Shadows of War by Larry Bond and Jim Defelice

Global warming plays havoc with the world’s economy. The inevitable conflict between those that have and those that don’t begins. China is seen as an implacable foe that threatens the security of the entire world. The U.S. finds itself in the paradoxical support of a former enemy.
The only criticism I have of this book is that I found it’s premise entirely too believable. The authors pain a gloomy picture of the not so distant future. There was plenty of action and heroic acts. I liked the metamorphic transformation of Josh from the mild mannered Clark Kent to Rambo. The transformation struck me as a metaphor of the character of the U.S. Our nation has a historic repute for acts of kindness to countries that appear to abhor us. Despite that attitude we labor to do good in the world. Other countries often perceive that as weakness until they try our patience one too many times and find they are in the tiger not riding it.

I liked the characters, the setting was clearly painted and the story moved well.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Larry Bond
Body of work of Jim Defelice

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Executive Intent by Dale Brown

I’ve missed a couple of Dale Brown’s thrillers. This takes place a few years after Tin Man. An insipid president is faced with multiple international incidents and reacts with timidity. An assertive vice-president deals with the crisis with the help of retired General Patrick McLanahan.

Dale Brown keeps one foot in the present and his head and the other foot in the near future. He projects current events into the near future with often painful clarity. His stories are always loaded with action and techno-wizardry. My only criticism of this book is that recent history is referred to but not explained. If you have missed a couple of books (which I have done) you are not quite sure why some things are happening. The same thing is true with his characterizations. If you weren’t familiar with the major players you would feel left out. I think a little back story work would have improved the readability. With that said, I still enjoyed the book. It moves fast and leaves you hanging, wanting more.

I recommend the book .

Body of work of Dale Brown

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They Are Soldiers by Harold Coyle

This novel could be a news article on a current conflict. A biological incident of bibilical significance in the middle east conflict threatens our own shores. Coyle is now in his second generation of protagonists. Scott Dixon, the butt kicking army officer of old, has been displaced by his son, Nathan. Nathan, as a regular army officer, finds himself faced with situations outside of his experience. He is thrust into the role of commanding a group of men considerably different than his previous commands. Nathan is surprised at how different the National Guard is from his regular army experience. His disparaging mind set faces facts the he is challenged to understand. The realistic portrayal of the unrelenting hate between the people in the Mideast who have so much in common and so much need for interaction was grossly depressing. Considering the intense participation, currently, of the National Guard in conflictual situations, the novel seems extremely current in spite of it's 2004 publication. Portrayal of the demographics, strengths and weaknesses of a National Guard unit seem quite accurate. The difficulties of intergrating National Guard troops with regular Army provide the primary theme while dealing with a middle east hot spot seemed secondary. I enjoyed the book, not as much as some others written by Coyle but I do recommend it. Body of work of Harold Coyle

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