The Shark Mutiny

Rating:
Summary: Be glad Robinson's heroes aren't really running the Navy
Review: It was with some hesitation that I picked up Patrick Robinson's latest book, "The Shark Mutiny." Robinson has a proven talent for plot lines, but his writing style often gets in the way of the telling. In previous novels, his contrived dialog and caricature cast has almost-but not quite-served to completely undo the story altogether. In "The Shark Mutiny," unfortunately, Robinson finally succeeds in writing a storyline check his cartoony characters and theatrical, overblown narration simply can't cash.

As usual, Robinson's characters pontificate endlessly on the obvious. For example, one of the main characters, an intelligence analyst, offers his "expert" opinion that if someone had just ordered several hundred ship-killing mines, then that someone was "darned sure going to use them." And this is supposed to be one of the brightest stars in Robinson's military intelligence galaxy.

The dialog in general is more reminiscent of a 1950s war film than a convincing study in human interaction. In an effort to add realistic detail Robinson freely trots out the accents and dialects, making his characters sound more like players in an overly-enthusiastic high-school play than real people. And the "heroic" men invariably demonstrate their masculinity and competence by smoking cigars, eating high-fat meals, and using the f-word. One particularly painful moment is when a submarine XO pens a note to his boyhood friend who is now the leader of a Navy SEAL team. The tone of the note is more reflective of the fond reminiscing of a romantic shore-leave interlude (it even ends with the phrase, "all my love") than a communiqué between two red-blooded (and, ostensibly, heterosexual) combat veterans.

Dialog aside, Robinson's narration ventures with abandon into the realms of the melodramatic. His scenic descriptions of warships plying the high seas are meant to convey a sense of naval might and power, but instead come across like the wistful observations of someone who wanted to join the navy but didn't make the cut because deep water made him "nervous." In describing Admiral Morgan's (the book's primary protagonist) love for naval service, Robinson offers, "[His] soul, indeed, was held together by blue cord. And gold braid." Ouch.

"The Shark Mutiny" also revealed that Robinson-a British citizen-hasn't outgrown his annoying habit of pointing out the subjective superiority of the British military establishment over its counterparts around the world. It sends a very curious message about Robinson's worldview when almost every description goes something like, "The American destroyer is one of the most powerful warships in the world, second only to Britain's own Piccadilly-Circus Class cruisers," or "The US Navy SEALS are one of the toughest special-forces institutions in the world, second only the Britain's own Special Air Assistance team," or "Admiral Morgan was one of the smartest Naval thinkers in the world, second only to Britain's own Admiral Sir Oliver Fauntleroy-Tweede." I'm not saying the author is necessarily wrong in his conclusions, just that his interjecting such opinions into his books exposes more about Patrick Robinson than it does about the plot.

Then, there's the word "big." Based on the number of times this word was used in both "The Shark Mutiny" and his previous novel, "USS Seawolf," the only conclusion a reader can come to is that the author has either fallen in love with the word "big," or he has simply grown too lazy to think of another adjective. A "powerful" turbine is a "big" turbine. A wall-sized map is a "big" map. A "tall" man is a "big" man. A fighting knife is a "big" knife. In "USS Seawolf," the word "big" appears eight times on one page. And the trend continues in "The Shark Mutiny."

The bottom-line? Next time I have the chance to pick up a Patrick Robinson book I won't be so hesitant. I'll just grab an old Alistair McLean book instead.

Rating:
Summary: Good Books, but......
Review: Ok, this book attracted my mainly because I found lots of 'character' in USS. Seawolf is featured, I start to wonder with this new book of Mr. Robinson will some things that not cleared in USS. Seawolf will finally concluded here. But it's not.... I'm quite dissapointed.
But.. after reading the book, I found now we have a balanced rivalry. United States is super power against other nation like China and Iran. But with the right tactic, we can see that Giants can also be defeated well.. distracted at least. I have to give 2 thumbs up for the strategy of the Chinese side.
I wonder, why the title is Shark Mutiny although the Mutiny incident happen in a fast pace and (IF) the incident being erased from the book, I really find the book with a good finishing of course will do much better.. kinda remind me of reading some no-exact-main charcter work such as Red Storm Rising.
By that... I have to give 4 stars out of 5.....

Rating:
Summary: I think Mr. Robinson had gotten downhill
Review: Hello, I couldnt refrain myself from sharing my oppinion on Mr. Robinson's new book "Shark Mutiny". I own every single one of his books in print, and, believe it or not, i strongly recommend them all to be read by all Naval Fiction fans !!! However, this last book of his had surprised me.....that is to say the least. In my oppinion, he is a great writer, he still ownes the reader.....but! What happend to his storyline and imagination now?????!!!!????? Maybe it is just me, but i think that the author didnt really try to impress all of us with the true power of his writing. I strongly think he could do MUCH better than this. Sorry to say--i had returned that book back to the store. Mr. Robinson, if you read this (am i m sure you will), please remember that all your OTHER books are still on my bookshelf. I am not screaming here that the author is no longer worth reading. No, it is not my intention. I am merely amazed.
By the way, i myself a Navy "beginer" (as you might say)--hold a rank of Seaman, US Navy. I had recently graduated from bootcamp. I also subscribe to various Naval publications (US and Russian Fleets webpages that is). So, in my view Mr. Robinson definately can write better and, more importanly--closer to reality. And i think that commander Ben Adnam (from his earlier books) didnt have to "die"....because that had put an end to a very interesting storyline. Please accept my appologies though i didnt intent to hurt anyone's feelings. Mr. Robinson--please come up with a good books like you did before:) Thanks

Rating:
Summary: not good enough
Review: i love technothrillers. but here instead of doing his homework the author has let his, racist, prejudices flow freely to try to cover up the lack of writing talent and political, military expertise.
gratuitous--nothing whatsoever to do with the plot--and fulsome praise is heaped upon senator ted kennedy. this shocks and makes us wonder if the author has any idea of his audience.
although no author could possibly make it into print with rascist slurs against jews, blacks etc it appears no such problem hinders the author in slandering chinese people and 'towelhead' people of the islamic faith.
if this were just the rantings of a character, it would be fiction. the author makes clear HE means it, on his website.
one does not expect the diction of a henry james in thrillers, but robinson clearly needs to look up more words in the dictionary. he misuses many words in an effort to appear 'educated'.
his ignorance of china extends to not knowing that the language used among that nation's political leaders is MANDARIN. and he seems to assume that the chinese communists somehow are religious, a very curious notion.
throughout the book there is no real characterisation, just cardboard figures
there is not ONE WOMAN who is not a girlfriend or secretary [or both] in the book. contrast this with the women in coonts or dale brown.
the american military DOES have women serving in it.
all in all this book is a waste of a tree

Rating:
Summary: Best in the Series of Patrick Robinsons books
Review: I loved the shark mutiny. For those who do not know Patrick Robinson's work I highly recommend him. I started with the Shark Mutiny and then read his other books in this series. First was the Nimitz class, an exciting introduction to his characters, next Kilo Class, an outstanding plot which is very believable, USS Seawolf, breathtaking, and then Shark Mutiny. The Shark Mutiny tops the list of my readings, I highly enjoyed reading page by page to see what the outcome would be and also to see what the next Seal Team mission would be. Great Job Patrick I await for your next book.

Rating:
Summary: One star's too good for this mutiny
Review: In this outer by the author of "Nimitz Class" (and other books, "Nimitz" being the only one I've read), the Chinese collude with Iran to mine the Persian Gulf and send oil markets skyrocketing. The west responds with numerous aircraft carrier battle groups, thinning out their forces elsewhere. Before the west can learn that the mining of the Persian Gulf is a ruse - to trick them into leaving China Sea unguarded - the Chinese launch a massive strike on Taiwan. Meanwhile, the US launches SEAL missions against the Chinese - the first at their petrol-refinery in the Persian Gulf, the second at their naval warfare complex in Burma - both resulting in heavy and unnecessary casualties. Both missions involve insertions from the USS Shark, an aging nuclear sub. Rick Hunter, the head SEAL and Dan Hedly, Shark's XO are boyhood friends from Kentucky, and when Shark's oddball commander belays an order that means life or death for the SEALs in both missions, Headly mutinys - a first in US history - to save both friend and mission.

This has to be one of the worst novels I've ever read. Besides some obvious spelling, factual or other errors (the AN-124 is repeatedly called an "Andropov", or Ruslan, which was the name reserved for the plane's record-breaking prototype; the real USS Shark not being a Permit or Sturgeon or ex-SSBN, but one of the older Skipjack boats which, by 2007, would be far older than 30 years old) or some questionable politics (Robinson lauds Ted Kennedy, unusual for technothrillers with their right-slant, but simply incongruous when his characters repeatedly refer to the story's villains as "chinks" and "towelheads"; the main characters explain the assault on Taiwan as centered on recovery of artifacts stolen by the Nationalists in 1949; the US military heads authorize an attack on China's Burmese port mostly because it symbolizes PLA expansion, never dealing with the complex morality that justifies our own power projection), there's Robinson's horrible writing - "his thoughts were clear and accurate", "vicious bullets" and my favorite "the M-60 rifle that could save their lives in an emergency", not to mention a hefty amount of words capitalized when force of character wasn't enough to connote force of will. Then there are the characters. None of Robinson's characters appear in the parts dealing with the invasion of Taiwan, which gives that campaign even less an air of reality than the rest of the book. Robinson's Iranians disappear shortly after their introduction, while the leading Chinese (who'd qualify for a Nobel were they able to pull off in real life half as much as they did in this book) disappear shortly after the climax of the battle for Taiwan. There's a brilliant analyst who, for reasons the plot never deals with, has a striking aussie accent - but he's discarded (presumably until Robinson's next book) once the Navy heeds his warning of mines in the Persian Gulf. As in "Nimitz" Robinson spends about as much time building background for his main characters as those who are dispatched soon after their arrival. Then there's the plot gaps: Robinson seems as able to hold onto the details of his own story little better than I could. Robinson creates a petro-shock, yet does little with it than mention price-hikes (life might as well be back to normal in the US and the rest of the world). Chinese soldiers are on guard in Burma, Robsinson writes, because of the previous attack in the Persian Gulf, but the massive assault on Taiwan isn't even mentioned. A shipment of mines is traced from Moscow to Iran via China, but the buildup of an invasion force headed for Taiwan goes completely unnoticed; again ("Nimitz" being the first time) Robinson has submarines ambush an American carrier without ever explaining how the subs penetrated defenses specifically designed to screen them. In a book full of plot twists that suspend belief, anybody will be able to pick their favorite - though mine would be the America's overkill in dispatching 8 carrier groups to the region, a scale never explained, and one that leaves them vulnerable on many fronts. The move is essential for the Chinese since it frees them to act on Taiwan, but Robinson never deals with why the Yanks so obliged the Chinese' plans, or whether Robinson's enshrined Adm. Morgan should take responsibility for doing so. Instead, Robinson devotes the rest of the book to Headly's court martial. Rather than a complex reason for the mutiny, Robinson cheats - the Shark's CO is a nut - a spiritualist who communicates with the skipper of the Russian Sub, Kursk and thinks he once lived as the ill-famed French commander at Trafalgar. What clinches things against him is his refusal to go the distance during either of the Shark's SEAL operations, a move which all but proves fatal in each encounter. Because Headley's heroism is so obvious. Navy leadership finds itself in the tight spot of prosecuting one of its own for an act of bravery beyond the call of duty. The wronged CO, though painted a coward, eagerly presses the mutiny case despite what it may bring to light. The resulting court battle won't rank up there with the epic combat of "The Caine Mutiny" or "A Few Good Men", and the litigators just repeat the same themes- a nutty submarine commander against a valorous mutineer. There isn't enough military detail to satisfy fans of Dale Brown or Coonts - just meaningless minutiae (like the names of warships introduced at the moment that they are destroyed, or about racehorses, of which you'll read more than you probably wanted to know) that nobody will accept as a substitute for plot. The ultimate insult is the scorn the principals pour on the ignorant media, though Robinson's lack of credentials would put him squarely with them. This was probably a bit much to write for such a poor book, but I gave this guy the benefit of the doubt after "Nimitz", and found my first opinion the correct one.

Rating:
Summary: 3 stars at best...
Review: The shark mutiny has a decent plot, however, it gets to be a bit technical in the way of military lingo. When the Chinese mine the strait of Hormuz and several Oil carriers explode, a young Navy rookie finds himself in an intense situation in the middle east. The story gets to be a bit suspenseful when the navy SEALS head out in a submarine on a mission.

The plot is missing something. More character building perhaps?
No more than 3 stars...save your money check it out of the library if you'd like to read this one...

Rating:
Summary: the shark mutiny
Review: Robinson's creative powers must have been on vacation.Like Nick Brett,Ive read Robinson's books in date order.When I was a little into the Shark Mutiny,Í began to realize that it was simply awful.His earlier books were high class techno-thrillers.Brett observes that Robinson has a fixation with Seals that made him uncomfotable.That was exactly my impression.Cloying is the word I would pick.

Rating:
Summary: This brass buckle needs polishing
Review: I have read all of Robinson's books in the correct order and they have kept me interested and focused on the subject.
This last one though is not up to it.
The plot is paper thin, the characters almost mickey mouse, a double serving of US self righteousnes, all other countries are treated as new recruits in the barracks and last but for me not least Robinson's syntactic is deteriorating rapidly.
"And then" is one of the ands repeated mostly in this novel to such a degree that if he were a student and I a teacher, I would give him a D.
Give me "Kilo class" any time but if I had to read "the Shark Mutiny" one more time i'd become a mutineer also.

Rating:
Summary: Same as last book
Review: After looking over the reviews, I did not buy this in hardback, I waited for the paperback to come out - then bought it to read on a long plane flight. As I expected from the reviews, this is very similar to his previous book. Sending in the SEALs to get the job done, the weak president, his staff and the NSA (Admiral Morgan) still talking very politically incorrect.

Having said all that, I think it was an interesting and believable story with the Chinese trying to expand and getting indirect help from Iran. I am sure the US would step in - maybe not exactly as done in the book though. Unlike others that thought the ending was not feasible and ruined the story. All you need to do is look at the way big companies and the government behaves and it is most likely the military does also - so I think the ending is very possible.