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Timeline
 
 

Timeline (Hardcover)

by Michael Crichton (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (149 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Century; First Edition / edition (16 Nov 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0712678255
  • ISBN-13: 978-0712678254
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 681,261 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #35 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > C > Crichton, Michael
    #53 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > C > Crichton, Michael

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
When you step into a time machine, fax yourself through a "quantum foam wormhole" and step out in feudal France circa 1357, be very, very afraid. If you aren't strapped back in precisely 37 hours after your visit begins, you'll miss the quantum bus back to 1999 and be stranded in a civil war, caught between crafty abbots, mad lords and peasant bandits all eager to cut your throat. You'll also have to dodge catapults that hurl sizzling pitch over castle battlements. On the social front, you should avoid provoking "the butcher of Crecy" or Sir Oliver may lop your head off with a swoosh of his broadsword or cage and immerse you in "Milady's Bath", a brackish dungeon pit into which live rats are tossed now and then for prisoners to eat.

This is the plight of the heroes of Timeline, Michael Crichton's thriller. They're historians in 1999 employed by a tech billionaire-genius with more than a few of Bill Gates' most unlovable quirks. Like the entrepreneur in Crichton's Jurassic Park, Doniger plans a theme park featuring artefacts from a lost world revived via cutting-edge science. When the project's chief historian sends a distress call to 1999 from 1357, the boss man doesn't tell the younger historians the risks they'll face trying to save him. At first, the interplay between eras is clever but Timeline swiftly becomes a swashbuckling old-fashioned adventure, with just a dash of science and time paradox in the mix. Most of the cool facts are about the Middle Ages and Crichton marvellously brings the past to life without ever letting the pulse-pounding action slow down. At one point, a time-tripper tries to enter the Chapel of Green Death. Unfortunately, its custodian, a crazed giant with terrible teeth and a bad case of lice, soon has her head on a block. "She saw a shadow move across the grass as he raised his ax into the air." Try not to turn the page!

Through the narrative can be glimpsed the glowing bones of the movie that may be made from Timeline and the high tech computer game that should hit the market in 2000. Expect many clashing swords and chase scenes through secret castle passages. But the book stands alone, tall and scary as a knight in armour shining with blood. --Tim Appelo

Review
After an enormous success like Jurassic Park, where next? Maybe attempting to create a new genre (techno/history?): ITC, run by megalomaniac Robert Doniger, can send people back to the past, but then, Dr Johnson gets stuck in the middle of bloodthirsty 14th century France. Familiar formula: enter tyro, intrepid hero and feisty heroine to rescue the professor: hunky Chris, Marek the Middle-Ages aficionado and intrepid Kate. Action-packed, yes but plus a series of lectures on mediaeval history and quantum physics, which distract rather than authenticating. There's little sense of time oer place, and it's ultimately more show than telling, clearly written with one eye on the film version, although that does make for an effectively vivid ending. OK, tension is artificially increased, each chapter counting down the remaining minutes, but galloping along at such speed, you get on and enjoy the ride, without worrying about any missing bits en route. (Kirkus UK)

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Customer Reviews

149 Reviews
5 star:
 (61)
4 star:
 (43)
3 star:
 (16)
2 star:
 (14)
1 star:
 (15)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (149 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars DAZZLING...IMAGINATIVE...RIVETING..., 20 Jan 2003
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Timeline (Audio Cassette)
This book is an absolute page turner. It opens with one of the most absorbing first chapters I have ever read. An elderly man is found wandering in the desert, speaking in rhyme. There is something not quite right about him. The hospital to which he is taken discovers that the anomalies do not end with just his speech. Something is very wrong with him.

Highly inventive and compelling, the reader is reeled in hook, line, and sinker, right from the get go. A wholly plot driven book, make no mistake about it, the story revolves around a highly secretive, technological corporation, ITC, headed up by a megalomaniacal, young genius, who is tooling around with quantum physics in a way that has never before been done. Our genius is spearheading a project that is truly cutting edge. Of course, he is not doing this for the betterment of mankind. He is doing it simply because it will ultimately result in mega bucks for him, if all goes according to plan. Alas, the best-laid plans often go awry.

Cut to a group of dedicated historians who are involved in an archaeological dig, located along the Dordogne River in France. Their project, the ultimate restoration of a fourteenth century, feudal town, is very generously funded by ITC. Now why would a technological giant such as ITC be funding such a project?

This is the basic premise of the book. The use of quantum physics is applied in such a way as to access the past. Here, a group of historians find themselves with the chance of a lifetime. They can actually enter fourteenth century, feudal France and experience it themselves. There is quite an adventure in store for them.

Their reason for doing so, however, is not research. They are actually on a mission to rescue their chief historian who had ventured into fourteenth century, feudal France, using ITC's technological application of quantum physics. Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, however, he found himself mired in the fourteenth century and unable to return to the present, as originally planned.

What happens to these intrepid historians will captivate the reader. Well written and thoroughly researched, those who, like me, love science fiction, as well as historical fiction, will, most likely, enjoy this book. As a devotee of medieval history, I was entranced by the historical detail contained within the novel. I also found the book somewhat reminiscent of the sci-fi television series called "Sliders", in which the concept of quantum physics is utilized in order to slide into parallel universes.

All in all, this well-written novel makes for riveting, escapist entertainment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found that I simply could not put it down!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but mindless romp, 29 Aug 2006
By Cheeky Monkey (NW England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Timeline (Mass Market Paperback)
First of all, forget the dreadful film as no book could be that bad. This is an enjoyable but somewhat daft yarn that has also the usual Crichton elements of scientific hokum, goodies, baddies and a race against time. This time there are no dinosaurs or robots gone mad, but time travelling scientists out of their depth in medieval France. It's a clever combination of innocent abroad, historical romp and techno thriller and has the usual cast of 2D characters we expect from (and forgive) Michael Crichton.

This is not a history lesson and it should not be taken as a realistic portrayal of life and conflict between the dastradly English and the noble French. It is, however, an entertaining no-brainer that is ideal fodder for long flights and holidays or when you're in need of a light-weight, enjoyable thriller that will allow your brain to coast along. Great fun but not great history.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A DAZZLING, HIGHLY IMAGINATIVE, AND ABSORBING BOOK..., 9 Jan 2003
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Timeline (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is an absolute page-turner. It opens with one of the most absorbing first chapters I have ever read. An elderly man is found wandering in the desert, speaking in rhyme. There is something not quite right about him. The hospital to which he is taken discovers that the anomalies do not end with just his speech. Something is very wrong with him.

Highly inventive and compelling, the reader is reeled in hook, line, and sinker, right from the get go. A wholly plot driven book, make no mistake about it, the story revolves around a highly secretive, technological corporation, ITC, headed up by a megalomaniacal, young genius, who is tooling around with quantum physics in a way that has never before been done. Our genius is spearheading a project that is truly cutting edge. Of course, he is not doing this for the betterment of mankind. He is doing it simply because it will ultimately result in mega bucks for him, if all goes according to plan. Alas, the best-laid plans often go awry.

Cut to a group of dedicated historians who are involved in an archaeological dig, located along the Dordogne River in France. Their project, the ultimate restoration of a fourteenth century, feudal town, is very generously funded by ITC. Now why would a technological giant such as ITC be funding such a project?

This is the basic premise of the book. The use of quantum physics is applied in such a way as to access the past. Here, a group of historians find themselves with the chance of a lifetime. They can actually enter fourteenth century, feudal France and experience it themselves. There is quite an adventure in store for them.

Their reason for doing so, however, is not research. They are actually on a mission to rescue their chief historian who had ventured into fourteenth century, feudal France, using ITC's technological application of quantum physics. Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, however, he found himself mired in the fourteenth century and unable to return to the present, as originally planned.

What happens to these intrepid historians will captivate the reader. Well written and thoroughly researched, those who, like me, love science fiction, as well as historical fiction, will, most likely, enjoy this book. As a devotee of medieval history, I was entranced by the historical detail contained within the novel. I also found the book somewhat reminiscent of the sci-fi television series called "Sliders", in which the concept of quantum physics is utilized in order to slide into parallel universes.

All in all, this well-written, plot driven novel makes for riveting, escapist entertainment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found that I simply could not put it down!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars book review
Timeline by Michael Crichton (Book Review)
This book was published in paperback by Arrow in 2006. It is a science fiction thriller that has since been made into a movie. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Annette Dunlea

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeline
Timeline is a brilliant novel that puts a realistic view of time travel. The story builds brilliantly from scientific knowledge to a really great adventure. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. S. D. Linthwaite

3.0 out of 5 stars the future is the past
Read this and saw the movie. I would have to say some part of the story were not the same as to most of the movie-book titles. Read more
Published 11 months ago by SKYW4LKER

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, entertaining read
This is first Michael Crichton book I've read. I got it as a present, and took a while to get round to reading it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Steven Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Well.....
Its a new approach for Crichton.
Medieval/Sci-fi was a combination ha actually pulled off.
Read on!
Published 14 months ago by Artemis Entreri

4.0 out of 5 stars A tense, engaging read
I found this to be a highly entertaining read. In TIMELINE Michael Crichton takes us to the Middle Ages. Read more
Published 15 months ago by B.

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
Whatever anyone tells you about this book, my recommendation-read it, you won't be dissapointed. Michael Crichton brings to life the middle ages with tales of combat and a... Read more
Published 18 months ago by M. D. Barker

4.0 out of 5 stars A Trip through History
Michael Crichton has done it again. A book you want to stay up and read. here we have historians working on a site in modern France....and through a new technology.. Read more
Published 21 months ago by M. A. Ramos

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting...
This book is amazing, although I know time travel is impossible but the story is such a catcher, and it has some very interesting points, u just can't put it down... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ms. Yunxie Wu

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a brilliant page turner!
Jamthesun writes a very good review, and I understand the points made, but for me this was a brilliant page turner, a la Harlen Coben, but with science bits. Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2007 by Mr. R. M. Davis

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