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Rating: 
Summary: From a different prospective
Review: After reading the scathing review from the New York contributor - - I really wanted to like this book. Particularly after reading the heartfelt orgin(s) of the book that the author shared in the review he had submitted. I couldn't bring myself to it once I began reading it. Within a dozen pages I had lost interest and was appalled that I had bought this book. I felt that the narrative was both inaccurate and semantically anachronistic. The significance of events were presented with more "importance" than they had at the time; Christ's arrival in Jerusalem, and the subsequent chain of events at that Passover, was not the defining moment of the time. It was not the "JFK assassination" like event that was burned into everyone's mind. This is implied. Further - word/concepts are presented - by Pontius Pilate- that appear to be coming, conceptually, at least a 1000 - 1500 years too early. It would be like reading a novel about Abraham Lincoln - and having him say , " that's a cool idea." This was very distracting. In general this was not successfully written from the perspective of a powerful 1st century Roman citizen/official -but from that of a devout 20th century Christian - who had excellent idea and good intent- but who didn't know how to get into the head and heart of his intended subject. (For a wonderful example of a successful attempt to step back in time a millennium or two see Memoirs Of Hadrian by M. Yourcenar. Different subject; roughly the same era.) All-and-all, very disappointing. Awful.
Rating:
Summary: The biography Pilate himself might have written.
Review: Although it is a work of fiction, "Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" comes close to deserving a place in the history section. Much of this well-researched book is devoted to Pilate's own biography of Jesus; nevertheless, there is enough supplementary material here to leave the reader a bit more knowledgeable on the history of Roman Palestine. Mills' Pilate begins with an introductory discussion about the Jewish people (written from a perspective that feels authentically Roman). The rest of the book traces the life of Jesus from the Nativity to the Crucifixion, after which the exiled former procurator adds his own views on the events that he had just described. Throughout the work Pilate remains sufficiently sceptical of the miracles and odd "coincidences" that his spies report to him, but the reader soon realises that this Roman is at least open to the possibility that the "strange carpenter" may actually be who he says he is. A word of caution, though: readers who insist on seeing a cruel, heartless tyrant of a governor in this book will be sorely disappointed. Though the historical Pontius Pilatus may have been a man who truly deserves the wicked reputation he is cursed with today, would he have written about himself that way? In all certainty he would have described actions we now see as barbaric within the context of his own culture and upbringing; that is, he would have said that he was simply "doing his job" when he mowed down the Samartians on Mount Gerizim and threatened to hack a crown of Jews to death in Caesarea. Out of his love for Rome, his loyalty to Caesar and perhaps even his own strange form of concern for the well-being of the Jewish people, he did what he felt he had to do. I am no relativist. From the very little that we know about Pilate, there is no doubt that he was -- to put it bluntly -- a very bad man. But it would be ridiculous to assume that he would have seen himself as anything other than a devoted public servant who tried to do his duty well.
Rating:
Summary: The biography Pilate himself might have written.
Review: Although it is a work of fiction, "Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" comes close to deserving a place in the history section. Much of this well-researched book is devoted to Pilate's own biography of Jesus; nevertheless, there is enough supplementary material here to leave the reader a bit more knowledgeable on the history of Roman Palestine. Mills' Pilate begins with an introductory discussion about the Jewish people (written from a perspective that feels authentically Roman). The rest of the book traces the life of Jesus from the Nativity to the Crucifixion, after which the exiled former procurator adds his own views on the events that he had just described. Throughout the work Pilate remains sufficiently sceptical of the miracles and odd "coincidences" that his spies report to him, but the reader soon realises that this Roman is at least open to the possibility that the "strange carpenter" may actually be who he says he is. A word of caution, though: readers who insist on seeing a cruel, heartless tyrant of a governor in this book will be sorely disappointed. Though the historical Pontius Pilatus may have been a man who truly deserves the wicked reputation he is cursed with today, would he have written about himself that way? In all certainty he would have described actions we now see as barbaric within the context of his own culture and upbringing; that is, he would have said that he was simply "doing his job" when he mowed down the Samartians on Mount Gerizim and threatened to hack a crown of Jews to death in Caesarea. Out of his love for Rome, his loyalty to Caesar and perhaps even his own strange form of concern for the well-being of the Jewish people, he did what he felt he had to do. I am no relativist. From the very little that we know about Pilate, there is no doubt that he was -- to put it bluntly -- a very bad man. But it would be ridiculous to assume that he would have seen himself as anything other than a devoted public servant who tried to do his duty well.
Rating:
Summary: An original, suberly written, fascinating, engaging novel.
Review: As a now-exiled governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate reflects on life, politics, religion, and wonders at how it is that Jesus' followers have multiplied and spread all over the Roman Empire. Could such a movement have sprung from the teachings of an obscure zealot crucified long ago in such an insignificant part of the world? Searching his memory, Pilate pieces together what he recalls of Jesus' boyhood, ministry, and trial -- writing in effect a "fifth gospel" account of Christ's life. But his perspective is radically different from that of one of Jesus' followers. He is, after all, a corrupted aging bureaucrat with a cynical turn of mind. Memoirs Of Pontius Pilate is an outstandingly original, superbly written, fascinating and engaging Christian novel.
Rating:
Summary: From a different prospective
Review: I found this book to be very enjoyable. It told a very well known story from a diffenent prospective. It was easy reading and followed events in a chronological order which made the story flow much better than reading disjointed gospels. It made me see those historic events in a differnt light.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing and thought provoking, not light entertainment
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed "Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" mostly because it was a pleasure to learn so much about Christ and his time and the world in which he lived. Knowing about the politics in Israel and in the Roman Empire during those years made the story of his life more real to me. I also enjoyed the book because Pontius Pilate, as presented, is an entertaining character with a sense of humor and a gift for creating good narrative. When I finished the book, I regretted that it wasn't longer.
Rating: 
Summary: Memoirs of Pontius Pilate
Review: I would never recommend to anyone not to read a book, but I must agree with the reviewer from New York that this novel has a lot to be desired. As a novel, it lacks imagination, and as history, it lacks authenticity. And Mr. Mills isn't quite sure what he wants his book to be, for he adds Editor's Notes to the end of chapters, something you don't see in novels. There was promise here, but it falls terribly short. Pilate simply is not believable. Here he is a gentle man, loving husband, and not the ruthless and cruel governor Philo tells us he was. He knows more about Judaism that most Jews, and at one point in Chapter 8 he even begins to interpret Jewish Law! I would suggest that the best audience for this book would be anyone under the age of 12 in Bible School. It is short, only 224 pages and small (the size of two cigarette packs side by side, but not as thick). It is easy to read (two nights at most)and may add some knowledge of Judaism to a Christian Bible study. But taken as a whole, it was very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting interpretation from a different viewpoint.
Review: This author has come up with a unique concept by novelizing the life of the historical Christ and then telling the story from the point of view of a relatively minor character, Pontius Pilate. As the title suggests, the novel is written in the form of memoirs as Pilate nears the end of his life. Pilate tries to come to some resolution of his own involvement in Jesus's death by reviewing Jesus's life, beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth and continuing to the genesis of Christianity after his death. The author utilizes plain, accessible language to tell a story which includes a surprising amount of humor. You may not feel sorry for Pilate by the end, but you should at least wonder if perhaps there is more to the story of Jesus than we will ever know. An engaging, thought-provoking book.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting interpretation from a different viewpoint.
Review: This author has come up with a unique concept by novelizing the life of the historical Christ and then telling the story from the point of view of a relatively minor character, Pontius Pilate. As the title suggests, the novel is written in the form of memoirs as Pilate nears the end of his life. Pilate tries to come to some resolution of his own involvement in Jesus's death by reviewing Jesus's life, beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth and continuing to the genesis of Christianity after his death. The author utilizes plain, accessible language to tell a story which includes a surprising amount of humor. You may not feel sorry for Pilate by the end, but you should at least wonder if perhaps there is more to the story of Jesus than we will ever know. An engaging, thought-provoking book.
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