Customer Reviews

When the Almond Tree Blossoms

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a masterpiece. Not only is the writing good, but the story is scary and realistic. The "fiction" of which Aikman wrote is just around the corner if "liberal" leftists take over the country. All one has to do is look at the totalitarianism in the schools, media and govermment wherever the leftists are in charge. Imagine a government where mere speech is a crime; where being a "white" person is grounds for discrimination and hatred; where perverted sex acts are taught in schools. The horrors of the left could become a reality if the people fail to remain vigilant. Read this book and tremble.

Aikman's insight and knowledge is nothing more than amazing. His forcast might be a little to soon but how far is he from the truth. With an ever increasing power in Iran, plus the possible rise of nationalist in Russia his knowledge gives a chilling look at a possible future. The ending would be better if a sequel were iminent but since one has not been written it lacks any finality. Yet, I would strongly recommend the book for any student of history and world politics.

I originally purchased the book in 1995 and was overwhelmed by the believable possibilities. Naturally, the story has lingered with me waiting patiently for some conclusion, and by now I'm not sure there ever will be one. But that doesn't change the impact that this half-completed image of our possible future has.

Now that I've read it for the second time, and see many of the proposed dates have passed us by, I'm still struck by the vision that Mr. Aikman has shown. Now the question is not whether our government could be overthrown by socialists, but whether there will be any resistance at all to American socialism.

The first time I read it, I was struck by the pessimism about America's short term future. Now it seems that I'm take by his optimism concerning the long term. Will America learn the lessons of freedom and morality (not a contradiction), or will it continue it's course of choosing security over liberty? While this doesn't seem directly related to the book, it shows the impact that it's ideas can still render. That's my test of a book - will it still be able to challenge my thoughts the next time I read it? This book has that ability.

I have no doubt that ten years from now I will enjoy looking again into this world of Nationalist Russia (not such a ridiculous thought now as it was then), China turning towards freedom (which is what some hope to accomplish by establishing a more friendly relationship), and America at war with herself. And when I do, I will once again consider the long-term courses that the world powers are taking.

Now to my complaints. In my hardback copy there are many cases of missing quotation marks (frustrating), a few changes of spelling (as another reviewer pointed out), and the terrible absence of a conclusion. It's as if he simply ran out of paper. The book is wrapped up in about three pages while leaving the majority of questions unanswered. In fact, after first reading it, I set about to find the obvious sequel. But there was not one then, and there is not one now. For those who've advocated a movie adaptation - someone had better write and ending before the thought is even presented to a studio.

Aikman holds an accurate pulse on world politics. An expert in Soviet affairs, he has painted a frightening landscape of a possible future -- a world in which the fragility of American power is tested. This is a marvelous novel, a thinking mans story that is far more chilling than the works of his less-informed contemporaries. This book should be read, both for fun and enlightenment! PAY ATTENTION HOLLYWOOD -- WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE MOVIE!!!

It's no wonder Aikman has written cover stories for TIME. His knowledge of geography and political history as well as the "political future" made this book come alive. Well done, Mr. Aikman!!

I'm glad to see some other Amazonians remember and like this futuristic political novel. Aikman was a reporter when he wrote this and it shows - there's great detail in the imagined future of life in a quasi-communist America. Because the book doesn't completely demonize its villians (the socialists who seize power and become less democratic) or sanitize its heroes (the freedom fighters in the west), it fares better than other stories in this vein (like the tv mini-series "Amerika"). It's interesting that when he wrote this (before 1988) the author forsaw the pro-democracy movement coming to China (which would arise and, at least temporarily, be crushed in 1989). I think this was Aikman's first novel, and as a result sometimes the dialog is a little choppy, but if you're into this kind of stuff this is one worth hunting the used book stores (or used book web sites!) for.

This is one scary book. It's not Steven King, but it's much more frightening. King scares you while you read it, then you forget about it and go about your business. The terror of this book stays with you AFTER you put it down. I found myself wondering what the hero, Doug Richfield, would do next. He could be you or me, caught up in a wonderland of rapidly shifting political intrigues. Cool stuff of the highest caliber. When you pick it up you won't put it down. This would make a great flick!!!!!!

It's eerie that this book was written in 1993 and mirrors today's times. It pitts Constitutionalists (Tea Party?) against People's Movement (Obama care, Socialism?) Aikman did see the future! Interested in more of his writings.

Wow! Excellent read, picked it up at a used bookstore, mostly because the title caught my eye.
I recommend it to anyone who like a good read in the military/espionage genre.

The pace of the book is very uneven. When it focuses on the espionage part it is for the most part at least somewhat interesting, but too often when it's getting interesting, Aikman stops the action to go into overlong descriptions of life in a submarine, or General Hodges's life story. On the other hand, he never really lets us get to know Ritchfield, the main character very well. Not enough at least for me to really care about him. There's also several examples of repetition, where the author explains things he's already explained. But apart from the slow pace, the biggest problem is probably that the book leaves way too many loose ends. Like the most obvious question, who won the war in the end? It's like there was supposed to be a sequel that was never written. I would not recommend buying this book.