Customer Reviews

Hittite Warrior (Living History Library)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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...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)

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 flees his crumbling kingdom and ends up with family friends in the Phoenician city of Tyre. Kidnapped by Israelites from the interior, Uriah gains a unique insight into the two-sidedness of the war that follows.

Sadly, this so far fun read stumbles and falls when it reaches the ending. Inexplicably, the book abruptly changes direction and the ending simply does not make sense in conjunction with the rest of the story, perhaps because the moral behind the book didn't fit with the plot with the plot; Uriah's actions made little sense and the Hebrews' less. It wasn't terrible - it had a good message about forgiveness - but it very badly needed streamlining with the rest of the story, and the characters' motives could have done with much more attention. For me, it just seemed too implausible and somewhat soured my experience of the novel, which was a shame.

The characterisation of this book was competent, although some of the characters felt a little lifeless. The writing strategy was equally competent - a previous reviewer has correctly pointed out it's occasional clumsiness, but by in large it keeps the book going. This book's real strength and driving force was it's plot, which was full of adventure, action, and fascinating descriptions of civilisations neglected by history. Overall, a just about worthwhile read for anyone under the age of 13 or so.

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.....I had to take it with me everywhere I went. I really like to read about this time era....it interests me so much. I would rather read this book again than watch TV. If you interested in reading it.....take my word for it....it's GREAT!

Takes an obscure period, and an obscure people and makes an interesting story. Historical fiction such as this is much more fun than textbooks. It's very readable with enough action to keep the attention of young readers. This clarifies who the Hittites were, where they lived and what happened to them.

Uriah-Tarhund was a Hittite boy who lived near ancient Mesopotamia. Uriah's family is heartlessly killed by the invading Phoenicians and Uriah is left with no one, so he follows his father's dying wish that he flee to the home of Sisera in the neighboring land of Canaan. This book tells his adventures on the way and how the events lead him to turn away from the gods and goddesses he followed as a child and believe in the Hebrew God.

He encounters a family in Tyre that must sacrifice their young nephew Jabin to the terrible god Moloch to appease him and thus bring easier days to their city. Uriah unintentionally becomes involved in a plot to rescue Jabin, and while traveling in secret with them, gets caught, and taken as prisoner to the very house and person and city he had been trying to reach.

When Sisera, the king, realizes who Uriah is, he uses any excuse he can to set him free. As payment for Sisera's kindness and protection, he agrees to go to battle with the Canaanites against the Hebrews. Before the battle, he becomes friends with an Egyptian, Amos. They lose the battle, and Uriah and Amos are the only survivors. Uriah goes to Tyre, where he rescues Jabin's cousin from marrying a cruel Philistine and brings her to Jotham, her true love and the one who stole Jabin. He then finds that he doesn't have any respect whatsoever for the gods of his childhood, especially Moloch, but that all the events of his life have been leading him to the realization that the God of the Hebrews is the One true God, and that the real God wouldn't want human sacrifices.

I liked this book because it taught me about lots of different interesting cultures and at the same time, it told a really great story. I think the author wrote this book to tell us to stand firm in what we believe in, but also to look at all the different answers. I hope that you'll read The Hittite Warrior.

I REALLY recommend this book!

This story was among my favorite books. It is about a Hittite Lord whose land was captured by the Sea People so he flees to Tyre and makes some friends and then later has to leave and does many other things in the land of Cannan such as fights in a battle, is taken prisoner by the Egyptians and believes in the one God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This book will thrill you from beginning to end and you won't want to put it down, trust me!

"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. Escaping to the south, Uriah comes to live with a family in Tyre, then under the domination of Egypt--the perennial enemies of the Hittites. Though he scorns writing and ciphering of the Tyrian traders at first, Uriah quickly learns to appreciate their skills.

However, the gruesome, child-devouring cult of Moloch is alive and well in Tyre and eventually, Uriah and his Hebrew companion Jotham run afoul of the priests and are forced to flee to the wilderness, having saved young Jabin who was meant for the sacrifice. There they become entangled in the battle between Sisera of Harosheth and the Hebrews under Barak and the prophetess Deborah. How Uriah comes through this battle and which side finally claims his loyalty is the key conflict of "Hittite Warrior."

This is exactly the kind of book I would have enjoyed reading as a kid. Heck, even as an adult, I had a great time with it. I found the characters to be complex and well fleshed-out. The plot was interesting and kept you guessing. I especially liked the first person narrative style--something that's not often seen these days. I thought it brought an intimacy to the character of Uriah and helped display his cultural quirks. The author clearly did a tremendous amount of research and I appreciated how she tied all the ancient stories, myths, and archaeological detail together with the record from the Scriptures.

Some other reviewers have complained about the writing style. While the prose is occasionally awkward, it is certainly no more so than that of the Harry Potter series and it did not dampen my enthusiasm for this book, nor stunt my reading speed in any way. Simply put, this is a great book for kids 10 and up--my own will be reading it when they're old enough.

This is a great book for understanding the events of the old testament. I read it to my 5 year old and he really enjoyed the battles and the story's relation to factual information in the Bible. Worth the 3 weeks of reading.