How the Movies Spawned ‘The First Assassin’

You’ve heard it said before: “The book is better than the movie.” But the movies helped me write my new book, The First Assassin.

The First Assassin is a historical thriller set primarily in Washington, D.C., at the start of the Civil War. Bestselling author Vince Flynn blurbs it on the front cover: “An excellent book–it’s like The Day of the Jackal set in 1861 Washington.”

The Day of the Jackal is a twofer: Both the book (by Frederick Forsyth) and the movie (the 1973 version) are excellent. But the book is still better. It’s super excellent.

Anyway, I started working on The First Assassin in 1996–more than 13 years ago. Yeah, that’s a long time. It was the project I kept setting aside when something more pressing came along, such as the birth of a child or a writing deadline that came with a guaranteed paycheck. (more…)

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Tags: Abraham L, abraham lincoln, Charles Pomeroy Stone, Civil War, Col. Charles Rook
Posted Nov 18th 2009 at 1:18 pm in Books and Literature, Featured Story, Film | 26392617 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jmiller/2009/11/18/how-the-movies-spawned-the-first-assassin/How+the+Movies+Spawned+%27The+First+Assassin%272009-11-18+21%3A18%3A29John+J.+Miller

The Hollywood Awards Show Not Shown on TV

This week’s Washington Times column:

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. | After spending two weeks on something akin to a fact-finding mission in depressed New York and depleted Washington, D.C., I found no answers to our nation’s mounting ills. I discovered that there is much to be angry about and unlimited reasons for deep concern. But on the evening after my return, the stars aligned on the outskirts of Los Angeles at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and for a brief moment I felt safe again in America.

On Saturday, my wife and I were privileged to attend the second annual “Celebration of Freedom Gala.” We joined more than 1,000 others who, like us, were electrified to honor 43 of the 98 living Medal of Honor recipients. We also gave our thanks to former first lady Nancy Reagan, war hero and actor Charles Durning, and Gen. David H. Petraeus. (more…)

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Tags: "Dog Day Afternoon", "Freedom Never Cries", "The Sting", Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment, Bronze Star
Posted Mar 8th 2009 at 4:53 pm in Celebrity News, Featured Story, Media Criticism, Military | 7554256 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abreitbart/2009/03/08/the-hollywood-awards-show-not-shown-on-tv/The+Hollywood+Awards+Show+Not+Shown+on+TV2009-03-09+00%3A53%3A46Andrew+Breitbart