Product Description
Global stability and the New World order are in peril, and American businessman Roger Gordian, star of POLITIKA and SHADOW WATCH, must again mobilize the full resources of his multinatinoal corporation to counter the threat. Bearing all the hallmarks of classic Tom Clancy, the fifth Powerplays novel serves up another dose of international intrigue and political brinkmanship. Intricate plotting, exceptional authenticity and knife-edge suspense will see this book repeat the massive success of its four predecessors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

So very boring
I am a scientist and love thrillers. I was very interested in the first chapter.Pretty much immediately after I became bored to death and kept hoping for the next chapter to grab my interest again.I am not even halfway through and hope that I can force myself to finish (I'm just determined to finish what I start, although my husband can't understand why I'd keep going when I'm so bored).The author (not Clancy) simply over-embellishes (why do I need the description of how the guy lit his cigar?what's with this guy smelling/tasting the air all the time?/ the over-description of how and why he changed his clothes in the car).I keep finding myself rolling my eyes and reading passages only to realize I paid no attention.I had to come on Amazon and read reviews to see if it was just me..but it's not.This is just a normal-sized paperback, yet so little of it is worth reading.I expect a lot of extra backstory in a huge Stephen King novel, but this story is simply being bogged down with too much boring fluff..as if it was added just to make it big enough to publish. I hope to finish it, if just for the challenge.I prefer a book that draws me into the next page and chapter with the suspense of what is about to happen next.This book does not fit the bill. ZZZZ.

How Far From Red October?Does It Matter?
I picked up this book because I'm a Tom Clancy fan since the Jack Ryan days, and needed to pass some time....not usually a ficiton reader, I've always managed to admire Clancy's use of his knowledge of intelligence and military operations and hardware to weave a compelling story.

"Cold War" is a book I picked up hurriedly expecting it to be on the topic of the actual Cold War, which it is not, it is set in Antarctica--but after the first few pages of initial disappointment, it becomes another Tom Clancy page-turner, which is what I'd hoped for.

I cannot say for sure how much involvement Mr. Clancy had in the actual writing or story plot and direction (he is NOT listed as an author or writer--but this could easily become another great movie with a good scriptwriter or two and CG budget....moving from continent to continent in a flash and keeping your attention whirling.

Although that is conceptually a different idea from the novel, it gives you an idea of my reaction to this pocket book (which it truly is).I recommend it for the purpose I bought it--a timepasser...and a good one at that.It has all the elements you associate with Tom Clancy...

BO-RING!
Wow, this is by far the most BORING "thriller" I have ever picked up. It starts out pretty good, but then gets bogged down in several boring and confusing sub-plots. Even the writing style is dreadful -- I kept reading hoping it would pick up and it never really did. This book is a DOG, don't waste your time with it. Tom Clancy did not write this book - I am surprised he would endorse such a lame novel with his name.

This was a bad starter for Clancy-type novels
Unlike most readers on these reviews, this is the first "Clancy" book I have read.I put it in quotes because it wasn't till I got home with the book that I realized a ghost writer was involved.The first 4 pages were awesome, setting up an "outbreak" type scenario.Where did that story go for the next 300+ pages?There were so many characters in this book that I got confused repeatedly, and finally gave up trying to figure them out.What was up with all the sub-plots which go nowhere...ej.The government guy and Megan, Thibideaux and Ricci.....The story dragged on and on and finally picked up at the end, but it was too late to salvage this story.If he wanted to write a thrilling series, with the backing of Clancy, it could have been done, since everything he needs is in this book.The problem is that by combining all of these story lines into one 400+ page novel, the overall product turned out to be a confusing mess.

Wasn't as good as most Clancy Thrillers!
This book was a terrible book. The content was pretty boring at most times. This was nothing like the Sum of All Fears, or Patriot Games. I only liked brief parts of it. Hey Tom! Pick up the pace! ... Read more

Product Description
Marine General Tony Zinni was known as the "Warrior Diplomat" during his nearly forty years of service. As a soldier, his credentials were impeccable, whether leading troops in Vietnam, commanding hair-raising rescue operations in Somalia, or-as Commander-in-Chief of CENTCOM-directing strikes against Iraq and Al Qaeda. But it was as a peacemaker that he made just as great a mark-conducting dangerous troubleshooting missions all over Africa, Asia, and Europe; and then serving as Secretary of State Colin Powell's special envoy to the Middle East, before disagreements over the 2003 Iraq War and its probable aftermath caused him to resign.

This is his story-and that of his beloved Marine Corps-from the cauldron of Vietnam to the realities of the post-9/11 military, as told by none other than Tom Clancy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

Fascinating Read of Warrior/Diplomat
Tom Clancy is best known for his fiction. However, he has ventured out into wrtiing military biographies of leaders he's met - this is the fourth of "The Commanders" series, key military leaders who were in the first Gulf War.

Tony Zinni is a 35 year Marine Vet. You expect and get the war stories, lessons learned the hard way in Vietnam, the Cold War and the Middle East. Pleny of tales of heroism, bravery, sacrifices made by our soldiers. What is so interesting about this book is the unique perspective this warrior has about diplomacy. Perhaps a lone wolf crying out in the wilderness, this combat vet preaches engagement, discussions, negotiations with "the bad guys". Zinni makes a very compelling case that the US cannot fight every battle militarily and the US cannot bend every opponent to our views.

Zinni's experience in war and diplomacy led him to be called upon by the Bush administration as a special envoy. He has been all over the world and understands the people side, the need to build relations, overcome cultural barriers and prejudices to find a way to peaceful solutions. This is a great read for those interested on US foreign policies, military actions from the Vietnam war to 2003. You may not agree with everything Zinni has to say, but he's certainly earned the right to express those views and has the experience to back them up.

Zinni in War and Peace

I listened to it, rather than turning pages.The first half was more interesting than the
second half, which is more politics than personal or military history. That is not to deny
value to the later portion of the book.It was interesting to compare Zinni's adventures in
Somalia to the account in "Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures -- A True Story From
Hell On Earth" by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thompson. They can both be true.

Zinni wins my admiration for his patient determination to improve things, a unit or a nation.
He shows the Somalia warlords as human. It was a disappointment that he took so long to see
through Yasser Arafat.

Zinni makes much of his "tell it like it is" attitude, and his interest in how to fight effectively.
I was surprised that he did not mention the statue of John Boyd in the center of the lobby at
Marine headquarters.Boyd was an Air Force fighter pilot, that taught how to fight effectively,
and told unpopular truths. Amazon has several books about him.

Zinni did not support the Iraq war. He claims plans for after the battles were won were not done,
or not done well. Could be. He claims 300,000 troops were needed. I wish he had supplied details
of that estimate, similar to the detailed plans for the evacuation from Somalia.

This is not one of Clancy's best, but it is still pretty good. I recommend it to those interested
in military history, whatever their opinions on the current Iraq situation.

Clancy Doesn't Muck About
Mr Clancy is one of the best military writers and he is typically on his game in this biography of Marine General Tony Zinni who eventually rose to CINC at CENTCOM, the command that has the heart of the middle east at its core.Clancy deftly switches back and forth between a first-person narrative of his subject and his own overviews of the history and background of each period, whether it be Vietnam or Somalia, Turkey or Pakistan.The only issue I have with Tom Clancy is italics.Everything told verbally by General Zinni is presented in italics so that a 440-page narrative probably contains about 220 pages of italics.If only Mr. Clancy would consult the Chicago Manual which states that italics should be used sparingly and never for more than a paragraph!Tom, I get a different voice in my head when I read the italics and I don't necessarily like that voice.

Excellent book, that tells it like it should be, surprisingly candid
This book, co written with General Tony Zinni, tells of the methods, means, and the reasons for our military. The last part, when General Zinni pulls no punches, about our approach to war, foreign relations, and when to use and how to use the military [with the help of the civilian authority] to fight smarter battles and when to fight, is an excellent assessment of our current problems in the U.S.. His approach to fight in a "smarter" way, reflecting the new realities of war, e.g., terrorism, and an ever changing world, is the way it should be-and not to declare "victory", if that is the objective, on an aircraft carrier as a photo-op [his words], and to support the ideas that are right and to criticize the ideas that are wrong, even if they are "politically" incorrect. A first rate book.

peacemaker
While 'In to the storm' elaborate detail of one big battle, and 'Shadow warrior' tells many big events, this 'Battle ready' tells us every single experience of General Zinni from O-2, O-3, O-4, everything till retired from O-10. I think I will be bored but with his sense of humor, General Zinni brings all his tought without make this book boring. (e.g. the HANDCON and took a bus in 'Nam).
I learn how military and diplomat works in peacemaker process. ... Read more

Product Description
The #1 New York Times bestseller-updated with additional information on the current Iraq War-now in trade paperback.

General Chuck Horner commanded the U.S. and allied air assets-the forces of a dozen nations- during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and was responsible for the design and execution of one of the most devastating air campaigns in history. Never before has the Gulf air war planning, a process filled with controversy and stormy personalities, been revealed in such rich, provocative detail. In this edition of Every Man a Tiger, General Horner looks at the current Gulf conflict and comments on the use of air power in Iraq.Amazon.com Review
This Tom Clancy real-life military thriller is more nuancedthan his novels, because its object is not simply to dramatize armedconflict but to relate the life lessons of his source,jet-pilot-turned-Desert-Storm-air-commander General ChuckHorner. Horner is no war cheerleader like General "Buck" Turgidson inDr. Strangelove. He loathes the arrogance of the backwards,nuke-happy Strategic Air Command and the madly out-of-touch VietnamWar planner Robert McNamara. McNamara confesses his folly in twobooks, Argument WithoutEnd and InRetrospect, but Horner's you-are-there account more vividlydemonstrates Vietnam's grim lessons. He flew an F-105 Thunderbird"Thud" fighter in the Wild Weasels, the unit with the highestmedals-per-aircrew ratio, knew pilots who were stoned to death byvillagers, and realized all the bombing did zero good. "All we reallyhad to do was befriend Ho," says Horner sensibly. "Seems he wasn'tpart of a monolithic Communist plot, and hated the Chinese more thananything else." Horner is savvy about the screwups, the achievements,and the political maneuvering in and after the Gulf War, as leadersand branches of service battled for PR victories. His idea of a herois Boomer McBroom's pilot Captain Gentner Drummond, who won a FlyingCross medal for refusing AWACS orders to down a jet that turned out tobe a Saudi ally. Horner thinks the interservice and internationalcooperation in the Gulf War was way better than in Vietnam, butthere's ample room for improvement. The action scenes aren't quite asbrilliant as those in Black Hawk Down: A Story ofModern War, but Clancy fans will find plenty toadmire. Horner's improbable survival of a 150-m.p.h. near-crash inLibya in 1962 belongs in a Tom Clancy film. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Lessons on cross-culturalism and "downward loyalty" when lives are on the line

There are already so many well-written reviews here that I'll make mine brief. I'll also keep my views on the Gulf Wars to myself.

I read this book, and Clancy's earlier Into The Storm: A Study in Command (Commander Series), because I was interested in knowing how the US military recovered from its lackluster performance in Vietnam. How such a remarkable turnaround can be accomplished is valuable knowledge, no matter what the goals of those who carried it out.

General Horner learned his lessons from Vietnam. He believes that he, his fellow pilots, and the even the enemy were no more than pawns in a geopolitical game played by the leaders of both sides. Therefore, even though technological improvement was a big part of the turnaround between Vietnam and Desert Storm, so was the attention paid to the common airman's working conditions and life in general. That sort of "downward loyalty", sustained for a decade prior to the Gulf War, paid dividends when the Air Force had to keep planes repaired, armed, fueled, and navigated through hostile territory.

Cross-culturalism --in the form of close cooperation with Arab allies before and during the War-- was also indispensable to the Allies' success. I'll definitely recommend this book to fellow Christians who openly hate Muslims, and seem believe that victory came because the US had God's favor.

IN SUMMARY
It's easy to mouth platitudes about cross-culturalism and loyalty toward subordinates in the comfort of our own living rooms, but the US military (whatever its other faults) put those values into practice through many difficult years. Its efforts paid off when thousands of lives were on the line. I'm glad that this book tells us, in some degree, how that was accomplished.

Arabism uber alles
This book documents how the United States and NATO have become the Dhimmi States of Arabia under the command of the Saudis. Oy Va Voy! Big Andy from Detroit

Big Fan of Clancy but Much Prefer Audio Versions of Clancy
Clancy created a good study in Every Man A Tiger.Like all Clancy books, it's filled with military jargon and technicalities, which I personally enjoy.Yet I also discovered after the first two Clancy books I read that his writing is often highly technical and plot-driven while his development of characters is wordy and not very sophisticated.Therefore, Clancy works much better for me in audio format and he's one of the very few authors that I prefer in abridged from.

In Every Man A Tiger I learned how complicated air command is, how dominant air power can be when supported by ground troops and how impossibly expensive air power can be.This is a great account and view of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Finally, air power is getting more expensive all the time and one must wonder when money has such diminishing returns that an optimal budget could ever be established.Quite obviously, the U.S. must continue building a better Air Force but has bumped into budget contraints that nobody wants to discuss.This is the matter that was never addressed and that I believe is more important than the discussions of how technology changed strategy.

Horner 1, Clancy 0
I recomend this book because of Gen. Horner and in spite of Mr. Clancy. (I think "The Hunt For Red October" is great but its been down-hill from there...) I'm sure Mr. Clancy brought organizing talent and expertise in formatting chapters, paragraphs and pages to this book, but I felt I could tell when Horner, or Clancy, was the primary writer, and I'd have been happier with the General's own voice the whole time.

General Horner comes across as a full character, with a story to tell. I'd rate his part 5 stars.

The "there I was" parts about planning and carrying-out the air-war in Desert Shield and Desert Storm are illuminating, and the description of the troubled USAF trying to find purpose, meaning and funding, after Viet Nam, are interesting. But the heart of the book for me are Horner's two tours in Viet Nam. Actually, in Thailand, but over Viet Nam when flying. By the end of his first tour, Horner realizes that the USA, his country, and the USAF, his service, doesn't actually want to win in Viet Nam, and isn't willing to do what it takes to win. Its not the left wing media, or the protesters, its the chain of command, from Johnson down, and he makes this point directly.

And then he goes back for a second tour, flying Wild Weasel missions at great personal risk. Why? He says its because this was "the war he had". He doesn't dwell on it, but it seems that having signed up, and being willing to serve, so far, he's willing to risk his life to do what he's been trained to do, in the persuit of foolish, pointless, even counter-productive things. I'd say immoral things, once you know you can't win, many might disagree.

But there, in a real officer's words, more or less, is why our nation must take (more) care in choosing its leaders, and give great thought to its citizens in uniform, volunteer or otherwise. People, all people, our people, are amazing, and they will try to do every job they are given to the best of their ability.

Give them a stupid job that hasn't been well thought out and they will die trying to make it happen. If its a military job and it involves killing, they'll kill. Not from blood lust or to be evil, but because that's what they've been asked to do.

Its no use blaming the soldiers- after a very brief time at war, soldiers have more in common with each other, with the soldiers of the other side, than they do with the folks at home. Its the leadership, which, in a democracy, is US, which is responsible. We cannot casually send out the Marines, or the 82nd Airborne, or the carrier battle group, and assume all is well. We have to be damn sure we know what we want before we ask our service people to risk their lives for it. They may do what we ask, and it may not work, it may not be the right thing, it may not be what we actually want.

This book is rather technical (about the level of "The Naval Institute Procedings", NY Times or Aviation Week, more so than "Air Force Review" or one of Clancy's books. Having a background in the subject helps, having an interest in the subject is a must.

Its hard to keep reading when Horner steps out and Clancy lets his fingers sing on the keyboard. But its worth it, at least through the first third, and after that, its like "Day of the Jackel"- you know how it ends, but you want to know this version anyway. Skim if you have to.

This is a far *better* book than Richard Hallinon's "Storm over Iraq" (Hallinon, the "Offical USAF Historian", is too rah-rah, with too little critical thinking or self awareness) and provides an interesting 50,000 foot view to contrast with, for example, "Warthogs", the first-person, 15,000 feet and under, stories of A-10 pilots & squadrons.

Every Man A Tiger
Great book.General Chuck Horner is a real character and I enjoyed his insights immensely.Tom Clancy does a great job explaining military technology although some of his graphs' Xs & Ys axises needed to be labeled.Overall a great book.I enjoyed it more that "Enter the Storm" which was based on Fred Franks. ... Read more

Product Description
Going behind the scenes of an armored cavalry regiment, an insider's view includes photographs, illustrations, and diagrams of tanks, helicopters, and artillery systems, interviews with high-ranking officers, and future roles the armored cavalry might play. Amazon.com Review
A penetrating look inside an armored cavalry regiment--the technology, the strategies, and the people... profiled by Tom Clancy.

His first nonfiction book, Submarine, captured thereality of life aboard a nuclear warship. Now, the #1 bestsellingauthor of Clear and Present Dangerportrays today's military as only army personnel can know it.

With the same compelling, you-are-there immediacy of his acclaimed fiction, Tom Clancy provides detailed descriptions of tanks, helicopters, artillery, and more--the brilliant technology behind the U. S. Army. He captures military life--from the drama of combat to the daily routine--with total accuracy, and reveals the roles and missions that have in recent years distinguished our fighting forces.

Armored Cav includes:

• Descriptions of the M1A2 Main Battle Tank, the AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter, and more
• An interview with General Frederick Franks
• Strategies behind the Desert Storm account
• Exclusive photograph, illustrations and diagrams

Customer Reviews (21)

A bit outdated, but still informative
Since military hardware is in a constant state of enhancement, this non-fiction volume is a bit outdated, but it still contains a great deal of good information. One of the most readable of Clancy's nonfiction volumes, it still has a historical value. The longterm interview with a mid-level officer is one of the book's strong points. Know what your getting, but if you want a look at yesteryear's armored cav, this book can be valuable. If you're looking for more of the current state of affairs, find another source.

Good reference material
Very good book to be used for technical reference.It is NOT a novel (a la "Hunt For Red October"), so if that is what you are looking for, look elsewhere.Fairly accurate, if a bit dated. A lot has happened since this book was published.The M8 AGS was never fielded, the 2d ACR-L is now a Stryker Brigade, both 2d ACR and 3d ACR have seen combat in Iraq and elements of 11th ACR are heading over, and the then CPT H.R. McMasters of E Troop, 2d ACR (see battle of 73 Easting) is now COL McMasters and the 71st Colonel of the 3d ACR.So Mr Clancy, you have a lot of catching up to do!Till then - "BRAVE RIFLES!"Aiee-yah.....

Guided Tour series continues....
Like the other six books in the Guided Tour series, Tom Clancy and John D. Gresham take the reader on a behind-the-scenes field trip of a military unit.This time, the focus is on an Army armored cavalry regiment, its equipment and personnel, the history of armored cavalry, and two short fictional scenarios depicting the use of this type of unit in combat.

The one new feature (later included in all the later books) is a softball interview with now-retired General Fred Franks, former commander of the VII Corps during Desert Storm and later commander of TRADOC, Training and Doctrine Commmand.Although informative, Armored Cav is more of a love letter to the Army than an unbiased piece of reporting. Still, fans of Clancy and of military hardware should not pass this book (or any of this series)up. Just park high expectations at the roadside and you'll enjoy this for what it is, and not what it could have been.

Average Work
If you have read any of the other books in the series then you know what to expect with this one. The book follows the familiar format, it details out the machinery used, the troops, the division make up of the topic in the armed forces, a few interviews and it ends with some fictionalized short stories describing the expected types of encounters this area would face in the future.All in all a basic book on the armored cavalry that gives you all the basics.The Clancy style of writing, lots of facts and plodding movement work well in this type of book given that you buy it to learn about the subject.

Overall it is a good effort and if you have been happy with the other books in the series you will enjoy this one.My only complaints were that there did not seam to be enough photos of the equipment for me.Sure they had all the main items, but I wanted a picture of every truck and tractor covered in the book. I also would have liked to have seen a comparison of the other counties main battle tanks - something he did with his Submarine and Aircraft Carrier books. And one last little complaint - what was with his ending every chapter with some junior high school type rah-rah cheer.We are talking about the military; do we need this type of comic book love-fest mentality?

Simply great!
well, in first place i love clancy's non-fiction book, and this one is great! it makes a full review of a army's cavalry brigade organization and composition, and at the same time a review of all the heavy weaponry used by the US army, the tanks, armored transports, the artilery, well, just abou everything! if u want to learn all about that, just go running to buy this book, u'll love it... i did :) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

great service
Very pleased with the prompt service I received when I ordered this book. Will order from you again.

Couldn't put it down
Debt of Honor is the next book in the Jack Ryan series, after The Sum of All Fears, and it was so much better.The book has a faster pace and the suspense builds up nicely from the beginning.The book is pretty long, more than 900 pages, but the story moves along quickly and it was very hard to put down.

In this book, a wealthy Japanese industrialist decides it's time for Japan to be a superpower and bring America to her knees.He convinces a small group of his peers to his scheme for dominance and power for Japan, takes control of the Japanese government, and goes on the offensive, first economically and then militarily.For this man, crippling the United States as a superpower is a personal revenge (that goes back to World War II and his family's death on the Mariana Islands), and it's this debt of honor he feels obligated to deliver payment by sowing chaos in America.

I read some of the negative reviews and some complained about going into too much detail on the financial side of things, how Wall Street operates, and using Japan as the main (although not the only one, India and China play minor roles) enemy was incredulous.

I didn't find reading about the financial markets and how they worked to be tedious and dull, it was quite fascinating to read how complex and intertwined the global markets were and how a disaster in one country, in this case America, could lead to a snowball effect in Europe and elsewhere.That is all very realistic and Clancy being the type of writer he is, he goes into meticulous detail about how the financial markets work.I thought the background information was necessary, because it makes more sense when you later learn about how the Japanese were able to intentionally hurt the American economy.

Then there was Clancy's decision to use Japan as the enemy in this book.Of course, if one were to compare this fictional world to our own real world, it does sound pretty crazy that a staunch U.S. ally such as Japan, a major trading partner, would suddenly become America's number one enemy.Well, if we look at a few of America's allies today, Germany and Japan are good examples of how not too long ago both countries were enemies.So while I'll admit Clancy's premise sounds outrageous, a strong U.S. ally becoming an enemy later, it's naive thinking to think it could never happen.I thought Clancy did a superb job of showing a "what if" scenario.Something that could happen as the world is always changing, leaders come and go, and no one can accurately predict who will be an enemy or an ally tomorrow.

This was a highly entertaining political thriller and Clancy sets up the story for the next book, Executive Orders, very well (there are certain parts where I could see some minor players that were introduced in Debt of Honor playing a key role in the next book).The ending of Debt of Honor ends on a major cliff-hanger so you best have the next book handy.

one of his best
I have read every Clancy book and this one has got to be one of my favorites.A complex tale that reads so quickly, it is an interesting, plausible tale of how one man's dedication and determination to right how he was wronged, or at least thinks so, can loose hell upon the owrld.Again, Clancy seems to know what is going to happen, or at least I think bad guys get their ideas from him. ... Read more

Product Description

CARDINAL OF THE KREMLIN

Mikhail Filitov is a war hero and Red Army Colonel, but his CIA code name is "Cardinal." The U.S. and U.S.S.R. are negotiating a treaty while their espionage armies are locked in the ultimate struggle.What the Cardinal knows could change the course of history.what a maverick CIA man named Ryan must do is out-duel the KGB -- and bring the Cardinal out alive!

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

The U.S. ambassador to Colombia has been murdered by druglords. Enemy covert agents filter into the jungles of Central America, which ready to explode. CIA man Jack Ryan is the eye of a storm -- and for the U.S., the stakes have never been higher.

THE SUM OF ALL FEARS

Peace may finally be at hand in the Middle East -- as Jack Ryan lays the groundwork for a plan that could end centuries of conflict.But ruthless terrorists have a final, desperate card to play; with one terrible act, distrust mounts, forces collide, and the floundering U.S. president seems unable to cope with the crisis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good value
I have always wanted to read these books but have never had the time to. I bought these to listen to them at work and they worked out great. Tom Clancy is an amazing writed and theses are some of his best books. I would also recomend that you get Rainbow six on CD if you like this collection.

Abridged, but great for newbies
These three novels by Clancy were all excellent stories.If you are a true fan of Tom Clancy, do not let these take the place of reading the novels.However, I still enjoyed listening to the abridged version after reading his novels.

Those new to Tom Clancy should enjoy this series of stories, as all of them are intriguing.My introduction to Tom Clancy was through an audibook, and now I've read thousands of his printed pages.See for yourself.

One of the Best Collections Out There Today!
If your a Tom Clancy fan, This collection is for you.Included in this collection are The Sum Of All Fears, Clear And Present Danger, and The Cardinal Of The Cremlin.Believe me, this is one of the best collections of Clancy's works out there today!Definitely worth the money! ... Read more

Product Description
In this new adventure, a fellow student makes life miserable for the rest of the Net Force by sabotaging a virtual simulation program. But when a Force exiles him from the group, the brilliant outcast creates a virtual "playroom" that will blow them all away. Based on the major mini-series from ABC-TV. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Tedious beginning, mediocre ending
Madeline Green, also known as Maj, is a member of the Group of Seven: a gathering of youngsters that enjoy creating virtual simulations of historic events. Maj has just finished her simulation of a 1964 bomber plane that originally crashed on its maiden voyage. She invites the Group of Seven to watch and judge her latest creation. But early in the simulation something goes dreadfully wrong: Maj is unable to control the plane and she crashes almost directly after take-off. When it becomes clear that Roddy, the super intelligent loner of the group, has sabotaged Maj's simulation just to prove that he can, the group decides to teach Roddy a lesson. But this only inflames the situation: Roddy's out for revenge.

It is difficult to make sense of the author's decision to use the first quarter of One Is the Loneliest Number as a tedious description of a virtual simulation. Apart from a poor introduction of the main character is does not contain any information that tickles the curiosity of the reader. It is more than obvious that the simulation is going to crash, so building towards this is not adding much suspense to the story.
Luckily once this mind-numbing setting has been concluded the story really starts. The tone and rhythm completely change, another character is introduced in the form of Mark Grideley who immediately takes the lead and makes the character of Maj obsolete. It is as though the author realised his mistake and quickly took action to make the plot more exciting.

All considered this story turns out to be only a mediocre episode of the Netforce series, only to be read if you feel the urge to read the complete series.

NET FORCE "One is the loneliest number" by Tom Clancy
My name is Mike from 1st period English II, and I am reviewing NET FORCE "One is the loneliest number" by Tom Clancy.
It is basically your general science fiction novel where computers rule the world in the future.I liked this book not only because I like science fiction, but because it is an outstanding piece of literature.It is so outstanding because it is a thinker.You are not supposed to under stand everything as soon as it happens.A couple of pages later, the it all clicks together.In the begining, the characters talk of simulations, North American XB-70 Valkyries, and Spitfires.When it is put into words in such a matter, the words have no meaning.In later pages, however, you soon find out that the kids are virtually simulating well known wars such as WWII, and the Battle of Gettysburg.Also, the NA XB-70 Valkyrie is a super virtual jet that Maj,a main character, brought back to life.Finally, a Spitfire is a log-lived aircraft in their virtual world.

I also like this book because it is extremely descriptive.There are adjictives that paint much more than a picture.The auther, Tom Clancy, tells the story as if he is living it at that point in time.He really knows how to stay in the moment."It stood silhouetted against the brightening crimson line of dawn, a shadow that could as yet cast no shadow of its own"(1).Tom Clancy could have simply said, "It made a silhouette when the sun came up.""Very suddenly, and Maj hoped showily, they appeared on the tarmac as they were mentioned: A threesomeof F-104 Starfighters, their brushed chrome gleaming blindingly in the sun and their engines already wound up and screaming with mechanical enthusiasm"(21).The words, "Three planes showed up," would have covered that 38 word sentence.I am not sure wheather it is the discription or what they are describing that caught my eye.

The third and final reason why I like this book is because it is all about kids.It really puts things in perspective and helped me relate to the characters ans situations better."In the future, computers rule the world.The et Force was formed to protect us fro any and all criminal activity on-line.But there is a group of teenage whiz kids who sometimes know more about computers than their adult superiors"(back cover).That showes that kids are running the show.

I give this book four out of five stars because it is only 175 pages long.I reccomend this read to teenagers that watch Star Trek, and was first in line for Star Wars Episode II.

Net Force Explorers: One is the Loneliest Number
Madeleine Green, called Maj, has spent a year perfecting one of her latest virtual sims. She decides to present it to her friends who calls themselves the Group of Seven, seven teens who are all computer whiz kids. But all it took was a few moments for one of the Group, Roddy L'Officer, to sabotage her sim program! Since Roddy has done plenty of damaging 'pranks' before, the rest of the Group decides to exile Roddy, meaning no virtmails and no sims between the friends and him. But Roddy has something up his sleeve, a new 'playroom' he has recently created. But the 'playroom' is not all he's done, he's also discovered something of pure genius, something that can be used for good... or for evil.

The Net Force Explorers is a great Young Adult fiction series, especially those with a love for computers and the Internet. Since the Net presented in the books have no boundaries, you will never know what to expect next. With well-thought out plots, the stories have plenty of twists and turns, having the whole plot well balanced with mystery, excitement, and adventure.

Unfortunately for me, "One is the Loneliest Number" isn't one of my favorite Net Force Explorer's books. The reason is because the back of the book did not explain what the story was about very well so the first half of the book was very slow and a bit dull for me. I think the reason is because though in the back it says that the Group of Seven are Net Force Explorers, it's not necessarily true. Only Maj is an Explorer so Net Force doesn't appear for a while in the story. But as soon as things began to pick up, I must admit that the story was incredibly exciting! My tip is, though maybe a bit slow at first, keep reading. The last few chapters are EXTREMELY exciting!

The character of Maj Green is pretty average, has a temper that flairs up occasionally but soon simmers down. But for me my favorite character was Mark Grideley, who appears later in the book. He is fairly young, thirteen years old, but since he is the Net Force director's son, he's very smart. As stubborn as a rock, he is in a way a good leader. I LOVE the part where he, Maj, and Charlie (another Explorer) confront Roddy. But of course I can't say too much!

The series is for Young Adults and I strongly recommend only older kids read it since there are many occasions where a few bad words are sprinkled here and there. Not that bad but still in a way a bit annoying to have them in the book. But I still highly recommend it for older kids for I'm sure you'll love it!

REALLY GOOD
I believe that this book is a really good book, and I would certainly want to buy the whole series after just this first book. I really want to go out and buy the rest of these books. Two Thumbs Up!:-))

My copy was missing pages 59 - 90, a critical part.
The copy I purchased was missing pages 59 thru 90, a critical part, and had 91 thru 122 twice. I tried to just forget the missing pages and continue, but it was impossible, to much was missing from the story. Otherthan the aformentioned problem, the book was very good, what I could readof it. ... Read more

Product Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and "master of the techno-thriller" (Newsweek), two heart-stopping classics of action and suspense. Tom Clancy brings a chilling ring of truth to these enduring masterpieces, proving why his gripping novels have sold in excess of 38 million copies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Two classic Clancys, one great price....
Although Red Storm Rising and Cardinal of the Kremlin are both Tom Clancy novels...and they both deal with the Cold War rivalry between the U.S. and the now defunct Soviet Union, they are very different in both theme and content. They are not even "related," as Red Storm Rising is the only major Clancy novel that is not set in what fans call the Ryan-verse, while Cardinal of the Kremlin is the "chronological sequel" to The Hunt for Red October.

Red Storm Rising (1986), co-written with former naval intelligence officer/war-game designer Larry Bond (Red Phoenix), proved that Clancy's success with "Red October" was no fluke.His huge and sweeping account of a conventional war between the Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact and the U.S./NATO forces in Western Europe was a runaway bestseller and, to this day, is still many a devoted Clancy fan's favorite novel.Its depiction of a third Battle of the Atlantic and the description of mid-1980s weapons and tactics have also made Red Storm Rising required reading at various military academies.

Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988), Clancy's fourth novel, is the true sequel to Hunt for Red October. (Patriot Games, which preceded Cardinal by one year, is actually set before Hunt for Red October.) In this one, CIA analyst Jack Ryan must attempt the extraction of the Agency's top "mole" in Moscow, a man code-named CARDINAL. A traditional espionage thriller, it was also pretty topical 15 year ago, touching upon the Soviets' war in Afghanistan and the superpowers' race to develop a space-based anti-missile defense.

Even if (as I do) you own all the Clancy novels, you might still want this book, especially to take on a long vacation.

Two of Clancy's Best Books in One
This book combines two of Tom Clancy's best stories into one volume: The Cardinal of the Kremlin, a spy novel about the Cold War and the Star Wars program, my personal favorite, and Red Storm Rising, the classic story about a war between NATO and the Soviet Union, which has several plots and non-stop action once the war gets started, which happens quickly. If you don't already have the books, buy this volume now.

Two of Clancy's Best Books in One
This book combines two of Tom Clancy's best stories into one volume: The Cardinal of the Kremlin, a spy novel about the Cold War and the Star Wars program, my personal favorite, and Red Storm Rising, the classic story about a war between NATO and the Soviet Union, which has several plots and non-stop action once the war gets started, which happens quickly. If you don't already have the books, buy this volume now.

great book
if you loves espionage, The Cardinal of The Kremelin is a book that you won't be able to stop reading. The book deals with Clancy's main character-Jack Ryan and his pursuit of a Russian's intellengce agent. The book is capivating because it has a suspenseful plot and has great charcter organizations. The books start out slowly in the first two chapters, but it picks up and the action is non-stop. The middle and ending of the book is magnificient. This book makes your mind race with anticaption and excitment because you just want to know what Jack Ryan's every moves are. One of Clancy's best works in the espionage, spy's books that he has written. A great book that should be read by everybody, who loves to read books.

Excellent book for people who enjoy reading.
Although written about a period of recent history that is over for all intents and purposes, the books give a very realistic view of the art of war (both cold and hot), and the possible consequences even for those who feel that they are well prepared.The books give us food for thought as we bask in our supposed security as the premier world power in the years to come. Once you read these books, you need to ask whether we are really prepared to counter a seerious threat to our national security.On the other hand, the books are full of suspense ( as are all of Clancy's novels) and are hard to put down. I had to go to work without sleep after reading Red Storm Rising, as I could not put it down! ... Read more

Product Description
In his brilliant, bestselling novels, Tom Clancy has explored the most dramatic military and security issues of our time. Now he takes readers deep into the operational art of war with this insightful look at one of America's most important military engagements in recent years: the Gulf War.

Never before has the art of maneuver warfare been explored so incisively and in such rich, provocative detail. Clancy and General Frederick M. Franks, Jr.-commander of the main force that broke the back of the Republican Guard-take us deep inside the war councils and command posts and up to the front lines. They give us a war that few people really knew-and that television never showed.Amazon.com Review
Tom Clancy's latest love-letter to the military-industrialcomplex focuses on the Army--and Fred Franks, a general who helpedsmash Iraq in the Gulf War. In this first volume of a series on theintricacies of military command, Clancy traces the organizationalsuccess story of the U.S. Army's rise from the slough of Vietnam tothe heights of victory in the Persian Gulf. In 1972, the Army lackedproper discipline, training, weapons, and doctrine; all these would beoverhauled in the next 15 years. For those readers keen on such nutsand bolts, the book will be fascinating. But the book truly sparkleswhen Franks tells his story. A "tanker" who lost a foot inthe invasion of Cambodia, he is a man of great courage,thoughtfulness, and integrity. One cannot help but wince when acivilian tells him, "You and those boys did that fornothing." And for all the acronyms and military history, that iswhat this book is about: healing the wounds Vietnaminflicted. "But this time [the Gulf War], it was going to enddifferently. They all would see to that." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

Taken with a Grain of Salt
Tom Clancy is a great person to have on your side - meaning he paints the main subject of this book, General Fred Franks, as a study of perfection. Franks commanded the US VIIth Corps in Operation Desert Storm (Gulf 1). General Schwartzkopf (Stormin Norman) was his boss. After the war, there were allegations that Franks should have moved faster against the Iraqi's and was too cautious. Many who served with Franks admire him for his compassion & caring of the soldiers. Those who know Franks certainly tend to side with him rather than Schwartzkopf who had quite the temper and was considered by many to be a bully.

Clancy spends a lot of time refuting that Franks was too slow, demonstrating how Franks did just what he was supposed to do and why certain decisions were made during the 100 hours war. Hard to believe it, but there was finger pointing after what was a nearly flawless operation. Franks is an excellent leader on many levels, concern for your troops is a very important trait to want in a leader. Clancy shows this repeatedly.

I would not recommend this book to anyone unless you are really a student of history and want to read about Desert Storm from many different perspectives. This is a heavy handed rebuttal of Schwartzkopf's biography "It Doesn't Take a Hero". Where is the truth? Probably somewhere between these two Generals. There are not a lot of maps, there are interesting insights to the Gulf War and strategy behind the war. I read this mainly to see what Franks had to say about Schwartzkopf. Clancy makes him appear humble, mild mannered, yet very competent, a mix of attributes you do not normally find at such a high level.

Glad I bought it!
I have to admit I have not read the book. I bought it for my husband, because his father is mentioned in the book, and I thought it'd be a great thing for our kids to see

Recommended for Its Insight on Leading Large, Complex Organizations
I see that this book has somewhat mixed reviews, which appears to be based upon what you want from it.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants deeper insight into the management of large, complex organizations and how senior leaders should lead. Fred Franks insights in this area are tremendous and the basis for my recommendation. It's also an excellent biography.

Whether it is great history or not, I will leave others to judge.

DEDICATED TO THE VETERANS OF DESERT STORM
This is the first in an extraordinary series of non-fiction books by Tom Clancy - a look deep into the operational art of war as seen through the eyes of some of America's outstanding commanders.

A great book about warfare & doctrine in the field
I found this book interesting and entertaining at the same time. I just don't know the level of understanding that can be reached by any reader who is not familiar with the subjec. Most of the acronyms are not explained, and the different levels of the chain of command are not depicted with the proper clarity. Both the above issues are not critical for those familiar with warfare and doctrine, but could be a problem for casual readers. ... Read more

Product Description
After years of fending off challenges from the world's most dangerous terrorists, Op-Centre has been brought to heel by the US Congress. A short-sighted committee has cut Paul Hood's budget, and the first victim is his friend Mike Rodgers. But General Rodgers may not be looking for work for very long. Dynamic Senator Donald Orr is making a run for President at the head of his own third party. Running on a platform of extreme isolationism, Orr presents a real challenge to the two-party system, and he needs a strong military advisor to make his team complete. The problem is that Orr may be involved in more than just ordinary political intrigue. The bodies of two murdered millionaires may be tied into the new party, and Op-Centre is seeking the killer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Political, not military
I bought this book to read at the airport; Clancy's name in big letters on the cover led me to expect another jingoistic international military thriller.I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this is a more traditional political drama set entirely within the United States, and that it actually shows some sympathy for non-right-wing viewpoints (the novel's villain is an isolationist, militaristic Presidential candidate).I wonder if the notoriously conservative Clancy is paying much attention to the content of these franchise novels.

A note to author Jeff Rovin: get a grammar textbook and learn about semicolons.I continue to be amazed at the number of successful, published authors who don't know that it's incorrect to join two independent clauses with a comma.

Gawd, does this book SUCK!
Disjointed, improbable plot... I agree with a previous reviewer, an annoying penchant for totally stupid acronyms.Annoying "faux Clancy" factoids (e.g., totally useless details about the Apache helicopter that had nothing to do with the plot and were just distracting).

I loved Clancy's early work, but his later work (and these subcontracted ghost-written pieces of junk) are pathetic.

Wanted: better writing and editing
I enjoy Op-Center books, but Call to Treason was a major disappointment. The plot was not as rich and clear as usual, but it was the unsatisfactory writing and editing that caught my eye. It made the conversations very stilted.

One basic need was to be consistent with contractions. Or the lack thereof. In one paragraph, a character will speak normally (meaning acceptable for the character and situation), and in the next sentence, the same character doesn't use any contractions. Far too much of this.

Rovin is a good writer, but in this book he doesn't grasp the culture and lingo of the characters in his book. I'm hoping his next Op-Center book shows improvement. I'll bed it does.

Save your money and sanity.Avoid this book!
I bought this book in an airport to kill time on a long international flight based on the Clancy name.I gave up trying to read it after a few hours because it was so poorly written and edited.The story is so disjointed and the style so annoying I could never get interested in the either the characters or story and never finished it despite repeated attempts.Despite two eight hours flights and being stuck in a foreign hotel without television or radio for a month I could never put up with it for more than a few minutes at a time.

What happened to the international incidents??
This is the eleventh book in the Op-Center series, and is the weakest story yet.Instead of an international crisis or espionage mission, Op-Center finds itself the target of a budget axe, and must downsize.At the same time, Op-Center finds itself drawn into a murder investigation that entangles it in the vicious world of Washington politics.

This book is trying hard to question the motivations and agendas of the powers-that-be in Washington, but fails to hit its target.In the end this book feels more like a worn-out detective story that happens to involve Op-Center characters.Hopefully, future volumes in this series will return to the international stage, where the stories are more interesting, and the potential consequences create more tension. ... Read more

Product Description
The third volume in the bestselling series of high-tech, high-action thrillers created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik -- repackaged in a stunning new-look cover.In Tom Clancy's Op-Centre, bestselling author Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik, novelist and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, have created an astonishingly popular thriller series, which has already sold over 1 million HarperCollins paperbacks. Now the first three volumes are being repackaged to coincide with the publication of the latest volume in the series, Acts of War.The third volume takes us to the newly unified Germany during the Chaos Days, a time when neo-Nazi groups gather to spread violence and resurrect dead dreams. But this year Germany isn't the only target. Plans are afoot to destabilize Europe and cause turmoil throughout the USA. Paul Hood and his team, already in Germany to buy technology for the new Regional Op-Centre, become entangled in the crisis. They uncover a shocking force behind the chaos -- a group that uses cutting-edge technology to promote hate and influence world events. ... Read more

Product Description
When Syrian terrorists attack a dam in Turkey to threaten the water supply and force all-out war in the Middle East, the new online Regional Op-Center in Greece learns of the plan and launches a counterstrike. Amazon.com Review
The Cold War is over. And chaos is setting in. The new president of Russia is trying to create a democratic regime. But there are strong elements within the country that are trying to stop him: the ruthless Russian mafia, the right-wing nationalists, and those nefarious forces that will do whatever it takes to return Russia to the days of the Czar.

Op-Center, the newly-founded but highly successful crisis management team, begins a race against the clock and against the hardliners. Their task is made even more difficult by the discovery of a Russian counterpart... but this one's controlled by those same repressive hardliners and represents everything Op-Center stands for. Two rival Op-Centers, virtual mirror images of each other. But if this mirror cracks, it'll be more than seven years of bad luck.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (161)

Fun light read
This was a good book with some intrigue and suspense.It starts off slow but gains momentum, and the the last 50 pages or so are fairly suspenseful.If you're looking for something fun to read that's not too heavy, this is a good book.One downside is that some of the technology that would seem so fascinating when the book was written is fairly mundane now.

Op-Center Fan
I have enjoyed all of the Clancy Op-Center books I've read, and this one is no different. "Games of State" has an entertaining and exciting story line with a great cast of characters. I still prefer the regular Tom Clancy novels, but the Op-Center books are a nice change of pace.

Not nearly as good the second time through
My first reading of Op-Center came about because I enjoyed Tom Clancy's previous novels.It led to me reading a number of other Op-Center books.I enjoyed them all.

I just reread the original Op-Center... it wasn't nearly as good the second time through.

Why is that?

Tom Clancy has a knack for spinning a complex story with many characters, and making each character stand out enough that the reader doesn't get mixed up.This didn't happen with this reading... I kept being confused who was where and with what agency.I think this is because I read it faster.The only other book I have read twice is The Hunt for Red October, and the second time was as a book on CD, meaning that I couldn't go any faster than the narrator.And it was great!

I'll try another Clancy book as a repeat in the future, and see whether I have the same reaction.Oh, and in Clancy's books, the good guys eventually win, technology works great, and guys are very manly.If you've read any of his novels, you know what I mean.

Op-Center what a ride!
This is a Clancy classic! Keeps your interest and juices flowing from cover to cover!

It's ok, but 3.5 stars is closer.
First, I just want to say that this review IS about the first book. This book is not about Neo-Nazis or the Turks and Kurds. It is based in North/South Korea.

This book is an acceptable start to the series, but could have been much better. For one, it was a pretty lame "crisis". It didn't even last more than two days, which I realize is possible, but not very likely. Even more ridiculous is the marital problems mixed in that also last only two days and then are fixed (although in later books you find that it is not actually "fixed") as well as the son's sudden viral attack and even more sudden recovery.
One other pretty lame portion is where a major figure and two less heard-of figures go into a threatening position. The least mentioned of the three gets killed and the other little heard-of guy gets wounded, while the most heard-of guy is unharmed. The part of the one guy getting wounded is also somewhat ridiculous. He was knocked over and shot at from right above him, yet all he got was a shoulder wound. It does not seem right to be standing over someone and shoot him, but only get his shoulder, even if you are in a hurry.
Also, for being the first book in a series, it doesn't give very much information about op-Center as a whole.

As for the good parts, there are few that are easily mentioned. One part is how Major Lee is introduced. In the first section where he is mentioned, you are given the one detail that later reveals his true nature to you.
I feel that the subplot of Gregory Donald was a good and necessary inclusion. Without it, you wouldn't understand his great desire to get to the border and behind it.

Overall, I would recommend this book, but mainly just for those of you who have read other books in the series and want to know more about some of the earlier details. Otherwise, it is not very great material, especially for coming under Clancy's name. Read and enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
The techno-teens of the Net Force Explorers are just as smart as their adult counterparts when it comes to 21st century crimes and misdemeanors.

Now, the Explorers must delve into cyberspace--and the secrets of the past--to prove their commander innocent of murder....

9th in the exciting young adult series ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

My favorite NFEs in one book! Go, Leif and Meg!
The Net Force Explorers are furious! Their caption, James Winters is being suspended after being accused of murder! Now the Explorer's will do anything to prove his innocence. But not only will they have to investigate a recent murder, they will also have to delve into the past of Captain James Winters - which includes the unfortunate death of his wife that took place four years ago. The Explorer's will also have to watch their backs because someone wants to make sure that secrets are left in the dark, and will do anything to keep it that way...

The NFE series are a great Young Adult fiction series, especially those with a love for computers and the Internet. Since the Net presented in the books have no boundaries, you will never know what to expect next. But there IS one thing you can come to expect: stories that have plenty of twists and turns, having the whole plot well balanced with mystery, excitement, and adventure. And sometimes, there's a good romance! The Net Force Explorers include Matt Hunter, Megan O'Malley, Leif Anderson, Andy Moore, Mark Gridley, David Gray, Maj Greene, and P.J. Farris. Occasionally other characters are introduced though they show up rarely.

"Private Lives" is one of my favorite NFE books! The reason as I stated is because two of my most favorite NFEs are the main characters in this story: Megan O'Malley and Leif Anderson. Meg is very much the tomboy and is an expert martial artist. With her stubborn personality, she's the type of person who likes to get things done. Leif Anderson comes from a wealthy family so he is constantly teased from Meg about being 'a rich kid playboy'. He and Meg are called the 'troublemakers' because put together Meg's recklessness and Leif's hacker skills, the two seem to always look for trouble.

"Private Justice" has a great plot, one of the best I've read. Already having read many of the books, I too at the beginning felt as angry as the NFEs felt when Captain Winters is put on suspension! And the ways the kids 'reacted' to this was hilarious! The bantering between the characters are well-written and at some points I was laughing so hard! It's also very obvious to everyone that Leif likes Meg so the light bantering between the two of them is cute! The only problem I have with the story is the ending was too abrupt. It was a bit startling for me when I finished reading the last page and I turned the next page expecting at least another chapter. I felt a bit disappointed not to read more about Leif and Matt since we left them at an interesting point in the story. Ah well, the rest of the story made up for the slight disappointment at the end.

The series is for Young Adults and I strongly recommend only older kids read it since there are many occasions where a few bad words are sprinkled here and there. Not that bad but still in a way a bit annoying to have them in the book. But I still highly recommend it for older kids for I'm sure you'll love it! The books can stand alone though I strongly recommend you read in order since in later books there are some referrences to earlier stories. Favorite part:

"Now I get it," Leif said. "Things are getting out of hand, so you call in your pal the scamologist to see if he can't come up with something - what? Clever? Devious? Certainly something that Captain Winters would never approve of - if he heard about it." Now this explains to you what kind of kids the NFE deals with. ;)

A good read.
Captain James Winters is accused of committing a murder he didn't commit. His own agency seems set to take him down for this crime, and it's up to the Net Force Explorers to prove that he didn't commit the crime of murder.

This is an excellent book that kept me interested throughout the story.There isn't as much action as other Net Force books, but the story is good and there's enough action to keep you reading.

This one is worth the money, buy it today, you won't be disappointed.

ACTION +++++++
capt james winters is accused to commiting a crime he didnt commit, and his life long devotion to upholding the law, seems to stand for nothing when it comes to throwing him in jail and not looking back. so its up to the netforce explorers to help him. this book was action packed, so much so it kept me away from my family and friends because all i wanted to was to rewad on!!! and to be my favorite out of the entire netforce series, the ony bad thing about it was that the book was not longer, but a great book never the less. i have read this book at least 8 times. it is definatly not to be passed up!!!!!

NICE BOOK, GOOD READ
I enjoyed reading this book. But the action in it is too confusing. But you can work it out. I liked it.

Private Lives
This book is not as action packed as the rest but the ideas behind the book are better than I can remember.I would suggest buying this book for the action it does include, although it is limited compared to his otherbooks. ... Read more

Product Description

In the year 2010, computers are the new superpowers. Those who control them control the world. To enforce the Net Laws, Congress creates the ultimate computer security agency within the FBP the Net Force.

When web service is disrupted across the world, a new nation makes its presence known. Terrorists from a virtual country called CyberNation have taken the web hostage. Their demands: worldwide recognition and rights for their "citizens." Though there are millions of CyberNation sympathizers, Net Force rallies its troops for an all-out war on three fronts -- politically, physically, and electronically -- because dealing with terrorists is never an option...

A powerful examination of America's defense and intelligence systems of the future, Tom Clancy's Net ForceTM is the creation of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik.

Customer Reviews (28)

Not for adults
The language used in the book is full of slangs.
But I do not think that the book is so bad as the reviewers say.
May be a good read for teenagers but not recommended for adults.

why did steve perry write this?
I had thought, in the beginning, that CyberNation would be pretty good because Tom Clancy wrote a ton of really good books and many great video games are created based on his stories. However, as I read along, there was hardly anything to enjoy. Obviously, I had not read any of the other reviews, so I had no idea what trap I was falling into. The storyline of this book is devoid meaning and completely boring, the complete opposite of what Tom Clancy would normally write.
The "storyline" about Gridley, Howard, Michaels, Santos, Chance, and Keller is completely disjointed. One of the few reasons why this story is connected is that they are fighting against each other in the internet world, and using the VR, or "Virtual Reality", to track things down or to mess things up. In fact, the whole story is covered up with sex, crime, and violence that there is hardly any connection shown. Of course, if I had not been able to follow the storyline, I would not be able to write this, but it was still quite confusing.
So I ask, again, why did Steve Perry write this? He has no sense of what Mr Clancy writes, nor of his style, elegance, and flair. One cannot imitate a type of writing without being the type of person, obviously, so why did Mr Perry try to do so? Mr Clancy truly should write more of his own books, even if he thinks he is too important and too proud to do the writing. Mr Clancy and Mr Perry must have decided to play a prank on loyal fans of Mr Clancy (not that I am one) because this has disappointed many enthusiastic readers. Of course, these questions I am not really able to answer, but I would not be surprised if Mr Clancy's name was written in huge, bold letters on the book for the profit.

Simply Horrible
Up to this point, I have loved all the Clancy books I have read. This one was simply horrible. Please note that the author of this book is Steve Perry, not Tom Clancy, and it is not up to par with the works Clancy is known for.

The story line is very simplistic and they characters are very one dimensional. About 50 pages from the end you could predict the ending with a good degree of accuracy.

If you haven't read any of Clancy's books (the ones HE wrote), then pick one of those up. This one isn't worth the time or the money. Too bad 0 stars isn't an option.

one of the best books ever
overall i thought the book was excelent.the book kept me on my toes thinking about what was going to happen.the book was action packed with not only the whole gun slinging scene but also in the scence of how Tom portrayed the world years from now.I love how he made everything electonic. and how everything was made into a thechnologicaly advanced system.
the plot kept moving making the book a page turner. the only thing i disliked about the book, but made it flow however, was how it would jump between charators.beyond that i loved it.

Unbelievable!It's so Bad!! :-(
I wrote my review about 40 pages from the end of the book. I must now revise it and remove all points. This has got to be about the worst book I have ever read!!!

I picked this book up because it was sitting there, I was out of reading material, and it had Tom Clancy's name on it. I was skeptical when Clancy hadn't written the book, but I thought that if he put his name on it, he believed in it.

There is no story here. Nothing happened. Nothing!... A few disconnected scenes of people practicing martial arts, some guy drinking beer in virtual reality bars looking for clues (ridiculously stupid angle), and a conclusion that must have been written in one afternoon because the author was bored.The problem is, as is customary, I read to the end of the book to find that out.

... There were some parts that held some promise, but there is no coherency, and the conclusion is so bad that I wanted to destroy the book and any credibility it has.... ... Read more

Product Description
The skies will never be the same...

Never before published.

Just as Troy Loensch comes into his own as a pilot with the United States Air Force, a private military contractor called Firehawk takes over. Troy isn't happy with the arrangement-and neither is the CIA. And when they ask Troy for help investigating Firehawk, he accepts-with explosive consequences... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X
This book is a great read for all Tom Clancy readers. David Michaels did a wonderful job writing this book.

HAWX is an exciting dogfight that eventually gets shot down and crash lands.Eject before the final act.
Based on a Tom Clancy video game, the premise of HAWX revolves around Troy Leonsch, an elite pilot who links up with several of his old military peers and superiors after getting out of the Air Force.Together they work for Firehawk, a Private Military Contractor (PMC) that specializes in outsourced warfare governments and countries cannot or will not perform.With great power, however, comes great responsibility, and Firehawk's ambitious mission statement blurs the lines of patriotism and power enough to draw the attention of the CIA.

The first quarter of this book is superb.It's nothing but hardcore military scenarios, SERE school, fighter pilots, and dog fights.It's a legitimate Air Force environment with enough lingo (e.g. sortie, call signs) to make someone familiar with the military very comfortable.The middle of the novel builds upon the setup, following Loensch and Firehawk as they gain power and notoriety, using F16s to blast their way through the enemy and competition.This easy read makes good use of the unfortunately ubiquitous acronyms and jargon in the military.Esoteric acronyms and designations like C130, JDAMs, HARM, AIM9, JTF, and SAM flow easily throughout the descriptions and dialogues.Unfortunately, another acronym rears its head in the novel's finale: FUBAR.

The book's political resolution, with world anarchy and PMCs blurring is as tenable as a peaceful Palestinian picnic in the West Bank.Author David Michaels has a very free-flowing, approachable style, and there is sufficient action to maintain attention, but it doesn't help the rushed ending.I'm in the target audience for this novel, and it is interesting enough to be a page-turner, but the flaws, however, keep it from being enjoyable throughout.Michaels' characterization of an Arkansan's speech is horribly unrealistic, and distracted me on every single page.It also doesn't help that a romantic triangle is shoved into a novel written almost exclusively for men.In Top Gun it's understood, but in a book that very few women are going to pick up, it's an intrusion.A few more dogfights or strafing runs would have been better.

Overall I enjoyed the high altitude ride; but towards the end, I wanted to eject

Jason Elin

Somewhat dissapointed
Action sequences ok. Takes many liberties. Political scenario questionable. Can't see our nation or military going down that path.

HAWX is a misfire
HAWX is awful.

I'd read David Michaels' (A.K.A. Grant Blackwood) Ghost Recon and liked it enough to try more. It wasn't great, but for a book based on a game franchise, it did what I wanted. It was fast moving and the combat was very well done. When I heard Blackwood wrote novelizations of HAWX and EndWar, I picked them up. I decided to try HAWX first because, well, because I liked the cover better.

HAWX sounds promising: Former hot shot Air Force fighter pilot Troy Leonsch (I know, I couldn't pronounce it either. I called him 'Troy Lunch') signs up with private military contractor Firehawk and gets the action he misses and a hefty paycheck. But are PMCs a good idea? Troy isn't so sure. When the CIA asks Troy to help investigate Firehawk, he does.

Sounds great! But the book is full of problems. HAWX is very slow moving and even though it has a promising set-up, the book that was written feels padded and dull. For one thing, Firehawk doesn't appear until around page 150. The CIA? They don't show up until half way through the book. The action that carried Ghost Recon is here as well, but there is very little of it and it isn't really tied in to the story.

The rest of the book is made up of cheesy soap opera elements in Troy's romantic life. I mentioned that I enjoyed Ghost Recon. One thing that I had problems with was the characterizations, which were poor. I accepted them in that book because they came in small doses. In HAWX, about half of the book is made up of Troy's personal life.

Also, even though Blackwood writes in a very easy to read style which works for the books he is writing, here he tended to over-explain even simple things. I felt like he was talking down to me. At one point, he quotes Buzz Aldrin, and then explains who Buzz Aldrin is. Buzz Aldrin!

Finally, the third act is hare-brained and absurd. The idea of a PMC pulling off a coup against the U.S. is interesting, but here it is handled in such a half-baked manner I wondered if the author understood the way the government works. The plot point used to remove the President never takes into account that there is a Vice President or the Speaker of the House. I'm willing to accept some ridiculous stuff in my fiction, but please make it plausible.

As I read through the book I realized I didn't care about any of the characters or where the story was going. I finished the book only due to stupid, grim determination. Towards the end, I was angry at myself for sticking with the book, but I did.

Please understand that I'm not expecting Tolstoy when I read a book based on a Tom Clancy video game. I do expect a book that is fast paced, pulpy fun. The author of this book has proved he's up to the task in previous books. I will give EndWar a chance. Ghost Recon was enjoyable enough for me to give him a third try. But HAWX is a failure of a book in every way.

H.A.W.X-A mission no one will forget
Jacob Kattelman Medford OR

I myself am not done with the book but it could be more fun to read then others will expect. The auother dose do a good job with the creative part. But needs a little more explaning to do with the characters. That is why I only rated it a three star. ... Read more

Product Description
A Net Force Explorer plays an innocent game of hide-and-seek on the Web-and finds himself in trouble with the CIA. Now, the Explorers must help him clear his name, before he gets booted off the Net Force Explorers for good... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (151)

"Tom Clancy's Net Force" is false advertising in so many ways.
I checked this book out at the local library for free and I paid too much for it.

I knew going in to it that it was not written by Clancy, so it was not too much of a shock to find that the style was different.However, considering that his name was the most prominent feature of front cover, I thought it would have something resembling quality the books I have read and love.

My complaints about the book come from the first 70 pages because that is as far as I got.

First, the book is not about people that use computers.With the stated premise that the book is about a cybercrime unit of the FBI (ie this "Net Force" we have heard so much about) I expected the majority of the protagonists' time to be spent on a computer or at least talking to people in relation to computers.Instead we get garden variety cops.This would not be a problem in most other novels, but in this one it just misses the premise that I was expecting.

Also the protagonists are not engaging or believable.For example, in one scene the female lead watches a couple of men walk into the gym.First she thinks condescendingly about these "testosterone factories" and then picks a fight with one of them to prove she is tough.This kind of inconsistency is found in several places and it is the fastest way to kill my interest in a character.

Finally the plot.Perhaps it is because I only read a third of the book, but it did not seem to have much substance.It begins with an assassination.Good enough, but then we are left to wonder why the target was assassinated, as well as the ultimate goal of the antagonist.I imagine the author was trying to generate some sense of mystery, however all I felt was a total lack of urgency.

I could also complain that the author's perception of the development of technology is a little off, but considering the difficulty of making that kind of prediction I will give him a pass on that.I have enough complaints of this novel without nitpicking.

Pieczenik shows promise, but Net Force is a dud...
There are books that you know going in to it not to expect too much.Net Force is one of those because anytime you see an author piggybacking off of a much more well known author you can't expect anything substantial.This is certainly the case with Net Force.

The main plus to the book is that Pieczenik writes well enough that the story never really drags on.His writing is fluid and crisp so that you can read through the book quite quickly.He connects his plot well enough that you understand what is happening.

This is where the positives end, though, as the story doesn't really seem to have a plot.For the better part of the book you follow Net Force as they search for the culprit to many terrorist acts that completely disrupted everyday life, as well as the main plot line of who murdered the Net Force head man (no spoiler here as this happens in the first couple of pages).Then you also follow said evil man and his exploits, yet you never really get a feel for what he is trying to accomplish, what his endgame is.We read he wants power, that he will be the "most powerful man in the world" and yet this is never illustrated.I mean how can a man from Chechnya become the most powerful man in the world?Never really explained, nor, when the explanation begins to come out in the latter pages of the book, is the explanation satisfactory.

Ultimately the book comes down to a fast paced final forty pages with the preceding pages a rather boring and slow lead up to it.I wouldn't recommend this book.Pieczenik writes well enough that if he can come up with a good plot with the proper hooks than he could write a very good book.

2.5 stars.

ok for intended audience
I didnt realise when I borrowed this book that it was a young reader's novel.

Bearing that in mind, its unfair to judge it by the same criteria that I'd apply to a fully fledged novel.

So putting myself into a 12-14 year old's shoes, I thought that it was ok for the intended audience.

The language and words used are simple to understand. There is no swearing at all. Scenes of any violence are very sanitised. There is barely a hint of any physical attraction going on between the teenaged stars.

The plot is the weakest part of the book, it draws heavily on the classic William Gibson's Neuromancer in its setting, and I felt a little more imagination could have been used. There is not all that much suspense in the writing, with most of the problems identified and then solved shortly after. Characterisation is also very shallow, with none of the main characters having any depth whatsoever.

But as I said earlier... maybe thats because young teen or earlier readers don't care about these things.

I'd be happy for my kids to read it and make up their own minds.

Tom Clancy Net Force
Must read to put context of the 10 books of the series.I loved the series and thankful the first eight of ther series is on audio tape.The audio book is very entertaining.

Dont buy it will make you sleep
Don't buy this book unless you want to fall asleep, the books beginning is ridiculous, I shut it after 10 pages of going nowhere. Returned the thing to the book store, waste of $7. Tom Clancy has degraded from an amazing author to a dime writer, after Patriot Games series he completely fell apart. ... Read more

Product Description
Created by Tom Clancy and Martin Greenberg, written by Jerome Preisler. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Power Plays!!!!
Tom Clancy spins another great tale in Zero Hour; if your a Clancy fan you will be kept on the edge of your seat with this one.
As always this book is great reading from cover to cover. I found this book hard to put down; I wanted to read it cover to cover!

Why did i want to read this book?
This is my first Tom Clancy Novel I have ever read, and possibly the last one I will ever read. In my eyes as a reader, there was hardly and action in this novel or possibly non what so ever. I sometimes even wanted to stop reading at times because I became very bored with it even after reading three pages of this novel. There are even some times when a character is described but is totally irrelevant to the main story. This was a terrible waste of paper due to this and it was a total waste of my time. There are a lot more book that I would probably have more interest in a lot more books than reading this shallow novel . I don't think I've been so upset at a novel in my life before but like they say there's a first time for everything and this is definitely a first time for me. This was an utter disappointment I recommend this to...nobody, that's right nobody.

Zero Hour...Zero Score
What a dissapointment.I guess I picked this one up because of the Clancy name, but after Power Plays 6, "Cutting Edge" I guess I should have known better.I only read about 40 books a year, and I'm really sorry I wasted my time on this one.This is truly one of the worst books I have ever read.Imagine 4 pages dedicated to describing a man entering a building and walking to the elevator.Or how about 5 pages describing a mother walking to her car.If this appeals to you, then by all means, invest your time in this 330 page disgrace of a novel.Tom Clancy should be embarrassed to have his name associated with such poor writing and imagination.

Zero Hour
Zero Hour is one of the worst books that I have read in recent memory.I can't imagine Tom Clancy linking his name to book.There is next to no action.There are too many characters that have dead ends.The Pakistan characters add nothing to the book except to provide some graphic violence.The Roger Cordian presence and the rock wall sequence is nearly pointless.The climax was so ho hum.The villain has been shot in a previous scene and simply dies of blood loss before triggering the laser.The whole notion that a stockpile of chemicals in New York in this day and age that could be so easily targeted seemed unlikely.The book ended with the murder of the Pakistan character left me speechless- what was the point.The main villain was dead.What was the point of the main villain's photo sensitive disease - surely the author could have developed at a least a death scene for him related to that illness rather than an octopus bite.I kept expecting something imaginative to happen but it didn't.
This book seems to be a clever attempt to use Clancy's name as a selling point.This type of marketing is doomed to failure.

The book I read Part II
To the anonymous reader from California:

You crossed out all those sentences, huh? Must have lotsa time on your hands. But waitaminnit . . . wait just a gol-durn minute here! I see now that your "review" was of the AUDIO CD version of the novel. Wow, there's a really neat trick, crossing out those words on a CD, I mean! You'll have to patent that technique; bet it'll earn you a fortune. Also, I've never heard of nonessential (or "not essential", as you put it) characterization. Couldja explain the concept to us sometime? 'Cause I was kinda made to feel sorry for that woman you mentioned (whose murder -- as well as the fact that she had a kid in playschool -- was key to the plot in about a dozen ways).

Yee-ee-eesh. ... Read more

Product Description

Unspoiled. Uninhabited. Under attack...

On the wind-swept, Ice-covered continent of Antartica, Roger Gordian's UpLink Technologies has established a scientific research facility called Cold Corners. But its testing of potential robotic landing craft for use on Mars is disrupted when one of the rovers disappears -- along with the repair team sent out after it.

Fear of discovery has prompted a renegade consortium -- that is illegally using Antartica as a nuclear waste dump -- to wipe out the UpLink base. Now, the men and women of Cold Corners have only themselves to rely on as the consortium mounts its decisive strike against the ice station -- and the final sunset plunges them into the total darkness of a polar winter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Puzzling, but Inspiring
I do agree that this particular book was puzzling at best. The multiple story threads confused me, though in some places I could see where they tied together. Something must be said for the good quality of the descriptive writing, though...as a prospective writer myself, I do enjoy a detailed story. Whoever wrote this, whether or not Clancy was indeed among them, did take care to describe the places in which the story takes place, and to describe the character of the people involved. I was inspired to work on my character development, as is portrayed in this book, and to better describe places and machinery and other objects that are involved. However, the descriptiveness of a story counts for little if the storyline is set askew, confusing the reader. So, yes...I liked this book, but...it could have been organized or concluded better.

Could be better, but still OK; 3.5 stars at the most.
This is my first book in the Power Plays series. That could account for some of the confusion I (and others too) experienced about some "threads". What I can't figure out is why people don't realize the connection between the art forger, Scotland murders, and happenings in Antarctica. It seems so obvious to me, although they did seem sort of unrelated at first. The forger, murderer, and Antarctic criminals were employed by the same person and the arrest of one helped unravel the rest. It is a bit foggy even at the end though.
I found the book to be one of Clancy's better books (yes, I know it wasn't actually written by Clancy, but I don't know how else to put it) although it did seem to be tying up some loose threads while leaving others dangling. It had plenty of action, and also many unnexpected happenings. It seemed to encourage you to try and figure out the "mystery" by yourself before the main characters did. Definitely a book that I would recommend. Read and enjoy.

Enthusiastically written, but...
Tom Clancy, a world class adventure and military writer really vrought home how dangerous military operations are in extremely cold places, especially Antarctica. It is a medium sized book, but it sadly lacks the common twists and turns that become of a world class thriller such as this one. In a nutshell, the US military are experimenting with engineering and technologies so that if they want to, one day, they could work on Planet Mars. But, leading entreupeneurs want it a different way, and boy are they anarchists? A man who is dealing black market artworks is making money: a lot of money: and is funding the people who want to isolate the military into not going anywhere near Antarctica. With the unearned money, they buy nuclear waste from Britain, planting it around the site so that the personnel get dosed up with clinically high amounts of radiation. But all is not as it seems, and Tom Clancy, why does he have to always end without twists in the tale? Besides from that, it's a 'not bad' sort of book, but the story could easily be improved with a little more art and affection: more twists and more turns. I'll award two, perhaps three stars.

In the middle is no where for Clancy to be
A 3-star rating for most writers is an accomplishment. Anything with Clancy's name on it implies, at least, tacit approval from Clancy. Since this was actually written by someone else (as a number of Clancy created series are), it would appear that Clancy has begun to care more for the money his name makes than the readers who trust his name. I am disappointed with Clancy. In fairness, though, the book does have good technical facts and plenty of action. The characters, however, appear to be good generic cut-outs.

Hey...It's A Good Book To Read To Cool Down A Hot Summer Day
Yep, it's not of the same caliber that we'd expect from Tom Clancey.Maybe the reason is because Tom Clancey didn't write it.It is, though, an entertaining book that doesn't take a lot of thought.Kind of like watching a James Bond movie...lot of thrill and action...not a lot of need for grey matter.

This is the perfect book to take to the beach or summer get away.Since it take place in the cold depth of Antartica...it's a wonderful diversion from staring at an overheated thermometer measuring summer temperatures.

Characters are minimally developed.Action is abundant.The story is just gripping enough to keep the reader interested.

It'll never win a writing award...but then it probably wasn't intended to.

A great book for light summer reading. ... Read more

Product Description

WIRED.

Africa becomes the battleground of twenty-first-century war. As fiber-optic cable is laid down around the continent, two entities fight to control it. One is UpLink Communications, headed by Roger Gordian. The Pan-African fiber-optic ring is his most ambitious?and expensive?endeavor to date.

His nemesis, Harlan Devane, is penetrating the network. Devane trades in black-market commodities with terrorists and rogue states, and the cable offers him unlimited access to a most valuable product: information. To ensure his success, Devane makes his move halfway around the world. He hits Gordian where it hurts?and kidnaps his daughter.

Now, Gordian must trust his UpLink team as never before, as they fight on land and sea to save his daughter and turn the tables against Devane?once and for all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

No real point
The plot setup takes too long to get a good mystery or combat scenario (which is part mystery, as in _Hunt for Red October_) going. What results then is a sick daytime TV-style romp through the lives and drama of these characters, but it's halfhearted, as are the few combat scenes. The technique of using multiple characters to tell a story falls flat. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Not worth the effort
I tried to listen to an audio tape and found myself repeatedly losing interest.Half way through I returned the tape to the library.

Very boring book. It almost went in the trash.
This book is definitely one of the two worst Clancy books I have ever read, maybe even of all of the books I have ever read. It takes about half of the book to get to any real action except for the starting material. About the first half of the book is worthless material that almost makes you forget whether the starst of the book was really in this book or not.
As another reviewer said, the kidnapping of Gordian's daughter (mentioned on the back cover of the book) Does not happen until near the end of the book. In fact, I checked and it happens at almost exactly the 4/5 point.
At one point in the book, there is a long section about the group in Africa, yet after that the people are almost never mentioned.
Also, once the kidnapping takes place, the kidnappers are found rather quickly. You would think that they would take some precautions to at least delay being found. But really, what smart criminal would let the dog breeder/seller come right to his hideout? Give me a break!
I would definitely not recommend this book. It is trash and not worth your time. Try "Power Plays; Cold War" it is not to bad of a book.

Stay away!
Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read.The only reason I read it was a twenty hour flight with no other options.The french quotes are the worst though, they make no sense and are misspelled and grammatically abysmal.Stay away at all cost!

It doesn't get any better.
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I enjoy reading Tom Clancy and perhaps that is why I saw the book all the way to the end. The book starts off slow and then ends way to quickly. I had gotten 2/3 through the book when I read the back cover and discovered that none of that had happened yet.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. It is poorly written and is comparable to an extremely low budget film. ... Read more

Product Description
Net Force Explorer Megan O'Malley tracks her missing equestrian teammate to a mysterious online courier business-a service to which many runaways are sent out, but few ever return. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another great NFE book, too bad that it's a bit short...
Net Force Explorer Megan O'Malley and her friend Wilma Christensen become worried when they discover that their equestrian teammate and Wilma's boyfriend, Burt Kamen, disappears. Fortunately they find him at a combined online-offline refuge for 'runaways'. Burt reveals his reason for leaving is that his home life had become more than he could handle. How can he feel at home when his parents can't stand him? But Meg becomes suspicious hearing that Burt has gotten a job. What kind of employer would hire a runaways and troubled kids? And what kind of job? As Meg digs deeper, she finds that things are not exactly what they seem. Calling in reinforcements Leif Anderson and Mark Gridley, it's up to the three Net Force Explorers to discover what is really going on...

I'm a BIG fan of the Net Force Explorers series! The NFE series are a great Young Adult fiction series, especially those with a love for computers and the Internet. Since the Net presented in the books have no boundaries, you will never know what to expect next. But there IS one thing you can come to expect: stories that have plenty of twists and turns, having the whole plot well balanced with mystery, excitement, and adventure. And sometimes, there's a good romance! The Net Force Explorers include Matt Hunter, Megan O'Malley, Leif Anderson, Andy Moore, Mark Gridley, David Gray, Maj Greene, Caitlin Murray, and P.J. Farris. Occasionally other characters are introduced though they show up rarely.

It's too bad though that "Runaways" is the last book of the series. I hope they continue to publish more of the series! My only problem with this book is that it's a bit short, only 184 pages. Not only that, I felt that the first chapter was a bit unnecessary to the plot. Otherwise, the plot was interesting. I especially liked it that Leif gets to show-off his language abilities. None of the other books have really shown the extent of his talents in languages.

The series is for Young Adults and I strongly recommend only older kids since at times the computer and Net 'talk' is a bit confusing and hard for younger kids to understand. And there are some minor profanities in the book. I can highly recommend the whole series! ... Read more