From Publishers WeeklyProving himself solidly in control of cutting-edge military material, Griffin bases his new series not on wars past but on today's murky exigencies of terrorism and international political intrigue. Army Maj. Carlos Guillermo Castillo, whose Spanish name belies his fair-haired, blue-eyed appearance (he had a German mother), is working as a special assistant to the secretary of homeland security. Because of post-9/11 concerns, when a Boeing 727 is hijacked from a remote airport in Angola, it becomes a top priority for the U.S. government. Vicious infighting between several agencies results in a snafu that leads the U.S. president to assign Charley Castillo to use the search for the plane as an excuse to launch an investigation into the internal workings of all the government agencies and personnel who need to cooperate in terrorist situations. Griffin is more interested in military procedure than in blood, sweat and derring-do, and he resists no urge to meander through scores of pages of backstory to round out the many characters who will be series regulars. In the end, there are a few bodies to account for, but its' the meticulous investigation that leaves readers standing on the tarmac waiting for Charley Castillo and his newly minted band of can-do compatriots to touch down and carry them away again on a new adventure. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistLest we forget, Griffin is the author of five series: Honor Bound, Brotherhood of War, The Corps, Badge of Honor, and Men at War--34 books in total, for those readers who are counting. His latest novel is the first volume in a new series, and it clocks in at more than 500 pages. It concerns a Boeing 727 jet that is hijacked in Angola; the two-man crew is killed. The American president, seeking to know who did the hijacking and why, asks the help of an army intelligence officer serving as an assistant to the secretary of Homeland Security. He's Delta Force Major Carlos Guillermo Castillo, a West Point graduate, pilot, and veteran of Desert Storm. Much of the plot deals with flying and a variety of aircraft, both military and civilian, and there is lots of jargon on navigation systems, landings and takeoffs, airspeeds, guns, satellite imagery, and radar--which, of course, Griffin's fans thrive on. The novel's locales include Germany; Saudi Arabia; Chad; Costa Rica; Washington, D.C.; South Carolina; Georgia; and Philadelphia--a range sure to suit, again, his legion of readers, who probably will guess the story's outcome from the start. But, of course, it is the getting there that is the fun. George CohenCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved "Plenty of action, high-level intrigue, interesting characters, flip dialogue, romance, and a whole lot of drinking and other carrying on." (Library Journal)"Cutting-edge military material." (Publishers Weekly) how do i write a book review By Order of the President (Presidential Agent Novels)
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I salute you, W.E.B. Griffin!By Tom S.One of the best and most prolific authors I have had the pleasure to read! I have previously read two 10-book series by W.E.B. Griffin and loved every book. Some common denominators in his books are: His lead character(s) is/are extremely wealthy, serving in the military, on a first-name-basis with the President, multi-talented people who all seem to enjoy Famous Grouse scotch! (I checked it out - it actually exists)1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The formula still works!By David HallMr. Butterworth has writing the military novel equivalent to a bag of Doritos down to a science...each one tastes pretty much the same, but I still can't stop devouring 'em! Here you have the rich, multi-lingual, and supremely-talented officer (can you say Craig Lowell or Pick Pickering?), whose best buddy is an also highly-talented black officer, with a father that just happens to be a highly-regarded retired senior, legendary Army commander. And there is apparently only one city in Germany where heroes come from or go to university...the ubiquitous Marburg an der Lahn. But those traits aside, the story is a fun read, the plot has some interesting twists, and the Good Guys once again triumph over Evil, in between casual trysts with blonde supermodel career women. (Mr. Butterworth and his characters are all still living in a pre-AIDS/STD world, despite the updated technology and terrorist threats.) It doesn't matter, 'cause as long as he continues to write them, I'll still buy 'em!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Rambles unnecessarilyBy CustomerNot an awful book but the author rambles for about 25% of it trying to lay down information. It's almost as if he were just trying to add filler to make it longer. If you can skim through that part it's a decent read.