Rating: 
Summary: Stronger than a Bear & Twice as Smart
Review: If you want a techno-thriller where planes and weapons fly about like a war game, this is your book. Dale Brown's books have been compared to Tom Clancy's, who got his inspiration from a naval game. This reminds me of saying someone is strong as a bear and twice as smart. If you want literature where important struggles are in the hearts, minds and souls of the characters, forget it. I'd be cautious if it were twice as good as Tom Clancy's.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent! Must read!
Review: A very recent fan of Dale Brown, this was my first book. I have since read most of the others, including Flight of the Old Dog and still say this is the best one from him yet. Why? For starters, it had me glued to one spot from the first page to the last (with just a 4 hour nap in between). Not many books can do that to me. It had all the right elements in it... psychology, technology, philosophy, piloting, politics. Dale also shows that he has an insider's knowledge of these sciences. OK, in some cases his foot is barely inside the door, but for those readers who do know (or at least suspect) what really goes on behind the closed doors of the military and political bureaus, I believe the book will come across as quite credible. The helplessness of the presumed-to-be powerful U.S. military when political processes undermine its very existence, its inablility to react to unconventional methods of aggression, the need for a renegade to step up and bypass the political system and chains-of-commmand and a hint of paranoia may be a bit disconcerting, if not shockingly eye-opening, to most readers.Essentially what this book needs in order to be highly riveting is an educated and open mind. An understanding of basic technology (elementary physics for starters, some knowledge of airplanes and their systems would definitely help) goes a long way in establishing the credibility of the story line. And don't make the mistake of confusing credibility with reality, though I suspect that those who understand and keep abreast of the latest developments in technology will have no problem blurring the line between futuristic fiction and current technological capability. As with most of Dale Brown's books, the reader's willingness to disconnect with reality, actual or as the reader knows it, is mandatory for the story to be effective. After all, at the time he wrote his first Megafortress story (Flight of the Old Dog), few readers would believe that in the year 2000 it would be common knowledge that the B-52 was being upgraded with the latest technology and is expected to serve for many more years to come. My recommendation: Highly credible, technologically plausible (it not realistic). Must read!
Rating: 
Summary: A Mediocre Yarn
Review: No, Dale Brown is not another Tom Clancy. However, this particular book does a credible job spinning a story around a resurrected B-52 fleet. Joseph Campanella's voice characterizations are quite good and easily recognizable allowing the listener to keep the many characters straight while concentrating on the story line. The audio is crisp and clean making for easy listening in a high noise environment. I especially enjoyed Brown's geographical description of Taiwan, and warfare between China and Taiwan. However, landing a modified B-52 in Taiwan where they did...naw. Anyway, 6 hours.
Rating: 
Summary: Brown's Alternate Reality
Review: An Air Force fantasy, Fatal Terrain projects a world that has no relation to the real one. A private company wages war instead of the military; Hong Kong is in the Formosa Strait, and an aging B-52 is the answer to every tactical and strategic situation. Brown also mentions a massive invasion of Taiwan in 1955 by China which never happened in this universe, but evidently happened in his alternate universe. This novel was educational. For example, I did not know that the U.S. Air Force was populated exclusively by brave, loyal, daring, intelligent personnel, while the Navy had only morons. That the Republicans have only brave, loyal, daring, intelligent people in their ranks, and the Democrats have only morons. That one can change a few pieces of sheet metal on a B-52, which has a radar crosssection the size of Texas, and make it into a stealth bomber. Gee, I wonder why the Pentagon designed the real stealth bomber, the B-2, from the ground up with a totally different shape than a B-52. I'd say the characters are wooden, but wood has some depth. I also didn't know that anyone would strap a man who's just had a heart attack into the pilot's seat of a bomber and go into combat. At the end our heroes actually drive off into the sunset. I have a great opening line for Dale Brown's next novel: "It was a dark and stormy night." Brown should be embarassed by this novel. I'm embarassed to say that I finished it.
Rating:
Summary: It's not the money I regret wasting, but the time!
Review: One stinker-oo of a book! Where to begin? Dialogue that cracks like cellophane - hollow and stiff? A plot that meanders around in circles? Characters that are built up and then disappear without a word? Wow, I'll certainly not read another from this writer!
Rating:
Summary: might be the worst military thriller ever written
Review: You aren't going to believe this. There is a supersecret program to sell super-duper-ultra-hi-tech B-52 variants to the Air Force, put out by what seems like a garage outfit, but those shortsighted bozos have decided that bombers are a waste of time, so no one is buying. Comes a crisis over Taiwan, and all of a sudden the B-52 variants, crewed by civilians (I kid you not), are in action and hosing down the Chinese attackers with Buck Rogers technotoys. Those misguided fools in the Navy are more concerned with interservice bickering than with doing their duty, so only our heroes can save the day. Eventually, while China is casually nuking things like US aircraft carriers without much of a reaction, our heroes finally get put on ice by the Air Force. However, they conveniently subdue a company of Marines and dash back off to war. Taiwan is saved when a Chinese strategist decides that China's approach isn't in keeping with Sun-Tzu, hops in a jet which he conveniently knows how to fly, and defects. Oh, by the way, the Iranians capture a US attack sub with a big Kevlar net. The author obviously: 1) Knows nothing of Chinese culture. 2) Has a great imagination about military command structures. 3) Is interested in glorifying the Air Force at the Navy's expense. 4) Believes that China could start tossing nukes at Taiwan like hand grenades and get by with it. 5) Somehow managed to impress Clive Cussler and WEB Griffin, which is what I really don't understand. This is one of the worst military books I've ever read. Unbelievable from start to finish. There is nothing to like or even respect about it.
Rating:
Summary: Dale Brown...keep on writing!
Review: I just can't stop reading any of Dale Browns books. He is the supreme writer when it comes to aerial thillers, just as Mike DiMercurio is the master of the submariner thriller. Two authors I just can't get enough of! Lookng forward to Dales & Mikes next book.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Fantasy
Review: Two retired US Generals, the President of the US, the entire Chinese Communist leadership, and dozens if not hundreds of career military officers go bonkers, break discipline, disobey orders and international law to start a nuclear war over minor perturbations in a 50 year old standoff.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Excellant Reading.
Review: I have every book Dale Brown has put out in both Hardbound and in paperback. Dale Brown makes the characters believable. I can't put them down. I have read many military thrillers but I ALWAYS come back to Dale Brown. My top Author for all his books, characters and style. As Always five (5) Stars *****.
Rating:
Summary: Fatal Terrain is a great military read.
Review: Dale Brown's Fatal Terrain is one of the best military novels of our generation. I have read several of his novels, and thought this was the best by far. He really goes to lengths to make sure you understand what's going on and this makes for a great read for anybody, knowledgeable of the military or not.
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