Two decades after the Civil War, first-generation Irish-American Zachary O'Hara, son of a legendary Marine and a force of a man in his own right, finds himself playing a critical role as the very existence of the Marine Corps is being decided. If he can help persuade the Secretary of the Navy that the Marines will be crucial to America's security in years to come -- all the while hefting a heavy, secret weight in his heart -- he'll save the Corps and make his career.But there's an obstacle in his path that this warrior hadn't planned on. Amanda Blanton Kerr, the daughter of a ruthless industrialist, is on a mission of her own; passionate, obstinate, and whip-smart, she's an heiress poised to blaze a trail for all women.
O'Hara's Choice is the story of the inevitable collision of these two handsome, fighting spirits, in which getting their souls' desires could jeopardize everything they -- and their parents before them -- scraped and struggled to achieve.
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"This is a love story set in the late 1880's. Has an interesting parallel story about the Marine Corps' struggle to exist after the Civil War. I found it an enjoyable quick read."
— Joanne (4 out of 5 stars)
“[Uris pulls] all his characters together like a master puppeteer.”
— Chicago Tribune“A master at weaving historical fact and fiction.”
— USA Today“ A spellbinding storyteller.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch“Bloody battles well done, much excellent period writing …”
— Kirkus Reviews" I hadn't even realized that Leon Uris was still writing when this one came out. It was mildly interesting, but a letdown compared to my memory of earlier novels such as EXODUS and QB VII, which were riveting. The "big" ending and the "big" romance both fell flat with me. "
— Jeri, 2/16/2014" I believe this was one of the last books Uris wrote in his long illustrious career. Having read several of his earlier books, I always found his works to be both informative and historically accurate. O'Hara's Choice was a good story wrapped around a history of The United States Marine Corp. The story is both endearing and entertaining but not of the classic level of "Trinity" or "Battle Cry" but it is a good read especially for lovers of the history of the US and the USMC. "
— Anthony, 2/6/2014" A story about the beginnings of the Marine Corp and the reason for its being. A love story is woven thoughout the book and a young marine must choose between the Corps and a woman. This tale was not the best of Uris and I wonder if his death, some three months before the publishing of this book, left the manuscript in an unfinished state. "
— Bryan, 2/4/2014" I read Leon Uris's "Exodus" and it was amazing, one of my favorite books. So I had pretty high expectations for "O'Hara's Choice". Unfortunately, I was disappointed. It was kind of about Marines. But turned out to be a love story. And it just sucked ass. Will I try more Leon Uris in the future? I don't know. "
— Sam, 2/3/2014" Leon Uris has written some genius books, but this isn't one of them. It starts as a promising historical fiction dealing with the formation of the US marine corp, but soon descends into a turgid and pointless romance novel. At that point I gave up too. "
— Paul, 1/30/2014" Leon Uris was one of the greatest writers of historical fiction that ever lived. Even though it is not his best work, the present book was still absolutely spellbinding, and damned difficult to put down even to sleep at night. This was his last book; Mr. Uris died in June 2003, three months before it was published. Sadly, he apparently ran out of time and strength before he could finish it properly, which is easy to tell at the end for anyone familiar with his style. I would be willing to bet that he wrote this ending fairly early in the writing process, and put it in an envelope for his editor to open in case of his death before the book was finished. The thing that has always amazed me about Mr. Uris is that he was of East-European Jewish ancestry, yet he had a deeper understanding of the Irish soul and character than I would have imagined possible for any non-Irish person. The most interesting thing about this particular book, most of which is set in the late 1880s & early 1890s, is that the discussion about amphibious warfare provides a pseudo-historical foreshadowing of events during the mid-20th Century such as the development of the amphibious tractor, which in turn brings to mind the military career and writings of Victor J. Croizat, whose books are well worth reading in any case for a variety of reasons... "
— Liam, 1/28/2014" An interesting look at the beginning of the Marine Corp. "
— Ginny, 1/24/2014" I've alway liked Leon Uris, I read Exodus when I was in 5th or 6th grade....my sister had to read it for high school, so I read her copy. This book is about the history of the Marines. Not having much military background, it was interesting to learn that they have been the after thought of the rest of the military. I picked up a copy of this book at a second hand book store. This is his last book, it was sent to print before he died. "
— Emily, 1/19/2014" Interesting book that takes place in the late 1800's. Good character development. "
— Judi, 1/12/2014" A good read. Nothing special unless you are a Marine, from Rhode Island or Maryland. "
— Tim, 1/11/2014" I just couldn't get into this one like I have many of his others "
— Michael, 1/3/2014" This was is not as polished as the others but he gets a pass because he died before it was complete. "
— Cyndie, 1/1/2014" I read this a long time ago. But I remember thinking it was the worst Leon Uris book I had read. But then I read A God in Ruins, which was also bad. I guess times changed, and so did the settings for his book "
— Aric, 12/23/2013" I thought this would be a good one. I enjoyed Exodus, Trinity and Mila 18. This one wa rather boring. "
— Gloria, 12/18/2013" An interesting read about how the Marines were formed - with a love story thrown in the middle. "
— Jennifer, 12/16/2013" Tells the history of the Marine Corps with a love story thrown into the mix. "
— Irene, 9/14/2013" Bit of a soap opera, reads like a Harlequin Romance. Not up to the standard of his earlier works "
— David, 7/2/2013" I loved Exodus, Trinity, and the Haj, and pretty much everything else I had read by Uris, so I had big expectations about this book. Very disappointing. "
— Penny, 6/28/2013" This is not Uris's best book, But, it is his last and for that I am sad. "
— Mary, 6/1/2013" Not my favorite Uris book, for sure.........but I did learn a bit, like always, and it kept my interest. "
— Judith, 1/17/2013" Not as good as other books by Uris. Very strange ending. "
— Amanda, 12/5/2012" i have so many great memories of reading leon uris's books. This book was so booring, i have to admit that i only read about 1/2 of it - and that was too much. "
— Andrea, 11/5/2012" One of the worst books I've read in a long time. Full of stereotyped dialogue and ra-ra hype, with a dose of implausible foresight on the side. "
— Gordon, 6/1/2012" Really, really disappointing, and the plot twist at the end was contrived and poorly set up. "
— Abby, 4/30/2012" This was not bad. I might have liked it better with someone else reading it on the tape. "
— Sheryl, 2/28/2012" There was alot of good information about how the Marine corp got started and ofcourse a very good story as well. "
— Donna, 1/24/2012" I loved a lot of the books from Uris but this one is a lemon - I was so very disappointed. "
— Michael, 11/22/2011" I enjoy historical information combined with a story line. This is a great combination of that. "
— Dana, 8/28/2011" I enjoyed the history parts when it talked about the Marine Corps. The rest of the story was only ok. A little bit to much mushy drama for me and a terrible ending. "
— Matthew, 8/22/2011" Worst Leon Uris book ever!! Interesting history of the USMC but what a crazy ending. I wouldn't advise anyone to waste their time on this unless they are real Marine history buffs!! "
— Rick, 6/30/2011" Interesting book that takes place in the late 1800's. Good character development. "
— Judi, 4/24/2011" This was not bad. I might have liked it better with someone else reading it on the tape. "
— Sheryl, 4/4/2011" Not my favorite Uris book, for sure.........but I did learn a bit, like always, and it kept my interest. "
— Judith, 2/6/2011" A history of the Marine Corps beginning with the Civil War. Good <br/>premise but the writing is choppy and hard to follow. The dialogue <br/>became so sappy that I quit before finishing. Uris has fallen far. <br/> "
— Chuck, 6/24/2010" i have so many great memories of reading leon uris's books. This book was so booring, i have to admit that i only read about 1/2 of it - and that was too much. "
— Andrea, 4/28/2010" I thought this would be a good one. I enjoyed Exodus, Trinity and Mila 18. This one wa rather boring. "
— Gloria, 6/24/2009" Bit of a soap opera, reads like a Harlequin Romance. Not up to the standard of his earlier works "
— David, 5/16/2009" There was alot of good information about how the Marine corp got started and ofcourse a very good story as well. "
— Donna, 4/23/2009" An interesting read about how the Marines were formed - with a love story thrown in the middle. "
— Jennifer, 4/3/2009" This is not Uris's best book, But, it is his last and for that I am sad. "
— Mary, 2/6/2009" I just couldn't get into this one like I have many of his others "
— Michael, 12/28/2008" I enjoy historical information combined with a story line. This is a great combination of that. "
— Dana, 11/12/2008" Really, really disappointing, and the plot twist at the end was contrived and poorly set up. "
— Abby, 9/16/2008" An interesting look at the beginning of the Marine Corp. "
— Ginny, 6/11/2008Leon Uris (1924–2003) was an American novelist. Having run away from home at age seventeen, a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, to join the Marine Corps, he based several of his novels on his own experiences in the marines. His novels include Battle Cry and O’Hara’s Choice, as well as the bestsellers Redemption, Trinity, Exodus, QB VII, and Topaz, among others.
Jack Garrett’s voice is immediately recognizable from his work in commercials and as a personality on radio stations in the West and Southwest. In addition to guest appearances on television, he has performed in dozens of theater productions on regional and New York stages, including Guys and Dolls, Hallelujah Breakdown, Prelude to a Kiss, Cast a Spell, and Bongo Fever.
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.