That dreaded day will soon be here -- when I' done with this book! I have loved it from page 1 to now, almost 400 pages later. Things I will keep from riding along with Mr. Preston: the incredible amount of research done around the multitude of places, people and events. The masterful retelling of all of the above. The intricate inter-weaving of past and present, and how 'the twain always meet'. Would have been appreciated: some of Walter's photographs as illustrations. Reading this book makes me yearn for the next Douglas Preston, and many more with the same combination of author/place/subject. Thanks, Douglas!

Fantastic use of history and modern day adventure. History written as it happens. Similar to Michener in the range of history covered, but done in a way that brings it more to life. Highly recommended.

I loved this book. It is a terrific introduction to the Spanish Conquest. I now live in the West, but was raised in the East. It's true - the winners get to write history. I never knew much about Coronado or the Spanish in shaping our country, but Coronado was here in what is now the US long before Jamestown or Plymouth Rock. Preston moves back in forth between the history of the Southwest and his experience retracing Coronado's trail in the present. He was both incredibly foolish to make the trip and incredibly lucky to have survived it. It is a fascinating book.

A wonderful read, both encouraging and disheartening, with some real family values thrown in. A graphic, first-hand description of the way things were and are, and might be. Mr. Preston provides many enduring messages about the sanctity of life and living that the Bilagaana have nearly completely lost in our rush of subservience to the technology god.

This book and its predecessor, Cities of Gold, chronicle the amazing, arduous, foolhardy, inspired journeys of a "yankee" in search of the traces of cultures his own people have nearly annihilated. Unlike many memoirists, Preston doesn't shrink from chronicling his own failures and misjudgments, and that's what makes him so accessible to the people he meets along the way, and to the reader him or herself. Most of us will probably never have the guts to make these journeys or get to know all these people - that's what makes this book such a radical act of anti-tourism. Above all it's a poignant homage to "the people." (They know who they are!) If you're a horse person, a traveler to the southwest, or if you're just interested in the question "what is American?" you have to read these books now. And don't miss the great story about the skinwalkers - it's enough to keep you cold in July.

Preston's TALKING TO THE GROUND is one of the most gripping narratives I have read. Why? He takes us along with him (and family) to the dusty trails of Navajo Mountain on horseback down into Navajo Lands including Monument Valley and eventually Shiprock. As we ride the pilgrimage trail with the author, we too become faint and dizzy as we pick our way down incredibly steep, almost trailless cliffs. We hope, as we follow the route of the mythological monster slayer, that there will be some little spring or seep for our horses to take a drink. We hope we will get to the next Navajo dwelling where we might purchase some hay for our tired and hungry animals. We are elated when Preston and family make it to safe terrain after weeks of hardship. No novice to this marvelous country of the American Southwest, Preston had studied Navajo mythology and mysticism deligently during his days as a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History. He had also studied maps and made inquiries about the possibility of riding across the entire Navajo Nation to gain spiritual strength and wisdom. It is as shocking to the reader as it was to Preston when he was told by sunglassed young Navajo turks at Monument Valley that he couldn't possibly know a damn thing about Navajo lands and culture on such a superficial trip as this--riding horseback for several hundred miles and reading other honkies' books. Yet this moment of humility strengthens the narrative by allowing for soul searching and further journeying into wonder to trail's end at Shiprock

This is the only book I have ever read that explains what occurs in psychotherapy. It is exceptionally clear, it is written in plain English, it is realistic (talks about benefits and limitations of therapy), and it is compassionate. The book also helps potential therapy clients pick the right therapist and become more well informed about which therapies work best for which types of problems.

An amazing, thought-provoking book, "Jennie" is the fascinating story (actually a composite of several case studies of the time period) of Jennie, a chimpanzee raised as a human as part of an experiment to see how chimps acquire language. Because one of my main interests is language, I found this book extremely interesting.The research presented in this book (which is based upon real experiments) has major implications for both chimps and humans. As a story, "Jennie" is weak in parts: the characterizations can be sketchy and in some places the presentation of the information (diary entries, interviews, etc.) seems kind of gimmicky. However, this should not deter you from a most interesting read. "Jennie" shows the human side of scientific research (except, of course, for the little fact that the book's main character is a chimpanzee).. It's about the malleable nature of perception. It's about evolution, and ethics. This book raises many more questions than it answers-- and that is what it is designed to do, as the most meaningful gift a writer can bestow is to make his readers think. After reading this book, I found myself questioning exactly what my relationship, as a human, is to the world around me.

Preston uses the points of view of several different characters through their journals or scientific writings to give an account of the story of Jennie, a chimpanzee taken into captivity by an American scientist. Through these varied perspectives and with a touching story, Preston raises all sorts of questions about what sets humans apart from animals, where God fits into the natural world, etc...there's all sorts of fuel for thought. Excellently written, thoroughly researched, and an all out great book. I'm a more complex thinker for having read it, and I've recommended it to many of my professors and friends.

Jennie was truly one of the most heartbreaking books I have ever read. The title character, a chimpanzee, was as human as any person I have known. No one could come away from this book unaffected. I first read this book two years ago, and I am still haunted by it.

I recently decided to pick up the first book written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and give it a go. I am a huge fan of these two, and for some odd reason, I never picked up The Relic. No I am mad at myself for not picking it up earlier.

Having read Reliquary and all of their other books, I had the basic story line of The Relic down before I opened the cover, so I was not expecting much. Well, I was wrong, this book is filled with incredible action, and details that keeps it moving at such a fast pace.

One mistake leads to another, and things just keep moving. I enjoyed meeting Agent Pengergrast for the first time, and I though the other characters were developed very well.

All in all, this is the first Preston Child book, and it is still the best, Cabinet of Curiosities comes in a close second! This book is highly recommended!

Also, if you have seen the movie, pick up the book, there are so many differences that it is almost a whole new story!

It all started when an expedition to discover the ancient Kothoga tribe of South America went wrong. Now, years later, a supernatural killing machine goes on a wild rampage through the creepiest place on earth: the New York Museum of Natural History...
It's booming business for the museum. A new exhibition titled "Superstition" is just days from being released for the public. Everything seems to be going well, until the bodies of two young boys are found in the sub-basement, brutally massacred by some mysterious creature. And it's only the beginning of a string of related murders within the heart of the museum. An intense investigation leads to clues about this creature and the way it kills, but no suggestions as to what it might be. Museum researcher Margo Green must now team up with her advisor, Dr. Frock, Special Agent Pendergast, Lieutinent Vincent D'Agosta, and a host of others to determine what savage beast is creating this damage, and how it can be stopped before it is too late...
I really enjoyed reading "The Relic". There's never a dull moment! If you love a thrilling adventure with a twist of mystery and horror, this is the book for you!

If you haven't read it or seen the movie, read the book and do not, I repeat do not, watch the movie. The movie makes a mockery of this fabulous work. It does have Tom Sizemore, though, and the creature, Mbwun, looks sort of cool, but oh well. The book is excellent. In case you don't know, it is about an explorer from the New York Museum of Natural History who travels to South America, and discovers a hideous legend and a mysterious relic that is a sculpture of the beast in the legend--or at least a sculpture of the beast that anyone who consumes Mbwun becomes. The explorer sends a crate with the relic and some mysterious packing fibers to New York just before he is supposedly killed. Back in NY, a small time scientist named Margo Green is working in a totally different field. In coordination with her curious journalist friend William Smithback, she finds herself investigating the dissapearance of the explorer...and the mysterious murders that have been taking place inside the Museum. Working on the case is cynical NYPD cop, Lt. Vincent D'Agosta. Before long, a curious, intelligent FBI Agent named Pendergast comes along. He is not officially in NY, and is there for his own reasons, but he becomes essential to the investigation. He is one of the best characters in any novel, and you will truly learn to appreciate him. The story develops a bit too slowly, but it is worth the wait. The Museum is plunged into chaos before long, and the beast Mbwun is unleashed upon them all. Everyone should read this book.

I'm usually bored with formula novels and I expected to be disappointed by this one as well. The buried pirate's treasure angle has been done numerous times since "Treasure Island", but never quite as well as the original. This novel, however, gave the story a unique twist that was entirely exhilarating and fresh.

The story follows the latest (of many) attempts to retrieve the unheard of treasure of the pirate "Red Ned" Ockham. The book begins by giving a 200-year history of the fates of treasure-seekers and explains why they have all failed. The reason is the devious "Water-Pit" trap, designed by the architect Macallan, a man known for his church steeples and not for his booby-trapping ability.

The story is believable and fun. The main character, Malin Hatch, is a lovable little schlep who occasionally grows cajones when they're needed. Unfortunately, his run-ins with Streeter and his bizarre love-life are laughable at best. His first-love, Claire, is a one-dimensional character easily forgotten. The exotic Isobel Bonterre is also easily forgettable, though much more interesting than the aforementioned Claire. The town preacher, Woody Clay, is as dynamic a character as Captain Niedelman, the leader of the treasure hunt. Both of them keep you guessing, which is odd, because zealots are usually uninteresting to read about.

I don't want to spoil the book or the eventual movie for the reader. Just read it and tell your friends about it. This was my first Preston and Childs book and I'm sure it won't be my last. I enjoyed the mix of history, archaelogy, geology, computer science, medicine, cryptography, and architecture. This book made me feel much more well-rounded intellectually. Read it!

Top notch blood-pumping adventure suspense led me to buy everything by this unstoppable pair of excellent story craftsmen. These guys simply write the coolest books. I really hadn't read anything in years, but due to this novel I've regained my lost love for plowing through a great book. A real page burner-turner RIPTIDE delivers the goods. Buried pirate booty never looked so appealing and deadly spooky as the writers have accomplished. The story flows along at break neck pace, and when it's over you crave more. I highly recommend any title in the Preston/ Child collection.

I first read Child and Preston's The Relic a few months before its horrible counterpart of a movie came out, and I decided that it was perhaps the best book I had ever read outside of Stephen King's Dark Tower Series. I bought its sequel, Reliquary, with high expectations, and I was not let down. I saw this book in the bookstore and almost bought it once, but I did not really understand the plotline at all from the synopsis, so I refrained from purchasing it at that time. I saw the hardback edition on sale in the local bookstore about a year later (I have this urge to buy just about any good book--or presumably good book--that is in hardback for my collection) and so, of course, I bought it, expecting the best from such fantastic authors. Once again, they did not let me down. Riptide is, if you can't figure it out as I could not, a story about a high-tech treasure hunt for two billion dollars worth of "Red Ned" Ockham's treasure, buried at the bottom of the lethal, ingenious piece of architecture known as the Water Pit, on the gloomy Ragged Island, off the coast of Maine. The main character and owner of Ragged Island, Dr. Malin Hatch, is not a great hero or anything, and I did not like him as much as the characters in Relic or Reliquary, but he was okay. He is approached early on by the enigmatic treasure hunter Captain Neidelman, who wants to find the Ragged Island treasure. I truly expected Neidelman to be the great savior of them all, but it does not turn out that way. They do begin the hunt, though, and it starts out nice and orderly, but chaos quickly develops, and the body count rises. Is it a curse, or is a perfectly explainable force killing these people? I won't tell you. Anyway, the characters are not very deep, and you don't really care about it when they die (well except for maybe one), but it is still a great read, and it includes some cool new weapons (however unbelievable it might seem for some of them, such as explosive harpoons on the command ship). I would recommend this book to just about anyone.

Douglas Preston wrote an engagingly funny but also historical account of his adventures and misadventures following Coronado's trail by horseback from the Mexican border in SE Arizona northeast to Pecos, NM. His anecdotes are entertaining and his historical accounts describe the region and peoples past and present accurately.It's a must read for people interested in southwestern history.

A thoroughly engrossing book summarizing Preston's journey following Coronado's route to the New World. I couldn't put it down! I fell in love with the people he met and the places he went. I had my map out beside me as I read the book. The history, geography,and geology were incredible. The accounts from Coronado and others of his time were engrossing. The fate of the Indians they encountered was troubling. Does it not foreshadow our own fate?

This is the first book I've read by this writing team, though it will not be my last. Preston and Child work well together, and I'm interested in reading their solo work as well.

In this not-quite-contemporary setting (only one person has a cell phone, for instance), New Orleans FBI Special Agent Pendergast is inexplicably interested in the recent discovery of a charnel beneath a New York construction site. He builds a team of assistants: Nora Kelly, Utahan archaeologist determined to make a go of her once-in-a-lifetime chance at working at the world's greatest natural history museum; William Smithback, reporter aching for a Pulitzer (and a suit worthy of the acceptance ceremony); Patrick O'Shaughnessy, a sergeant in the NY Police Department, fifth generation cop at the mercy of a cruel and petty precinct captain; Proctor, his invisible and indispensable chauffeur.

These main characters, excepting Proctor, are well fleshed out and engaging, while Pendergast himself is an intriguing variant on the Sherlock Holmes-style detective. (These characters appear in other books by the same authors.) A healthy field of minor characters are also three-dimensional. Settings are vivid and evocative. Dialogue flows naturally. And bonus -- I even learned a little about urban archaeology and the scientific/fantastical collections of the title.

Very well done. I'm anxious to read more from these authors and to read more about these characters. If you are interested in an intelligent thriller rooted in NYC history, you will probably enjoy this too. If you like Caleb Carr, Iain Pears or Jack Finney, you will likely appreciate this masterful and gripping mystery.

I am a huge fan of books with a historical basis. On the same coin I am also very critical of these books. This makes me very picky in the books I chose to read and the ones I actually finish. Once again, Douglas Preston and Lincoln child did not dissapoint. This book is a perfect mix of museum intrigue, suspense, and horror all against a rich backdrop of 19th century New York. Their attention to detail is key to making the fantastic story seem possible.

In addition, Preston and Child do an excellent job of writing women. They do not fall into the trap of describing female characters in terms of her long legs and breast size that seems so typical in these sort of novels. Nora Kelly, first introduced in Thunderhead, is a believable woman and museum professional. I think female readers will appreciate this apparently unique view in a male dominated genre.

The book left me with only one pressing question: When is the next one coming out????

Pendergrast fans will love this book. Make sure to read the alternate ending posted on the official webpage:

Preston and Child bring back characters from THE RELIC and THUNDERHEAD to weave a wonderful thriller. The highlight of the book is the incomparable Special Agent Pendergast (the modern Sherlock Holmes).

At a construction site, 36 bodies are found that have been buried for over 100 years. Enter Agent Pendergast who enlists Nora Kelly, now of the Museum of Natural History, and the train ride begins.

The bodies were the victims of a notorious serial killer, a mad doctor. But now similar killings are beginning to occur. The original killings were part of a scheme to prolong life. Apparently someone is duplicating that work. Or did the original killer succeed and is still at work? Only by reading the book will you discover the answers.

It has been a long time since a book flew by as quickly as this one did. At slightly over 600 pages, it felt like less than half that. The action and tight plotting make the pages turn very quickly.

This is one of the best novels Preston and Child have turned out together. If you have enjoyed any of their earlier work, then you will surely enjoy this one.

This novel started out a little slow for me, but at some point I found myself engrossed. I happen to love archaeology and the idea of lost cities, so this book was right up my alley. I wouldn't say that it is even close to the caliber of Relic (which I would give 5+++ stars), but overall I enjoyed it. I thought the main character Nora Kelly was quite likeably and interesting, and I loved seeing Smithback return from the Relic novels. I was not a fan of their most recent novel Riptide (which I would at most give 1 star to), so I feel that this novel is back on track for them. If you're a first time Preston & Child reader I would recommend reading Relic and Reliquary first. After that I would read Thunderhead. It's certainly enjoyable, but it's not one of their novels that I would read over and over again like Relic.

If you're a person who reads for the enjoyment of it, you know the rare feeling of constant anticipation as you turn the pages of a good book. Not good literature, but a good book. The suspense nearly kills you as you race to the ending, dying to know what happens. I guess, they usually call such a book a page-turner, but the phrase hardly does such a reading experience justice. "Thunderhead" is one of these books.

It begins with a Chrichton-like set-up: a young, eager archaeologist stumbles across a letter written by her believed-dead father 16 years ago, speaking of a mythical city of Gold deep in the canyon country of Utah, that would be THE find of the 20th Century. Needless to say Nora (the young archaeologist) sets out to find the city described by her father. However, awaiting her and her team, is an ancient evil awakened by her quest, an evil that has only one focus: the stop the archaeological team from reaching the city.

Again, much like a Chrichton novel and these authors previous works, the plot becomes a masterful blend of science and blood-guts-n-gore suspense. The body count is high, and the scenes graphic, but they are sprinkled so tastefully (if that's the right word) through a novel that sets out an interesting theory on the ancient cliff-dwelling Indians and their mysterious past.

Saying much more would give away a plot that true edge-of-your-seat suspense, and I wouldn't want to spoil someone else's read...but needless to say this book is well worth reading.

After being somewhat disappointed with "Riptide", I was more than pleased with "Thunderhead" - authors Doug Preston and Lincoln Child's homage to the world of archeology.

The authors have returned to the successful formula they used in "Relic" , "Reliquary", and "Mount Dragon" - that being a great plot "hook" to reel the reader quickly into the story along with plenty of action, graphic violence, and great characterization!

Archeology professor, Nora Kelly, is stuck in a rut. She's backed into the corner of "publish or perish" that faces many young university faculty members and she really doesn't have anything to offer. That is, until she "receives" a letter from her long-dead father describing the hidden kingdom of the Anasazi Indians - an archelogical dig that could rival Howard Carter's unearthing of the riches of King Tut!

From there, Kelly and her eclectic team embark on an exciting and visually discriptive adventure. Almost every step of the way, mysterious Anasazi "skinwalkers" attempt to foil the teams efforts, even if it means murdering every one of them.

If you're a fan of the aforementioned works of Preston and Child's, you won't be disappointed with "Thunderhead". It is a consistent pageturner that my only complaint with was a relatively predictable ending. Predictable, but satisfying, so I guess that makes it all ok.

"Relic," a dark, twisted tour through a museum stalked by terror, is a book one would imagine would be difficult to follow. Does "Reliquary" do this successfully? Yes... to a point.

This time, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child take us on a horrifying subway ride, past underestimated homeless "moles," a rabbit's warren of black tunnels, and a frightening continuation of the first book's monster story. "Reliquary" is a relief in that it doesn't suffer from "sequelitis," that "deja vu all over again" feeling that most sequels seem to have. There's no rehashing of the original story, here. "Reliquary" goes where "Relic" was afraid to, and with enjoyable results.

My quibble with "Reliquary" is that it isn't quite as tight as "Relic." The plot seems to meander a bit more, and I prefer the museum setting of the prequel. The writing, however, is top-notch (as expected), and it's a sign of the writers' talents at characterization that I felt as though Margo, Smithback, Pendergast, and the rest of the returning cast were old friends of mine. The authors hint at a promise that these characters will feature in future books, and I would love that. I look forward to it.

All in all, "Reliquary" is a satisfying and worthy sequel to "Relic." Given some of the plot twists and differences between "Relic" and its unfortunate silver screen adaptation, it appears that Paramount couldn't make "Reliquary" into a movie without running into some serious continuity errors. Of course, looking at the first film, it doesn't seem like Paramount was very concerned with that to begin with, so I'll just have to hope that they don't get their grubby mitts onto "Reliquary." The world doesn't need another movie like Paramount's "The Relic." More books from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, however, are more than welcome. :)

It would have been nearly impossible for "Reliquary" to live up to the fame of its predecessor, "Relic." But to this reader, it came very close. The authors start the story about a year and a half after the "Museum Beast" event They keep most of the same great characters from the first book: D'Agosta, Agent Pendergast, Margo Green, Dr. Frock, and Bill Smithback -- and introduce two well-drawn new characters: Sgt. Laura Hayward and Mephisto, mysterious, charismatic leader of an underground society. Some of the original characters, more than others, are still feeling fallout from the events of "Relic." This time, however, the action is centered not in the New York Museum of Natural History, but in a fantastic underground world of the homeless and society's outcasts below the streets of New York. The two books are linked by the fact that the creatures of "Reliquary" are different, yet definitely tied, to the Mbwun monster of "Relic." Besides the usual gruesome attacks and tense action sequences, highlights include the dark, dank atmosphere of the underground world, intriguing information about the underground society, much of it fact-based, an interesting sub-plot involving the ugliness of class prejudice, and twists to this story that make us look at two of the original characters in a new light. I also highly recommend the very well-read unabridged audiotape.

Relic and its sequel remind me of alien and aliens. In the first, you have a thriller about a single creature that seems to be unstopable, while in the sequel, they are dropped left and right, with a larger emphasis on action. That's not to say one style is better than the other. Reliquary has all the techno-jargon you've come to expect from preston and child, but unlike Michael Crichton, they are horror writers at heart. and horror you get, with equal amounts of suspence and gore. Occasionaly, the characters fall a little close to stereotype, with a cool professional FBI man and a street smart NY cop, but do not compromise the story. If you want a satisfying thriller, you can always count on Preston and Child, I'm waiting eagerly for the next one, guys! one last note, If you have only seen the movie of relic, read relic before you read this. Otherwise the story will be paradoxal to say the least.