The Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen

The Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen – Reviewed

The Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen is a brilliant insight into an alternative, revolutionary America which explores the issues of love, family and rebellion.

My Book Review Rating:

Fiction or non-fiction? What’s the genre?

This book is a wonderful work of fiction filled with politics, torture and the fight for loyalty and freedom.

Why did you decide to read this book?

I was asked to review this book by the PR agent. If I’m perfectly honest it is not the kind of book that I would normally read; it’s the sort of book that I call a ‘boy book’ all about revolution and assassinations. So once I again I am grateful for being introduced to a book that is outside my comfort zone – but which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Summarise the plot – without revealing the ending!

The Army of the Republic is set in a revolutionary America, where rich company tycoons and a corrupt government are leading the country in the wrong direction. On one side of the cause we have Lando, a twenty-something guerrilla who is obsessed with saving his country. On the other, the billionaire entrepreneur James Sands who is determined to preserve his privileged position. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way in a plot that sometimes comes a little too close to reality.

What did you like about this book?

For me, this novel was unlike anything I’d read before and that made it a great read. I really liked how Cohen pulls all the threads of the plot together and against the background of politics and torture he weaves in a sub-plot of loyalty and the fight to be loved and accepted for who you are.

What didn’t you like?

This novel is written from the viewpoint of the three main characters, Lando, James Sands and Emily, but it’s written in the first person and in the early chapters I never could quite tell who was telling the story. I found this quite frustrating and if I hadn’t been reading it for a review I would have given up within the first few chapters. Of course I’m glad I didn’t because after a while I began to recognise the ‘voices’ and from there it became a book that I didn’t want to put down!

What did you think of the main character?

For me Lando is the main character in this novel; the plot and the sub-plots all revolve around him. He’s an interesting character, caught up in this world of revolution and the fight against the Regime. He really struggles with the need to protect his identity and not put himself or his family in danger, while at the same time wanting to let the barriers down to connect with Emily.

Are there any other interesting characters in the book?

I found Anne Sands (wife of James) to be a really interesting character. As wife of a billionaire whose husband thinks that she appreciates all of their privileges she is more interested in her family’s well being and happiness and when James refuses to make a stand against the corrupt security company Whitehall she joins Emily at the protests, putting her own life in danger.

What did you think about the ending?

The ending is sad, and brutal, but also hopeful and in a strange way extremely satisfying.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of them?

This is my first encounter with Stuart Archer Cohen, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for other works from this impressive author.

Which of your readers are likely to enjoy reading this book?

If  you are looking for a white-knuckle ride of a novel then you will enjoy this book; if you believe that America is headed in the wrong direction then you will connect with the themes in this novel. If you’re looking for a book for your book club with multiple themes for discussion then Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen would be the perfect choice.

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	Title: The Army of the Republic: A Novel Publisher: Picador Average review rating:   List Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $2.41 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available
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A Serious Political Novel   Review Date: May 25, 2010 Reviewer: Luciana, Bellingham WA I recently read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine. It had a big influence on my view of the world. So I was delighted to receive Army of the Republic for review from the publisher, as Ms Klein described it as 'one of the first works of art with the courage to live up to our historical moment...brilliant, terrifying and much too close for comfort'. Army of the Republic, set in the near future, does indeed fill these expectations. The writing is pretty good. especially for a novel meant to send a message. Art and politics are always a risky mix. In the middle section, one has to be pretty interested in the tactics and strategies of guerrilla vs. mainstream citizen groups. If you aren't, it would drag. On the other hand, one of the best developed and most interesting characters is on the other side of the street from the author's point of view. I was never bored and wish that more novels were written dealing with these issues. A serious effort, and deserving of Ms Klein's praise. Fantastically Ironic. Fiction, yet not.   Review Date: February 13, 2010 Reviewer: H. B. Hendrickson, USA I read this book quickly, unable (nor wanting to) put it down. A very realistic story of 'them' and 'us'. Anger and fear ignite a passionate attitude and awaken a nation from passivity. A motivating tale that many could relate to--students, teachers, parents, laborers, middle class, etc etc. Anyone who feels their liberties have been compromised for the sake of corporate power and the status quo. Finishes with an abrupt ending that leaves one wondering, 'where's the next chapter?' Happy this is Fiction!   Review Date: December 30, 2009 Reviewer: B. Waldron, Boston, MA Stuart Archer Cohen's The Army of the Republic is a high octane thriller that brings home the reality of what American could look like in the not so distant future! There are four major players told from the viewpoint of three as you walk through this turbulent time with them dealing with family struggles as well as dealing with their moral conscious beating down their door. The Army of the Republic is a radical group that has been using violence to get their point across, although intentions are good, too many of their actions have gone array. They fight against a corrupted Corporate America that leads the country, still in war and with major outsourcing the corporation are the decision makers in this land and while controlling the media outlets and manipulated internet elections, unemployment is at an all time high! Lando is a key member of the AOR and although he character I found very likable as a person, his intentions commendable, they are thru violence and disruption and using that as a tool to get your point across always leads to devastation. On the far end you have James, who is the CEO of Water Solutions the corporate company that controls all the water for America. Although he too seemed like a very likable guy he is blinded by his ambitions and has lost site of the consequences of his actions and the actions of his company. Lando is able to talk Emily, James' wife who herself, although loves her husband very much, finds her husbands career and actions unacceptable. Lando eventually is able to talk Emily who is an attorney working for the DNN (Democracy Northwest Network), a political action group that fights against corrupt corporate America, to stage a peaceful protest that turns ugly resulting in all their lives affected. So much tension between the characters is palpable and it was rather a scary thought that this could be America someday, but easily a free flowing story that burns up the pages with it's amusing and clever perspective. From Steve at J. Kaye's Book Blog   Review Date: December 3, 2009 Reviewer: J. Kaye, "The Army of the Republic", Stuart Archer Cohen, is a haunting, emotional, and engrossing, thriller. American in the near future, after Iraq, Afghanistan, and Paraguay, water and other natural resources are being privatized. Security companies, working inside the U.S., with shadowy government connections, operate assassination squads and secret prisons to stifle dissent, paid by corporations using off-shore accounts. Voting is done entirely online, with massive fraud in every election. State elections have been postponed. And the media's just another arm of the administration. Lando is a terrorist with the Army of the Republic, one of many groups in the U.S. Emily is a lawyer working for DNN, Democracy Northwest Network, which is a civil rights umbrella group in Seattle. Jim Sands, CEO of Cascadia, is building a water pipeline from Washington to Arizona, and has the `rights' to the rivers and rainwater. Lando and Emily team up to halt Jim, whose company has hired Whitehall. Whitehall is a protective services firm which does work for major corporations and the government; they have special houses to "debrief" people they capture, and have had lots of experience from Iraq and Afghanistan. Paranoia is not paranoia when Whitehall is after you. This was an intense and spooky, thought-provoking read. The political situation Cohen has created is close to true and that's scary. Congress cannot do anything because of the inability of the lawmakers to think of anyone besides themselves. The average people are suffering: no jobs and no hope. There is so much in this book that reflects current politics, and the hypocrisy and self serving of the politicians and news media. I didn't like the ending, it gives no warm and fuzzy feelings, but it fits the book. This is a remarkable read. A little more left or a litle more right than today?   Review Date: September 17, 2009 Reviewer: Dougie Fresh, New Hampshire I've actually read this twice now and it's left an impression on me. I read it once while the right was in power and I've read it now again with left in power in the United States. That I can find parellels between what's detailed in this novel and the road we're going down with either administration shows me how scary extremism can be. We only have to go a few steps left or right (though more likely right in my opinion) to arrive at the events and state of the union that's described in this novel. In the fictional world described in the novel, corporations own and control one of the most important natural resources: water. The world that revolves around this is told from four points of view: an extremist fighting against corporate control and political corruption and who is therefore labelled a wanted terrorist, the head of the corporation that owns and controls the water rights, the wife of the corporate head and a woman whose organization is trying to work through the "correct" channels to protest what's going on. Eventually, all four narrators' fates come together in a very exciting climax with a few good twists along the way. I really enjoyed this book enough to read it twice. I think there's a lot in it worth reading twice. I think it's a great book if you're a moderate who feels left out and can see this is where we could be headed with all the extremism in our current government. It should also appeal to the hippies, environmentalists, etc. who are already fighting these battles today. It should provide a warning to us all too about too much power in too few hands. I think if more people read this maybe there would be less of this bickering between the extremes on either side of the aisle (though I doubt a single novel will ever do that). Even with all that, if you'd like a good read, with some good twists and some good action told from different points of views that scarily relevant to today I highly recommend this novel.
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