  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.
