Rating: 
Summary: Well Planned Crime + Historical Perspective=Great Novel
Review: When man first descended from the trees and walked upright, his average speed was 4 miles an hour. In 1800, a man on a horse could travel 10 miles an hour. Then, between 1815 and 1850, the steam engine and the train catapulted the average speed to 40 miles an hour, with a maximum speed of 70 miles an hour. Today, we find such speeds common place. But at the time, all was a complete mystery to ordinary people. For example, falling from a moving train was not generally understood to be fatal. people assumed that falling from a train was much like falling from a horse--it all depended on how you landed.Crichton artfully weaves this type of historical perspective inot a riveting story about the greatest train robbery of all time--which never would have been tried had they understood what they were doing. But in this case, ignorance was bliss, and it worked, against all odds. Not the Crichton you may be expecting...there is science, but it is the science of the 1800's; no cutting edge technology, unless you consider the invention of wax to make keys new technology--which it was; no exotic locales. Instead, Crichton takes us back to England in the 1850's--at the end of the Crimean War, and less than a decade before the U.S. Civil War, and during the hey day of mass industrialization. Crichton does an excellent job of setting the stage and reminding us just where the roots of our current urban society lie, and just how recently those roots were first sunk into the rural past. Having set the stage, Crichton weaves the history with a great crime novel. Taking advantage of wealth, social stratification, and even advanced technology (for the time), Crichton follows a criminal mastermind in his year long plot to steal 12 million pounds sterling, supposed to be used to pay French soldiers fighting Russia in the Crimean war. Trains and safes had both just made their appearances. Fingerprints, combination locks, and explosives were still on the horizon. Breaking into a safe on a moving train was a then unthought of crime. Of course, they were caught--Crichton lets us know right at the beginning that his source is the trial transcripts--but the ways, whys, and means are wholly unpredictable, and will keep you turning the pages right to the very end.
Rating: 
Summary: Crichton's Start
Review: I think that this historical fiction book gives the reader an accurate portrayal of Victorian England. The plot devised is so intricate that the reader comes back for more. Pierce lived in hte 1800s, but he seems to have come back to life for the sake of the gripping novel. From this book, Crichton has expanded his library of novels.
Rating:
Summary: the true story of a daring robbery
Review: This book tells the true story of how Edward Pierce, with several accomplices, robbed a train of it's substantial load of gold bullion. It's an incredible story, especially the details and planning that went into pulling off the robbery. It sounds like it's straight out of a movie (the story has in fact been made into a movie), but the story is true. This is different from the other Crichton books I've read, like Jurassic Park and Congo, but it's still pretty good. The only bad thing I have to say about it is the blinding orange cover on the book that makes you want to rip it off.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: A pleasure to read. Realistic yet adventurous. Well thought through plot to the smallest detail. Fairly accurate historically and told in a vivid way with plenty of humor and action.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: A pleasure to read. Realistic yet adventurous. Well thought through plot to the smallest detail. Fairly accurate historically and told in a vivid way with panty of humor and action.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books Ever!
Review: This was by far one of the best books i've ever read! Full of exitement, and adventure. I did this one for a book report it was awesome!
Rating:
Summary: You Will Love the Criminals!
Review: I am an avid book reader, and this has been my favorite for years. Michael Crichton stirs up a masterpiece as he tells the tale of Edward Pierce's amazing robbery of gold bullion in Victorian England. The best part of this book is that you find yourself rooting for the criminals; and when something comes along that ruins their current plans, you will be trying to think of a way to overcome the adversity just like Pierce does. It is very enjoyable, and quickly paced.
Rating:
Summary: All these long years
Review: I read TGTR back my sophomore year in HS- almost 4 years ago. And even today, I find myself recommending this book to all my friends who haven't read it. Pierce is one of the greatest, most alluring anti-heroes I've ever encountered. His ability to plan, his patience, his genius seems to seep from the pages. When Pierce decides that he's going to rob a train, it takes over a year for him to plan, with the help of the screwsman Agar, Pierce's mistress/actress Miriam, and several others of the lowest scum of the Victorian Era. We're tossed back in time, when the age of consent was a mere 12 years, when pick-pocketing could have been put down as a profession, when saying you were an actress was just like saying you were a whore, and when people were afraid of "premature burial" so much that they put little bells on the hands of corpses for them to rign if they awoke! Anyone who loves history, mystery, adventure, and the dark side of humanity- this is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: A Runaway Hit
Review: This book is great for anybody who loves history. Not only do you get a great look into the Victorian Society of England but Crichton does an amazing job at developing the story.
He takes you through the planning, the delays, the execution, and the aftermath of one of the greatest crimes of all time.
In this book, as with Crichton's other works, he really get you familiar with the way life was in England during the time period.
This is Crichton's most underated novel and comes highly recommended by me.
Rating:
Summary: Cor, this is Crichton's best!!
Review: The Great Train Robbery is an underrated account of one of the classic heists of all time. Set against the lush and lively backdrop of Victorian London, this thrilling narrative details the exploits of the dashing and daring Edward Pierce, as he sets in motion a plan to steal a large shipment of gold that is being sent to troops in Crimean War. The planning and subsequent execution was, as the contemporary press termed it, "the very origin of audacity."
Crichton succeeds handily on every level here, and, in my opinion, never quite achieved the same level with his later works. The world he describes comes alive in the first few pages, and his level of research is very apparent. The characters are the best he ever created, and the subject of the robbery itself should have any reader in rapt fascination.
Crichton makes no qualms about bringing the reader to root for the "bad guys," as all of the perpetrators of the scheme are quite likeable, while the stuffy establishment and police force comes off looking like a bunch of fools. Pierce, the ringmaster, is very nearly infallible. He overcomes each of the considerable obstacles he faces with a daring calmness we can only aspire to. His crew, the screwsman Agar, his mistress Mariam, and his cabby/thug Barlow are all perfect for their roles.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the story is the language. While I have no idea if it's accurate, Crichton sure makes it seem that way. The slang is amusing even if not wholly understandable, and you are never wondering what is going on. Pierce's wit and precision mix well against Agar's crude frankness, and indeed the dialogue is just one aspect of the story that ensures you will never get bored.
This book is perfect, cover to cover. I won't spill the beans, but the ending has to be the best I've ever read. While I doubt even Pierce himself would label it the perfect crime, this is an absolutely perfect telling of it. I could not recommend this book more.
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