Amazon.com: No Certain Rest (9780641604522): Jim [Signed] Lehrer: Books

Book Description

Publication Date: 2002

"On a ridge overlooking Burnside Bridge - the focus of the Battle of Antietam - souvenir hunters find the unmarked grave of an unknown Union officer." "Don Spaniel, an archeologist in the National Park Service, is called in to examine the remains. He soon discovers that the officer was murdered and that his identification disk could not possibly belong to him, since its rightful owner is buried elsewhere. So who was this officer? Where did he come from? And why was he killed?" Spaniel's obsessive investigation leads not only to his reliving the horrible carnage that occurred at Burnside Bridge over a century before, but to the true identity of the Union officer and the reason why another body resides in his grave in a small New England town.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } "On a ridge overlooking Burnside Bridge - the focus of the Battle of Antietam - souvenir hunters find the unmarked grave of an unknown Union officer." "Don Spaniel, an archeologist in the National Park Service, is called in to examine the remains. He soon discovers that the officer was murdered and that his identification disk could not possibly belong to him, since its rightful owner is buried elsewhere. So who was this officer? Where did he come from? And why was he killed?" Spaniel's obsessive investigation leads not only to his reliving the horrible carnage that occurred at Burnside Bridge over a century before, but to the true identity of the Union officer and the reason why another body resides in his grave in a small New England town.

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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

Average Customer Review

2.6 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Blend of History and Mystery, September 5, 2002

By

Wilkie Collins (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Certain Rest: A Novel (Hardcover)

I am a great fan of Jim Lehrer's work. His book, White Widow, is an American classic. No Certain Rest is very different, but as rewarding. A quietly searing search for the truth about one of the worst battles of the Civil War, the book deals in another kind of obsession. Lehrer comes to his subject with a wealth of historical knowledge and he writes with a crispness and an economy that makes this book a deceptively easy read -- a page turner -- when, in fact, its themes and characters are complex. This book is for Civil War buffs and novices alike. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it as one of Lehrer's best.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for history and mystery buffs!, September 4, 2002

By

Bonnie Jo Davis "Loves to read and review books!" (Southern CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: No Certain Rest: A Novel (Hardcover)

No Certain Rest is a modern day novel focusing on a Civil War mystery. The main character, Dr. Spaniel, is a government archeologist who is brought in to work on an unidentified set of remains discovered accidentally by relic hunters near the battle of Antietam. The overall mystery is fascinating as is the details included in a letter written by a civil war survivor who is a character in the book. The book provides authentic details of the war that are a bit gruesome and the dialogue is a bit stilted and dry but overall I enjoyed the book.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Lehrer ain't no Hemingway., March 2, 2005

By

Buccaneer (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Certain Rest: A Novel (Paperback)

I love Jim Lehrer's news program, and I had heard that he was a prolific writer, and I am a passionate student of Civil War history, so you can imagine my delight when I saw this book for sale at the giftshop at the Antietam National Battlefield, having just visited Burnside's Bridge. The cover blurb was fascinating, the story looked fun -- and the book is 10% off at the park!

Alas, I must add my voice to the chorus here. Mr. Lehrer ain't no Hemingway. The story begins well, then rapidly begins introducing one-dimensional characters and implausible plot twists. I finished the book wishing that the story had ended a chapter or two earlier.

A final comment: if Mr. Lehrer wanted to deeply address the subject of futile infantry charges, ordered by incompetent commanders and made inevitable by gaps between technology and tactics, there are far better historical places where he could have done so -- all within easy reach of Mr. Lehrer's home in Washington. Frederickburg and Cold Harbor come to mind, but I'm sure there are many others.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
I found the story to be interesting and intriguing, and well-researched. You know Lehrer has walked the battlefield and crossed the Burnside Bridge over the Antietam Creek. Read more

Published 18 months ago by Joseph H. Race

2.0 out of 5 stars No Certain Rest
Never having read Mr. Lehrer but being an admirer of his work on Public Television I had looked forward to this read. Alas, it proved to be a disappointment. Read more

Published 21 months ago by kofigan

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book...ending a bit strange
This was a good, easy to read mystery, even if you are not a Civil War buff. But the ending seemed like quite a stretch. Read more

Published on November 16, 2008 by G. Leon

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't quit your day job!
Now I know why Jim Lehrer hasn't quit his day job! Alas, I just wasn't impressed with this book, although I really wanted to be. Read more

Published on January 22, 2008 by Mara Zonderman

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Just a Civil War Novel, but a Darn Good Read
This is a very interesting novel that captures both the ferocity of the Battle of Antietam and intensity of feelings that people have about the Civil War. Read more

Published on March 18, 2006 by Scott Hercher

4.0 out of 5 stars love it
I read it while living in Virginia near many of the Civil War battle fields, I found this story extremely interesting. It put a very different twist on the battle.

Published on March 9, 2006 by K. Jarvis

1.0 out of 5 stars DISAPPOINTMENT AND THEN SOME
Jim Leher's novel was a great disappointment to me. An individual so accomplished, articulate and engaging left all that behind when he sat down to write this novel. Read more

Published on January 4, 2006 by george danskin

4.0 out of 5 stars Antietam revisited
This is a short novel dealing with a puzzle from America's past. A pair of relic hunters are searching the Antietam battlefield, and find a skeleton with a bullet hole through its... Read more

Published on September 30, 2003 by David W. Nicholas

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Premise.....Ok Execution
Jim Lehrer has spun a great premise that grabbed me as a fan of both the Civil War and good fiction.

Human remains are found on the Antietam Battlefield by relic hunters. Read more

Published on September 18, 2003 by Wayne A. Smith

3.0 out of 5 stars Average, but a Decent Value at the Amazon Price
I enjoyed the reading experience, for the most part. As with many 3 star experiences, there are pro and con opinion points. Read more

Published on August 5, 2003 by J. Galt

› See all 24 customer reviews...

Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
She said she would be the short, dumpy blond woman carrying a thin, green leather valise. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
relic hunters, certain rest, bloodiest day

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
East Preston, Eleventh Connecticut, Doctor Spaniel, Albert Randolph, Kenneth Allbritten, Fred Mackenzie, Jim Allbritten, Park Service, Lieutenant Allbritten, Faye Lee, Don Spaniel, Colonel Doleman, Burnside Bridge, Roland Mackenzie, Reg Womach, North Carolina, Captain Griswold, Colonel Kingsbury, Lieutenant Kenneth, New York, Thaddeus Farm, United States, Henry Milliken, Cedar Run, Marjorie Reston

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