Combat Vol. 2

Rating:
Summary: 2 Direct Hits and 1 Huge Miss...Groundbreaking? Hardly
Review: Few books live up to the hyperbole of their backcovers. The first installment of the Combat series edited by Stephen Coontz is no exception, "Groundbreaking Landmark" sounded suspicious...and the first story in the first volume, by Larry Bond, confirmed my suspicions. A huge fan of Bond's first novel, Red Phoenix, I've never been very satisfied with his subsequent material. This is probably the worst I've seen from him. A plot that's hardly engaging, card-board characters (with cheesy dialogue) that aren't the least bit interesting, and some of the poorest editing I've ever seen combine to make his installment a chore. At one point he refers Vietnamese flashpoints between the U.S. and China (that have no bearing on the story's plot) but offers no set up for them. We're just supposed to assume that the U.S. and China had been at odds over Vietnam for a long time...it made no sense. Bond's contribution was just dull dull dull.

Then we get to Dale Brown's installment, "Leadership Material". This one succeeds in many places where Bond's installment failed. Its characters are instantly likable. And, while the combat passages are brief, they are harrowing. I found the shennanigans that surround Air Force promotions boards (the primary plot devise herein) to be extremely entertaining - I doubt many others will, though - I'm going up against a board soon myself, it was nice to have an inside scoop.

The back cover of the book suggests it portrays war the way it is or soon will be. Brown's novel takes place back in the early 1990's...another strike against the jacket hype. Great story, though.

The story that will have the broadest appeal (its an absorbing read!) is the entry from the always-reliable David Hagberg. Hagberg (who recently wrote the novelization of the Terminator 3 film) has made a name for himself over recent years penning submarine thrillers. The brief installment in this series is part submarine plot and part espionage thriller. It may not be the most accurate but it is by far the most entertaining of the lot.

Brown's and Hagberg's work here are worth 4 or 5 stars. Bond's installment and the ludicrous hyperbole on the cover knock it down to three. I'd recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Book!
Review: This is a very novel concept to writing a book. In Combat#1 you
have Larry Bond,Dale Brown,and David Hagberg as the authors of three short novels.These are three of the most read authors all
together in one book.The first story written by Larry Bond is
cakked Lashup. In this story the Unites States has to deal with
China shooting down their satellites. A very good story.The next
story is written by Dale Brown. This story tells about the role
of a review board.It also has some good sequences. The third story is written by David Hagberg which features his favorite
action character Kirk McGarvey. This story involves the rescue of a Chinese dissident. This series of books is truly quality
reading. You have some of the best authors in the world featured in the Combat series. Buy this book. You will not be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: This was a really good buy. I have read all of Coonts books along with Clancy (except his Net Force), Brown, & Coyle. This is a great book for when you want to get down and dirty with the action within a short period. Each short is creatively done and reflects different views on combat and its effects on people and machines.

This is also a great way to learn about up and coming authors in this particular field.