White Star: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Keep You On The Edge of Your Seat!
Review: A very Exciting book. From the very first sniper killing the book moves at a fast pace. Our hero faces a nemesis from the past. A Russian sniper from the days in Vietnam has come to America to gain vengance. The score is settled with a battle of sniper rifles. Our hero is finally sucessful and escapes with his life. A must read book. You will enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy at best, total ignorance at best
Review: As a veteran of both Marine Sniper and Force Reconnaissance Platoons, I found White Star completely ludicrous. The obvious lack of research (did the author read anything beyond Carlos Hathcocks biography?)and the utter fallacy of some of the supposed Scout/Sniper traits (some of which were in complete opposition to reality) would have been laughable, had many men not worked very hard to earn the title that Mr. Thayer bandys about so frivolously. That the plot is cartoonish is largely irrelevant as it is a work of escapist fiction. Stephen Hunter has proven that you can write outlandishly macho fiction and still be technically and tactically accurate. Basic information that would have been available had Thayer done even a modicum of research would have helped flesh this out. As it is, for anyone with even a minute amount of experience in the woods, much less as a Marine Sniper this book is offensively poor. The characters are stereotypical at best. Even the stereotypes are missing essential elements however. If it is any indication, I read White Star 5 years ago, and though I read 3-5 books a week, it has stayed in my mind due to its many faults. Next time, ask someone in the profession you choose to write about. I would not presume to write about the practice of law withoutinterviewing attorneys, please do Snipers (who work in a very precise, demanding discipline) the same courtesy.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling but deeply flawed
Review: As far as the overall plot and the action, White Star is reasonably entertaining. But there are several problems which keep it from being a really good book. The characters and their interactions are at best cheesy, and some of them, especially the 'love interest', add nothing to the story. The action of the final battle between the two snipers is well written and exciting, but does all of the action have to be saved for the end of the novel? White Star is worth reading, but if you want truly great sniper stories stick to Stephen Hunter.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling but deeply flawed
Review: As far as the overall plot and the action, White Star is reasonably entertaining. But there are several problems which keep it from being a really good book. The characters and their interactions are at best cheesy, and some of them, especially the 'love interest', add nothing to the story. The action of the final battle between the two snipers is well written and exciting, but does all of the action have to be saved for the end of the novel? White Star is worth reading, but if you want truly great sniper stories stick to Stephen Hunter.

Rating:
Summary: Long Range
Review: I found this book to be an enjoyable read. I read everything I can find on snipers, military, etc. I would rank this book as one of the best. If you liked Point of Impact or any of the Stephen Hunter books, you will enjoy White Star. Because I enjoyed this book I will try some of his others.

Rating:
Summary: White Star
Review: I listened to the audio book WOW it was great. Every person I loaned it to thought the same. One guy sat in his car for 15 minutes while a particular part got over with. Great description of events make it seem like you are there watching it happened. Mr Thayer seems to know the sniper craft well!

Rating:
Summary: Bob Wehadababyitsaboy's rewiew of WHITE STAR
Review: I read the book White star by James Thayer.
A cram course in the art of killing. The best against the best in a compelling yet thoughtful thriller that draws you through a labyrinth of deceptions until the explosive climax. Two snipers in a dual where only one survives. Owen Gray, worlds best sniper, who killed 97 soildiers in Vietnam, against Nikolai Trusov, son of Victor Trusov who put 88 Nazi soliders in his crosshair and pulled the trigger. Nikolai lived all his life with sniping in mind and hes out to prove he's the worlds best. If there was a squad of fast-paced action writers, James Thayer whould without a doubt be the leader.
" We know how good Nikolai Trusov is because we've seen him do his work. And the Russians confirm how talented he was in Afganistan. So it has to be me." this quote touched me because Owen, the american sniper, said he was ready to dual against Nikolai by himself to save other peoples lives. James Thayer writes fiction and makes it sound so real, right at the barrier of unreal fiction. Which makes it the most exciting book you can read with out being too unrealistic. This book is definatley not for people under the age of 13, because it is very graphic writin and Thayer makes it sound so real.

Rating:
Summary: Better As a Movie Than a Book
Review: I read this book for two reasons. First, I read Keanu Reeves was negotiating to play the lead in the film version. Then I came across the book again. Two times in one week; so I decided I should read it. Having just finished the lyrical descriptive style in "Cold Mountain," going to Thayer's minimalist sentences was like shock therapy, food without spice. As a tale teller, Thayer's constructed a tight suspenseful plot. As a novelist, his style is bare bones. I think White Star could make an excellent screenplay. The love interest seems more obligatory than inspired and it's action-packed. As a novel, it's okay.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining book but unbelievable
Review: I really enjoyed Thayer's book, Terminal Event, that prompted me to buy this attempt at dramatization of an ex-Marine Corps Sniper going one-on-one with an ex-Ruskie Sniper. White Star is an entertaining read but the supposed physical stamina of the players is a bit much for me. The final duel is, shall we say, unbelievable, especially when one considers the geriatrics involved. Both snipers where in Vietnam back 1969, so do the math. I would love to hear what real ex-Marine Corps Snipers have to say about this book. Thayer can do better which he proved in Terminal Event.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining book but unbelievable
Review: I really enjoyed Thayer's book, Terminal Event, that prompted me to buy this attempt at dramatization of an ex-Marine Corps Sniper going one-on-one with an ex-Ruskie Sniper. White Star is an entertaining read but the supposed physical stamina of the players is a bit much for me. The final duel is, shall we say, unbelievable, especially when one considers the geriatrics involved. Both snipers where in Vietnam back 1969, so do the math. I would love to hear what real ex-Marine Corps Snipers have to say about this book. Thayer can do better which he proved in Terminal Event.