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I've been out of the Best Seller's market for awhile, so I didn't know who Erik Larson was, or that his book was a NYT's best seller. Nor did I know anything about the book itself.
I am not an employee of Crown Books (the publisher) nor am I associated with them or Erik Larson (the author) in anyway; I've received no compensation for this review. In addition I purchased the book at my own expense.
And I'm glad I did. One of the best books I've read since reading Michener or King or L'Amour.
Why did I buy it? I liked the cover art.
Of course I'm a history nut and this is historical fiction at its best. Can't say anything about the book because it would foil the ending for some of you.
I am going to approach this review in a clinical way, using my own focus factors for rating it; I'll using five ratings to convey my opinion: very high, high, ho-hum, low, very low.
REVIEW
Personal/Moral Offense factor: very low
Worldview/Agenda factor: low
Readability factor: high
Attention/Interest factor: very high
Fog/Confusion factor: very low
Historical factor (if applicable): very high
Educational factor (if applicable): high
Novelty factor: high
Finish factor: high
Overall Rating: On a scale of one to ten - an eleven; if you're not a history fan you may not see it my way ... but, then, I don't really care!
FACTOR KEY
Personal/Moral Offense: did the author include material I found personally or morally offensive?
Worldview/Agenda: did the author use his tome to push an agenda or personal worldview?
Readability: how did the text flow; did I have to stop and go back little or lots?
Attention/Interest: Was I grabbed early on and held there to the end?
Fog/Confusion: did the author write more than needed? was his style or plot line confusing? did I feel uncertain about where the author was going at any time?
Historical: Since I read lots of historical stuff, were there a lots of historical goodies for me to munch on as I read? (Note: full coarse meals earn "very high" ratings)
Educational: did I learn anything I did not already know or had forgotten?
Novelty: did the author present novel approaches in his plot and people?
Finish: did the author leave me hanging? did I feel cheated after sacrificing my valuable time to read his stupid book? In other words, did he finish his effort in a valiant way?
Overall Rating: the author's final grade; a one is an "F", a five is a "C", and a ten is an "A."
Read more reviews on this book.
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