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by Jim DuFresne
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by American College of Obstetricians and Gy
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by Bil Keane
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by Edgar Rice Burroughs
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Red Sands
by Victor Milan
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Warner Books (1993-01)
ISBN: 0446358401
EAN: 9780446358408
Dewy Decimal #: 813
Paperback: 416 pages
SKU: mon0000028662
Condition: Good
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Customer Reviews
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Memorable and creative
Rating  (5)
Date: 2006-04-01
One doesn't encounter many books like this. Although written in 1993, Red Sands is rather prescient in several regards: Russia's attempts to reabsorb some of its neighbors and the rise of the internet.
At heart, this is a book about freedom, and Milan's depiction of a world run by bureaucratic dictatorships is a libertarian's nightmare. The most shocking aspect of this is his depiction of a police state America. At heart, he seems to suggest that this is the point all welfare state must eventually reach - a debatable conclusion, naturally.
Red Sands begins with its protagonists unclear - we are introduced to Little Alex/Fast Eddie, Timur, Francis Marron, General Karponin and others. Frankly, it takes a bit of time to sort the good guys from the bad guys. The first two thirds of the book - dealing with a rebellion in Central Asia led by the enigmatic Timur - have a markedly different tone than the third. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the intrigue - all is not what it seems, and Milan reserves some nice surprises.
Characterization is a pleasant aspect of this book. Timur the conflicted revolutionary is a rather memorable character - in this respect, Red Sands recalls other such depictions, such as in Frank Herbert's Dune series. The main protagonist, Eddie/Alex, is credibly and humorously rendered. Milan's writing has a sly wit to it that helps things along. Some characters are, perhaps, a bit underdeveloped - we don't see as much of Karponin as we should, and the French journalist character is simply bizarre. Nonetheless, Red Sands is an innovative, original, well plotted thriller, relying on human drama and political intrigue, not bland depictions of technology.
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Post Modern Epic in the Mideast
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-08-06
Buy this book. It is a gem of a read, and has a heavy "mideast" and "patriot act" America flavor. Victor Milan outdid himself on this one. Written in 1993, it shows the problems that a modern army has fighting in the Mideast, and it indicates one possible future for America that is frighteningly accurate.
Buy this book.
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