Rating: 
Summary: A mercenary coup counterpart to "Day of the Jackal"
Review: This is the mercenary counterpart to what is an anatomy to an assassionation in the Day of the Jackal.A closely-guarded secret discovery of rich platinum deposits in the Crystal Mountains in a tiny African state led a British entrepreneur Manson to finance a coup in the state to obtain control of the deposit. Keeping himself anonymous and working only with 2 greed-motivated underlings, Manson sought out a notable mercenary leader Cat Shannon who just returned from an unsuccessful mission from Africa. Unwilling to be pawn to an unseen mastermind, Shannon initiated his own counter-espionage to learn more about his paymaster and the interest in the apparently insignificant African state. To add spice to the game, the Russians, who had the major influence in the state, also learned that a British survey completed several months before in the Crystal Mountains which reported no significant tin deposits (the original object of the survey) may not have been completely truthful ... The start of the tale focus on the cat-and-mouse game Manson and his underlings played to keep their discovery a secret while trying to launch a military takeover, finding the suitable men to fight and another to be the puppet head. The middle of the tale looks at the mercenary acquiring, financing and transporting the necessary hardware from various sources in Europe. The narration is well-detailed, showing for the right price, anything can be bought from the street hoodlums or from the your own government. Manson and his underlings were well-constructed, appearing to be more mercenary than the soldiers of fortune. Shannon, on the other hand, a man who after his earlier African experiences could not adapt to a cog-in-the-wheel life in civilised Britain, showed such sharp mettle and acumen that one could not help but wonder what a splash he would have made if he had found the determination to make his mark in the business world. The other mercenary characters were also colourfully potrayed, though sometimes their identities became mixed. Another aspect well-written was Shannon's inner self who found himself always fighting a war whose ultimate beneficiaries were the people he despised bitterly. An entertaining moment was found in Manson's daughter, beautiful model well-versed in the ways of the world, a barracuda to break men of wealth, becoming almost innocent and childlike when confronted with Shannon's world. Unfortunately, unlike the promise of the book's introduction at the backcover, the Russians never did was played to their full potential. This book offered an alternative perspective to the 60s & 70s, contrasting the concerns and motivations of Europe then to the really dark times in Africa. Certainly an interesting book, enough to occupy for a long journey, best read uninterrupted if one does not want to lose track of the details.
Rating: 
Summary: Mercenary Manual
Review: This was a really really good book. I will understand, although, how some people might get turned off. It is very detailed on the 'how to' of building a mercenary operation amongst other things (banking and setting up front companies), which I really enjoyed.
It seemed to be almost a manual for the mercenary soldier. In fact, if you are thinking of becoming one you should probably read this book.
Don't get me wrong here either. There was a very good story, and with a surprising end (and surprising middles too).
Very well written. Anyone know of other books detailed like this?
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