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philopatrios

divertingbuddha

About Me


“DIVERTING THE BUDDHA is a highly recommended political thriller, a driving, powerful, entertaining novel marking Bob Swartzel as a writer of considerable accomplishments.” Midwest Book Review
"Bob Swartzel writes with authority about military and corporate matters and his description of the Buddhist temples is excellent. Because of this authenticity, the reader is plunged deeply into the destructive atmosphere that was Vietnam. By the middle of the book, the reader is sucked into this story like the boots of the soldiers who must patrol constantly watching for the enemy and never trusting anyone. Because of this authenticity, the reader is plunged deeply into the destructive atmosphere that was Vietnam. We feel the mud and smell the blood of dead bodies. I highly recommend this book for all people who would like to know the real story of the war in Vietnam. It truly shows the effect that a war can have on any country and on its institutions." Muse Book Reviews, reviewed by Barbara Ehrentreu
"A novel that looks at a gentle culture that found itself under attack. Being able to understand a complex foreign culture is not an easy task. Yet Diverting the Buddha makes this task very easy. It is a credit to the author’s knowledge and skill." Boggle Books Australia
"A very powerful and disturbing novel." S.V. Swamy Book Reviews
eBook available at: (Please click link below)
Double Dragon Publishing!
Trade Paperback available from Barnes and Noble Books at http://www.barnesandnoble.com
Read Excerpt at: (Please click link below)
Excerpt!
This novel is about a time when the battle for hearts and minds has begun to go wrong, a time when policy experts hatched a desperate scheme. If their plan succeeds it will profoundly alter history, but its outcome is far from certain. What is certain is their efforts are having an explosive impact on the lives of the novel’s main characters. The result is a thrilling read, one that boils with intrigue, mayhem and betrayal.

My Blog

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 5/5/2008

Those envoys of the Dalai Lama in China this weekend, talking with the Chinese government, I can take some credit for pulling this one off. I talked with senior officials in China's government, p...
Posted by philopatrios on Mon, 05 May 2008 06:20:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/30/2008

We don't create homeless veterans; they do it to themselves. My Veterans Administration supports veterans who support themselves, not them that whine about what they been put through and not getting e...
Posted by philopatrios on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:17:00 PST

> Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/28/2008

All right, ladies and gentlemen. President Bush wants us to get the word out to every Republican in Congress. Any more talk about experiencing John McCain's violent temper up close and personal, any c...
Posted by philopatrios on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:37:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/24/2008

You got to love this 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, their Chrisite Whitman decesion. The one that says legal remedies are not always available for every instance of arguably deficient governmental...
Posted by philopatrios on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:09:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/22/2008

People are saying that I rolled out way to much red carpet for old Pope Benedict. I only did it because we are going to need a whole lot of Catholic votes so John McCain can win the White House.  ...
Posted by philopatrios on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:32:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 5/15/2008

I am getting worried about food shortages slowing down our bio-fuel businesses. That's why I had the White House financial advisors work up a Bio Fuels Calorie Credit idea. Underdeveloped countries th...
Posted by philopatrios on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:18:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/14/2008

I just spoke to that Chinese Foreign Minister, that Yang Jiechi guy. I told him if his government wants this President at the Olympics, they must go gentle on these Tibetan monks. Made it clear they c...
Posted by philopatrios on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:10:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC)4/11/2008

These yellow dog Republicans in Congress are worse than damn democrats. You know Hegel, Lugar, Voinovich and the rest who have been comparing my Iraq policy to Alice in Wonderland thinking, tras...
Posted by philopatrios on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:18:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/9/2008

I just spoke to that Chinese Foreign Minister, that Yang Jiechi guy. I told him if they in his government want this President at the Olympics they must get over on these Tibetan monks. Told him that B...
Posted by philopatrios on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PST

Washington Transcripts (What is really being said in DC) 4/4/2008

The President is going to the Olympics this summer no matter what happens in Tibet. He wants to support our trading partner and he feels his not attending would scar many fine young athletes for...
Posted by philopatrios on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:34:00 PST