Historical Books

This review is written eight years after the publishing date because I just discovered Mr.Martin's books. Now that I have read all of them I believe that this is his masterpiece- so far. Mr. Martin's meticulous research and portrayal of Washington gives the reader a very intimate look at his life, loves, politics, military work, and steadfastness in the face of adversity. The author's "bird's eye view" (as if an eagle were narrating) of the countryside and the military clashes provides a scenic description as well as another viewpoint from above the action.
From Washington's youth to his death, this book allows the reader to become an aquaintance and confidante of one of our greatest patriots- his humanity, his frailities, his faults and his immense sense of patriotism and integrity. This book is not only entertaining but highly educational. I learn and appreciate more history from Mr. Martin's books than I ever
did from formal classes. I highly recommend this book as well as all Mr. Martin's other books and I can't wait for the next.

This fabulous book starts with George Washington's death and a plan "to humanize the demi-god". A rookie reporter is sent to find out why -- after his death -- the first thing Martha Washington did was burn letters. What was in them?

The story is then presented as narratives written by various characters: slaves, Indians, wives, friends, enemies. Although each entry was labeled, each of the writer's voices was distinctive and some included Washington's take on himself. And from the getgo, the reader learns that George Washington was determined to mold himself in an honorable fashion and to rise as best he could. With practical determination, he made his life happen and his wisdom prevailed.

So, in chronological order and with varied dialects and writing styles, one learns quite a bit of history. The years 1730-1800 involved Indian skirmishes, matters of property (human and otherwise), and Revolutionary War's battles, namely: Brooklyn, Jersey, New York, Valley Forge, Monmouth, Philadelphia. The scope of Washington's life included presidential happenings and delicate handling of temperaments.

Among other things, I read about war strategies, politics of the times (Federalists, Republicans), the youthfulness and inexperience of officers, ideologies of those in power, how power was manipulated, and how greater powers overturned those egotists trying to wield power unbecoming our nation. I learned a bit about the British Generals Howe & Cornwallis and the French General the Marquis de Lafayette. And, I now know that not only did Washington have rivals, but John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were far from "shoe in" Presidents, too.

It was ALL exciting! In "Citizen Washington", I loved digesting all the aspects of all the players. I looked forward to each moment as it arrived. And as John Britain, known as Silverheels said, "I knew it was true, even if it never happened."

I highly recommend "Citizen Washington" by William Martin. Have fun!

Remember back to the early '50's (I was 6) and the program This Is Your Life hosted by Ralph Edwards? Now you know the premise of Citizen Washington. Imagine yourself sitting front row of a darkened theater. On stage are, say, 10 chairs in a spotlight. Behind the chairs is a huge painting of.....YOU! You look up and sitting in the chairs are 10 people that have been involved in your life - intimately and peripherally. They begin to spin a tale of your life, your personality, your looks, your mannerisms, demeanor and emotions --- as THEY saw it progress through their individual eyes. You are exposed in all your foibles and abilities and judged, individually, by these people. Frightening but fascinating. Martin plies this technique on George Washington and exposes him as no history book can. This is an eye-opening read. From his military underlings, his slaves, his peers, his wife, and his decendants we see his every movement laid bare to the reader. Where was Martin when the nuns were cramming dusty, throat choking historical facts into my reluctant brain? This work is interesting as history and a novel and will hold your attention to the last period of the last paragraph. Buy, read, learn and enjoy!

I just read Citizen Washington and enjoyed every page. A page turner that gives you a different look at Washington and the revolution.

Wonderful book!

The audiobook runs 6 hours and is surprisingly fun to listen to. Other reviewers have covered most of what you need to know so I will just add a parental advisory: contains rough language of a creative sort that boys of a certain age may like to quote, so if you are looking for something educational for a family car trip, this may not be suitable. Otherwise, I certainly recommend this book as an enjoyable piece of historical fiction.

This is my first Georgette Heyer novel. I had a hard time getting into it. The first quarter of the book is rather slow and dull. However, once into the story, I found it very quirky and fun. I did not find it to be a romance though. Freddy and Kitty don't have much spark. And although I realize that this was not the intent of the author, I kept waiting for Freddy to come out of the closet. At the very least he is a metrosexual. I like my heroes a little less interested in female clothing and style.

But if I look past the idea of this book as a romance, I enjoyed it. The banter is great. The characters are hilarious. I would definitely recommend it.

If you loved Friday's Child (my very favorite Heyer book) you'll love Cotillion.

Most Heyer books feature heros who need to grow. In Cotillion, a classic comedy of manners, our innocent heroine (madly in love with a romantic, dashing figure as the book begins) learns to appreciate the real worth of a very average man.

Sweet, gentle humor-- a book that gets better with every read.

Kitty Charing's guardian, the crotchety Mathew Penicuik, has promised that she shall inherit his fortune if she agrees to marry one of his great nephews.
Kitty, however, wants none of them. What she does want is a trip to London, a place that she's never been.
So she arranges a hoax engagement with great nephew Freddy giving her a good excuse to go to town to meet his family.
Once in London she becomes a woman of fashion and gets entangled in all sorts of scrapes and misadventures.

Overall, Cotillion is pleasant historical fiction that while rather loosely plotted is carried along by the strength of a charming cast of characters. These include: the half witted but affectionate Lord Dolphington, foppish Freddy who has immaculate taste on everything from waistcoats to drapes, and the darkly handsome Jack, a notorious gambler and ladies' man.

The story starts with Kitty dealing with multiple marriage proposals and matters of the heart. However, during the entire middle section of the novel her romantic future is put on hold as she plays cupid for others. I felt as though this took too much focus away from Kitty as a heroine. She pales a bit in comparison to the far more interesting couples and situations around her. I got the impression of her as a kind hearted ingénue, but not much more than that.

Also I felt that Kitty and Jack's past and present relationship was rather poorly defined. We are made to understand that they had some kind of involvement in the past, but the exact nature of it eludes us. Was it a simple school girl crush as Kitty insists? Or was it something deeper than that as Jack seems to believe? This is a problem when Heyer attempts a love-triangle conflict at the stories' climax. Because we do not know whether Kitty really feels anything for Jack at all, there is a definite lack of tension, romantic or otherwise.
In the end, Cotillion is more of a feel good story than anything else. Suspense is minimal, and the novel's true strength lies in the journey and not the destination.

On a side note, there is a lot of unusual and (I suppose) period appropriate vernacular. For example,
"Wonder if he's playing a deep game?.. No saying what might be in his head, a curst rum touch Jack! Shouldn't have thought he'd whistle a fortune down the wind though. Rather fancy he counted the old gentleman's rolls of soft his own. Never knew such a fellow for wasting the ready! Played wily beguiled with his own fortune!" Pg 48-49.


Recommended if you love regency stories or light-hearted cozy reads.

Everyone loves an alpha hero, whether he's a Duke or a Navy SEAL. Everyone loves competence, good looks, and a quick wit. In "Cotillion", you will find yourself rooting for the very antithesis of those heroes. Freddy is a total Beta. He isn't very quick on the uptake, hasn't any particular wit, and, although he dresses in the height of Regency fashion, his appearance is one of amiable vacuity...or a startled rabbit, when circumstances get out of hand, as they so frequently do. What Freddy does have, in abundance, is warmth, kindness, generosity, and a willingness to go out of his comfort zone to extricate his pretend-fiance, Kitty, from the predicaments her impulsivity launches her into.

Freddy grows on you as the book progresses. From being Kitty's dupe to becoming her savior, you will savor the charms of Mr. Nice Guy, Regency-era version. There are delightful subplots, with a host of well-rounded characters: Lord Dolphinton, the lackwitted cousin who is terrified of his mother and in love with a bourgeoise woman; the Chevalier, Kitty's French cousin who falls for a lovely damsel being groomed for a life as a courtesan; and Freddy's father, who is actually one of the alpha males we would normally expect.

I believe there are superior books by Heyer: Frederica, The Grand Sophy, and Venetia, to name a few. But you shouldn't miss Cotillion, because it is such a triumph for Nice Guys everywhere, as well as being incredibly funny.

I first discovered Georgette Heyer when I was a teenager. I read her book Friday's Child and was completely hooked. Cotillion is one of my favorites. The interweaving of the romances of four different couples is delightful. By the end of the book, you feel as if you have spent time with friends.

I cannot recommend Heyer's books too highly. She, in my opinion, created the Regency romance genre (Ms. Austen's books were the contemporary novels of her period.) Heyer created a fictional, glittery, aristocratic world which which is still being utilized by historical romance and regency novelists today. It is interesting to note that she is being republished under historical romances - a genre that relies heavily on sexual escapades. Heyer's books are romantic but not sexual. She is able to build a tension which culminates with a kiss rather than a bed romp.

These are books you can enjoy and still pass to your younger daughters, sisters, etc. without worrying that the subject matter is too mature.

I can only wish that Ms. Heyer wrote twice the number of books she did. I own each in hardcover and am purchasing my set of "reader" copies as Sourcebooks republishes her works.

This is the fourth and sadly the last of the Julian Kestrel Mysteries.

I have enjoyed reading all of the books in this series. The first three take place in England while this story unfolds in Italy.

In Italy a wealthy nobleman, Lodovico Malvezzi, was murdered five years ago, the true cause of his death was concealed for years and has only recently been disclosed to his family. The prime suspect in Malvezzi's murder is the young English tenor he was grooming for a career on stage. The singer's true identity was unknown to all but Malvezzi, who concealed it from everyone and referred to the singer only as 'Orfeo'. Orfeo vanished five years ago.

I thought this was the most intricate story of all the Julian Kestrel mysteries. I enjoyed learning more about Julian's youth and upbringing.
I was surprised several times by the twists and turns of the story and I was pleased that I figured out who the murderer was. And just as I was wishing for a particular thing to happen, the author granted my wish!

I'm very sad that Kate Ross has left us and with her died Julian Kestrel.

If you like historical novels and mysteries my guess is you will like this as well. I recommend reading the Julian Kestrel Mysteries in the order they were written.

Once again I liked the list of the cast of characters and the map of the region.

This excellent fiction falls between four and five stars, and I'm rounding up, as a generous Italian may have during the lively festival that occurs in one segment of the book. The late Ms. Ross has chosen an unusual time and place for her intrigue and historical backdrop, 1820s northern Italy post-Napoleon, and an atypical hook with the opera in a key role. Those fundamentals bring a freshness to the story, as providing the background on the political scene, culture, the meaning of rank relative to the peasants, daily life and music gave Ms. Ross plenty of room for overview and vivid detail without being stale.

The length (440 pages) came in a little too long for me, with some trimming certainly possible. The wrap-up after the climax was a little disjointed, as there was quite a bit of dialog in the remaining scenes finishing the story and explaining much of the complexity. The plus side of the length is that she gave depth to the background and characters, with multiple threads, all related. I can't recall any completely irrelevant subplots, as seemingly every character who appeared more than a trivial amount somehow figured into the plot itself or its resolution. Many tidbits read as obvious clues - they just won't be obvious in meaning. For example, Julian discovers that a servant is literate and knows Latin, highly unusual at the time. If you don't figure out why that matters, you will eventually.

Don't be scared off if you have no interest in opera and think this is a story for specialists. Music lovers may have an extra appreciation of the scenes at the opera, perhaps, but the connection is handled lightly enough and with enough explanation to be entertaining and informative for the casual reader. I say that as someone with virtually no interest in opera.

Also have no fear of reading "The Devil in Music" without any familiarity with Julian Kestrel from her three other novels. Ms. Ross included sufficient background for you to get the idea, and I assume that this one stands well enough on its own that those three wouldn't necessarily have given the reader a better chance of solving the mystery early.

Julian seemed almost too good to be true, living the life of the "dandy" and blending with the aristocracy that somehow keeps itself occupied and (usually) funded. And he's a natural with the servants and peasants, too. Smart, sophisticated, musically talented and courageous, who could blame him for his attraction to Beatrice or another sultry, spirited Italian. Some other characters, such as the unfriendly Grimani and the murdered marchese, have enough edge to be plausible and interesting.

How did a trial lawyer manage to write such an intelligent novel? It's sad to imagine what else she may have published in the ten years since this fine work.

I grieve for the marvelous Kate Ross, who died after penning three of the best novels in any genre. Luckily, the strength of her writing (plot, characters, feeling for historical setting) allow for endless re-reading. The Devil in Music is, to pun, a virtuoso masterpiece. A tense manor house mystery becomes something far more grand, with much more reach when it is set against political upheaval in 1820's Italy. The role the opera serves that piece of society, the effect music has on every soul are both explored, but in a way that does not necessitate a previous knowledge of any of the subject matter. Julian Kestrel's man-servant provides an outsider's view of everything, particularly of political high fliers and of those who hide behind costumes for the opera. He serves as Tolstoy's Natasha at the theatre.
Ross lets the tension ease only to bring it on more strongly. The reader is gripped from beginning to end by the intense personalities of the main characters. Evil seems to lurk everywhere, and only the astute Julian Kestrel will ever be able to see things for what they are--and they are very, very unexpected.

Kate Ross left us far too early, but as the reviewer below stated, she did leave us with Julian Kestrel. And for that, we are grateful.

What an amazing fourth book. Unlike the previous three in the series, this one does not take place in England, but in Italy. The ending was as surprising a twist as any twist I've read in recent memory. The plot is rich, the characters are colorful, the dialogue wonderful, and Julian is once again the character you stand up and cheer for. Please do not be put off by the thickness of the book. The pages fly by and when it's finished, you'll find yourself wanting more.

These are the Julian Kestrel books in chronological order:

Cut to the Quick
A Broken Vessel
For Whom the Gods Love
The Devil in Music

I heartily recommend this series to everybody, not just historical mystery fans.

Kate Ross's body of work may be small - only four Julian Kestrel novels - but it stands up to the greats of the genre. All the Kestrel novels are rewarding reads and this is the best of the four. As much about the passionate love of music as passionate love itself and what it can drives us to do, The Devil in Music is fine mystery, a fine comedy of manners and a great novel. Kate Ross left us too soon; thankfully she left us with Julian Kestrel.

After reading both David McCullough's biography of Adams and now this one, I have concluded that Ferling's is the better of the two. The main reason is that although McCullough's is slightly more extensive, Ferling's book has a much more realistic view of the man. As his book Almost a Miracle shows the many tactical mistakes that Washington made, this book does the same with Adams. It makes sure to reckognize Adam's flaws as well as his virtues. For example, his frequent hypocracy, his recurrent neglect of family, his indecision, his self doubt, and his many political misjudgements are all fully acknowledged. Yet even with these faults, its overall view of Adams is still that of a great man.

In addition, Ferling's writing is practically as good as McCullough's, so read this book.

I will echo what others have written. This book gives almost every detail of John Adams life. It is an outstanding biography that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical books.

By the last page of this book you'll feel like you personally know John Adams. You'll know what drove him to succeed, his stregths, his weaknesses, his personality and most everything that can be known about a person.

As a detailed and thorough look at the life of a man, this biography is superb.

The first book I read about the times surrounding the American Revolution was "John Adams A Life" by John Ferling. It had the effect of tuning me in to the enormous impact the Adams had during that time. David McCullough has written an equally glorious work on the man who many are unaware of his historical relevance. There is no other American - no other patriot- with the exception of George Washington, who did more toward winning the Revolution and establishing our republican form of government than John Adams. I will go on record as saying that I believe Adams impact on the success of the revolution to be unparalleled. Yes, even George Washington's contribution cannot supplant Adams' role in history. Although Washington's work in the battlefield approaches genius, the key to the victory was Adams' diligent and selfless role in bringing the budding nation's leaders together for the common cause. Without his leadership, the likelihood of victory in the war would have been much more difficult for Washington. Although Adams was admittedly overly concerned with his place in history, his actions were selfless and directed to a single noble cause. Adams could very well have authored the Declaration of Independance but deferred to Jefferson as he knew that his value on the floor of the Continental Congress was much more important. His oratory skills were far superior to Jeffersons and they both knew it. Moreover, much of the verbage in the document came from Adams pen. Adams was a man with many personal flaws, but what makes him so interesting to study is his awareness of these flaws and his honesty in his personal documentation. Reading Jefferson's writings on the contrary seem to be made for the public. Jefferson was also one to avoid conflict while Adams had no fear. If the CC was filled with men like Jefferson, the revolution would surely have been relegated to the next generation. It is unfortunate that Jefferson has received more repute than Adams and hopefully books such as these will change this. Adams wrote to his beloved wife Abagail, "Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men". He may have been correct, but this question would not have been decided if not for his leadership. He also wrote "Mausoleums, statues, monuments will never be erected to me". Hopefullly this statement is not correct and the nation will more fully give him his appropraite due.

This is an excellent biography, following Adams from birth to death in one volume, and detailing both the positive and the negative aspects of the man clearly and fairly. I've been fascinated by Adams ever since seeing the movie "1776", which gives a marvellous "based on fact" dramatization of the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, and this book gave me a more thorough, more strictly factual look at the man. I wasn't disappointed on that score; he's just as interesting without the dramatic liberties taken by the movie.

My only quibble with this book is that the editing, at least in the edition that I have, is rather poor. There are numerous errors in grammatical structure and word choice, the kind of errors that I have become accustomed to in mass market paperbacks but refuse to accept in a scholarly historical work. Things like "he requested that the Congress name his successor be named in his place" and "...the British ... was ready" and "the New England sates" (rather than "States") and "the House of Representative" (even back then, there was more than one representative in the House) and "the dreary weather proved not be a herald of the months ahead" and many others. I understand that mistakes happen, and don't demand perfection. But there are just too many of this kind of error in this book for me to say that it is well-written; probably two dozen, if I had to guess.

Overall, this is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating president. Hopefully, future editions will clean up the writing a bit more.

Finest biography on Churchill ever written. A pity Manchester died before completing the third book of the trilogy.

William Manchester informs and entertains in this excellent historical account of the critical years leading up to WWII, juxtaposing the appeasement practices of predecessors Baldwin and Chamberlain with the unwavering belief in the principles of freedom held by Churchill. The book (along with Manchester's first volume) gives terrific insight into the transition from the glory days of the British Empire to the Post WWI apathy that beset the British public. As well, the work provides delightful commentary on the characters surrounding Churhill's life including his colorful mother Jennie, his wife Clementine and his nemesis Adolf Hitler.

The Last Lion, Alone covers the history of Europe from the time Hitler first came to power in Germany to the time that Hitler invaded the Low Countries and World War II began. During this period Churchill, who continually fought against the appeasement policies of Chamberlain, rose from Back Bench irrelevance to become Brittan's Prime Minister.

The history of this period is a gripping saga of one man's malicious attempt to dominate Europe and another man's noble efforts to stop him - a classical case of good vs evil - told as an almost unbelievable story in the words of a master story teller.

I was adrift when I finished this volume.
grasping at pathetic things to read for a while - nothing satisfied - Manchester can set the stage, his historical background is so rich that you'll find yourself spouting about it to your friends.

You'll learn more from this book than a two semester course in 20th century history.

Churchill himself is the lead player in a panapoly of exciting elements. But manchester never lets the reader forget the place in history - the man was a masterful writer.

After the fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill was begging USA President Roosevelt for military aid (in fact, all sorts of support was then needed) as no one knew what would the 'fate' of the French fleet was going to be.
Churchill kept reminding the American president that Britain would not surrender even if left alone.
Churchill was defiant despite the fact that the two 'key' American ambassadors, in France and Great Britain, were pro Hitler (or at least they were not anti-Nazi).
Joseph Kennedy (USA Ambassador to GB) openly cautioned his fellow Americans against entering the war because the 'allies' would soon be beaten.
However, I would have liked to see more comments about the position and reaction of the king - king George VI.
Was he indifferent?
We should remember that Hitler had been addressing the King as the man whom the British Government circles have loathed, and as the only 'hope' for a reconciliation between the Third Reich and GB.
In this context it is true that Churchill was indeed ALONE

Welcome to Mason County, where even the census takers were baffled when they came to a town where blacks looked white. Isabel is the main character in this story. Every one calls her Belly in Mason County. That all changes when a series of events after her childhood friend Teeny got pregnant, led her to Jamison county to stay with her Aunt Rachel. She takes piano lessons from a woman name Ophelia that calls her Isabel, shows her what a real lady is, wins over her heart, and also the heart of Uncle Avery, Aunt Rachel's husband. This causes a lot of problems in Belly's life and causes her to learn a lot life's lessons pretty early. This book was written very beautifully and opened my heart back up to my childhood. I won't tell the rest of the story but all of the characters were endearing and I'll never forget them.

Revisit childhood and relive it in a marvelous way! I felt that I grew up with Belly during the tale of "Miss Ophelia". After reading how her family interacted with each other, their personalities and histories, I felt like I knew them. I laughed out loud at their antics and conversations. You probably will too!

The book seems to start off a little slow in the beginning, but don't let that fool you. This is one to savor. It takes time to get to know this family and watch Isabel (Belly) come of age. While there were events that many of us could relate to, this book lacked the over-the-top, crazy drama that can be found in some other books about childhood family experiences. How refreshing! Belly actually had a good childhood! It was joy to read about. She also had some tough issues to deal with, and this kept the book grounded in reality.

Belly spent part of an important summer taking piano lessons from Miss Ophelia. Miss Ophelia left a powerful influence on Belly, and their time together was a "defining moment" in Belly's life. The way the author described their interaction and other aspects of Belly's life before and after was beautiful. I could picture everything, but the writing style wasn't too wordy. The style was very natural, and the characters seemed so authentic.

I took my time reading this book and looked forward to reading it every time I picked it up. I felt so contented while reading it and satisfied even after I'd finished it. I highly recommend this book. Reading it is time well spent.

This story is sooooo wonderfully written and told. This is one hot summer that readers will surely enjoy. The summer heat is not just in temperature, the heat also rises from the pages in the form of anger and passion.

This story of young Isabel (Belly) is very endearing. Each summer, Belly visits with her aunt and uncle in rural Virginia. She learns lessons that are never taught in summer school. When Miss Ophelia teaches Belly to play the piano, she also teaches her life lessons about love, friendship, responsibility, and accountability.

Though she appears to be very quiet, Miss Ophelia has deep passions about music and love which she eventually shares with others. You will enjoy the music as well as those who play it!

this book was an excellent read. it captured the whole time era and gracefuly put it into words. the author of this book seems to draw the reader into being a part of the novel. she gives you the sense of being there as a bystander, watching and understanding Belly's life that summer. i love the plot, the use of words and the key message. of friendship. i hope this isn't the last piece of work by this author. i highly recommend this book. you'll never want to put it down, and will continuosly find yourself hoping that it never ends.

This book hit me where the heart is!!! The characters: Belly, Willie, Miss Janie, Miss Rachel, Mama, Uncle Avery, Miss Pheenie, And of course, the lovely and dearest of all, Miss Ophelia. When I first got into the book,( first quarter of the book),It primarily focused on teen pregnancy and the main character (Belly's) best friend, Teenie getting sent away to get "rid of her problem", which hurt Isabel Anderson/Walker.
The way the book portrays Miss Opelia, and her warm and kind personality was so well-written, that in the end, I cried, thinking about the True love that could never be, between...
Oh!!!!! Youre just going to have to read the book and see why most of these people(including myself, of course) rated this book 5 stars.

Atmosphere and a strong sense of place make this novel excerpt about early 20th Century New Orleans a delightful yet very dark treat. You can feel the magic swirling above the city's squalid streets and quarters, and Maistros gets the sound of people's thoughts and voices just right. The opening imagery turns downright unforgettable, setting the stage for what can only be darker events to come. Characters' moral struggles, only hinted at in this beginning section, will clearly take center stage in a tale that uses the sultry air and sound of the Big Easy to great advantage. Coupled with a dark yet evocative title, and lyrical prose, The Sound of Building Coffins is a promising start to the kind of book we expect to "break out" and bring the author to prominence. Based on the start, it would be highly deserved.

The music and the magic...and the gruesome details. What a fantastic book. Reading THE SOUND OF BUILDING COFFINS is like stepping through a portal into a dark yet tasty past. The sights, sounds, and scents of New Orleans are here, the real emotions of real people, and the compelling lure of jazz music.

And like THE BIG PUNCH, Maistros's first novel, this thing will knock the wind out of you.

I'm looking forward to his next one.

This exerpt is driving me crazy. It features profoundly haunting images (perhaps uplifting, perhaps disturbing), unique, believable characters, and a strong sense of place. It's an exerpt from a larger work, and it's stuck in my head like a moving song I can only remember the chorus of.

Amazon, why not provide a link to let me buy the complete novel - at least in in e-book format?

The Sound of Building Coffins by L. Maistros presents a masterfully crafted introduction to the world of Voodoo and mystical realism in New Orleans.

We begin by following Typhus Morningstar, one of a clan of siblings with 'sickly' names. At nine, Typhus works (so far) as a deliverer of unborn babies to their watery rebirth. The scene of transfiguration from dead fetus to live catfish is extremely thought provoking as well as paints touching and magical imagery. There is definitely something special about this boy.

Noonday Morningstar, father of Typhus' family and Baptist minister, hears God's voice every day; sometimes every minute. He has little choice but to follow the call. That's his lot. One call brings him to the home of an ailing one-year-old. While reading scripture to the child, the voice of Jesus calls out for Noonday to scram. What follows in the scene with the child is eerily provocative and telling of the mystical forces at work behind Voodoo.

The author does an excellent job a relaying this story through various perspectives. I was completely enthralled throughout. While there were a small handful of incomplete sentences (the subject was MIA), no other flaws were noted and nothing really comprised the overall flow of the story. Job well done.

Oh why did PW miss this? The opening's grand--a midnight ride in Storyville-era New Orleans. Can it get more moon-dark-midnight than this? A kid named Typhus on an errand with a burlap sack in his bicycle basket...

Of course, I wonder what parent would name their kid Typhus. Noonday Morningstar claimed naming his children for diseases was for God's glory.

Typhus isn't a complex kid. He doesn't appear to hate his name or anything else. He likes things simple and he hopes he never grows past the point of a simple cure for his problems:

"Typhus loved his midnight bicycle rides. The sound of the water, the feel of night air against his skin, and the acrid smell of burning tar; it all conspired into a comforting sense of oneness with his father's God. And that's all his child's heart had ever really pined for. Not much else, anyway."

On those rides, Typhus gives life to the lifeless--and catfishes to the river. His friend, Marcus, has a strange obsession with fishes, too. Sometimes he catches perfectly good ones and throws them back...

Oh, why don't I have the rest of this? The characterization is good. The feel is dark as 87% cacao and just as bittersweet. I don't know why Penguin or PW missed this excerpt, but I'm glad I saw it and had an opportunity to make note. The writing's submission quality and the story's quite different.

Congratulations, Louis Maistros, on an excerpt well done. I wish I had the rest and I will be looking for the book. I hope it hits my store's shelves soon.

Words don't do Ted Dekker justice I love all his books! This was one of those books once you pick up it is so hard to put down!!

Allow me to be honest: I resisted reading Christian fiction for a long time because I thought it would be, well, boring. I'm a Christian, but sermons are for the pulpit, not the printed page. Or so I thought. Thunder of Heaven completely sideswiped me with a great opening, a fast pace, and an interesting cast of characters who pop with realism. My favorite is Casius, a CIA assassin. The book follows him and the daughter of two married missionaries as they grapple with the slaughter of their parents and try to stop a terrorist attack. The jungle setting is a cool stage for this story to play out. The only time I realized I wasn't reading a thriller shaped by any of the great writers of our time is when the author dropped in a spiritual insight or two-and even those were interesting. I highly recommend this book.

Thunder of Heaven is better than Heaven's Wager yet not as great as When Heaven Weeps. Now of course this is all relative to your kind of story. Thunder of Heaven is a shorter story that has more action than the previous 2. It takes place in a jungle and that setting alone creates a great plot. I don't know if Ted intended a twist in it or not but after the first attack on the homes I knew who was who in the future. The surprise wasn't as big as say Thr3e was...but again, Ted himself has said that he writes different kinds of stories each time. He's almost like the book version of M. Night Shaymalan(sp?)

I have several Ted Dekker novels and they are all entertaining and thought provoking. 'Thunder Of Heaven' is no exception.

Dekker has blended an action plot involving terrorists with a nuclear device, romance, and spiritual themes. I am not one who enjoys romance, but the author does it in a way that is not obnoxious or overdone.

The action rolls along at a good pace and keeps the reader's interest throughout.

There was one error that should have been avoided. This may be somewhat of a spoiler so read further at your own risk. When one of the characters is imprisoned for a terrorist plot, he is located in the 'Canyon City Correctional Facility'. A participant in international terrorism would not be incarcerated in a local or state facility. It is a federal crime so he would be in a federal prison. With the type of crime and skill set/threat level possessed by this person, he would likely be housed in a United States Penitentiary (USP). This may not be a huge issue, but I think that technical accuracy is important in a good novel.

In spite of that one issue, I would recommend this book as well as any others I have read by Dekker. He is a highly skilled author who keeps one's attention.

I really enjoyed this novel. This is the first book I've read by Dekker and I found him to be an excellent read. It delievers a good blend of action, revenge, romance, and religion. I also liked the fact that the story was told from most of the character's point of view. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I'm not really religous and that whole "love of God" thing held no meaning for me. Altogether a great story with some issues about terrorism that hit close to home.

This is a collection of essays about the first twelve rulers to bear the name Caesar. It is the definitive collection of eyewitness stories about the early emperors as they were seen by their contemporaries.

The rulers covered by this book include Julius Caesar, his adopted son Augustus and his descendents, the warlords who contended for power in the "Year of Four Caesars" after Nero was overthrown, and the Flavians.

In other words, the full list of twelve is:

Julius Caesar
Augustus
Tiberius
Gaius Caligula
Claudius
Nero
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian.

If you want to understand the early Roman Empire, you need to read this book. If you are a budding novelist and want to write about the early Empire, you need to read this book.

Robert Graves, author of "I Claudius" and "Claudius the God" translated this version: not surprisingly many of the snippets of gossip and fascinating little stories from Suetonius find their way into his novels. They also find their way into every good novel about first century Rome that I have ever read, absolutely without exception.

You should not take for granted that every word of Suetonius's account is accurate. For example, he supports the story that Nero set fire to the city of Rome, and then sang an aria as he watched the city burn. (This is story is often misquoted as Nero having fiddled while Rome burned - an impossibility since the violin had not been invented.)

Some modern historians have made a strong case that this was a clever libel spread by Nero's contemporary opponents, that Nero was actually away from the city when the fire broke out and hurried back to Rome to personally lead the fire-fighting efforts.

If they are right it does not cast doubt on Suetonius's integrity as a reporter of what was said about the emperor, because there is no dispute that the story of Nero singing while Rome burned was widely believed at the time. As the saying goes, "Si non e vero, e ben trovato" - if it's not true, it's well invented. Aspects of the story certainly seem in character with many of Nero's other proclivities including his love of art, enormous vanity, and complete ruthlessness. However, it illustrates that Suetonius does seem to have a propensity to repeat every snippet of gossip he heard about the early emperors, with rather less selectivity and critical judgement than the other great ancient historians, Herodotus and Thucydides.

However, for this very reason, though perhaps he is a whisker behind Herodotus and Thucydides as a historian, Suetonius is far and away the most entertaining of the three.

The translation by Graves is very easy to read. This is one of the most important, fascinating, and informative works of ancient history which was ever written.

That question can be solved by me by choosing the former simply because of what survives of his work and here it is: The Twelve Caesars. Tacitus is the other great Roman historian but what survives of his two masterpieces: The Annals and The Histories, is not as comprehensive as what is found in The Twelve Caesars.

The Twelve Caesars is definatley my favorite historical work of the Roman Empire. In it, Suetonious goes over the actions and character of not only the entire Julio-Claudian dynasty but the Flavian as well, making The Twelve Caesars cover roughly 138 years.

This is probably the best historical account of the emperors of the Roman Empire and is the best introduction to other works such as the great works of Tacitus.

lunatics that ruled Rome in the first century, & told very well in the audio cassette format. As history it is not much but as biography it is informative & entertaining. Apparently the mores & standards of decency were much diiferent than they are today. Most of these 12 Caesars did not not rule very long but they impacted the Empire probably for a long time after. I'd like to read more about the individuals that followed Domitian & before Julius thus supplementing other well known works such as the Fall of the Roman Empire. This book however, is a good start.

Suetonius grew up in the years following Nero's reign and wrote these histories while he was the secretary of the emperor Hadrian in the early second century A.D. His book covers the successive reigns of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.

The stories focus on the emperors themselves more than the events which took place under their reigns and, although there's certainly some truth to those emperors, many of Suetonius' facts are anecdotal stories and rumors. Suetonius has therefore been called one of the first tabloid writers. Nevertheless, his biographies are rather concise and systematic; touching upon the physical attributes of the ruler, his background, the good deeds (if any) in his reign and then, of course, the bad deeds.

Robert Graves' translation is superb and carries the jovial mood of the writings quite well. I can't help but be amused at some of the stories Suetonius recites on Nero and Caligula as they are definitely two of the most eccentric emperors (to put it lightly)that ever ruled the Principate. For example, when Nero first inaugurated his new gigantic Golden House with a mile-long corridor and a 130' statue of himself at the entrance, he was said to have exclaimed, "At last! I can live like a human being!"

The Twelve Caesars is the first classical book I ever read, and it fascinated me to no end. I'd recommend this is a starter book for anyone interested in the History of Political Power. Gore Vidal reviewed this book years ago, and he wrote an excellent piece about it--the nature of power, the perversions it causes, and the absurd humanity of it All. Hopefully there won't be another Tiberius as President of the USA (we only have our cheap Clintonius) but it's fun to wonder what may become of our American Empire. Please, please buy this book.

Very good book. I don't write the best reviews, but I try not to give the book away. Lauren returns home after she recieves a letter from her fathers lawyer. She left home when she was young and returns a woman. Her father made arrangements for her to marry their neighbor Garret. She loved him when she was younger and still does love him. The book was really good. I have read it twice, along with the other ones in this series. I just don't remember everything, I read too many books to remember. Anyway like I already said the book is very good.

I loved it !!! The four books of the series are great but that one was my favorite !!!

I have never been disappointed by Constance O'Banyon, and she has never proven me wrong. I read Lauren's and Garret's story three times. If you believe in love ever after, you will love this book. If you don't, you will still love this story. Ms. O'Banyon, when are you going to come out with another book?

I am definately one of your biggest fan. I need more to of your books to read.

I don't have much time to read so when I do I want the book to be good. I have always counted on Constance O'banyon for that and she has never let me down. I found THE AGREEMENT to be a wonderful story. Garret Lassitor loved Lauren since she was young and he had the grace and goodness to wait until she grew up to tell her. That's my idea of a hero. If you want a good love story, you can't go wrong with this one.

Constance O'Banyon is an amazing romance author. In my opinion, The Agreement (Secret Fires) novel was one of her best stories. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The story captured sweet innocence, fiery romance, stubborn feelings and heartwarming scenes. You will get it all in this full-filling love story. I sighed heavily at the end because I was sad it was over. I was so involved in the characters that I didn't want the story to end--of course, the ending was the best part, and I'll definitely read it again. Do yourself a big favor and draw a bath, light some candles, and READ THIS WONDERFUL BOOK!