Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: This book was a selection of our book club and I have to say that I probably would not have read it had it not been for this club. That being said, Jimmy Carter is a fascinating individual, much lauded and awarded, and deservedly so. His book, The Hornets Nest, is an admirable effort, but it reads like a confused text book. The storyline and dialog are average, though the subject matter is interesting. Compared to other books in this genre, Carter's book struggles for stature. Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and Robinson Crusoe were some of the original historical novels and are much stronger in many aspects. I don't think Carter was trying to write the next Rob Roy, however. I think he accomplished basically what he set out to do, which was to write a book that taught people about the Revolutionary War without being a textbook. I think he actually could have written two books with the material he has in this one. He easily has enough material and research to have written a non-fiction book about the Southern perspective on the Revolutionary War. I think he could have taken the fictional storyline and dialog from this book and written another about the psyche and psychological dichotomy of life thrown into war and the choices and decisions one has to make as an individual. If you have an interest in this time in history, you will find this a worthwhile read. For all its faults, this book is still very well researched and full of information about how the state of Georgia came to be. The role of the southern States in the Revolutionary War is much less well-known that that of the northern States and the stories of George Washington and Cornwallis. If you enjoy politics and history, you will likely enjoy this book much more than the average reader. If these subjects are not your cup of tea, you are probably best served to look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting history - not very interesting storytelling
Review: This book was given to me as a gift this past Christmas. I am a fan of Jimmy Carter's humanitarian efforts but I hadn't read any of his literature. The book starts out nice with the Pratt's in Philadelphia and their journey to North Carolina. After that, it gets hard to follow. The basic problem as I see it is that there is a wealth of historical facts that Mr. Carter tries unsuccessfully to spin an interesting tale around. My main complaint is that he skips from character to character without warning. He will be going in depth on how Ethan feels about his political sentiments and the next sentence he is introducing a completely new character. The next time we get back to Ethan may be 50 pages later. This back and forth writing style is irritating and prevalent throughout the entire book. Personally, I find this hard to follow. I like historical non-fiction as-well-as fiction; however, this book does not succeed as either. I recommend this book only to the reader that is very interested in learning about the Revolutionary War and doesn't mind the confusing and hectic writing style of the author.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent history crippled by 8th-grade writing
Review: This could have been an excellent book. The plot is interesting, the historical details are accurate and richly detailed. And the characters certainly had potential.
But the writing is so amatuerish, pedantic, and lacking in emotion that it ends up being difficult to complete the book. This latter quality is why I rated it poorly. The plot is so straightforward that it may as well be a textbook.
Nevertheless, I DO recommend this book for anyone interested in the era and circumstances surrounding the birth of the United States. It provides a good account of the North Carolina Regulators, a mostly overlooked and usually misunderstood event essential to understanding the true situation in the lower colonies.
It also provides interesting details of life during this period from the perspective of the ups and downs of the middle class.
I applaud former President Carter for the exactness and extent of his historical research. I also am in debt for the focus on such an over-looked but crucial period of our country's history. But I heartily wish that he had utilized the services of a competent writer to make the book more readable.
Rating: 
Summary: A great read for historical readers
Review: This is a great read for readers who love history and are interested in their patriot ancestors. The history is amazing and well researched but the prose is not what we are used to in historical novels. Give President Carter a chance - this is his first novel!
I have researched Georgia and South Carolina history for over 20 years and this book does a great job with a very complicated subject. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: More documentary than novel
Review: This is an interesting story concerning events in the Carolinas and Georgia before and during the American Revolution. It is mainly written in the third person in a documentary fashion, with some sections of dialog. It will appeal more to people interested in the history of the era than to people just looking for a novel.(...) The novel covers the details of the American pre-war objections to English policies, and the problems with government officials operating far from the mother country (people familiar with "law west of the Pecos" will understand this).(...) This novel provides a different perspective of the war using a fictional family that is trying to survive during difficult times. It gives a good picture of the different segments of society ranging from subsistence farmers to plantation owners and merchants. The differences in attitudes between the people on the eastern seaboard and in the western uplands is also covered in "Cold Mountain" in a Civil War setting.
Rating:
Summary: Should've wrote a nonfiction book
Review: To start off, I dont read a lot of fiction, and I wouldn't have gone out of my way to read Jimmy Carter's fiction work on the Revolutionary War, but my dad got if for me at Christmas. To start off, Carter is as good fiction writer as he was President, some will say he's great others not. Of course, I've been trying to write a novel for a few months and it is mighty tough. I think what makes this book rate a little below average is the fact that Carter goes into detail about certain battles to be, then he jumps ahead to after the battle. So you have all this tenttensionnting then you miss the climax. Then he uses one charcharacter'ster's to the King as a way of keeping the reader up to day of the RW (is that the avreabreveationthe Revolutionary War?). Using this may help the reader but I found it distracting that a servant of the governor of Georgia would take time to inform the king of events in New England. Additiadditionally of the book reads like a text book, I've read fiction books that read like nonfiction, but not like text books. i.e. "After the battle Brown's men had lost 145 of their stregnstreagnthis second in command died two days later of a shraplshrapnale groin." I made that up but it is close to what there is in there. Not many books are written about the South during the RW, but if Carter would have written a straight nonfiction book, I believe it would have been far my interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: A great book by one of America's greatest Presidents
Review: Whether, like me, you were a big fan of Carter back at the time, or whether you have come to love the unquestioned greatest ex-President we have ever had (just look at Habitat for Humanity, which Republicans and Democrats support alike), you will naturally want to read this magnificent novel by him which bears all the excellent hallmarks of good research, a compelling story and a great view of the South, one that we all need in these troubled times. Democrats - buy this for all your Republican friends and see if they are still Republicans come November 2004 - this could be the Democrats secret weapon! Christopher Catherwood, fellow Evangelical Christian, Baptist and author of CHRISTIANS MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003)
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly great history AND strong story!
Review: While not a Democrat or Carter fan, I read Carter's last book - Hour Before Light - which was wonderful and reminded me of growing up in rural Iowa in the 60s. I love history and this is history told through the story of a family in Georgia during Revolutionary War. While we are all familiar with what was happening in Boston and Philadelphia, this is the fascinating - and well researched - story of what was happening in the South. Highly recommend for students of history plus just a good read!
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