Customer Reviews

Kolchak's Gold

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

 

 

This is another 1970s classic. A great read for the 300 page conventional thiller. I mean conventional because it has all the hallmarks of the 1970s thriller genre.

What sets it apart, however, is Garfield's plot developments. He takes the conventional "begin at the bginning" or "in media reas" conventions and disposes of them by jumping around from perspective and times. The other thing I like about this book is its pure inventiveness of plot - when it is not doing action scenes but more the historical perspective - it sounds like it is true.

Characterisation is good (not the cardboard of so many of the thrillers of this era). There also appears to be real research here and a fondness for the subject - the White Russsians after the 1917 revolution.

Considering that this piece came from the writer of Death Wish, which a detestable book, and subsequent film, Garfield has triumphed here. The only reason there are 4 stars and not 5 is that, like the others of its age it is too short - a little more would have been good, say another 50 pages.

Extremely entertaining and informative. What can I say...its one of the best novels I have read...right up there with "The day of the Jackal" My paperback copy has lost its front cover cause my kid tore it up but I still kept the book. I must have read this book 5 times. Spielberg (did I spell his name right?) should make a movie out of this book!

Kolchak's Gold was very entertaining. If you are a history buff, this will be a great book for you to read. It has a very exciting conclusion but I felt that the middle lacked suspense and adventure. It really got going at the end and the end of the story may have been one of the best I have ever read. I recommend this to an extent. If you don't have a long attention span and you may get discouraged during the somewhat unexciting stages, I do not reccomend it. For everyone else it is a must read novel forit is very well written.

A great read (300 pages) for a conventional thiller.

Having said that, it has a slow start, a rapid middle (almost too frenzied fast) and a very slow ending. The author leaves room for a sequel and it should make a great movie.

Wonderful plot and theory, a few scattered survivors of the detachment guarding the gold during the russian civil war - the book is well researched - exchange the information in return for sparing their village. The German's put together a "sonderkommando" to get the gold from behind Russian lines but disappear just behind the forward edge of the battle area (FEBA) - there were no "3 wolf moon t-shirts" back then. The CIA, KGB and Mossad all get into the act.

This is a novel that can be read multiple times. ;)