Rating: 
Summary: Action Packed Book!
Review: There is a civilian research team doing studies in the Bay of
Bengal.They see a submarine fire a laser into the sky.Before they can report the laser blast the submarine blasts them out of the water and capture the lone survivor.
The blast that was witnessed has disabled an Americab spy satellite.With the satellite gone Pakistan is planning a nuclear attack on India.A CIA team headed up by the President's brother,and three other are on an observation mission in Pakistan.They witness the explosion of a thermo nuclear bomb.
They are captured by Pakistani Rangers and are being held prisoner.
Captain Frank Dillon Jr. is placed in charge of recovering the CIA agents.He winds up getting into several battles with
submarines from other countries who are also involved in this plot to attack India.The American forces also have to contend with a spy in the Pentagon who is keeping Pakistan informed of
America's every move.
This is a very good action story that you will enjoy reading.
The finsh is also very entertaining.Buy this book.You will enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: A great Story But....
Review: David Hagberg writes a pretty good story, ones that I find difficult to put down. However, He really needs to brush up on military reality. As a retired military man (Navy) I found several discordant facts in the story, even allowing for author's license to shape the story as he pleases. The Navy does not have a grade of CPO3 (CPO being Chief Petty Officer) nor have women ever been accepted for SEAL training, much less graduating from the program. Indicating female character toughness by making them a graduate of SEAL training is not reality. There are other ways to do this. The story would make for smooth reading throughout if more attention to these little details were paid. All in all, the story and plot are worth reading and enjoyable I would give it a "5" except for the above comments.
Rating:
Summary: By Dawns Early Light
Review: Hagberg at his best. I could not put the book down. The short chapters keep you interested through the entire story. All action, every chapter was like the way it should be for our fighting forces. The ending has me wanting the next book immediately.
Rating:
Summary: By Dawns Early Light
Review: Hagberg at his best. I could not put the book down. The short chapters keep you interested through the entire story. All action, every chapter was like the way it should be for our fighting forces. The ending has me wanting the next book immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, 4 and 3/4 stars
Review: I found this book to be entertaining and very readable. The plot moves along quite nicely, with just the right amount of "drag" on the good guys.
By drag I mean this, it is possible for the US to send its high-tech war machines against virtually any country and come out on top. This is due to the large amounts of money spent on the quality as opposed to quantity of weapons systems. Smart bombs, eyes in the sky, that sort of thing. This would make for a very dull book. So there is a spy, who we never get a good "read" on, who makes it his/her job to report on every move that is being made against Pakistan. The motives of this spy are not explored, but the spy does provide a nice counterpoint to the seeming invincibility of American firepower.
I will not go into whether or not Pakistani or Korean names are correct, as I do not know the facts of the discussion. However the idea that the gloves are off in the worldwide fight against all forms of terrorism is a good one. Fighting by Marquis of Queensbury rules while the other guy is beating you with a 2X4 is a great way to get dead in a hurry. This book shows that shooting first and not asking questions may be one way to go.
As far as not giving a full 5 stars, there was one technical detail that leapt out at me and ruined the perfect score. At one point Mr. Hagberg has a special ops team getting into AH-1W Super Cobras for a mission, 8 troops to a helicopter. A TWO SEAT helicopter. I had a mental image of troops hooked to hard points on the stubby wings for a bit. But that is my only complaint.
Go ahead and buy the book, its a good one.
Rating:
Summary: The world is a very dangerous place
Review: I have been a fan of this author since High Flight and was little disappointed to see that this was not a continuation of the Kirk McGarvey books, however I soon got over it. We have an entepreneur in my area who's commercials end with the thundered phrase: "Harris knows golf!" Well, Hagberg knows submarines and the parts of the book which are involved with them are the most entertaining and informative from my point of view. Pakistan has developed THE BOMB. Not your garden variety terrorist type of nuclear device, but a hydrogen bomb. A city buster. And it can be delivered from an air plane, not a missle. That ability is discovered by a CIA team which has infiltrated Pakistan to observe the testing of a new weapons system who get much more than they expected, including being captured, imprisoned and abused. Prior to the test a US satelite observing the area is blinded by a laser attack from a Kilo class submarine, national origin unknown. The laser attack is observed by an American oceanographic research ship which is torpedoed and sunk as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The CIA team on the ground gets the message out of the delivery system for the Pakistani bomb before they are caught and an effort is made to rescue them. There is also a need to repair the satellite, accomplish the rescue and defend the shuttle crew doing the repair from another laser attack. To do this the USS Seawolf is called into service. Cmdr. Frank Dillon is in charge and it is a good thing for all concerned that he is. The remainder of the book is involved with protecting the satellite repair, getting the sub which has fired the laser, rescuing the CIA team and making the world a safer place, all of which seems to have been accomplished until the last chapter when we find that the story is not over and the prelude to what follows is chilling. Hagberg fans will be waiting for the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: Great, but I am confused by the ending.
Review: I thought that the book was a great war story and a real page turner. I enoyed all the action and the great details of the story. The constantly changing character perspectives kept it interesting. The only part I didn't like about the book was the ending. It leaves you thinking that there is a sequel, but I am having a hard time finding it. All in all, the book was great and anyone who wants to read a good war story should read it.
Rating:
Summary: Nuclear Sub adventures
Review: I've been a fan of Mr. Hagberg for many years. Possibly he was involved with cryptology in the Air Force as myself in the Navy/USMC. I enjoy a good, believable adventure yarn as much as anyone. Though I truly admire Tom Clancy and his efforts, I find his works of fiction somewhat overpraised and somewhat too ponderous. So it was with much enjoyment that I came upon several series written by Mr. Hagberg.
But the two most recent volumes I read by him, "By Dawn's Early Light," and "Desert Fire," are for me two of his best. And as an added advantage, "By Dawn's Early Light" will catch the reader up on the most current information concerning lasers and SSN boats. If you like intrigue, with a military background, these books tied to current world newspaper headlines, may just be for you. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The new STANDARD for all future Sub techno-thrillers
Review: I've been a long-time fan of Mr. Hagberg and I've been patiently waiting for him to give us another fast-paced submarine thriller, mostly because he just does them so well, and my patience has finally paid off with the grand slam 'By Dawn's Early Light'. Although not bogged down with a virtual encyclopedia of unnecessary techno-babble which you can find in basically all of Clancy's novels, this story is told on several different fronts -- and believe me it M-O-V-E-S. Things begin in the Bay of Bengal when a scientific research ship spots a submarine firing a green light towards space. Unfortunately spotting this suddenly makes them an endangered species as the sub immediately opens fire on them killing all aboard but one, who is taken hostage to Pakistan. This green light turns out to be a sophisticated laser which knocks out the optics in an American Jupiter Satellite -- the third such incident, forcing the military to accept one cold hard fact: this was NOT an accident. What is happening in that part of the world that someone doesn't want to be seen? At the same time a small group of Navy SEALs have infiltrated a test ground inside Pakistan, where they witness first hand the test-firing of their newest little toy: a city busting thermonuclear explosion. Suddenly the tiny fuse which threatens to detonate all of the middle east becomes even shorter still. Also we learn of a well-placed spy in the highest levels of the American Military who seems to be indiscriminately selling off VERY valuable info to the highest bidder, who at the moment seems to be Pakistan. Before long the group of SEALs are betrayed and captured and eventually tortured in unspeakable ways. The Navy's newest, quietest and deadliest sub, the Seawolf is called back on assignment even before it truly begins to assist in a mission to rescue the captured SEALs, and while the Shuttle is in orbit preparing to repair the Jupiter Satellite, run cover and stop the rogue submarine from causing further damage. One thing the Pakistani's do NOT know is that among the captured SEALs is the Presidents own brother. Nothing is held back in the attempt to rescue the soldiers -- but that nasty spy is handing over critical information which makes any kind of a rescue a virtual death sentence on the SEALs. All the while the Pakistani's are planning on deploying their new Hydrogen bombs on their Indian neighbors thus throwing a match into the powder-keg that is the middle east. The relations between India & Pakistan have never been all that good, but lately they get along about as good as Israel and the rest of the Arab world. All either of them are looking for is an excuse to do something drastic, and with the threat of thermonuclear destruction, India just might be frightened enough to jump the gun with a perilous atomic first strike on Pakistan. The United States cannot allow this to happen, but de-fusing this situation is neither simple, nor even necessarily possible due to the current situation in the region. Let's just say that despite the relatively short length, Hagberg gives us a fantastic tale of WHAT IF -- one that I fervently hope does NOT come to pass. The end of the story leaves us hanging in several areas least of which is WHO is this spy in our military? We NEVER find out -- which I have to admit WAS frustrating, but on the upside, it certainly provides us with the knowledge that Hagberg will be penning a sequel here in the not-too-distant future -- or at least I HOPE SO. Quite possibly Hagbergs most all-out entertaining novel to date, 'By Dawn's Early Light' is seriously one of the best Sub techno-thrillers out there today and VERY MUCH worth the time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Top Notch Hagberg
Review: This was a most enjoyable read. Lot's of quick paced excitement. Four man CIA team on a mission to get information on a nuclear test end up being captured by Pakistani's. Navy Seal team attempts to rescue them. US submarine Seawolf has much excitement as it prevails over North Korean and Chinese craft. The only thing missing was the capture of the enemy spy who was highly placed in the U.S. government and kept tipping them off to the above mentioned plans.
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