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Title: Crofton's Fire by Keith Coplin ISBN: 0-399-15112-5 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (3 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A very good book
Comment: I'm a nut for historic fiction and I was very excited about this book's release. It had been hyped up to me by a few friends, so when I read it, my expectations were high. And I wasn't disappointed.
Coplin's writing style is addictive - I hardly put this book down, and it only took me a day or so to read it. So much happens in this novel. There isn't really a dull moment. Even when Crofton isn't fighting in a war, it's still exciting. Crofton is a really likable character as well, because he's like a flawed hero. He has real problems just like all of us do, so you can really identify with him throughout the book. There are crazy twists that are just exciting.
I really loved this book. I think it's unfair to compare it to other works because this book is really one of a kind. It's an addictive read, with a great story and terrific writing. You should definitely check this one out.
Rating: 5
Summary: Attention Lonesome Dove Fans...
Comment: Imagine a faster-paced version of Lonesome Dove, focusing on one man instead of a group of characters, and you'll have some idea of how good Crofton's Fire is. Crofton, the narrator, has a unique, funny and thoroughly entertaining voice. There's plenty of humor, some social commentary, and several very touching scenes. I was sorry when this book ended!
Rating: 3
Summary: decent book--but not flashman
Comment: There is a reasonable selection of good fiction by 20th century
authors about 19th century military life: Cornwell's Sharpe books,
Saunders' Fenwick Travers series, and Fraser's excellent Flashman
novels. There are also innumerable potboilers, and I'm not
including here the naval side of the military. Crofton's Fire is a
decent, well-written novel that incorporates military action from
the Little Bighorn to the Zulu War--quite a lot of military action
but not a lot of the detail that helps distinguish the previously-
mentioned novels. For me, an important question is always "Do I
want to reread this book? If yes, 1 year later? 2 years? Or
do I take this book down to the local used-book dealer and sell
it?" I also ask myself when I finish the book "How much of what
I've just read do I remember?" When I first read Fraser's
Flashman, many years ago, I knew I wanted to reread it within a
year, and I was annoyed that there was only this first book
available at that time. With Cornwell's Sharpe books, I'm
hanging on to the ones I have, and will eventually reread them--
but I have not bought the most recent ones in the series. I'll
keep Crofton's Fire, and I'd like to see the next in what might
be a series.
With the Flashman and Sharpe books, there is a lot of detail
about the military actions--both authors expected to be writing
a lot of novels in the series, so they did not feel a need to
cover a large number of different battles in a single book.
These books consequently give a good flavor for military life,
weapons, strategy/tactics, etc. We'll have to see where the
Crofton series goes in this regard--I would have preferred more
detail.
Crofton starts as a Lieutenant (graduated from West Point)--
well-taught, well-trained, brave, a good fellow. No adultery,
an occasional drinking bout, no cheating at cards, etc. By
contrast, Flashman's father buys him a commission to get him out
of the house, and Flashman happily drinks, practices lechery
wholeheartedly, cheats, toadies, avoids battles (unsuccessfully,
usually winding up in the thick of the fighting)--not what you'd
call a good fellow. The problem here is that Flashman is a
whole lot more fun than Crofton, and seems more easy to relate
to as well. You would prefer your sister to marry Crofton, but
you'd rather spend time yourself with Flashman. Character flaws
can help make someone more human--even the noble Hornblower
was prone to a bit of adultery at times.
It will be interesting to see the next Crofton novel, and to see
if Crofton develops a flaw or two....
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Title: The Last Crossing : A Novel by Guy Vanderhaeghe ISBN: 087113912X Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press Pub. Date: 09 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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Title: Shooting the Sun by Max Byrd ISBN: 0553802089 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Heretic by Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 0060530499 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 07 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Pompeii: A Novel by Robert Harris ISBN: 0679428895 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 18 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Rope Eater by Ben Jones ISBN: 0385509774 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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