Rating: 
Summary: the technology is good, but the rest is not
Review: ...the blurb on the back-cover was interesting, so I bought this one and stated reading, waiting for action and intrigue ... and waiting ... and waiting ...
All the stuff is there: marines, submarine action ... it just isn't fun ... there is no sence of danger.
And the action taken by the American side just to keep China from obtaining some subs ... it's too far out ...
I mean, part of every technothriller is political picture, which should be realistic, or at least possible ... well, this one isn't. I mean, can you imagine SEALs going into Russia on a black operation which is not against Russia, but China! And they kill citizens of Russia, destroy Russian ships ... and the Russians lnow who is behind this, they just can't prove it. So they do nothing .... riiiiiiight ...
And all this is done to stop chinese from using the submarines in the taiwan straight, because this subs are so powerful, so scaaary!!! So scary, in fact, that one american sub takes a pair of them in a couple of minutes in one scene!
And the SEALs operation inside Russia ... it was just dull ... we just had this supersoldiers carrying immense weights this way and that, and then diving and attaching explosives to ships...
And no one stopped and thought abought civilians, killed in all this operation.Bottom line: Mr. Robinson knows his subs, but he doesn't know politics, and he doesn't care about people
Rating: 
Summary: Kilo Class - An exceptional second novel!
Review: After having read Patrick Robinson's first military thriller, "Nimitz Class," it became quite obvious that Patrick Robinson is in the same league with Bond, Clancy, Coyle and all of the other great authors of military/political thrillers! With that in mind, I anxiously picked up "Kilo Class" and dove right in.
While "Kilo Class" starts similarly to other novels in the genre, kind of slow paced in the scenario setup, it quickly picks up the pace and one soon finds themselves enmeshed in a plot that is angling in from three different directions all heading towards the ultimate conclusion.
En route to the ultimate conclusion, one finds that Patrick Robinson's writing with this novel is even better than it was in "Nimitz Class" as the pacing is extraordinary and the detail of the novel is exquisite while at the same time, he doesn't become mired in the details as "other" authors have a tendency to do, making it clear that Patrick Robinson is aware of the fact that the important aspect of the novel is the human story and not the tools they use...
The Premise:
Patrick Robinson, in "Kilo Class" brings back Vice Admiral Arnold Morgan as the NSA (National Security Advisor) to the President. Just as in "Nimitz Class" this characters curmudgeon's demeanor is quite suiting to the story. Admiral Morgan, through various means of intelligence, discovers that the Chinese purchase of ten Kilo Class Russian made submarines are about to start being delivered.
Given the tactical situation where the Chinese, who are already in possession of two of the ten Kilo Class submarines, cannot secure the Taiwan Straight unless they have more Kilo Class submarines which are considered to be among the most silent submarines ever made, Arnold Morgan, with Presidential authorization, sets out to ensure that the rest of the submarines are never delivered.
What follows from there is extraordinary military/political thriller which literally takes you around the world in Arnold Morgan's quest to destroy these submarines before they're delivered, along the way he covers the use of Navy SEALS and gripping submarine warfare...
I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of the genre as I'm sure they'll find it as intriguing as I did. {ssintrepid}
Rating: 
Summary: A Horrible Book
Review: If zero stars were an option I would have taken it. Where to start? Well, I think the first problem is actually with a previous review that said that the technical problems didn't matter. I am an aerospace engineer and I work for the Navy, so the glaring technical problems with this book were so incredibly distracting, that it was one of the reasons (one of many actually) why I didn't even finish the last 100 pages.
With respect to the technical issues - let me just point out one thing that was so stupid that it really stuck with me. These seals are waiting in the rain for a B-52 flying at 32,000 feet to drop these cannisters. As they wait, they actually wait to hear the noise of the aircraft and in fact do hear it. Let me tell you something, aircraft flying at 32,000 feet are not heard. You could have a SQUADRON of B-52s flying at that altitude and in clear daylight and you won't hear ANYTHING. Never mind the fact that they were in a storm.
I also have to echo the sentiments of another reviewer that said that they ended up rooting for the Russians and Chinese in this story. The American military was portrayed as a bunch of murderers. Attacking without provocation and conducting illegal acts that would have been grounds for war.
Both Russia and China came across as a bunch of bumbling idiots without any back bone. Well, no sense in going on, because I could go on and on about this idiodic book. Save your money and time and stay away from this awful book.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT, FAST, FUN READ!
Review: It's a year later & I still remember the action & plot - with as many books as I read that doesn't happen often.
I enjoyed it very much!!
Many of the other reviews suggest this book had flaws or wasn't
realistic enough - SO WHAT?!
I read for enjoyment - not geopolitical reality or complete portrayal of every nation or people.
If you read for enjoyment & want an action/military read
I think you will enjoy this!!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Sequel
Review: Kilo Class is a wonderful sequel to Nimitz Class -- but not only that. The plot is good, and there's not only the ten Kilos that the story is about -- the Taiwanese plans are also very intriguing.
To be honest, it is essentially Nimitz Class upside down -- instead of Iraqis sinking the Jefferson, it's the Americans sinking the Kilos. Nothing but terrorism, really... But it's still a great book! Way to go, Patrick!
Rating:
Summary: I wish I had the money back I paid for this book
Review: Mr. Robinson obviously knows little of the military and even less of the Middle East. As a career Naval Officer I found his lack of technical knowledge distracting. Even with this limitation, if Mr. Robinson was a better writer the story might be more engaging. The characters are shallow, predictable, and very unbelievable. Had I not been stuck in an airport overnight with nothing else to read, I would not have gone past the first 50 pages. But I did make sure I threw the book away so no one else would waste his or her time. Do not waste your money on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Another thriller well worth a read!
Review: Patrick Robinson has written another winner! For a start, those that gave this book, and also NIMITZ CLASS(Mind candy reading? Sounds fine to me!) one star made me want to read this more. I loved KILO CLASS from beginning to end, it was awesome! The story concerns a group of Kilo Class subs on sale from Russia to China, which must be stopped at all costs before the balance of power shifts in Asia to China's favour. So the US President approves a set of covert strikes against the subs en route - including some very unusual methods involving Navy SEALS on a tourist cruise in Russia! Also, what is the secret of a sub base on a remote island off the coast of Antarctica? Read this brilliant book now! The characters were entertaining, the prose was simple to understand without getting bogged down in too much technobabble, and Robinson proves he had done good research into his subject matter. I look forward eagerly to HMS UNSEEN.
Rating:
Summary: A flawed book from a flawed author
Review: Patrick Robinson really needs to put a little more thought into what he writes or fire his editor. For instance, the USS Columbia must make a run across the Arctic Ocean but they don't have the proper maps so an airplane is sent to drop off the maps to the submarine. However, while the command staff of the sub is waiting for the plane they plan out their route using maps that they should not have had according to Robinson. The book needs lots of improvement. It is not very realistic. The Russians and the Chinese are portrayed in this book as very dull and uncreative people. If this were true in real life the Cold War would have ended much sooner. Furthermore, many of the characters are portrayed too perfectly. Admiral Morgan is by far the best character of the lot. He has an actualy interesting personality. I also thought that the pace of this book was good although, it definately had its flaws. The book was predictable and Robinson's mistakes distracted from the overall plot and tone of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A great sequel to Nimitz Class
Review: Robinson has followed up with an excellent second book to Nimitz class. The storyline is fairly tight. The subplots are all interwoven. It was a good piece of fiction. However, it would not fly in reality. The Geo-political structure in the world would not allow the US to get away with the destruction of another national power's military on their own soil.
Rating:
Summary: A great sequel to Nimitz Class
Review: Robinson has followed up with an excellent second book to Nimitz class. The storyline is fairly tight. The subplots are all interwoven. It was a good piece of fiction. However, it would not fly in reality. The Geo-political structure in the world would not allow the US to get away with the destruction of another national power's military on their own soil.
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