Michael

Other biographical portraits are limited by the attempt to follow a rigid structure of time and events. This book lets the characters of the men it portrays emerge, without being a slave to the calandar. Although it leans towards hagiography, it is solidly based in reality. The portraits of Seward, Chase, McClellan, Grant, and Mrs. Lincoln are richer than I have encountered before. I could not wait to get back to book. I learned things about Lincoln I will never forget. The narrator was engaging, if a trifle excessive. I felt at times he was singing, when the book could have spoken for itself. But I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves biography, Lincoln, or the Civil War. I wish it had been unabridged, as I hated to come to the end.

Initially I thought this would be the story of an excessively entitled person. But the orthodox life required that the author face humiliation and hardship, which in her case, rounded the edges of her character.

I enjoyed the details of the hasidic beliefs and practices, much like those of my Catholic ghetto upbringing. A narrow set of beliefs, but profound in the conception of the divine. Deep respect and awe of the divine is hard to come by in today's world.

The female voice is essential.

I wish there were more. What happended next? How did she do when she faced the tasks of motherhood by herself? There's another book there.

Steady and interesting narrative, with details I had not known before.

Grover is familiar and does not get in the way.

This book read like a novel, but with the added benefit of being real. It was objective with plenty of detail, but not boring or too detailed. It presented the terrorist position so that it was understandable, giving insight into how the terrorists arrive at their actions, what it means to them. And it was interesting to hear contrasting points of view from within the enemy position. And of course, the details of the raid were interesting.

The most memorable part was the detailed description of the raid.

I have not heard this reader before.

The most interesting tidbit was that there were at least two strong opposing recommendations, from Gates and Biden. And the President himself thought the raid was worth it even if there was only a 50/50 chance he was there, because even that chance was better than anything since Tora Bora.

I recommend it as an objective account of a fascinating event.

As a story this is exciting, surprising, with the story carrying one's interest forward. However the foundation in real history is weak. It is a fantasy history novel, not real history. It's not about Christianity, it's about an exciting fantasy.