Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book
Review: A wonderful little book from an author I have known only as a heavyweight thriller writer. Having made a train journey from Pacific to Atlantic by train myself it brought back memories, although my trip not half as exciting as the hero of this book. It touched on all human emotions without a hint of gratuitous sex or violence. It proves a good writer does not have to revert to salaciousness to produce a rattling good warmhearted story.
Rating:
Summary: A Trip Across America Becomes A Journey Of The Heart
Review: Tom Langdon, a globetrotting journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, is forced by circumstances to take a transcontinental trip aboard Amtrak to meet his current girlfriend Lelia Gibson in LA for the Christmas holidays. Tom's family connection to Mark Twain had inspired him to become a writer, and according to legend, Twain had taken a similar trip with the intent of writing a story based on his encounters across the country. Thus, Tom decides to use this trip to write the story Twain had never completed and fulfill one of the last requests of his father before his death. Always in the background of Tom's consciousness is what he now regards as the major mistake of his life, that he never proposed to his true love and fellow foreign correspondent Eleanor Carter, with whom he has now lost touch but still cares for deeply.The first section of the book consists of the segment of the journey from DC to Chicago aboard The Capitol Limited. Readers are introduced to the major characters and the outline of the limited plot and interrelated mysteries become clear. We also get a lesson in intercity train travel and learn that this will be a combination holiday story, romance and mystery as well as an advertisement for Amtrak and the joys of leisurely travel and seeing America rather than overflying the country to simply speed to your destination. We meet the eccentric Agnes Jo, who Tom believes is hiding some secret: Steve and Julie, who are planning a marriage on the train since their parents disapprove of their relationship; Amtrak employee stalwarts Regina and Tyrone, and numerous other characters where it is not clear who has a bit part and who is central to the plot. But on a train you have time to get to know all of them. The second section of the book consists of the trip aboard The Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA. Here the plot thickens, the action quickens, the mystery deepens, and the passengers and crew are threatened by potential tragedy. My use of stereotypes in my description is intentional; Baldacci cleverly uses stereotypical characters such as Lelia, the actress whose fame derives from her role as the voice of Cuppy the Beaver, Gordon Merryweather, the despicable class action attorney who soon gets his comeuppance and Max Price, the famous movie director who is accummulating material for his next epic involving train travel, to quickly get us involved with the story without the necessity for a lot of background. At the same time he lets us know that this will be a fun trip of the sort many of his readers have probably dreamed about taking. All the usual adjectives apply - heartwarming, charming, schmaltzy, romantic and just plain fun. It is a very fast read, a great story for a long afternoon or evening in front of a Christmas fireplace or a short trip; ironically much too brief for a long train ride but about right for a high speed Acela ride between NYC and DC or Boston. This book, along with WISH YOU WELL, shows the versatility of the author, but I certainly hope that he has not completely abandoned the action-adventure-mystery genre. While it is hard to write a suspenseful Christmas story since an ending of renewed hope, forgiveness and the fulfillment of dreams is almost essential to the feelgood spirit of such a story (as well as its commercial success, even for Scrooge and the Grinch), Baldacci does include enough plot twists and character misdirection so that fans of his previous stories will recognize his hand at work here. Finally, the ending was very clever, and helps renew our faith in Santa Claus. I debated my rating and some readers may think five stars is overly generous, but as I completed my review I was reminded how thouroughly I had enjoyed the book and how it had completely lived up to my expectations. Thus, I am convinced that Baldacci has accomplished his goal as an author, and felt that such a feat deserved at least close to five stars. This book cannot and should not be compared to ABSOLUTE POWER or SAVING FAITH, but has to stand on its own and be rated on that basis.
Rating: 
Summary: A place for second chances
Review: Tom Langdon finds himself on a cross-country train ride from Washington D.C. to L.A. to see his girlfriend, Lelia. A confrontation with airline officials has resulted in his being banned from flying, so the train is the only way to go. Tom is an adventuresome sort, but all of the travels and experiences from his days as a roving reporter have left him feeling empty, as if he's missed something in life. He regrets a long-ago breakup with Eleanor, the love of his life, but--what's this?--she's actually aboard the train. Baldacci spins a tale which includes train lore, eccentric characters, and danger to Tom and Eleanor, but somehow this book never grabbed me emotionally. I felt like a stranger looking in at some strange situations, but the story never really touched me. I have enjoyed other Baldacci books and I applaud him for trying another genre different than his usual thrillers, but I can only give him a "C" for his efforts.
Rating: 
Summary: warm holiday romance
Review: When Eleanor Carter was with Tom Langdon, he was a rising hotshot journalist who cared about his work and her. When she left him for the glitter of Hollywood as a screenwriter, he lost focus and turned into a fluff reporter. Banned from flying, Tom takes the rails from DC to Los Angeles to see his girlfriend, a voice-over actress, for Christmas. To pass the boring time, he plans to write an article on traveling cross-country by train. Tom meets several of his fellow passengers, but hears that a Hollywood group is also on board but staying incognito to avoid the media. However, Tom soon learns that Eleanor is among the Hollywood band. Shockingly (maybe not it is a Xmas story), her current director persuades Tom and Eleanor to work together on a project with him. If Tom can work with Eleanor who he still loves and wants back in his life permanently, his career will regain the momentum it lost when her departure sent him spinning into a state of inertia. Though the small levels of suspense seem contrived, this holiday romance is a fun tale filled with solid characters, especially the lead protagonists, and plenty of train lore. The story line is at its best when Tom and Eleanor take center stage, as both appear so real that the audience will believe they shared a train ride with both of them. Most of the other passengers provide humor so that those fans of warm Yuletide tales will take delight in David Baldacci's engaging by the fireside amiable tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: a great ride
Review: Tom Langdon, a burnt out journalist who is trying to discover what went wrong with his seemingly ideal life, is forced to travel by rail to california to meet his sometimes girlfriend for the Christmas holidays after being banned from air travel for two years. Along the way he encounters the most bizarre group of fellow travelers, the most talented and loyal train crew imaginable, a blizzard, an avalanche, a film crew and a wedding party. His travels become a journey of self discovery when he encounters Eleanor (Ellie) Carter, the only woman he ever truly loved but lost many years ago. I haven't ridden the rails recently but my cousin has and she assures me this is not typical, but this is fiction. Baldacci treats us to a fascinating history of train travel and some very amusing stories while establishing his plot and introducing all his characters. The story is heart warming holiday fare and I enjoyed the ride immensely.
Rating:
Summary: LIKE A GOOD, LATE NIGHT MOVIE
Review: Reading "The Christmas Train" is pretty much like watching a good, old movie late at night. You don't ask much from one of those movies. You just want a good story with some decent drama and maybe a little humor,even if the plot is predictable. There doesn't have to be great acting, just performances that let you believe the characters really exist while you are watching them. And you need a more or less happy ending, even if it is a little sappy.
Well, there's the book. Predictable, sort of sappy, and not a sentence of brilliant writing in sight. BUT, you get the rest of the "movie" , too: a fine story, interesting people, and a happy ending.
All of this out of a train ride on which the main character meets up with the woman he loves after years apart from her, while, of course, his current gal suddenly shows up to get between them. There's a thief running loose. There's a deadly blizzard, blocked tracks, desperate....Well, you get the idea. Just like a good old movie.
Rating:
Summary: Something for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, sex, or IQ
Review: The story seems simple enough: journalist Tom Langdon is taking the train from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, California, in order to meet his West Coast girlfriend for the holidays. But a long-distance train is a mobile motel, a steel-rail Love Boat, full of real and diverse and interesting characters cooped up in a confined area. There's mystery, there's romance, there's adventure, there's intrigue. Train lore abounds, and literary and cinematic references are thrown in for good measure. You cheer for the guy, you cheer for the girl, and somehow -- perhaps with the help of a few surprises and miracles -- things work out in the end...
Rating: 
Summary: The Christmas Train
Review: This book should be an embarrassement to David Baldachi.
Rating:
Summary: Believe in miracles!
Review: David Baldacci blends the magic and miracles of the Chrismas season, the painful beauty of lost love, and the mystique of a cross country train into a very special story in "The Christmas Train." I loved this book, and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Holiday Book
Review: This is the first book I've read by this author but he is an excellent author - especially if you like Christmas based books -- the ending will really throw you for a loop! I highly recommend this book to the readers out there who enojy purchasing a holiday book each year. I would say The Christmas Train is this year's Skipping Christmas!
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