Revelation [Paperback]

Bill Napier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2000

When British scientist, Dr Fred Findhorn, is offered a king's ransom by a Japanese corporation to retrieve a briefcase from a Russian military aircraft that crashed fifty years ago, he's naturally intrigued. But finding the briefcase is the start of a deadly race against time as rival groups all stake their claims to its contents - the diary of Lev Petrosian, an East European wartime refugee who worked on the development of the hydrogen bomb. But Petrosian discovered something else - something that could change the course of human history, or put a very sudden end to it...

Editorial Reviews

Review

 "Fans of Dan Brown take note."--Jack DuBrul on Splintered Icon

"Deftly mixing history, science, and fiction, Napier keeps the action escalating."--Publishers Weekly

"The most exciting book I have ever read." --Arthur C. Clarke on Nemesis

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

 "Fans of Dan Brown take note."--Jack DuBrul on Splintered Icon

Fred Findhorn has just landed on an unstable Arctic iceberg to dig through the wreckage of a 1944 Russian military aircraft. His mission: to recover the frozen body of brilliant atomic scientist Lev Petrosian and a briefcase, containing top-secret documents about the clandestine meeting to which he was headed before the crash ...

REVELATION

But, as Findhorn is about to discover, there are other scientists, government officials, and rogue operatives who will do anything to learn Petrosian's secrets--and are willing to kill to keep them buried.

"Deftly mixing history, science, and fiction, Napier keeps the action escalating."--Publishers Weekly

"The most exciting book I have ever read." --Arthur C. Clarke on Nemesis

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Feature (December 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747259941
• ISBN-13: 978-0747259947
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,525,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Novel, July 3, 2010

By 

Hope for the Best "Hope for the Best" (California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revelation (Mass Market Paperback)

Superbly written and intelligently plotted thriller that is so well done that it may rank with some of the best ever published. While the thrills certainly are there, it is the depth of characterization and stark realism achieved by the author that truly astounds. Napier is an undiscovered treasure and an author I will seek out in the future. If any of his other novels come close to this triumphal work, they will be worth any effort to find. Napier has breathed new life into the genre as well as elevating it to the level of fine literature.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good story idea, weak characters, October 21, 2008

By 

R. Thomas "Rainman" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revelation (Mass Market Paperback)

A scientist named Findhorn inexplicably is contracted to go find "something" buried in a floating iceberg, finds it, bad people want it and he bumbles along thru various close-shaves to a luke-warm conclusion... along the way you get a historical perspective of what it was like to be a displaced east-european scientist shortly after WWII.

The historical sections were the most entertaining parts of the book, made me want to read more about that era. The modern characters needed much more filling out, very two dimensional, little background... they are just plopped in and you're expected to embrace them. Lastly the Findhorn character really needs to be renamed "Findballs" as he's an embarassment to men (particularly Scotsmen) everywhere.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Story Marred By Atrocious Writing, October 28, 2008

By 

Fred Rayworth (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revelation (Mass Market Paperback)

I didn't go into this book blind. I'd read The Lure and knew Mr. Napier's writing style was atrocious. I also said I'd be glad to read another of his books. Despite the lack of writing discipline, he can still weave a good story, and this one was no exception.

I heard similar theories about igniting the atmosphere back in the 60's, and this falls right in line with that paranoid possibility. Our hero, Findhorn faces the dilemma of endless energy versus the risk of wiping out life on earth.

There was just enough details and logic to make the unbelievable believable as Findhorn plods around the world, trying to figure out the clues. It was a stretch to see how easily this mild mannered scientist just slipped through the grip of huge international killers, not to mention a group of religious fanatics. Mr. Napier also draws the supporting characters as untrustworthy, though that may or may not be how they end up. I never knew who was really on his side until the end. In particular is his sidekick, Romella. Half the time I thought she was a CIA plant, or working for the bad guys.

As for the writing, well, where do I start? He mixes points of view with abandon, uses plenty of was's, tells and doesn't show, and what really got me was near the end, he inexplicably changes to present tense! I'll never understand how such bad writing got through an editor, but then again, as a struggling writer, I may never understand the true nature of the publishing world.

Overall, the average reader will likely not even be aware of the faults I've pointed out in the writing style. Looking at it as a great story, and despite a few flaws in logic, Revelation is well worth the time to sit down and read it. I have no trouble recommending this to those looking for a good thriller.