Earthly Possessions

Book Description

"To read a novel by Anne Tyler is to fall in love."

PEOPLE

Charlotte Emory has always lived a quiet, conventional life in Clarion, Maryland. She lives as simply as possible, and one day decides to simplify everything and leave her husband. Her last trip to the bank throws Charlotte's life into an entirely different direction when a restless young man in a nylon jacket takes her hostage during the robbery--and soon the two are heading south into an unknown future, and a most unexpected fate....

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Charlotte Emory, housewife and hostage.......2007-06-16

Of the many Anne Tyler novels I've read, "Earthly Possessions" is very nearly my favorite. (Ask me next week and I'll point to "Accidental Tourist.") A departure from her character-driven multi-generational household dramas, its dark satire and sinister comedy remind me, in a weird way, of the film "Raising Arizona," with which it shares vague and odd similarities in characters and plot.

In fact, there's more plot in the first few pages than in many of Tyler's other novels. With the very first sentence, Charlotte Emory decides that her "marriage wasn't going well and I decided to leave my husband"; by the second page, she goes to the Maryland Safety Savings Bank to withdraw some cash for her escape--and is taken hostage by Jake, a laughably amateurish bank robber. Since she wants to get out of town anyway, her fear is tempered by a sense of come-what-may compliance.

Even as a Patty Hearst-inspired tale of Stockholm syndrome, the narrative should be wholly implausible ("far-fetched," to use one reader's description). But Tyler is spinning less a work of realism than an allegorical tale of one woman's disenchantment with the trap her life has become. The story alternates between her trip south with Jake and a reminiscence of her marriage, in which she fills her role as a reluctantly dutiful homemaker for an ever-increasing gaggle of her preacher-husband's deadbeat family members. Her husband's admission, "I always did want a place for my brothers to come home to," makes her realize that she will always be a part of his comfortable plan, "house, wife, family, church,"--yet he would never play an equal part in her life. Then, at just the moment when she was looking for adventure, Jake, with his childlike neediness and menacing fickleness, makes life interesting. Ironically, though, Charlotte's role in Jake's "plan" soon becomes a not-so-distant echo of her "real" life as a housewife.

Charlotte's acquiescence and subsequent awakening result in some extraordinarily comic moments--yet Tyler's underlying themes are quite serious, and the resulting balance between pathos and comedy lends the work a melancholy gravitas. For such an unrealistic work, "Earthly Possessions" is entirely convincing.

Typical.......2006-01-15

Typical Anne Tyler. Protagonist Charlotte Emory is ready to leave her preacher husband (she's not religious or really in love). Then as fate would have it, gets kidnapped as a hostage in a bank robbery. They travel from Maryland to Florida. Pick up the bank robber's under-age pregnant girlfriend along the way. Lots of stuff happens, lots of stuff gets analyzed to infinity. Interesting drama unfolds towards the end. And at the end, you can't understand why you feel so much for the characters, but you do. Typical Anne Tyler.

Not her best, but still not bad...........2003-11-05

This is my fourth Anne Tyler novel, and although I liked it a bit better than The Tin Can Tree, it is still not on par with Breathing Lessons or The Accidental Tourist. I somewhat liked the character of Charlotte, but she wasn't as sympathetic to me as other Tyler heroines. I could, however, relate to her dissatisfaction with life - I just wished she'd do more, be more proactive, and not complain so much. That said, Tyler give a clear glimpse into her family life, which made it possible to comprehend how she'd become the person she was, even if I found her hard to put up with in long doses. I was interested in her marriage and family life. Wat I wasn't interested in was the subplot with Jake, the bank robber. This angle to the novel was so far fetched that it kept me from fully embracing the story. If Jake and his girlfriend were more well rounded characters, I might've cared more about that subplot. In general, I found that the book should've been longer. The fact that the book was so short made it difficult for Tyler to fully explore the differing points of view of the various characters, which she does to full effect in Breathing Lessons. In short, this is a good, not great book. If you've never read Tyler's work before, I wouldn't start with this book - I doubt you'll fully grasp the level of her talent. This book is more for hardcore Tyler fans who, like me, are determined to read all her books, just on principle.

Charlotte used to have a boring life.......2003-09-03

Then she gets kidnapped by Jake, an inept bank robber with 200 $1 bills in his pocket from the robbery (inept in a way that only an Anne Tyler character could be), and off the two of them go to Florida to hunt up Jake's pregnant girlfriend. Charlotte is having the time of her life. She'd been about to leave her husband of forever-many years, and here she suddenly finds herself off on an adventure she never could have dreamed up in her wildest imaginings. Hard to believe a story that begins with a robbery and a kidnapping could end up as touching and poignant - but it does.

always fresh.......2003-05-14

This was the first Anne Tyler book I read, and I liked it so much I have gone on to read them all--some, several times.

Tyler really only has one theme: Families--you can't live with them, and you can't escape them.

This book has that theme, and it treats it humorously and sadly and beautifully.

It starts with a bang--a failed bank robbery and hostage situation. This is an unusual scene for Tyler, but it quickly goes back to her usual territory: the maddening minutiae of everyday life.

As always the characters are quirky and fun.

The chapters alternate between the present and the past, so all the elements of the picture gradually come together.

It isn't really a love story; but none of Tyler's books are love stories--unless you count, being in love with being.

Book Description

While attempting to drive a demon out of a possessed lawyer, Angel is given a well-timed hand by Father Noe, an excommunicated priest. Noe seems to be an expert at driving out demons, he`s known as The Exorcist to the Stars. But Angel has reason to believe there`s a darker reason for the Father`s success. Collecting issues #5-7 of the Angel monthly series, this trade paperback is brought to you by Christopher Golden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Watcher`s Guide), Tom Sniegoski (Real Worlds: Batman), Christian Zanier (Rising Stars), and Andy Owens (Buffy).

Customer Reviews:

Add this Book to your Possessions.......2001-07-19

A Christopher Golden plot makes any graphic novel a winner. Earthly Possessions presents an excellent group of demons, which are drawn with great imagination. Angel, Cordelia and Doyle come to the aid of a woman whose husband is possessed. This brings Angel in contact with Father Noe a traveling exorcist. Soon the two are working together. But Angel wonders if the former priest is too familiar with these demons. Is the good father a hero or a demonic con man? The action is colorfully drawn. I recommend this book to graphic novel and Angel fans

4 Titles By Anne Tyler : Searching for Caleb Earthly Possessions The Accidental Tourist Saint Maybe

Average customer rating:

4 Titles By Anne Tyler : Searching for Caleb Earthly Possessions The Accidental Tourist Saint Maybe
Anne Tyler
Manufacturer: Various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PSGIJY

Product Description

four mmpb books. 4 Titles By Anne Tyler : Searching for Caleb Earthly Possessions The Accidental Tourist Saint Maybe

5 Titles By Perry - Morgan's Passing - Celestial Navigation - Searching for Caleb - Earthly Possessions - A Slipping-down Life

Average customer rating:

5 Titles By Perry - Morgan's Passing - Celestial Navigation - Searching for Caleb - Earthly Possessions - A Slipping-down Life
Anne Tyler
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000Q7A0FM

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Average customer rating:

Angel: Earthly Possessions
Christopher Golden; Et Al
Manufacturer: TITAN BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OJO1JS

Average customer rating:

Earthly Possessions

Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0445042141

Product Description

VERY RARE early edition, vintage pb copy of Tyler's fictional story - Charlotte Emory has always lived a quiet, conventional life in Clarion, Maryland. She lives as simply as possible, and one day decides to simplify everything and leave her husband. Her last trip to the bank throws Charlotte's life into an entirely different direction when a restless young man in a nylon jacket takes her hostage during the robbery--and soon the two are heading south into an unknown future, and a most unexpected fate....

Average customer rating:

Earthly Possessions
Anne Tyler
Manufacturer: BALLANTINE BOOKS @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SF115U

Average customer rating:

Earthly Possessions

Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0736610707

Average customer rating:

EARTHLY POSSESSIONS

Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQO4MS

Average customer rating:

Earthly Possessions
Anne Tyler
Manufacturer: Berkley Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OCQ83M

Customer Reviews:

wonderful.......2000-05-05

This book is amazing. It brings one's own life into sharp focus and really made me re-evaluate everything

Average customer rating:

Top Notch suspense
Scent of Roses-Joyfully Recommended Read
Repetitive & Dull
Ghosts, intrigue, mystery and romance.
For something a Little Different

Scent Of Roses
Kat Martin
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Summit
The Vision
Heart of Honor
The Dream
Desert Heat

ASIN: 0778323269

Book Description

Elizabeth doesn't believe in ghosts. But this time she has no choice.

Family counselor Elizabeth Conner isn't sure what to think when Maria Santiago comes to her for help. Pregnant and terrified, Maria claims to be visited each night by the ghost of a little girl, warning her to flee. Her husband, Miguel, a migrant worker at Harcourt Farms in the San Joaquin Valley, dismisses her fears as hormonal changes. Sympathetic to the young woman, Elizabeth agrees to help by contacting Miguel's employers, who own the cottage where the young couple lives.

Elizabeth immediately picks up on the deep enmity between the two Harcourt brothers: Carson, the handsome scion running the estate for his incapacitated father, and Zack, the rebellious black sheep. While Carson is more interested in Elizabeth than in her concerns, Zack grudgingly agrees to help her look into the history of the house.

But even as unexpected desire draws them together, Elizabeth and Zack feel something dark and disturbing at the house. And when the cloying scent and lingering chill of pure evil surround her, Elizabeth knows something terrible has happened here before, something that has its roots in murder.…

Customer Reviews:

Top Notch suspense.......2006-09-17

Scent Of Roses by Kat Martin is a spell binding, fast paced story.

Elizabeth Conner, a family counselor agrees to help a pregnant and frightened Maria Santiago as a favor to Maria's teenage brother who she counsels. Elizabeth at first thinks what is going on in the Santiago household is just the stress from a soon to be mother. But after spending one night there Elizabeth is no longer sure.

Zack Harcourt was always the black sheep of the family. He even spent some time in prison. But he has turned his life around and is helping out at a camp for troubled teens. There he sees Elizabeth again. They weren't close in high school but now there is an attraction that cannot be ignored.

Zack is drawn into the strange and disturbing happenings at the Santiago home. He and Elizabeth join forces to get to the bottom of this mystery. They don't realize the evil they are dealing with and how close it is to them.

Scent Of Roses will keep you on the edge of your seat from page one. The suspense is first rate, the chemistry between Zack and Elizabeth is deeply moving. It's a must read for any romantic suspense fan.

Scent of Roses-Joyfully Recommended Read.......2006-08-21

Liz Conner has run into a lot in her job as a family counselor, but she's not sure what to think when Maria Santiago comes to her with the belief that she is being haunted by a little girl. She claims the ghost has warned her that her unborn child is in danger.

Maria desperately needs Liz's help because her husband believes that she is imagining the whole thing. Wanting to assist Maria puts Liz in between between two brothers that have had a lifelong feud. Carson and Zack Harcourt have hated each other since their father, Fletcher Harcourt, had brought his illegitimate son, Zack, home and tried to make him part of the family. With Zack's help, Liz attempts to discover what has Maria so terrified. Zack and Liz quickly grow closer and passion burns between them. Can they stop the forces that have been unleashed and save not only Maria and her unborn child, but themselves as well?

Kat Martin has done it again. Scent of Roses is a fast paced ride that is stirringly sensual one moment and chillingly menacing the next. Zack and Liz are characters that heat up the pages while the haunting storyline grabbed me and the twist at the ending left me totally caught by surprise. The totally dysfunctional relationship between Carson and Zack add to what is already a solidly written story. Readers who enjoy paranormal romance will want to add Scent of Roses to their summer reading list.

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Repetitive & Dull.......2006-08-17

This was my first and last Kat Martin book. I gave it 2 stars since I did actually finish it even though I didn't care what happened. The good girl Liz was overly good - zero personality. Ironically, misunderstood bad boy Zack was pretty boringly good too. His love `em and leave `em reputation was not at all believable. I thought Liz sold him short throughout the book by assuming he wouldn't stay with her when all he did was stick by her. Then Ms. Martin makes a bad attempt at justifying Liz's fear. I won't go into detail for those of you still planning to read the book. I thought the writing was stiff. Ms. Martin has to over-explain the characters' every thought and action because their actions and conversations are so flat. My biggest peeve - "cloying" scent of roses. I wish I had counted how many times she repeated "cloying". Invest in a thesaurus!

Ghosts, intrigue, mystery and romance........2006-07-30

This book was fantastic! I bought it for a vacation I was going on and couldn't put it down! It's been a long time since I've found a book I was so interested in. I can't wait to read the next of the series.

This book has intrigue, mystery and romance. Liz finds herself falling in love with a Lone Wolf, Zachary Harcourt. His tall dark handsome image was what she found interesting in the beginning, even when she was in highschool. Unfourtunately, she had a run in with him in while in highschool and he also had a reputation at that. She doesn't know if she can trust him, and then again doesn't know if she can trust herself with him.

Together, they embarch on a journey to help their young friend Maria. Maria is 19 years old and pregnant, due very soon. She is experiencing paranormal events in her house which are making her feel afraid and unsafe in her own home.

Read this book, you won't regret it.

For something a Little Different.......2006-07-28

Okay, I'll put this out there----Kat Martin has done it again! Honestly, the woman is (in my opinion) a fantastic author, with an seemingly unendless supply of plot ideas, twists, characters and talent to pull them all together. Scent of Roses is no different. It is a fast read, although a bit lengthy, but you don't feel it when you read it. In the "forward" of the novel the author writes of this book being the first in a "trilogy" of sorts, so the whole time I was reading was spent speculating on the secondary characters, and which ones were going to get their own story.

Paranormal books are of a different sort, so go into the reading with an open mind.

I will not divulge any plot points or details, because, frankly that's why you should read the book. I do believe it is worth your time, if only for page after the last page. The author's note is probably the most chilling part. Seriously.

Good luck and good reading.

Average customer rating:

Scent of Dried Roses
Tim Lott
Manufacturer: Penguin Putnam~trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140250840

The Barbara Cartland Collection: Stand and Deliver Your Heart / The Magic of Paris / The Scent of Roses

Average customer rating:

The Barbara Cartland Collection: Stand and Deliver Your Heart / The Magic of Paris / The Scent of Roses
Barbara Cartland
Manufacturer: Bounty Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Barbara Cartland: Three Complete Novels: Courtly Love
Dream In Spain (Camfield, No 37)
Secrets
The Bitter Winds of Love (Barbara Cartland #76)

ASIN: 1851522107

Average customer rating:

Scent of Dried Roses
Tim Lott
Manufacturer: PENGUIN USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLL5RC

Average customer rating:

The Scent of Dried Roses
Tim Lott
Manufacturer: The Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NGWHN4

Average customer rating:

The Scent of Orchids [3 1/2" Diskette]
Holly Lynne Rose
Manufacturer: Hard Shell Word Factory
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 1582001367

Product Description

Elissa Martin arrives in Hawaii to save her cousin from terrible trouble...Adam Wolcot. But she is unprepared for the effect the man has on her. She decides the months of self-imposed exile on her Missouri farm, following the deaths of her parents and a failed love affair have taken their toll on her otherwise healthy mental state. Yet, the more she gets to know him, the more she convinces herself that any danger he represents to Lyla is just a figment of her over-active imagination. Can Elissa overcome her distrust of men, and to Adam in particular, enough to fall in love with him?

Average customer rating:

THE SCENT OF ROSES
MARY O'HARA
Manufacturer: JOSEPH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RWHKZ4

Average customer rating:

The Scent Of Roses
Mary O'Hara
Manufacturer: Michael Joseph
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UUKGOA

Average customer rating:

The Scent of Roses
Aleen Leslie
Manufacturer: N Y: Viking, 1963
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IU776W

Fateful Lightning (Lost Regiment)
Average customer rating:

Another solid book in a great series!

Scorched Earth.

Yet again, another fiver for the series...

SHOWALTER'S LAST STAND

A terrific original concept that is brilliant in scope!

Fateful Lightning (Lost Regiment)
William R. Forstchen
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Forstchen, William | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Alternate History | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Battle Hymn (Lost Regiment)

Lost Regiment 06: Never Sound Retreat (Lost Regiment)

The Union Forever (Lost Regiment)

Lost Regiment 8: The Men of War (Lost Regiment)

Down to the Sea, Book 1: A Novel of the Lost Regiment (Lost Regiment (Unnumbered))

ASIN: 0451451961

Customer Reviews:

Another solid book in a great series!.......2002-07-31

This book picks up right where the last one left off. There is a 30 day lull in the battle with the Merki due to the assasination of the Merki leader. The Merki have a ceremonial 30 days of mourning when the leader dies.

During this time, the humans begin there final withdrawal and buildup. They leave behine a scorched earth. The Merki do not know how to handle an enemy that will not fight in the open. There is no honor in this battle. They look forward to a single big confrontation and swift decisive end.

The humans have several tricks up their sleeves, including traps, guerilla warfare and deception.... And as usual, new surprising weapons.

This is an excellent addition to the series. The end of the book opens a new chapter for the next book. I hope we can find out more information about the technology and history of the "ancients"....

Scorched Earth........2000-08-11

Four amazing books so far. Or, if you prefer (As I do), one very long book, a sort of "War and Peace" of the sci-fi genre. No matter how you look at it, this developing tale by Forstchen only gets better. He is not afraid to kill off some of his main characters to add realism to the story, and he is not afraid to surprise the reader with tactics that are rather unexpected. "Fateful Lightning" presents a massive migration of Rus toward the land of Roum, pursued by the relentless Merki hordes. The humans will burn the land behind them, poisoning wells and setting traps for their foes, so that by the time of their final confrontation we can realistically see that the Merki, in spite of their great superiority in numbers, are overextended and will not be able to withstand a severe blow from the humans. The humans are at the end of their rope, too, but one of the most endearing characters in the series will have a shot at saving his people by refusing to obey orders. And Muzta, one of my favorite characters, will also have a chance to save his own people. Again, the battles are almost unforgettable: the horror of war, the worst of men, and the most noble in them is presented by Forstchen in a gripping, spectacular way. Hawthorne becomes a sort of Dark angel of the battlefield, and the Roman Marcus figures as a key participant by now. Four out of four. And it only gets better.

Yet again, another fiver for the series..........2000-03-03

Wow, this is the series that just keeps on going and going. Excellent. This was perhaps the best one I've read so far next to Rally Cry. Again, there's that great sense of dread and forboding on the humans' part, as they attempt to fight off the ever encroaching Merki Hordes, now, of course, led by that rat Tamuka. The funeral of Jubadi was sickening... I loved it. Showalter's and his Cavalry's final, desparate charge into the Merki ranks was glorious. John Mina was a total nutball, picking on ol' Fergie like that. Oh, and I'm glad Ferguson, my favorite character in the series, got the girl. He deserves her. The Battle of Hispania was marvelous, so many troops in a battle of annihilation, fighting for their lives against vicious alien monsters, it filled you with pride for being human. Mutza's role in the whole story was satisfying-- I always liked him for some reason, even when he was attempting to destroy the old 35th. At least he had that glimmering of doubt, of whether or not fighting the humans was such a good idea, something which Tamuka did not. Bullfinch's endeavors, however, were very underexplored. I would've liked to see more of his liberation of the Cartha. Young Gregory's recitation of Shakespeare's Henry V-- "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers..."-- was very emotional and moving. And, yes, the editing is very, very bad here, as it is in the other Lost Regiment novels, but it did not take away from this rich story. Fateful Lightning is a masterful end to the Merki War, a stupendous entry in the Lost Regiment series, and a true gem in the realm of science-fiction.

SHOWALTER'S LAST STAND.......1999-08-16

THAT SEGMENT OF THE BOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EVENTS IN THE HISTORY THAT I HAVE EVER READ THE SERIES . SPANING ABOUT 8 YEARS NOW .

A terrific original concept that is brilliant in scope!.......1999-04-08

I read the original three volumes and believed that the author was done, because I never saw another volume. Just recently I realized I had missed four volumes!!! I could not put them down. Characters are believable with battle scenes that remind me of Viet Nam. I enjoy the military very much, recognizing all the elements in the Hordes versus Keane. I only wished that he would spell Civil War names correctly, JEB Stuart and not JEB Stewart. I still enjoy this series very much and I am glad that it continues.

He Hath Loosed the Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly), September 1, 1862

Average customer rating:

A Solid Account of the Battle of Ox Hill
A terrific book on a overlooked battle
A blow-by-blow recounting and reconstruction

He Hath Loosed the Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly), September 1, 1862
Paul Taylor
Manufacturer: White Mane Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

A LITTLE SHORT OF BOATS: The Fights at Ball's Bluff and Edward's Ferry, October 21-22, 1861 (Discovering Civil War America)
Tempest at Ox Hill: The Battle of Chantilly
Balls Bluff: A Small Battle and Its Long Shadow
Lee's Tigers: The Louisiana Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia (Civil War (Louisana State University Press))
We Are in for It!": The First Battle of Kernstown March 23, 1862

ASIN: 1572493291

Book Description

Spectacular displays of lightning, thunder crashing so loud that it masked the roar of the cannon, a torrential downpour with gale-force winds; these were the hallmarks of the fateful September 1, 1862, Battle of Ox Hill. Only two days after the Confederate victory at Second Manassas, Stonewall Jackson's vaunted "foot cavalry" would attempt to flank the retreating Union army and place Washington in their sights. An unplanned collision by the two armies near the Virginia plantation called "Chantilly" would prove to be a bloody and costly postscript to the Northern Virginia Campaign of 1862.

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Account of the Battle of Ox Hill.......2005-11-08

In this book, Taylor describes the small but fierce Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly), which occurred only two days after the Second Battle of Manassas, and the results and consequences of the battle. Taylor's book is one of three books that have covered the battle of Ox Hill in the past five years. The others include David Welker's Tempest at Ox Hill: The Battle of Chantilly and Charles V. Mauro's The Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill: A Monumental Storm). At first I was a little hesitant about buying this one because White Mane Books published it. White Mane has been known in the past to publish books that used questionable or non-existent research. In any event, I decided to give this one a chance based on its own merits. Taylor describes the Second Manassas Campaign prior to Chantilly in an introductory chapter, and then moves on to cover August 30-September 2 in the rest of the book, with an emphasis on the actual tactical maneuvers during the Battle of Ox Hill on September 1. The book is rather short at only 179 pages. There are 8 maps, with a good mix of strategic and tactical maps. However, the maps do not go into the level of detail I usually prefer. All in all, this was a fairly standard account of the battle. I believe a more definitive account can probably be written.

This was a solid but not spectacular account of the Battle of Ox Hill. I would by no means call this the definitive study on Chantilly. The length of the book alone prevents that. However, the battle, the events leading up to it, and the aftermath are clearly described in an engaging way. I don't agree with all of the author's opinions, but his three years of research and his bibliography show that those opinions were based on a careful study of many available resources. Anyone interested in the Second Manassas Campaign or Phil Kearny & Isaac Stevens will enjoy this book. I recommend it, but this is not the final word on the battle. 179 pp., 8 maps.

A terrific book on a overlooked battle.......2004-08-03

Paul Taylor has done a tremendous job in presenting this over looked but extremely important battle that too often gets caught up as a one or two paragraph afterthought of the Second Manassas Campaign.
Taylor offers a good narrative in explaining the significance of the action here.Prior to reading this book I knew very little about General Issac Stevens decisivness and bravery that day,and how his actions probably saved Pope further destruction. I particularly liked that he tells you the modern highway designations of the ninetenth century roads. This helps the reader understand and follow the scope of the action as sadly,as the Author points out, the Battlefield has been obliterated by Urban Sprawl and is no longer recognizable. He has also added some rare photo's throughout.

A blow-by-blow recounting and reconstruction.......2003-12-12

Researched and written by Civil War expert Paul Taylor, He Hath Loosed The Fateful Lightning is a dramatic study of the September 1, 1862 Battle of Ox Hill during the American Civil War. Set during a violent storm with lightning and thunder so loud it overwhelmed the noise of canons firing, this unplanned conflict between North and South in a Virginia plantation called "Chantilly" would extract a terrible toll from both sides. A meticulous, exhaustively researched, blow-by-blow recounting and reconstruction, He Hath Loosed The Fateful Lightning is an impressive and enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Civil War Studies collection.

Fateful Lightning America's Civil War Plays

Average customer rating:

Fateful Lightning America's Civil War Plays

Manufacturer: Feedback Theatre Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0937657506

Fateful Lightning (The Battle of Gettysburg)

Average customer rating:

Fateful Lightning (The Battle of Gettysburg)
Chris Perello
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P0O646

The Fateful Lightning - Civil War Eyewitness Reports

Average customer rating:

The Fateful Lightning - Civil War Eyewitness Reports

Manufacturer: Paragon House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HEQHBK

Average customer rating:

The Fateful Lightning Civil War Eyewitness Reports

Manufacturer: Paragon House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fateful Lightning: A Narrative History of the Civil War

Average customer rating:

Fateful Lightning: A Narrative History of the Civil War
Dennis Kennedy , William Hillenbrand , and David D. Inglehart
Manufacturer: Troubadour Interactive
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 1890642029

Book Description

This multimedia CD-ROM features original text, maps, music, and imagery, with video clips of battle reenactments, all organized and linked within a unique, reader-based interface.

Fateful Lightning: An American Saga Of Love And War... And Survival Against The Odds

Average customer rating:

Historical Action Adventure

Fateful Lightning: An American Saga Of Love And War... And Survival Against The Odds
George Ryder Eaton
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 141403864X

Customer Reviews:

Historical Action Adventure.......2004-07-25

Fateful Lightning is a suspenseful story about a real historical event. Each chapter leaves you quickly turning the page to see what happens next! It's fast moving and action packed. They don't write them like this any more. It would make a terrific movie!

That Fateful Lightning: A Novel of Ulysses S. Grant

Average customer rating:

Engaging Story, But the Errors Are Distracting
Readable, But Forgettable
Highly entertaining
Outstanding
Well-written but laden with errors

That Fateful Lightning: A Novel of Ulysses S. Grant
Richard Parry
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0345427289
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Book Description

In a village outside Saratoga Springs, New York, a weakened man sits with pen in hand, looking back at a life dominated by failure: as a farmer, a businessman, a politician--everything but as a soldier. Racked by cancer, Ulysses S. Grant is entering his final months, facing the prospect of leaving his beloved wife penniless. Now he begins one last campaign--to bring to life the only thing of value he still commands: his memoirs. In the weeks and days that follow, Grant tells a story of war and peace, of friends and enemies, and of a man born for one singular purpose--to lead an army into battle, and to lead it to victory.

In this extraordinary novel, Richard Parry takes us on a powerful journey through the Civil War as seen through the shrewd, unwavering eyes of its most enigmatic and least understood protagonist. For as Grant wages a duel against death itself, and his friends and family gather around him, he reveals with stunning clarity his vision of the war: at once a tragedy and a challenge, a nightmare and a puzzle, an epic of carefully laid strategies and counter-strategies as well as a strokes of inexplicable, decisive chance.

Within these pages we meet such powerful historical figures as Mark Twain, the book publisher trying desperately to rescue Grant from poverty in the last year of his life; William Tecumseh Sherman, brilliant and dynamic, but also unsure and sorely in need of Grant's nurturing in war and life; and General Robert E. Lee, whose differences from Grant vividly illustrate the cultural and social divide at the core of the Civil War.

A rich, vivid, and action-packed addition to our nation's literature of the Civil War, That Fateful Lightning is a powerful portrait of a uniquely American hero, a simple but misunderstood man who felt truly at peace only amid the horror and chaos of war.

Customer Reviews:

Engaging Story, But the Errors Are Distracting.......2005-05-16

I enjoyed this book and will keep it, but...

As others have noted, the author puts too much exposition into character's thoughts and words. I guess he's trying to explain the Civil War for those who aren't familiar with it, but no one talks like these characters do.

There are continuity errors. On one page Sherman has lost his hat; two pages later he discovers a bullet hole in his hat. Early in the book, and in 1885, Mark Twain and Grant smoke cigars; later in the book, and in 1884, Grant smokes his last cigar. The author needed a good editor.

Mark Twain and General Sherman play big parts but they are very flat characters. More detail about their lives in the 1880's, and about Julia Grant's life after U.S. Grant's death, would have been nice. The book does include an epilogue that follows major characters with a paragraph each.

Grant's death scene is too much. Without giving it all away... an old adversary appears "out of the light" to guide Grant on his journey.

I've always been impressed by a photograph of the ailing Grant, all bundled up and sitting on his porch, working on his memoirs. He wrote a powerful book. This novel provides a glimpse into his world and his thoughts at the time, and for that, I appreciate it.

Readable, But Forgettable.......2003-01-08

This novel covers the last days of Ulysses S. Grant, interspersed with Grant's "flashbacks" to the Civil War. The author relies too heavily on exposition to tell his story (one chapter where Grant and his wife tell each other virtually his whole life story is particularly awkward,) and the ending somehow manages to be both flat and overly melodramatic. However, parts of the book (particularly the depiction of Shiloh) are genuinely moving. This is hardly a memorable novel--I doubt I'll read it twice--but it is not a complete waste of time, either.

Highly entertaining.......2002-08-27

All too often history is reduced to places, dates and endless names that we all recognize but have very little interest in what they accomplished. History is treated with an almost antiseptic approach that leaves a bad taste and kills any desire to explore a particular topic or person any further. "That Fateful Lightning" by Richard Parry gives a refreshing and entertaining look into the life of one of our sometimes forgotten presidents, Ulysses S Grant. It gives the reader a personal look into Grant's life, revealing his fears and frustrations. The book starts at the tail end of Grants life after his presidency. He is broke and ill from throat cancer but feels guilty that he will die and leave his wife Julia penniless with no means of support. Grant had long been swindled out of his money by unscrupulous business partners but desperately wanted to find a way to help his beloved wife before his approaching death. The famous Author, Mark Twain then offers to sell Grants memoirs and give Julia a large percentage of the royalties from the book.

I have read Grant's actual memoirs and found them to be suprisingly good. His book however is a little dry. It gives detailed troop movements, supply counts, descriptions of terrain and of course he discusses many of his battle strategies that any historian would find fascinating. The non-historian however, would find the book tedious and probably not get further than the first chapter. In contrast, Richard Parry reveals the more human side of Grant in "That fateful lightning". Grant is pictured as a dying man that is racing against time to finish his memoirs. As he is writing, he reflects on his experiences in the Civil war. He reveals his opinions of many of the civil wars' great generals and talks about his feelings of guilt at sending so many men to their deaths. Grant describes his great love for his wife Julia and talks about his loneliness when he is away from her. He turns to drinking to deal with some of his insecurities but in the end his dignity and integrity overcome any shortcomings in his character. His experiences with Lincoln, Sherman, Meade and Robert E. Lee are shown from his own personal point of view. Even though this is a work of fiction, it is not hard to imagine that Grant might have had these exact feelings and opinions. If you are a historian that is only interested in factual history, you might want to stay away from this book and stick to the mundane, cold and lengthy texts. If you are the type of person that is interested in historical figures from a personal and human perspective then I highly recommend this entertaining work of narrative history.

Outstanding.......2001-02-03

This is an excellent book of narrative history that brings Grant to life and puts him on your own front porch where you'd like to rock and have a conversation with him clear through to sunset.

Well-written but laden with errors.......2000-07-03

This is admittedly a beautifully-written novel about Ulysses S. Grant. But there are a number of grating errors which begs the question: why didn't the author do a little more research? Had Richard Parry bothered to read even minimally about Grant, he would not have claimed he was "born and raised in Galena, Illinois." In fact Grant never laid eyes on Galena until he was in his late 30's. Grant was also not the Colonel of the "221st Illinois Regiment." Such bizarre and unnecessary gaffes seriously compromise the integrity of the novel.

Some will think this criticism is foolish, after all, who expects an historical novel to concern itself with accuracy? But Parry makes its plain that he was intent on producing a novel which was strictly based on fact and actual events.

Unfortunately he misses the mark here. If you are only a marginal follower of Grant's career this is an adequate introduction, but it would be wiser to read non-fiction, creditible treatments on his life by Bruce Catton, Brooks Simpson or John Y. Simon.

The Fateful Lightning
Average customer rating:
The Fateful Lightning

Manufacturer: Paragon House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVDTFQ

Book Description

CNA Sally Cox is about as happy to be at Walnut Hills Nursing Center as the patients are. But it’s work or starve, now that her husband has found a younger companion. Sally’s new crowd skews toward the elderly—ninety-year-old Elsie Rigsby, for instance, whose dementia comes and goes with her gold-digging son and grandson’s visits. Elsie’s not going to tell those vultures where she stashed her money. Still, she’s not getting any younger, and someone besides her needs to know. Three deaths later, is anyone watching Sally? The love of money…

Poor Mrs. Rigsby gets so confused. But she’s Sally Cox’s favorite patient at Walnut Hills Nursing Center . It’s too bad her only relatives are her insensitive son, Harry, who’s always badgering her about money, and a charming but unreliable grandson.

…is a root…

Harry Rigsby is retired, but these years aren’t exactly golden for him. He’s been reduced to eating ketchup sandwiches when his Social Security check doesn’t stretch to cover the whole month. It just isn’t fair. He has long suspected his mother of rat-holing money, but she won’t admit it. Trouble is, if he doesn’t find out before her mind goes, he’ll never see a penny of it.

…of all kinds of evil.

Sally Cox is drowning in debt and resentful that her job at the nursing home doesn’t pay enough. When Mrs. Rigsby tells her and a coworker that she’s hidden money from her greedy son, the coworker devises the perfect scheme to end Sally’s financial woes—and opens a door to something evil!

Poor Mrs. Rigsby explores the pitfalls of financial worry, the wages of greed, and the God who has promised to be a refuge from both.

Story Behind the Book

I’ve been dismayed by the financial abuse of people in power—corporate CEOs, trusted religious leaders, and even heads of households—whose mismanagement and greed have inflicted hardship on many a victim. But I wrote Poor Mrs. Rigsby to show what can happen when victims justify using dishonest means in an effort to regain control of their financial ture. It’s my hope that this story will challenge believers to take an honest look at where they draw the line between their own striving for financial purity—and trusting God to provide what they need.

Customer Reviews:

Good story with memorable Characters.......2005-08-12

It is the first time that I have read a book by this author. I can't wait to read another one! Of course, I've passed this along to family and friends.

Kathy Herman keeps getting better.....book by book.......2004-08-06

I waited for this book after reading the Baxter series. Kinda got hooked on Kathy's books. Fast paced, suspense and a wonderful lessson. I recomend this book and especially the last 2 of the Baxter series

deep character study focusing on faith and greed.......2004-07-15

Angry with Sam since he divorced her after three decades of marriage to move in with a younger chick, leaving her with a run down house and two teens, Certified Nurse Assistant Sally Cox also hates her work at the Walnut Hills Nursing Center. She detests the patients and the staff though she likes nonagenarian dementia victim Elsie Rigsby even when the elderly woman loses her touch with reality.

During a seemingly lucid moment, Mrs. Rigsby informs Sally that she has stashed away from her avaricious family a fraudulent fortune. She wants Sally to distribute the money to worthy people in need. Sally promises to do so, but the temptation to use the money to get out of her own debt is overwhelming. Yet her conscience tells her to do the good deed and trust that God will take care of her woes though with the setbacks in her personal life, Sally has lost faith. Which path will she take especially when a snake offers her the easy road?

Although some readers will believe that the POOR MRS. RIGSBY is a naive look at money, Kathy Herman provides a deep character study that focuses on faith and greed. The story line follows Sally as she feels like a failed female Job with a temptation that could solve much of her woes. Ms. Herman makes a case in an age of fiscal abuse and irresponsibility by those in power in Wall St and DC that money is not the root of evil; spinning the NRA contention that "guns don't kill, people kill", people's attitude turns money into a weapon of destruction.

Harriet Klausner

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books