Properties of $^{12}$C in the {\it ab initio} nuclear shell-model

We obtain properties of $^{12}$C in the {\it ab initio} no-core nuclear shell-model. The effective Hamiltonians are derived microscopically from the realistic CD-Bonn and the Argonne V8' nucleon-nucleon (NN) potentials as a function of the finite harmonic oscillator basis space. Binding energies, excitation spectra and electromagnetic properties are presented for model spaces up to $5\hbar\Omega$. The favorable comparison with available data is a consequence of the underlying NN interaction rather than a phenomenological fit.