Political Books - Page 12

At Some Disputed Barricade: A Novel (World War I)

Anne Perry

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Anne Perry’s gift for illuminating the heart’s deepest secrets shines through in her bestselling series of World War I novels. With compelling immediacy, she depicts the struggles of men and women torn by their convictions and challenged by the perils of war.
July 1917. Joseph Reavley, a chaplain, and his sister, Judith, an ambulance driver, are bone-weary as they approach the fourth year of the conflict; the peace of the English countryside seems a world away. On the Western Front, the Battle of Passchendaele has begun, and among the many fatalities from Joseph’s regiment is the trusted commanding officer, who is replaced by a young major whose pompous incompetence virtually guarantees that many good soldiers will die needlessly. But soon he, too, is dead–killed by his own men. Although Joseph would like to turn a blind eye, he knows that he must not. Judith, however, anguished at the prospect of courts-martial and executions for the twelve men arrested for the crime, has no such inhibitions and, risking of her own life, helps all but one of the prisoners to escape.

Back in England, Joseph and Judith’s brother, Matthew, continues his desperate pursuit to unmask the sinister figure known as the Peacemaker–an obsessed genius who has committed murder and treason in an attempt to stop Britain from winning the war. As Matthew trails the Peacemaker, Joseph tracks his comrades through Switzerland and into enemy territory. His search will lead to a reckoning pitting courage and honor against the blind machinery of military justice.

At Some Disputed Barricade is an Anne Perry masterpiece–brilliant, surprising, and unforgettable.


From the Hardcover edition.

Sammy's House

Kristin Gore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The heroine of Kristin Gore’s bestselling inside-the-beltway romp Sammy’s Hill returns, and this time the laughs are richer and the stakes are higher -- at home and in the house (the White House, that is)

Samantha Joyce is many things: Health care policy wonk. Hypochondriac. Lover of Japanese Fighting Fish (and of Charlie Lawton, her Washington Post reporter boyfriend). Jumper-to-conclusions. And when all these identities collide -- as they do most days -- the results are always unpredictable.

Sammy’s role as an advisor to Vice President Robert Gary (RG for short) has led her down some exciting professional paths, like when she accompanies RG on a trip to India to help open pharmaceutical supply lines, and some troubling ones -- like when the president secretly asks her to plumb those lines to acquire as yet unapproved drugs for his own personal use. Her job interferes with her love life, too, after Charlie is transferred to New York for a huge story just when she’s expecting a proposal, and they find that distance combines poorly with Sammy’s dedication to her work and her overactive imagination. And then there’s the surprising -- though ego-pleasing -- series of passes thrown Sammy’s way, culminating in a highly embarrassing photo of a Hollywood hotshot’s hand where it doesn’t belong, published in the pages of Us Weekly . . .

As the dual crises in Sammy’s personal and professional lives come to a head, and her ideals are put to the ultimate test, readers will be flipping pages madly, wondering what might come next. Because in Sammy’s house, anything is possible.

The Collaborator of Bethlehem: An Omar Yussef Mystery (Omar Yussef Mysteries)

Matt Beynon Rees

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One Tough School Teacher 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Omar Yussef is a school teacher in present day Palestine. He takes on the role of detective when a former student is accused of collaboration. This stark portrait of the multi-level conflicts of this region will leave you reeling. The good guys aren't so good and the bad guys can be terrible. Yussef has to dodge all sides even as they're squeezing in on him. He discovers his friends may be enemies or they may be better friends than he could have imagined. And that's the hard part in this part of the world. Things happen so fast, the bodies pile up before the truth comes out. But Yussef never gives in, even if he's getting old, because he gets wiser with every twist. And there are plenty of twists in this plot.

The best part about this book is the depth of explanation for character motives and desires. No one is a cardboard cut out, and Yussef has more facets than a fine diamond. Rees deserves all the accolades for this book. His grasp of the subject matter is remarkable.

Editorial Review:

The murder of a leader of the Palestinian Martyrs Brigade leads to the arrest of George Saba, a Palestinian Christian accused of collaborating with the Israelis. Omar Yussef, a modest history teacher at a United Nations school in the West Bank, is impelled to investigate the murder to exonerate his former pupil, who he knows is innocent. As he struggles to save George, Omar Yussef is drawn into a complex plot where it is impossible to tell friend from enemy.

Cuban Death-Lift

Randy Wayne White

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fun, early White novel 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

There are many ways to categorize fiction. One category I'd like to propose is "disposable" fiction. Disposable fiction is made up of those (relatively) cheap paperbacks filled with stories that are almost pure action; it tends to be brief (rarely more than 250 pages), simply written and usually targeted to a very specific demographic: Harlequin-style romances for women and adventure fiction for men. Many of the writers who produce disposable fiction are borderline hacks, churning out potboilers quickly and with little creativity; they often need to adhere to strict formulas and have little control over the direction of the stories.

Randy Wayne White started out his career as a disposable fiction writer. The difference is that White is a good writer, and even in his early books, his gifts shine through. His Dusky MacMorgan books will never be mistaken for great literature (as even he admits in his introduction), but they are entertaining.

In the third MacMorgan book, Cuban Death-Lift, Dusky is recruited by a federal agent buddy nicknamed Stormin' Norman (this was written, by the way, long before a real Stormin' Norman would come to prominence in the Gulf War of the early 1990s). Norm wants charter captain Dusky to transport a CIA agent to Cuba in the middle of the Mariel Boatlift.

The agent turns out to be beautiful Androsa Santarun, a Cuban-American charged with smuggling a double agent off the island. Two things are certain: there will be lots of killing occurring before the mission is done and Dusky and Androsa will end up in bed together. White knows exactly what his target audience (men) expects: sex and action. He actually has his own nickname for this type of fiction that I will leave to the reader to discover.

I read this book in just a couple of hours, which seems about right. Cuban Death-Lift is not exactly one of those books that needs months to finish. As with the first two books, this is a fun story, and it gives a good glimpse of the better Randy Wayne White that would develop later.

Editorial Review:

When Fidel Castro allows thousands of Cubans to depart for America in the Mariel Boatlift, he exports the worst criminals and undesirables of his country along with them. To monitor the situation, the CIA sends infiltrators to Cuba-where they vanish without a trace.

In desperation, the Agency turns to ex-Navy SEAL Dusky MacMorgan to go in and find out what happened.Amid the chaos and deception in Mariel's savage underworld, MacMorgan must keep on his toes and off the radar if he's going to discover the truth without disappearing himself.

The Dragons of Blueland (My Father's Dragon Trilogy (Sagebrush))

Ruth Stiles Gannett

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Elmer's adventures come to an end 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Elmer has arrived safely home, but not for long. When his friend the Dragon leaves to find his own family, he discovers they've been taken prisoner by some men who want to sell them to zoos. Now the Dragon must find Elmer in time to help his family without being spotted by other humans. But what if Elmer can't come up with a plan?

This is the final in the My Father's Dragon series. It lives up to the second book, but both fall a little short of the creativity and humor of the first. Still, fans will want to know how the series ends and won't be disappointed with the story presented here. As with the others, the storyline and vocabulary are perfect for the beginning reader or as a read aloud story.

This series is a great way to introduce kids to the joys of reading. Parents will also enjoy the clever fantasy storylines. This is a fun book in a fun series that will entertain children of all ages.

Editorial Review:

The third volume of the  My Father's Dragon trilogy, this adventure may be enjoyed on its own. Here, the baby dragon summons Elmer to help save his family from hunters. "Elmer's plan is ingenious and plausible, the fantasy well-sustained."--(starred) Library Journal.  

Interface

Neal Stephenson, J. Frederick George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From his triumphant debut with Snow Crash to the stunning success of his latest novel, Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has quickly become the voice of a generation. In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise.

There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage—an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers. A biochip implanted in his head hardwires him to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is channeled directly into his brain. Forget issues. Forget policy. Cozzano is more than the perfect candidate. He's a special effect.

“Complex, entertaining, frequently funny."—Publishers Weekly

“Qualifies as the sleeper of the year, the rare kind of science-fiction thriller that evokes genuine laughter while simultaneously keeping the level of suspense cranked to the max."— San Diego Union-Tribune
“A Manchurian Candidate for the computer age.” —Seattle Weekly

The Company: A Novel of the CIA (New Millennium Audio)

Robert Littell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 130 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Intrigue and adventure for cold Winter days 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Although daunting in size, this book was a fast and easy read. Other readers have accurately written excellent 5-star reviews. Previous reviews have praised the historical research, political setting and clandestine activities of the CIA as depicted by this brilliant author, Littell.

The reader is drawn into the lives of the central characters, and their families. You become emotionally and intellectually connected to the members of the Company. Fortunately, there is no abrupt ending, just a fading away at the end of an era.

Editorial Review:

The career-capping, globe and event-spanning novel by acclaimed espionage master, Robert Littell: a mesmerizing, intricately plotted epic of the life-and-death struggle of an entire generation of CIA operatives during the long Cold War. Littell creates an engrossing, multi-generational, wickedly nostalgic, yet utterly candid saga, bringing to life through characters both histroical and imagined the 40-year history of the CIA - "The Company" to insiders. At the heart of the novel lies a stunningly conceived mole hunt involving such rivals and allies as the M16, the KGB, and the Mossad.

Nothing less is at stake here than the future of the free world, in country after country, meeting after meeting. And who inside is sabotaging every step?

Doctor Faustus : The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn As Told by a Friend

Thomas Mann

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"John E. Woods is revising our impression of Thomas Mann, masterpiece by masterpiece."  --The New Yorker

"Doctor Faustus is Mann's deepest artistic gesture. . . . Finely translated by John E. Woods." --The New Republic

Thomas Mann's last great novel, first published in 1947 and now newly rendered into English by acclaimed translator John E. Woods, is a modern reworking of the Faust legend, in which Germany sells its soul to the Devil. Mann's protagonist, the composer Adrian Leverkühn, is the flower of German culture, a brilliant, isolated, overreaching figure, his radical new music a breakneck game played by art at the very edge of impossibility. In return for twenty-four years of unparalleled musical accomplishment, he bargains away his soul--and the ability to love his fellow man.

Leverkühn's life story is a brilliant allegory of the rise of the Third Reich, of Germany's renunciation of its own humanity and its embrace of ambition and nihilism. It is also Mann's most profound meditation on the German genius--both national and individual--and the terrible responsibilities of the truly great artist.

The Invisible

Andrew Britton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With searing narrative twists, The Invisible plunges us headlong into today's shadowy, fever-pitched battle between terrorism and intelligence, as a covert counterterrorism operative risks everything, including the woman he loves, to save the life of one person...

For more than a decade, Ryan Kealey has been a key player in the war on terror. First, as a captain in the U.S. Army's third Special Forces Group, then as a contract operative with the CIA. His actions have saved thousands of lives, including that of the U.S. President. Now once again, Kealey receives the call of duty--only this time, the odds for success are slim to none...

Tensions between Pakistan and India are at an all-time high. To complicate matters, twelve American climbers have disappeared in the snow-capped peaks of Pakistan's Hindu Kush range. The President is demanding answers, but neither government is supplying them.

As the conflict escalates, Brynn Fitzgerald departs Washington D.C. on her first official trip as acting secretary of state. Her goal is to serve as an intermediary between the leaders of both nations as well as to ensure all efforts are being made in the search for the missing American climbers. But when Fitzgerald's motorcade is ambushed on the outskirts of Islamabad, her back-up team arrives to discover a disastrous scene: dozens are dead, including seven diplomatic security agents, and the secretary of state has vanished without a trace.

In the wake of the unprecedented attack, Kealey's operation goes into high gear. Once again, he is joined by Naomi Kharmai, the British-born analyst who has taken on a daring new role with the Agency. But Kharmai is becoming as unpredictable as the man they're going after, and as they work their way toward the target, it becomes clear to Kealey that anyone is fair game--and no one can be trusted.

Grass Roots (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

Stuart Woods

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Grisham-like Drama with Left-leaning Political Overtones 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

In Grass Root, Woods produces a novel that John Grisham must have taken cues from. While it is nowhere near as good as any Grisham novel, it is a fairly enjoyable read.

We are unfortunately forced to learn too much about Woods' left-leaning politics however. His characterization about republicans and conservatives as described by the senatorial candidate Calhoun is grossly unfair. Depicting Calhoun (the republican candidate) as a KKK-sympathizing fundamentalist religious hypocrite borders on Michael Moore type propaganda. In the novel, Will Lee's campain speach before his rival's church congregation sounds like a replay of a Ted Kennedy tyrade. This story in this novel tends to follow that of the 1986 senate election of Wyche Fowler in Georgia - a career politician who served one term in the senate. The political climate is the same - democrats ruled the roost.

Despite that this novel preceded the Grisham successes, Woods could learn from Grisham's lack of bias and overt political declarations. Grisham's political candidates are rarely identified with parties and his true political leanings are seldom revealed. With Woods, nothing is left to the imagination.

Editorial Review:

Will Lee has returned to his roots to kick off his campaign for the Senate. A prominent lawyer, he has come back to his hometown of Delano, Georgia, to plan his strategies, and to argue an explosively controversial case that could seriously damage his fledgling political career. For Delano is a town with a dark secret -- a smoldering hotbed of racial hatred and moral outrage, held in the thrall of a sinister group called The Elect. Its violent, evil forces will stop at nothing to keep the candidate out of office. But Will Lee isn't about to back down, even though it may cost him his career -- and his life.