- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (April 13 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0765324024
- ISBN-13: 978-0765324023
- Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.8 x 2.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #592,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
This is the tale of Lukka, the Hittite soldier who traveled across Greece in search of the vicious slave traders who kidnapped his wife and sons. He tracks them all the way to war-torn Troy. There he proves himself a warrior to rank with noble Hector and swift Achilles. Lukka is the man who built the Trojan horse for crafty Odysseus, who toppled the walls of Jericho for the Isrealites, who stole beautiful Helen--the legendary face that launched a thousand ships--from her husband Menaleus after the fall of Troy and fought his way across half the known world to bring her safely to Egypt.
About the Author
Ben Bova is the author of more than a hundred works of science fact and fiction, including Able One, Leviathans of Jupiter and the Grand Tour novels, including Titan, winner of John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel of the year. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation in 2005, and in 2008 he won the Robert A. Heinlein Award "for his outstanding body of work in the field of literature." He is President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science Fiction Writers of America, and a former editor of Analog and former fiction editor of Omni. As an editor, he won science fiction’s Hugo Award six times. Dr. Bova’s writings have predicted the Space Race of the 1960s, virtual reality, human cloning, the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars), electronic book publishing, and much more. He lives in Florida.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
`How can one person be willing to die so that another could live?',
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Hittite (Hardcover)
Returning home from a long and brutal campaign against the Armenians, the Hittite soldier Lukka finds the Hatti Empire in chaos. The capital city, Hattusa, is in flames. Lukka's family home is destroyed, his father mortally wounded and his wife and young sons have been taken by slave traders.
Lukka and his small band of soldiers track the slavers across Greece to war-torn Troy. Here, as Lukka tries to recover his wife and sons, he becomes a warrior of the Trojan War where he fights with the Greeks in their battle for the return of Helen. The basic story outline is familiar to anyone who has read The Iliad. But there are some alternative history twists which will amuse some readers and may well annoy others. I have mixed feelings about the novel: I didn't care for the portrayal of some of the characters, especially Helen, yet I quite liked the hero Lukka. An enjoyable escapist read - if you can tolerate some changes to the story of The Iliad. Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews) 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For all the title, this is more of a retelling of "The Iliad" from a slightly different perspective,
By Kiwi - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hittite (Hardcover)
I picked this one up due to a recently acquired interest in the history of the Sumerians, Assyrians, Egypt and their neighbours. There aren't that many novels set in this period (broad as it is.....) and this seemed like it had potential. That said, I agree with many of Stuart's comments in his review - while the author seems to know his stuff, he's condensed a number of historical events for no good reason, the historical events used as background seem out of whack and chunks of the storyline seem a little forced. From the title, I was looking for a bit more in the way of "Hittite" themes and background woven into the book and that was certainly missing.
That said, ignore these failings and it's an entertaining reinterpretation of the Iliad using an "outsider" to give a different point of view. I certainly enjoyed it myself and if there's a sequel, I'd more than likely pick it up. For another (and probably the only) really good novel set in Hatti, read I, the Sun by Janet Morris, a truely excellent novel that recreates the life of the great Hittite King, Suppiluliumas. Can't speak highly enough of this book. And as for Harriet's review - I despair. As far as I can recall, there's no mention of the "Emporer" of the Hatti being stripped of his clothes. I fear Harriet may have read a publicity review or perhaps got this mixed up with another book. Truely, I shudder whenever I read a review by Harriet of a book I've just read - they seem to be taken straight from the publishers blurbs, and not particularly accurately at that! 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Hittite,
By Hank Quense - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hittite (Hardcover)
A different take on the Trojan War and a quite unique one at that. Bova has retold one of the most retold stories in literature and managed to give it fresh view. The main character, Lukka, is a Hittite officer who leads his squad of soldiers in a search for kidnapped and presumably enslaved wife and children. His search takes him to Troy where he plans to ask Priam from help in his search. Instead, he is cut off from the city by the Greek army. He enlists with Odysseus's troops and fights (and survives) against the Trojan hero, Hector. Odysseus uses Lukka as an ambassador to the Trojans twice. In the city, he meets the beautiful Helen and can't get her out his mind afterward.
Bova takes the historical figures and give us great character sketches: Achilles, Agamemnon and Menalaos are all portrayed vividly. There several twists on the usual events that are reputed to take have taken place once the walls were breached, but I'm not going to give them away. I've read a number of Trojan War stories and this has to rank up there with the best of them. Four out of five stars Tunnel Vision 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
History,romance and a twist ending!!,
By Jane Sarges "Elizabeth the biblioholic" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hittite (Hardcover)
If you love history,adventure,romance and a mystery thriller then The Hittite by Ben Bova is the book for you! Once started, I couldn't put it down. It's a real page turner,a convincing and inventive retelling of the legend of Troy. It has an interesting and believable twist! The Hittite is an adventure you'll want to undertake and be looking for more at the end of the book.
Historical figures and concepts are incorporated into the novel in an acceptable manner. Mr.Bova has done his research. He takes recently discovered facts concerning the Hittites, their empire and military proficiency and turns the myth of Troy into a believable novel. If you are a connoisseur of ancient history The Hittite will make sense and as the ending is left open there is a possibility for a sequel...I hope the author feels the same. I highly recommend this book! I read a few comments that questioned Mr. Bova's research.... if you are trully interested in the veracity of historical facts in the book then try: Trevor Bryce J.G.Mcqueen Joachim Lactaz and J.D.Hawkins to name a few. These people are experts in their field of Hittite history, archeology and language. "New evidence leads to these conclusions....recent excavations of 13th century Troy and translations of Hittite Tablets(by J.D.Hawkins)and an archelogical enterprise under the direction of of Manfred Korfman authenticates Mr.Bova's conclusions of Hittite and Tojan history and involvement. Rebutal to Stuart McCunn: The only item I agree with you is the cover art: Lukka could have been portrayed more authentically and I would rather imagine Helen for myself. It had the look of a romance novel. But I do believe that cover art is more in the hands of the publisher than the author. The story....well written or not....is your own opinoin and we are all entitled to that, although again I disagree with your analasys. I draw the line at your conjecture of historical inaccuracies. To pit another novelist as comparison...a fiction writer himself is ludicrous. Try the above named archeologists,historians and Hittite language translators who are experts in their fields.! And you will see the Mr.Bova "is on time and on target"! |
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