Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: On Secret Service by John Jakes, Michael Kramer ISBN: 0-7366-4931-X Publisher: Books on Tape, Inc. Pub. Date: 07 September, 2000 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 12 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.1 (31 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Stirring and informative
Comment: This is the first John Jakes novel I have read but now I feel another one coming on. I loved reading about real life characters like Lincoln, Stanton, Davis, Jackson, Booth and others. From the way the author describes Lincoln's wife I'm surprised he didn't pull the trigger himself. Lon Price is the main character. A young idealist who is dead against the slave trade. He starts working for Pinkerton and works his way up to the lofty echelons of Washington's Secret Service. We see how the story changes him from a relatively innocent optimist into a battle hardened realist. There are many other great characters and storylines in this enjoyable book. We certainly get a true picture of how ugly that era was. The book actually takes a good couple of hundred pages to really get rolling due to character development. The reward is worth it though. I was sad when it ended.
Rating: 4
Summary: Not "Gone With The Wind" But A Good Historical-Romance
Comment: Set during the Civil War, this is an interesting look at the early origins of the Secret Service via main character Lon, first a Pinkerton man and then US Secret Service. He is a committed abolitionist and works in and around Washington DC throughout the Civil War. We meet all of the major political and military players in DC at the time, including Lincoln, and that is very detailed and fascinating stuff. Naturally, Lon's romantic interest is allied with the South and even operates as a spy for it. I was interested in this story throughout. There were other good supporting characters including Hanna, an actress, and a black man, Zach, who helps Lon after escaping from the South. Although the North is committed to abolishing slavery, it is clear from Zach's life in the North that although free, he is nevertheless considered infinitely inferior. This I found great stuff and could have stood a lot more of it in the book. The only problem with this novel is that I was not strongly gripped by it and could always put it down easily. In fact, I read it before going to sleep every night for about 45 minutes or so. Five star books do not do this. They keep you up until close to dawn. I'm willing to give Jakes another try and have already bought "The Seekers" to do so. This novel was my first try of his work and I am a bit surprised to discover that he is a huge bestselling author.
Rating: 2
Summary: Excellent Topic, Very Poor Execution
Comment: I am a fan of John Jakes. The North and South series are some of the very best novels I've read. I was very disappointed in On Secret Service and could not get past page 100. The concept of the novel is excellent but the plot surrounding the historical facts is very thin. The characters themselves lack any depth and provoked no emotional response from me as the reader. The story simply did not intrigue me enough to finish it.
 |
Title: American Dreams by John Jakes ISBN: 0451197011 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: July, 1999 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: Charleston: A Novel by John Jakes ISBN: 0451207335 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: Homeland by John Jakes ISBN: 0451198425 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: July, 1999 List Price(USD): $8.50 |
 |
Title: The Bold Frontier by John Jakes, Dale L. Walker ISBN: 0451204190 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: 05 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: California Gold by John Jakes ISBN: 0451203976 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: 07 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
