The Price of Power

Rating:
Summary: Another terrific page turner
Review: I ordered both of Mr. Huston's books at the same time and started them just before Thanksgiving. After three days I had read them both, enjoyed them thoroughly and lost much sleep. It may be trite to say that he writes like Tom Clancy without the tedious technical explanations. It may also be a bit innacurrate as I enjoyed him more than TC. Huston is especially good with dialogue and these characters came alive for me. Clinton is lucky that Jim Dillon is a fictional character and not one of the Managers of Impeachment. I agree with the reader who would have liked to know more about the bad guy "George Washington". The characters in the book wanted to also as they realized the nature and extent of the armaments and techical equipment they possessed and asked the Butch Cassidy question: "Who are these guys"? I tend to agree that there will not be a three-peat...but you may recall that they could not i.d. GW, if that was in fact him who had his face blown off. In any event, if political/military/action novels are of interest to you, you could not do better than to read Mr. Huston. I am now a BIG fan!

Rating:
Summary: Huston Scores Another Solid Hit!
Review: James Huston has done what few writers succeed in doing -- creating a sequel that is as good as, if not better than, the original. I would have rated this book "4 1/2 stars" if the Amazon rating system allowed me to.

Like Balance Of Power, The Price Of Power is a political/military thriller that grabs your attention right from the start and never lets go. The action is electrifying, the characters are very well- developed and the dialogue is crisp and realistic. You could almost envision seeing and listening to Bill Clinton in some respects if you try real hard. While 501 pages in length, there isn't one page that you'll be sorry you read.

The Price Of Honor is a book you won't want to miss. But do yourself a favor and read Balance Of Power first. Enjoy them both!

Rating:
Summary: "A Solid Sequel"
Review: James W. Huston does a terrific job handling the fallout from "The Balance of Power." While the first chapter with the kidnapping of an American corporate exec and his wife is written in a rather choppy style, it improves by leaps and bounds after that. The scenes involving Admiral Billings' court-martial are flat out excellent. Huston presents great arguments on both sides. One moment you think Billings will come out OK, the next it appears he has no chance to win. I do wish the impeachment trial of the President was done better. Those scenes were just not as compelling as the Billings court-martial. Again Congressional aide Jim Dillon is a first rate hero. At times he seems over his head, but that first class mind of his is always working to get out of what appear to be no-win situations. The return of the terrorist who calls himself George Washington is a great monkey in the wrench. He's more ruthless in this book than in "Balance." Even with the two problem areas I mentioned, the book overall is a winner.