Customer Reviews

Deathwatch

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Deathwatch is an extremely exciting, riveting book. The main character Ben, is hired by a man named Madec as a hunting guide. Madec is hunting for big horn sheep in the Southwest. Ben doesn't like Madec, and isn't looking forward to the trip. However Madec pays well and Ben needs the money for his next year of college. Something goes wrong during the hunt and Ben ends up in a fight for survival against Madec. It usually takes me about a week to finish a book this length, but I finished this book in one weekend. The author uses vivid detail and makes you feel like you're right there in the book. He also creates a lot of suspense. You can't wait to find out what happens next. I highly suggest this book. It was very enjoyable and exciting. This is one of the best books I've ever read. It would be a good book for teachers to make required reading. It has challenging vocabulary and a good plot. Deathwatch is a great book.

I first read this book many years ago, as an assignment for English class in middle school. I remember at the time being shocked by the content of the book, and surprised that I was being assigned to read a book that was somewhat modern, startlingly graphic, and engrossing at the same time. It fascinated me and opened my eyes to a style of writing of which at that point I had not yet been exposed. Graphic subject matter aside, it remained one of my favorite reading assignments of the time.

I bought this book last year after 20 years have gone by, and was just as interested when reading it today as I was back then. While the subject matter is mature, it is not over the top. Unlike what some reviewers here have said, there certainly are people in this world who are as cruel as Madec; just read the news headlines. The overriding theme of justice prevailing, and moral decisions triumphing over lies and deceipt, makes it an enjoyable weekend read that leaves you satisfied with the conclusion. The fact that this book does not sugar-coat the harsh realities of life makes it that much more of a believable story.

My vote -- worth reading.

Ben is a college student who desperately needs money to go to college and get a good education. To get the money he needs he has to assist a cold hearted man named Madec in shooting bighorn sheep in the harsh desert. Ben tries to remain calm and keep his cool through Madec's temper and rage. All seems to be going pretty well, except when Madec causes an accident that never should have happened . Ben is blamed for the accident(which you will find out later, I don't want to ruin the book), and is caught in playing a deadly game in which he has to survive and fight to live. Wondering if Ben would survive kept me reading and turning the pages,wondering what would happen next. The details are very well written and the two characters are very different and have their own personalities which makes the book very interesting. The suspense will keep you reading this book, and if you like survival books, like the Hatchet by Gary Paulsen(which I also recommend) I would recommend this book. It certainly kept me on my toes to the very last page.

I was the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Wildlife Manager in Lake Havasu City when Robb White wrote this excellent book about the struggle between a young man and a rich businessman over a desert bighorn sheep. These sheep have always been a trophy and open to poachers because of the rugged terrain they live in -- miles from people and roads.

While this story is not true, it could be. Robb did a great job in telling a tale about what might have happened. It is a tale about ethics, honor and desert survival againt greed, poaching and death.

While the location is fiction it is based on Lake Havasu City, Arizona where Robb lived in the late 1960's but, the tale could be just as true today.

Rich

This novel is about college student named Ben, willing to guide Madec on a big hunt for big horn sheep in the desert, for extra money for school. Medec a rich hunter from California, accidently shot an old prospector that he had mistaken for a sheep. Ben, being the honest person he is, wants to report what happened to the police. Madec refuses to report it to the police. Instead of madec doing the right thing, he tries to persuade Ben to leave the body and not to tell anyone, offering him more money. Ben rejects his offer and tells Madec that he is going to tell notify the authorities. Madec forces Ben to take off his clothes and walk home without any water or food. On Ben's journey, Madec follows Ben everywhere to make sure that he doesn't get home alive. Deathwatch is a very well written novel and I would recommend you to read it. The author has a way of making you want to read the next page; he brings the characters to life and makes you a part of the story. Deathwatch is a must for people who like action in their story. The part that I liked was when Ben was honest and when he tries to make things right. I would want to read more books by Robb White.

I read this in public school and loved it...then i forgot about it and late one night 15 years later was watching a late night movie staring Andy Griffith...(I forget the movies name but it was based on this book) and i couldnt believe i was watching a movie of one of the best stories i had ever read! Madec is a big game hunter who hires Ben, a young Student to guide him for Big Horn sheep... Well, Madec shoots an old hermit in the mountains by "mistake" and when Ben refuses to take a bribe for his silence the real hunt begins and Ben is trapped with no food or water in the desert...With only his wits and a slingshot to protect himself against the sun, the sand and the man with the high powered rifle...

An amazing book and definatly a page-turner!

Well, If you like a fun, adventurous peice to read, you should definitely pick up this book.
It starts off with two men in the desert hunting bighorn. They approach a bighorn from a distance and they fire the big .328 gun.
They approach their kill only to find that it is a man. Ben thinks they should wrap it up and take it to the local sheriff. Madec has a different idea.
Please consider reading this book. I had fun reading it and you might enjoy it too. This book might make you pick up a nail bitting habit.

An impressive tale of the physical and mental struggle of a man at odds against two enemys: the desert and Madec: the man who is hunting him. A portrayal of hate and will to survive; this book accurately reveals the mental struggles that take place in both intense danger and everyday life. Deathwatch also paints this struggle with intense detail that is occasionally gruesome albiet extremelly interesting and thrilling. I savored it all. And enjoy it while it lasts. Some of the following reviews reveal too much about the story and ruined it for me. Watch Out.

I'm an English teacher and my classes thoroughly enjoy this book. Even non-readers find a level of interest that keeps them engaged. How can I find the TV movie of the same name that was shown in 1972. Help! I've been looking for years now.

This is the only book I have read by Robb White which is not set during World War II, but the author brings to it all of the brilliant characterizations and gripping situations which you will find in his other novels. This book is literally impossible to put down. White's descriptions of the way people think and act while under extreme duress are especially realistic and intense. I highly reccomend this book for anyone interested in a true page-turner. Unfortunately it seems to be the only one of White's books still in print. I guess people aren't all that interested in WWII stories anymore, which is a shame, because everything by this author deserves high praise.