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The technological starting point for Timeline is the emerging science of quantum mechanics, a field of study so abstruse, so "nonintuitive" that, in Richard Feynman’s words, "nobody understands [it]." Crichton, of course, has never been one to allow complex technologies intimidate him, and quantum theory provides him with the speculative basis for Timeline's central conceit: That we live, not in a finite universe, but in a "multiverse" composed of an infinite, constantly expanding series of parallel universes in which all past moments continue to exist. Crichton then posits an imaginary technology that uses quantum computers that are literally capable of "faxing" human beings to selected target areas of the multiverse. The result is a kind of de facto time travel, a phenomenon around which Crichton constructs an exciting -- and ingenious -- story.
In the opening pages, Crichton introduces us to two of Timeline’s primary players. One is Edward Johnston, historian, Yale professor, and leader of a team that is exploring a medieval ruin known as Castelgard, a French fortress town that was burned to the ground during the Hundred Years War between England and France. The other player is Robert Doniger, petulant genius and CEO of a high-tech research firm called ITC. ITC is the silent, unacknowledged leader in the field of quantum mechanics. For hidden reasons of its own, it also provides the funding for a number of historical research efforts, one of which is the Castelgard project.
Trouble begins when Johnston becomes privy to Robert Doniger's most closely held secret: the quantum transmitter. At Doniger's invitation, Johnson makes use of the transmitter, which allows him to travel to 14th-century France, and to experience the world of medieval Europe firsthand. When Johnston, for unknown reasons, fails to return, Doniger persuades three of his graduate assistants -- an architect, a medievalist, and a scientific historian -- to travel back in time, locate the professor, and bring him safely home. Nothing, of course, comes off according to plan.
Within minutes of their arrival at Castelgard, the students -- who are accompanied by "professional" field guides -- are attacked, separated, and very nearly killed. Their dramatic arrival marks the opening movement of an energetic, furiously paced melodrama. Having rigorously established the novel's technological premises, Crichton the scientist now gives way to Crichton the storyteller, and he subjects his characters to a relentless series of battles, betrayals, cliff-hanger conclusions, and hairbreadth escapes. Faced with a mission that must be completed within 37 hours (after which their escape route back to the present is effectively closed), the three time travelers struggle to survive within the harsh realities of a culture that is both familiar and strange, while crises accumulate at both ends of the timeline, and the quantum clock ticks steadily down to zero.
It's all hugely enjoyable and should have Crichton's many readers beating a path to their local bookstores. As is usually the case with Crichton’s fiction, half the fun comes from the sheer range of the author's knowledge, and from the ease with which that knowledge is integrated into the story. During the course of Timeline, we are treated to quick, authoritative discussions on a host of subjects, including: the history and theory of quantum mechanics, the politics of the Hundred Years War, the science of graphology, the economics of the feudal system, the evolution of gunpowder, the proper techniques for riding, climbing, and jousting, and the medieval origins of tennis. Education should always be this painless.
All in all, Timeline strikes me as Crichton’s most effective novel since Rising Sun. Despite the complexity of its scientific underpinnings, it is essentially a story of action and adventure, and it wears its learning lightly. Like the best of Crichton’s earlier fiction, Timeline is intelligent, informative, and a great deal of fun. It is also, if you'll pardon the expression, a quantum leap above most bestselling fiction, and is one of the more substantial entertainments you are likely to encounter in these waning weeks of the millennium.
—Bill Sheehan
Ironically, for someone who is credited with selling over 150 million books, Crichton initially avoided writing because he didn't think he would make a living at it. So he turned to medical school instead, graduating with an M.D. from Harvard in 1969. The budding doctor had already written one award-winning novel pseudonymically (1968's A Case of Need) to help pay the bills through school; but when The Andromeda Strain came out in the same year of his med school graduation, Crichton's new career path became obvious.
The Andromeda Strain brilliantly and convincingly sets out an American scientific crisis in the form of a deadly epidemic. Its tone -- both critical of and sympathetic toward the scientific community -- set a precedent for Crichton works to come. A 1970 nonfiction work, Five Patients offers the same tone in a very different form, that being an inside look at a hospital.
Crichton's works were inspired by a remarkably curious mind. His plots often explored scientific issues -- but not always. Some of his most compelling thrillers were set against the backdrop of global trade relations (Rising Sun), corporate treachery (Disclosure) and good old-fashioned Victorian-era theft (The Great Train Robbery). The author never shied away from challenging topics, but it's obvious from his phenomenal sales that he never waxed pedantic. Writing about Prey, Crichton's cautionary tale of nanotech gone awry, The New York Times Book Review put it this way: "You're entertained on one level and you learn something on another."
On the page, Crichton's storytelling was eerily nonfictional in style. His journalistic, almost professorial, and usually third-person narration lent an air of credibility to his often disturbing tales -- in The Andromeda Strain, he went so far as to provide a fake bibliography. Along the way, he revelled in flouting basic, often subconscious assumptions: Dinosaurs are long-gone; women are workplace victims, not predators; computers are, by and large, predictable machines.
The dazzling diversity of Crichton's interests and talents became ever more evident as the years progressed. In addition to penning bestselling novels, he wrote screenplays and a travel memoir, directed several movies, created Academy Award-winning movie production software, and testified before Congress about the science of global warming -- this last as a result of his controversial 2004 eco-thriller State of Fear, a novel that reflected Crichton's own skepticism about the true nature of climate change. His views on the subject were severely criticized by leading environmentalists.
On November 4, 2008, Michael Crichton died, following a long battle against cancer. Beloved by millions of readers, his techno-thrillers and science-inflected cautionary tales remain perennial bestsellers and have spawned a literary genre all its own.
"I'm very interested in 20th-century American art."
"I have always been interested in movies and television as well as books. I see all these as media for storytelling, and I don't discriminate among them. At some periods of my life I preferred to work on movies, and at others I preferred books."
"In the early 1990s, interviewers began calling me ‘the father of the techno-thriller.' Nobody ever had before. Finally I began asking the interviewers, ‘Why do you call me that?' They said, ‘Because Tom Clancy says you are the father of the techno-thriller.' So I called Tom up and said, ‘Listen, thank you, but I'm not the father of the techno-thriller.' He said, ‘Yes you are.' I said, ‘No, I'm not, before me there were thrillers like Failsafe and Seven Days in May and The Manchurian Candidate that were techno-thrillers.' He said, ‘No, those are all political. You're the father of the techno-thriller.' And there it ended."
"My favorite recreation is to hike in the wilderness. I am fond of Hawaii."
"I used to scuba dive a lot, but haven't lately. For a time I liked to photograph sharks but like anything else, the thrill wears off. Earlier in my life I took serious risks, but I stopped when I became a parent."
"I taught myself to cook by following Indian and Szechuan recipes. They each have about 20 ingredients. I used to grind my own spices, I was really into it. Now I don't have much time to cook anymore. When I do, I cook Italian food."
"I read almost exclusively nonfiction. Most times I am researching some topic, which may or may not lead to a book. So my reading is pretty focused, although the focus can shift quickly."
"I have always been interested in whatever is missing or excluded from conventional thought. As a result I am drawn to writers who are out of fashion, bypassed, irritating, difficult, or excessive. I also like the disreputable works of famous writers. Thus I end up reading and liking Paul Feyerabend (Against Method), G. K. Chesterton (Orthodoxy, What's Wrong with the World), John Stuart Mill, Hemingway (Garden of Eden), Nietzsche, Machiavelli, Alain Finkielkraut (Defeat of the Mind), Anton Ehrenzweig (Hidden Order of Art), Arthur Koestler (Midwife Toad, Beyond Reductionism), Ian McHarg (Design with Nature), Marguerite Duras, Jung, late James M. Cain (Serenade), Paul Campos.
"Because I get up so early to work, I tend to go to bed early, around 10 or 11. So I don't go out much. I suppose I am borderline reclusive. I don't care."
They had arranged to have dinner in the old town square of Domme, a village on top of a cliff a few miles from their site. By nightfall, Chris, grumpy all day, had recovered from his bad mood and was looking forward to dinner. He wondered if Marek had heard from the Professor, and if not, what they were going to do about it. He had a sense of expectancy.
His good mood vanished when he arrived to find the stockbroker couples again, sitting at their table. Apparently they'd been invited for a second night. Chris was about to turn around and leave, but Kate got up and quickly put her arm around his waist, and steered him toward the table.
"I'd rather not," he said in a low voice. "I can't stand these people." But then she gave him a little hug, and eased him into a chair. He saw that the stockbrokers must be buying the wine tonight -- Château Lafite-Rothschild '95, easily two thousand francs a bottle.
And he thought, What the hell.
"Well, this is a charming town," one of the women was saying. "We went and saw the walls around the outside. They go on for quite a distance. High, too. And that very pretty gate coming into town, you know, with the two round towers on either side."
Kate nodded. "It's sort of ironic," she said, "that a lot of the villages that we find so charming now were actually the shopping malls of the fourteenth century."
"Shopping malls? How do you mean?" the woman asked.
At that moment, Marek's radio, clipped to his belt, crackled with static.
"André? Are you there?"
It was Elsie. She never came to dinner with the others, but worked late on her cataloging. Marek held up the radio. "Yes, Elsie."
"I just found something very weird, here."
"Yes…”
"Would you ask David to come over? I need his help testing. But I'm telling you guys -- if this is a joke, I don't appreciate it."
With a click, the radio went dead.
"Elsie?"
No answer.
Marek looked around the table. "Anybody play a joke on her?"
They all shook their heads no.
Chris Hughes said, "Maybe she's cracking up. It wouldn't surprise me, all those hours staring at parchment."
"I'll see what she wants," David Stern said, getting up from the table. He headed off into the darkness.
Chris thought of going with him, but Kate looked at him quickly, and gave him a smile. So he eased back in his seat and reached for his wine.
"You were saying -- these towns were like shopping malls?"
"A lot of them were, yes," Kate Erickson said. "These towns were speculative ventures to make money for land developers. Just like shopping malls today. And like malls, they were all built on a similar pattern."
She turned in her chair and pointed to the Domme town square behind them. "See the covered wooden market in the center of the town square? You'll find similar covered markets in lots of towns around here. It means the town is a bastide, a new, fortified village. Nearly a thousand bastide towns were built in France during the fourteenth century. Some of them were built to hold territory. But many of them were built simply to make money."
That got the attention of the stock pickers.
One of the men looked up sharply and said, "Wait a minute. How does building a village make anybody money?"
Kate smiled. "Fourteenth-century economics," she said. "It worked like this. Let's say you're a nobleman who owns a lot of land. Fourteenth-century France is mostly forest, which means that your land is mostly forest, inhabited by wolves. Maybe you have a few farmers here and there who pay you some measly rents. But that's no way to get rich. And because you're a nobleman, you're always desperately in need of money, to fight wars and to entertain in the lavish style that's expected of you.
"So what can you do to increase the income from your lands? You build a new town. You attract people to live in your new town by offering them special tax breaks, special liberties spelled out in the town charter. Basically, you free the townspeople from feudal obligations."
"Why do you give them these breaks?" one of the men said.
"Because pretty soon you'll have merchants and markets in the town, and the taxes and fees generate much more money for you. You charge for everything. For the use of the road to come to the town. For the right to enter the town walls. For the right to set up a stall in the market. For the cost of soldiers to keep order. For providing moneylenders to the market."
"Not bad," one of the men said.
"Not bad at all. And in addition, you take a percentage of everything that's sold in the market."
"Really? What percentage?"
"It depended on the place, and the particular merchandise. In general, one to five percent. So the market is really the reason for the town. You can see it clearly, in the way the town is laid out. Look at the church over there," she said, pointing off to the side. "In earlier centuries, the church was the center of the town. People went to Mass at least once a day. All life revolved around the church. But here in Domme, the church is off to one side. The market is now the center of town."
"So all the money comes from the market?"
"Not entirely, because the fortified town offers protection for the area, which means farmers will clear the nearby land and start new farms. So you increase your farming rents, as well. All in all, a new town was a reliable investment. Which is why so many of these towns were built."
"Is that the only reason the towns were built?"
"No, many were built for military considerations as -- "
Marek's radio crackled. It was Elsie again. "André?"
"Yes," Marek said.
"You better get over here right away. Because I don't know how to handle this."
"Why? What is it?"
"Just come. Now."
The generator chugged loudly, and the farmhouse seemed brilliantly lit in the dark field, under a sky of stars.
They all crowded into the farmhouse. Elsie was sitting at her desk in the center, staring at them. Her eyes seemed distant.
"Elsie?"
"It's impossible," she said.
"What's impossible? What happened here?"
Marek looked over at David Stern, but he was still working at some analysis in the corner of the room.
Elsie sighed. "I don't know, I don't know. . . ."
"Well," Marek said, "start at the beginning."
"Okay," she said. "The beginning." She stood up and crossed the room, where she pointed to a stack of parchments resting on a piece of plastic tarp on the floor. "This is the beginning. The document bundle I designated M-031, dug up from the monastery earlier today. David asked me to do it as soon as possible."
Nobody said anything. They just watched her.
"Okay," she said. "I've been going through the bundle. This is how I do it. I take about ten parchments at a time and bring them over here to my desk." She brought ten over. "Now, I sit down at the desk, and I go through them, one by one. Then, after I've summarized the contents of one sheet, and entered the summary into the computer, I take the sheet to be photographed, over here." She went to the next table, slipped a parchment under the camera.
Marek said, "We're familiar with -- "
"No, you're not," she said sharply. "You're not familiar at all." Elsie went back to her table, took the next parchment off the stack. "Okay. So I go through them one by one. This particular stack consists of all kinds of documents: bills, copies of letters, replies to orders from the bishop, records of crop yields, lists of monastery assets. All dating from about the year 1357."
She took the parchments from the stack, one after the other.
"And then" -- she removed the last one -- "I see this."
They stared.
Nobody said anything.
The parchment was identical in size to the others in the stack, but instead of dense writing in Latin or Old French, this one had only two words, scrawled in plain English:
HELP ME 4/7/1357
"In case you're wondering," she said, "that's the Professor's handwriting."
Excerpted from Timeline by Michael Crichton. Copyright 1999 by Michael
Crichton. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House,
Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or
reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Anonymous
Posted April 26, 2009
The book Timeline by Michael Crichton is an extremely captivating book. The characters in the book are architects digging up a fourteenth century castle sponsored by the science lab. Little do they know the science lab has created a way to travel back in time, until one of the professors goes back in time, disobeying the scientists and doesn't come back to the present time. The scientists call upon a small group of the architects to go back in time and retrieve him, but they only have thirty seven hours. What they thought would be a quick and easy trip turns into a lot more than just that once they get there. They quickly become wanted dead by everyone, which is not a very good thing during a time of war and havoc where no one can be trusted. Follow them on their many near death experiences on their quest to find their friend and escape to a secluded place to go back home before time runs out. Will they all make it back alive? I found this book extremely difficult to put down, being that the characters run into one near death experience after another, escaping being captured. The author does a wonderful job of writing form each characters point of view, which gives you a very good insight on what is happening in the book. Timeline is a must read.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.If you have seen the movie "Timeline" and enjoyed it, then you will love this book. It is definetly one of the best books that I have ever read. I could not put this book down the whole time that I read it. The story is about a group of scientists that go back to the fourteenth century to save their professor. All you have to do is pick this book up and read the first page and you will be sucked in!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 1, 2008
Timeline, written by Michael Crichton, not only sends readers on an adventure that involves multiple time periods and settings, but also makes readers feel as if they are developing an understanding for the complicated, far-fetched science that is present throughout the novel. The story is an enjoyable escape from reality during the action scenes that keep readers on the edge of their seats and also requires a great deal of scientific reasoning. This combination of exhilaration and intellect kept me hooked from their first journey through time.
The shift between the 21st century at a technology corporation¿s headquarters and 15th century France forces the reader to be attentive at all times. I found myself in a constant mental dispute over which time period was being described. Though confusing at times, I enjoyed the slight uncertainty because the answers were portrayed through a large amount of dialogue rather than simply pages of boring narration or description. The different settings also provide a way to bring different elements of literature to life. While medieval France is extremely volatile and chaotic, the headquarters of International Technology Corporation stress a seriousness of purpose and a high level of intelligence. Using both of these time periods, Michael Crichton is able to tell a story simultaneously involving suspense, thrill, and deep thought.
The constant description of quantum mechanics and its propinquity to time travel is what interested me most about this novel. Crichton uses dialogue concerning this concept in a way that makes it sound legitimate and feasible. The man responsible for this innovation and many others at ITC, Robert Doniger, is the most intriguing character in the book. Crichton portrays this character as a genius, unethical, affluent jerk. His motivational speeches to employees and rebuttals to criticism show the magnitude of his intelligence and the flare of his character. His conversations about quantum mechanics, though covered with profanity and vulgarities, will have readers believing they are more intelligent than they actually are.
I would highly recommend experiencing all that comes with reading Timeline. It is one of the very few books that I have had a tough time putting down. For those who find difficulty in reading for the sheer beauty of literature, with whom I am able to sympathize, the novel is kept interesting through the use of profanity, occasional humor, and a particularly descriptive, sexually suggestive scene. If that is not enough and nothing else is gained from reading this novel, the reader will be able impress his or her friends by touching on quantum mechanics in a conversation and acting like they know what they are talking about.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.freedombill
Posted February 22, 2010
If you can get past the first 50 pages then your off to a great adventure. A book you just can't put down. Loved the ending.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.summer6195
Posted March 21, 2010
Timeline by Michael Crichton is an breath taking book. It is set in modern time period, but takes you on the journey to 14th century. The novel focuses on four archeologist who takes this journey back to 14th century. In the novel that say that time travel is not possible because the past isn't a location. But a company named ITC has developed a technology which is a form of a space travel. ITC uses Quantum technology to manipulate an orthogonal multiverse coordinate change. This technology works like a 3D fax machine which can literally fax a 3d object even human form one place to another, form one time to another. This technology give chance to this archeologist not only to study the past but enter it. The twist in story begins when the professor breaks the rules set by ITC company and gets lost in 14th century. Now it is up to his students to save him. But a little do they new the dangers of this time period. War is everywhere, women and children and beheaded and no one even cares. Due to miscommunication between the company back home and this four archeologist in 14th century things get worse. But by the end everyone is back home safe except one. The book is excellently paced and easily understood every the hardest concept of multiverse and space travel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 9, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Timeline by Michael Crichton, is an amazing book. Set in modern time, Michael links the past closely to the present. Though many novels have attempted to describe and present time travel in original way, none have done it like this. Timeline is centered on four historians working on a reconstruction of sites from the 14th century. The whole project is sponsored by ITC; the head of this corporation is Robert Doniger. Miscommunication arises between the two parties, and Professor Johnston, the main organizer of the project within the group of historians. He's there at ITC headquarters longer than expected and the historians start to worry. Continuing on the project they come across evidence of the Professor's presence there. Not long after they get a call from ITC to come over to headquarters. Curiosity overwhelms the three historians as the go to ITC. They learn that ITC has been keeping secrets from the public. That they had only thirty seven hours to save the professor and that there was a distinct possibility that they all could die.
Through the book, the immense research and preparation that Crichton put into creating this novel is evident. He portrays the book through many characters point of views. This not only makes the characters more realistic, but it also gives more insight into the plot and how it relates to other events. Time after time the novel leaves readers breathless, hoping for the good to succeed, and secretly knowing that success is slim. They wish differently, but know that historical events won't change and that evil might prevail. Yet they can't help but hope differently, because of being able to connect to the characters. From beginning to end the book is an outstanding read and worth the time of the reader.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DADB
Posted September 8, 2009
This is a quick read. It was exciting and like watching movie.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Timeline by Michael Crichton (Book Review)
This book was published in paperback by Arrow in 2006. It is a science fiction thriller that has since been made into a movie. It is fast paced and full of danger, a gripping read. Doniger, Head of ITC plans a theme park with artefacts from the past for profit and he wants to revive it via his time machine. In 1999 his chief historian the professor has got in trouble in fourteenth century France and the young historians need to go back in time to save him. They are unaware of the dangers of the 14 th century France and they only have 37 hours to save him. They get split up but find their way home. It is an old fashioned adventure. Crichton has done alot of research for this book and it shows. He combines science of the future with historical past. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 17, 2009
This was an extremely fascinating read. Perfect for anyone who's interested in European history. Crichton makes everything seem so realistic, combining the present with the past. From the time machines to the Black Plague, Timeline is sure to have the reader turning the pages faster and faster after they really get into it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 12, 2009
Timeline is a book about a few scientists who get trapped back in the Middle Ages. The main characters are Marek, Chris, Kate, and the Professor. I liked the characters because they all had their own mood and role in the story. The author created an interesting and action filled story line that was able to make the characters real and believable in the plot. This book had the perfect amount of historic details and action elements. I especially liked it when the author went back from the Middle Ages to present time so I could understand what everyone else was doing to help the main characters get back to their homes. I also liked how the author adds suspense and mystery by placing an evil character from present time in the Middle Ages to try to stop the main characters from returning home. Michael Crichton did a great job in creating this exciting story and I would rate this book a nine out of ten.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Another attempt for Michael Crichton to cash-in on his name. A disappointing sci-fi tale from an author who has long since run out of ideas.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2012
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2011
Great book, could not put it down.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 11, 2011
Saw the movie loved the book
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really loved the idea of this book and it started off very well. Don't see the movie, the book is way better. I don't want to give away the ending but I really thought he did an excellent job and of course he is an excellent writer.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Dillinger1
Posted December 6, 2011
Timeline is a great book that not only is a good history novel, but it combines history with intriguing science-fiction. Though I must say I wish there was a little less of the science included because the historical parts of the novel are quite captivating. The book takes place in the middle of the Hundred Years War. Well, half of it does. I love how the author first creates the setting of France and England by illustrating a research site of their medieval ruins. Then some of the characters travel back to that very place in time. The fact that they travel back to such a dangerous time with so many threats, including the war, makes the novel suspenseful and exciting. Michael Crichton did a spectacular job at creating an intriguing, historic book. As I found on another web page, Crichton said his goal was to write a time-travel story because he thought it would be a good way to write about history. Then, he determined the rest of the setting and plot of Timeline from there. Though I like history, it surely is not my best forte, so I am not a likely candidate to go read a historic novel in my free time. I must admit that I am happy I read Timeline. It is truly interesting and entertaining. Crichton surely succeeded at writing a good time-travel story. His several conflicts and twists on the plot increase the suspense throughout the book. The suspense makes the book that much more hooking and exciting. Overall, kudos to Crichton for making a book historically accurate and a great, exciting read.
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Posted December 4, 2011
Faaaaaaaaaaaaat! Fat! Fat! FAT FAT FAT THIS IS SO AWESOME OH MYNFAT HEAD! Yeaha,
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 28, 2011
Time Line by Michael Chrichton explores the ideas of time travel mixed with the middle ages. Unlike many novels, Chrichton actually shows an accurate historical representation of the time period. I would reccomend this book, because it is actually entertaining to read and does not destroy and ignore historical facts along with its pursuit of theatrics and drama. He displays any drama that occurs with historical context in mind. The middle ages were more barbaric than chivalrous and Chrichton represents it as so. Michael Chrichton does an excellent job representing historical facts. Michael Chrichton also does an excellent job of combining sciences and explaining them in a way that makes sense. He does this without confusing the reader and making it seem over complicated in a way the reader can actually understand. Time travel was an excellent topic for Chrichton to right about and the way it is displayed is new and refreshing. The author does an excellent job representing the sceinces along with historical content.
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Posted November 23, 2011
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0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MMPB/Science Fiction: Like Jurassic Park, this book is about a multimillionaire that has too much money so he discovers a way to move people back in time. This is a really fun book and a real page turner. The characters are very likable. Unlike the last book I read that the characters could find each other too easily, in this one, every step was a chore for them. There are no dinosaurs, just soldiers and the soldiers are everywhere. The book is very violent and the first murder did surprise me. After that, you had a feeling that any of the main characters could get axed at any moment. There are two things that were brought up in the book that really bugged me because they were not answered: the red fingers and the balloons? At first I did not like the ending, but after I read the epilogue, it was very satisfying. I bought the DVD and we will see how much it ruins a really good book.
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Overview
In an Arizona desert a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site. Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon find themselves fighting for their very ...