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: Dark Eagle: A Novel of Benedict Arnold and the American Revolution by John Ensor Harr ISBN: 0-14-100178-X Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (12 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Historical Fiction At Its Best
Comment: I picked up this book by John Ensor Harr only mildly interested in Benedict Armold and then found myself drawn in to an absorbing, stimulating novel, which I knew was based on solid fact. {I knew that Harr had written scholarly biographies of the Rockefellers.) I came to a new understanding - if not approval - of Benedict Arnold, but I found out a great deal more about the revolution, Washington's role, and many others. I recommend it wholeheartedly for any one wanting to read a good novel but also learn a great deal about the troubled soul of man and the prcarious thread on which victory hung in the revolution.
Rating: 5
Summary: Get to Know Benedict Arnold
Comment: Like most people, I know the name Benedict Arnold very well. What I did not know, however, was just exactly what it was that he did that made his name THE synonym for traitor. Now I know.
In his novel Dark Eagle, John Ensor Harr has taken a person known by name only to most of us and made him a real person. Now we know why he did what he did. Of course, I can't go into details as it would spoil the fun for everyone else. And trust me on this one, it is fun. Suffice it to say, if you have ever wondered just what did this guy do to deserve such a bad name, you really want to read this book. It is a great read; Hollywood should be scrambling for this one. Rich with visual imagery, from the dust on a man's uniform to crumbs on a banquet plate, you really feel as if you were there. Not only are we introduced to the main character, but a whole support cast that make this story a tapestry of period elegance, as well as intrigue. Fans of history, drama, war and mystery will all enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Behold! The Power of the Amazon Recommendation...
Comment: I would say about two months ago when I visited Amazon.com to order a book to send to a friend of mine, a recommendation popped up. The recommendation was John Ensor Harr's "Dark Eagle." I must say that the recommendation was right on the nose.
Harr's novel is a masterpiece. In brilliant strokes he painted an accurate and even-handed portrait of the American Revolution and of that tragically reviled character, Benedict Arnold.
Tragically reviled is the term of art and is so because, unless you believe in historic inevitability, his fate did not have to turn out like it did. Harr's portrayal of Arnolds wrangling with the Continental Congress provides great insight into the role and function of that body. The awe and power of Congress' issuance of the Declaration of Independence belies the fact it was an extremely weak body with very little power. The book does well to portray the struggles between Congress and Genereal Washington, between Congress and its citizens, between the newly formed States and Congress, between General Washington and the States and finally, how all of those struggles were inter-related and formed the basis and antagonism for the struggle between Washington and the British. It is against this backdrop that citizens and soldiers like Benedict Arnold had to deal with the Continental Congress and, in the case of Arnold, makes it all the more understandable why he found such difficulty in dealing with Congress.
Second, Harr's portrayal of the Continental Army's Officer Staff provides another source for Benedict Arnold's tragic fall. For those who may wonder whether General Horatio Gates truly was the destructive force for the army that John Ensor Harr made him out to be, he was. His portrayal reminds me of a line from "The Patriot" (an enjoyable, but not truly accurate depiction of the American Revolution) when Mel Gibson asked cynically, "Where's your General Gates now?" after Gates' rout in Trenton.
The intellectual fulcrum of the book actually appears towards the end of the novel: (pg. 431)
Arnold: What do they call it [changing one's allegiance]
Peggy: It depends on who wins
Arnold: What do they call it until someone wins
Peggy: They call it treason.
"They call it treason." One should always bear in mind the fact that we all accept today the proposition as true that what occured upon American soil beginning in 1775 was a revolution fought by patriots. However, in 1779 the issue was not at all clear. Had the "revolution" failed; had Congress been captured and Washington's army defeated, those same patriots who drafted the Declaration of Independence would now be judged as traitors.
"Dark Eagle" is as much historical fiction as it is a good old fashion morality play and demands that the reader make the same hard choices that Benedict Arnold made and in so doing, allows the reader to truly judge Arnold.
 |
Title: Angels & Demons by Dan Brown ISBN: 0671027360 Publisher: Pocket Star Pub. Date: 26 June, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown ISBN: 0385504209 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 18 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
