A Flag for Sunrise is a novel of Americans drawn into the maelstrom of Tecan, a small Central American country on the brink of revolution. At a mission on the coast a priest is lapsing into alcoholic mysticism, while a young American nun is veering towards commitment to the cause. In a bar in Brooklyn, Frank Holliwell is lunching with an old CIA friend who is begging for a favor. On the Tex–Mex border, Pablo, a Coast Guard deserter, loco on speed, is about to take a job carrying mysterious contraband to Tecan. As these lives converge, as this small, crowded world erupts, the novel builds to an electrifying climax.
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"Robert Stone amazes me. In this "thriller" set in Central America (in a fictional country as funereal as the right wing banana republics I visited in the 1980s, he explores themes of faith, avarice, love, lust, and cruelty with an eye as keen as Dostoyevsky and a skill as nuanced as Joseph Conrad."
— Les (4 out of 5 stars)
“Perhaps Stone’s best and most celebrated novel to date…this novel is one intense scene after another…complex plot…a voyage so compelling that listeners may find themselves lost for hours at a time.”
— AudioFile“Stone, who has a strong imaginative grip on the contemporary American scene and writes like an angel—a fallen, hard driving angel—is also a marvelous storyteller.”
— New York Review of Books" This is, by FAR, the WORST book I have EVER read. "
— Melissa, 2/16/2014" Surprisingly enjoyable. I don't know why it's surprising. Got it at the used bookstore on a summer-reading type whim. "
— Xio, 1/31/2014" Stone's brilliant characters in a lush and frightening Central American setting. The nun struggling with her faith is particularly interesting. "
— Kurt, 1/26/2014" Bloated scenes and characters lecturing each other. Very disappointing. "
— Michael, 1/17/2014" I remember reading this book long ago, and coming away impressed at how the author was able to take us into the world of covert politics but in a way that made us care about the hero. A Flag for Sunrise is powerfully told. "
— Trina, 1/8/2014" Dark, heavy, at times brutal, but with moments of beauty. In the style of Greek tragedy, there is no hope for any of these characters. "
— Justin, 1/3/2014" A great, terrifying book, where Stone puts himself in such different minds and inhabits them fully. You almost have to look away at the moments of horror. "
— Geoffrey, 12/20/2013" a masterful political thriller and love story (of sorts); great dialogue "
— Les, 10/30/2013" A disturbing book. "
— lorena, 10/20/2013" A highly intelligent, wonderfully written page-turner that is chock full of big ideas; political, philosophical, religious, romantic and all of them timelessly topical and relevant. "
— Raimo, 9/5/2013" Stunning. A brilliant novel which explores America's dark, complicated and dirty legacy in Latin America. Robert Stone deserves to be much more widely read than he is. "
— Liam89, 7/28/2013" For all of those obsessed with the anthropologos' irremediable influence on modernity you must read this novel. Stone's imaginative and philosophical insight makes him one of the best american authors. "
— Spencer, 12/21/2012" Not a great read; I struggled to keep picking it up. It has it's merits in terms of bringing attention to the underworld of Americas hidden wars in the 70s. "
— Denise, 1/11/2012" I undervalued this extraordinary novel the first few times that I read it but realise now that it is the equal of Stone's other major novels... "
— Frederic, 9/15/2011" very painful "
— Jorn, 8/29/2011" Dry reading. "
— Suzie, 6/15/2011" This book was recommeded to me, so I kept reading and reading as it plodded along with it's wooden dialogue and overwhelmingly dull storytelling, then ended. I would highly recommend not doing that. "
— Mark, 9/1/2010" Exellent. Gritty. "
— Marlowe01247, 7/14/2010" Interesting book, tough read, no chapters, one long narrative. "
— Shanyn, 6/17/2010" This is one of the great, underrated novels of the 20th century. A rich, compelling portrait of Latin America, expat life, the drug culture, and what life is about. "
— Meryl, 11/22/2009" I undervalued this extraordinary novel the first few times that I read it but realise now that it is the equal of Stone's other major novels... "
— Frederic, 8/25/2009" a masterful political thriller and love story (of sorts); great dialogue "
— Les, 5/10/2008" For all of those obsessed with the anthropologos' irremediable influence on modernity you must read this novel. Stone's imaginative and philosophical insight makes him one of the best american authors. "
— Spencer, 5/7/2008" This book was recommeded to me, so I kept reading and reading as it plodded along with it's wooden dialogue and overwhelmingly dull storytelling, then ended. I would highly recommend not doing that. "
— Mark, 10/5/2007" Surprisingly enjoyable. I don't know why it's surprising. Got it at the used bookstore on a summer-reading type whim. "
— Xio, 8/8/2007" Bloated scenes and characters lecturing each other. Very disappointing. "
— Michael, 7/21/2007" This is, by FAR, the WORST book I have EVER read. "
— Melissa, 4/3/2007Robert Stone (1937–2015) received most of the accolades and awards possible for a contemporary novelist, and he has been called the best writer of the post-Vietnam era. His many novels, which have enjoyed commercial success as well as critical acclaim, include the National Book Award winner Dog Soldiers, Damascus Gate, Bay of Souls, and A Hall of Mirrors. He was also the author of the short story collection Bear and His Daughter, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Stephen Lang is a Tony Award–nominated actor who has made a name for himself on stages both at home and abroad. Perhaps most well-known for his role in James Cameron’s Avatar, his other film credits include The Men Who Stare at Goats, Public Enemies, Tombstone, and many more.