Rating: 
Summary: selling out
Review: Patrick Robinson suffers from Tom Clancy Disease with Barracuda 945-not much of an idea,page after page of nothing happening,desperately in need of an editor to lop off the extra pages added to justify the outrageous price of the book and he even goes Clancy one better,the entire book was nothing more than a set up for a sequel.Patrick,what's with the excruciating geographical references,the making of the Admiral Morgan character into a cartoon,your repeated refences to the Clinton administration(hey,we didn't like him either but we don't want to read about him in your books)? I've absolutely enjoyed every one of your books but you should be ashamed if you cash any royalty checks for this rip off.
Rating: 
Summary: A Blistering Page-Turner Packed with Suspense and Intrigue
Review: Patrick Robinson's epic techno-thriller, BARRACUDA 945, should come with a written warning from the Surgeon General. I have never before tackled any of Robinson's works, but after reading this rollercoaster ride of a novel, I must say that this is one genre that is extremely addicting.If you're going to read BARRACUDA 945, be forewarned that sleep deprivation can occur. Other symptoms include nervousness, inability to concentrate on anything except BARRACUDA 945, and loss of interest in normal everyday activities, except getting to the gripping last page of BARRACUDA 945 ASAP. OK, you've been warned. One of the remarkable things about BARRACUDA 945 is Robinson's incredible ability to take the reader's breath away throughout the entire 440-page tome. The novel begins with Robinson's introduction of British turncoat Ray Kerman, who incidentally takes sides with bloodthirsty terrorists who devise a plan to rob a pair of international banks in order to buy two nuclear powered submarines from the Russians with aid from Chinese officials. BARRACUDA 945 also reintroduces Robinson's star character, National Security Adviser Arnold Morgan, who is making his sixth appearance in a Robinson novel. Morgan is the epitome of the right wing, ultra-conservative, take-no-prisoners kind of guy. He not only devises the plan to retake the Panama Canal from China after the bad guys ditch the nuclear submarine in the canal after several attacks on key U.S. oil refineries, he also manages to keep the Commander-in-Chief from going hysterical numerous times after the country is besieged by terrorist attacks. While the main part of the novel takes place in 2008, Robinson does a superb job in illustrating the importance of remembering that terrorism against America is still a huge threat and is an issue that shouldn't be taken lightly. With several key references relating to the impact of 9-11, Robinson, a former British newspaper columnist who covered thoroughbred racing for a number of years, has written a novel that should be required reading for our country's current National Security Council adviser, Condoleeza Rice. In BARRACUDA 945, Robinson's Hamas terrorists make Osama Bin Laden and the rest of the infamous Al-Qaeda network seem like a bunch of disorganized boy scouts. Although the September 11th attacks were horrific and the images of those planes slamming into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center remain burned into my conscience, Robinson's Hamas terrorists are also what President George Bush would call "evil doers". Despite Robinson's attempt at trying to make Kerman, also known as Hamas Gen. Ravi Rashood, seem somewhat compassionate and humane, this man is nothing more than a ruthless psychotic killer who stops at nothing to complete his macabre mission. Even though Rashood launches deadly ICBM missiles into numerous oil refineries in Alaska where the death toll is next to nil, Rashood and his band of modern day pirates turn the entire town of Lompoc, California into an apocalyptic inferno after destroying the main electricity facility that powers much of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Another problem with Robinson's novel is his constant editorializing against former President Bill Clinton. It's apparent that Robinson despises the embattled Clinton, but to compare his intellect with his genitals is just downright sophomoric. Plus, I had a hard time grappling with the notion that Clinton would have been stupid enough to give control of the Panama Canal to China. An additional point worth mentioning is the copy editing of BARRACUDA 945. Sorry folks, but when a giant publisher like HarperCollins releases a book, a reader shouldn't have to experience any misspellings. Despite Robinson's glaring dislike for Bill Clinton and some typographical errors, BARRACUDA 945 is just what the doctor ordered if you're looking for a blistering page-turner packed with suspense, intrigue and action. Down, periscope! --- Reviewed by David Exum
Rating: 
Summary: PATRICK ROBINSON IS BACK ON TOP FORM!
Review: Patrick Robinson's last book, THE SHARK MUTINY, showed a mildly original and promising idea but was spoiled a little by a preposterous ending. This next instalment in his series featuring Vice Admiral Arnold Morgan is back on top form with very good research and some blazing action scenes which whisk the reader along at a lightning pace! BARRACUDA 945 starts off in 1995, when one Major Ray Kerman is accepted into the elite British SAS Regiment. Move forward to 2004 where we find Kerman on a top secret antiterrorist operation in Israel taking down HAMAS fighters as part of the war on terror. Kerman, we learn, is of Iranian descent and was brought to England in 1979 after the fall of the Shah and the subsequent troubles, and was kept in check by a fundamentalist Muslim cleric in London. When an SAS mission searching out a HAMAS terror cell in Herbron goes wrong and explodes into a full scale bloodbath between Palestinian fighters and Israeli Defence Force troops, Kerman's loyalties are put to the test when those close to him are under attack by Israeli forces. He then goes AWOL, murdering his fellow officers, and joins up with HAMAS. Vice Admiral Morgan and his trusty NSA liason Lieutenant James Ramshawe, an Australian officer who is really the main good guy character in the story as it is his hunches on Kerman's whereabouts that get results, soon links his fugitive to a robbery in Tel Aviv, but what is the purpose of this? How does it all tie up with a massive prison breakout in Nimrod, Israel, of known HAMAS terrorists? Years later, Kerman, now operating under his Iranian birth name Ravi Rashood, recruits many of those he freed, and also his new wife, Shakira(who is nothing to do with a certain pop singer!), and purchases two thought-to-be-unseaworthy Barracuda Class subs from cash-strapped Russians through Chinese military officers who support his plans. Rashood/Kerman plans to attack America's West Coast and its oil and power infrastructure to create economic turmoil. In 2008, the terror attacks begin, foxing the US military and pushing the US President into a corner. It seems like another 9/11 has taken place. Yet James Ramshawe still has a hunch, will anyone believe him? When Admiral Morgan learns the true nature of the attacks, will the President be forced to act? Read on! Once again, Patrick Robinson has created another fast-paced submarine story which often reads like tomorrow's news headlines! The submarine scenes and Navy SEAL operations in the later half of the book are as realistic as you can get, it feels as though you are there - inside the Barracuda with the bad guys, stopping the bad guys in the jungles of Panama and even at the Royal Ascot horse race meeting when Kerman tries to meet his parents and assassinate Admiral Morgan in the process in a minor subplot. Robinson does not go into too much technical detail about the submarines, just enough so that anyone unfamiliar with naval matters can understand, so as to keep the story flowing along nicely. However, my one criticism stands - Robinson still insists on going into excessive detail about what every character has to eat - by each course - what wine they drink and which vineyard it came from and what year, and so on. As much as I love fine food and wine, I did feel that this was especially over the top during the first 150 pages or so, and did detract a bit from the main focus of the book - the hunt for the Barracuda and Kerman. But this overall fantastic read still gets five stars for keeping the reader engrossed throughout. This would make an awesome movie as well, but might not win an award considering what happens in Los Angeles when a power station serving California is attacked with missiles from the Barracuda! As for the ending, it is not what you expect, it leaves all sorts of possibilities wide open for many of the characters. I eagerly await the next instalment and look forward to further adventures involving Morgan, Ramshawe, the SEALs and co!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome read!
Review: Perhaps Robinson's best work yet, don't wait for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Pitiful, pitiful, pitiful
Review: Plot a little far-fetched, but I can suspend reality for the sake of entertainment if necessary. Problem was, there's little entertainment. Enough right-wing cliches about Clinton to make a Bush supporter vote for Howard Dean. And the ending, well, there is no ending. They might was well as had on order form at the end of the book to pre-order the sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: jump the shark
Review: Robinson has been a very good writer. I have listened to a lot of his other work. (Btw, Guidall does a killer Morgan, everyone should hear it once)
However, I agree w/ other reviewers' comments fully about this book's shortcomings: Clinton, politics, hard-to-believe political plotlines, etc. I was especially disappointed by the rehashing of the oil-futures-doom plotline that was very similar to the oil-futures-doom plotline in the "Shark Mutiny".
I hope Robinson is also disappointed by this work and brings us,in his usual style, a winner next time.
Rating:
Summary: Nowhere to go but down
Review: Robinson starts out with an intriguing scenario but drops the ball when he climbs up on his political soapbox. The premise of a terrorist bent on destruction of American assets is not new, but Robinson treats us to a possible plot that involves several less-than-friendly countries, superhuman exploits of an ex-patriot SAS agent, and stealth destruction on a massive scale - a scenario ripe with possibilities. Unfortunately, Robinson never gets too deep into his characters or their motivation, except for the pensive "conversion" of the former SAS agent. The author seems to think that ranting by frustrated generals and admirals counts for real character development and motivation. And when Robinson unloads on everything from Hollywood to the Academy Awards to Democratic presidents (all whom are lumped together with wimpy idealogues who sold America down the river - or should I say Canal?), he really loses the focus of both his characters and his plot. Perhaps that is why the ending of this book is as wimpy as Robinson's Democrats. He had nothing lift to blast so he just let the conclusion sink slowly in the mud. A fitting finale to the Barracuda 945 - both the sub and the book.
Rating:
Summary: It should have been call "Taking back the canal"
Review: The story line was all over the place. Maybe, just so he can cover the whole gamut of genre. It was intriguing in that you wonder where the author is taking you. But alas to the disappointing ending. Thats the reason for the 2 star and I'm being very generous.
Rating: 
Summary: Is the Military Techno-Thriller a dead genre?
Review: There are some good elements to the story Robinson tells here, some parts of the book I really enjoyed. Yet the main attack/plot element wasn't as interesting when the book really got into it in the final third, and the ending of the story doesn't resolve what happened in the book it just sets up the sequel. The protagonists are a little one dimensional (the crusty Admiral, his beautiful, understanding fiancee, and the bright Australian protege), the rants about the Panama Canal get a little old, and you'd think that the US could do a little contingency planning. Instead, the US just looks lame as throughout the book, they can only react to what is happening. I'm not sure that the end of the Cold War hurt this genre by eliminating the primary villain. I will say that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read Robinson's previous books.
Rating:
Summary: Not Politically Correct
Review: There are two big premises you have to swallow to get the plot started off. First, that British SAS Major Ray Kerman (raised in England for more than 25 years) would suddenly switch sides and join Hamas and return to a culture he barely conciously remembers. Second, that destroying a major part of the U.S. oil production industry would make us -withdraw- from the Middle East. If you can suspend your disbelief to get over those two mountains, the rest of the hills aren't as hard to climb.
One premise that I completely agree with is that terrorists can win the "War on Terror" by focusing on destroying -things-, not people. That is a basis for the operation pursued by Ray Kerman, aka Ravi Rashood. Killing people brings down the wrath of the hurt nation very quickly. To avoid this, force them to spend tons of money on security and on replacing damaged -things-. Keep attacking infrastructure until they have no more money to pursue you because it's costing so much to guard and secure resources at home.
The action is slow getting started, but finally moves along into a fact pace just before you hit the end of the book. I was quite uneasy when starting the book because it focuses so much on the villan. We hardly even meet the "good guys" for over 100 pages. I kept thinking to myself, "If this is the main character whom I'm supposed to empathize with, then this is totally the wrong book for me!" There are quite a few characters who make comments that are not politically correct for a Democrat reader, but then not every reader is a Democrat! I happened to agree with many of the comments and thought several were quite witty.
| 
