Timeline

Fun to read a thriller which glimpses a bit into the future, and also the past.  Michael Crichton’s Timeline tells the tale of academics who get a chance to time travel back to the Middle Ages, 1357 to be exact, to find a lost professor who had been a “capsule to the past” in a previous trip. The book chronicles the greedy self-made millionaire and owner of ITC, Robert Doniger, and his companies’ research with “time traveling” and the various staff he used to improve the process (mostly former employees who are now dead because of it!).  The quantum technology delivers 4 researchers to travel to Dordogne in the year 1357.  The researchers land in Dordogne and their adventures begin, not as they expect!  They take on new personas in the age of war, intrigue, and leadership of the time.  Back at the home front at ITC, Doniger is trying to sell the past into a money making operation for him and even thinks he can leave the researchers and the lost professor back in the past.  Luckily there are a few honest ITC workers who go against Doniger’s wishes, but then they realize there are only 48 hours to transport the group back… what will happen?  The clock ticks for the remainder of the book.  Will they make it back?  Will they be deformed as others who tried to travel back to present day come back unscathed?  Crichton’s on his game.  Lots of moment to moment intrigue.  Reminded me a great deal of the Dan Brown books, which I actually liked.  Fast read, though pretty long book.  I listened to this one while traveling with son to visit colleges!  Add to the list.