Harlot's Ghost

Book Description

"The most daring, ambitious and by far the best written of the several very long, daring and ambitious books Norman Mailer has so far produced....Unlike just about every American writer since Henry James, Mailer has managed to grow and become richer in wisdom with each new book....There can no longer be any doubt that he possesses the largest mind and imagination at work in American literature today."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Narrated by Harry Hubbard, a second-generation CIA man, HARLOT'S GHOST looks into the depths of the American soul and the soul of Hugh Tremont Montague, code name Harlot, a CIA man obsessed. And Harry is about to discover how far the madness will go and what it means to the Agency and the country....
A Main Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Mailer's Moby Dick........2007-09-01

Written in the form of a 1,408-page autobiography of its central character, Herrick (Harry) Hubbard, Harlot's Ghost (1991) is Norman Mailer's (1923) fictional chronicle of the CIA. Following the mysterious death of Harry's mentor, Hugh Montague (a.k.a "Harlot"), through a series of flashback anecdotes and letters, Mailer's masterpiece follows Hubbard's early career in the CIA up to the assassination of JFK. Both his father, Cal, and Montague are senior CIA figures who recruit Harry into the Agency. Harry not only observes the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban missile crisis as they develop, but he also shares his lover, Modene Murphy, with both Frank Sinatra and with President Kennedy. At the time of Harlot's death, Harry is married to Harlot's beautiful and brilliant ex-wife, Hadley Kittredge Gardiner. After a long romantic history together (revealed mostly through their correspondence), Kitteredge confesses to Harry that she is in love with another man, his Agency nemesis Dix Butler. Although the novel ends with Kennedy's assassination and without ever returning to the present, Mailer promises a "To be continued" sequel that will hopefully tie up the loose ends of Harlot's Ghost, of which there are many. More than a novel about the CIA, this is a spellbinding novel about its author's obsession with a great white whale: The Mind of America.

G. Merritt

Stunning novel for those willing to invest the time.......2007-07-28

The characters draw one in, the historical details are fascinating, and the prose is well beyond just artful. But then, from Mailer artful prose is expected. It most certainly does require an investment of time, but that investment is rewarded.

Mailer must have been..........2007-03-27

paid by the word! This book is well over 1100 pages too long!
Your time can be better spent elsewhere!

Good, but not great.......2007-02-21

This was the first Norman Mailer novel, essay, politcal rant, that I ever tried. While I was not disappointed there were some obvious flaws. (Frankly if I could pick 3 1/2 starts I would have)

First, this book is mammoth. It's 1000 plus pages and even the trade paperback is unwieldy. The plot also becomes unwieldy. But as you near the end, you think "He's going to pull it off! He's going to wrap up all the details" then you get closer and you think "But how is he going to wrap it up, there is only 50, 40, 30, ... pages left!"

And then, Bam! It hits you. You just read over a 1000 pages and there is no conclusion! Okay, call me a traditionalist, but after investing the time to read 1000 plus pages, I kind of expect a conclusion. Call, me small, call me petty, call me bourgeois, but shoot! And then, no sequel published despite several decades (I'm rounding up), and the man is getting older and producing other fine works, but no sequel. Damn him for a master manipulator!

Nonetheless, this will always remain one of the books I am particularly fond of. It did introduce me to Mailer and therefore I've gone on to read other works such as his seminal "The Naked and the Dead" etc. Still, you would think we would get a conclusion at some point!

har-har plot's ghost.......2006-07-28

First of all this book is 1200 pages and weighs a good 11 pounds (hardcover). I recommend tearing it into three pieces for the sake of portability. Dont mention this when you list it on amazon, I didn't and I managed to sell it for the same price i bought it for.

As for the book itself. I've heard of writers wanting their reader to pass over a grueling a hump before they get to the good stuff, but with this book Norman Mailer engages in an altogether different kind of mindf*ck. First he draws the reader in. The first 400 pages are top notch Mailer, his best work since the Naked and the Dead (as a side note, I've only read four of his books so take this statement with a grain of salt.) Then on page 412, seemingly out of nowhere, the book degenerates into a series of pretentious letters b/w a bunch of jackasses. Since the reader has already read 400 pages most will have no choice but to continue for 800 more pages of ridiculous letters. It's as if 1/3 of the way through the book Mailer had a stroke and his editor just attached 800 pages worth of emails he culled out of his yahoo inbox at the last minute. Then, finally when the reader gets to the 1,242nd page, written there in big bold black letters is, I kid you not, "to be continued."
This book was released in 1991 and there has yet to be, to my knowledge, another installment. Genius. Perhaps the greatest joke ever produced at the expense of America's reading public. FIVE STARS.

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost
Norman Mailer
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JLKII4

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost
Norman Mailer
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q1FBUM

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost
Norman Mailer
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKLYH4

Harlot's Ghost, inscribed by the American novelist.

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost, inscribed by the American novelist.
Norman MAILER
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MXJN80

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost.
Norman Mailer
Manufacturer: Michael Joseph
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0718129342

Average customer rating:

Harlots Ghost
Norman Mailer
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE @ TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PYIE18

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost
Norman MAILER
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VARVPG

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost
Norman MAILER
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPD9LI

Average customer rating:

Harlot's Ghost
Norman Mailer
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PVIL3M

Customer Reviews:

One of the best in the series!.......2007-09-17

To me, this is one of the best volumes in the series. It's a collection of eight separate stories of varying lengths, almost all with an historical connection. (To more or less real people, that is.) And there's no frame story for a change. "Three Septembers and a January" is a lovely piece about Emperor Norton, the deluded mascot of San Francisco for several decades in the 19th century, while "Thermidor" is a somewhat less successful piece about Lady Johanna Constantine and her search for the living head of Orpheus (who is also the son of Dream). Much later in the volume (oddly placed) is "Orpheus," about how he lost his bride and then his head. "The Hunt" is about werewolves, sort of, and it's cute but kind of a minor work. "August" is a fascinating and well-conceived story about the first Roman emperor's habit of going out into the city in disguise one day a year, just to think. "Soft Places" is an okay story about a lost Marco Polo's meeting in the desert with Fiddler's Green. "The Parliament of Rooks" is about Cain and Abel and a visiting Eve telling stories to a small child -- again, not that great, except for Eve's own story about Adam's three women. Finally, "Ramadan," a near-masterpiece about Haroun al-Rashid, with artwork by P. Craig Russell reminiscent of Little Nemo. It's literally a flying carpet story about the sultan and his golden city of Baghdad -- and there's a jarring ending that will bring you back to the present in a hurry.

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

This is perhaps the least interesting of the Sandman volumes so far, with each issue a different story of someone affected in one way or another by The Sandman. Even directly, in the case of Orpheus, his son, and his refusal to take any advice from any of The Endless. Stories of Ramadan, Caeasar, and even Lyta Hall's son Daniel being told a story in the House of Secrets.

Gaiman continues to amaze.......2007-03-28

In this handful of only barely connected stories, Gaiman does what he does best, he tells a damn good story. While not furthering any particular storyline, he portrays his fellow man in all his nobility, pettiness, glory, and malice, and all things in between, in ways only Gaiman can.

...and then I realize I am not alone..........2006-11-27

ARG. I hate starting reviews with this word, but I am beginning to question the value of this series as it continually jumps from conscious storytelling to short, uneventful stories that do not involve the infamous Sandman at all. I just finished reading the sixth volume in this series, and my mind is still traveling the ups and downs of the rollercoaster. Not to dissect the rest of the books again, I just want complete storytelling. I want to Gaiman (whom I adore) to develop further the world of Sandman without intermingling these short stories throughout the work. I realize that these stories were written many years ago, but they are still as captivating today as they were in the early 90s, but I just hate the idea of going from a story where the entire structure is built around the Sandman or about a singular group of characters, to this drivel where one story is based off history and the complex stories that we once were familiar with get a new face. "Fables & Reflections" felt like it was trying to be smarter than the reader, and why I think the short stories that Gaiman likes to intermingle between the more developed storyline are his weakest element yet.

The stories themselves could not stand alone, but coupled with the name "Sandman", they seem to garnish some great remarks. Personally, I had trouble with the opening stories, but did begin to find some value in those that concluded the collection. The beginning story about the Emperor of the United States started strong, but by the center and final conflict, I was diminishing. I didn't care about this character and his brief run-ins with famous historical figures. This is exactly why I feel that the collection was trying to be smarter than the reader. Here you have this possibly "mad" character that is telling Mark Twain what he should be doing next ... to me this wasn't striking me as original! Next on the list was the story of the werewolf discovering his true love - again, another ramshackled story that began with some originality, but lost speed as the story progressed. The interruptions by the granddaughter learning about her heritage were annoying and all together not clever at all. Then, we are led, nearly by hand, into my least favorite stories of the series thus far - the destiny of Orpheus. Finally we have the opportunity to see what we all came to see, Sandman's family, but the story is almost a derivative of modern day Soap Operas in that you have this hidden affair, the son that wants nothing to do with his father, and a head that seems to stay alive throughout the ages. I think we can all see this on Tuesday afternoon "story" time, can't we? Thankfully, Gaiman proves to us that he is worth the pages that I bought with two of my favorite stories in this series, the first was "Parliament of Rooks" and the other was the finale entitled, "Ramadan". "Ramadan" seemed to give me goose bumps with the current situation of the world in Baghdad, but really was a powerful story of memories and truthfulness. "Parliament of Rooks" was zany and added yet another nook on the "smarter than the reader" element, but this time it was subtle. I liked the story because it answered a question, its delivery was crisp, and the characters were flamboyant enough to enjoy! Alas, these final two stories could not compete with the disastrous opening.

Overall, I must admit that this is my least favorite collection of the series. It ranks right behind "Dream Country" because I am not a fan of the sub-stories that Gaiman likes to engulf his avid readers with. I would like to clarify, because I wouldn't mind sub-stories involving further the Sandman or his immediate family, but these random ones likes "August" just seem to lessen the pace of the book and create heaviness in the eyes. This was not the type of storytelling that I initially began with this series, and I do not want it to be transformed into it. I found myself on a plane reading this book slowly chanting to myself, "I want Sandman. I want Sandman", but alas, could not find him at all. Gaiman needs to rediscover his roots and bring us back to the character that we all fell in love with in "Preludes & Nocturnes" and perhaps even bring back some old DC villains to make his point even clearer. I love this series, don't get me wrong, but Gaiman knows how to get under my skin with these short stories. While I want to love each one of them, I just find them slow, distracting, and unappealing to the reader that was first involved with Sandman from the beginning. I want to be a part of his world, and while I know these stories represent his world, I just don't need it. It is like eating a big meal hours before Thanksgiving. You have been looking forward to that turkey for weeks, why spoil your meal now?

All I can say is this, and I ask other readers of this series to do the same. I am not complete, and I am about to jump into "Brief Lives", but have cracked the graphic novel with these words on my lips:

"I WANT SANDMAN"

"I WANT SANDMAN"

Grade: *** out of *****

Good, as always........2005-11-16

Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Fables and Reflections (DC Comics, 1999)

Once again, we have a book of nine unconnected short graphic stories that touch on the Sandman in some way. As usual, both the quality of the writing and the art is superb; the whole team was pretty much above reproach by the time they got this far in the series.

The strongest of the stories, "The Hunt," shows both Gaiman and the illustrative team at the peaks of their powers. Thankfully, the majority of the book is of this quality. When it dips ("Fear of Falling," the closest thing to a throwaway piece that's been seen in Sandman's world to date), it does so only briefly, and we get back to the good stuff.

As always, well worth your time. ****

Sandman, The : Fables and Reflections (Sandman Collected Library, Vol. 6)

Average customer rating:

Sandman, The : Fables and Reflections (Sandman Collected Library, Vol. 6)
Neil; Kahan, Bob (editor) Gaiman
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KXN8SS

Average customer rating:

Disappointment

Wings of the Wind: Battle of Antietam/Turn of Glory: Battle of Chancellorsville (Battles of Destiny Series)
Al Lacy
Manufacturer: Multnomah Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Joy from Ashes: Battle of Fredericksburg/Season of Valor: Battle of Gettysburg (Battles of Destiny Series)

Beloved Enemy: Battle of First Bull Run/Shadowed Memories: Battle of Shiloh (Battles of Destiny Series)

A Promise Unbroken: Battle of Rich Mountain / A Heart Divided: Battle of Mobile Bay (Battles of Destiny Collection, No. 1)

ASIN: 1590529480
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Book Description

Dramatic Tales of Love and Civil War

The Battles of Destiny series is now available in four attractive two-in-one volumes! Bestselling author Al Lacy packs each dramatic novel in the popular historical fiction series with heartwarming romance and solid moral values. Set during the Civil War, these are the tales of families, soldiers, nurses, and spies as they contend with the deadly threats posed by war and the eternal hope that springs from love. Fast-moving and historically accurate, these stories appeal to men and women who enjoy a trip back in time. Now longtime and new Lacy fans can purchase the entire Battles of Destiny classics and enjoy hours of endless reading pleasure.

The Civil War

Wings of the Wind
Battle of Antietam

Early in his life, tragedy and hardship caused young Hunter McGuire to lose everyone he loved: his parents, his little sister, his best friend. Years later, Dr. Hunter McGuire grieves once again after being separated from the young nursing student who has stolen his heart.

This time, however, a tender reunion takes place after Jodie returns unexpectedly and helps Hunter tend the wounded at the battle of Antietam. Yet their struggles have just begun, for their life together is threatened by more than they realize. And only One can save their love: the God who walks on the wings of the wind.

Turn of Glory
Battle of Chancellorsville

Confederate Major Rance Dayton is wounded on the battlefield and fears he will die until four friends risk their lives to save him. The courageous four are honored and live as heroes until, in the confusion and darkness of a nighttime battle, an unthinkable tragic accident changes their lives forever. The four, so recently renowned as heroes, are now despised and hounded as miscreants, and soon they desert the army and head west to live as outlaws.

It is there that Rance, a newly commissioned U.S. Marshal, meets the four again, this time in very different circumstances but with the knowledge that he owes them his life.

Story Behind the Book

“While studying American history in high school, I was struck with a strange fascination for the Civil War. That fascination grew stronger when I studied it again in college, and I’ve visited many of the sites where the battles took place. When I visited the Appomattox Court House in Virginia , where General Robert E. Lee signed the documents of surrender before General Ulysses S. Grant, I was struck with the thought of creating a series of novels based upon specific battles in the Civil War. I wanted to mold fictional characters with real ones and fill the stories with romance, suspense, intrigue, and the excitement of battle. That’s how the Battles of Destiny series came to be.” –Al Lacy

Customer Reviews:

Disappointment.......2007-09-15

I picked this up at the local library because I live near many of the locales mentioned in the novel. I was disappointed not so much by the battle scenes, which appear to be remote and dry, but the lack of character development. The best Civil War novels contain characters who grow and develop in response to the momentous events happening around them. However, the characters in this book adhere to a rigid evangelical worldview which they never hesitate to inflict on those around them. Even Stonewall Jackson, one of the most interesting generals of the Civil War, has been drained of his oddities and quirks. He is portrayed as a "good family man" even though the real Stonewall died before he could experience family life. Oddly, these good evangelical Christians are hardly concerned with the evils of slavery. In fact, the author describes slavery as an economic issue, as though the emotions stirred by bleeding Kansas and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" did not exist prior to the Civil War. Finally, the author drops most of his characters and substitutes a plotline that belongs to another genre, the Western. If readers want accuracy and character development, stick with Jeff Shaara, Bernard Cornwell, John Jakes, and so forth.

Average customer rating:

An unusual story with wonderful characters.
REALLY WELL WORTH READING --

Winds of Glory (Harper Monogram)
Susan Wiggs
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0061081809

Customer Reviews:

An unusual story with wonderful characters........2004-04-03

The above reviewer outlined the story well so my comments will only be a critique. The story starts out wonderfully with the spirited, spoiled miss and the forbiden "stablehand" taking their lifelong friendship toward perhaps adult affection. It gets side tracked by the forced marriage. Our heroines efforts to become a functioning colonial wife are adorable and our hero is of course outstanding. The middle of the book seemed to go on forever with the patriot and loyalist chess moves. I like historic stuff but this was written in a confusing manner. It was difficult to figure the good people from the bad and/or whose side who was on. Perhaps that was meant to be part of the "suspense" but for me, it just took a potentially wonderful book and forced me to wade through the middle. It pulls together in the last chapters. Wiggs is an excellent author and I highly recommend other works of hers which I've also reviewed. This is a story worth reading and finishing because of the characters and the insight into the pain of the american revolutionary period but I wouldn't read it a second time. And that's how I rate my books.

REALLY WELL WORTH READING --.......2003-01-30

This is romance with a bit of history thrown in to make an excellent story.

Fort George, Rhode Island, December 1774, summoned to serve in King George's Army, private Ashton Markham is wounded

Newport, Rhode Island, May 1775, Bethany Winslow is returning from her schooling in New York and considers herself a staunch Englishwoman - at 18 [grin]-- She has a twin brother, Harry and an older brother, William.

Her father, Sinclair Winslow and mother, Lillian are very upset that Harry has been kicked out of Rhode Island College. Harry wishes to marry a young lady named Felicia and he leaves home to do so, also to follow his patriotic leanings.

Ashton Markham works for Winslow as horse trainer and breeder of Winslow's thoroughbreds. His particular favorite is a black stallion named Corsair. The stallion has several high points through out the story.

Bethany's father informs her that it is high time that she considers a man to marry. He wishes to see her safe under the protection of a husband in these up and coming trying times.

The Tories/or Englishman of Rhode Island expect to be the winning side in the war with the patriots/or Americans.

The Englishman, Dorian Tanner, wishes to court Bethany to procure her inheritance of her father's estate, Seastone and its horses and of course the money involved.

Look for the characters, Finley Piper and his son, Chapin - printer and agitator for the colonies cause. Carrie Markham, Ashton's sister, who will do anything to gain her own ends. Miss Abigail Primrose, Bethany's head mistress and school teacher, who definitely has other fish to fry.

Now the tantilizing event that leads to all of the marital confusion is that the Redcoats come to arrest Harry and get Ashton instead. So Bethany in her misguided enthusiasum to save Ashton from certain death claims to be pregnant by him. Ashton believes the babe to be by Dorian Tanner. [you must read all of the events that lead up to his conclusion].

By the time they all live through the Declaration of Independance and final peace - well, you will not believe all the strife and misunderstanding and torment that they have had to live with. This is a story of how Englishmen, bondsmen and slaves live through treason, spying and war to the bonding of the American people.

Product Description

Wakefield Dynasty The Sword of Truth (1994) The Winds of God (1994) The Fields of Glory (1995) Sheild of Honor (1995)

The Sword of Truth/The Winds of God/The Shield of Honor/The Fields of Glory/The Ramparts of Heaven/The Song of Princes/A Gathering of Eagles (Wakefield Dynasty 1-7)

Average customer rating:

The Sword of Truth/The Winds of God/The Shield of Honor/The Fields of Glory/The Ramparts of Heaven/The Song of Princes/A Gathering of Eagles (Wakefield Dynasty 1-7)
Gilbert Morris
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

Average customer rating:

Tunes of Glory
W.L. Manson
Manufacturer: Lang Syne Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1852170026

Average customer rating:

The Wind of Glory
Aw Saunders
Manufacturer: Turner Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A thoughtful book which helps us rethink the essential nature of the church as a community of people governed by the Word as it is taught by the Spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2001-12-13

This book was a great read. I really enjoyed what was said and I think it is going to prove helpful in my ministry. The only complaint that I would have is that the author seems to skip around alot but that is only because the book covers alot of broad ground in 175 pages. However, the chapters on the Nature of the Church and the Ministry of the Church are worth the price of the book alone. All in all, this is a great book that everyone who wants to fulfill the Great Commission should read.

If six stars were possible..........2001-04-18

Van Gelder has written an extremely important and profoundly insightful book about the church. He has an excellent understanding of North American Christianity and the cultural temptations which have shaped the current models for church. He lays out a foundation for the church as a christ-centered missional community. This book is rich in theology and philosophy and leads the reader to very practical conclusions about how we might "do church" differently. This is not a step-by-step method for the average church to apply to its existing programs. In fact it raises paradigm-shifting questions that speak to very foundational issues regarding the nature and purpose of the Body of Christ. It is a must read.

The Essence of the Church. a Community Created By the Spirit

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The Essence of the Church. a Community Created By the Spirit

Manufacturer: Baker Books.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I3EYEW

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