cort

A nice combination of science fiction and history. As ususal with Clarke's books, he does not develop a compelling central character but the other factors more than make up for it.

While the first book in the Dune series has lots of action, intrigue, and philosophy, this 2nd book is far to heavy on the latter.

The book starts with a long preface on the Mark Twain project that I found very academic. The actual biography shows little of the wit and wisdom of Twain's books.

A well written book with excellent naration that challenges the long-held belief that the Monguls were barbarians. I learned a lot though I think Weatherford pushes the case a bit too far that the Khans set the stage for the modern world.

The first few chapters describing Powell first descent are incredibly well written and exciting but then Stegner turns his descriptive prose to a discussion of the ethereal beauty and geography of the plateau country. For those who delight in details, the time may be rewarding but for me, it goes on far too long.

An insightful and moving story of the coming of age of a young man whose life has been dominated by a complex and violent father. The narration is one of the best I've heard.

Well written and well read. Fascinating story about a remarkable man but it sometimes borders on a bit of hero worship.

When Mark Twain came up with the basic idea of taking a modern person back to medeval times in "A Yankee in King Author's Court" it was not considered science fiction and it was fast paced and humorous. Willis book on the other hand is full of repetition and no insights into anything we didn't already know about human nature, history, etc.

Offers a fascinating look into an interesting and important period, and provides a real challenge to those who think Castro is evil.

I listened for about an hour but found it full of stilted language with limited insights.