Works
The Middle Generation: A Novel of John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine
The classical era of American history began with the Revolution and ended with emancipation. Between these bookends lies the absorbing yet overshadowed epic of a new nation spearheading liberty's cause in a world skeptical of freedom arriving at all, much less in slaver's garb. M. B. Zucker takes readers back to that adolescent country in the care of an enigmatic guide, John Quincy Adams, heir to one president by blood and another, Washington, by ideology. Adams is the missing link between the founders and Abraham Lincoln, and is nigh unanimously regarded as America's foremost Secretary of State. Through Adams' eyes, readers will experience one of history's greatest and most forgotten crises: his showdown with Europe over South American independence, the conflict which prefigured the Monroe Doctrine.
With his signature dialogue and his close study of Adams' 51 volume diary, M. B. Zucker's The Middle Generation is a political thriller and character piece that surpasses his achievement in The Eisenhower Chronicles and ascends to the cinematic heights of the historical epics of David Lean and Steven Spielberg. It is an unforgettable portrait and a leap forward for one of our rising historical fiction novelists.
"This captivating read offers an insightful portrait of one of the most important figures in American history: John Quincy Adams. The author's ability to portray the distant, flinty Adams, as a flesh and blood human being represents a remarkable achievement. This is historical fiction at its best, for the characters who animate Michael Zucker's novel ring true from the first page to the last.
Zucker's novel is full of vibrant portrayals of all the key figures from the so-called Era of Good Feelings, including James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun, and Henry Clay. The Middle Generation: A Novel of John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine is an entertaining and enlightening read that all students of historical fiction and of American history will enjoy."
-Stephen F. Knott, former Professor of National Security at the Naval War College and the author of Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy
"M. B. Zucker goes well beyond a story of simple political intrigue. He offers one of the most moving literary portraits of a President I have ever encountered."
-Dr. Jeffery Tyler Syck, Author of "The Revolution of 1828: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and the Origins of American Democracy"
"John Quincy Adams is one of a small group of presidents whose major achievements to his country preceded and followed his time in the White House. In this splendid account of Adams's years as Secretary of State, Michael Zucker, a rising star in the area of historical fiction, recaptures JQA's extraordinary vision and true greatness."
-Alvin S. Felzenberg, Presidential Historial and Author of The Leaders We Deserved…Rethinking the Presidential Rating Game
A Great Soldier in the Last Great War
"Great plot, well researched, an engrossing story, a well worked out version of the secrets of the war."
-John Mosier, author of Hitler vs. Stalin: The Eastern Front
December 16, 1944: The Nazis launch a colossal surprise attack through the Ardennes Forest. If they take Antwerp, a critical port, they will crush the Allied advance from the west and save the Third Reich from the fate it deserves. Opposing the massive German force are the armies of America and its allies. The largest and bloodiest battle in American history begins.
Sergeant Jonathan Brooks has been fighting the Germans since D-Day. He and the Seventh Rangers have endured virtually every major battle on the Western Front. They suffered heavy losses in the past few months, but the showdown in the Ardennes will be the most brutal fighting the Rangers have ever seen.
The Germans capture several cities as they push the Allies back. One of the cities, Spartiate, contains a secret. If the Nazis utilize it, they will win the war. The Rangers are assigned to secure the package from the enemy. As Jonathan Brooks engages the Germans, he must not only defeat the Nazis and seize the package, but also conquer the evil within himself. Nothing he has done before could prepare Brooks for the bloody horror that is the Battle of the Bulge.
The Eisenhower Chronicles
A Five-Star Book about a Five-Star General
In 1938 he was a lieutenant colonel stationed in the Philippines; by 1945 the world proclaimed him its savior. From leading the forces of liberal democracy against history's most evil tyrant to the presidency, Dwight D. Eisenhower fought for and kept the peace during the most dangerous era in history.
The Eisenhower Chronicles dramatizes Ike's life, portraying his epic journey from unknown soldier to global hero as only a novel could. He is shown working with icons such as FDR, Winston Churchill, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and confronting challenges like D-Day, the Little Rock Crisis, and Sputnik.
Eisenhower's legacy is grounded in defending the world from fascism, communism, and nuclear weapons. This novel shows how he accomplished it all and takes readers into his mind and soul, grounding the history in the man who made it.
"An ambitious novel that illuminates the complexity of one of the great figures of the twentieth century. Ike's homespun manner concealed a remarkably skilled, at times Machiavellian, leader who guided the nation through perilous times. M.B. Zucker brings us inside Eisenhower's world as he wrestles with a series of decisions affecting the survival of free government and the fate of humanity. This is a fun, fast-paced, informative read that captures the man and his times. Highly recommended."
-Stephen F. Knott, Professor of National Security at the Naval War College and author of Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America
"A most important aspect of M. B. Zucker's The Eisenhower Chronicles is that it dispels at least two myths about Ike's presidency: that it was but an appendage to his illustrious military career; and, that Eisenhower was more prone to react to events rather than shape them. In a lively and innovative style, Zucker shows his readers how Ike managed the Cold War during its most dangerous period and helped make his country a more fair and just society at home. A must read for anyone interested in mid-20th century America."
-Alvin S. Felzenberg, presidential historian and author of The Leaders We Deserved and a Few We Didn't
"Zucker's achievement is monumental. In a fast-paced narrative, he captures Dwight D. Eisenhower with mastery and precision-his thoughts, emotions, decisions, and actions. The smooth prose and rich detail put the reader right there with Ike at every step of his military career and presidency, with an accurate and compelling rendering. This is historical fiction at its best."
-Yanek Mieczkowski, presidential historian and author of Eisenhower's Sputnik Moment: The Race for Space and World Prestige
"This is a vast and minutely detailed account of Eisenhower as both supreme Warlord and President of the United States at a time of truly massive transformation.It is magisterial in its informed account and sweeping in its scope. It is a panoramic study, intensively researched, of Eisenhower as both a private person and a world figure.... Five stars and highly recommended."
- The Historical Fiction Company Editorial Reviews
"Soldier, diplomat, president, America's granddad, a warrior who crusaded for peace - Ike's greatest legacy is that America is still a country today; that none of the diplomatic and military crises of the 1950's ended in nuclear missiles being fired - that the use of nukes never became normalized. A man who knew full well the dreadful cost of war, Ike ended the conflict he inherited and started no new ones. This novel is a powerful portrayal of one of America's greatest Presidents, showing him as a man with many insecurities and a volcanic temper, who overcame them all and made America, not just the leader of the free world, but a powerful force for world peace at a time when many expected World War III was still in the near future.
HIGHLY recommended!"
-Lewis Smith, author of President Hamilton
"Mr. Zucker brings the mindset of Dwight Eisenhower alive in this very informative and well written book. A must read for anyone who is an Eisenhower fan or admirer."
-5 Star Amazon Review
"Policy wonks will revel in discussions between Ike and his aides … and readers will come to a clearer understanding of the circumstances Eisenhower had to operate in, gaining sympathy for him because of the many difficult choices he had to make as a leader."
-The Historical Novel Society
Liopleurodon: The Master of the Deep
Liopleurodon ferox was the deadliest sea predator of all time, the king of the Jurassic ocean. This whale-sized reptile's return to the early twentieth century triggers a geopolitical crisis in this new historical science fiction thriller. Former President Theodore Roosevelt foresees the threat the Liopleurodon would pose if it falls into the wrong hands. The race is on as Roosevelt leads the American effort to destroy it before the Kaiser's Germany can turn it into a weapon.
Fans of Jurassic Park and Steve Alten's Meg series will not want to miss this adventure filled with action, political intrigue, and characters that readers will remember long after finishing this novel.
"The storyline itself was superb ... A Jaws/Jurassic Parkthriller and a bit of a spy novel all in one - and compelling."
-The Historical Fiction Company
"Throughout the novel, Roosevelt was a great big hoot. Always larger than life, he commanded the narrative and chewed up the scenery in the best possible way... As a reader, I was onboard too. In fact, the finale made me a little sad. "Why can't reality be as exciting as this?" I thought to myself as I shut down my Kindle for the night."
-The Monster Book Club