On-the-tape

This is the seventh in O'Brian's 20-volume series. It follows the now well-established formula, as Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin sail smoothly from one book to the next. This book is really two tales, two unconnected sea voyages, split by an interlude in England that feels more like an intermission. Picking up where the previous volume left off, the two find themselves in Canada where Aubrey's behavior may surprise you. The first voyage brings them home for the first time in many months (and three volumes). The heart of the story is the second voyage that takes them to the Baltic for the first time (both for them and for readers) on an intelligence mission. As the voyage ends, they find themselves in France and Maturin at his most interesting in extricating them from a dilemma and in reconnecting with Diana Villiers.

O'Brian is simply a great writer. This series is not for everyone, for the prose is spare and sophisticated, the plotting both delicate enough to sustain readers for many volumes on end, yet bold enough to satisfy fans of adventure tales. The nautical terms are easily mastered, this is not a book for sailors, but for readers who enjoy good adventure stories.

The Surgeon's Mate picks up where The Fortune of War left off. In the previous installment our boys had escaped from Boston just in time to participate in the epic battle between the Chesapeake and the Shannon. Victorious they arrive in Halifax and more trouble begins. Aubrey's lack of land sense and Maturin's unrequited love for Diana continue to cause them problems. In fact they are the underlying tensions that follow them through each episode in the novel. Along the way we are treated to O'Brian's philosophical discussions between his two quirky heroes and among their assorted friends and associates. Like the others in the series The Surgeon's Mate is a gem.

Unlike earlier novels the action in The Surgeon's Mate is non-stop. O'Brian, always excellent in his characterization and use of language, has considerably improved the pacing from the earliest series entries. The reader is treated to the heroes travelling from Halifax to England to the Baltic to Paris and back to England in a rousing tour-de-force. Does O'Brian lose anything with the faster pace of The Surgeon's Mate? Absolutely not, he still has the strengths of the earlier books.

One aspect of the series that has made it great is the ability of O'Brian to set some of the thorny discussions of our times in the context of the early 19th century. In The Surgeon's Mate, the abortion issue creates a marvelous balanced tension. O'Brian's presentation is even handed, airing both sides of the debate but ultimately not choosing sides. O'Brian has moderated some of the great debates of the last 30 years in his Aubrey Maturin series while providing great naval action along the way.

Perhaps it's time to put O'Brian's novels in a special category- six stars.

Patrick O'Brian evokes John Le Carre in "The Surgeon's Mate", the 7th volume in the splendid Aubrey/Maturin series. Having fled their American captors, Aubrey and Maturin endure a perilous chase by American privateers before arriving safely back in England, with Maturin renewing his relationship with Diana Villiers. Maturin journeys to Paris, ostensibly to lecture on natural history, while on yet another secret mission for Sir Joseph Blaine, inspite of the fact that he's become well known to French authorities for his intelligence activities in the New World. Aubrey is temporarily given command of a sloop, HMS Ariel, and sets out on an intelligence mission with Maturin to the Danish coast. Eventually the ship founders off the coast of France; both Aubrey and Maturin are sent to Paris' infamous Temple prison.

Increasingly popular author Dee Henderson has received critical acclaims for her romance novels with a Christian theme. Her latest, book number three in the uncommon heroes series, is another winner, chock full of espionage, twisted plot turns, and a view of the life of a CIA agent.

Darcy St. James has been retired from the CIA for two years, but when fellow agent Gabriel calls her back to service for one assignment, she cannot refuse. Agreeing to meet former Russian spy, Sergey Alexandrov, at a Florida hotel, Darcy embarks on her assignment. But when the meeting goes awry, Sam Houston,a Navy SEAL she just met, come to her aid.

Darcy's views on retirement are suddenly and irrevocably altered when two days later, planes crash into the twin towers. With the sudden deaths of some CIA colleagues added to the Trade Center disaster, Darcy decides to come out of retirement and help her former agency anyway she can. Her intelligence efforts lead her to repeated encounters with Sam, and their relationship seems to flourish, despite time and distance constraints. Can their relationship survive this war on terror, as they treasure the little time they can spend together?

Ms. Henderson has succeeded admirably in building stepping stones of romance and intrigue with a plot that thickens as the novel progresses. Most fascinating is the bird's eye view of an intelligence agent's work, and the countless hours of investigation and surveillance that are essential when trying to locate the perpetrator. Mixed in with the creative story line are scripture references that have direct bearing on the Sam and Darcy's lives. Fans of Christian romance will be pleased with the characters' focus on their faiths. And those readers of all romance fiction should find much to like in this enthralling novel where the biblical passages show a hidden depth of the main players.

Hi! Once again it's a Christian Romance Reader who feel in love with the story before even knowing the slant of the book...!!! I read Dee Henderson's THE RESCURER (#6) and this last so far of the UNCOMMON HERO TRIO, (#3). I think I should statt at the beginning of the series and work my way forward... (Don't you?) I HAVE all the books in both series. ANYWAY!! I LOVE Dee Henderson and you will too! A real bit of shining sun....!

I really liked this book. Being a stong Christian and an avid supporter of the US military, I found it very refreshing to see both Christianity and the military portrayed so well. Henderson is a skillful writer and knows how to weave a good tale.

The only bad things about this book I can see are a few minor mistakes when it comes to military protocol, but those mistakes in no way take anything from the book.

This is my favorite Uncommon Hero book so far and I'm looking forward to the next one when it comes out.

Being a fan of horror genre,Dean Koontz in particular,and looking to expand my horizons I picked up the Unwanted.At first,I thought this book to be rather similar to Dean Koontz style,but soon I was proven wrong.John Saul is a very solid writer in his own right,from the first pages he creates suspense that captures you and keeps you turning page after page.Some of the book was a bit predictable,but that made the twists in it so much more enjoyable.In the end I found it to be alltogether somewhat darker then Koontz writing,with somewhat ambiguous characters,neither good nor bad,but walking the gray territory in between.There were other differences,which I can't list at the risk of giving away some of the plot and overall I was very impressed.I will certainly be checking out more of John Saul's books and I highly recommend this book to any fan of the horror genre or just a good fast paced read.

I first had the privalage of reading this book about 10 years ago, It was the very first J. Saul book I had ever had the opportunity to read. Needless to say I was very impressed.Since then I have read All of his book. And Am patiently awaiting his next release. I am a avid readerof many different Auther, types, & styles. I have not ran across many writers or books for that matter that have Kept me that glued to each page until the very end. (I literally didn't put it down until I was through with it. LATE NIGHT)

For some reason, I always get this book mixed up with "Second Child," probably because of the similar plot lines--a young woman is orphaned and then taken in by her distant family in New England. Plus it's been several years since I've read this book (sometime during my high school or middle school years), which adds to the confusion.

Anyway, the similarities between the two books are fairly obvious, in that the protagonist, 15-year-old Cassandra "Cassie" Winslow, loses her mother in a car crash in California and is consequently sent to live with her estranged father and his new family in False Harbor, Massachusetts, a setting that gives "The Unwanted" its somewhat Puritan/witch trial charm. It's here that a triangle of psychic power is reawakened between Cassie, Eric Cavanaugh (her 16-year-old neighbor), and Miranda Sikes (the local bag lady/witch who's been haunting her dreams lately). Soon Cassie becomes aware of powers she never knew she had--powers that are dangerous enough to kill. ("Carrie," anyone?)

"The Unwanted" is certainly a must-read if you're a Saul fan and/or enjoy supernatural horror. This is one of many good books by him.

This is perhaps the most enjoyable of Plato's dialogues, and one of the most enduring.

Plato imagines his mentor Socrates, the comic playwright Aristophanes, and other Athenian luminaries of the Golden Age met for a dinner party and a night of discussion on the nature of love. The various guests present their positions in manners ranging from thoughtful to hilarious, but all of this is but an appetizer for the main course: Socrates' concept of Eros as the fuel for the soul's ascent to the Divine, as revealed in Socrates' reminiscence of his own mentor, Diotima, the woman of Mantinea. At the end, a drunken Alcibiades breaks in upon the festivities to reveal Socrates as an avatar of the very divine Eros which he praises.

Robin Waterfield's Oxford translation is one of the best. He captures each speaker's individual idiom, a major translational feat in itself. That he is able to do so and also render the text into lucid modern English is a further coup. The Oxford edition also includes an extensive introduction, very helpful notes, and a complete bibliography.

The Symposium is great philosophy, great literature, an intimate peek at the social life of one of western civilization's formative eras, a work of spiritual inspiration and transformation, and, not least, a wonderful read. Most highly recommended!

The symposium is Plato's famous dialogue on love. He brings together some of the greatest minds of Athens and together they debate the nature of Eros, the parentage of Love, and the Divine. Aristophanes, the comic, explains the human desire to unite with another using his favorite device: humor. Socrates, for whom Plato obviously has enormous admiration, gives us more pearls of wisdom, this time concerning love, beauty, and the ascent of man. Even the great general and statesman Alcibiades makes a cameo toward the end scene of the dinner-party.

At the very least, we learn about the Greek concept of Love. From this book we may garner a far deeper understanding of Eros than we might have previously hoped. This is the finest of Plato's works, in my opinion.

The Symposium will continue to tower among Western literature as a work of truly insightful genius. Buy this book and be prepared for enlightenment.

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Plato's "Symposium" is the story of Agathon's dinner party where conversation takes place with a small group of men, who recline, eat and drink around a table offering their views on Love. This story is an amazing account of how intelligent and yet so different a culture the men from ancient Greece were compared to our society today. Each speaker has this most amazing ability to tell two stories at the very same time, an creative artistic movement of what love 'is' in each and every story. applying and , metaphorically. intertwining a cultural, mythological story of the gods, giving far deeper meaning. In addition to this, the love relationships and sexual nature of these men also permeate an entire cultural feel to the story, enveloping a radical differentiation from our de-mystified and de-enchanted world back into a once existing world of substantial meaning and profundity.

Phaedrus, speaks first and relates how love is the greatest good, the beautiful, is shameful of ugly things and how only lovers are willing to die for one another.

The second speaker, Pausanias, applies two types of love, one Aphrodite, a common base love working at random with men's feelings, for money, for loving physical bodies, boys, men and women. The other type of love, from a much younger goddess, being a higher type, the heavenly, who only loves other men and boy love, but this is not physical body love but from affection of the mind of virtue and wisdom..

Aristophanes has the hiccups, so it is Eryximachus, a doctor, who speaks third, applying the idea of love as a double love; "for bodily health and disease are by common consent different things and unlike, and what is unlike desires and loves things unlike." p.82 The god of art was said to implant love as a healing art, all such love guided by this god. "It is quite illogical to say that a harmony is at variance with itself or is made up of notes still at variance." "So love as a whole has great and mighty power, or in a word, omnipotence ."

Aristophanes, the comic writer, gives a moving account of Love as a absolute human need, a desire for completion to the point of each person once shaped differently being cut in half, taking our current shape, in need of the other to complete the whole of what we once were. "For first there were three sexes, not two as at present, male and female, but also a third having both together," and they were violent, strong and forceful and would even attack the gods. So Zeus and the other gods held a meeting and decided to cut them in halves and make them weaker. From then on, they were sexually drawn to one another, both heterosexual and homosexual, reasons all due to the way of the cutting of the halves.Lesbianism and boy to man love is freely spoken of and justified according to this story of the gods. His moving speech on the beauty and virtue of love however, is according to Socrates, true only in the sense of romanticism and fictional idolatrous admiration of what love should be. For Socrates found such a romantic explanation of love as untrue to what love really is and what love contains, as it does not contain all the beauty and good.

The fourth speaker, Agathon gives a moving speech on the beauty and virtue of love however, it is according to Socrates, true only in the sense of romanticism and fictional idolatrous admiration of what love should be. "For all the gods are happy . . and love is the happiest of them all being the most beautiful and best . . the youngest of gods." In his speech, love is every good, virtuosos and beautiful thing.

The last speaker, Socrates, found such a romantic explanation of love to be untrue, for what desires good, virtue and wisdom is only something that does not contain such, something lacking, and therefore lacking it desires such things. Love only desires what it lacks. Love is neither beautiful nor ugly. "To have right opinion without being able to give reason is neither to understand nor is it ignorance. Right opinion is no doubt something between knowledge and ignorance."

It is so interesting how common and free sexuality and homosexuality were, how each man present commented on the beauty of the young men in their glory of youth. Alcibiades, jealous of Agathon, also a young beautiful male, makes a moving speech how Socrates refused his love and how other like young men, also were moved with his amazing wisdom and prose.

While women are generally discounted, and the bonding of affection in male love was considered a higher love by Pausanias, Socrates explanation of love, by far the most profound, was one he received from a woman named Diotima. Here, as another reviewer has stated, shows Plato's the egalitarianism and wisdom, like that of the beauty and ultimate goal of Love.

Later a group of men crash the party and the drinking really gets started. Some leave, while Socrates stays all night, never loosing integrity from his drinking and leaves with all his integrity.

I didn't really want to read another war book, but a friend convinced me he thought this was the best one ever written. However, I came away from it thinking it wasn't as good as "The Forgotten Soldier". The last chapter about the battle over the Moro river was just as good. However, the depth of the first three chapters I felt was diminished by the author's sense of humor and his tendency to exaggerate. For example, the dying of the inscrutable A K Long - taking out his pipe for a smoke and a book to read when he was so seriously wounded, calm in the midst of terror - struck me as unrealistic. In sum, this was a good book but I would say, not really memorable.

This book was a great surprise for me. I picked it up at a local library because I saw the name Mowat and thought, "Funny, Isn't he a Canadian naturalist? What's he doing in the History section?" What followed was a fascinating voyage of war,adventure,hilarity and,ultimately,tragedy and pain. Walking into the experience of WWII with a completely innocent demeanor, anxious to get into a fight, this brilliant writer has many funny and almost fatal false starts. When the fighting gets serious, the glib descriptions of his units treacherous challenges are positively riveting. I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. If you like your war personal, exciting and honest, get this book to a comfortable chair and be prepared to not move for a night and a day. A brilliant book by a Canadian national treasure.

Undeniably the best war memoir written by a Canadian who served in the Second World War. The book chronicles Mowat's experiences in 1943 as a participant in the invasion of Sicily and Italy, and in classic Mowat style captures both the stark reality and lighter side of his experiences. Mowat also wrote a history of his unit--one of the first books he published, and which was later revised (and is somewhat difficult to find at the moment)--entitled The Regiment.

J.M. Dillard once again, in Star Trek First Contact proves why they go to her for the movie novelizations. This is the perfect accoutrement to the movie. It gives us great incite into what the characters might've been thinking. It also gives us some of the scenes that were left on the cutting room floor. Again, a great book that should definitely be read if you've enjoyed the movie!

Star Trek - The Next Generation: First Contact a novel by J.M. Dillard based on the film Star Trek: First Contact story by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Ronald D. Moore is a book that combines one of the Federations greatest threats the Borg with Earth's first warp flight and the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew.

As the relentless Borg work their way toward Earth, the only hope to stop them rests with the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew. Now, the Borg are even more dangerous... stronger and have a devious plan. As the Borg begin to launch their plan of attack against the Federation, a startling confrontation will take them back in time as Earth's first warp space flight is about to take place.

This is a fast paced book and the narrative is spot-on as the character-driven plot makes its way throughout the book. We read about Zefram Cochrane and the Phoenix on the eve of the first warp flight from Earth, the relentless Borg and their Queen as she now wants the U.S.S. Enterprise for herself and of course the "First Contact" with the Vulcans.

What I found to be a most pleasent surprise was that between the book v. movie is that the book gave far more detail. As you read about the characters you get a feel for their emotions and their train of thought. Of course, there are scenes in the book that weren't in the movie, making the book flow much smoother.

The book works on detail and the characters are robust and this makes the story engagingly fascinating... the Borg say, "Resistance is futile," that may have been so, until they came in contact with the Enterprise and her crew. Another wonderful feature in this book is the color pictures of the movie and there is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.

This is an excellent book with a lively portrayl of vivid characters.

As usual, J.M. Dillard does a fine job of remaining true to the source material, while still elaborating on it. The story is an excellent one, with plenty of action and plenty of interesting science-fiction concepts for the more thoughtful to consider. It gives us a bit more insight into the "future history" between the near-collapse of civilization and the beginning of the Federation that has been hinted at but rarely detailed in various episodes of Star Trek, in various generations of series.

The plot and characterization are both excellent and the writing is fluid and professional. The book is a pleasure to read.

This novel is about the trials and tribulations of a woman who is being divorced by her ex-husband.

Central character Claire Raphael seems pretty passive and simply stands by while her husband takes custody of her kids and takes her to the cleaners because she has her own business and earns more money than the ex-husband.

There needed to be more conflict and drama. Maybe, Claire could have kidnapped the children or taken revenge on her ex, for the sake of plot suspense and momentum. Instead, poor Claire waits for the legal system to dole out what little she does end up with.

Also, Claire has to deal with her aging and dying mother, Connie. Why do characters in Barbara Delinsky books call their mothers by their first names always?

Coming off the surreal and mystical "Three Wishes" by Barbara Delinsky, "A Woman's Place" was a let-down, due to the central character's (In "Woman's Place") inability to take action, no matter what it was, regarding her sad situation.

The book just plods along while central character, Claire waits for her situation to change. This novel comes closest to repetitive Danielle Steel novels, since much of "A Woman's Place" is taken up by Claire doing nothing but endlessly and incessantly complaining about her lot in life instead of pro-actively doing something about it.

The book begins with a glossy 8x10 picture of life. Claire has her family, her children, her marriage and her career and, then
everything falls apart. She is booted out of her home, her husband wants a divorce and she looses custody of her children who were her life.
Barbara Delinsky identifies each character in such a way a reader cannot but feel like he/she really knows each person. I had feelings for each character and felt sorry, happy,angry and even love for each of the characters at one time or another during the story.
In the end, each character finds his or her strengths and understandings of the situation they were in and become emotionally healthy again. Scars are left in everyone's life but pain does not stop life from going on.
I highly recommend the book for anyone who likes love stories, stories about life's struggles and triumps or books about surviving life's tragic surprises.

Bravo for Barbara Delinsky. A Woman's Place captures the real-life trauma one woman faces when her world falls apart. This book is smart, thoughtfu, realistic and, for me, portrayed each character with balance and tolerance. I was struck particularly by the main character's strength and how she was able to negotiate and survive one of the most difficult experiences a woman can face. As a reader, I felt her horror and her confusion; this is the sign of a well-crafted and successful book. I heartily recommend A Woman's Place and look forward to Barbara's next book

I am in a group with over 4,000 people and frequently record tapes for my downline. These include many how to's on sponsoring, training, attitude etc.

Many people have suggested that I go national and offer these tapes to the masses. Judy Byers book was recommended to me as the resource to use.

The book is a little dated but still offers powerful information. I had a basic understanding on what to do before reading Byers book but came away with much information.

My only question is why Ms. Byers does not offer this program on audio?

Authors should spin off their books into audio products to wring maximum value out of their work. You will discover how easy it is to create and sell your own spoken-word audio tapes, CDs and downloads. Words on Tape guides you from initial planning through production to selling your new product. Judy Byers has been in the business since 1987. Prior to that she was a radio producer/commentator; she has a gorgeous voice. This is the only book on the subject and it is an outstanding step-by-step guide. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com

Judy Byers is a nationally known consultant to publishing companies. She has specialized in spoken-word audio since 1987. Prior to that she was a radio producer/commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and worked for U.S. radio and television stations. She owns Audio Cassette Producers in Denver, Colorado. The audio-cassette market collects over $4 billion a year in sales, and Words on Tape is an invaluable, fact-filled resource for anyone who hopes to insert themselves in this market. This 230-page trade paperback has a table of contents, an index, and offers multiple appendices, including a comprehensive list of resources, fill-in forms for audio production, and templates to use for audio cassettes. The subjects covered in the main body of the text include the following (with each chapter providing its own particular list of resources): (1) the market for audio publishing; (2) what sells and steps in production; (3) planning your project; (4) copyrights, contracts and ISBN's; (5) budgeting your time and money; (6) scripts and narrators; (7) choosing the right packaging for your audio book; (8) how the production studio works and how much time it takes to record a tape in the studio; (9) what happens at the time of recording; (10) editing the audio tape; (11) duplication and labeling; (12) marketing and sales; (13) selling to bookstores and libraries; (14) information on CD's. This book is a fascinating, extremely practical guide for anyone who has ever wondered what would be involved in getting their words on tape, from self-publishers, to mainstream-published nonfiction writers, to companies offering business seminars. In addition, many authors who have published fiction through mainstream publishers have found that it is an excellent marketing and promotion method to tape their own audio how-to-write-fiction lectures and market them to would-be fiction writers and fans. You can't miss with this book. Highly recommended!

Well since Rick Berman and his production team took over the Star Trek movies, there was a trend to have some of the TV writes work on the scripts for the movies. Rick Berman, Brandon Bragga, and Ronald Moore did the scripts for Generations and First Contact...both of which were very weak stories and seemed like a continuation of the shows. Then Michael Piller tried a script for Inserection, and again it was a weak story. Then for Nemesis, they said "Look let's get an acutal screenwriter to do the screenplay" and they got John Logan, and his screenplay for Nemesis (which this book follows closely) was actually very good.
It was better written, the characters were explored more in depth, and it had a more epic feel to it. This is how a Star Trek movie should be written and acted out. So I would hope whatever movies they do next, they keep the TV writers out, and have actual Movie screenwriters do the stories for the films. Treat the movies like they were movies.

In this story the Enterprise finds a prototype of the android Data near the Romulan neutral zone, and soon after the Enterprise is called upon to visit the planet Romulus at the request of Shinzon, the new Praeter of the Romulan Empire. Shinzon has a mysterious origin, soon to be revealed, and he professes peace between Romulus and the Federation, but can he be trusted? This novel is full of intrigue and action, and becomes philosophical at times, in a well concieved plot, with good character development, a joy to read even after first seeing the movie. Much of this novel centers around Data and what it means to be human, including friendships perhaps worth dying for, very well executed.

I have seen the movie also, I consider it to be one of the two top films for 2002, no exceptions, and about as good as THE WRATH OF KHAN. The screenplay was written by John Logan, Rick Berman, and Brent Spiner, with the novelization by J.M. Dillard, all Star Trek fans in their own right and also great talent. John Logan gives a moving introduction here in this book. This is great page-turning science fiction.

Hi, my name is Daniel Swain at Australia Winnipeg Nimmitabel first of all I am a big Star Trek fan and if you haven't seen Star Trek before I recomend it to evrey body! Any way I will have to give this book 5 stars! It is a excelent book it is based on a Starfleet Captian called Jean-luc Picard and his crew and his ship called Enterprise! Any way Picard encounters his counter part Shinzon who looks excactly like him. It is a big adventure/action story! I recomend this book to evrey body!

Former Congressman Bob Mrazek has done a superb job with "Unholy Fire" following his wonderful first Civil War novel, "Stonewall's Gold." Here is a terrific page turner filled with the horrific stories of the underbelly of corruption and intrigue during Lincoln's presidency. For once the reader is not bombarded with the righteousness of the Union struggle but instead is given an underground tour of the many unfit "military" minds of the Union army combined with the crisp storytelling style and historical accuracy we have come to appreciate from Mrazek. There is much here to savor for both Civil War buffs and anyone looking for a satisfying read. For those Civil War aficiandos out there ... there are overtones here and there of Abel Jones in the wonderful Owen Parry books to be found in Mrazek's best detective narrative. What surprised me the most here is how Mr. Mrazek was able to change his approach from his first novel. The adventurer in him is still very apparent but in many ways this book is much more of a "grown-up" read. There is something for everyone here! One can only hope that there will be many more books to come from Mr. Mrazek! Thank you Congressman ... we still miss you in Huntington, NY!

Mr. Mrazek has once again produced an excellent example of unique historical fiction. I have looked forward to my next opportunity to experience his work since I read his previous book, "Stonewall's Gold." I was not to be disappointed. Furthermore, in many ways, I found this storyline to be even more intriguing.

In support of those previous statements, I would note that Robert Mrazek holds a gift for expressing uncommon levels of detail through his storytelling skills. The resultant product of his efforts is embodied in this outstanding work, which holds both great richness and depth. Indeed, it provided me with the page-turning experience that I enjoy so well.

This tale is set at the beginning of the Civil War (a.k.a. War Between the States or War of Northern Aggression for some of us below the Mason Dixon Line). The story is woven around a young Federal officer who is first exposed to the horrors of war during one of the initial engagements of the conflict, at a place known as Ball's Bluff. True to Mr. Mrazek's talent for unearthing previously unexcavated elements of Civil War fiction, a departure from the expected norm of the genre followed. My hopes were rewarded, as I was subsequently treated to an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at personal struggles, Washington politics of that era (or perhaps any era), and the character of prominent and not-so-prominent military and civilian personalities that molded those early days of war. In deference to future readers' pleasure, I will not divulge elements of the plot that pull these seemingly disparate pieces together, but will instead suffice to say that it was most unique by my experiences. I should also mention that the wrap-up to the ending was quite unexpected.

In summary, I would gauge Mr. Mrazek's book as a "must read" for lovers of historical fiction.

A master storyteller and a masterful work of suspense, mystery, love, and heroism. What an enormous pleasure it was to read this book. With the deft strokes of a Wouk or Vidal at their best, Mrazek captures the mood and spirit of Washington during the Civil War and puts the reader squarely in the middle of a wonderful tale. The characters come alive on the page, both those who actually lived, and those I only wish had lived, including the most beautifully etched Lincoln I've seen realized in fiction. A very special novel.