Rating: 
Summary: Check-mate
Review: Bob Norris, what a revelation. Check Six is a hyper read, if you enjoy a techno-thriller with a solid story line and characters with depth then with is your next read. From the start of the prologue to the very last page (which comes to soon!) you will be totally immersed in the confinement of Aircraft Carrier life. The Libyan situation is almost immaterial as the story line focuses on the survival of the Navy's first female Hornet pilots. My only misgiving regarding this novel is that I wasn't content with knowing that justice might be served - I wanted to see those @#*@#!* pay for what they did!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent view of Naval Aviation and 'flying off the deck'.
Review: Campbell, Brown, Clancey...now Bob Norris. For those of you interested in aviation, flying, the integration of women in military aviation, and just a darn good read, this book is for you. The characters were well developed, the story line excellent, and I had trouble putting it down! Anyone who has read books by the previous authors should add Bob's name to their list. I hope that he continues writing from his experiences. I wouldn't even mind a non-fiction work that shows what really happened to those who were implicated, yet innocent in the Tailhook scandal. There were hints of a story even there. Good luck Bob, I'll be looking for more titles!
Rating: 
Summary: Check Six
Review: Check Six by Bob Norris is a promising, though surprising start for a new military author. The story revolves around the introduction of women into the Navy's F-18 strike/fighter community, involving the routing out of a cabal of self-righteous officers determined to prevent a female presence in F-18's. Amazingly, this group is willing to kill to succeed. The unlikely hero is, of all things, a newspaper reporter, and even more surprising, this heroic reporter is the very same who "exposed" Tailhook. The story is well written and entertaining, once you get past the unlikely aspects of his plot and choice of heroes. For instance, The F-18 community is simply not that unusual, where it is likely that women would be fully accepted in F-14's but not F-18's. Further, a newspaper reporter, especially one involved in Tailhook, is unlikely to be the most honest and perceptive man on a carrier; even more unlikely to instantly become the close friend and cofidante of both nugget and veteran Naval Aviators as well as salty chiefs and sailors. It also appears that Mr. Norris has something of an agenda, clearly implying the view that women are superior pilots while avoiding any treatment of the problems inherent in women at sea in a combatant ship. A more balanced view would have been welcome, especially from an author who claims to have been a squadron commander. Good work, but annoying disconnects throughout the plot.
Rating:
Summary: Check Six
Review: Check Six by Bob Norris is a promising, though surprising start for a new military author. The story revolves around the introduction of women into the Navy's F-18 strike/fighter community, involving the routing out of a cabal of self-righteous officers determined to prevent a female presence in F-18's. Amazingly, this group is willing to kill to succeed. The unlikely hero is, of all things, a newspaper reporter, and even more surprising, this heroic reporter is the very same who "exposed" Tailhook. The story is well written and entertaining, once you get past the unlikely aspects of his plot and choice of heroes. For instance, The F-18 community is simply not that unusual, where it is likely that women would be fully accepted in F-14's but not F-18's. Further, a newspaper reporter, especially one involved in Tailhook, is unlikely to be the most honest and perceptive man on a carrier; even more unlikely to instantly become the close friend and cofidante of both nugget and veteran Naval Aviators as well as salty chiefs and sailors. It also appears that Mr. Norris has something of an agenda, clearly implying the view that women are superior pilots while avoiding any treatment of the problems inherent in women at sea in a combatant ship. A more balanced view would have been welcome, especially from an author who claims to have been a squadron commander. Good work, but annoying disconnects throughout the plot.
Rating:
Summary: Action packed, realistic, hard to put down
Review: Check Six is a truley realistic story of what the military does for a living. The characters (Randi, Jack, and "Hoser") are so like people that I knew during my 24 years in the US Air Force (even though they are Navy). Bob Norris ranks right up there with other techno-thriller military writes like Tom Clancey, Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts, and Richard Herman. I look forward to his next edition following Fly Off. Bob Tichenor MSgt,Ret, USAF
Rating:
Summary: Check Six - Awesome!
Review: Check Six is impossible to put down! Norris makes his characters come alive, human flaws and all. The flying action is superb and feels very authentic. Anyone who likes Dale Brown, Chris Stewart, and others in the genre, will love Bob Norris. Fly Off, his second Novel is also excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Check Six - Awesome!
Review: Check Six is impossible to put down! Norris makes his characters come alive, human flaws and all. The flying action is superb and feels very authentic. Anyone who likes Dale Brown, Chris Stewart, and others in the genre, will love Bob Norris. Fly Off, his second Novel is also excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Check Six! exudes excitement!
Review: Check Six! made me laugh and cry and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. It also gave me a better understanding of how an aircraft carrier works and how the different personnel work together to accomplish the mission. There was plenty of high powered flying and shipboard intrigue.
Rating: 
Summary: Great action, seriously under-worked story and characters
Review: Check Six! shows us the power of the United States carrier and its aircraft with realistic descriptions of the ship and its functions. The reader is led through the story, never once, being given incorrect information about the inner workings of the modern Navy. The action is well described although short.
However, Check Six!'s few well-done parts are quickly overshadowed by it's faults. The unbelievable plot is too extreme to be taken seriously and unfolds as a terrible episode of JAG. The Libyan war crisis is under played by the scandal of male officers out to get their female aviator counterparts. The stereotypical, over-the-top, villians portray the Navy as a 'Brotherhood of Evil'. Imagining the men of the Navy would go to such extremes as they do in the book to intimidate their female comrades was just dumb. If there were supposed to be a mystery element to this book, this reader did not find it. All evil-doers are pointed out on arrival and make no effort to leave you guessing.
This is never counter-balanced by other good-willed Naval characters. It is instead rivaled by the most unexpected hero, a civilian reporter. It's turns into the civilian against the Navy of Evil as he investigates the scandal with superhuman perfection in all traits. If the villians were unbelievable, the heroes are no better. They are characterized with no faults, no fears, and are basically the 'best' at whatever it is they do. They are never challenged or stifled by their conflicts. They are loved by all but the bad guys. These heroes simply roll over whatever it is that is in their way and at the same time belittle the roles of those around them. For example, our female protagonist stands above all opposition, friend or foe, when in the cockpit. Sure there's a scandal against her but leave that to the reporter to outwit all parties involved. If these are good characters I don't want to see bad ones.
The story and characters have me wondering how a Naval officer could write such a book that made me think so negatively about his branch of the military. The reporter seems to be a know-it-all with the upper hand in every situation. From the narrative style it is written in the reader gets to see our reporters thoughts. Apparently, he's a bit of a spoiled snob.
We also get to meet a Navy veteran named Hoser (a symbol of the author perhaps?) who is perfect, period. He's in his fifties and can beat the (...) out of any one because he has somehow managed to maintain his six'something height and 250-pound muscle mass. His flying is flawless, and he nails every single one of his carrier landings. In other naval aviation fictions, and in reality, carrier landings are the most frightening experiences and most difficult tasks any pilot has to do regardless of experience. Here, its as easy as writing a bad novel.
Additionally, we've got our 'nugget', or rookie pilot. Through simulators and flying with Hoser a lot she has managed to become a better pilot than most of her fellow aviators. This also means mastering landings, and beating men with 19 years of carrier experience. I guess it doesn't matter how long you've been around, as long as you stick to that simulator and practice dogfighting with the God of the Sky you can become the stuff of legends.
Obviously I did not like Check Six! nor do I recommend it unless your looking for a quick look at the Navy's procedures and structures. Don't expect to see the Navy that does its job to protect America, that character isn't in this one. This Navy is full of cover-ups, hidden agendas, and laughable evil. I have no idea if parts of the Navy are this sinister but I choose to give it the advantage of being fiction. Hopefully, Bob Norris' next book won't be so poorly done. After all, he had 500 carrier landings and thousands of flight hours under his belt.
If you want a good aviation book check out Stephen Coonts' early books (Flight of the Intruder), or check out Punk's Wing by Ward Carrol who although new, writes a good read. If want want a techno-thriller with some plot to it go to Tom Clancy, he seems to have his head on straight most of the time.
Rating:
Summary: One awesome book!
Review: Even for someone like me, who doesn't know a whole lot about the Navy, this book was excellent. Unlike many authors, Bob Norris kept his book very easy to understand, as well as making it very technical. You really feel like all this stuff is happening around you. It was extremely entertaining and it made you think. A wonderful book for anyone to read!
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