This is another tightly plotted thriller from Gerald Seymour that is awfully hard to put down once you start reading. The author often places relatively ordinary people into extraordinary situations - and he does so in this book. Seymour doesn't write about superheroes - I can't imagine Harrison Ford playing any role in any film of a Seymour book. Instead Seymour creates highly believable characters, complete with foibles, weaknesses, irrational impulses and some strengths. The main characters in "A Line in the Sand" all have their own weaknesses, strengths and motivations. Seymour weaves these together with great skill to create a taut, tense thriller.

Seymour books often differ from the Clancys and Ludlums of the world in another respect - don't expect too many happy endings. Seymour writes about worlds where there's a certain inevitability of disaster - and he often lets disasters happen. That makes his stories much more credible, and much more frightening than most.

Seymour also poses moral dilemmas for his characters. He's not an author who thinks one side is completely right and the other completely wrong. For Seymour, all combatants are flawed in some respects. In "A Line in the Sand", Seymour creates a moral dilemma for the inhabitants of a small English village - do they support one of their own or deflect a threat to their village by casting that person out ?

I enjoyed "A Line in the Sand". In fact, it's one of Seymour's best novels so far.

I didn't expect to like this book. I had read and tremendously enjoyed what some call Seymour's Northern Ireland trilogy (Harry's Game, Field of Blood, and the Journeyman Tailor), but I hadn't liked another effort, Kingfisher.

But while I eagerly continue to wait for another Seymour thriller centered in Northern Ireland, I decided to read his book Untouchable, which while not perfect, had me in its grip from the first to last page.

So I decided to give Seymour another whirl, and I picked out A Line in the Sand. After reading it in about two days, I have to say the analogy one reviewer made of Seymour's plots coiling around a reader like a boa constrictor as the tension builds to an unbearable level is well put. The book is very hard to put down, and really doesn't have any flaws (apart from a couple of minor facts not worth mentioning here).

Furthermore, like in his other books Seymour doesn't just write a thriller, he presents the reader with an ethical question. "What would you do if you found out your neighbor was marked for death by a state sponsor of terror like Iran? Would you rally to his side, stand aloof, or try to drive him out of your pretty little village?"

As for myself, I'd like to think that I'd continue to be a friend and neighbor, but suggest that my good friend the terrorist target take a long vacation until the threat subsided.

Bottom Line: A superb read, it is reportedly being made into a movie even as I write this. I look forward to seeing that . . .

. . . But I hope with all my heart that with his next book (titled Meaning No Evil) Seymour returns to his familiar stomping grounds of Northern Ireland and with all the wonderful characters that he created there: Inspector Rennie, Cathy Parker, Gary Brennard, and of course, Frankie, the IRA man.

The West's current struggle with fundamentalist Islamic terrorists makes A LINE IN THE SAND all the more topical even though it's fiction. As such, it's an engrossing novel by plot-meister Gerald Seymour.

Brit Gavin Hughes was once a salesman selling illicit industrial mixing equipment to the Iranians for the latter's use in making weapons of mass destruction at a top-secret base. Then MI6 caught on, and put the squeeze on Hughes to become an informant. Gavin's information eventually allowed the Mossad to deal a crippling blow to Iran's WMD program. For his own protection, MI6 gives Gavin a new identity and life. He's now Frank Perry living with his wife Meryl and foster son Stephen in an isolated village on the Suffolk coast. The thing is, you see, a Saudi raid on an isolated terrorist camp yields evidence that the Iranians have discovered Gavin's identity and are sending in their master assassin, the Anvil, to make the hit. The British Security Service (MI5) now has jurisdiction, and pleads with Frank to run once more, but he adamantly refuses. Thus, an odd lot of players are converging on the village, its inhabitants, and the Perrys: the Anvil, the assassin's local accomplice previously converted to Islam, MI5, Scotland Yard, the SAS, an FBI anti-terrorist specialist, a sullen Scottish tracker and his dogs, a former British diplomat and his scarred foreign-born wife (the latter a survivor of Chile's torture chambers), and an injured marsh harrier - a migratory bird of prey.

One of my pet peeves with some "highly acclaimed" writers is that they impart no individuality to the principal characters of their books. The British government minister, the Yank CIA officer, the South American drug king, and the Tokyo police detective all talk and act as if they're cut from the same cloth, which might as well be that of an insurance broker in Des Moines. Seymour, on the other hand, makes each individual unique and real. This talent can make up for other faults. However, A LINE IN THE SAND is not deficient by any standard to which I hold. It's a taut, smart, finely crafted thriller that should encourage the reader to investigate Seymour's other works. More than that, it's a contemporary parable on the consequences of one's actions.

Anthony has long been one of my favorites. I cannot keep up with the outpouring of his titles. Hope of Earth thrilled me as did the other volumes of the Geodyssey series. True to his form of writing, Anthony conjures a vivid portrayal of humanity's history and just makes you rethink some of those ideas you have held as being "the only truth". Anyone who enjoys the annals of history will enjoy the traipsing adventures of characters that are not movers-and-shakers of history, but witness first hand those prime agents of our past. Hats off to Anthony's research assistant as he continualy provides information that gives the detail to live the story.

This is one of my favorite series by Piers Anthony. I would have to say this is my favorite book this series. I like this one because of the ancient greek references. These are wonderful books with a great story and the marvelous job Piers does weaving the characters into each of these novels, yet keep them apart as their own. These books are well worth the time and money to read and buy them. Highly Recommended reading. If you like historial-fantasy this is a series for you.

The third of Piers Anthony's roller-coaster rides through the history of humankind, 'Hope of Earth' showcases a half-dozen characters as they experience a lifetime of five million years. Why should you care about these characters? Because they are archetypes, each of their conversations and actions illustrating humanity's strengths and weaknesses. Why else? The supporting cast features the Ice Man, Boudica, Perikles, Herod, Samo, Toqtamish, and Louis XIV. Imagine meeting even one of these; Anthony's six meet them all.Conflict is important to fictional characters, and here each has a major problem to deal with: for example, one of the characters has a six-fingered hand, the natural successor to the left-handedness in the prior volume. As we have come to expect in the Geodyssey, the score of settings has lush variety. Central to the novel, and a quarter of its length, is the exploration of the war between Athens and Sparta beginning in 431 BC; other interesting locations include the Maginot Line, the supposed Great Wall of China, and the Great Rift Valley.Once molded by evolution to conquer the world, mankind proceeded to do so along Anthony's lines. His message, however, is that the world-conquering gifts our species retains may be our downfall as conquest turns to destruction. The hope of Earth is for us to learn from history and mend our ways. This splendid effort to wake us up to that task is not only inspirational but also enjoyable, and readers can ask for no better combination than that.

If you love movies and writing than the screenplay is an interesting companion to the movie and book. Read along to the movie or figure out what a character really said, you can take this along with you anytime and enjoy the movie all over again. Filled with photos from the film and comments by Minghella, Zaentz, and Ondaatje, this is an excellent addition to your English Patient collection.

Anthony Minghella has re-created one of the most remarkable screenplays of our time by giving a new dimension to the original work. It is more concise, but has kept the essence of the novel. It portrays a journey of several people; Hana, Kip, Caravaggio and Almasy who met each other perhaps by chance. But Minghella's work is not an outcome of a mere chance, but a carefully crafted masterpiece like the novel it is based on.

If you have enjoyed the book and the film, then you must somehow other read the screenplay to better understand and appreciate both the book and the film. I have read it over five times and will read it again and perhaps again!

Although it is different from the original novel, this screenplay does round out the film quite well. The intense feelings of the characters are conveyed very well through the script. However, I have a feeling that this book only appeared as a result of the massive publicity given the movie. I recommend watching the film prior to reading this, or perhaps reading it while watching the film. Whatever you do, enjoy it!

I think what I appreciate most about this book was that it didn't focus only on the battles of World War II or the major personalities, but it examines the lives of everyday Berliners and those who lived through the city's triumphs and tragedies. The book containes the narratives of Berliners from all walks of life; the factory workers, socialites, refugees, soldiers, Jews, etc. The book examines the War through the eyes of those who experienced it first hand, but whose voices have been muted in the presence of the big names in history. This certainly isn't an earth shattering revelation, but the book is a nice addition to anyone's historical knowledge.

Starting with the Olympics of 1936, authors Read and Fisher chronicle the history of Berlin during the years prior to World War II and ending with the Battle of Berlin. Focusing not only on the known historical players such as Hitler and Goebbels, but including excerpts from diaries of every day Berliners, the book reads almost like a novel with a cast of thousands. At first, Berliners are stunned that Hitler is able to conqueror most of continental Europe through sheer bravado alone. The general consensus seems to be that eventually the world will see Hitler and the Nazis for what they really are and sanity will once again prevail. But of course, we can now look back in hindsight and realize that the complacency of the general population and the other world leaders is precisely what led to Hitler wreaking havoc on the world.

Most of the chapters are very short, no more than 3-4 pages long. This help keeps the pace of the book from bogging down into too much detail. Much information is given on the daily life of Berliners, how ration cards worked, etc. In addition, the authors do an excellent job of describing how different groups, Jews, immigrants, forced laborers, Hitler Youth, etc. reacted to the changing world as eventually Berlin spiraled into chaos. The innumerable bombings, which nightly rocked the city, are described in detail and how the city reacted, as first stunned and then eventually immune to the terror. The first 200 pages of the book cover the years from 1936 until March, 1945 while the remaining 250 pages detail the Battle of Berlin. Through complicated political considerations, the Soviets are allowed to conquer the city while the British and American troops hold back. Because the Soviet Union suffered so much during the war, especially the siege of Stalingrad, it is deemed only fitting that they make the first attempt on the city. The first wave of soldiers were professionals while the second wave of soldiers-former prisoners of the Germans, took out their hatred in raping, looting and pillaging. In the first 8 weeks after the fall of Berlin, over 90,000 German women had seen doctors due being raped by the Soviet soldiers. How many never reported this crime cannot even be estimated.

I would highly recommend this book to any student of World War II history who wants a good grasp of the social and political effects of war on a major industrialized city. Well written and well documented, the book allows readers to relive one of the most horrific time periods in modern history. It also allows the reader to better understand how the Nazis maintained their power until the very end over an educated populace. Hopefully lessons such as these will not go unheeded for future generations.

This is a wonderful book. I'm really surprised there hasn't been a movie or mini-series made of this story. This may bring back the TV mini-series if marketed properly.

Little tidbits that I hadn't known about before. The attitude of the people of Berlin during the bombings; the story about Goering(?) going down to the subways during the bombing and making jokes; the description of Zossen; the Zoo flak tower; the last dyas of Hitler, etc. A very interesting read for a long, detailed novel.

This is the first book published in English written solely about the life of Agrippina. FYI the original title of this book, published in England, was "Agrippina, Mother of Nero." The subtitle of this book is great because she really embodied all of this. She used marriage and sex to get power and make political decisions through first her brother Caligula then her husband Claudius then her lovers Seneca, Dio and others then finally through her son Nero. When Nero was a child emperor and he was advised by tutors, namely Seneca, Agrippina wielded huge influence on the entire Roman Empire. The first and pretty much only woman ever able to do that in ancient Rome. Even after Nero grew up and killed Seneca and everyone else who plotted against him Agrippina still influenced Nero on public policy and probably advised him on who to kill next. Barrett argues that she made wise decisions. However, it wasn't enough to stop her son from killing her in 59 after a lovers fight. Apparently they had an argument and subsequent falling out and when you fall-out of favor with Nero you could count on certain death; mother or not. Barrett's got some great stuff in here. A section on "Significant Events and Figures" is a great reference and contains lists like Agrippina's husbands, lovers, and victims. He also has a good timeline of her life, a few maps, and a lot of further reading in the huge 20 page bibliography. It is the only book in English on the subject.

Overall, this was a very good biography of Agrippina. The author should be commended for writing a biography from the perspective of a highly influential and important woman during Imperial Rome. The author certainly takes an academic approach to the study, and appears to have done a good job with research and use of sources. His treatment of Agrippina seems fair and even-handed. The author does a very good job of providing the story of Agrippina, the Imperial family, and other important Romans. My only criticism of the book is that somewhat more background about Roman society, social classes, the economy, foreign affairs was needed. Nevertheless, the author has provided us with a very informative and entertaining biography. I will undoutedly read his newest book on Livia. I highly recommend this biography of Agrippina.

Overall, this was a very good read. I commend the author for writing a biography of a powerful woman in Imperial Rome, as this provides a different and refreshing perspective. The author takes a fairly academic approach, and it appears that he has done a thorough job of researching his subject. He seems to be vigilant and careful about his sources, and is even-handed in his treatment of Agrippina. In general, the writing style is quite good, and I found the biography of Agrippina and story of the other important Romans in her life to be highly informative and entertaining. The only criticism I have with this book is that I wish the author had provided more description about background issues (Roman foreign policy, the economy, different social classes of Roman society) that would be pertinent during Agrippina's life. Nevertheless, the author has done a commendable job, and I will undoutedly read his new book on Livia. I very much recommend this book for anyone interested in Roman Imperial history.

note that the Anthony Greenbank paperback has 267 pages (for my pre-Sept 11 revised edition), not the 224 Amazon attributes to it.

Ever since I started selling books on survival, I have had requests from people asking for Anthony Greenbank's book, long out of print, The Book Of Survival.

Well, it's back. This new revised edition (revised again post-Sept.11) contains new tips on BASIC TERROR TACTICS SURVIVAL, CHEMICAL WEAPONS, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS which have added since the attacks on New York and Washington.

The book contains a wealth of common sense advice - and quite a few tips that seem to come from left field, but make sense - and has some good illustrations which make ground-to-air communications, for instance, very easy to understand.

Chapters are: too lonely; too crowded; too dry; too wet; too bright; too dark; too cold; too hot; too low; too high; too fast; too slow; too full; too empty - all are written using a technique called mnemonics, which is supposed to help the reader retain or recall what has been read.

What stopped this book getting 5 stars though, is the writing, which I found a little 'odd' in parts. At the very beginning of the book I was put off by such statements as, "flaming electric blanket murders family"... an inanimate object 'murdering'??? I know it's not much, but it grated. At various stages I found myself wondering whether the book had been badly translated into english!

That aside, the book is worth a look. It covers every contingency imaginable and it does contain some great ideas that will help you stay out of, or get out of trouble.

This book is fun and full of fascinating things. I began reading it in New York City and finished it in the Scottish Highlands. In both places there was lots of information here to equip me in the case of emergency. In fact it's hard to think of any place or eventuality which this book doesn't cover. The next time I'm trapped in a car underwater, I'll know what to do. Sorry the reviewer from Hollywood didn't like it. Maybe he's upset at the lack of survival advice for unemployed actors.

Following the advice in this book, which I read years ago when it first came out, saved my life. The book is well-organized for quick recall in an emergency: sections are titled "too fast" (car crash, plane crash, etc.), "too dry" (desert), etc. That's what you're thinking when you're in trouble!

I called Simon-Schuster, the publisher today (4/24/2001) 1:45pm Pacific Time. Today is Tuesday. Anyways I called the publisher and they announced the new book known as 'Your Driving Force' by Anthony Robbins, Has been cancelled! That they will not be publishing the book at this time!This book might never be published! At least his other books are still popular!

In many ways I would like to think of Tony Robbins as a friend. And I am also waiting on him for some time now. I ordered this title in October of 1999.

I have high hopes that this book, once published, will rate five stars in my opinion.

I have enjoyed Awaken The Giant Within and Notes From a Friend as well as Tony's Personal Power II and Getting the Edge CD's.

When/If the book is published I hope to return with an actual review. Until then perhaps Tony you will read this review and drop off an invitation to your little place in Fiji? Kava Kava!

I had a chance to talk with Tony & his new finacee about his new book at one of his live seminars (UPW Pasadena May2000) he is definately working on it and re-written large sections from the orginal draft, because of some of the discoveries and events in his own life (changing his own "model of the world" recent divorce and engagement, etc)

he did admit that his other books were basically dictations (he spoke, got in state, people typed and tried to keep up) whereas in this one he's really thinking about what he writes

the final title has not been finalized but the working title is "drive force, the physcology of the 6 human needs"

I think this is really going to be his best book yet, and if you get a chance checkout his new audio series "get the edge" alot better then personal Power II.

The original must be an astonishing work! Fierce battles, passionate romance, stirring orations, even scenes of cosmic splendor succeed one another; there's the sense of real genius here, of an artist who is fulfilling his intention. This translation reads very, very well indeed. A remarkably satisfying book.

C. S. Lewis relished this epic poem -- see his essay "Tasso" in his book of essays on medieval and Renaissance literature. I wonder if Tolkien also had read it, as a number of scenes reminded me of the Siege of Minas Tirith, etc. For those who want to move on from the authors and works that everyone knows influenced and/or impressed Lewis (and Tolkien?) such as Chesterton, George MacDonald, et al., Tasso may be recommended. I wonder if Lewis didn't get the idea for the severed head, of the criminal Alcasan, who seems to speak, but is really manipulated by a devil, and which the heroine of That Hideous Strength sees in a dream, from Tasso, where a Fury from hell makes a severed head talk (deceivingly) in a dream to one of the Christian warriors. The gruesome descriptions are similar, and Lewis even calls Alcasan "the Saracen"; and Alcasan certainly could be the name of one of the Saracen knights in Tasso. Who knows...?

Most every reader of literature in English is familiar with Arthurian romance and legend, from Malory's medieval masterpiece "Mort d'Arthur" to Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" to contemporary writers like Mary Stewart and Marion Zimmer Bradley.

But how many of these readers are aware that there exists in Western literature another, parallel stream of myth and legend called Carolingian, which celebrates the exploits and heroes of the Age--not of Arthur--but of Charlemagne?

Carolingian epic and romance may safely be said to begin with "The Song of Roland" (available in W.S. Merwin's excellent translation in the Modern Library volume "Medieval Epics"), but the tradition includes scores if not hundreds of contributors--and three of these constitute together a magnificent achievement: Pulci's "Morgante," Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," and Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered."

Maybe due to the hyper-popularity of Arthurian material, these three major authors and their respective masterpieces have a shockingly undistinguished and short list of english translations. Happily, Anthony Esolens has supplied us with a truly superb, vivid, and beautiful rendering of Tasso's neglected epic. It is so good, in fact, that I second the reviewer below in hoping for a future translation of Ariosto. For what it's worth, Bernard Knox wrote a highly favorable review of this edition in the New York Times Book Review, in which he called Esolen's work "a triumph." Don't hesitate.

I am just about to finish this translation of Tasso's venerable crusade and I just had to express how wonderful I think it is. I have to admit I experienced a slight bit of trepidation before beginning this work, but I was found to be foolish. Not only is the work readable, it loses none of its beauty in the translation. I have found myself reading page to page hungrily. Who needs mass market paperback best sellers when oen has such a unique and beautifully translated work at one's fingertips. I wholeheartedly recommend this translation.

Anthony Lane is the reason I subscribe to the New Yorker, and I regularly tell anyone who'll listen that he's a god, but until this book, I didn't even realize the breadth of his talent and knowledge. The amount of entertainment minutiae he can store, and his ability to choose that perfect tidbit every time, is both endearing and awe-inspiring. His one-liners (often self-deprecating) stay with me like delicious little gifts. A couple of people in these Amazon reviews have called him sneaky, smart-alecky, and the like, and I must say how strongly I disagree with these statements. Anthony Lane gives us his close to flawless taste with generosity and warmth, without regard to whether a movie is "supposed" to be good, or important, or arty, or whatever it is we're supposed to like. To people who feel he won't review blockbuster movies, I'd like to point out that two reviews caused me to begin following Anthony Lane: an approving, positive review of "Halloween" and a pan of a French art film.

If you love movies, you will love this book. Simply put, Lane shares his love of movies with open eyes, well-trained, observant, and critical eyes. He looks at mostly American movies but throws in some foreign ones too. When a particular aspect of a film is achingly bad, he lets you know. When another aspect is delicious, he cooks up the casserole, and celebrates its smell, appearance, and taste.

There are also some essays on people and places, but the positive emotions I feel when reading are the right ones, the ones we all feel because we are human, and fortunate to be living in the right place at the right time. I intend to get myself to my nearby Hollywood Video and rent the ones that Mr. Lane blesses with his incredible insight. And, oh, yeah, I'm getting over to the "alternative" video store to find those gems that the "Young Adult Male, 18-25" would never appreciate, because those are the gems that make life worth living.

Thank you Mr. Lane.

I can't remember when I have read such a delightful fun book. Anthony Lane writes with such wit, insight and playfulness I had a hard time putting it down.

His range of subject matter is extensive and well researched. From Movies to authors and profiles his observation are wonderfuly writen.

Mr. Lane understands the importance of real helicopters in Apocalypse Now, that Nabokov and W.G. Sebald are remarkable writers, that cookbooks are full of great things besides cooking, That Best-sellers and their list are full of bad writing, that we should know about John Ruskin, Evelyn Waugh,Andre Gide,and Matthew Arnold. He also understands what an incredible Movie The English Patient is.

My favorite book of the year.

This book was great. I haven't read it in forever, but as a fan of Piers, I figured I might as well try this one. Wow, was I surprised! Gone was the fun of Xanth, this was some seriously scary writing. I couldn't put it down one night because I was afraid to go to sleep. Maybe it should be in the horror genre. Anyway, it was really great, and then... it had a really, really, REALLY, HORRIBLE HORRIBLE ending. It ruined the entire book, otherwise it would've gotten 5 stars. But the ending was horrible! So if you want to keep the book being nice, near the end.. stop reading there and make up your own ending. Almost anything could be better.

Piers Anthony demonstrates his competence at horror novel writing. This story enthralls almost immediately, about a father and his two children taking refuge from The Big City in a safe, rural setting. Anthony builds empathy for the plight of the family, who have just lost their mother to NY crime. But as he does this, he begins to insert elements into the rural Florida setting that don't quite fit, that can be explained away at first, but then ...

I won't give anything away, but this could have made a great X-Files episode. Anthony demonstrates that he can run with King or Straub with this story. His characterization is much deeper than usual, but he doesn't neglect his perversely creative ability to plot beyond the lines.

Great bedtime reading for city dwellers. Not certain I'd read it at all if I lived in an old house under an old tree, miles from anywhere ...

There was a day when Piers was known for more than his stupid and silly fantasies, and this is one the best books from those times. Much of the scenery and background is taken from his real life, but here he creates more suspense and drama than I've ever seen in any of his books. The characters are real and believeable, the writing is tight and descriptive, and the overall suspense of the book keeps you turning the pages until the very end -- where the book goes from suspense/horror to outright light fantasy. But hey, I'm not complaining, at least it's not some cope out, splatter the wall with blood ending that Stephen King has come up with a hundred and one times already. I highly recommend this book to all who are even remotely interested in this genre of writing; it is not, however, for those who are incapable of conceiving of literature beyond Xanth.