The book is based on the premise that Christopher Columbus was a Jew who left Spain with the treasures from the Temple and took them to the New World (Jamaica) where they were hidden and protected by the Levite.
It is also a story of family dynamics between a father and his father and his daughter. In the story there are also gangsters, Voodoo rituals, a trip to Prague and Cuba and of course, people get killed. In the end Mr. Berry tells us what he had invented (surprisingly little) to move the story along and how much of it was based on historical fact. I found it a fascinating read and I have a person in mind to loan it to. It will make the rounds of my friends but it is going to have my seal put in it so that it will come back to me some day.
I have now switched gears. I started Robert Caro's The Passage of Power a book about Lyndon Johnson. I think I have under-appreciated Johnson in the past and this is one way to increase my knowledge of this great man. I started the introduction at supper last night and will take it with me to North Carolina. It is only 604 pages, since I have chosen not to partake of the side trips at Charlotte I imagine I shall have time to read.
I am looking forward to the trip. Jon is going to take care of Lady Molly while I am gone.
3 comments:
I recently started reading Caro's previous volume in his LBJ series, "Master of the Senate" and I am really looking forward to getting to v.4. Excellent biography! -Jason
"The Columbus Affair" is a stand alone novel from Mr. Berry that does not include his usual protagonist Cotton Malone, although there are some references to the organization involved with Mr. Malone. We have in this book a wrongly disgraced world famous reporter who is at the end of his rope when he discovers that his daughter has been kidnaped and he must help the kidnappers or she will be killed.
That's the beginning of a very suspenseful ride through history, and the story of Columbus and the "discovery' of the New World. The author postulate some really unusual wrinkles to the Columbus life story, including his supposed real name and what he really was doing sailing West Across the Atlantic in 1492. Red herrings abound in this book, and we get the usual world travelogue as the action goes from the United States, to Austria, the Czech Republic, and Jamaica. Along the way we meet many different characters, all of whom appear to be fully drawn, and with sufficient back story to make them believable.
"The Columbus Affair" is a book that caught my eye recently on bookreportradio(dot)com...my newly-found suggester of books to read. I only discovered the site after the book had been highlighted on the radio show, but listened to the show in the website's archives. They also had an interview with Steve Berry, and he really seems to research his subject matter fully! For those interested, the Book Report is a weekly radio show with fast-moving, fun and interesting author interviews, reviews,etc. You can find details at bookreportradio(.)com.
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