Rating: 
Summary: Well-researched, but disappointing
Review: Let me begin by saying something I shouldn't have to - I think that Jimmy Carter was a fine president at a difficult time, and I think that any person in that office at that time would have had an equally difficult time. I also think that Mr. Carter is a fine, decent, honorable man, and the most scholarly of our ex-Presidents. I understand that he is a fine writer of non-fiction works. That said... I was looking forward to this novel about a time and a place not often explored in literature. Most Americans (and Americans are virtually the only audience for historical fiction set in this time and place) know very little about the Revolutionary War in the American South; Mr. Carter had every chance to shine here, with few competitors. His name will bring people in to read the book, and he had a fine opportunity to educate as well as entertain. He knows his time, his place, and his subject well. I can tell he loves this subject, and this place. His scholarship shows on every page. And therein lies the problem. This is an extraordinary work of scholarship - I'd like to read it with the characters taken out as a survey of the Revolutionary War South. It is an abysmal work of fiction, even by a first-time novelist. The characters are flat, the dialog is inexcusable, the transitions in time and place are poorly done. Speeches are put in characters' mouths intended primarily to educate us, the readers. Characters sound as if they are reading from 20th Century American history texts, breaking character each time. In real life, people don't (generally) lecture one another about current events; in novels the shouldn't either. Instead of a long lecture, the author should assume the other characters remember what is being discussed, and let the reader infer from the discussion. I wanted to like this book very much; I couldn't get past the anachronisms, the speeches, the preachiness, the stilted way people, places, and things are introduced and described. I couldn't get past the way that the author transitioned from descriptive and narrative text. I couldn't get past the fact that the characters all spoke with the same voice. There are far, far better works of historical fiction on this time, albeit not in the American South. Consider the works of James L. Nelson for the naval war in New England, or perhaps Dudley Pope for the British side of the same Naval War. Please try again, Mr. Carter, but this time get a good editor who knows fiction, and who will help you to write better fiction. As a writer myself, I know how hard it is to change editors. I also know how much a good editor can improve my work.
Rating: 
Summary: Revolutionary War in the South
Review: I agree that the title of my review isn't real exciting, but President Carter's book isn't either, frankly. The research that went into it is extensive, and so is the historical detail throughout the book. If you're looking for a well researched book about a subject that gets very little ink, i.e, the American Revolutionary war in the southern states and rural life at that time, I think you'll find this to be an excellent tome. I learned a lot about the southern colonies in the 1760's - 1780's. If you're looking for a novel that will hold your interest and get you excited, then I'm afraid this isn't it. It reads like a technical, engineer's history report, which, is what Mr. Carter was before he entered politics.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and yet Disappointing
Review: This book was a selection of our book club and I have to say that it was not a popular selection. 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 rather dull and banal and he struggles to build his characters effectively. 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. Unfortunately, I think his skills are not yet honed enough to make such a book more interesting to read than a text book. 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
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: A Great Man, A Thorough Historian, a Mediocre Novelist
Review: I actually enjoyed Jimmy Carter's "Hornet's Nest" thoroughly, but that may be because I am a historian and it is much more fun to read good history in a novel than in a scholarly work. If Jimmy Carter's novel reaches John and Jane Doe, then it will have served its purpose. As a novel, though, it leaves much to be desired. We really learn very little about his fictional characters, and for the man who "lusted in his heart" he seems squeamish writing about the subject. But I did learn a lot of good history about the Revolutionary War in the South and am glad I read it.
Rating:
Summary: majorly lacks character devolpment.....
Review: It's obvious that Jimmy did extensive research for the book and it could have been a really interesting read for that reason except that Jimmy did a lot of telling rather than showing, a very elementary rule not to be broken in fiction writing. Parts of the book are also overly repetitive. Often I was informed of the same fact over and over, and I had only read as far as page 50... His book reads more as an outline and a catalog of historical details. It may be hard to be in the hotseat as the editor of this book, but it is truly a shame that the editor did not do his or her job in editing. If only it could have been polished up a little bit before publishing, by fleshing out the characters more, eliminating the repetiveness and the political correctness, it would have been a more enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Carter Steps Out
Review: Mr. Carter steps out into the world of fiction. I enjoyed his venture. I think that he could have and should have given more life to Espy--the forward and somewhat headstrong young woman who enticed a slightly older young man to engage in conversation with her. She led him to her home and into her life through the offer of botinical books. It would seem that he could have given more life to this less than comunicative grown woman who traveled through the wilds with her husband and finally got close enough to conceive and bear a child. The descriptions of the conflicts and the parties involved were great and it is easy to see that the author is more comfortable with these types of descriptions than those of family interactions. He is especially not easy with a even an gentle "toss in the hay". That's all right tho' neither is half the male population I think. Over all the "Hornets Nest" is a good afternoons read and one most folks that enjoy historical novels will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Consistently Lackluster
Review: This book follows the pattern established by the former president who has once again stepped far beyond his natural skillsets. Carter is a decent, compassionate and intelligent man who was a mediocre president, at best. He is a worse author. "The Hornet's Nest is a lackluster tale, bereft of coherent plot and wanting well developed characters that effectively link history and fiction. Mr. Carter should stick to his knitting as a concerned humanitarian.
Rating:
Summary: Carter's first novel shares a finely developed view of war
Review: I found Carter's The Hornet's Nest wonderful in its narrative, predictably stilted in its dialogue, but profoundly revealing of a great man's conclusions about war: the impact that war as an option to resolve conflict has on individual humanity. With Carter's astonishing honesty, he is able to objectively portray good will on the part of the Americans, the British and the native Americans that degenerates -- on all sides -- into oppression, cruelty, and finally the destruction of The story plays out in settling disagreementcoercive force of the fabric of humanity. I wondered if he is telling the tale in order to take the reader to this truth or if it is just the result of his looking at history through his finely honed world view, but in any case, it's a rare chance to share a one man's conclusions from a life lived large. Incidentially, I also recommend a book I found in the Bahamas just as I was finishing this one, which coincidentially picks up where Carter leaves off, with a Tory family resettling in the Bahamas: Wind from the Carolinas, by Robert Wilder.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great.
Review: President Carter deserves credit for doing a novel about the southern theater of war during the American Revolution. It is time and past time that we delve into that region during this period, which is generally ignored or glossed over in our schools. The characters in this book aren't developed terribly well, and the writing seems labored at points, but since this is Carter's first novel he can be forgiven for that. I enjoyed it, and although I only gave it three stars I would recommend this novel... especially to anyone who has an interest in that particular part of our national history.
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