Rating: 
Summary: intolerance speaks
Review: At the end of the book, Patterson writes that the 2 largest pro-life groups did not respond to his request for information. They must have read the manuscript and realized how hopeless it was. Patterson goes to great detail in investigating the pro-choice arguments but litters the opposite side with the standard southern, white, male, close-minded stereotypes. His blame of lack of research on the pro-life groups is lame and without support. He should have spent some time trying to understand the mindset of conservatives and pro-life advocates and he would have been much more successful in articulating this difficult subject. He ends up with the tired liberal picture of being tolerant of anyone who does not believe in absolute truth. And intolerant of anyone who does. He could have done so much better.
Rating:
Summary: Preaching to the Left-wing Choir
Review: From the pulpits of east and west coast liberal meccas, Martha's Vinyard and San Francisco, Patterson rants to his masses. His praises are sung on the review pages by such unbiased reviewers as Mario Cuomo, Barbara Boxer, Molly Ivins, Archibald Cox and the head of the ACLU - gee I wonder in which direction we are headed? This book is laden with cartoon characters - good hearted, good natured, big thinking liberal lawyers and alternately thuggish or hopelessly misguided and bovine Christian conservatives. As the book opens, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (a card-carrying Conservative) is so apoplectic over the Democratic swearing in ceremony that he collapses in a fatal stroke. Frankly, its all downhill from there. Patterson's treatise is a pre-emptive cruise missile strike paving the way for the salvation of partial birth abortions. America, as portrayed in this novel is a land of manipulative mean-spirited, deep-pocketed Christians and liberals courageous enough to battle these evil minions. Regardless of what the reader may think of the abortion debate, there is nothing quite so tedious as being bludgeoned with terribly one-sided arguments for over six hundred pages. I would recommend reading Patterson's thrillers and suggest to the author that he leave the left-wing diatribes to writers for the Washington Post and New York Times.
Rating: 
Summary: Great insight inside the Beltway
Review: To start out I have to say I think Kerry Kilcannon is one of the best-done characters I have ever read. I also think he has a cool name, but that is less important. This deals with some very timely and interesting stuff, as in the abortion themes. The details of his transformation from one more senator to Mr. President is also greatly entertaining. All of the characters are interesting and leave you wanting more. The plot is clever and smart, but drags and is in need of a jumpstart at more than one point. Of course, it is still worth your time and money. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: AUDIO VERSION - SARDONIC, SARDONIC, SARDONIC
Review: This is an okay book. It's a little too heavy on the meaningless detail - and it tries too hard to weave too many separate stories together. However, what absolutely drove me nuts, was the overuse of SARDONIC and MORDENT. It's so annoying when an author thinks they've discovered a little used word and then proceeds to beat us about the head with it. I almost had to turn it off at one point because I thought I would scream if I heard it one more time! The woman who reads it, however, does an excellent job.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing, informational, and entertaining
Review: One of the best books I have ever read....relevant to today's political and philosophical conflicts. This book captures your attention from beginning to end and on after the last page is turned.
Rating:
Summary: Very compelling reading
Review: This book is about abortion, and does not avoid the more emotion-laden issues of late-term abortion. It also shows clearly how important the presidency can be in the nomination of Supreme Court judges. It is a very thought provoking and entertaining read. Before reading Protect and Defend, I was moderately pro-life. Patterson does an excellent job of showing many of the faces and facets of the abortion issue. He hasn't changed my mind (hard to do with this subject!), but has gotten me thinking about the issue in a more humane and thoughtful way. Chad Palmer is a character that resonates strongly. The Tierney parents are very compelling. Mary Ann (and her lawyer) are real and tragic. Patterson generates in these characters a quality that touches down deep. Patterson treats the Christian Right in a quite heavy-handed manner. Much of what he says seems deserved, and until close to the end of the book, the Tierney parents do a good job of stating the case for pro-life. When we discover the parents' flaw, however, Patterson's arguments become suspect. He has gone too far, and in a way that seems unnecessary. At least, these were my initial reactions. On reflection, it is not hard to believe that it would take just such flawed persons to have a child in the situation presented.... The book evokes strong emotions: the quality of the book is shown most clearly by having us wanting to understand Patterson's (Mary Ann and her lawyer's) reasoning, even when we are strongly disagreeing. The Tierney parents are not the only couple here that have significant flaws. It seems everyone in this book does. Is that human nature, and part of the problem with pro-life's stance? I'm not sure Patterson intended this. The number of personal problems revolving around childbirth and abortion make portions of the storyline seem contrived. Even so, Protect and Defend more than holds it own as engaging, thought provoking, and most worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: A must for the current times.
Review: Wow!! what a book to make you think about your values. I couldn't put it down. Even though some of the things presented in the book go directly against some of my own basic values, it got me thinking and I couldn't wait to find out how the author resolved some of the issues. A delightful read and you will come away with a whole new perspective on the subject of abortion.
Rating:
Summary: Morality Lesson is Still a Good Read
Review: Never read this author before, but now I want more about these interesting people. I liked the Senator who was on the "wrong side" of the issue best, and frankly, so did most of the other characters in the book. Even the "good guy" president has plenty of personal regrets that should keep him up at night, and it would be interesting to see which of them come back to haunt him in future novels. At first I was skeptical that one of the key attorneys would allow himself to be adverse to his own daughter in a higly publicized trial. But this device revealed a tenderness and complexity not always seen in such committed people, and also moved the plot along rather nicely, so Patterson can easily be forgiven. How refreshing to close a book with conflicting and changing reactions to the people in it!
While I really enjoyed the people in this book, the reason I picked it up in the first place was to see how someone could write a cogent novel about such a politically charged issue as abortion. Patterson succeeded pretty well, no, very well. While his pro-choice bias is evident, he really does present the pro-life views with some understanding and sympathy.
So, while the incidence of abortion as a core issue in the lives of the characters is quite a bit higher than in the general public, this book is a pretty credible summary of the diversity of opinion on abortion in this country. It is also a great insight into the complexities of Washington politics and the labrynth of judicial appointments. Most of all, it's a great yarn, and filled with people you would not mind knowing better.
Rating:
Summary: Not a bad effort
Review: This was my first experience of this author. It wont be my last. True - the politics were a little one sided but its a difficult issue and not easy to remain objective. Read this book. You'll enjoy it if you like suspense and intrigue.
Rating:
Summary: Another Compelling Novel...
Review: Richard North Patterson has an acute ability to develop characters and cultivate a suspenseful plot. This is a controversial book regardless of your viewpoints of abortion, politics, and Republican / Democratic roots. If you agree with Patterson's point, surely, someone else will disagree in opinion. Our country has been divided on these issues for decades. Aside from championing his positions regarding the obvious, this novel is well written, well conceived, and charged with suspense throughout. How would this book read if Patterson choose to stay on the fence regarding these issues? Taken at face value, Protect and Defend is a novel worth reading, whether you agree/disagree with abortion or slant toward conservative or liberal beliefs.
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