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Highlander #5
Highlander: The Measure of a Man
One of the ages-old race of Immortals, Duncan MacLeod has tried to turn his back on tradition and live his life as a mortal. But as the time of the Gathering draws near--when the few remaining Immortals will fight to the last--he finds himself being drawn back to battle. If he wins at the Gathering, he will acquire all the powers of the losers; if he does not succeed, he loses his life forever.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1997
13 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Holder
352 books2,408 followersNancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 28, 2023
There can only be one, is a lovely saying and I for one am glad that does not apply to the books concerning the Highlander Duncan MacLeod . There are ten books all part of the canon of the tv series that launched Duncan Macleod of the clan Macleod instead of his cousin Conner Macleod.
Duncan Macleod receives a message with a chess move and knows very well who the sender is, none other than the infamous Niccolo Machiavelli. The first met when Venice was still a worldpower and one Machiavelli was trying to provoke them into an unnecessary war. Macleod became an unwanted pawn in Machiavelli’s game.
Now in the modern days Niccolo wants revenge on the man he held responsible for his early problems, and he is convinced he knows what makes Duncan tick.
Another excellent story in the Highlander book series that answers the basic question: What if Machiavelli were an immortal and what would he continue doing through the ages?
These books like the series are so much fun and for sure a guilty pleasure of mine. Even if it is known that I like my books pulpy or history. This hero is both.
Duncan Macleod receives a message with a chess move and knows very well who the sender is, none other than the infamous Niccolo Machiavelli. The first met when Venice was still a worldpower and one Machiavelli was trying to provoke them into an unnecessary war. Macleod became an unwanted pawn in Machiavelli’s game.
Now in the modern days Niccolo wants revenge on the man he held responsible for his early problems, and he is convinced he knows what makes Duncan tick.
Another excellent story in the Highlander book series that answers the basic question: What if Machiavelli were an immortal and what would he continue doing through the ages?
These books like the series are so much fun and for sure a guilty pleasure of mine. Even if it is known that I like my books pulpy or history. This hero is both.
October 3, 2024
The high point of this novel is the prolog where villain has an elaborate fantasy of murdering his enemy that includes a two page long sex scene with a random imaginary woman. I know when I fantasize about the death of my enemies it includes voyeuristically watching my nemesis have sex with randos.
Machiavelli in real life was a fascinating man and a brilliant philosopher. In this novel he is a scooby doo villain with a chess fetish. Summary- Machiavelli becomes google and builds a Rube Goldberg machine to torture a guy he had a crush on 300 years ago.
The big overarching threat of this novel is kind of meaningless from a modern perspective. The abuse of the internet to invade personal privacy and track people has nothing on today's predictive algorithms and facial recognition programs. And we've just collectively decided we are fine with these things.
I'll give this three stars- one for being able to finish it, one for making me laugh, and one for the internet horror time capsule.
Machiavelli in real life was a fascinating man and a brilliant philosopher. In this novel he is a scooby doo villain with a chess fetish. Summary- Machiavelli becomes google and builds a Rube Goldberg machine to torture a guy he had a crush on 300 years ago.
The big overarching threat of this novel is kind of meaningless from a modern perspective. The abuse of the internet to invade personal privacy and track people has nothing on today's predictive algorithms and facial recognition programs. And we've just collectively decided we are fine with these things.
I'll give this three stars- one for being able to finish it, one for making me laugh, and one for the internet horror time capsule.
August 25, 2019
The author captured the character of Duncan MacLeod very well and there was a lot of passion in the story. The writing was good. The villain was a great conception--Machiavelli. I wasn't sure that more couldn't have been done with the Villain, though. I wasn't as engaged as I thought I'd be with that character. A good read overall.
September 13, 2007
Measure of a Man is the fourth Highlander novel, written by Nancy Holder.
You flashback to 1655 Venice, Italy. Duncan MacLeod narrowly escapes Niccolò Machiavelli who is also portrayed as an "Immortal."
Duncan must once again face the legendary Prince of Lies in 20th Century North America.
You flashback to 1655 Venice, Italy. Duncan MacLeod narrowly escapes Niccolò Machiavelli who is also portrayed as an "Immortal."
Duncan must once again face the legendary Prince of Lies in 20th Century North America.
August 20, 2007
You have to love a book where Machiavelli is the evil Immortal. Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews