Rating: 
Summary: Breath-taking action and heart gripping romance
Review: Simply the best book I have ever read. I found it so easy to get caught-up in the characters lives. Feelings described so crisp and vividly. Wilbur is the true master!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Beginning and ending action sandwiched around boring middle
Review: Smith accomplishes a near-impossible feat. One of his characters is a Persian/Iranian woman, and he fails to convey her beauty, allure, and mystery to the reader. Since (IMHO) these women *are* incredibly beautiful, alluring, and mysterious, Smith's failure is especially egregious. His other heroine is a near caricature American woman: bold, aggressive, interested in causes. Conclusion: Smith can't write about romance, love, and intimacy.In addition, his book should have been reviewed by an American before publication. Americans do *not* eat "shrimps" any more than they eat "trouts" or "turkeys". In that context, these are nouns of mass, not nouns of number. Also, there is no United States Coast Guard Service. It's just the U.S. Coast Guard. Finally, Smith starts with a thrilling tugboat-liner rescue, then bores the reader to insensibility with interpersonal relationships among the main characters, and then ends with the extremely unsurprising rescue of another ship (kind of) by our hero in his tugboat. When I can summarize a book in one sentence, it's always bad news. "Tugboats save some ships, some lives, and Planet Earth." Finally, compare Smith's action/inaction pattern with someone like Dean Koontz, who almost always grabs the reader on the first page, keeps up the suspense and thrills, adds a *believable* romantic subplot, and ends with a satisfying and frequently happy conclusion. Smith could learn a lot from Mr. Koontz.
Rating:
Summary: Beginning and ending action sandwiched around boring middle
Review: Smith accomplishes a near-impossible feat. One of his characters is a Persian/Iranian woman, and he fails to convey her beauty, allure, and mystery to the reader. Since (IMHO) these women *are* incredibly beautiful, alluring, and mysterious, Smith's failure is especially egregious. His other heroine is a near caricature American woman: bold, aggressive, interested in causes. Conclusion: Smith can't write about romance, love, and intimacy. In addition, his book should have been reviewed by an American before publication. Americans do *not* eat "shrimps" any more than they eat "trouts" or "turkeys". In that context, these are nouns of mass, not nouns of number. Also, there is no United States Coast Guard Service. It's just the U.S. Coast Guard. Finally, Smith starts with a thrilling tugboat-liner rescue, then bores the reader to insensibility with interpersonal relationships among the main characters, and then ends with the extremely unsurprising rescue of another ship (kind of) by our hero in his tugboat. When I can summarize a book in one sentence, it's always bad news. "Tugboats save some ships, some lives, and Planet Earth." Finally, compare Smith's action/inaction pattern with someone like Dean Koontz, who almost always grabs the reader on the first page, keeps up the suspense and thrills, adds a *believable* romantic subplot, and ends with a satisfying and frequently happy conclusion. Smith could learn a lot from Mr. Koontz.
Rating: 
Summary: Action And Adventure
Review: The action in this story was exceptional but uneven. The first part is packed with fast paced, riveting scenes and the ending is also exciting. But there was a long and tedious portion in the middle of the book concerning relationships and business deals. The characters were an interesting mix. Those aboard the tug, Warlock, were fresh and original. Others were somewhat transparent and predictable. I realize that the character of Duncan Alexander needed to be exaggerated for dramatic effect, but his extreme stupidity only made him less believable, in my opinion. Still, a very worthwhile read, especially for aficionados of ships and seafaring adventures.
Rating:
Summary: What happened to the ending??
Review: The first part of this book is mesmorizing, I couldn't put it down. However, after the first big adventure, the story rapidly deteriorates. The ending was a HUGE disappointment. It felt like Wilbur Smith got bored with writing and stopped one or two chapters short of finishing. It is a shame as this book had great potential.
Rating:
Summary: simply the best
Review: The story of a man starting over at forty hits home for a lot of people. Nick Berg is a real inspiration for forty year olds who have been plowed under.. Wilber Smith does good work.
Rating:
Summary: Visit my Wilbur Smith page!
Review: This book and the other 20+ books that Wilbur Smith haswritten are incredible. I have a website dedicated to Smithat www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/wilbur.htmlIf you are a big fan also please visit, and make sure youe-mail me. This book is fantastic, a nonstop adventure
Rating:
Summary: The Characters became my friends, I wanted Nick to Succeed
Review: This Book has everthing!....Excitement,Mystery,Love, and a great ending. As in all Wilbur Smiths' books the people become your friends. I was Sorry to say goodbye to Nicholas Berg and his crew at the end of this great book
Rating: 
Summary: my review
Review: This book is the story of a man who wins back his fortune and life from very difficult circumstances. He faces incredible storms and temperatures to salvage a boat with passengers off the coast of Antartica. He next saves an oil tanker who is also carrying his ex-wife and son. As usual, Wilbur Smith writes in excesive detail, but makes every scene, every place and situation seems very real. The characters are also very life-like and you warm up to them imediately. If there was anything I could say against this book, it would be that the author seems to spend too much time describing every scene during the storms and salvages, when it is hard to follow because it gets very technical. Also, the ending is a little disappointing because after he has warmed you up to his ex-wife and son you are left not knowing what happens to them. However, it is overall a very good book and always a pleasure to read a book that is entertaining, alive and written in such a complete way.
Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: This book is the story of a man who wins back his fortune and life from very difficult circumstances. He faces incredible storms and temperatures to salvage a boat with passengers off the coast of Antartica. He next saves an oil tanker who is also carrying his ex-wife and son. As usual, Wilbur Smith writes in excesive detail, but makes every scene, every place and situation seems very real. The characters are also very life-like and you warm up to them imediately. If there was anything I could say against this book, it would be that the author seems to spend too much time describing every scene during the storms and salvages, when it is hard to follow because it gets very technical. Also, the ending is a little disappointing because after he has warmed you up to his ex-wife and son you are left not knowing what happens to them. However, it is overall a very good book and always a pleasure to read a book that is entertaining, alive and written in such a complete way.
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