5 comments about By the Rivers of Babylon.

1. I like Demille's books because they are a departure from the standard - guy gets killed, ace detective comes on the scene and figures it all out magically - type of book. This is my third novel by Mr. Demille and I can't quit.
   
   This one is a little bit slower moving that the others of his that I've read.



2. As a puritanical American, I like to learn something when I read a novel, not just enjoy the story. This taste is well satisfied in the Babylon novel: I learned a decent amount concerning modern weaponry and military strategy.
   
   I didn't learn much about human nature. The characters in the book are types, and there are so many of them that there's no time to develop one figure in depth. The female figures are all out of the 1970s feminist mold: superwomen with courage and combat skill. And we've got a demonic villain and a troubled hero. I never figured out exactly what troubles the hero or drives the villain, but the characters are there to move the plot, not to move me. The only thing I remember about the hero is that he's always in a bad mood.
   
   The love scenes between the troubled hero and the mightiest of the superwomen are awkward. When reading these, I wished the lovers would clean their rifles so I could learn something about that process. If you don't know the mechanics of sex, of course, these scenes will blow your mind.
   
   What I do like in the novel is the sense of the past still controlling the present in the Middle East. DeMille wisely sets most of the action on the site of ancient Babylon; this gives him ample opportunities to take a long view. He also conveys the intense connection between Jews and the Holy Land.
   
   I wasn't able to read this book in a short time. The scenes in the desert are repetitive. The good side of this: you can come back to the story after a week away from it and easily pick it up again.
   
   Of course, I have to admit that I did indeed keep picking up the book until I finished it. DeMille rings enough changes in the plot to keep you wondering where he's going next. You don't particularly care who lives or dies--and that's good, because almost everybody dies--but you are curious about how those airline passengers are going to outdo terrorist troops. Hint: there's a lot of digging.



3. I still rate this novel very high, as it was a huge departure from his earlier 12 or 13 paperback novels (I have 12). As with any book of this genre, the dating hurts its 'suspension of disbelief' but the characters are very good, as is the infrastructure and movement details.
   Highly recommended (and required, if you are a true fan)
   knf



4. Another fantastic Demille read. A diverse group heading to a UN conference to work towards peace in the Middle East, have their plane taken down by terrorists and crash in Palestinian territory. Demille creates a full story for each character and manages to weave them together into a page turning, action packed thriller.



5. Although I had read many of DeMille's more recent books, it has just been the last year when I went back to first read his early novels. Before reading "By the Rivers of Babylon" I read "Cathedral" and found the structure very similar. Both books had snipets of the historical backstory surrounding the present conflict, each had a cast of thousands (OK, maybe dozens) and each character had their backstory presented along with a psych profile. Each had the elements of a political body trying to make sure they covered their collective butts before taking action. Each had an enormous amount of carnage, death (many characters whom you grow to admire and like don't survive)and heroic action. All in all, I'd rate this a first class thriller.

5 comments about Word of Honor.

1. The writer is very skillful in putting together his books. He follows a formula of writing about those thing with which he has some familiarity while always including the attractive or alluring female as part of the storyline. In this book, there is a strong story that does not need anu diversions. Benjamin Tyson was an officer for the military when he served our country in Vietnam. A recently published book about the war speaks about atrocities that were inflicted upon the Vietnamese by the Platoon under his direct command. The military does a full investigation and our protagonist finds himself being recalled to duty and facing a Court Martial.
   
   The characters in this novel lack depth and many ancillary peopl seem to drop in and out with a feeling that they are more like stick figures rather than living breathing people. The book is far too long and the story wanders along in a somewhat aimless manner until the Trial begins. Even here the story is not able to build the suspence that is expected and the entire segment is plodding and rather predictable. This is a good read, although it is not felt to be one of the witers better works.



2. If there is a better book I want to know about it. This is extremely well written from cover to cover. I have read several of his books and ejoyed them, but this is by far the best. It has made me an avid fan of his books.



3. The more I read of Nelson DeMille, the more impressed I become. This man is probably one of the most talented genre writers around, and he knows how to tell a great story.
   
   WORD OF HONOR is one of his earlier works, a serious novel about a Vietnam veteran who must face a trial over the actions of his platoon, which took place twenty years before. Under his command, the platoon allegedly murdered a large number of civilians in a hospital, in an incident similar to the My Lai massacre. The real mystery of the novel is what truly happened all those years before, and whether the protagonist's actions were in any way understandable or forgivable.
   
   This novel is very well done, but is quite long, and DeMille focuses far more time on the protagonist's private life than I would have preferred. There are also many conversations and situations in WORD OF HONOR that don't seem to advance the story. This novel probably would have benefitted from some major league editing, although I'm sure many readers would disagree. Once the trial begins, however, this novel is undeniably tense and exciting.
   
   Overall, this is a first-class effort, although I preferred THE GOLD COAST and THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER a bit more.



4. Word of Honor is a tantalizing human drama with an intriguing moral subplot. Benjamin Tyson is a successful corporate businessman who 17 years ago served as an officer in Vietnam. His platoon engaged in a horrific incident (think My-Lai); he swore to never speak of it again. But the issue has resurfaced and begins to tear down Tyson's life: family, reputation, sanity. Through it all, Tyson remains humerous and honorable while delaing with a collapsing world. This is a truly scintillating masterpiece, that took me through so many emotions--up and down, up and down.
   
   I'll have to wait for the reread to confirm it, but at the moment this is my all-time favorite novel. Ben Tyson is one of my favorite all-time protagonists: intelligent, comical, honorable, tough, caring. He is portrayed so well that the reader begins to truly feel his feelings (at least I did). The supporting characters are also fabulous. Don't be scared away because you're not for sure about the plot or the Vietnam War. This is about human drama; a must read.



5. An excellent read, you're a couple hundred pages in and fascinated but still not sure whether you like the protagonist or not, much less where justice could be found. I've read 30+ authors (hundreds of books Clancy and Brown to Griffith and Brown to Rankin and White to Connelly and Ludlum, to McCarry and McKinty and Pelecanos....), most of them their entire work, and never read DeMille. It is great to find a new (old) one who has been prolific. Other reviews will give a flavor of the book, my purpose here is to offer up some names which if you recognize and enjoy them as I have, may help you determine if my taste in books might be beneficial in your search.

5 comments about Mayday.

1. Be ready to take off from Page one. Very possibly his best novel. the excitement never quits. Authors' very subtle insights to human foibles and treachery are amazing. They didn't miss a thing in their analysis.



2. This is my first Nelson DeMille's book and for sure will not be the last one. Thomas Block cannot be forgotten as he added up the aviation details as he himself is a pilot. But, please friends do not read this book during an airplane trip!! It's a kind of novel you have to be relaxed in your favorite armchair or better, bed! The action is incessant and it could give a very nice disaster movie! Has any producer already thought about it?



3. This is one of the best airplane thrillers I've ever read, a book that I truly couldn't put down. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic thrill ride (although if you pick it for a transatlantic flight, thats up to you!)



4. This book is fabulous however I think Thomas H. Block should be given the credit as he wrote the book. Nelson DeMille only edited it and a job well done. It is certainly a must read for any one who likes this type of story. Just don't take it when you are planning to go on an airplane. As a former airline employee I was drawn into the story and never let out. It is fabulous.



5. I thought Mayday was a unique look at the nightmare of what would happen with a loss of pressurization at such a high altitude, creating basically a zombie world. This book is very suspenseful and exciting. I highly recommend it even though it is a bit different than Demille's other works.

5 comments about Night Fall.

1. This could have been a great book if it weren't for the last chapter. I really enjoyed the story, even if it was fiction based on fact. However, it appears that Nelson became extremely bored or rushed as he was trying to finish the book. That or he suffered from writer's block. To blame the fact that we will never know the truth about TWA 800 on the horrible events that happened on 09/11 is disrespectful and disappointing. I will NEVER pick up another DeMille book again.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Writing a gripping piece of fiction amid factual events can't be easy. The book is masterfully done.
   I'd like to defend the ending of the book against those who found the ending very disappointing. I was surprised by the ending & didn't see it coming until just before the event happened. Anyone who could have proven the missile theory of flight 800 is vaporized along with the evidence. The ending takes the reader out of the novel back into reality which smacks of cover-up & is the authors vision of why we'll never know the truth. The entire book revolves around this piece of evidence & by a twist of fate it's lost forever.
   If you don't look at the ending as a quick way to end a story and see the ending for what it was intended, you'll love the book



3. Basic to decent plot writing is to DO SOMETHING with the elements that are introduced. This book drags us through a slow slow slow introduction of elements, and does NOTHING with any of them. The story HAS NO ENDING. A shameful waste of the reader's time.



4. This book was so boring and drawn out. The first 300 pages were so repetitive that they could have been condensed to 75 pages....Hating not to finish any book I trudged on hoping.... but nothing. At page 400 I just couldn't waste anymore time with this book so I stopped and skipped to the last 50 pages. Sadly, I was able to pick up the story from there and then when I finally thought something was actually going to happen, Mr. DeMille used a national tragedy to end this horrible book leaving unanswered questions and dangling storylines...Having suffered lose in 9/11 I find his use of this event insensative and cheap. Mr. DeMille should be ashamed and it certainly does give hope to any amatuer writers because if he could get this published than anyone could.



5. In my opinion this was a very skillfully crafted story and the pages turned quickly. If you enjoy police procedurals and anything regarding the terrorist activity prior to 9/11 you will very likely enjoy this book. I found the main character's humor very entertaining and added a lot to the story. I found the premise of the plot to be very believable and that the investigation proceeded in a plausible manner. I do agree with some of the criticism that the end came sudden and a bit too easy, and I would have found it more palatable had the author not given credit to someone at the end of the work that gave him an easy way out of the problematic corner he had painted himself into with his plot. No matter. In the end, I found this to be a most enjoyable book and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a well told mystery.

No comments about Up Country.

5 comments about Plum Island.

1. Great read...I finished it in two days! As always DeMille writes a thriller that is action packed and doesn't leave you disappointed in the end! Wild Fire is my all time favorite of his, then Nightfall this is 3rd. It's a great read and well worth the time.



2. Nelson DeMille is one of my favorite authors. I know that if I'm going to pick up one of his books, I'm going to be sitting there for awhile. His writing is just that good that it will keep you there no matter what you're supposed to be doing.
   
   Luckily for me, we aren't supposed to be doing anything, so I can sit here for a long time...As I usually am with one of his books.
   
   Plum Island is the first in a series of books with the main character John Corey. You either love him or hate him, sometimes you do both in the same chapter.
   
   How can you go wrong when you have buried treasure, biological warfare, double homicides and steamy romance all on a tiny spit of land off Long Island. Reading Plum Island, I learned so much history without even knowing I was getting a lesson.
   
   The story is told by a cocky, New York City detective who was wounded in the line of duty, and is supposed to be taking the summer off to recover. Instead, John Corey is drafted to explore a couple of murders, and before you know it, he's so wrapped up in the case, there is no way out.
   
   Don't start reading this book unless you have a few days to sit and finish it. You wont be able to put it down!
   
   Pat Bonish [...]



3. I really enjoy reading Nelson DeMille, who is tremendously gifted in writing books that are both funny and highly suspenseful. PLUM ISLAND is a nice showcase for DeMille's talents.
   
   PLUM ISLAND is the first book to feature John Corey, a NYPD homicide detective who DeMille has written about in three subsequent novels. Corey is the ultimate wise-acre, a bit like David Addison from the old TV show MOONLIGHTING. If you like your dialogue funny and snappy and filled with sexual innuendo, this book will easily meet your requirements. But if you dislike smart alecks in general, you may find Corey a difficult main character to root for.
   
   The plot of PLUM ISLAND, involving biological warfare and pirate's treasure, is kind of absurd, but was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. As some other reviewers have commented, this book is written in a long-winded style, especially at the beginning. For example, DeMille spends over a hundred pages describing a lengthy tour of a biological research facility, when maybe thirty would have sufficed. Still, DeMille keeps things entertaining for the most part, although I think this book could have been at least a hundred pages shorter.
   
   Overall, PLUM ISLAND is a fun book, and DeMille is definitely a writer you should try if you like your thrillers with a heavy dose of humor. If you've never read DeMille before, I recommend either this book or THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER.



4. This book was recommended to me by a co-worker, who is coincidentally from New York. One of New York's finest, John Corey, is convalescing at his uncle's place on Long Island when his two neighbors (who are research biologists) are shot dead. Corey becomes involved when his friend Max offers him $1 to help with the case. The book is wordy but the dialogue is crisp and the twisty plot chugs along like a train. I would definitely seek out this author's other books.



5. This is a how-dunnit, rather than a who-dunnit.
   
   How does John Corey, a convalescing NYC homicide detective, get away with assaulting the head of security for Plum Island without getting arrested?
   How does he get away with breaking and entering, wholesale destruction of private property, including antiques, and grand theft of a Formula 303 speedboat?
   
   How does John Corey, whose sexist wisecracks fill every page, get the two female characters to fall for him?
   How does he have any friends at all, much less the loyal partner in NY who is looking out for his interests?
   
   Oddly enough, this is an engaging book. You may not like the smarmy lead, you may not like the fact that the one charming character is killed, but this is a scenic book. To me, it's all about the tip of Long Island, land of vinyards and potato fields, pirate lore and viral research. As a summer read, it works, but you won't mistake it for literature.

5 comments about The Lion's Game.

1. Asad Khalil's entire family was killed in the 1986 US air raid of Al Azziziyah, the military headquarters of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Now a fully trained and utterly ruthless Libyan terrorist nicknamed "The Lion", Khalil is on a personal jihad - vengeance and the assassination of the pilots who flew that deadly bombing mission so many years ago. De Mille's plot in "The Lion's Game" is simplicity itself - former NYPD Detective John Corey and his side kick, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, both on contract to the ATTF (the Anti-Terrorist Task Force) are led on a merry cross country chase tracking down Khalil as he leaves a grisly trail of death and destruction.
   
   Corey's fans who were first introduced to his somewhat off-beat style in "Plum Island", will be pleased to see that Corey remains unremittingly irascible and a package with no surprises - brash, vulgar, earthy, outrageously opinionated, self-righteous and arrogant, in your face, sarcastic to a fault and oversexed. Yet he can also be witty, humorous, kind, warm, loving and even self-effacing on the odd occasion. Mayfield, the obvious sexual and romantic interest in the book, gives as good as she gets and serves as a great foil to Corey's antics. The sparks fly as the relationship heats up but De Mille's writing never descends into soap opera or melodrama.
   
   Whether De Mille's efforts to get inside Khalil's head and psychologically probe the motivations of a determined Islamic terrorist is accurate is, of course, impossible to say. But one must give credit where credit is due. Written in 2000, "The Lion's Game" was an uncanny, almost eerie predictor of the catastrophic attack that took place at the World Trade Centre in New York a scant one year later. And the ending of the novel, which leaves us wondering about the future, is simply a reflection of reality in which the global war against terrorism is an ongoing story whose ending has likewise not yet been written.
   
   Four stars and two thumbs up! Highly recommended.
   
   Paul Weiss



2. This is a thrilling read....land the plane!!! What's Asad doing? Time to go to sleep, work tomorrow. What about taking a vacation day? I'll just read a few more pages. A feeling takes over ...must know his next move. Open the plane doors... expectations, wide-eyed panoramas. One man's mind set, true belief in what he is....determined, resolved...no regrets. Feel your knowledge grow of other places, another's culture, another's beliefs as you follow Asad as he wrecks his personal war on a country long languishing in peaceful content....thought of as untouchable, Asad has arrived....he is "the fire this time"
   
   BRAVO....what a read...



3. My first DeMille book and it will not be the last. This book sat on my shelf for about 2 years. I was hesitant to start a book with over 900 pages. At last, thinking I would be reading the same book all summer I picked it up. Two weeks later I was done. Suspense all through. Don't miss it.



4. If not for the excellent story, I would have gone with 3 stars. The novel starts off very well with a good suspense drama playing out. The book ends very well. The story is an excellent thriller, which is very well written at the beginning & end. At over 920 pages, I wasn't crazy about the middle. The middle story is a bit long in the tooth with the hero's dialogue. Broken into alternating chapters of heroes & the villain, I found myself rapt with the villain's chapters & only scanning through the drawn out monotony of John Corey & Kate Mayfield. Corey's wise guy sense of humor also grows old. It's a bit much & over the top. The character becomes wearisome. If you can make it through the middle story of this novel, by all means read it. The story itself is excellent. Corey, unfortunately is another matter



5. This book, The Lion's Game, falls under the same category as most of Stephen King's work - not serious literature but enjoyable stuff, a so-called "page-turner". The thing was huge, almost 1,000 pages, but it was quick read. It was a suspenseful tale about a Libyan terrorist coming to the United States for pay back to the Libyan air raid in 1986. It was published before September 11th, 2001; I'm not certain how well novels about terrorists would sell today, since it has become clear it's more than just a fun read. The ending, I'll say, is disappointing.

1 comments about The Nelson DeMille Collection.

1. Despite the cold war being over, the possibility of a school that trains spys is still real.
   Highly recommend this book, one of DeMille's best.
   This story is so plausible it will keep you awake at night.
   Shiver.

5 comments about Gold Coast (Price-Less Audio).

1. Tarnished Gold Coast
   Although a little long in the tooth, Nelson DeMille's The Gold Coast still pack a wallop. I read the original many, many years ago, but with a sequel due out this year, and a soon to be made movie in production, I decided to revisit the Gold Coast of Long Island and that irascible character John Sutter of Stanhope Hall. I'm Glad I did. The story is a fresh today as it was in 1990, and just as interesting. The sardonic yet funny wit of the main character, John Sutter, makes for an enjoyable read as he is drawn into a web of mid-life crisis, aristocratic tiredness, and entertaining Mafia intrigue with his next door estate neighbor don Frank Bellarosa. Throughout it all, John Sutter keeps his wits about himself and escapes to what he hopes will be a better and more fulfilling life.
   The tale opens with John meeting don Bellarosa at a local nursery. From there the reader is introduced to John's interesting yet strange wife Susan. The marriage is one of both passion and ambivalence as both partners seek more than just sex. Eventually, unbeknownst to John, he is drawn into don Bellarosa's web of underworld dealings. This will eventually doom both John's marriage and aristocratic standing, but allow him to escape into a new and hopefully more meaningful life. Mr. DeMille is indeed an outstanding writer. His ability to both entertain and inform is exemplified in The Gold Coast. By the time I finished the novel, I felt I knew and understood the Long Island Gold Coast aristocracy and the superficial workings of the New York Mafia.
   Excellent character development. The follow on sequel will be very interesting to see how Mr. DeMille continues to develop the John Sutter character. The Mafia character, don Bellarosa, was very interesting and informative concerning Mafia activities. John Sutter's wife, Susan, was an interesting study in aristocratic upbringing and behavior. All in all good solid characters all around.
   No gratuities sex or language. Some violence but pertinent to the story.
   Recommendation: Must Read. Overall outstanding with saga type quality. Looking forward to the sequel.



2. One of the most amazing books I've ever had the pleasure to read. I love the characters DeMille creates, the way they interact with each other. One would never think of putting these characters together in a story and yet still have it exciting and incredibly entertaining. I laughed till I almost cried in parts of the story and the ending... Well it was not what I expected, but then I've learned never, ever to expect anything that isn't unusual, yet perfect, in any DeMille novel.
   
   I highly recommend this novel, along with all other DeMille novels. He's right at the top of my favorite authors list now.



3. THE GOLD COAST is a pretty remarkable book in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to author Demille's brilliant insights into WASP culture on Long Island. DeMille is simply a genius when it comes to humorous dialogue and description, and I found the prose in this novel to be a real treat to read. If you enjoy comic novels in the spirit of Tom Wolfe, you should definitely give this one a try.
   
   THE GOLD COAST is not a thriller, and DeMille does takes his time in setting up the story. The action doesn't really begin until after the first two hundred pages or so. If you read this expecting something like THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, you may be disappointed. But if you appreciate DeMille's sense of humor like I do, you will most likely be delighted by this book's richness.
   
   What prevents this book from perfection is the rather outlandish plot, which involves a straight-arrow WASP becoming a lawyer for a mafia don. At some point in THE GOLD COAST, I just stopped believing in the storyline. I enjoyed reading the prose up to the very end, but I didn't find the lead characters' behavior or actions particularly credible.
   Admittedly, this is a comic novel, so that's a forgivable sin. Still, I think this book would have been even better if DeMille had allowed his story to unfold in a more believable fashion.
   
   Overall, this is a fine work by DeMille, but don't read it expecting a fast-paced thrill ride.



4. Just another stellar contribution from the king of grand slam authors - Nelson DeMille is in his prime in this great novel about "the mob." Intense, thrilling and a masterpiece of writing.



5. Nelson DeMille's The Gold Coast is my favorite DeMille book. John Sutter is a local lawyer with a somewhat kooky wife from old money. In walks a mobster who buys the mansion next door even as Sutter's wife's family can't afford the upkeep on their old pile of stone.
   
   The narrative pits Sutter more against himself than the mobster as the two spar over odd issues as well as Sutter's wife. But Sutter has pluck and finds his way through the morass of double dealing old money folk and crooked gangsters alike. These characters go beyond three dimensions, into at least four, and that's what makes this book worth your gold.

5 comments about Up Country.

1. Listening to this audio book compelled me to write a review. Overall an awesome story and audio book -- I highly recommend it. This despite the lead character who has to be the most arrogant, conceited, self-centered, thoughtless, stupid and `socially blind' (I can't think of the words here) character I've ever seen in a story. `Paul' (his name) almost manages to completely ruin an otherwise breath taking story.
   
   He is a completely unbelievable and over the top character. The type that is a boy scout as far as `truth and justice' (this is okay) while at the same time, is the unstoppable force who does the most stupid things no matter what he is up against or, despite what the consequences will be to himself or other people. One inch away from himself and his girl friend being tortured then killed, he does everything in his power to enrage and spit in the face of his capturers and he does this every chance he can in ways that are so stupid and simply ridiculous that it makes you shake your head and roll your eyes. And of course, for reasons never made clear, he always gets away with it. It is definitely the same character from the Generals Daughter only this time, he's on steroids.
   
   What the author was thinking I can't imagine but what you're left with is the feeling that this character is the author's alter ego therefore making the author arrogant and conceited beyond belief (sorry Mr. DeMille but that's what comes across to us).
   
   Normally it would be good for a character to have this much impact -- good or bad -- on the reader but this isn't the way of it here IMHO. His stupidity and arrogance ruins an otherwise awesome story. If you could edit out the leading character, it would be a far better book.
   
   Also, the way the book ends makes no sense to us though this may be our fault for just not understanding it. I would have re-listened to the end but cringing at the stupidity of the main character prevents me. If anyone can tell us why they told their bosses that they had hidden the evidence instead of telling them the truth, please let us know. Telling the truth seemingly would have let them both off the hook as far as everything goes and, the truth is almost sure to come out anyway! Lieing the way they did only gets them in trouble and puts them in great danger. Make no sense to us anyway. I'd love to understand what the thinking was here.
   
   Also the book ends with all the loose ends... remaining loose ends and I never like that kind of cop out. Does he get the girl or return to his former squeeze? Does he or the Vietnam Secret Police go after the murderer placing themselves in mortal danger? And so on...
   
   Finally, the Nelson DeMille has many brilliant works and is one of my favorite authors. However, in this book, he has the opportunity to pull off some really cool knock-the-reader-for-a-loop situations in several places and, at least for myself, you can even feel them coming up on you...but no, zip, nothing but the flattest uninteresting thing happens. Well at least I thought so but, this kind of thing is probably not fair or even proper to bring up (perhaps the main character has rubbed off on me a little!).
   
   RW



2. Up Country is Nelson Demille's suspense thriller set in post-Vietnam. Full of exciting escapes and tense drama, Demille takes the reader on a dangerous adventure through a country teaming with ghosts from previous wars. Superbly researched. Brilliantly paced. A must read for DeMille fans.
   
   Donald Gallinger is the author of The Master Planets



3. As someone who is too young to know much about Vietnam from personal experience, this book provided me a great historical escape into Vietnam and the effect it had on the men who were there. It is a little slow in places, but it still provides a great story and great historic context. It also explains a great deal about what it is currently like in Vietnam. This is not a high octane action book, but it is very powerful and creates a great setting.



4. That's besides the pompous main character's use of racial slurs, which the Vietnamese by and large dismiss as the mouthing-offs of immature children. Name calling doesn't impress them much. What troubled me more about this book were the many errors in language, culture, customs, etc. that it made me wonder how an experienced author like Mr. DeMille failed to catch these in his research. He did not acknowledge any Vietnamese person at the end, so I would have to deduce that no Vietnamese person was consulted for a book that was 90% about everything Vietnam and Vietnamese. So you can learn from this mistake, Mr. DeMille, let me point out a few of the errors you made.
   
   1. Ethnographical error: There are NO Montagnards in northern Vietnam. Montagnards are a generic grouping of a few dozen ethnic groups living exclusively in the Central Highlands of southern Vietnam.
   
   2. Linguistic error: "Biet" means "to know," but the author seems to think that it means "to understand" (the word for which is "hieu"). "Biet" is misused not only by the non-Vietnamese speaking main character, but also by the "native" Vietnamese characters in the book.
   
   3. Cultural error: Vietnamese women are properly respected in Vietnamese culture. They are not ignored when men talk (what?). They do not walk on their knees with bowed heads to bring tea to their husbands (ridiculous!). I'm surprised Mr. DeMille missed the patriarchal/matriarchal balance of Vietnamese culture, despite having spent time there both as a combat soldier and when researching for this book. Read about the Trung Queens and Lady Trieu Au, Mr. DeMille, and you'll understand what I mean. Vietnamese culture is not at all like the more strictly patriarchal cultures in the Sinosphere.
   
   4. Personal name error: There is no Vietnamese name spelled "Lee." The nearest sounding equivalents are "Ly" and "Le."
   
   5. Locality description error: Hoi An is NOT a Chinese town. It was once a Cham port, which attracted settlers from all over Asia, including different groups of Chinese, but also Japanese, Indians, Malays, and the majority Vietnamese.
   
   6. Historical error: The Citadel of Quang Tri was built in 1824 during the reign of the famously Francosceptic Emperor Minh Mang. It was NOT built by the French, who didn't successfully occupy the city for another 4+ decades.
   
   And on and on it goes. Next time, just have someone who understands the subject culture edit your manuscript first, Mr. DeMille. Yes?



5. Retired CID Officer Paul Brenner is called by his superior to return to Vietnam to find a North Vietnamese solder who witnessed an American Captain murdering an American Lieutenant in 1968. Brenner knows that there has to be more to the situation (and there is) but he takes on the challenge and returns to Communist Vietnam. His task is daunting but he receives help from the beautiful and mysterious expat Susan Weber.
   
   Now the beginning and ending of the book focus on this issue while the middle strays more into the realm of Brenner's past tours of duty in Vietnam (in 1968 and 1972), the history of the war, and culture and geography of Vietnam. The last few hundred pages are great. I liked most of the middle although I could see others getting bored (if you aren't into the history and culture of Vietnam). I did get a little bored with the narrative when Paul and Susan were finishing their travels around central Vietnam. The other part of the book that was somewhat disappointing was the ambiguous ending.
   
   I think Up Country is a more heartfelt and thought-provoking novel than its predecessor The General's Daughter. It raises complex issues of law and order, justice and duty during war. In this way, its similar to DeMille's earlier classic work Word of Honor. It was interesting to compare and think about the issues and situations presented in both. But for me, Up Country didn't reach my three favorite DeMille novels (Word of Honor, Lion's Game, Gold Coast).