Plan of Attack

Rating:
Summary: Not Brown's Best Work
Review: After reading PLAN OF ATTACK, I felt that Dale Brown loaded this novel with entirely too many characters and technical jargon. Entire paragraphs were consumed by weighty and unnecessary acronyms; describing a seemingly endless array of conventional and unconventional weapnry and aircraft.

The story arc, too, seemed sketchy and jumpy; taking the reader from the USA to the Middle East and to Russia without ever fleshing out the details of the events unfolding in those regions.

I was also disappointed by the fact that the climax didn't occur until the last one-hundred pages. Far too much time is spent on the shenanigans of the Air Force brass and the games of intrigue they play with Patrick McLanahan's career.

Dale Brown is, in my opinion, the best military-adventure writer in the genre today. Compared, however, to one of Brown's earlier masterpieces like FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG or STORMING HEAVEN, PLAN OF ATTACK seems sub-par. If Dale Brown had confined the technical aspect of the story to a back-of-the-book index, (charts of Western Russia would have been nice, too) he could have fleshed out the story alot better.

I rated this book "Three Stars," because:
+1) It is an entertaining book.
+1) It is obviously the prequel to a new series.
+1) McLanahan (Brown) doesn't pull ANY punches here.
-1) It could have and should have been better.

Rating:
Summary: like most.............
Review: big name tech thriller authors, Brown has gotten to be soooo bad IMHO. They think just their name (Clancy etc) will be enough. Luckily I get it at the library!

Plot is bad, characters lifeless, I didnt even care who won by the end!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Fun techno-thriller
Review: Dale Brown has written some great stuff - and a few turkeys along the way as well.

In "Plan of Attack," Brown is close to his best. U. S. Air Force Major General Patrick McLanahan goes over the line again and is demoted and sent to another unit where he is told to keep his nose to the grindstone and his mouth shut.

Of course, McLanahan just happens to notice something that no one else sees or believes: a sneak nuclear attack by Russia against the United States. They'd just be getting even for McLanahan's sneak attack against Russia, but that's another earlier book.

Brown rolls out his usual staggering array of technologically advanced weapons, his skills at convincing his colleagues to take unauthorized actions that could land them in prison and introduces one plot twist after another.

Yes, the whole thing is unbelievable - but that's only after you've blazed through the entire book. And even then, you won't regret the time you spent reading "Plan of Attack," because it's what a techno-thriller should be. Exciting, packed with action and even, at times, thought provoking. On the whole, well done and totally enjoyable.

Jerry

Rating:
Summary: A SUITABLY SUSPENSEFUL READING
Review: Dale Brown, master of the techno-thriller, presents one of his most frightening scenarios in "Plan Of Attack" - nuclear destruction so devastating that the mere thought of its scope causes tremors of fear. It would be the end of our country as we know it.

Voice performer J. K. Simmons imbues his reading with a somber sincerity which makes this threat plausible whether it's through the vengeful voice of Russian President General Anatolly Gryzlov or determined hero Major General Patrick McLanahan.

When it comes to aerial warfare, McLanahan knows it best. But, he's no longer in charge - demoted to a job pushing papers at a desk. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't know what's going on, and he's fully aware that Russia's bomber bases are very active. Getting the higher-ups to pay attention to this is another story.

Gryzlov is relentless; he'll not be satisfied until he makes McLanahan pay for bombing a Russian base. His first move is a sneak attack. McLanahan knows what's going on, but what can he do about it?

Therein lies a terrific tale of techno-terrorism. Hang on to the seats of your chairs when you listen to this one!

- Gail Cooke

Rating:
Summary: The Flight of The Old Dog needs to stand down
Review: I have read all of the Dale Brown books starting with The Flight of the Old Dog. This is the 16th sequel to that book and as much as I hate to say so, this "dog" doesn't hunt very well. The premise of the story requires a suspension of belief - Russia has been taken over by a crazed general who launches a pre-emptive strike against the US using bombers and missiles which knock out most of our strike capability in the western half of the US. Patrick McClanahan, the Peck's bad boy of the USAF has been demoted to an intelligence role and even there deduces the liklihood of the attack, only to be rebuffed by the higher ups who hold him responsible for all of the stuff that has happended in the previous 15 novels which have raised holy hell all over the world.

Brown is suffering from Clancyitus in much of the book as he describes weapoms systems and procedures to an extent which is not necessary to appreciate the story. I'll admit that once McClanahan takes his Battle Mountain group to Russia to revenge the attack and make things right that it at least gets a bit more upbeat, but it is all fairly predictable and the end of the book suggests that this is not the end of the series. It was a great ride for a long time, but it is time to put the Old Dog story in the hanger, in my humble opinion.