The Amber Room is one of the greatest treasures ever made by man: an entire room forged of exquisite amber, from its four massive walls to its f...
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Mar 03, 2008
Andy
rated it: 
A mediocre novel at best. If you're looking for a reasonably entertaining book for a long airplane ride then this might do the trick. Otherwise, I think there are much better books of this genre out there. While the concept of recovering lost art treasures that were looted by the Nazis in WWII is a fascinating one, and the historical info about the actual Amber Room is also quite interesting, the author just can't put it all together into a compelling story. One of the biggest problems is that t
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Jan 20, 2009
Rob
rated it:
I chose the book because I have been following Steve Berry's Cotton Malone series, and I wanted to see what's going to be my reaction to his stand-alone novels. My two stars should not be misinterpreted. It was a well-researched book. My only complaint are the illogical actions of Judge Cutler and her ex-husband, Paul as they go following the clues behind the death of Rachel's father. During the war, Rachel's father was a POW in a Nazi camp, and he witnessed the interrogation and murder of sever
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Nov 23, 2011
Leah
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http://sosaysthewhale.wordpress.com/2011...
I've mentioned time and time again that I adore Berry. I think he's simply fantastic. His books are always so interesting and the pacing is perfect.
That said, this book took me over a month to finish. I have no idea what happened. It wasn't bad, but there was something about it that stopped me from plowing through it in a weekend.
Berry always does such in-depth research and The Amber Room is no different. There were ti More...
I've mentioned time and time again that I adore Berry. I think he's simply fantastic. His books are always so interesting and the pacing is perfect.
That said, this book took me over a month to finish. I have no idea what happened. It wasn't bad, but there was something about it that stopped me from plowing through it in a weekend.
Berry always does such in-depth research and The Amber Room is no different. There were ti More...
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Jul 24, 2011
Susan
rated it: 
The story is set in the present day, in Atlanta GA and Europe, and references WWII events in Europe.
Factual basis for the novel: during WWII the Nazis plundered Soviet art treasures including The Amber Room, an entire room in the Catherine Palace paneled with dyed and exquisitely carved amber pieces. The Nazis hid the stolen treasure to prevent the Allies from seizing it.
Since WWII, a clandestine society of wealthy art collectors has retained loyal Acquisitors to recover stolen treasures secre More...
Factual basis for the novel: during WWII the Nazis plundered Soviet art treasures including The Amber Room, an entire room in the Catherine Palace paneled with dyed and exquisitely carved amber pieces. The Nazis hid the stolen treasure to prevent the Allies from seizing it.
Since WWII, a clandestine society of wealthy art collectors has retained loyal Acquisitors to recover stolen treasures secre More...
Mar 15, 2011
JoAnne
rated it: 
"Sexy, illuminating, and confident. THE AMBER ROOM is my kind of thriller--a globe-trotting treasure hunt packed with exotic locales, sumptuous art, and ruthless villains. Steve Berry writes with the self-assured style of a veteran." --DAN BROWN, Author of The Da Vinci Code
Forged of the exquisite gem, the Amber Room is one of the greatest treasures ever made by man--and the subject of one of history’s most intriguing mysteries. German troops invading the Soviet Union seized More...
Forged of the exquisite gem, the Amber Room is one of the greatest treasures ever made by man--and the subject of one of history’s most intriguing mysteries. German troops invading the Soviet Union seized More...
Nov 26, 2010
Nick
rated it:
The Amber Room was a treasure looted by the Nazis and lost during the end of WW2. Worth an on-line search to understand the background, it's quite interesting.
And Steve Berry's debut novel is a thriller based around the story. While there are similarities to the many types of book dealing with lost treasures, it was refreshing and interesting to have the WW2 elements and for it not to be the usual search for Jesus' sandal, Hercules lunch box or the lost MacDonald's of Atlantis. Yep, we More...
And Steve Berry's debut novel is a thriller based around the story. While there are similarities to the many types of book dealing with lost treasures, it was refreshing and interesting to have the WW2 elements and for it not to be the usual search for Jesus' sandal, Hercules lunch box or the lost MacDonald's of Atlantis. Yep, we More...
Oct 31, 2010
E
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 11, 2010
The
rated it:
The first thing I noticed when I read this book was: Bad translation.
Ok, it might not be fair in the first place since I read the Indonesian translation out of the original work in English and most translated books didn’t quite get the original “essence” of the story. This one, it’s just not bad, it’s crap. I wonder how did these book translators / editors work anyway? Were they blind to start with since there were so many misspelled words and unproper translated words in there?
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Ok, it might not be fair in the first place since I read the Indonesian translation out of the original work in English and most translated books didn’t quite get the original “essence” of the story. This one, it’s just not bad, it’s crap. I wonder how did these book translators / editors work anyway? Were they blind to start with since there were so many misspelled words and unproper translated words in there?
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Oct 17, 2010
Suzanne
rated it:
Let me just say that this has to be the best Steve Berry novel that I have read to date!
Art historians everywhere would love to know what happened to the Amber Room after it disappeared during WWII. Berry paints a wonderful tale of what might have happened to it in a story that chronicles the adventures of Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler when she travels to Europe to get to the bottom of this mystery after her father Karol Borya, was killed because of what he knew about the Amber Room's w More...
Art historians everywhere would love to know what happened to the Amber Room after it disappeared during WWII. Berry paints a wonderful tale of what might have happened to it in a story that chronicles the adventures of Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler when she travels to Europe to get to the bottom of this mystery after her father Karol Borya, was killed because of what he knew about the Amber Room's w More...
Jun 03, 2011
Bonnie
rated it:
I have one word that sums up my feelings for this book, and unfortunately, 90% of The Amber Room's dialogue content: "Hardly."
Defined:
1.Only just; almost not; barely: We had hardly reached the lake when it started raining. hardly any; hardly ever.
2. not at all; scarcely: That report is hardly surprising.
3. with little likelihood: He will hardly come now.
A few samples:
"They didn't have forklifts?"
"Hardly."
She m More...
Defined:
1.Only just; almost not; barely: We had hardly reached the lake when it started raining. hardly any; hardly ever.
2. not at all; scarcely: That report is hardly surprising.
3. with little likelihood: He will hardly come now.
A few samples:
"They didn't have forklifts?"
"Hardly."
She m More...
Feb 14, 2011
Linda
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 10, 2010
Rachaelita
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. Berry's writing is clever and his characters are fascinating. Each person stood out with his or her own voice. When a group of people are involved in a mystery/thriller such as this, sometimes it's difficult to distinguish who is who. The author might not always give them defining qualities, however, differentiation was clear in "The Amber Room". None of the characters seemed too much alike. He took care to give each a personality-something I really liked. A
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Nov 05, 2011
Brian
rated it: 
This fast-paced adventure novel centers around an Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler and her ex-husband Paul. They are on a dangerous quest to find the lost Russian treasure, The Amber Room after the death of Rachel's father. As they follow her father's clues they are being hunted by two different professional thieves/killers.
This is a great adventure story about stolen art that was taken by the Nazis--many of which are still missing today.
This was a fun book to read (seems like I More...
This is a great adventure story about stolen art that was taken by the Nazis--many of which are still missing today.
This was a fun book to read (seems like I More...
May 14, 2011
Jean
rated it:
This is the first Steve Berry book that I read. He writes historical thrillers that lead the reader all over the world. He bases his main idea for the book in fact, and then takes a few liberties with the facts to make it a more readable story. Then at the end, he tells the reader what is true and what was made up. In this story, there are two sets of art thieves out to find some of the most expensive and beautiful art treasures in the world. Many were looted in WWII. The biggest prize is The Am
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Oct 24, 2010
Froglily
rated it:
Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler and her ex-husband Paul are drawn into a deadly hunt for amber panels looted by the Nazis in World War II.
After World War II Karol Borya helped the Soviets recover many treasures looted by the Nazis. One treasure he did not find was the Amber Room, panels of exquisitely carved amber removed from the Soviet Union’s Catherine Palace in 1941. Treasure hunters still search for the Amber Room, 60 years after the war, and long after Borya immigrated to the Unite More...
After World War II Karol Borya helped the Soviets recover many treasures looted by the Nazis. One treasure he did not find was the Amber Room, panels of exquisitely carved amber removed from the Soviet Union’s Catherine Palace in 1941. Treasure hunters still search for the Amber Room, 60 years after the war, and long after Borya immigrated to the Unite More...
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May 14, 2008
Amy
rated it:
with such a fascinating (and real) historical subject, it's hard to put into words just how horrifyingly awful berry's execution of this story is. i noted that a lot of people like this. gave it 4 stars even. how is this possible?
i am tempted though, to read more of berry's work. it's almost inspiring. you too, people of the world, can write. and apparently become a best seller.
i am tempted though, to read more of berry's work. it's almost inspiring. you too, people of the world, can write. and apparently become a best seller.
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Jul 05, 2010
Jerry
rated it:
Historical fiction about famous room stolen by or hidden from Nazis during WWII...
This tome would probably not usually darkened our "to read" list were it not for the intervention of a friend who enjoyed Berry's pseudo history of the Russian panels destined to be part of the Nazi looting -- we believe the amber panels remain undiscovered to this day. Along the way, we get Americans rambling around Europe trying to solve a loosely connected death, while meantime two arch en More...
This tome would probably not usually darkened our "to read" list were it not for the intervention of a friend who enjoyed Berry's pseudo history of the Russian panels destined to be part of the Nazi looting -- we believe the amber panels remain undiscovered to this day. Along the way, we get Americans rambling around Europe trying to solve a loosely connected death, while meantime two arch en More...
Mar 03, 2011
Marg
rated it:
I liked this better than the DaVinci Code. The author actually develops the villians characters, in this case, art dealers dealing in invaluable stolen art objects from WWII. The amber room is exactly a room entirely made of amber built by Russia's Frederick the Great. All sort so intrigue follows the death of one of the amber room's hunters. It was a fun summer read.
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May 31, 2007
Kristy
rated it:
I didn't much like DaVinci Code, but since I met Steve Berry and liked what he had to say about writing, I thought I'd give this one a try. I may now be in love with the genre. It combines what I love about historical fiction--history lessons--with another area of learning--learning about art--and Berry's novel is a much better, more satisfying read than Dan Brown's.
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Mar 20, 2011
Martin
rated it:
Good historical fiction, but only a decent read. Historical fiction pieces are my favorite niche novel's and this one rates pretty well, but a full notch below the likes of Arturo Perez-Reverte, Iain Pears, and Anne Perry. The three mentioned above setting scenes and locations much better in opinion. Then again this was a debut novel, and I will probably check out another Berry book to read. I would like to add two things that I not seen mentioned in other reviews. First is that the chapters in
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Feb 01, 2011
Mjohnson
rated it:
I gave this book an extra star because of the research put in to it, but I really didn't like it. The father is the best-written character, for whom the reader feels most connection to, but he gets killed off right away. The next-best written characters? The bad guys. And not best-written bad guys. Nope, more interest is paid to them and their relationships than the protagonists, even when they're just killing people indiscriminately. They're written with far more sympathy than the actual protag
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Feb 22, 2010
Sara
rated it:
I was told that this author was the new Vince Flynn and when I grabbed a copy, I saw that Dan Brown gave this book high marks. This book is a good mix of Grisham, Follet, Flynn with a little Brown thrown in. At nearly 500 pages, it is not a quick read, but it moves at a great and relatively even pace. The beginning is tough to stomach as the torture of Nazi concentration camps is told in a hauntingly accurate style. The reader is rewarded, however, with a complex plot, regular relief from the co
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Aug 02, 2011
Juliet
rated it:
Let me just say that I love a mystery, especially what it is based on an actual occurrence, a crime that to date remains unsolved. Author Steve Berry has once again sucessfully created a storyline that is quite believeable as he tells about the infamous Amber Room, said to have been built like a hall with walls cover in amber and semiprecious gems by Russian Tsar Peter the Great in 1716. During World War II when the Germans invaded St. Petersburg, it is thought that the Nazi's disassembled the
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Jul 21, 2009
PB Another Berry thriller, this one involves an Atlanta Judge, daughter of a Russian émigré and her divorced husband in the search for "The Amber Room", ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room ) originally constructed in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg. It was dismantled and moved during WWII and has disappeared. Judge Rachel Cutler, intrigued by stories told by her father and spurred on by his suspicious death is up against a select group of uber wealth
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Dec 17, 2009
Ivy's Mom
rated it:
Awful! It reads like a made for prime-time television movie. The story had potential but the muses gave it to the wrong writer. Skip this one.
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Mar 10, 2011
Emily
rated it:
In this suspenseful novel, several sets of people are racing to uncover the Amber Room, which has been lost since World War II. The book manages to impart quite a lot of factual information about the Amber Room while also being a readable, fictional, thriller. The amber itself has still not been found, but the series of events laid out in this imagining seem, at least to a layperson like me, quite plausible. The one complaint I have is that there were several "mini-climaxes" in the boo
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Sep 15, 2009
Rob
rated it:
A decent read. Not nearly as good as Berry's 'Venetian Betrayal' (that novel is a must read for any Indiana Jones and/or Dan Brown fan).
In the Amer Room, the author focuses on the lost Russian treasure which disappeared towards the end of WWII. He is able to create an entertaining story with a few exciting twists and turns - though nothing too unpredictable.
He develops the 5 or 6 main characters well, but no other minor characters are included. It seems as if you are r More...
In the Amer Room, the author focuses on the lost Russian treasure which disappeared towards the end of WWII. He is able to create an entertaining story with a few exciting twists and turns - though nothing too unpredictable.
He develops the 5 or 6 main characters well, but no other minor characters are included. It seems as if you are r More...
Nov 20, 2009
Cameron
rated it:
I only stopped this book because I got The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I started this because it was recommended for Dan Brown Fans and it SUCKED. I got 100 pages into it and everyone knows everyone from both opposing sides, everyone has had sex with everyone from both sides and are also having Sex with everyone else they meet (or should I say "Meat"). I think the author is trying to live our his sexual fantasies with his characters. the beginning was good but then the Character developm
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Feb 18, 2009
Angel
rated it:
The Amber Room is of course based on the famous room built under the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm for his wife and then later gifted the room to Peter the Great. During ww2 the room was stripped, taken apart and moved to Germany. Unfortunately the room was already falling apart and in the packing process some of the pieces were ruined.
As ww2 came to an end we all know that the Germans hid massive amounts of treasures, looted from museums they invaded, and buried them inside the Czec More...
As ww2 came to an end we all know that the Germans hid massive amounts of treasures, looted from museums they invaded, and buried them inside the Czec More...
Jan 04, 2011
Chrissy
rated it:
This was my first book by Steve Berry. I have read several of his books since. His work is exciting with very small chapters continuously keeping you up with the different story lines in the book. He also adds the time of day in those small chapters which makes it interesting. The main character Cotton is interesting and likable and whenever I pick up a Steve Berry book again I'll say "Let's see what Cotton is up to."
Everything I've read so far has a bit of historical truth More...
Everything I've read so far has a bit of historical truth More...
