The Aesculapian [Hardcover]

Dan Cloud (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

This tale of political intrige is interwoven with power, romance, tobacco cartels, corrupt societies, murder, and the betrayal of American medicine for financial fortunes on offshore bank accounts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Given his experience as the former head of the AMA, Cloud seems well qualified to fictionalize some of the recent crises that have plagued the powerhouse medical organization, although this fast-paced debut thriller is hindered by stiff and hackneyed prose. Cloud's protagonist is a Phoenix thoracic surgeon, Joe Hawkins, who finds himself thrust into the national spotlight when the AMA's sexy young PR director, Kate Murphy, sees him at a local civic function and decides he's the perfect person to deliver a response speech after a presidential attack on corrupt doctors. Hawkins succeeds with a vengeance, so much so that he finds himself being drafted for a leadership role in the AMA, much to the chagrin of Letitia Jordan, the brilliant but power-hungry current president of the medical organization. As Hawkins reluctantly builds his power base, he slowly learns of deep-seated corruption within the AMA, which extends to members of Congress and includes a diabolical involvement with Japanese organized crime. After Hawkins's wife dies when her car runs off the road, he discovers that Jordan herself might have been responsible for what was clearly not an accident. The extent of AMA corruption emerges during a business junket that also includes a gooey whirlwind romance between Hawkins and Kate Murphy. The trip culminates with a revelation in Japan that sets up a surprise ending. Cloud has most of the right stuff for a second career writing medical suspense novelsAspecialized knowledge and a flair for non-stop action, but he needs to enliven his prose. (Dec.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Considering all the scandals the AMA has weathered in recent years, this plot line may sound like it's been ripped from today's headlines. However, it's from a work of fiction, an action novel titled The Aesculapian, named for the followers of the Greek god of healing. Author Dan Cloud said, 'The characters portrayed and their activities are purely imaginary.' Still, the book has a certain ring of authority about the inner workings of the AMA. After all, the first-time novelist is Dr. Daniel Cloud, who served as AMA president in 1981-82. During his presidency, Cloud encountered some storms after giving a speech that called on American medicine to do more to stop the tobacco epidemic. He was attacked by no less than tobacco champion Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.). Cloud ran afoul of an unwritten gentlemen's agreement to work together between the congressional tobacco bloc and the AMA's top brass. Some of the history comes through in his yarn. However, Cloud said that even though the protagonist is like him a surgeon from Phoenix, the book 'is not autobiographical.' With strongly developed characters, crisp dialogue and fast-paced plot, The Aesculapian ties together the tobacco cartel, the Japanese crime syndicate, the CIA, the president of the United States, love affairs involving AMA leaders and the very future of American health. The Aesculapian should have insiders trying to separate fact from fiction and guessing who's who" -- Chicago Sun-Times, Sept. 4, 1998

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Frederic C Beil (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913720984
• ISBN-13: 978-0913720981
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,078,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Nov. 15, 1999:, November 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Aesculapian (Hardcover)

"Given his experience as the former head of the AMA, Cloud seems well qualified to fictionalize some of the recent crises that have plagued the powerhouse medical organization, . . . Cloud has most of the right stuff for a second career writing medical suspense novels--specialized knowledge and a flair for non-stop action."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Pediatric Surgeon Fights AMA, January 8, 2002

By 

Mike Lubinski (Orange, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Aesculapian (Hardcover)

Exciting book! Obviously written by a physician and someone who was an insider at the AMA. Great mystery, good character development, and quite an ending! I highly recommend this book!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the most wonderful book I have ever read!!, August 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Aesculapian (Hardcover)

I cannot say enough about this book! It is sooooo wonderful! This book is full of every element you could possibly want in a story. It has romance, adventure, intrigue, and everything else you could imagine. I hope that everyone reads this book and gets as much out of it as I did. If you love classic stories about adventure, suspense, and romance this is definately the book for you!! Dan Cloud is a genious!!