Red Phoenix/16 Audio Cassettes

Rating:
Summary: top-notch
Review: Though this was written some fifteen years ago, the topic of a second Korean War is (unfortunately) still timely. The events may be dated slightly, but this is still a top-notch techno-thriller. I don't know who Larry Bond is, but he can move effortlessly from the political infighting in Washington to the grim realities of modern-day warfare on the battlefield to the reactions of Communist leaders. Even at 700 pages, it moved at a brisker pace than many novels half the size. He's included maps and Dramatis Personae but, to be honest, the characters and situations are so vivid, these are hardly even needed.
Nitpicking Dept: He occasionally throws in a military and/or slang word which he doesn't define. There were one or two instances where individuals got too lucky in escaping dangerous situations which stretched credulity. His writing is good, but occasionally doesn't quite convey battle scenes as vividly as it should. Overall, though, on a scale of 1 to 100, I would give this novel a solid 97. Should be required reading for anyone concerned about the current political situation.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: What can I say, but that this book is GREAT! A few parts of the book seem dated (It was written before the fall of the USSR) but other than that I had a blast reading it. The book is 713 pages long, but I was still able to finish it in only 2 days. I've got to get more of this guys work!

Rating:
Summary: Tom Clancy's right hand man is just as good
Review: When Tom Clancy wrote Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising, he turned to Larry Bond. Bond is a genius. This was his first solo novel to my knowledge, and its depiction of Cold War combat in Korea was VERY well done. The story is crisp, and moves quickly, and has all of the hallmarks that made Clancy's early works so intriguingly fun. This also remains Bond's best work, and should be read before any good game of Harpoon begins...

Rating:
Summary: THE SECOND KOREAN WAR
Review: Written in 1989, this absorbing and extremely plausible tale of the second Korean War should be of interest not only to military history buffs, but also to those simply looking for a good technodrama. Dogfights, submarines, aircraft carriers, antisubmarine warfare, infantry tactics, the ROK army, the US Marine Corps, politics and politicians... are realistically and accurately portrayed. Many of the actions which occurred are reminiscent of those which marked the first Korean Conflict including not only the tactical war but also the operational state of the military. The one thing which I didn't care for was the plot involving Tony and Anne. It was superfluous. Its deletion would not have affected the story at all. Otherwise and interesting book worthy of reading! This book should be of special interest to military personnel on assignment to Korea.