An epic chronicle of American political fortunes, Ward Just's twelfth novel is his masterpiece, realized through the minds and pulses of men and women who strive to save the nation--or themselves. "Echo House" takes readers through a maze of furtive power alliances and misalliances, involving two dozen characters from one Washington, D.C., family, over nine decades of history.
Read More
An epic chronicle of American political fortunes, Ward Just's twelfth novel is his masterpiece, realized through the minds and pulses of men and women who strive to save the nation--or themselves. "Echo House" takes readers through a maze of furtive power alliances and misalliances, involving two dozen characters from one Washington, D.C., family, over nine decades of history.
Read Less
Add this copy of Echo House Pa to cart. $4.99, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1997 by Mariner.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $17.76, new condition, Sold by GreatBookPricesUK5 rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castle Donington, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1997 by Houghton Mifflin.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 336 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $17.85, like new condition, Sold by GreatBookPricesUK5 rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castle Donington, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1997 by Houghton Mifflin.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 336 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of Echo House Pa to cart. $8.87, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Mariner.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $8.87, fair condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $9.73, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $11.25, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Houghton Mifflin.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $11.25, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Houghton Mifflin.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $11.75, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Mariner Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Echo House to cart. $12.10, very good condition, Sold by Title Wave Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Albuquerque, NM, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Mariner Books.
Ward Just's 1997 novel, "Echo House" tells a story of intrigue, power, and sadness in following three generations of the Behls, a fictitious family in Washington, D.C. The family lives in a large, historic Washington, D.C. mansion, Echo House, which once hosted a conference between Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan. (Lincoln's shadow and the memory of the Civil War hang heavily over this book.) The story begins with Adolf Behl, a senator who had been led to believe he would be the Democratic Party's nomination for vice-president but was rudely denied. The two other Behls, his son Axel and grandson Alec take a more roundabout approach to power than running for office. They become consummate insiders and fixers, sometimes operating on the far side of the law who work for their country and for themselves largely behind the scenes.
The story has a feel of both realism and nostalgia. Novelistically and historically, the book is at its strongest in the early stages during WW II and its aftermath through the Truman administration as Axel Behl works as a fixer to help the United States through the Cold War and in the restoration of Western Europe. Much of the story turns on Axel's own war service in WW II in France as an intelligence officer for General Patton and the impact of this experience through the rest of his life. A pivotal moment of the story takes place in 1952 at the presidential campaign headquarters of Adlai Stevenson in Springfield, Illinois. Alex's son Alec decides to become a lawyer and will soon take his place behind the scenes with the powerful in Washington, D.C. where, among many other things, he works to ease the process associated with the impeachment and resignation of President Richard Nixon.
The story runs together public and personal lives. In particular it shows a great deal of the marriages and sexual behavior of both Axel and Alec. Both men can be callous towards women as well as heavy, behind-the-scenes philanderers. Axel had married a New York woman, Sylvia, who was a poet, with bad results. (The conflict between the life of poetry and imagination and the rough, practical-driven life of official Washington is also a thread running through the book. In addition to Sylvia's life as a poet, the book includes many allusions to works such as Henry Adams' novel, "Democracy", Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and Homer's "Iliad")
I found the book poignant. I felt sympathy for the characters and for their goals of public service. I also saw them as more than fallible human beings in the public and personal lives. The book seems to trace a falling-off in American politics from the days of FDR and WW II through Nixon and the late years of the 20th century with a period of hope during the Kennedy presidency. The chronologically early parts of the story are also the most effective. The group depicts the small group of insiders that surround the principle characters and describes their various activities, most of them clandestine, under successive presidencies. Just tells the stories of these activities through indirection and through hints. This approach gives some idea of the modus operandi of the characters, but it also slows the book down and makes it difficult to follow in places.
I have lived in Washington, D.C. since the resignation of President Nixon and enjoyed seeing Just's portrayal of the city which I have made my home and the changes it has undergone with time. It brought back my own memories.
The most effective aspect of the book for me was the many passages of reflection on the United States and on its political process. Sometimes this reflections are in the author's voice and sometimes in the voices of his characters. The book recalls an America of greatness with all the personal and political shortcomings of its political leaders. The Behl family and its associates for all their sexual flaws and their arrogance were devoted to the United States and to promoting its welfare. With the falling-off after WW II the author seems to see in American life, the book still allows room for hope and regeneration. Among many eloquent passages in the book, the following is one of several discussions of Lincoln taken from a long reminiscence from Axel Behl to his son early in the novel.
"[W]hen the war ended we returned to Washington back to Echo House, my work in the government. I had to give back , Alec. When you fight a war and win it, you own it. And it owns you. The price is never cheap and you have to protect the victory, as you would any investment. The winning cost is too much blood, don't you see? You can't walk away from it and simply allow people to bleed to death and create the very conditions you fought in the first place. And if you don't think
government can break your heart, walk over to Mr. Lincoln's memorial sometime and look at his face."
The scope of "Echo House" goes beyond the lives of Washington insiders. With its sad, thoughtful tone, the novel tells something about the past greatness of the United States, the personal and political sacrifices this greatness demanded, and the possibility of understanding and restoring something of this greatness in America's future.
