Book Description
Originally published in six volumes, Sandburg’s Abraham Lincoln was called “the greatest historical biography of our generation.” Sandburg distilled this work into one volume that became the definitive life of Lincoln. Index; photographs.
Customer Reviews:
A joy to read.......2007-09-13
Sandburg took criticism for filling in some blanks with his imagination, but so what? His biography of Lincoln was not intended as a scholarly treatise. Think of the mystic atmosphere of a campfire at night, with an elder telling about the greatest person in a tribe's history. That is Sandburg's accomplishment, making Lincoln live again among us, at least while we are surrounded by Sandburg's mesmerizing account. No one interested in Lincoln or in the meaning of America should miss the experience of these volumes.
A lyrical, poetic biography of Lincoln.......2007-03-18
This is a biography of Lincoln by the esteemed poet Carl Sandburg. I was born just up the road, US Route 34 (in Kewanee), from his home town of Galesburg, Illinois. Thus, I have always had a soft spot for this version of Lincoln's life
As a poet, Sandburg's version tends to be more epic and mythical--and less critical--in its examination of Lincoln. For all of that, the book still works well. The first part, "The Prairie Years," recounts Lincoln's youth and early career before he attained the presidency. The story, of course, starts with his family settling in Kentucky, where Lincoln was born in 1809. Later, he moved with his family to Illinois. Lincoln began in New Salem and later moved to Springfield. Sandburg's depiction of his development, to becoming a practiced attorney, his political ambitions, his brief time in the militia, lays out the standard treatment of Lincoln, written extraordinarily well. Many anecdotes dot the volume. We see his doomed relationship with Ann Rutledge and his rocky courtship of Mary Todd. The discussion of his famous debates with Stephen Douglas in the Senate Campaign that brought him national visibility (and rendered him viable as a potential presidential candidate) is well told.
Then, the work goes on to explore his place in the Civil War. The volume speak poignantly of the family tragedy that he experienced (the death of a child is always difficult), the strained relationship with his wife, the challenges of orchestrating the Union's war effort.
In a sense, this is a poetic, lyric, romanticized view of Lincoln. It could scarcely be anything else, I think, given Sandburg's perspective. Nonetheless, for that, this is still a compelling work and worth a read.
A Poetic Life of Lincoln.......2006-03-30
Sandburg was a poet, and this is a poetic biography of Lincoln. Is that an asset or a liability? In today's climate of "facts, facts, facts," most would probably say the latter. But, in this instance, I would disagree. There are occasions when great poets hit, with their prose, closer to the mark than the historians. It's like the story of the spirit of one of the Russian aristocrats, going through the history books and saying, "My secret is safe." Then, he reads Tolstoy's War and Peace and shakes his ghostly fist, crying, "How did he know?" This is a great work by a great writer. If you are looking for more than a biography of Lincoln, if you are looking to be transported, this is the book for you.
Worth Reading.......2006-02-27
For anyone that has an interest in American History and enjoys Biographies, this book is worth reading. Carl Sandburg is an excellent writer and sprinkles anecdotes from people who knew Lincoln to really add reality to this reading.
Lincoln was a fascinating person who led the US in a critical time in its history. This book captures what he was like and reinforces why he is so revered in this country.
A bit too impressionistic.......2006-02-22
This biography is a must-read simply because it is by Sandburg and thus a thread of the national literary fabric. However, Sandburg tends to fictionalize or fill in the blanks of Lincoln's boyhood to the point where it sometimes becomes embarrassing. The narrative picks up speed and credibility, however, when it gets to the documented period of Lincoln's life; and ironically, the folksiness now works in its favor by evoking a very human and real portrait of Lincoln, unlike the current revisionist history drivel about his being gay, manic-depressive, or pro-slavery.
Book Description
Civil War and history buffs--as well as all lovers of fine writing--will delight in the detail and accuracy of Carl Sandburg's definitive, best-known biography of "Honest Abe". Representing a lifetime of study by the great American poet, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years distills Sandburg's monumental six volume set into a single one-book edition. By gleaning every possible reference from history, literature, and popular lore, Sandburg successfully captures not only the legendary president, but also Lincoln the man. He reveals exactly who Lincoln was, and what forces in his life shaped his personality. More than 100 black-and-white historical photographs and linecuts show Lincoln himself, the places he went, and the people who knew him.
Customer Reviews:
A Thorough and Artistic Teatment.......2002-10-08
Abraham Lincoln comes to life through the words of his devoted and talented biographer, Carl Sandburg. This edition is an excellent compromise between Sandburg's six-volume edition and the shorter, incomplete texts that abound regarding Lincoln. Take your time with this masterpiece and follow Lincoln from youth through the climax of his political career in Washington.
definitive Lincoln by one of America's best.......2002-08-24
Thousands upon thousands of Civil War books are available, as American readers seem to have a limitless appetite for that era. If you are looking for the best, read Sandburg on Lincoln. A major American poet takes on one of the best-known, best-loved, most tragic of American historical figures.
When I was a freshman in high school, our English teacher offered us a deal: Anyone who read Sandburg's biography (then in six rather daunting volumes) would not have to attend class for a semester. I took him up on that offer, and was blessed to find my way through Sandburg's gift to the American people. Here is the highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and articulately written story of Abe Lincoln's years among us.
If you have time to read only one of the Civil War books from that burgeoning genre, read this one. You will come to know, from the inside out, this prairie boy who became a towering figure in American history.
A Pulitzer Prize winner's master work........1999-10-28
I believe Sandburg is the only author to win the Pulitzer for both poetry and history. Originally a multi volume history taking decades to complete, this single volume work is an appetizer. I read it in the 1960's and went on with relish to the full multi volume work.
This single volume is insightful, laser like in it's detail yet painting the times of Lincoln in a broad and beautiful brush. Did you know that in 1860 tools could be honed to within one ten thousandth of an inch of accuracy? That magazines and newspapers said the world would change for-ever because of the new "instant" communication nation wide?
This is more than biography. It is a woven fabric depicting the times and life of Abraham Lincoln.
An American Classic on a Classic American.......1999-03-16
I collect old and rare books. My mother bought me a copy of Sandburg's one-volume edition published in 1954. Honestly, it was slow to start, but once it got to the 1850's, I couldn't put it down. Lincoln's deeds are so often trivialized in our history books. But Sandburg meticulously builds up the background in a way that forces his reader to appreciate the magnitude of the moment, and the importance of each decision--whether right or wrong--that President Lincoln made. It easily took three full weeks to read, but it was more than worth it. I closed the book thinking, "I can't believe it's over!" My advice: Read this book right away, and make someone else read it too. You'll need someone to talk to when you're through!
Lots of facts to chew on and not a book to be taken lightly........1999-03-12
This biography of lincoln is an unbiased look into the man's life. You'll find everything you would expect and much, much, more. This is not a book for the weak hearted reader. Many of the sections seem to be endless. This is not however a negative, the opposite is true. Sandburg's quest for a truly indepth redering of the Lincoln story creates these long spells and the pay off is just. Much of the humor in the book is dated and therefore will be lost on many readers. Once again, an outstanding book that gets an easy 5 stars.
Book Description
Part slave narrative, part memoir, and part sentimental fiction, Behind the Scenes depicts Elizabeth Keckley's years as a slave and subsequent four years in Abraham Lincoln's White House during the Civil War (1861-1865). As public drama privately experienced, Keckley's work presents Jefferson Davis and his wife, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and even Stephen Douglas and "Mrs. Senator Douglas" in the foreground, with the war, and slavery as the issue that precipitated it, in the background. Through the eyes of this black woman--an ex-slave, seamstress, and dressmaker--we see a wide range of historical figures and events of the antebellum South, the Washington of the Civil War years, and the final stages of the war.
Customer Reviews:
Intimate recollections of the Lincoln White House.......2007-09-13
Although this volume comes from the memories of someone familiar with the Lincoln White House and who became a close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln, it must be read cautiously. For example, despite the book's basic authenticity I find its account of Stephen Douglas's love for young Mary Todd and her jilting of Lincoln implausible despite Keckley's claim that she got the story directly from Mary Todd Lincoln and Anson Henry (a close friend of Abraham and Mary, who was a matchmaker encouraging their romance). Possibly some errors might be attributed to one or more literary assistants who helped compile the book. If a reader needs to be certain a about a particular statement, comparison with other sources is wise. Still, the volume will be valuable to anyone interested in firsthand impressions of the Lincoln White House.
Friend and confidant to Mary Lincoln.......2007-03-22
I got this little book so that I could learn more about the Lincolns and their home life at the White House. It does an excellent job of telling the story of Elizabeth and Mary's friendship, which I wish could have continued, but alas, it didn't. I would recommend this book to all readers interested in US history, not matter what their age or gender, so that they can get an intimate view of the Lincoln's family life. Elizabeth was a strong and proud woman with a high moral and ethical character...if she were alive today, she would be swamped with interview requests and book deals!
Not What You'd Expect, But Read It As If You Lived 138 Years Ago.......2006-08-05
In 1868, three years after the War Between the States ended and Abraham Lincoln was murdered, Elizabeth Keckley sat down to write a partial history of her life as a slave and modiste (dressmaker) for Mary Todd Lincoln at the White House. If readers judge "Behind the Scenes" by the standards of modern biographies, they won't do the book justice.
"Lizzie" Keckley was a slave who insisted on buying her freedom, even after being offered it for nothing. In modern terms, she was an "Aunt Tom" for validating the notion that any human being can be bought and sold for a price. By her own standards, she was affirming her value to society. It's impossible to judge such a person in contemporary terms.
Lizzie's dressmaking skill attracted the attention of Mary Todd Lincoln in 1861. Mrs. Lincoln was quite addicted to clothes, and hired "Dear Lizzie" as her private modiste. Their association solidified into a deep friendship after the death in 1862 of Willie Lincoln (in the White House); Lizzie offered warmth and solicitude, badly needed by an erratic First Lady whose intemperate ways and harsh tongue had made her perhaps the most disliked person in Washington. The friendship persisted after Lincoln's assassination, when Lizzie aided Mrs. Lincoln in purging her monstrous debts (she owed $70,000 to department stores) by trying to sell off old dresses and jewelry.
"Behind the Scenes" ended the friendship. After its publication Mary Lincoln, her pride wounded, dropped "Dear Lizzie" and referred to Mrs. Keckley as "that colored historian."
For students of the assassination Mrs. Keckley's reminiscences are especially helpful. Several weeks after April 14, 1865, while Mrs. Lincoln was still in mourning inside the White House, Lizzie told her "the new messenger" (not identified by name in the book, unfortunately) was on watch, he being the same man who had abandoned his post outside Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater. Mrs. Lincoln excoriated the "new messenger" and accused him of complicity in the assassination. The messenger admitted his carelessness but denied complicity, insisting he had simply taken a seat where he could better watch the play.
Except for the ambiguous word "messenger," this account conforms precisely to the convential wisdom that prevailed until about 25 years ago, i.e. that John F. Parker, a Metropolitan Police officer assigned to White House duty, was responsible for guarding Lincoln's box on the night of the assassination, but left his post and allowed John Wilkes Booth clear entry (and how would Booth have known the coast would be clear?). Post-modern historians, possibly seizing on Keckley's use of "messenger" to describe Parker, contrived a theory that Parker's duties never included protecting Lincoln...which idea begs the obvious question, "Why would Mrs. Lincoln have been so angry at someone who wasn't responsible in the first place?" And, since Parker supposedly went on trial for negligence (the records were mysteriously destroyed), "Why would anyone have been put on trial for neglecting Lincoln at Ford's Theater if he had been only a White House functionary all along?"
One person's memior.......2005-04-26
This is a memior written by a woman who started life as a slave, then managed to buy her freedom, and later set up a successful living as a seamstress, eventually going to work for Mrs. Lincoln in the White House. As such, it is a bit rambling. There are two chapters about her early life as a slave, but the author knows that what is most interesting to the readers is her life in the white house, and so she skips ahead to that period, giving us her personal "insider account" of daily vignettes with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. These vignettes include an eyewitness account of Lincoln's second inauguration address, the death of Willie Lincoln, and events immediately after Lincoln's assasination. The author then goes on to describe her post-white house associations with Mrs. Lincoln, who became a personal friend, as Mrs. Lincoln deals with post-presidency debts. The book continues with an in-depth account of how Mrs. Keckley assisted Mrs. Lincoln with attempting to sell her personal effects (dresses) to raise money. This must have been of great interest to readers when the book was first published in the 1860's, but has limited appeal to modern readers.
Overall, however, the book is a very interesting glimpse into the daily life of a slave, an independent businesswoman in the 1860's, of someone who worked in the white house during the civil war, and of someone in the close confidence of the Lincolns. It is well-written and engaging.
The Life Of A Slave.......2005-02-18
This is my least favorite book on the Lincolns. It's the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who was a slave. Elizabeth eventaully becomes Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker and friend. This is a lot more about slavery than the Lincolns.I don't mind reading about the subject. I just didn't think it was a very well-written book on Elizabeth's part.
Book Description
A divided nation and an equally divided familythis invaluable portrait goes behind the closed doors of one of Americas most captivating presidential families From the day of Abraham Lincolns inauguration, a nation divided by savage conflict confronted the new president. But what many dont know was that within the White Houses walls, Lincolns family would soon find itself suffering turmoil mirroring that of the nation he led. Savagely criticized for her extravagance by the American public and widely distrusted because of hersouthern roots, first lady Mary Lincolns increasing instability would deeply strain her marriage and eventually end in her mental collapse. The couple was devastated when eleven-year-old Willie died in the White House of typhoid fever. Tad, the youngest son, remained the family joy despite his physical impairments. Though their son Roberts success at Harvard made his parents proud, his relationship with them was troubled and would result in a painful estrangement, one which would permanently separate him from his mother. The presidents assassination brutally crushed Marysalways-fragile spirits. After leaving the White House and following Tads early death, the former first lady retreated intoincreasing eccentricity andseclusionuntil her death in 1882. A moving and poignant portrait of the family life of Americas greatest president.
Customer Reviews:
Good read on the Lincoln family in the White House.......2007-02-18
Errors appear in even the best edited works. Perhaps the next edition will correct the incorrect information about the "last" photograph. As one of the multitude of Lincoln fans I found this book to contain lots of personal information about Lincoln and his family that I had not read in collected form elsewhere. I value the author's collected research that gives us a brief peek into the life of a very private man with more than his share of family tragedy. The relationship with his sons and wife is much clearer to me now that I have read this work. I consider this a well-written, highly readable account of the A. Lincoln family in the White House and belongs on every Lincoln collector's, if not scholar's bookshelf.
Found A Mistake As Soon As I Opened The Book.......2006-02-02
I received Mr. Packard's book yesterday, and I could not wait to begin reading it. Although I have little interest in the war aspects of Lincoln's presidency, the personal side of his story has always piqued my interest. I recently purchased books on Lincoln's depression and on his supposed (by the author) sexuality. Mr. Packard's contribution seemed to fit the motif quite well. After reading the back of the book jacket, which states that his book was written "with painstaking research and an eye for historical detail", I was disheartened to see that the first page I opened up to (purely by coincidence), was a photograph of Lincoln purported to be his last. The photograph in question was believed, for many years, to have been taken by Alexander Gardner on April 10, 1865, four days before the assassination. Packard dates the photograph to that session. The problem lies in the fact that many Lincoln scholars, relying on primary sources of the time, including the diary of portrait painter Matthew Wilson, who attended the photo shoot, have long since established that the Gardner photo was taken on February 5, 1865, and that the true last set of photographs were taken of Lincoln on the south portico of the White House on March 6, 1865, two days after the second inaugural, by Henry F. Warren. This will undoubtedly come across as nitpicking to some, but when a book markets itself as one conducted with "painstaking research and an eye for historical detail", it makes one wonder just how much of the content is accurate, ala "A Million Little Pieces." I tried to contact Mr. Packard before writing this review, but naturally his number is unlisted. In any event, the written portion of the book may be incredibly interesting and perhaps even accurate, but the author gets a one for making such an obvious and unnecessary error, in light of what current scholarship has already undercovered through the writings of Lincoln's secretaries, John Hay and John Nicoloy, Lloyd Ostendorf, W. Emerson Reck et. al.
Book Description
The story of Lincoln's life from his inauguration in 1861 to his death and funeral in 1865. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in History, 1940.
Customer Reviews:
Abraham Lincoln:The War Years.......2000-05-17
Excellent Excellent Detialed week by week history of the administration through the biographies of all who knew him, generals, cabinet and plain folks.
Average customer rating:
|
Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years
Carl Sandburg
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0151025703 |
Customer Reviews:
6 volume masterpeice.......2004-04-07
If you manage to read all six volumes of Sandburg's labor of love, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment, and you will know Abraham Lincoln inside and out. At least as much as this rather secretive man allowed anyone to see. When I finished, I felt like an old friend had left my life. That said, at times Sandburg sorely needed a better editor. He would run on forever with newspaper accounts of basically the same thing, as if he had to hammer home the point. Each and every visitor that ever applied to Lincoln for anything is recorded. We get the picture 3 pages ago. The research must have been prodigious. The 1st volume was rather poetic in the beginning, not surprising from such a one as Sandburg. Mostly, my interest never flagged. Six months it took me to read it. And am very glad I did.
Amazon.com
"In the country of the blind," the old adage asserts, "the one-eyed man is king." But in Stephen Kuusisto's superb new memoir, The Planet of the Blind, the world of a one-eyed man is a kingdom of confusion and quixotic struggle. Born with only residual vision, one eye capable of 20/200 vision and the other unseeing, Kuusisto was led by the insistence of his mother and the ignorance of the society around him to an elaborate and harrowing attempt to appear sighted. At times the effort was life-threatening, as with the bicycle he rode from the ages of 10 to 30 ("Were my years of cycling an actuarial gift?" he wonders), and at other times profoundly humiliating, as when his stumblings and collisions are assumed to be signs of habitual drunkenness. Indeed, the almost inconceivable effort of maintaining his sighted masquerade leads to all sorts of self-destructive behavior, from obesity to anorexia, from booze and cigarettes to drugs and perilous clambers up fire escapes.
Most biography is a recounting of struggle that leads to success and achievement, but Kuusisto's story is of a lifelong struggle that leads to acceptance. For this gifted poet, the barely glimpsed visual world is an irresistible temptation, despite pain, embarrassment, and failure. When he finally submits to the white cane and a guide dog, suddenly he can envision a "Planet of the Blind," a place where those without sight live in peace with their own lives, where "everyone is free to touch faces, paintings, gardens," a place where beauty is behind the eye of the beholder. --John Longenbaugh
Book Description
"The world is a surreal pageant," writes Stephen Kuusisto. "Ahead of me the shapes and colors suggest the sails of Tristan's ship or an elephant's ear floating in air, though in reality it is a middle-aged man in a London Fog rain coat which billows behind him in the April wind."
So begins Kuusisto's memoir, Planet of the Blind, a journey through the kaleidoscope geography of the partially-sighted, where everyday encounters become revelations, struggles, or simple triumphs. Not fully blind, not fully sighted, the author lives in what he describes as "the customs-house of the blind", a midway point between vision and blindness that makes possible his unique perception of the world. In this singular memoir, Kuusisto charts the years of a childhood spent behind bottle-lens glasses trying to pass as a normal boy, the depression that brought him from obesity to anorexia, the struggle through high school, college, first love, and sex. Ridiculed by his classmates, his parents in denial, here is the story of a man caught in a perilous world with no one to trust--until a devastating accident forces him to accept his own disability and place his confidence in the one relationship that can reconnect him to the world--the relationship with his guide dog, a golden Labrador retriever named Corky. With Corky at his side, Kuusisto is again awakened to his abilities, his voice as a writer and his own particular place in the world around him.
Written with all the emotional precision of poetry, Kuusisto's evocative memoir explores the painful irony of a visually sensitive individual--in love with reading, painting, and the everyday images of the natural world--faced with his gradual descent into blindness. Folded into his own experience is the rich folklore the phenomenon of blindness has inspired throughout history and legend.
Customer Reviews:
Moving Memoir about Dealing with Blindness.......2007-05-21
Stephen Kuusisto, the author of the memor "Planet of the Blind," is a poet. You can hear it in every word he writes.
His moving memoir focuses on being legally blind and on the challenges he faced every single day trying to pretend he was a normal, "seeing" person. Along the way, you watch him grow up from an isolated, awkward child to a sensitive and extremely determined individual, one who lived in constant fear of being labled not normal, yet whose refusal to get help made everyday living a challenge to his own survival. At the end, he finally gains independence and normalcy in the form of a guide dog. It is a moment that brought me to tears.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-written and inspiring memoir, which does read like a poem. It took me just a few hours to read finish it, it was so engrossing. It also opened my eyes to the world of the blind, a world I had never really considered before.
Thank you, Mr. Kuusisto, for sharing your story.
Striking prose.......2007-02-13
When I picked up this book, I was expecting an autobiography, a memoir of a blind person. I've always wondered how a blind person "sees" the world, so I was curious to read the book. What I got was something much more than a non-fictional account. The prose is absolutely striking, poetic, full of rich vivid metaphors. It inspired tears, and laughter, and rage, and awe in me at different points in the book.
This book is more than a non-fictional autobiography. It's a work of high literature. You will be enriched after having read it.
Very inspiring book EVEN inspires me to want to write.......2003-06-18
I was reccommended to read Planet of The Blind due to my interest in writing stories about people who had disabilities and about by own disablility for I'm visually impaired myself and I have an interest in writing. So I read Steven Kuusisto's book Planet of the Blind and found it very facinating and inspiring! I highly reccomend it! I'd love to know what is he doing now and is he still writing and speaking of the book?
Vivid and moving memoir.......2002-06-13
As a legally blind person, who had totally blind parents, this vividly written book went a long way in helping me come to terms with my own situation. Like Stephen, for years I was in denial about my own limited vision and tried, successfully for a time, to "pass" as fully sighted. This is no longer possible and I have to face my own limitations head on, as Stephen finally does.
I recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what living on the "Planet of the Blind" is really like, and for anyone who enjoys beautiful writing.
Powerful and redemptive.......2001-08-24
I read Stephen's book late into the night and then got up and read more in the morning. The book not only brought me new understanding of the world of blindness, it spoke intimately of the journey of self-acceptance. Stephen's story is threaded through with grace, and his language is musical. A deeply spiritual memoir; you will finish it changed.
Book Description
A Tragic Accident or a Suicide Mission?
In the year 2012, Valkerie Jansen, a young microbial ecologist, is presented with an amazing opportunity to continue her research as a member of the NASA corps of astronauts. When a sudden resignation opens the door for her to be a part of a mission to Mars, her life dream becomes a reality.
Dreams turn suddenly to nightmares for NASA and the crew as an explosion cripples the spacecraft on the outward voyage. The crew's survival depends on complete trust in one another—but is one of the four the saboteur?
Customer Reviews:
Bland.......2007-10-09
I thought it would be interesting to read a Christian SF book, but this one is very weak in both science and religion. It brings up an interesting issue (the possible conflict between creationism and extra-terrestrial life), but fails to deal with it seriously. I was left wondering if the authors had decided not to step on any toes. The result is a very bland book.
One of my favorite novels - ever!.......2007-05-13
I have to admit, I picked this one up at a writer's conference after hearing Mr. Ingermanson teach his Fiction 101 course, and I didn't exactly know what to expect. Science fiction novels can be hit or miss, at least for me. But Mr. Ingermanson did seem quite knowledgable on how to write a good novel, so without allowing my hopes to get too high, I decided to try this one.
A few days later, I found myself completely engrossed, not just in the story, but in the characters too. To tell you the honest truth, A FULL WEEK after I had finished Oxygen, I was still thinking about these characters, and what they might be doing, now that the story was over. I can't remember another novel that did that to me, so this has to be right up there at the top of my list of favorite novels.
If you like good suspense novels with compelling characters, get this one!
One of the best books I have ever read!!!.......2007-04-09
This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read, and it is surpassed only by a few not only in Christian fiction, but also throughout many other genres. It has the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, science fiction, christianity, and romance. I have not found a book to equal it in this regard. If you are looking for a good, clean, interesting book, you should definitely give a thought to picking this one up. This is one of the books that I recommend to anyone looking for something to read, so enjoy.
Oxygen: A Mission Gone Desperately Wrong and No Way..........2007-03-15
The book arrived in excellent condition within the scheduled delivery time.
Thank you,
Francine Keehnel
Well-Researched and Crafted Novel.......2007-03-04
Oxygen is a well-researched and crafted, near future, Christian science fiction novel. Published in 2001, the story is set in 2014 during the first manned mission to Mars. Microbial ecologist Valkerie Jansen is assigned to the Ares 10 as late replacement. This alone would cause strain for the crew but her faith adds another level of tension. When a near catastrophic explosion occurs the crew of two men and two women must learn to trust each other or perish in the cold of space. While I pray that the first mission to Mars does not have problems if it does I hope they have someone as resourceful as Valkerie. I also hope they never become as paranoid as this crew becomes.
All too often Christian fiction is second-rate fiction but this is not the case with John Olson and Randall Ingermanson. This is excellent science fiction. Historical details and NASA jargon are sprinkled into the story along with technical details about the spacecraft and spaceflight. These realistic fine points make the story much more compelling.
The best fiction writers present their stories through setting, action, thoughts, and description. Many Science Fiction stories suffer from lengthy paragraphs of telling. While Oxygen does have some telling, much of the story is told through dialogue or shown through actions.
As a Christian and a lifetime reader of Science Fiction, I recommend Oxygen to fans of the genre.
Kyle Pratt
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- Arkansas Mischief: The Birth of a National Scandal
- Barn Burning Barn Building: Tales of a Political Life, From LBJ to George W. Bush and Beyond
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