Rules of Engagement

Rating:
Summary: Lousy rip-off of "Flight of the Intruder"
Review: "Rules of Engagement" tells the story of an heroic fighter-driver flying Phantom jets during the Vuetnam air war. Brad Austin, an Annapolis grad and the latest in a long line of loyal US servicemen broke with tradition when he joined the Marines instead of following his fathers into the Navy. Over Vietnam, he chafes at the politically-initiated, and overly restrictive rules of engagement ("ROE"), watching enemy pilots pick off US fliers while shielding themselves behind the ROE. One of the best aviators in the Marines, he flies his way and barely stays within the ROE as he targets an enemy ace responsible for the deaths of many US fliers. Soon fed up, he plots one illegal flight which will clearly go over the line.

WHY THIS IS THE WORST BOOK ON THE VN AIR WAR: I gave this novel the benefit of the doubt, even though it quickly proved itself to be no better than an over-glorified and under-inspired rip-off of the far superior "Flight of the Intruder". The more enjoyable characters and irony of that other book made it the best novel of its genre. "Rules" goes wrong where "Intruder" got it right, taking a heavy-handed stand on the ROE (they deserve their bad rap, but Steve Coonts wasn't afraid to see the issue from both sides), while not going into great depth about the mechanics of his hero's machine of choice - the F-4. Next to Jake Grafton, Brad Austin is as lively as an action figure - Weber unwilling to give him any of the flaws or introspection that made Jake Grafton so believable, while Austin's back-seater remains a captive passenger and nowhere near the equal of "Tiger" Cole. Even the promising idea of having Austin romance the daughter of an anti-war fixture goes nowhere. (I kept waiting for the unhappy dad to tell Austin how he disapproves of his daughter's dating a guy who may get shot down, leaving the poor girl to wonder for years whether he was dead or rotting in a tiger-cage.) Instead, Weber loads us down with details that don't do anything to substantiate the plot. Austin is a maverick of his family because he chose to fly for the Marines instead of the Navy, a plot twist that's supposed to establish him as a rebel, even though it has him flying the same planes from Navy ships like a Naval Aviator, and facing much of the same challenges. Even the climactic flight, the one that will break the rules, is a cheat. While books like these don't mind chiding wartime planners for choosing a strategy that has nothing to do with winning the war, "Rules" easily settles on an epic dogfight against the shadowy Communist ace, one whose result won't have the least effect down on the ground where the war was grinding its way through an entire generation of 19 year olders. Coonts at least chose a target his characters felt was attached to the war's larger purpose (the Communist party HQ) and didn't mind using a plane a whole lot less sexy than the F-4's in "Rules". If you must read a Weber novel, read the sequel: "Target of Opportunity", also an uninspired novel, but one with amore original plot.

Rating:
Summary: Lousy rip-off of "Flight of the Intruder"
Review: "Rules of Engagement" tells the story of an heroic fighter-driver flying Phantom jets during the Vuetnam air war. Brad Austin, an Annapolis grad and the latest in a long line of loyal US servicemen broke with tradition when he joined the Marines instead of following his fathers into the Navy. Over Vietnam, he chafes at the politically-initiated, and overly restrictive rules of engagement ("ROE"), watching enemy pilots pick off US fliers while shielding themselves behind the ROE. One of the best aviators in the Marines, he flies his way and barely stays within the ROE as he targets an enemy ace responsible for the deaths of many US fliers. Soon fed up, he plots one illegal flight which will clearly go over the line.

WHY THIS IS THE WORST BOOK ON THE VN AIR WAR: I gave this novel the benefit of the doubt, even though it quickly proved itself to be no better than an over-glorified and under-inspired rip-off of the far superior "Flight of the Intruder". The more enjoyable characters and irony of that other book made it the best novel of its genre. "Rules" goes wrong where "Intruder" got it right, taking a heavy-handed stand on the ROE (they deserve their bad rap, but Steve Coonts wasn't afraid to see the issue from both sides), while not going into great depth about the mechanics of his hero's machine of choice - the F-4. Next to Jake Grafton, Brad Austin is as lively as an action figure - Weber unwilling to give him any of the flaws or introspection that made Jake Grafton so believable, while Austin's back-seater remains a captive passenger and nowhere near the equal of "Tiger" Cole. Even the promising idea of having Austin romance the daughter of an anti-war fixture goes nowhere. (I kept waiting for the unhappy dad to tell Austin how he disapproves of his daughter's dating a guy who may get shot down, leaving the poor girl to wonder for years whether he was dead or rotting in a tiger-cage.) Instead, Weber loads us down with details that don't do anything to substantiate the plot. Austin is a maverick of his family because he chose to fly for the Marines instead of the Navy, a plot twist that's supposed to establish him as a rebel, even though it has him flying the same planes from Navy ships like a Naval Aviator, and facing much of the same challenges. Even the climactic flight, the one that will break the rules, is a cheat. While books like these don't mind chiding wartime planners for choosing a strategy that has nothing to do with winning the war, "Rules" easily settles on an epic dogfight against the shadowy Communist ace, one whose result won't have the least effect down on the ground where the war was grinding its way through an entire generation of 19 year olders. Coonts at least chose a target his characters felt was attached to the war's larger purpose (the Communist party HQ) and didn't mind using a plane a whole lot less sexy than the F-4's in "Rules". If you must read a Weber novel, read the sequel: "Target of Opportunity", also an uninspired novel, but one with amore original plot.

Rating:
Summary: Decent redux of FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER
Review: As far as action goes, this was a good book. However, it is almost exactly like Stephen Coonts' FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER: a carrier pilot goes flying where he shouldn't during the Vietnam War after losing his second crewman, catches hell for it, and is barely saved by an act of Congress. The only differences are that with RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, he's a Marine fighter jock instead of a Navy attack driver, and it happens near the beginning of the war instead of the end.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner !
Review: I have now read all the Joe Weber novels but one (Honorable Enemies) which I start next. Rules of Engagement was just was well written as all his other books. Growing up in that era, for me, it was interesting to understand what was happening "behind the scenes" of the VietNam war. Great characters, great plots, and some interesting twists are all typical Joe Weber. Keep up the good work.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner !
Review: I have now read all the Joe Weber novels but one (Honorable Enemies) which I start next. Rules of Engagement was just was well written as all his other books. Growing up in that era, for me, it was interesting to understand what was happening "behind the scenes" of the VietNam war. Great characters, great plots, and some interesting twists are all typical Joe Weber. Keep up the good work.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I've read this book several times, and it just keeps getting better each time! Hopefully Mr. Weber will continue writing books of this nature.

Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read
Review: Rules of Engagement is by far the best book I have ever read. The action is intense, and almost never lets up. Marine Pilot Brad Austin is caught in a war that the rules restrict to not attacking military targets. But then Brad decided to break the rules...

Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING ADRENALINE PUMPING ACTION
Review: THIS BOOK HAS EVERYTHING IN IT NESSCESSARY TO GET YOUR HEART POUNDING AND YOUR ADRENALINE FLOWING. THE HERO BRAD AUSTIN IS ENRAGED AT NOT BEING ABLE TO SAVE HIS FREINDS FROM ENEMY CAPTURE AFTER BEING SHOT DOWN IN VIET NAM. HE THEN BREAKS THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND GOES AFTER THE PILOT WHO DID IT.THE ENSUING POLITICAL REPERCUSIONS ARE AS INTRIGUING AND EXCITING AS THE ARIEL COMBAT ACTION. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO EVEN MILDLY ENJOYS THIS TYPE OF STORY.

Rating:
Summary: Great action sequences, technical details, but...
Review: While the obvious knowledge and attention to detail given to the writing of "Rules of Engagement" is admirable, there were several patterns that lessened the enjoyment for the reader.

It's clear the author has ample experience with flying, Navy jargon, and the military life. His careful descriptions allow the reader an interesting glimpse at the day to day life on an aircraft carrier. At the same time, this precision and careful wordcraft enters into the dialog, with not nearly so positive a result. With declaratives like "The colonel is a nice guy, and we had a cordial chat.", the reader finds great difficulty empathizing with and believing in the characters in the book.

Similarly, the expected intimate discussions between the protagonist and his love interest come across as stilted, formal, and difficult to comprehend. While seeing things from a female perspective is technically beyond this reviewer's experience, it seems that the attitude and reactions of said amorous companion occasionally depart farther from reality than could be easily accepted. For example, it seems she (and perhaps the author) is more concerned about our hero's perception of her father than his attitude and intentions toward her.

The least disturbing of these oddities is the slight tendency the author has to telegraph impending disaster. While not tragic, and probably not universally noticable, this reviewer occasionally felt mild disappointment that the surprise had been blunted by some sort of narrative drift that foreshadowed the events.

All that being said, "Rules of Engagement" has many things that can captivate the reader. The combat descriptions are excellent and exciting, and the plot developments keep the story flowing. Also, while the writing tends to be politically heavy-handed, it is not hard to sympathize with the pilots who put their lives at risk for trivial or non-existent strategic gain.

If you find enjoyment in cleverly written dialog and deep character development, you might steer clear of this one. On the other hand, if you like detailed aerial combat descriptions and realistic narrative of Vietnam era tactical operations, you'll find much to enjoy in "Rules of Engagement".

Rating:
Summary: We Want More Brad Austin Stories!!
Review: Wow what a book!! Exciting!! Puts you right in the cockpit of a Navy F-4. I love these books that tell the story of Naval Aviators. A great adventure and an epic of Naval Aviation. Mr Weber should keep with this Brad Austin character and the flying in his next book. I have Targets of Opportunity already but we want more!!