Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Topic, Very Poor Execution
Review: I am a fan of John Jakes. The North and South series are some of the very best novels I've read. I was very disappointed in On Secret Service and could not get past page 100. The concept of the novel is excellent but the plot surrounding the historical facts is very thin. The characters themselves lack any depth and provoked no emotional response from me as the reader. The story simply did not intrigue me enough to finish it.
Rating:
Summary: No plot developement
Review: I enjoyed the parts about the secret service, the development of spying practices, and the war in general. But the romantic subplots were unrealistic and uninteresting. I found it difficult to remember which woman was in love with which man, and which subplot was what. Jakes seems to think the war was fought over slavery, and many disagree.I greatly preferred "How Few Remain" by Harry Turtledove, which exhibits a lot of imagination and is much more fascinating to read the what-if scenario of alternative history.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow at times, hard to follow subplots
Review: I enjoyed the parts about the secret service, the development of spying practices, and the war in general. But the romantic subplots were unrealistic and uninteresting. I found it difficult to remember which woman was in love with which man, and which subplot was what. Jakes seems to think the war was fought over slavery, and many disagree. I greatly preferred "How Few Remain" by Harry Turtledove, which exhibits a lot of imagination and is much more fascinating to read the what-if scenario of alternative history.
Rating: 
Summary: My 1st John Jakes Book-Don't wait for paperback
Review: I heard about this book from a radio add, and got it a few days later. A very entertaining story that moves along at a good pace. Good characters, good plot, good bad guys, and a love story too. Well worth the price, buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: On Secret Service
Review: I listened to this every morning on the way to work, a local PBS radio station played it from 8:00 to 8:30. Having read the North and South years ago, it was so exciting to hear another John Jakes novel. I enjoyed learning more about John Wilkes Booth. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Less of an epic, more of a story.
Review: I loved Jake's Kent Chronicles and North and South trilogy so I already knew the format and style I was about to encounter. No surprises there. I was pleased he used little known facts about the Civil War like Lincoln's high voice, the balloon observatories, the NY riots, how train tracks were destroyed, and the story of Rose. I was disappointed with the lame attempt to tie Charles Main from the trilogy into the book. I also thought he could have given better context for the plot by referencing more famous events. Surely spies would have read the papers more. Nevertheless, it was a good story that I read until 3:00 am. I didn't think about the relationships among the sexes as being as strained or shifting as portrayed - they must have been. Pinkerton's character was completely different than I had ignorantly envisioned. In a world where civil rights hadn't been established yet, the police methods were fascinating to read. These are the pleasant surprises that gets one hooked into the story. It's not an epic, but it's a worthwhile book.
Rating:
Summary: A great glimpse into the origins of the Secret Service!
Review: I vividly remember when John Jakes's The Bastard hit the TV screens in the 1970s. It was my first introduction to the power of historical fiction, and I've never forgotten it. Since I'm in a mystery frame of mind these days, I purchased a copy of his new book, On Secret Service, because its main subject is the origins of the US Secret Service and the espionage that took place during the American Civil War. I wasn't disappointed. Jakes has a way of describing historical situations and characters that is very persuasive--especially male characters. If you're a fan of the Kent Family chronicles or North and South, there are some differences in this book. First, the enormous cast of characters is hard to get to know because family affiliations (a great organizing tactic in the earlier books) are not the main thing here. I don't know the Civil War period very well, and I think that Civil War buffs will be most satisfied with On Secret Service because it features a lot of key players in the War (Stuart, Mosby, Grant, McClellan, Stanton)who may not be as familiar to those who don't avidly read about the War. The descriptions of warfare, torture, and under-hand tactics are very explicit, but are not overblown. This is, after all, a book about the bloodiest conflict in US History, and Jakes gives us as accurate picture as we can probably stand of that conflict. Civil War buffs and fans of 19th century US History will probably enjoy this book a great deal, and even fans of mystery and spy novels will have a good time!
Rating:
Summary: Familiar Battleground for A Veteran Storyteller.
Review: I was only in grade school when North and South and the other chapters in Jakes' Civil War trilogy (Love & War and Heaven & Hell) were television events that would draw the older members of my family around the television--like campers around a fire listening to a great storyteller. My memories of plot and characters have since faded, but to the day I have always associated John Jakes with the Civil War. When I saw that Jakes had written a new Civil War novel I was compelled to pick it up. Absolutely epic! Jakes recreated a world that has always fascinated me, and come to think of it - it was Jakes who inspired my interest so many years ago. Detailed down to the smell, Jakes captures lightning bugs of emotion, anguish, tragedy and romance, only to have them released for his readers with the turn of each successive page. Most impressive to me was that even though the story was set on familiar ground, the perspective offered was one I had yet to experience. I am shocked that The Pinkertons and the original Secret Service have had as little historic exposure as they have. I had no idea the NY riots even took place, and watching them unfold was bearing witness to a few clouds of deception being revved up into a hurricane of the darkest human emotion and behavior. Fantastic story! A Must Read! Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: No plot developement
Review: I would rate this novel at two or three stars. I wouldn't reccomend reading this review if you want t synopsis of the book. The plot is wonderful, but it needs elaboration (I'm saying this about a 400 or 500 page book, I know, I know). There are two main characters, and three on the side characters as well as several extras. Mainly this book is about a romance between Lon and Margret. Or is it mainly about a romance between Lon and Margret? Basically he bumps into her and they fall in lust, not love. Love is only possible if two people know eachother, Lon and Margret only know eachother's views on who should win the Civil War (and not much about that either). They simply keep seeking eachother out and claiming they can't stop thinking about eachother and are in love. The romance has no plot, there is no romance acctually. Only random meeting, and sex. Same with the subplot between Hannah and Frank. They don't know eachother at all. If what the author wrote about Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln is true then don't read the book. It could completely ruin your respect for either of them. If it's not true, well then, why'd he make them sound so whining and stupid. If your a deep person, and desire something moving and life changing to read- get far far away from this book unless you want to get depressed about what the rest of the world is reading. Several other reviews have said they liked his other books better so maybe Mr. Jake's editor or publisher just rushed him with this one. This was my first John Jakes novel, but I think it will be my last for awhile. Maybe someday I'll read one of his "criticaly acclaimed" series.
Rating:
Summary: Great historical descriptions, Poor Story
Review: If you want to get some good historical insight into at least some of the crosscurrents of political and sociological issues during the Civil War, this is a good book to read. If you expect a reasonably credible depiction of characters in a novel, and a story line that keeps your interest, you may be disappointed. I was.
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