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Hard Revolution (Paperback)

by George Pelecanos (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Phoenix; New Ed edition (7 Jan 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0753820358
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753820353
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 57,489 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hard Revolution is the novel George P Pelecanos was always going to write sooner or later, the book in which his fascination with the casual choices that shape human life was going to interact fully with his interest in racial politics.

Young Black cop Derek Strange has plenty of problems in the Washington of 1968--his elder brother Dennis keeps dangerous company and smokes too much dope, yet judges Derek harshly for his membership of a mostly white force radicals see as an army of occupation. Other men are making worse choices--Dominic, whom both Stranges knew when young, comes back from Vietnam with a habit of obedience and drifts into violent crime. And just around the corner is the death of Martin Luther King and the riots that follow it--riots that change the lives of Washington's whites and blacks forever.

Pelecanos has always been an intelligent writer whose thrillers are not just about crime, but have a pronounced sense of how it fits into the way individuals negotiate all of their interactions with a broader community. His books simply get better--and his sense of the musical soundtrack to people's lives gets ever more acute as well. --Roz Kaveney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

IRISH TIMES
'Hard Revolution is a superior thriller, raising issues that are still relevant in American society. It is also a fast-paced read that holds the interest right to the final page.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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8 Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Pelecanos is a great writer, 18 Feb 2008
By Andy Edwards "staxasoul" (Essex UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Pelecanos' reputation has been made writing tough action thrillers, with authentic dialogue, all notable for their equally authentic detail. Along the way he has created some memorable characters, and in "Hard Revolution" he chooses to take one of these, Derek Strange, and explore his motivations and the events that shaped him.

This story is told through those who would be most affected by, but least able to influence the momentous events of 1968. The major themes here are, unsurprisingly, racism and drugs, and their effects on the Strange family and a range of others from different backgrounds. What sets Pelecanos apart is a rare ability to write convincingly about different ethnic communities while avoiding stereotyping either the characters or their behaviour, and without slipping into sentimentality. As always, you will come to care deeply about the characters and, as always, period detail is superb, from the cars and clothes to the movies and TV programmes, but as usual with GP it is the music which is memorable - you can almost hear the Soul soundtrack of the book.

There must have been many novels written about America in the 60's, but few can have captured so accurately the feel of the times. This is not strictly an action thriller, although there is enough here to keep fans of the genre happy. Rather, it is a superb commentary on life in America in the late 60's, with much to say on the nature of Family and loyalty, justice and prejudice. Pelecanos has never been better and I cannot recommend this book highly enough
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent thriller with a solid background, 21 Mar 2005
By Peter Fenelon - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Amazon has been recommending me Pelecanos novels for some time so I thought I was long overdue to actually try one. And I now wonder why I waited so long.

"Hard Revolution", like the rest of Pelecanos' novels, is firmly rooted in the underside of Washington DC; more specifically in the Greek and African-American communities. The time is Spring 1968; the city a powder-keg about to explode into riot after the assassination of Martin Luther King.

Against this background Pelecanos weaves the stories of the Strange family, rookie policeman Derek and his Vietnam-vet brother Dennis, their father Darius, and their mother Alethea; and of veteran homicide cop Frank Vaughn. Strange and Vaughn are both trying to keep the peace in their own ways; to Vaughn, it's just a job, and an opportunity to make a few bucks on the side through - well, not exactly corruption, but irregular practices; to Strange, as a young black policeman in a city on the edge of chaos, it's a matter of identity, pride, and honour.

A splendidly detailed and richly characterised novel, with an excellent sense of time and place - a pacy noir-ish thriller which acts as an excellent introduction to the author's work.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hard Revolution - Fantastic Reading, 7 May 2004
By Dominic D. Abbott (Bilbao - Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Hard Revolution (Hardcover)
Hard Revolution may be set in the sixties but don't let that put you off. The problems of race dealt with here are as common today as they were back then and Pelicanos' style of writing keeps the story moving along at a great pace. Derek Strange, a young black man, is a moving and heroic character whose decisions in life take us on a gripping journey which is totally believable - so much so that you can imagine yourself there by his side as he struggles to do the right thing. This is a book that you will in all probability finish in one or two sittings - but you will be thinking about it for a long time after. A great read and a great buy. Cannot recommend it enough. If you are looking for an author to follow then Pelicanos is one of the best.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars superb read , great characters and a thrilling story
this is the 2nd Pelecarnos book I have read and I have to say that I am hooked

His characters develop in such a way that they seem to become real - the good and the... Read more
Published 11 days ago by welsh wizard

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable achievement
The cover sports an excerpt from 'Time Out' declaring that Hard Revolution "deserves to win an Oscar". After voraciously reading said novel I now understand what they mean. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Jack Mays

5.0 out of 5 stars Pelecanos's Best Yet
This fourth book in the Derek Strange cycle (Right as Rain, Hell to Pay, and Soul Circus precede it), finally takes longtime readers of Pelecanos to an event we've been waiting... Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2004 by A. Ross

5.0 out of 5 stars The very very best
George Pelecanos gets better and better, extraordinary for someone who writes two books every year. "Hard Revolution" brings together all of his signature themes - race, politics,... Read more
Published on 8 Jul 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Social Commentary
HARD REVOLUTION is another stunning book by Pelecanos, taking us back to the turbulent year of 1968, after first making a brief stop in 1959. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2004 by Untouchable

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