Judea has always been the crossroads and battlefield of contending nations. It is no less so in this biblical time of the Judges. Uriah Tarhund's Hittite home is destroyed by invading Greeks. His dying father tells him to go south to seek a Canaanite named Sisera. "He will help you. For my sake. . . ." Uriah is plunged into the tumult of an uneasy Judea. When he saves a young boy from being sacrificed to Moloch, he is given succor for a time by the Hebrews. Later, he finds Sisera and joins him in war against these same people. When the Canaanites are defeated, the young Hittite has the opportunity to come to peace with himself, the Hebrew people and their God.
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About the Author
JOANNE S. WILLIAMSON was born in 1926, in Arlington, Massachusetts. Though she had interests in both writing and music, and attended Barnard College and Diller Quaile School of Music, it was writing which became the primary focus for her car¬eer after college. She was a feature writer for Con¬necticut newspapers until 1965, when she moved to Kennebunkport, Maine and began to write historical fiction for young people.
In each of Miss Williamson's novels, now totaling eight with God King, she explores unusual historical slants of well-known events. In her first book, Jacobins Daughter, she tells a true story of the French Revolution; in The Eagles Have Flown, she presents a picture of Julius Caesar's time and gives a sympa¬thetic portrayal of Brutus. She has a remarkable knack for using her fictional characters and plot to make connections between real historical persons and events. In a time when history is often taught in bits and pieces these connections are a great help, not only to the younger reader, but to the older one as well. Her third book, Hittite Warrior, has been well received in its recent reprinting for just this facility in showing the inter-relatedness of the ancient Hittite, Hebrew, Canaanite and Greek peoples in the 12th century before Christ. In God King, written some years ago, but now published for the first time, similar fascinat¬ing connections are made for a later period in Israel's history.
Now interest has been rekindled in her books and in those of other writers of historical fiction. This renewal should be a great source of sat¬isfaction to the many readers, young and old, who are discovering again the fasci¬nation of man's story throughout the ages.
Joanne Williamson died July 5, 2002.
In each of Miss Williamson's novels, now totaling eight with God King, she explores unusual historical slants of well-known events. In her first book, Jacobins Daughter, she tells a true story of the French Revolution; in The Eagles Have Flown, she presents a picture of Julius Caesar's time and gives a sympa¬thetic portrayal of Brutus. She has a remarkable knack for using her fictional characters and plot to make connections between real historical persons and events. In a time when history is often taught in bits and pieces these connections are a great help, not only to the younger reader, but to the older one as well. Her third book, Hittite Warrior, has been well received in its recent reprinting for just this facility in showing the inter-relatedness of the ancient Hittite, Hebrew, Canaanite and Greek peoples in the 12th century before Christ. In God King, written some years ago, but now published for the first time, similar fascinat¬ing connections are made for a later period in Israel's history.
Now interest has been rekindled in her books and in those of other writers of historical fiction. This renewal should be a great source of sat¬isfaction to the many readers, young and old, who are discovering again the fasci¬nation of man's story throughout the ages.
Joanne Williamson died July 5, 2002.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
86 of 94 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The basic idea and plot of this book is really neat. The story is set in the Biblical time of the Judges before Israel had a king. We are introduced to a Hittite youth living in the Mediterranean about the time that Greeks, particularly those from Crete, were gaining ascendancy. The Hittites as a people are conquered and become fugitives. Our protagonist flees first to the Phoenicians and then into the hills of Judea, where he meets Deborah, the prophetess, and Berek, the Israelite general who is to defeat Sisera. He ends up fighting in the battle on the wrong side, but eventually marries a Israelite woman and settles down in the area.
On the way, we are introduced to all kinds of Hittite, Phoenician, Israelite, and Canaanite customs. We learn about their dress, their gods (particularly the dreadful Moloch), their methods of fighting, their habits of enslaving captive peoples, and so on. The book has obviously been carefully researched, and the plot is plausible and interesting.
I give the book three stars because the writing is terrible. The fact that the book is for children does not excuse this. Sentences are frequently awkward in construction, and the book reads like a first draft. For instance, the writer will say something like, "The warrior rushed towards me, and I hit him with a stick that I had picked up several moments ago before he attacked me." That's a paraphrase, but you see what I mean. Why on earth weren't we told about the stick BEFORE the warrior rushed towards him? It's as thought the writer just thought of the weapon, and instead of putting the event in it's proper place, she flings it in as an afterthought. This kind of sloppy editing occurs throughout the text. As imaginative fiction, it's great, but this book is NOT a good example for kids to follow in style, editing, or structure.
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful
A Kid's Review
Format:Paperback
.
...at the enormity of the sacrilege.'
Hittite Warrior tells about a Hittite boy, Uriah Tarhaund, and his adventures after his family is killed by the Greeks, or as they are refered to, the 'Sea People'. Told by his father, he promised to go to Siseria, a man in Canaan. He is brought to Tyre to be rewarded for saving a merchant from thieves. He is 'adopted' into the family. One of the servants of the merchants father, Ethbaal, saves a child from being sacrificed to their God, Moloch. Forced by the servant, Jotham, to come with him, he lives with Jotham's Hebrew tribe for a while. Keeping his promise, Uriah went to Siseria but was captured on the way. After being released he took part in defending Canaan from the Hebrews. He loses the battle and retreats across the river Kishon to Dor in the company of another soldier. He returns to Ethbaal to save his daughter, Mehitable, from the Philistines. The end of the story is very touching. I found the tale extremely intriguing. It had some facts regarding the structures of buildings, the chariots, etc... There is, for those of you who like war, a battle in the story. I find it a very good book for a person in their early teens.
I also recommend: The Cat of Bubastes (G. A. Henty), For the Temple (G. A. Henty), The Golden Goblet (Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm a mom of three home-schooled girls, and I bought the book for them. I decided to read the first few pages to make sure that the reading level was appropriate for my oldest. I couldn't put it down! From the very beginning, the author gets you interested in this Hittite young man. The descriptions of the battles were interesting without being upsetting to children. Besides battles, there are horses, spies, lots of interesting information about what it might have been like to live during this time in history, and some good plot twists.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Accurate, but...
Maybe I shouldn't review just yet because I'm not totally sure how I feel about this book. It is historically accurate and does a good job of showing the different peoples and... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Sasha Takis
5.0 out of 5 stars
brings history to life!!
We bought this for our 11 year old (who reads well above 12th grade level). It's very easy to read, I found myself reading it and loving it. Our 14 year old boy also enjoyed it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by tughugmama
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hittite Warrior
My son and I love it!! very historical and very loosely based on a story from the Bible you might have heard about in Sunday School. Gives a very interesting point of view
Published 5 months ago by mrsroadog
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved by young and old alike!
I read this book aloud to my 11 year old daughter and my 16 year old quickly joined in! My 11 year old even put "Biblical history fiction books" on her Christmas list because this... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lynn
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for older grade schoolers or high schoolers
This book combines action with a story line of betrayal upon betrayal, weaving a net of characters that includes Biblical leaders: Deborah and Barak. Read more
Published 11 months ago by M. Heiss
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating!
This book actually holds my son's interest! He even asks me if he can have reading time now (we homeschool and I'm the schedule-keeper). Read more
Published on October 8, 2009 by Alexandra
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cleverly written
"Hittite Warrior" tells the tale of a young noble Hittite, Uriah, who is orphaned when his land is overrun by the mysterious and savage Sea People. Read more
Published on August 10, 2007 by Florentius
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Historical Fiction
An excellent resource for learning ancient history and the Old Testament. Really shows how wicked the Canaanite peoples were and why God commanded that the Israelites not be... Read more
Published on May 18, 2007 by W Burroughs
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING!
This is an amazing book. It almost beats my Harry Potter books it's so good! I finished it yesterday at the DENTIST, of all places. You see..... Read more
Published on March 16, 2007
3.0 out of 5 stars
Generally fairly good, but the ending needed work
Hittite Warrior is an original book set in the thirteenth century BCE. It is perhaps the only childrens' book in print in which the main character is a Hittite, by name Uriah, who... Read more
Published on August 28, 2006 by John C. Hughes
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