Rating: 
Summary: Almost a really good book
Review: I enjoyed James Huston's first two efforts and had high hopes for his third novel. I am "into planes" as joegstein mentions, but I didn't find the fighter plane information was what cost this book two more stars. It seemed to me that the author couldn't figure out who he wanted to make the central character of the book as the story wandered back and forth between the aircraft carrier, George Washington and the CIA in Langley, VA. He also couldn't seem to decide exactly who the good and bad guys were and kept positing alternate theories through his characters. I suppose the ending of the story attempts to settle that question, but it does so in a fairly casual and undramatic fashion. I enjoyed the read until I got to the end and wondered why he chose to stop there. There were things left to be sorted out and to the extent he tried, I was disappointed. As I said at the outset, this was almost a really good book. Huston can write. He just needed to give this one a bit more thought.
Rating:
Summary: Almost a really good book
Review: I enjoyed James Huston's first two efforts and had high hopes for his third novel. I am "into planes" as joegstein mentions, but I didn't find the fighter plane information was what cost this book two more stars. It seemed to me that the author couldn't figure out who he wanted to make the central character of the book as the story wandered back and forth between the aircraft carrier, George Washington and the CIA in Langley, VA. He also couldn't seem to decide exactly who the good and bad guys were and kept positing alternate theories through his characters. I suppose the ending of the story attempts to settle that question, but it does so in a fairly casual and undramatic fashion. I enjoyed the read until I got to the end and wondered why he chose to stop there. There were things left to be sorted out and to the extent he tried, I was disappointed. As I said at the outset, this was almost a really good book. Huston can write. He just needed to give this one a bit more thought.
Rating: 
Summary: Another timely book about terrorism
Review: I enjoyed this book, it was quite entertaining. Positive things: It has good action, well-researched about aircraft and missiles, the characters seem well defined for the most part, and the scenario is very timely. It explored many facets of the terrorist type activity based on religious fanaticism. Negative things: From my perspective I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the inside of various airplanes, it got a little boring in descriptive terminology. One of the best recent fiction books I've read on how to root out the middle eastern terrorists. Almost as good as Carpenter's Arabian Assignment, although the scope of Flash Point is much narrower and the fictional terrorist leader was obviously not Osama binLaden. Still a very good read. I recommend it to fans of this genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book, less interlect & more action!
Review: I loved his last 2 books, and keeping in line with a thinking plot, he has included some legal argument, but aiming at action and detail. It is so nice to see an American author who can get away from jingoism and stick to a plot. Well worked caracters without padding like Clancy, action without patriotism like so many others, including the most realistic and transparent views on the views of American/Israeli political relations that can be intelligently and maturely couched without being anti-semetic. Once again, HUSTON has a workable idea, the ability of the US to declare war on an individual or an organisation, not just a nation state. Everyone is effected by terrorism, even if it is higher petrol prices, and as is shown time and again, the US, whilst it has the world's greatest military, is hamstrug by a political inability to commit to the destruction of terrorism in the name of religion. I wonder, if it was not for oil in arabia, would the west really care? Authors would have to find a new bad guy, like multi national corporations, but no, they pay for elections and politicians.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific novel - a must read...
Review: I see that nearly all of the reviews of this book are very positive. I also see one that complains about the flyer jargon used as a result of the main character being a naval aviator. Personally, this is not a problem for me, possibly because I'm a pilot and find the jargon interesting. In fact, it seems to me that Huston includes enough descriptive information that makes it simple enough for anyone to understand clearly what is happening. So... I think that's a positive element to the book. Much in the same way a given author's inclusion of local customs or phrases, which is usually intended to give the reader some sense of the environment (setting) of the book. Well, the setting is in part on a US Navy F-14 and Huston does a nice job of introducing us to that very "close to the vest" world. I found the book to have a good mix of action, intrigue and very believable characters. I think it's well written with very appropriate languange for the characters involved. I usually take forever to get through a book. Not this one. I couldn't put it down. Clearly Mr. Huston's Navy Intelligence background was evident in this book. His insight into modern day terrorism is clear. Perhaps Mr. Huston could come out of {navy) retirement and help nab the those who planned the September 11th attacks. Nice work Mr. Huston. This one gets 5 stars. I look forward to reading your other 3 novels.
Rating:
Summary: I Was Dissapointed!
Review: I was hoping for a book with more action than talk. This book failed to qualify. You had all of the elements to create an action packed book. A group of assasins who were being protected by Iran and Syria. This group had as it's main target Americans
and Israelis. With the exception of a few incidents this book did not deliver what I had hoped for. The action in the book never reached it's true potential. Too much time was tied up in
useless dialogue that seemed to drag on forever. Much of the book turned out to be this way. A potentially good plot gone to waste. Maybe James Huston will do better next time.
Rating:
Summary: A strangely prophetic thriller
Review: I'm sure that when James W. Huston sat down to write Flash Point, he wanted to create a plausible scenario for a novelized "Top Gun." Little did he know that the resulting story would be a small-scale version of September 11th and its aftermath. Flash Point is the story of a Naval aviator who sees his friend die in a terrorist attack in the middle east. He then partakes in an international incident that leads to war with the terrorist group. The book is a good and realistic look at the lives of naval aviators. The reader is quickly drawn into the cockpit and shot off the catapult into an excitng tale of both revenge and self-doubt. Huston also follows the activities within the CIA, as well as the dichotomy between devout Muslims and hypocritical terrorists, with the character of Sami, the Syrian-born analyst. He also creates suspense by calling into question the loyalty of Israeli inteligence during the operation against the elusive terrorist leader, known only as "the Sheik." The biggest flaw in the book's story comes from differences between this work of fiction and real life. I doubt that the US would go to war over a minor terrorist attack and a furball. I just hope that the real story ends with a happy ending.
Rating:
Summary: A strangely prophetic thriller
Review: I'm sure that when James W. Huston sat down to write Flash Point, he wanted to create a plausible scenario for a novelized "Top Gun." Little did he know that the resulting story would be a small-scale version of September 11th and its aftermath. Flash Point is the story of a Naval aviator who sees his friend die in a terrorist attack in the middle east. He then partakes in an international incident that leads to war with the terrorist group. The book is a good and realistic look at the lives of naval aviators. The reader is quickly drawn into the cockpit and shot off the catapult into an excitng tale of both revenge and self-doubt. Huston also follows the activities within the CIA, as well as the dichotomy between devout Muslims and hypocritical terrorists, with the character of Sami, the Syrian-born analyst. He also creates suspense by calling into question the loyalty of Israeli inteligence during the operation against the elusive terrorist leader, known only as "the Sheik." The biggest flaw in the book's story comes from differences between this work of fiction and real life. I doubt that the US would go to war over a minor terrorist attack and a furball. I just hope that the real story ends with a happy ending.
Rating:
Summary: Terrorism/Event s review?
Review: In light of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11th, this is a "have to read." Amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Terrorism/Event s review?
Review: In light of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11th, this is a "have to read." Amazing.
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