies - not very effective for zombie bites.
The Great Panic starts when, in the battle of Yonkers, the zombies overwhelm the military. It seems conventional "shock and awe" strategy against people already dead doesn't work. Using air strikes, tank attacks, hi-tech rockets only works if you manage to destroy each individual zombie brain. If not, they will drag their damaged body forward in a continued effort to eat you! The U.S.A. retreats to the Rocky Mountains, Japan evacuates to South Korea, the North Korean people disappear completely and are presumed underground.
In the Honolulu Conference, the President of the United States, decides the only way to defeat the zombies is by deploying the old Revolutionary War two-line attack. Using a military rifle line running north to south, moving west to east they slowly eliminate the zombies, with single head shots, one by one. But this war is far from over- what about the rest of the world? Zombies walking under the ocean? And, zombies thawing out in the spring? After reading all the interviews, you will have all the answers.
This is another entry into the recent literary explosion of zombie and vampire books. Although this novel is unique, I find myself tiring of this genre. I only recommend this book to the hardiest of ghoul readers. The only book in this field that I give a five star rating to is The Passage, a 766 page beauty written by Justin Cronin in 2010.
RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5
Comment: Max Brooks is the son of actors Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. Now that's what I call a talented family! Paramount Pictures has recently acquired the movie rights to this novel.
The first case of zombie infection was in China, involving a boy bitten by someone unknown. China basically stonewalls the problem, resulting in the virus spreading worldwide via black market "organ donor" traffic and bitten people leaving China. Soon the whole world is fighting zombies that can only be killed by destroying their brains! Cape Town, South Africa, is the first country that uses the "Paul Redeker" plan, which puts a certain amount of their population in safe zones and leaves the rest as bait. Israel, under a quarantine program, closes their borders. Pakistan and Iran have a nuclear war over fleeing refugees from Pakistan. The U.S.A., under the assumption they have a vaccine, have little concern of the black cloud approaching. Too late, they find out the vaccine is for rabies - not very effective for zombie bites.
The Great Panic starts when, in the battle of Yonkers, the zombies overwhelm the military. It seems conventional "shock and awe" strategy against people already dead doesn't work. Using air strikes, tank attacks, hi-tech rockets only works if you manage to destroy each individual zombie brain. If not, they will drag their damaged body forward in a continued effort to eat you! The U.S.A. retreats to the Rocky Mountains, Japan evacuates to South Korea, the North Korean people disappear completely and are presumed underground.
In the Honolulu Conference, the President of the United States, decides the only way to defeat the zombies is by deploying the old Revolutionary War two-line attack. Using a military rifle line running north to south, moving west to east they slowly eliminate the zombies, with single head shots, one by one. But this war is far from over- what about the rest of the world? Zombies walking under the ocean? And, zombies thawing out in the spring? After reading all the interviews, you will have all the answers.
This is another entry into the recent literary explosion of zombie and vampire books. Although this novel is unique, I find myself tiring of this genre. I only recommend this book to the hardiest of ghoul readers. The only book in this field that I give a five star rating to is The Passage, a 766 page beauty written by Justin Cronin in 2010.
RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5
Comment: Max Brooks is the son of actors Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. Now that's what I call a talented family! Paramount Pictures has recently acquired the movie rights to this novel.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Valley Forge
This is the sequel to To Try Men's Souls and the second book of their American Revolutions series by the prolific writers' Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. And, it is well done. We are introduced to new historical figures: General Marquis Lafayette, General Baron Von Steuben, General Horatio Gates, General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, and Captain John Andre. The fictitious Allen Van Dorn returns as a British Lieutenant, and one of the heroes from the Trenton victory, Peter Wellsley, also returns.
The book centers on the 1777-1778 winter headquarters of the Continental Army at Valley Forge and that of the British Army in Philadelphia. Once again, Congress has been uprooted and is now making their temporary home in York, Pa. At this point, Congress has been nothing but a hindrance to General Washington's army by failing to supply food, tools, uniforms, boots, and usable money. Many of the Congressmen returned home for the winter; the rest were mired down in useless committees that criticized the efforts of George Washington. If you believe the authors, without George Washington and Ben Franklin's work in France, the war would have surely been lost.
Can you imagine General Washington arriving at Valley Forge, in a snowstorm, finding a empty field! Congress had promised cabins built for 10,000 men, food, boots, and perimeter defenses already dug. Thousands died of flux and exposure before cabins could be built. Meanwhile, the British were enjoying their winter in a warm and well supplied Philadelphia. Even though the British were only twenty miles away from Valley Forge, they saw no need to attack during the winter- let Washington's men starve and freeze to death!
After Washington had the shelters built, he needed to find a way to fight the British in a open field. Enter the Prussian Baron Von Steuben, ready to drill the army in modern tactics. In 90 days with the help of 19 year old Marquis de Lafayette, the Continental Army was ready to face the professional army of England! That day would come in June at the Battle of Monmouth, the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
This book was a history lesson, but also a very strong novel. I felt compassion for all the characters, real or fictitious, because of the strong character development, which was lacking in the first book of this series. I can only hope there is a third book in progress. The surrender of British General Cornwallis at Yorktown would be my choice to end this enjoyable work.
RATING: 4 stars out of 5
Comment: One has to wonder if the Revolutionary War would have been won if not for Benjamin Franklin securing foreign help in France. After the American War, the Marquis de Lafayette led a fiery life going back and forth to France. Baron Von Steuben never left America and retired to Utica, New York. He wrote the first drill instructor manual for the U.S.A. that stayed in use until 1812.
The book centers on the 1777-1778 winter headquarters of the Continental Army at Valley Forge and that of the British Army in Philadelphia. Once again, Congress has been uprooted and is now making their temporary home in York, Pa. At this point, Congress has been nothing but a hindrance to General Washington's army by failing to supply food, tools, uniforms, boots, and usable money. Many of the Congressmen returned home for the winter; the rest were mired down in useless committees that criticized the efforts of George Washington. If you believe the authors, without George Washington and Ben Franklin's work in France, the war would have surely been lost.
Can you imagine General Washington arriving at Valley Forge, in a snowstorm, finding a empty field! Congress had promised cabins built for 10,000 men, food, boots, and perimeter defenses already dug. Thousands died of flux and exposure before cabins could be built. Meanwhile, the British were enjoying their winter in a warm and well supplied Philadelphia. Even though the British were only twenty miles away from Valley Forge, they saw no need to attack during the winter- let Washington's men starve and freeze to death!
After Washington had the shelters built, he needed to find a way to fight the British in a open field. Enter the Prussian Baron Von Steuben, ready to drill the army in modern tactics. In 90 days with the help of 19 year old Marquis de Lafayette, the Continental Army was ready to face the professional army of England! That day would come in June at the Battle of Monmouth, the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
This book was a history lesson, but also a very strong novel. I felt compassion for all the characters, real or fictitious, because of the strong character development, which was lacking in the first book of this series. I can only hope there is a third book in progress. The surrender of British General Cornwallis at Yorktown would be my choice to end this enjoyable work.
RATING: 4 stars out of 5
Comment: One has to wonder if the Revolutionary War would have been won if not for Benjamin Franklin securing foreign help in France. After the American War, the Marquis de Lafayette led a fiery life going back and forth to France. Baron Von Steuben never left America and retired to Utica, New York. He wrote the first drill instructor manual for the U.S.A. that stayed in use until 1812.
Friday, February 4, 2011
UTOPIA
The subtitle says it's a thriller, and that is a understatement! Lincoln Child, in his first solo book, has written what I call a dessert book. You can literally read all 385 pages after dinner in one sitting. (I took two!) The pace of this novel is fast and furious with each chapter starting with the time of the day. After the prologue, the entire sequence of events runs from 7:30 A.M. to 4:32 P.M. The excitement of each chapter automatically draws you into the next chapter, until you realize it's two o'clock in the morning, and you are still reading!
The story centers around a futuristic theme park with a glass dome, located outside Las Vegas, Nevada. This park is divided into four sections: Gaslight, Callisto, Camelot, and Boardwalk, all featuring the latest in robotics and holographic imaging. The system that coordinates the activities of all the robots is called Metanet, designed by Dr. Andrew Warne, commissioned by the parks magician and visionary, the late Eric Nightingale.
After a roller coaster accident caused by robotic failure, Dr.Warne is called in by the park's general manager, Sarah Boatwright, an ex-girlfriend of his. Dr. Warne arrives at the park with his 14 year old daughter, Georgia, thinking the park wants him to expand his Metanet into the next themed section called Atlantis. But he is surprised to find out from Sarah and Fred Barksdale, head of systems, that they want him to disable his Metanet system. It seems there have been other failures, and the Board of Directors want it out. Already reeling from the recent failure of his company, Andrew along with Teresa Bonifacio, systems controller of Utopia, start investigating the mishaps.
Enter the mysterious John Doe, a brilliant criminal mind. He barges into Sarah's office and announces that he is responsible for all the accidents! Unless he gets a copy of the Hologram disk, all hell will break loose in the park. Apparently this state of the art holographic disk is worth millions. But, is this all he wants? He disappears into the crowd, vowing that he will demonstrate his control with more accidents. In the ensuing hours, failed hand-offs of the disk cause more robotic mishaps and many deaths. John Doe and his cohorts are well hidden and deft at causing chaos and mayhem!
Now it is a race of time for Dr. Warne, Teresa, Wingnut the cyber dog, and a park guest, Angus Poole, to find the criminals before they blowup the park. They stumble upon John Doe's alternate reason for being there and find out who the park's inside helper is. This will surprise you! The ending is well conceived and ends with a Fourth of July blast! For Lincoln Child fans, this is a must read.
RATING: 4 stars out of 5
Comment: This novel written in 2002 is Lincoln Child's first of many authored without Douglas Preston. They still write the agent Pendergast novels together, which are very unique and enjoyable. Utopia reminded me of Michael Crichton's great works: the 1973 film Westworld and the book Jurassic Park, written in 1990.
The story centers around a futuristic theme park with a glass dome, located outside Las Vegas, Nevada. This park is divided into four sections: Gaslight, Callisto, Camelot, and Boardwalk, all featuring the latest in robotics and holographic imaging. The system that coordinates the activities of all the robots is called Metanet, designed by Dr. Andrew Warne, commissioned by the parks magician and visionary, the late Eric Nightingale.
After a roller coaster accident caused by robotic failure, Dr.Warne is called in by the park's general manager, Sarah Boatwright, an ex-girlfriend of his. Dr. Warne arrives at the park with his 14 year old daughter, Georgia, thinking the park wants him to expand his Metanet into the next themed section called Atlantis. But he is surprised to find out from Sarah and Fred Barksdale, head of systems, that they want him to disable his Metanet system. It seems there have been other failures, and the Board of Directors want it out. Already reeling from the recent failure of his company, Andrew along with Teresa Bonifacio, systems controller of Utopia, start investigating the mishaps.
Enter the mysterious John Doe, a brilliant criminal mind. He barges into Sarah's office and announces that he is responsible for all the accidents! Unless he gets a copy of the Hologram disk, all hell will break loose in the park. Apparently this state of the art holographic disk is worth millions. But, is this all he wants? He disappears into the crowd, vowing that he will demonstrate his control with more accidents. In the ensuing hours, failed hand-offs of the disk cause more robotic mishaps and many deaths. John Doe and his cohorts are well hidden and deft at causing chaos and mayhem!
Now it is a race of time for Dr. Warne, Teresa, Wingnut the cyber dog, and a park guest, Angus Poole, to find the criminals before they blowup the park. They stumble upon John Doe's alternate reason for being there and find out who the park's inside helper is. This will surprise you! The ending is well conceived and ends with a Fourth of July blast! For Lincoln Child fans, this is a must read.
RATING: 4 stars out of 5
Comment: This novel written in 2002 is Lincoln Child's first of many authored without Douglas Preston. They still write the agent Pendergast novels together, which are very unique and enjoyable. Utopia reminded me of Michael Crichton's great works: the 1973 film Westworld and the book Jurassic Park, written in 1990.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)