The English Assassin

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The English Assassin brings back Gabriel Allon, the appealingly melancholy art restorer with a double life as an Israeli secret agent, first introduced in 2000's The Kill Artist. Gabriel is sent to Zurich under a pseudonym to restore a Raphael belonging to a prominent Swiss banker and art collector, Augustus Rolfe, but upon arriving he finds Rolfe lying in a pool of blood. When Gabriel tries to leave Zurich, the Swiss police capture him immediately--and moreover, they know his real identity. He's released through some diplomatic string-pulling, but he soon discovers that Rolfe had requested a meeting with Israeli intelligence, for reasons unknown, just before his death.

Rolfe's daughter, Anna, is a world-class violinist attempting to rebuild her career after an accident that nearly destroyed one of her hands. But her physical scars are nothing compared to those on her psyche, left by her mother's suicide when Anna was a teenager. Temperamental and mistrustful, she nevertheless believes Gabriel's story, and reveals that Rolfe owned a secret collection of priceless French Impressionist paintings, apparently stolen by his murderers.

As Gabriel begins to put together the pieces of the puzzle, he faces two adversaries: a powerful group of men who would do anything to bury the past forever, and a hired killer who's planning a spectacular murder. Like The Kill Artist, The English Assassin balances fascinating characters, authentic-sounding historical detail, and plenty of glamorous international intrigue on the edge of a knife-keen plot. --Barrie Trinkle

Book Description

A master writer of espionage" (Cincinnati Enquirer), Daniel Silva makes his Signet debut with his most acclaimed novel to date...

Framed for the murder of a millionaire banker, Israeli spy by trade and art restorer by preference, Gabriel Allon, will have to fight for his life-against an assassin he himself helped train.

Customer Reviews:

First rate story.......2007-10-08

This is my first Daniel Silva read. Excellent story line, good character development. I look forward to buying another Silva book!

Silva's a Five-Star.......2007-10-02

I got hooked on Daniel Silva's writing with his latest book - The Secret Servant. I've done a lot of research into the politics and history of the Jewish people, Israel, Europe and the Middle East, and Silva's research is impeccable. His writing, too, is delicious - he has a way of painting a brilliant, detailed visual scene without bogging down his narrative, and that's a gift I wish more writers had. I haven't finished the English Assassin yet, but it delves into some of the most embarrassing truths about even "neutral" European nations' involvement in the theft of Jewish treasures during the Nazi era. The historical detail, woven into a tightly paced international thriller, makes for a fascinating read!

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A Library Journal quote on the back of this suggest unrelenting action. Complete crud. Matthew Reilly is unrelenting action, Robert Ludlum could lay some claim to that, too.

There is almost more describing of picnic lunches and wine bars than action, in this book. It is a spy novel, with the odd hit, kidnapping and a couple of scenes of tortue and interrogation near the end.

A story about an Israeli intelligence agent, who works in the art world, he tries to get back some art works that have come to light, stolen from his people by the ratzis with the assistance of the Swiss.

He runs into an English acquaintance who is a professional hitter, working at odds to him. The Englishman bows out when he finds out what he is working on.

In some ways, barely even a thriller at all, it is just a spy novel.

Artistic dagger combined with a musical edge!.......2007-05-11

Daniel Silva has done it once again. I found myself catching up a bit, only recently reading, "The Kill Artist." I haven't exactly read the Allon books in order, but now I'm ok! This installment races through with the right rhythm at all the right times. But I thought there was maybe one or two questions that were left unanswered. If that doesn't concern you, you'll still enjoy "The English Assassin."

We find Gabriel Allon assigned to reluctantly clean some work of a Swiss Master, so to speak. He really doesn't want to do it. What makes matters worse, is that Allon walks right into a room where the client, Augustus Rolfe, is lying dead. Gabriel is framed for the murder. What's going on? Enter Anna Rolfe, exquisite musician. She wants answers as much as the next person about her father's murder. Do the answers lie in Switzerland? Good luck, because for some people in Switzerland, there is no past. You may find an answer or two lies with the Nazis, and from there a hidden secret nobody should know about. Protect the girl, and find some art work, return them to the rightful heirs. And yes, there is indeed an English Assassin, and Gabriel knows full well who he is, and how he does it! It really gets good!

I've read up to "A Death in Vienna" since I've started reading Silva, and this does indeed give me reason to read "Prince of Fire." Between that and "The Confessor," my first Silva read, I filled in a few blanks. Silva is indeed crafty with his craft! A couple of questions unanswered won't kill me. I just considered this a great thriller, with a hint of a musical edge! Quite the haunting notes from the great composer.

Surprising plot, good characters.......2007-03-02

Very worthy espionage/thriller. I very much enjoyed this book! I read it in two days. Originally I let it sit on my nightstand for months because I thought it would be another novel about stolen Jewish money stashed by nazis in Swiss bank accounts. But it turned out to be so much more. The assassin angle was not overdone, in fact it was light on details which can bore me anyway. Yet the assassins were interesting characters both. This definitely makes me want to read more Daniel Silva. I also enjoy David Lindsey's writing, and Aaron Elkins writes a good forensic mystery.

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Trail of Death
Best in the series
Satisfying from the First Page
Reviewed by Kirsten Fournier
A Must Read for all fans of Crime Thrillers

The Hidden Assassins
Robert Wilson
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151012393

Book Description

As Inspector Jefe Javier FalcÃ³n investigates a faceless, mutilated corpse, the beautiful city of Seville is rocked by a massive explosion. The discovery of a mosque in the basement of a devastated apartment building confirms everybody’s terrorist fears. Panic sweeps the city and the region goes on red alert. As more bodies are dragged from the rubble, the media interest and political pressure intensify and FalcÃ³n suspects that all is not what it appears to be. Just as he comes close to cracking the conspiracy, he makes the most terrifying discovery of all and the race is on to prevent a catastrophe far beyond Spain’s borders. A masterful thriller, The Hidden Assassins is fiction of the highest order.

Customer Reviews:

Trail of Death.......2007-09-23

The trail of death leads from a faceless body in the garbage dump to an explosion in a suburb of Seville in an apartment building that housed a mosque in the basement. Inspector Falcon and other investigators are trying to figure out what is going on. Why would somebody destroy an entire wing of a building, killing children in a day care center as well? What madness is causing this indiscriminate killing?

You'll find yourself wondering what the personal life of Judge Calderon has to do with the killings also. What links do his mistress and mistreated wife play?

There are many other threads woven into this tale that will keep you guessing. Talented author Robert Wilson gives mystery or thriller fans a tale that could be taken from current events involving religious fanaticism and the mounting tensions between the many groups involved.

Mysterious men working for a mysterious communications company might be involved in the bombing. Is there an American link? Do politics play a role in the chaotic aftermath to the bombing? Will Falcon find out who is responsible?

Surprises await the reader of this fun tale as it unwinds. You'll find there are unexpected links between Calderon and Falcon, unexpected twists in the story that guarantee reading satisfaction. Enjoy.

Best in the series.......2007-02-13

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (01/07)

On a warm summer morning in Seville, Chief Inspector Javier Falcon was investigating the murder of a man found without his head or hands when an explosion rocked the city. A mosque is discovered in the basement of the wrecked apartment building that bore the brunt of the blast, raising terrorism alarm bells that put the city on red alert. When a van with an encoded copy of the Koran is discovered in the immediate area of the blast, the investigation goes into fever pitch. Is this the work of a terrorist group? If so, which one?

Falcon continues working his murder but is also brought into the bomb investigation by the CNI, Spain's intelligence service. Falcon spends his days and most of his nights chasing down elusive leads, struggling to make sense of the chaos around him.

But other police work must continue, despite the high priority of the bombing. A citizen discovers a prominent, philandering judge as he tries to dispose of the body of his wife whom he has just murdered. Falcon is called to the scene by the police dispatcher who is unaware that the murder victim is Falcon's ex-wife. Already hounded by the press about the bombing, the police must tread carefully to avoid even a hint of cover-up as they work this case, even as they seem to finally find the elusive clue that will lead them to the bombers.

But things are not always what they seem. As Falcon continues to probe the bombing, he finds terrifying evidence that could put not only his beloved city in danger, but also a large portion of Europe.

I enjoyed this book, especially because of the background information I read. There are amazing parallels about immigration between the citizens of Spain and the citizens of the United States. One memorable moment was the account of a local man who lost his wife and two children in the bombing. While part of you decries what he says, another part is in full sympathy because you know the pain he is enduring.

As soon as I finished reading "The Hidden Assassins," I went to e-bay looking for more books featuring Inspector Falcon and I wasn't disappointed. I have another one on its way to me now.

Satisfying from the First Page.......2007-01-28

This is Robert Wilson's third Falcon mystery and it certainly meets or beats the standard set by its predecessers. "Hidden Assassins" is elaborately and cleverly plotted, using recent terrorist activities in Spain, Britain and Morocco as underpinning for a rather amazing story of criss-crossing espionage, counter-espionage and political skullduggery that takes place in Chief Inspector Javier Falcon's Seville. As usual, the author gives the city and its institutions a big role in the story's context. Secondary plots involving Falcon's ex-wife and his one-time girlfriend are sometimes a little over the top, but ultimately story enriching. One of these secondary mysteries is left unresolved, presumably grist for the next novel. This is a first-rate thriller with an exotic locale and a variety of very well-conceived and very human characters. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Kirsten Fournier.......2007-01-26

Inspector Javier Falcón is back in Robert Wilson's The Hidden Assassins, the third installment in a series of four crime novels. Following The Blind Man of Seville and The Vanished Hands, Falcón finds himself leading the criminal investigation of a lifetime after an explosion leaves a Seville apartment block and nearby pre-school in ruins. With the Madrid 2004 bombings still fresh in everyone's mind, the discovery of a mosque in one of the demolished apartment buildings incites panic in the city of Seville and a full-scale terrorist alert ensues.

Although an Islamic terrorist network called Mártires Islámicos para la Liberación de Andalucía claim responsibility for the attack, Falcón begins uncovering evidence that suggests otherwise. In conjunction with Falcón's police investigation, various intelligence agencies are conducting their own investigation and Falcón soon finds himself using family connections in Morocco to procure crucial information. As Falcón's police investigation continues there still remains the unsolved mystery of an unidentified, mutilated body found in a dumpster preceding the bombing on the morning of June 6, 2006. Wilson's masterful storytelling weaves these apparently separate story lines together as the horrifying truth bubbles to the surface.

Throughout the story, various sub-plots reveal characters that have played key roles in Falcón's life at one time or another. Wilson skillfully uses these sub-plots to address other morally reprehensible acts such as domestic violence as in the case of Falcón's ex-wife Inés and her current husband the Judge Esteban Calderón; adultery as in the case of Calderón's extramarital affairs; and the exploitation of victims for political and financial gain as in the case of Fernando Alanis and his daughter. Falcón's love interest Consuelo's emotionally charged therapy sessions with the blind psychologist, Alicia Aguado, seem somewhat extraneous to the storyline, but by including these details Wilson leaves the door wide open for Falcón and Consuelo's relationship to develop in the next installment of this crime series quartet.

Dialogue is somewhat crude in parts of the novel, particularly the interaction between Inés and Calderón's lover Marisa. Yet there are other parts where the dialogue is quite cerebral, such as Falcón's conversations with the American CIA operative Mark Flowers, as well as his conversations with friend and informant Yacoub Diouri while in Morocco. Despite a somewhat flat narrative at times, Wilson gives us crime fiction at its best. The Hidden Assassins effectively showcases Wilson's ability to interlace crime procedural with current events and the human condition to produce an international thriller reminiscent of modern day headlines.

A Must Read for all fans of Crime Thrillers.......2007-01-17

Hands down, Robert Wilson is perhaps the most under rated author of this genre writing today. His books are focused, intense, detailed almost to a fault, and thoroughly atmospheric and engaging. His latest books have been set in Seville, Spain with the central character of Chief Inspector Falcon. Falcon is a dedicated professional that is constantly balancing the demands of the job and the demands of his personal life.

This book draws on the terrorist attacks that have occurred since 9/11/2001, and remember that Spain suffered its own losses with the terrible train bombings in Madrid just a couple of years after the 9/11 attacks. This time we have a terrorist plot unravelling in Seville, and the subsequent investigation will bring down not only the perpetrators - or perhaps only some of them - but also some of the main characters that have been constant in the Seville novels. Bombings, murder, faceless bodies, personal tragedy and political posturing are all some of things that Falcon must navigate through during his investigation - not to mention personal tragedies that will befall him as well. What sets one author apart from another is often not just the story line, but the characters. I often find that the very best books are the ones that you never want to end, because the characters have become important to you, have become "friends" that you do not want to see go away. These are the types of characters that Mr. Wilson develops - characters whose stories you do not want to end - characters you never want to disengage with.

Before the Seville novels, Robert Wilson wrote a series set in Africa that were equally detailed, intense and gripping. Perhaps Mr. Wilson writes books that require you to think and concentrate a bit more that the average crime novel, but the result is a absolutely stunning book that is as good as any other in this genre, one that transports you not only into the action, but into the locale as well. Read one of Mr. Wilson's books and you will find yourself in Seville as well as in the drama of the book itself. I can not recommend an author more highly than I do Robert Wilson, and this book is as good a place to start reading his works as any.

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Understanding the structure & characters of "Julius Caesar"

Julius Caesar (Cliffs Notes)
Martha Perry , and James E. Vickers
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764585959

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer summaries and expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Julius Caesar, you follow the dramatic political battles of Rome during the height of the Pax Romanum. Shakespeare pits Caesar against an untold number of conspirators and lets the daggers fly. In the end, who will carry on the rule of the Caesars?

This user-friendly guide makes studying a snap — with visual icons flagging key themes, literary devices, and more. You'll come to understand the overall structure of the play, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author. Features that help you study include

Shakespeare's background and career highlights
Scene-by-scene summaries
Character analyses of major players
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
Critical essays
A review section that tests your knowledge
Glossaries of key words and terms

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Download Description

Dramatizing the political battles in Rome during the height of the Pax Romanum, Shakespeare pits Caesar against an untold number of conspirators and lets the daggers fly. In the end, Antony comes to carry on the rule of the Caesars.

Customer Reviews:

Understanding the structure & characters of "Julius Caesar".......2001-05-04

James Vickers' Cliffs Notes for Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" begins with a short biography of the Bard that focuses on what little the historical record tells us about the man. A Brief Synopsis of the Play is followed by a List of Characters that not only tells us who they are but their primary roles in the play. The Summary and Commentary section of the volume breaks down the play scene by scene, and the best way of using this or any other little yellow book with the black stripes is to read the commentary after you have read each scene of the play. This is especially important with Shakespeare because the dialogue is so important and Vickers does not work in as many choice lines as some of the other Cliffs Notes for Shakespeare plays. You cannot deal with Shakespeare if you do not know the key lines. The last section dealing with Character Analyses looks as Caesar, Antony, Octavius, Brutus and Cassius, referring back to the analysis already established regarding the individual scenes. What you will not get from this volume if you are teaching/reading "Julius Caesar" is how the play touches upon the political realities of Elizabethean England. But Vickers does an excellent job throughout of capturing how Shakespeare uses the play to manipulate the audience. Remember, the celebrated funeral oration by Marc Antony is being listened to on stage by a Roman mob that is being watched by an audience of Londoners in the theater. This is one of the better jobs at capturing how Shakespeare constructed a play.

Journeymen in Murder: The Assassin in English Renaissance Drama

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Journeymen in Murder: The Assassin in English Renaissance Drama
Martin Wiggins
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198112289

Book Description

Torture and murder are the sort of dirty jobs that rich and powerful men have always considered beneath them. In sixteenth and seventeenth-century English drama, they often employed others to take care of that side of the business of being a villain. Such characters developed from being minor but memorable Elizabethan bit-parts into key figures in some of the greatest Jacobean tragedies: The White Devil, The Duchess of Malfi, and The Changeling. Journeymen in Murder shows how assassins, embroiled though they are in violence and intrigue, often served to address issues of political and moral concern in the period, such as the dangers of tyranny, or the corrupting power of money. The book's scope is broad, covering the entire corpus of English Renaissance drama, and it offers detailed critical consideration of many plays, including several that are here studied in depth for the first time. Throughout, the achievement of major dramatists is placed in the context of other writers' use of similar material, illuminating the ways in which they create their own distinctive and disturbing effects by using playgoers' prior experience of the character.

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Another Winner By This Gifted Author
Made into TV movie miniseries in the 1980's
I CAN'T BELIEVE MOVIE STUDIOS HAVEN'T PICKED THIS ONE UP YET. GEEZ, COME ON HOLLYWOOD.
UNREAL
Very good thriller

Brotherhood of the Rose: A Novel
David Morrell
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312106084

Book Description

"Riveting...Crackling...It really moves."
WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
They were orphans, Chris and Saul--raised in a Philadelphia school for boys, bonded by friendship, and devoted to a mysterious man called Eliot. He visited them and brought them candy. He treated them like sons. He trained them to be assassins. Now he is trying desperately to have them killed.
Spanning the globe, here is an astonishing novel of fierce loyalty and violent betrayal, of murders planned and coolly executed, of revenge bitterly, urgently desired.

Customer Reviews:

Another Winner By This Gifted Author.......2007-09-28

Suspenseful, fast paced and well written. You are drawn in from the beginning and actually like these two "brothers" even though they are trained assassins. The history of how Chris and Sean became brothers was at sometimes sad but showed how their unbreakable bond started early in life. A must read!

Made into TV movie miniseries in the 1980's.......2007-07-10

I wonder whether the miniseries will be converted to DVD?

I will be the first one to buy the DVD.

I CAN'T BELIEVE MOVIE STUDIOS HAVEN'T PICKED THIS ONE UP YET. GEEZ, COME ON HOLLYWOOD........2007-03-05

This Novel should stand proudly next to any all time greats. It currently stands proudly on my bookshelf in between The Godfather and Kane&Abel. If you haven't read this yet I strongly recommend it. If you're into high action oriented novels with twists and turns and novels that chronicles the protagonist's life as a child and how he became the way he is (Assassins) then this is a must.

Trust me. You won't regret it.

UNREAL.......2007-02-11

This is one of my favorite novels of all time. This was my first David Morrell book and I'm glad it was because it made me want to read all of his other novels. Although I love his other books, Brotherhood of the Rose is by far my favorite. His two sequels, Fraternity of the Stone and A League of Night and Fog were really great as well. It's a sad thing he didn't continue the series.

The only other books that stand along side this book for me are:

Kane & Abel by Jeffrey Archer; The Godfather by Mario Puzo; The Christ Clone Trilogy (In His Image, Birth of an age, Acts of God) by David Beauseigneur and for fantasy lovers George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire series: 4 books so far ( A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, & Feast for Crows )

Very good thriller.......2006-12-04

I haven't read any other books by David Morrell, so Brotherhood of the Rose was my introduction to him. This is a tight, suspenseful tale set in the Cold War days, but is a cut above the usual fare of this sort. The characters are well drawn and the plot has an unusual twist that moved the action right along and kept me guessing as to how the story would end.

The quality of Morrell's writing is quite high and his pacing is steady. I also thought he paid a good deal of attention to details of setting and place, which I appreciate in any sort of novel, but especially in a page turner, as appropriate details add depth to a book that might otherwise be too focused on plot.

If you're looking for a solid thriller that will hold your attention during a boring commute or a long plane ride, this is a good choice.

Julius Caesar (Oxford School Shakespeare Series)

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Simply the Best
The Tragedy of the Tragically Unaesthetically Pleasing Review
Great edition of a great play
Excellent Shakespeare Classic
It's Not All Greek.

Julius Caesar (Oxford School Shakespeare Series)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0198320272

Book Description

The Oxford School Shakespeare is a well-established series which helps students understand and enjoy Shakespeare's plays. As well as the complete and unabridged text, each play in this series has an extensive range of students' notes. These include detailed and clear explanations of difficult words and passages, a synopsis of the plot, summaries of individual scenes, and notes on the main characters. Also included is a wide range of questions and activities for work in class, together with the historical background to Shakespeare's England, a brief biography of Shakespeare, and a complete list of his plays. For this new edition, the text of the play, the notes, and the introductory matter have all been revised so as to make them clearer and more accessible. In addition, the entire text of the book has been redesigned and reset to make it easier to read. The illustrations have been completely redrawn, photographs of recent stage production have been included and there is a new, attractive cover design. Roma Gill, the series editor, has taught Shakespeare at all levels. She has acted in and directed Shakespeare's plays, and has lectured on Shakespeare all over the world.

Customer Reviews:

Simply the Best.......2007-08-03

The Arden Shakespeare series is the best, for either the beginning of scholarly research, the average needs of the English student, or as a resource for the informed theater professional. My only note of caution is for a casual reader who may find the extensive footnoting more of an interruption than a help. Love this book, love them all.

The Tragedy of the Tragically Unaesthetically Pleasing Review.......2006-05-25

"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare proves to be an amazing read if one thoroughly enjoys the challenge of deciphering the selective form of writing and occasionally complicated dialect. This classic play is based on the true, factual account of the assassination of Julius Caesar as it truly took place in 44 B.C. Of course, Shakespeare has completely made the story his own through the use of comic relief, characterization, and wonderful original composition. Julius Caesar, the ambitious and prideful dictator of Rome, has returned home from a victorious battle against his fellow Triumvirate, Pompey. As he celebrates and relishes his absolute power, little does he suspect the growing opposition of conspirators, some of whom he would never expect. This read is certainly worthwhile if one has a good taste for tragedy and does not mind a challenge.

Great edition of a great play.......2006-03-08

I really enjoyed reading this edition of the play. Each scene is proceded by a summary of the secene and followed by commentary on the scene, and there are notes alongside the text explaining unusual words/phrases. As an actor, I have been reading Shakespeare for quite awhile, and I still found this book very helpful. If you are new to reading Shakespeare, I particularly recommend this because you will find it very helpful.

Excellent Shakespeare Classic.......2006-02-12

Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in about 1599. The play was the first of three Roman plays. Shakespeare based the source material for the play on a translation of a work by the Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch, called "The lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans". Shakespeare, like Plutarch, praises and criticises the actions of the main characters in the assassination of Julius Caesar. However, the historical events in the play are fairly accurate, although the playwright sometimes changed the sequence and timing of events and added his limitless imagination to produce a timeless play that has been enacted and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide over the centuries.

The play is set in a period of political instability in Rome. The people of Rome celebrate Caesar victory over Pompey, their former leader. However, there are officials that are concerned about Caesar's growing power. The Romans were then aware that absolute power is open to abuse (there are people today who still do not know this simple fact). Among those concerned about the growing power of Caesar are Cassius and Brutus, who are both followers of Caesar.

Cassius persuades Brutus that something needs to be done to thwart Caesar's growing ambitions. Brutus has a problem with his conscience but ultimately decides that it is in the best interests of Rome that Caesar is eliminated.

Caesar receives warnings about the impending danger. During a festival that Caesar attends, he is warned "Beware the Ides of March". Caesar, however, dismisses the Soothsayer's warnings. When the Ides of March arrive and while Caesar is due to go to be crowned, warnings in the form of storms, bad omens and his wife's horrible dreams initially persuade Caesar to stay at home. However, Caesar decides to go after being advised that if he did not show up, Senators might change their minds about crowning him emperor. On entering the capitol, the conspirators stab Caesar to death.

Mark Anthony, a very close ally of Caesar, initially pretends to go along with the conspirators but he is determined to avenge his death. When Brutus addresses the confused crowd to drum up support for the assassination, Mark Anthony cleverly and expertly manages to turn the crowd against the conspirators and incites them to riot. With popular support in Rome, the triumvirs Anthony, Octavious and Lepidus plan to fight Brutus and Cassius. Brutus's conscience still troubles him and he sees Caesars ghost. Fighting takes place and Cassius and Brutus are defeated and both commit suicide to save their honour. The triumvirs then seize power after avenging Caesar.

It's Not All Greek........2005-12-25

When I first read JULIUS CAESAR as a sophomore in high school, I found it to be a decent play, but other than some really cool lines, didn't think it was that great. After having re-read the play and now having taught it to my own classes of sophomore English students, I have a much greater appreciation for the play. Granted, JULIUS CAESAR is not one of Shakespeare's greatest plays nor is it even one of his best histories. And despite much of it being written in the classic Shakespearean iambic pentameter, it really isn't all that poetic. There are moments when the language is extremely vivid and moving, e.g. Mark Antony's speech to the citizens of Rome or some of Brutus' personal soliloquies. However, compared to HAMLET or KING LEAR or HENRY V, the play seems juvenile by comparison. However, it is that very unpolished, amatuerism that makes the play so relevant and easy to connect with younger audiences.

Though Julius Caesar is the title character, the play isn't really about Caesar. Instead, the play is about Caesar's closest friend, Marcus Brutus. Through Brutus, the play examines exactly what it means to be noble, what is honor, and the nature of friendship. In the course of the play, Brutus is led to believe and becomes convinced that in doing a most dishonorable act, he is doing the most honorable thing he possibly can to save Rome and all the ideals he has staked his life upon. Yet, his decision brings him to kill his best friend and ultimately brings about the end of the republic which he had tried to save.

Contrary to what I had been led to believe before I began teaching this play, students really enjoy JULIUS CAESAR. It is full of murder and betrayal. They enjoy the violence and the theme of betrayal is something they are all able to relate to. I have also found that student seem to sympathize much more with Caesar than with Brutus. They can't understand why Brutus would kill his best friend. The concept of caring more about a group of people (family, country, etc.) than one single person seems beyond them. I've tried to use Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE to help them understand this better (in that story the question is "If you were able to stop Hitler before he became Hitler, even if he was your closest friend, would you?").

Overall, though JULIUS CAESAR is not one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, it is a great play to introduce people both to the brilliance of Shakespeare and to one of history's most pivotal moments; the time when Rome became an Empire.

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Exhilarating period piece
Outstanding and riveting
How it all might have happened
pretty good read
Enjoyed immensely

The Shot
Philip Kerr
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0671041401

Book Description

The year is 1960. Psycho is playing in movie houses. Business is booming at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club. And on black-and-white television sets, America is watching the Nixon-Kennedy debates. While the world turns, some people share a staggering secret: the Mob, the CIA, and the next president of the United States are all in bed together with a hit man and a plan -- to kill Fidel Castro.

Tom Jefferson kills for a living, and he's very good at his job. Fresh off a one-hundred-and-fifty yard takedown of a Nazi in Buenos Aires, Tom has now walked into a room full of wise guys and Company men in Coral Gables. The mobsters want Cuba back. Presidential candidate Jack Kennedy has promised they'll get it. Because Mob boss Sam Giancana has fixed the November election, he knows JFK will be in a position to deliver. And because the Mafia has incriminating tapes of Jack's sexual escapades, they know he'll keep his promise.

Tom is the man they all want for the shooting of Castro. And he couldn't care less what his clients' motives are or why. Tom has a good life, a beautiful wife, and the perfect fall guy for the Castro hit. But as Tom gets ready for his trip to Cuba, a corrupt FBI acquaintance lures him to a safe house where he's exposed to explosive information, Now, the perfect hit is turning into the perfect nightmare for the Mob, the CIA, and the United States. That's because cool, murdering Tom Jefferson has gone missing -- and the word is out that he's no longer gunning for Fidel Castro, but for Jack Kennedy....

From the brilliant mind of Philip Kerr, THE SHOT is a wild roller-coaster ride through the cultural, political, and social landscape of the 1960s -- a mesmerizing thriller that elevates conspiracy theory into a hugely entertaining art form and sheds an eerie light on the events in 1963 Dallas. With its cast of fictional and real characters -- icons from DiMaggio to Monroe -- Kerr's masterful new novel captures a Cold War, black-and-white society on the verge of a decade of dizzying, confusing Technicolor.

Customer Reviews:

Exhilarating period piece.......2007-09-13

There's no doubt that an assassin's bullet can change history--that's why the subject holds such fascination for authors. It's certainly gripping subject matter--in fact, some of the most memorable novels in recent memory deal with the subjects of assassins and assassination. Such novels include Adam Kennedy's The Domino Principle, Stephen Hunter's Point of Impact, Frederick Forsythe's classic The Day of the Jackal, and Richard Condon's spectacular The Manchurian Candidate. More germane to this review, however, are books that examine the Kennedy assassination, including Don DeLillo's Libra and James Ellroy's vastly under appreciated American Tabloid, both of which effectively melded fact with speculation in service of their author's narrative.

Given such fertile ground, it's no surprise that Philip Kerr, author of The Berlin Trilogy, and, more recently, of a clever SF/caper novel called The Second Angel, also chose to work this particular literary field. Instead of 1963, however, The Shot is set in 1960. Instead of President Kennedy, the book focuses on candidate, and subsequently President-elect, Kennedy. Instead of Lee Harvey Oswald, the novel chronicles the activities of Cuban-American sniper Tom Jefferson, as he plans and executes a series of hits for a variety of organizations, including the Mossad, the CIA, and the American Mob.

The main action of The Shot commences when representatives of Sam Giancana approach Tom with a proposal to assassinate Fidel Castro. Tom accepts the job, along with a $150,000 advance. He never fulfills his end of the deal however, as, shortly after agreeing, his Mob contact plays him one of many audio tapes in their possession, featuring the randy John Kennedy's sexual escapades with one of his campaign staff. To Tom's surprise, he recognizes the staffer's voice as that of his wife, Mary. Stunned, Tom abruptly drops out of sight.

A week later, Mary is found dead, purportedly of an accidental drug overdose. Believing her death may yield clues to Tom's present whereabouts, the Mob hires ex-G-Man Jimmy Nimmo to investigate. After examining the evidence, Nimmo concludes Mary was murdered, probably by her enraged husband, who now appears to have switched targets from Castro to Kennedy. Thus begins a strange, twisted odyssey, as Tom closes in on the President elect, and Nimmo closes in on Tom.

The Shot is first and foremost a period piece, with Kerr injecting telling details from that time into nearly every scene. Thus, he mentions Eichmann's kidnapping from Buenos Aires, the Kennedy-Nixon debates, various members of Sinatra's Rat Pack, and, in a chilling set piece, describes a murder that takes place in a theater as the shower scene from Psycho unfurls on screen. It is also, in many ways, a by the numbers thriller. Kerr is careful to hew to the conventions of the genre, detailing a deadly game of international intrigue. But he also deftly stands these conventions on their respective heads, in ways I won't go into, for fear of ruining your read.

The Shot is a meticulously researched, beautifully written thriller that holds an eerie mirror up to the Kennedy assassination. A book whose secret agenda is bound to confuse and shock its audience, it's a novel that is as challenging as it is exhilarating.

Outstanding and riveting.......2005-03-02

A professional hitman hired by the mob to kill Fidel Castro gets involved in more than he asked for. The hit is sponsored not only by the mob, but also by Kennedy who wants to become the president and then let the mob run the Cuban casinos. The mob possess a film of Kennedy's sexual adventures and thus all are tied-in in this game. When the hitman finds out that his wife also was Kennedy's lover, he takes things into his own hands and goes after kennedy. One of Kerr's best books.

How it all might have happened.......2003-11-10

The Cuban Revolution, Castro, the Mob, the CIA, the FBI, JFK, RFK, Monroe, Sinatra, Hoffa, and the 1960 election. Havana, Miami, Las Vegas, Palm Beach, New York, and Harvard. Capitalism, communism, Khrushchev, spy versus spy, double agents, triple agents, moles, and one Tom Jefferson (alias Marty van Buren) (alias Franklin Pierce), hit man. This rip roaring trip back to the early `60s, complete with movie stars, gangsters, politicians, entertainers, ball players, blue suede shoes, and cherry coca will immerse you into nostalgia like few thrillers do. Characters that made the headlines some 40 years ago walk off the pages as you listen in on the plotting and back stabbing of the then-famous power brokers.
Kerr's work is not so much a page turner of what happens next as it is a rich tapestry of the hows and whys of history in the making. Eavesdrop on bigger-than-life hoods and pols maneuvering for advantage. Watch while the little people get caught in the crossfire. And wonder if it really did happen this way. But don't look for a protagonist: it's not here. What is here is the early `60s milieu, in spades - and that's your leading character.

pretty good read.......2003-09-24

i enjoyed the shot, although the ending was a let down.psfort sam houston is in san antonio, not dallas.

Enjoyed immensely.......2003-05-26

Contrary to some of the other reviewers here, I enjoyed this a great deal. It was an interesting concept, well executed. It really holds your attention, and while you might suspect it's another "what if" historical novel, it's not that at all. Revealing the ending would ruin the read, so I'll merely suggest that you read and enjoy. I would concur with others though who suggest The Shot is not up to his Berlin Noir trilogy. I think they may be the best detective novels of the century.

The Cornelius Quartet: The Final Program, A Cure for Cancer, The English Assassin, The Condition of Muzak

Average customer rating:

Eternal Champion a-Go-Go
A little imagination helps
Moorcock's fabulous sf
Here we go again
Stunningly good

The Cornelius Quartet: The Final Program, A Cure for Cancer, The English Assassin, The Condition of Muzak
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: Four Walls Eight Windows
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1568581831

Book Description

Jerry Cornelius is an English assassin, physicist, rock star, and messiah to the Age of Science. Written between 1965 and 1967, this sequence of four novels relating Cornelius’s adventures has been credited with inspiring dozens of writers and artists to rethink the genre of science fiction. Acclaimed British author Michael Moorcock’s time-tripping antihero is one of the great achievements in modern fantastic literature. This is the first U.S. publication of one of the most influential sagas in postmodern sci-fi.

Customer Reviews:

Eternal Champion a-Go-Go.......2005-08-06

Between the EC's earliest incarnations as Corum, Urlich or Elric of Melnibone, and the final, totally insane finished product dancing with the Iron Orchid at the end of time, Jerry Cornelius reveals the most contemporary, most adolescent facet of the same, singular character. That character seems to be, to all observers of social evolution, a Mod; some product of the nineteen-sixties between Beatnicks and Hippies, although the scene is undeniably post-apocalyptic. Mad Max in Londontown sums it up pretty well.

Anemia and albinism take many guises, different and unique from one timeslip to the next throughout the multiverse - which, by the way, is not a Moorcock invention, but goes back to Heinlein's works from the late fifties and early sixties. Moorcock uses the concept of the Multiverse better than anyone else since Heinlein, though, and pays the Grand Master further homage in tiny, needlegun-like ways. The only other similarity between the two that I will mention is that Heinlein was nearly pure sci-fi, with only "Glory Road" being wholly sword-and-sorcery unto itself; The Cornelius Chronicles do the reverse for Moorcock, taking the sword-and-sorcery of the EC deeper into pure sci-fi than many S&S fans are able to delve. I digress; whether or not Una Person is the Iron 0rchid or the Honorable Jaggedd is Mick Jagger, Jerry is most certainly both Elrik and the Demented Carnelian.

Any more-than-casual reader of Moorcock can tell you that there will be an Eternal Champion until the end of time. That's what "eternal" means. Duh! The earliest kingdoms of pre-humanity knew him; the decadant remnants of civilization will know him; and somewhere in the middle, in the not-too-distant-future, where the best of sci-fi lives, and closest to our own epoch than any other of the EC's accounts penned by Moorcock, there is Jerry Conrelius.

A little imagination helps .......2005-03-16

So if a little imagination helps, consider what it's like when your imagination is unreined. No reason to let a little reality stand in your way. And when the forms are constrained, it only somehow heightens the free play. Reinvention of self has rarely gone so far. Jerry's or yours.

Moorcock wrote about these stories: "Part of my original intention with the Jerry Cornelius stories was to 'liberate' the narrative; to leave it open to the reader's interpretation as much as possible - to involve the reader in such a way as to bring their own imagination into play."

These chronicles are among my favorite literary works. Each is a different literary experiment. Transform the mundane, don't let it run you down. How cool can you be? How important can you be? How intriguing can the folks you hang out with? Only Jerry seems to know. Let him show the way. Profound? Well, it's at least great, incredibly well-written fun.

Read "Dancers at the End of Time" if you want to see how well Moorcock can construct a "traditional" story. But if you want to see Moorcock's talent unleashed, give The Cornelius Quartet a try.

Moorcock's fabulous sf.......2003-06-01

This is Moorcock's most ambitious work. Certainly his most honest. There are a million and one experiments in literature here, not all of which come off. But according to Schopenhauer the errors of geniuses are worth a hundred truths of lesser mortals. (Or something like that.) The fact that Moorcock provides the most visceral experiences in the sort of fabulous sf universe his brain inhabits means that even when he's mistaken his point is well taken. (For a similar world, see Zelazny's stuff.) The characters of this book will live forever. Even though he's not a household word like Tolkien or Rowling he certainly will be some day. Keep your chin up Mike, the zombies will get the point eventually.

Here we go again.......2003-03-12

It's been argued that these books were an angry/funny response to the Vietnam War and certainly the second story A Cure For Cancer refers a lot to Vietnam. What is particularly interesting about it, however, is how it refers to the PRESENT
situation. The Administration's rationales for going into Vietnam and the military's rationales for staying there are here transported to Europe. And that's no doubt what makes the books so relevant to the immediate situation we have at the moment with Europe refusing America's rationales for going to war and the Administration reacting with an aggressive, bullying tone. The ways in which imperial adventuring are cloaked in the language of 'saving the natives' are clearly shown here. Moorcock takes the experience of British imperialism and equates it with American imperialism. He does it all, of course, with irony and black humor which gets more and more sophisticated as the series continue. The Final Program is the weakest of the books, though it parodies 60s slang rather than parroting it, and has subtleties rarely found in US fiction of the day. These books were of their time and half a century AHEAD of their time and the way in which Moorcock reveals the underbelly of his society as well as the
postures of his main character are brilliant. Unquestionably, some of the very best experimental and influential fiction of our time! Recommended at every level -- fun, funny, fantastic and literary. I would also recommend Moorcock's very latest Cornelius novella, Firing the Cathedral, with its introduction by Alan Moore.

Stunningly good.......2002-06-24

I found this one of the most amazing books I have ever read. After the first one, which is fairly straightforward though written with a sardonic humor, they get better and better, with more and more information adding to your first impression, rather like a good movie by Lynch, say. Don't expect anything like you've read before, even if you've read other Michael Moorcock titles. The first one deals with Jerry Cornelius's quest for revenge and the microfilm which contains the information to make the 'final program' of the title -- a computer program which will put the sum of human knowledge into a single, self-reproducing human being. The second one, A Cure for Cancer, changes pace and style and has direct reference to the Vietnam War, set in a London which has been taken over by American 'military advisors', who are occupying Europe. Here Jerry also visits America and meets Indians, black power activists and so on in his search for his sister and for the black box which enables people both to change identity and travel through the multiverse, through multiple versions of our own realities, all of which bear satirical or ironic reference to the world we know. By The English Assassin Jerry is in a coffin, living dead, being traded between his enemies and friends across a Europe embroiled in civil war which prefigures what has since happened in Yugoslavia, Russia and elsewhere. The style and the substance of the books matures and deepens as you go, but also the characters become more complex and interesting. We meet Bishop Beesley and his
daughter, Miss Brunner, the Thatcher-like character, Major Nye, the embodiment of idealistic imperialism and Colonel Pyat, whose story is continued in Moorcock holocaust series beginning with
Byzantium Endures.

References to both American and European history, especially imperial expansion, abound, but there are some wonderfully funny and dramatic scenes. Here you can see how much has been borrowed for whole series of comic books, movies and other novels, including Bryan Talbot's Luther Arkwright series and Grant Morrison's Invisibles series, along with a lot of alternative history series, such as Harry Turtledove's. But Moorcock is also a literary writer, so there is always much more going on.

By the time we get to the resolving volume The English Assassin, the books are making more and more sense on more and more levels.
This is probably the richest and most mature of the books and Moorcock manages a heart-rending Christmas resolution which has the same mixture of melancholy and merriment you find in the best Dickens. At last you start to understand why literary critics have likened Moorcock to a modern Dickens. Also, you realise that everything you have read up to this point can be interpreted in a TOTALLY different light. Don't expect anything like the regular sci-fi tale, however good. This is more like Pynchon or
DeLillo and can only be fully appreciated if you accept it as a literary novel, rather than the popular adventure novel it sometimes pretends to be! A genuine masterpiece and deserving of every praise it has received. I remain stunned and deeply
impressed. And I thought it wasn't possible to feel like this
from a novel any more. I'm now reading King of the City, which
is a weird kind of development from this. I'm looking forward to finding a copy of Mother London, which I'm told is even better!

Average customer rating:

Interesting Story. Lackluster Characters. Ultimately Disappointing.

turning it around

No heroes here . . .

Early Rankin showing promise

Who set up the hitman?

Bleeding Hearts
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: Thorndike Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Naming of the Dead (An Inspector Rebus)

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ASIN: 0786292466

Book Description

A page-turning novel of assassins and double-crossing from the master of modern mystery, Ian Rankin.

Michael Weston is a gun for hire. He's paid well to do his job and ask no questions. But after successfully assassinating a TV reporter, the cops are quickly on his tail. How did they know how to find him? And who is his anonymous employer? Why did he or she want the reporter dead in the first place? Was he set up to be caught and thrown in jail?

The answers may lie with Hoffer, a private detective who has been hunting him for years--ever since Michael dispatched a bullet and accidentally hit an innocent young American girl. Her grieving father has kept Hoffer on retainer and on a mission to bring Weston to justice no matter what the cost. Could Hoffer have finally trapped him?

The only way Michael can stay ahead of the police is to find his mysterious employer and figure out who has been playing him like a puppet on strings--or he may find himself on the other end of the rifle.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Story. Lackluster Characters. Ultimately Disappointing........2007-08-06

It took me a long time to finish this book. When I thought about reading it, I found I thought the story was interesting and I wanted to know what would happen, but it just took effort to want to read it. I couldn't figure out why.

That was until about halfway through the book and I realized I didn't like any of the characters and couldn't care less about what happened to them. That's what was holding me back.

Bel was whiny, passive aggressive and naive to the point of my just wanting her killed off. Overall, I got the impression that Rankin could never make up his mind who she was supposed to be.

Weston, the infamous D-Man, was a milquetoast. Without a sniper rifle, he came across as bumbling and weak. The great assissin barely knew how to use a pistol. That wasn't so bad. It could have been endearing under the right circumstances. But added to the fact that he was incapable of standing up to Bel and that she basically led him around by his nose, he was character I couldn't believe in. I would say that he was "whipped" if he hadn't been so apathetic about their relationship. He was pretty much apatehtic about everything. Even his interest in finding out who set him up came across as forced for the sake of the plot.

Finally, there was Leo Hoffer, who took being the obnoxious New Yorker/American to new heights. Rankin's depiction of Hoffer as such was so over the top it seemed like parody. All of the Americans, except possibly Clancy, were caricatures. Hoffer had some "cute" quirks, but overall he was yet another character I felt should be killed off. And given his lack of use in the latter half of a novel, and looking back on it, contrived use in the earlier half, he probably could have been left out of the novel altogether.

The ending, both that regarding the "big conspiracy" and who hired the D-Man, were anti-clamatic, contrived, somewhat illogical, and utterly disappointing. Not so much the resolution of the "conspiracy". That was a "who cares" moment. It was the answer to who hired Weston and why that was so disappointing.

This is the second novel I've read by Rankin. Witch Hunt being the first. It's my second disappointment. I'm not sure I'll be picking up another by this author.

turning it around.......2007-03-26

Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series are great detective stories; the BBC made a TV series out of them. In this book Rankin goes the other way, this time the killer is the likable character and the detective tracking him down is unlikable: The bad guy is a good guy, and the good guy is a bad guy. And it comes off well as the plot is interesting, with twists, near misses and mysteries. The pace stays steady, altogether a very good read. If you liked the Rebus series you'll like this variation on the detective v. bad guy theme. Rankin is a very good writer in this genre, showing some versatility here.

No heroes here . . ........2007-02-28

Michael Weston -- if that's really his name -- is a craftsman at his job, which is killing people. Only once did he shoot the wrong person (a young girl) and that was a regrettable accident, but it's come back to haunt him. His current commission involves taking out a London journalist on the steps of her hotel, which he accomplishes, but the police are there suspiciously fast. Who sicced them on him? As he begins trying to track back to his employer for his own protection, he runs afoul of what appears to be a cult group with access to too much money and connections to the American spook underground. And then there's the publicity-hungry private detective who's been tracking him for years. The plot is nicely complicated and its resolution is based on a real occurrence. The characters are well drawn and the author maintains a frenetic pace that would make a good film.

Early Rankin showing promise.......2006-12-05

This is the first American release for an early novel by British writer Ian Rankin, author of the award-winning "John Rebus" series of mysteries. Michael West is an assassin and when he is double crossed after murdering a journalist, he must go on the run with assistance from the daughter of an arms dealer to find out who set him up. He is chased by a drug-addled American private eye who will stop at nothing to take him down. Ranking throws in the kitchen sink on this one: cops, crooks, spies and cults all take part in the narrative with plenty of shoot 'em up action along the way. The ending is a little contrived, but the story works for the most part, and shows how talented a writer Rankin was even at this early stage.

Who set up the hitman?.......2006-11-29

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (10/2006)

Ian Rankin is the Edgar Award winning author of "A Question of Blood." Ian Rankin's "Bleeding Hearts" is a long, but well-written story. It takes place in many cities, including London and the United States. It is about a hit man of many different names. On a routine hit, the police immediately start tracking him. Who ratted on him? It could only be the middleman or the person who hired him.

He travels to London to figure it all out. He takes Bel, the young daughter of his gun maker. Yet, the gun maker is known for being protective of Bel. The hit man describes Bel. "Bel's got short fair hair, eyes slightly slanted like a cat's, and a long straight nose. Her face looks like it's been polished." I cannot help but to think that the gun maker was completely stupid to let his naïve and pretty daughter go with this rogue. Will their partnership lead to sex? Even worse, will it lead to a relationship?

"Bleeding Hearts" has a lot of dry, intelligent humor. To get through airport security with a knife the gunman asks them, "Since when did you get fat terrorists?" Some of the humor is a little bit politically incorrect. To explain the hit man's skill as a locksmith he explains, "I'm not the world's greatest locksmith, but any housing-project teenager could have been into the place in seconds."

Readers wanting a quick, easy-to-read book will not enjoy "Bleeding Hearts." It has 374 pages of tremendous depth Rankin uses a lot of descriptive words to paint the pictures of the surroundings and the characters. The humor and the dialogue are dry and understated. It has tremendous detail.

There is no doubt that Ian Rankin is a brilliant author. He is a Picasso of words. I believe his audience is limited to avid readers who are not necessarily looking for a mindless read. There is nothing superficial about "Bleeding Hearts." It is like a hybrid of "Law and Order," and "CSI," on steroids.

Julius Caesar (Sourcebooks Shakespeare; Book & CD)

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Julius Caesar (Sourcebooks Shakespeare; Book & CD)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks MediaFusion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1402206879

Book Description

This remarkable edition features a newly edited text of Julius Caesar based on the earliest printed text of the play, along with detailed notes and performance annotations. An integrated audio CD showcases the deeper understanding and enjoyment from the power of performance.

Hear Read See:

-- Hear recordings of great contemporary and historical performances of key scenes from the play.

-- Read about a modern production, from the director's point of view.

-- See production notes and photos alongside the text that takes you inside the stage experience.

-- See photos from contemporary stage productions and movie adaptations.

-- Read and see how a modern cast approaches the play, from interviews with the actors.

-- Hear and read about how a legendary voice coach (previously from the RSC) approaches the text and works with actors on "Speaking Shakespeare."

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