Rating: 
Summary: Good, but Predictable
Review: The Run is a fast paced thriller about an old Stuart Woods character from Grassroots, Will Lee. He's now a democratic senator from Georgia and making a run for the presidency. To make things a little more interesting, he's also being hunted down by a right-wing militia group assassin. The story is compelling, tight and very readable. It's obvious that Mr. Woods has done his homework on both the Washington scene and the primary and election process and these details add real credibility to the story. The climax and ending are predictable... there are no surprises in this novel, but the premise is good, the main characters well drawn and it all adds up to a very enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: The New Center Provides Middle-of-the-Road Reading
Review: Will Lee, a southern senator (D-Ga.), is the lead character in this novel. He's bland, relatively inoffensive, Centrist, and by-golly he'd like to be your friend if not your next president. The novel shares a lot of these traits, too: It's eager to please, but there's not a lot to get excited about.The most exciting parts in the book are focused on a survivalist nutjob intent on assassinating Lee. His motives are never clearly defined (perhaps reading "Grass Roots" would help, but this was my first Woods novel), but he seems to know his stuff; he's got the preparation of his plot down pat, but falls short in its execution (pun intended). Because Lee is such a "nice" guy and won't sling mud at his opponent, the campaign is dull and thankfully kept to a minimum. Unfortunately, as a result of Lee's personality and actions, his political opponents have nothing against which to act as a foil. In fact, we'd have to believe the Republicans are as dull as Lee were it not for a blackmailing campaign run by an incarcerated former CIA executive. Somehow, Woods manages to create a world where Bill Clinton was impeached, but a different administration is in office at the beginning of 2000. A lot of flak is aimed in the Republicans' direction, and Woods has the Democrats retaining the presidency, taking back the House, and almost getting the Senate as a consequence of voter revolt over the impeachment proceedings. Please, Righties, take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is fiction (doubly-so, since nothing of the sort actually happened). Still, most of the Republicans come off as bland as the Democrats, and there's really little to get your briefs (or boxers) in a twist. The Run is ultimately undone by its Centrist positioning. By staying middle-of-the-road in its liberal v. conservative positioning and not giving Lee any flaws to exploit or defend, Woods fails to generate any heat in this novel. As many other Amazon reviewers have noted, it's a good way to kill a few hours, but it's just not a very good novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring!
Review: I started skimming on page 23 and totally skipped a chapter just to end the agony. This book is not up to Stuart Woods usual standard. Try reading his "Chiefs" or "Santa Fe Rules" instead.
Rating:
Summary: An engrossing realistic story about a presidential race
Review: The Run is one of Stuart Woods' best books yet! For anyone who is interested in the inside workings of a U.S. Presidential race, this is the novel for you......especially if you are a Democrat. Woods has a great talent for crafting interesting characters while at the same time, creating a fascinating and believable story. There are all kinds of political dilemmas and alarming situations posed in this book; ones that could actually happen. While reading this book (in one sitting) I felt as if I was an inside staffer on the campaign, sitting by and observing. A satisfying read to be sure. If you read this and like it, read Chiefs and Grass Roots as well. They are equally as good.
Rating:
Summary: GOOD SUMMER READ!
Review: I am a big fan of Stuart Woods and have read nearly ALL of his books. Frankly, the last few books I'd read were a bit disappointing. I was anxious to read The Run and I loved it! As in all Woods books, it hooks you right away and reads fairly easily. I found the story exciting and I eagerly read each chapter, anxious to know what would happen next. The story was compelling, well researched and a thriller. I'm surprised by the readers who don't like the book, but I think it helps greatly to have read Woods' "Grass Roots" to help identify with many of the characters in "The Run". Because I enjoy following politics -- the conventions, the races, etc. I found this aspect particularly interesting. This Stuart Woods book is very good and I would recommend it to others who want a fast paced, easy read for the summer!
Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: I started skimming on page 23 and totally skipped a chapter just to end the agony. This book is not up to Stuart Woods usual standard. Try reading his "Chiefs" or "Santa Fe Rules" instead.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all!
Review: I had never heard of Stuart Woods and picked up "The Run" on a whim. I was very pleasantly surprised. The action was nicely paced, the story grabbed and held my interest throughout, and the ending was believable and satisfying. Nothing about the characters rang untrue -- perhaps a little stereotypical, but never unbelievable. I know very little nor am interested in politics, but enjoyed this book very much nevertheless. I look forward to reading more of Woods' books in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: The best from Woods
Review: A rare find. A great book. A wonderful climax. Don't read this one at night. You could lose sleep over it. A tremendous thriller. A rare accord. Woods never disapoints.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, if you're driving across North Dakota
Review: As it happens, I actually *was* driving across ND when I listened to this set of cassettes. It was entertaining enough to keep me from completely losing my mind across the relentlessly flat terrain, but this isn't precisely a stunning political thriller. There elements of suspense, and there were moments when I laughed out loud at a well-turned phrase or at a character's action; however, I wouldn't go out of my way to spend hours listening to this novel. The story revolves around Will Lee's bid for the presidential nomination, and the political ups and downs that come with such an expensive, extravagant, exhausting endeavor. The characters do come to life fairly well, and the dialogue is better than a lot of authors'. Still, this is not a hugely satisfying story. This was actually only the second book on tape I've ever listened to, so I may be a bit biased in my opinion of it - it took awhile to get used to being read to, rather than reading myself. Overall, it's "ok."
Rating:
Summary: Barely worth reading
Review: "The Run" is a simple-minded, cliche-ridden political thriller to be read only in airports when you need to kill some time. This is the story of a run for the Presidency by a moderately liberal, goody-good senator. The only non-cliche in the book is that he is from Georgia -- not usually considered a spawner of liberal democrats. As usual, the villains are right-wing militia types. (Ho, hum, can't somebody come up with better bad-guys these days?) There are a lot of unexplained coincidences in the book. The huge political secret in American politics that underlies the plot happens to be known inexplicably by a federal prisioner in Georgia -- and just about everybody else. The hero has several miraculous escapes from death and political defeat and I'll let you guess the ending.... Woods to give him credit writes a tight tale and creates a certain amount of suspense. So, he gets three stars -- although he just barely qualifies as readable. But there are a hundred better political thrillers out there -- and most of them aren't anything great. Can't someone revitalize this genre?
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