Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)

Book Description

The official novels of the award-winning Xbox game! This set contains The Fall of Reach, First Strike, and The Flood -- the complete chronicles of the bloody Human-Covenant War on Halo.

The Fall of Reach
As the bloody Human-Covenant War rages on Halo, the fate of humankind may rest with one warrior, the lone SPARTAN survivor of another legendary battle . . . the desperate, take-no-prisoners struggle that led humanity to Halo--the fall of the planet Reach. Now, brought to life for the first time, here is the full story of that glorious, doomed conflict.

First Strike
The Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life!

The Flood
The Human-Covenant War, a desperate struggle for humankind’s very survival, has reached its boiling point on the mysterious, ring world called Halo. But the fierce Covenant warriors, the mightiest alien military force known, are not the only peril lying in wait.

Bungie, Halo, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. (c) 2001-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved

Customer Reviews:

Great Halo Books.......2007-10-02

These books are great for any Halo fan fan and are very much informative about things like the spartan program. This is a must buy set for any true Halo fan, or just a reader who wants a great set of books to read. Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)

Awesome...That's all I can say right now........2007-09-26

These books were truely great. William C. Deitz rewened Halo: the Flood which is the only one that has parts from the game. But that book was still good. I'll admit, the parts about Captin Keyes in Halo: Fall of Reach (him alone) doing his little thing got really boring but nothing important was in that part so I skipped it. But the whole rest of the book was kick-a$$. Halo: Firt Strike was great, along side Halo: Fall of reach, maybe even a little beter than Fall of Reach. I have read all of these books 3 or 4 times. Unfortunately I got a little water on one of the books....

Halo ruined my life.......2007-09-16

Fall of Reach was such a good addition to the Halo story line. It details all of the events that lead up to the first Halo game, and how the SPARTAN program came to be.

The Flood was, well, essentially a written version of the game. It's good in the sense that you get to see the story from the Covenants perspective, but it just drags on for some time as it details every shot and grenade that the chief fires.

First Strike was, by far, my favorite of the three. It details the events that happen on Reach while the Covenant are glassing the planet. Something is on Reach that the Covenant want really bad.

Watch out for the spelling errors in First Strike and Fall of Reach though, lawl.

Great Set.......2007-09-03

this is actually my second set i bought; i think i lent my first set to a friend who i no longer remember and therefore cannot get back from. obviously i liked these books enough to buy them again despite the fact that i might find my old ones later.

Very nice series.......2007-08-25

Provides a broadened view of the game series. Going back to playing the game knowing all this backstory makes it feel that much more epic.

As for the books themselves, they are well-written, and the story is top-notch.

Average customer rating:

English Paper
Halo: Revenge of the Spartans
great book
HALO THE FIST STRIKE Best book of all 3
Another Excellent Halo book by Nylund

First Strike (Halo)
Eric Nylund
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345467817
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Book Description

The Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life!

Halo has been destroyed, and the threat it posed to sentient life, neutralized. But victory has come at a terrible cost for the UNSC. Thousands of valiant soldiers fell in the battle to prevent the alien construct from falling into the enemy’s clutches.

Now, everything depends on the Spartan known as the “Master Chief.” Yet even with the aid of the artificial intelligence Cortana, the Master Chief will be hard-pressed to rescue survivors and evade the Covenant ships patrolling the remains of Halo in debris-strewn space.

Ahead lies a dangerous voyage home, through a gauntlet of Covenant forces. For the sake of all, the Master Chief and his war-torn squad must not only survive, but take the fight to the enemy with a decisive first strike.

This novel is based on a Mature-rated video game.

Bungie, Halo, Xbox, the Microsoft Game Studios logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. © 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Customer Reviews:

English Paper.......2007-05-18

SPARTAN-104, Fredrick, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body. The blade traced a complicated series of arcs in the air. The few remaining naval personnel on the deck turned pale and averted their eyes- a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies. In the beginning of the book, it starts with twenty-six SPARTANS going to the planet reach and three SPARTANS staying on the space dock. The Master Chief (aka SPARTAN-117) was the leader of the "space op" and Fred (another SPARTAN) was the Red-Team leader on the planet reach. Red-Team thought that they got the easy job, land on Reach and protect the MAC (Magnetically Accelerated Cannon) gun (the cannon uses magnets to pull the projectile) generators. When the Pelican was going to the planet, Covenant Seraphs attacked the drop ship and four Longsword Fighters had to fight them away. Even then, the drop ship didn't have a safe landing. All of the Spartans (26 of them) had to bail going just below Mach 1. Fred told them to them to overload their hydrostatic gel and curl into a ball just before landing. Only four of them were killed from the landing. When the Chief was stuck in a sector of space where there was nothing but "dust and echoes," and the worst part is, they only have a couple of hours of air and they don't have the capabilities of slip space (it would take over five years to get to the nearest planet). Latter in the book the planet Reach is destroyed by the Covenant. The one spot that the Covenant did not "glass over" was full of them. The thing that they were looking for was the "Holy Light." The "Holy Light" is a radioactive mystery crystal. Dr. Halsey got the crystal and all of them ran literally for their lives. Alter they reach an asteroid belt they look for a place to hide from the single Covenant ship that was able to follow them. They found a rebel base and convinced them to repair the ship by blowing up an asteroid the size of their base with one of seven plasma cannons. The covenant fleet catches up with them and the escape again. I recommend this book to anyone who likes the books about HALO.
This book tells about the planet Reach and a little about the book The Flood (another book in the series). This book is not good for a "Quick Read."
If you wondered how Reach was destroyed, read this book. I learned about many things I didn't understand in the other books.
In conclusion, this book was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

A. Snively

Halo: Revenge of the Spartans .......2007-02-26

Spartan-104, Fredrick, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body. The blade traced a complicated series of arcs in the air. The few remaining naval personnel on the deck turned pale and averted their eyes- a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies. The third book, Halo: First strike, which is a Sci-Fi, starts after the destruction of halo with the Master Chief in a small ship rescuing all the remaining humans. He is in uncharted territory so no one knows were he is. He finds a few survivors and has to get passed three big fighter class Covenant ships. He has to get Cortona, a computer intelligence, to the UNSC headquarters.

I liked this book a lot because it had a bunch of action senses. The action senses were well described with great word usage. I would recommend this book because of the descriptive battle senses and the fact that it is the best of all three Halo books. If you liked the first two books you will love this one. The group I recommend this to the most are teens that like video games (mostly boys) because it is from the video game series Halo. I enjoyed the style of writing very much because of the description. Here is an example, the Brute bellowed, and globules of spit spattered onto the Chief's visor. It leaned closer, screwing its massive hands tighter around his throat. The Chief's vision narrowed. His windpipe swelled, and he gagged. Also, many chapters ended in a cliff hangers which made me keep reading. Here is an example; a thunderous detonation cut her off. The mountain exploded, and ONI's base collapsed over their heads. When I was reading my mind did sometimes wander because at some points in the story all they did was talk about boring stuff like why the ship was not working. Stuff like that.

great book.......2007-02-19

i love this book, after halo before halo 2
my favorite character is probably Linda or kelly
overall great book

HALO THE FIST STRIKE Best book of all 3 .......2006-12-20

HALO THE FIST STRIKE

An amazing book continued from the popular series of halo books this is the third in the sires and is the best but that's my opinion this book had tons of space battles witch I really liked when the Master Chief( Spartan 117 JOHN) got of the First halo on a Long Sword is When this book took place As the Covent Juggernauts continue to war among the human race the reason they fight is not clear but as Elites the will of the prophets engage the humans is a big battle a must read by any one who reed's or likes the halo book and a good book for all gamers a 5 of 5 stares I this book had many categories to fit in to for its adventure and mystery in some what really kept me turning the pages I had to see what the Chief would do next and the surprise Characters Thought to be dead. The only thing I did not like were how so many old friends being came M.I.A missing in action Because Spartans never die. Over all this book really gave me some time form my gamming But it was worth it I really hate to read but when I got this book I could not put it down It really made me Feel like I was there A surviving marine that escaped to fight with the Master Chief

Another Excellent Halo book by Nylund.......2006-10-27

Halo: First Strike
By: Eric Nylund

This third story in the Halo series finds the Master Chief and his AI Cortana aboard a ship after the destruction of Halo. While avoiding covenant detection, they manage to find some survivors in the cryo chambers, another survivor of the Halo incident and SPARTAN Linda. After capturing a Covenant ship, they make their way back to Reach in an attempt to find any survivors on the planet, only to discover that it is crawling with Covenant troops, when they receive a signal indicating the survival of at least one other SPARTAN. Now with the looming threat of a massive Covenant attack on Earth, the Master Chief and the survivors must make an attempt to slow the Covenant strike force down and make it back to Earth in an attempt to warn them.

I loved this book, the story is again written by Eric Nylund who wrote the prequel to the series (The Fall of Reach). The chapters are short and sweet and again the details and descriptions are as vivid as his last book. This is another great book in the Halo series, I can't wait for the next one to come out. Again this book is awesome, 10/10.

First Strike: TWA Flight 800 and the Attack on America

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plausibility
First Strike: TWA Flight 800 and the Attack on America
Yes, but...
THE US NAVY DID IT
Another JFK type Cover-up?

First Strike: TWA Flight 800 and the Attack on America
Jack Cashill , and James Sanders
Manufacturer: WND Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785263543

Book Description

September 11, 2001, did not represent the first aerial assault against the American mainland. The first came on July 17,1996, with the downing of TWA Flight 800. This book looks in detail at what people saw and heard on this fateful night.

First Strike explains how a determined corps of ordinary citizens worked to reveal the compromise and corruption that tainted the federal investigation. With an impressive array of facts, Jack Cashill and James Sanders show the relationship between events in July 1996 and September 2001 and proclaim how and why the American government has attempted to cover up the truth.

Customer Reviews:

plausibility.......2007-01-29

sanders and cashill present a quite plausible hypothesis to the downing of twa 800. this book is an easy read and pulls in the reader. the text builds up to the conclusion / hypothesis presented in the final pages. the fact that the military had so many resources within a few miles of the incident at that moment is unusual; but, given the, then, recent bombings, international threats, and the new york based court hearing of the wtc bombing #1 leader, the elevation of the nation's security risk to the highest it had been since the cuban missile crisis made sense. the brisk departure from the area by the navy would make sense given the downing, regardless of whether a missile had been fired or not. if, indeed, there was an unidentified boat, it, more likely than a u.s. navy resource, would, without constitutional restriction, have fired a missile within our airspace and, perhaps accidentally, brought down twa 800. this hypothesized scenario re-plays itself, in a fashion, on 9/11/01 with regard to who has the authority to fire at a civilian aircraft during a terrorist attack? the authors' question about why boeing and twa might accept responsibility should have been followed up with actual information on subsequent liabilities and offsetting government contracts. i wonder to what degree the nation's dependence on oil, both political parties' appreciation for / benefit from middle-eastern campaign contributions and favors, the 1996 election, and the White House's "explore and discuss" approach all may have contributed to the subjective need to develop a plausible cover / smokescreen in this case and not overtly recognize the situation or deal head on with the underlying political, economic, and military issues. if our military and intelligence agencies might have had knowledge of a terrorist in a small plane, it would have been nice if the investigative journalists who wrote this book would have followed up on those possible leads - who? where from? why? the credibility of international acceptance of blame from terrorist networks ... sanders, understandably, wrote with great passion about his trial for conspiracy to obtain materials from an accident scene ... i didn't see what happened in the end, but, i surmise, he survived if he is writing this book ... were the u.s. attorneys who prosecuted sanders ever "rewarded"? briefly, how did this event relate to the other events occurring internationally? while, frankly, this was an interesting conspiracy theory book, it identified interesting flaws in the official stories and it proposed an intriguing explanation for what may have happened to twa 800, few new facts were presented that haven't been discussed already on the internet. for those readers interested in conspiracy theories, this is a very good book.

First Strike: TWA Flight 800 and the Attack on America.......2007-01-13

This is a very intriguing book. It is a book that is very hard to put down. I read it in two settings, albeit, almost two months ago.

If the events described in this book really took place, and they seem to be very well documented, and the theory presented here is correct, then shame on the NTSB for falsifying it's reports, shame on the airline industry for not speaking up, shame on Boeing for accepting the blame (and probably the liability) for the tragedy; shame, shame, shame, on the Clinton administration for yet another lie and cover-up, shame on the Navy for their sloppy interdiction, and shame on the media for their crappy investigative reporting.

Having handled a lot of JP-4 jet fuel in the military, and because and because I know commercial jet fuel, known as Jet-A, is pure kerosene and has a flashpoint of 120 degrees F, plus the fact that Boeing never made any meaningful modifications to it's 747 aircraft as a result of the crash of Flight 800, I never did buy the spark induced exploding middle fuel tank explanation for the cause of the crash. But, the idea that our very own United States Navy took this plane down, while unsuccessfully trying to defend it from a terrorist attack, never occurred to me at the time, much less was it mentioned by the liberal media who hung on every word from the corrupt; "I did not have sex with that woman", Clinton administration.

This book brings into question, the need for investigations by the NTSB; the public would be better served by a private agency (without political baggage) investigating aviation accidents and providing objective non-bias reports. It also brings into question, once again, the integrity of all of our political military and industrial leaders, many of whom profess to have the best interests of America at heart. Lastly, after reading this book one must wonder who is in charge in matters involving national security such as we have here, the military, the FBI, CIA, the white house? Who decides who is in charge, and which of these agencies can bungle things the worst?

This is a good book for conspiracy theorists as well as those who have faith in and trust our leaders. It's a grippingly interesting and recommended read.

Yes, but..........2006-05-26

This book takes you through the whodunit, gathering evidence, etc. and arriving at a plausible explanation at the end. The other major story here is the coverup. The Navy, the NTSB, the FBI, the CIA all were involved in the coverup, so the order had to come from the White House. No one else had the authority to order all those different branches of government.

The question is one of motive. If it was terrorists, their real objective was undoubtedly economic. Who cares about one commercial airplane? But with airports all over the nation, if any flight was vulnerable to the kinds of missles used against Russian helicopters in Afghanistan, no flight would be safe. If it had gotten out that TWA 800 was brought down by a terrorist missle, there would have been an immediate catastrophic drop in airline passengers. This would have been an economic disaster for the airline industry and for the USA.

A responsible press would not have allowed itself to be coopted into such a terrorist scheme, and the government would have tried to thwart it. Hence, the news blackout and the cover-up. This is the most parsimonious explanation for the coverup. There is no need to posit evil Presidents or a corrupt press. Of course, there was a little more to it than that.

However, indicting James Sanders AND HIS WIFE! (who had nothing to do with the investigation) is another matter. Sanders was only doing his job as an investigative reporter. What is worse is that the jury found them both guilty! In that chapter, Sanders presents all the evidence and testimony presented by both prosecutor and defense, so you can judge for yourself. That twelve jurors found them guilty in this case is shocking (and this can't be blamed on the President).

By the way, the explanations presented in the reviews here are only half-truths. Read the book and you'll know what happened.

THE US NAVY DID IT .......2006-03-13

THE UNITED STATES NAVY DID IN FACT SHOOT DOWN TWA FLIGHT 800 BY NAVY SHIP AND FIRED 2 MISSILES AND THEN FLEED THE SCENE AT 30 KNOTS AND RADAR CAPTURED IT AND THAT SHIP WAS NEVER FOUND AND WHEN PIERRE SALINGER CAME FORWARD HE HAD INFO FROM A FATHER WHO HAD A SON IN THE NAVY HE SAID TO THIS FATHER WE SHOT IT DOWN MEANING ABOUT TWA FLIGHT 800 CRASH...

Another JFK type Cover-up?.......2005-12-01

As a person that worked as a mechanic for TWA for almost 35 years, I can say that the US Government's explanation of the cause for TWA 800 to fall from the sky is highly suspect. I worked on the aircraft in question; 17119, 100's of times and many times on the systems that the government claims to have malfunctioned. It did not happen the way the government claims.

How it did happen is spread before you like a fictional mystery novel by the author in "First Strike". It is tragic that it is not fiction, because once again, our elected government has seen fit to lie to the electorate.

If the truth had been released about TWA 800, maybe 911 could have been averted. We will never know. I do know some things: More than a hundred people saw the missiles headed for TWA 800 and airplanes do not gain altitude after being blown up. The government's case relies on saying that all those people had simultaneous illusions of rising streaks of light and then asks you to suspend physics in order to make their case plausible.

The authors of "First Strike" tell you what really happened.

The Doolittle Raid: America's Daring First Strike Against Japan

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The Doolittle Raid: America's Daring First Strike Against Japan
Carroll V. Glines
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0887403476

Book Description

It was the biggest gamble of World War II, but Lt. Co. "Jimmy" Doolittle's legendary bombing raid on Tokyo gave America the morale boost it needed in the wake of Pearl Harbor. This is the full story as told by the Doolittle Raiders' official historian. Carroll Glines is also the author of Attack on Yamamoto. , 35 photos, 6" x 9"

First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat

Average customer rating:

Tyr Shadowblade is full of it!!!!!!!
Excellent book!!!
HOW TO SUCKERPUNCH
Hit First. Hit Hard. Hit Fast.
"Offense" that works

First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat
Sammy Franco
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1581600186

Book Description

Learn to stop any fight before it starts by mastering the art and science of the preemptive strike. This book is a training tool for launching a first strike and a strategic blueprint for actual combat. Its 15 real-life street-fighting scenarios show youhow to you apply what you've learned. For academic study only.

Customer Reviews:

Tyr Shadowblade is full of it!!!!!!!.......2007-03-10

Tyr Shadowblade spends the entire review giving personal and untrue opinions about Mr. Franco and spends very little time actually talking about the content of this book.

First Strike teaches the science of launching a preemptive strike when an attack is inevitable, and as reprehensible as the reviewer may believe this is, many times hitting first is the only way to stay alive. Mr. Franco has an exceptional writing style and there is nothing wrong with his choice of words or the photographs in this book. As far as the reviewers comment about the author and his dog, he makes the same ridiculous comments in the previous review and they are not based on fact.

If you want to learn how to not only survive a vicious attack but thrive in it, then Contemporary Fighting Arts is what you want to study. However, if you want to read fictional reviews on books that I am not even sure if he read then Tyr Shadowblade is your man.

Excellent book!!!.......2004-02-16

Strike first, strike fast, strike hard! Good advice for almost any situation. This book has an incredable amount of information on pre-fight posturing. His "de-escalation/first strike stance" is something that should be incorperated into every practical personal defense program, from police/security to the average Joe. The drills in this are golden. Much of the training involves proper mental attitude, which is essential when in a high-stress situation. My only real complaints are that there are too many techniques (doesn't look like he follows the KISS principle) and that Mr. Franco's "reference material" is pretty much just his other books. Also, I think some of his principals are better suited for advanced students, even though the book is supposed to be for begginers. Those who are familiar with JKD may find a lot of similarities in this book. Overall, a great book, especially for self-defense instructors, but sometimes just has too much information.

HOW TO SUCKERPUNCH.......2003-05-29

Basically, the gist of this book is that it is always best to hit your opponent when he isn't expecting it -- and preferably from the blindside! Reprehensible, but effective nonetheless.

To be fair, I must state for the record that I do not care for Sammy Franco or his enormous ego. I feel that he is arrogant, and not an effective instructor. His books reflect this. For an example of Sammy's arrogance, one need only refer to his "recommended reading" list at the end of this book -- every single book and article listed was written by Sammy Franco! Apparently, he feels that no-one else has ever written anything of significant value pertaining to this subject.

Sammy is big on "pseudospeciation." This is a fine multisyllabic word which he apparently heard a professor use while he was studying Criminal Justice at his local community college. Since big words make one appear to be intelligent, Sammy is sure to include this word at least several times in each of his books.

The illustrations are a joke. They consist of poor resolution computer images which appear to have been constructed on an Atari 400, as well as photographs of Sammy acting out his fantasy he-man scenarios versus compliant mannequin-like opponents unable to resist the power of machismo. He seems to be fond of prancing about in spandex bike shorts. In the final photo, Sammy uncomfortably poses with his German Shephard (at arm's length) while puffing on a stogie -- tobacco smoke irritates K9s and interferes with training as well as bonding.

If you happen to be a fan of Sammy's work, "First Strike" is more of the same. If you are a serious martial artist who is unfamiliar with his work, I'd advise you to pass it by -- there are other authors out there who do a much better job of presenting the same sort of material.

Hit First. Hit Hard. Hit Fast........2003-03-04

A good book dealing with one of the cardinal rules of a street fight: Hit first. Being from a Wing Chun background I prefer simple yet powerful attacks in the trapping range using chain punches (straight blast), elbows, knees and a few other strikes. I prefer practicing just a few techniques but mastering them. I would recommend Paul Vunak's "Anatomy of a Streetfight" for the simple yet powerful approach.

"Offense" that works.......2002-02-09

I like the following things about this book: he cuts to the chase, and I was able to read the book in about an hour. The pictures are clear and helpful, and there are a lot of them. He does not philosophize too much, as some authors do. I take krav maga - the Israeli defense forces' martial art - and there is about a 90 % overlap between what Mr. Franco teaches and what the Israelis teach. So if you are interested in krav, buy this book, because it is the only book I know that illustrates the defenses in krav against unarmed assailants (there is a krav book on armed attack). Mr. Franco does not teach krav, but his method is the same thing, mostly, just with a different name. What works, works.

Nuclear First Strike: Consequences of a Broken Taboo

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Nuclear First Strike: Consequences of a Broken Taboo
George H. Quester
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0801882850

Book Description

This provocative and timely work examines various scenarios in which the deployment of nuclear weapons could occur, the probable consequences of such an escalation, the likely world reactions, and the plausible policy ramifications. Rather than projecting the physical damage that would result from nuclear attacks, George H. Quester offers an exploration of the political, psychological, and social aftermath of nuclear conflict.

The prospect of nuclear attack -- sixty years after atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- is difficult to confront on many levels. We may avoid the discussion for emotional reasons, for fear of generating a self-confirming hypothesis, or simply because of the general "nuclear taboo." But there are also self-denying propositions to be harnessed here: if the world gives some advance thought to how nuclear weapons might be used again, such attacks may be headed off.

If the world avoids nuclear weapons use until the year 2045, it will be able to celebrate one hundred years of nuclear concord. Quester suggests that this may be achieved through the careful consideration of possible nuclear deployment scenarios and their consequences. In this insightful analysis, he provides a starting point for informed and focused reflection and preparation.

Sea Strike (formerly titled "Stormdragon")

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Interesting alternative to Clancy/Brown/Coonts
a great read
needs a navy advisor
A successful sortie...
Another Great Hit!!!!

Sea Strike (formerly titled "Stormdragon")
James H. Cobb
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399143246

Book Description

James Cobb's first novel in the Amanda Garrett series, Choosers of the Slain, was acclaimed for its "breathtaking sea battles" and its achievement as "the rare military thriller whose message is gender-blind and leading edge" (Publishers Weekly). It was hailed as "first-rate military suspence" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) and "a page-turner as hot as a Sea SLAM missile with target lock" (Library Journal) When Taiwan's Nationalist navy charges accross the East China Sea in attack formation, the People's Republic rushes battalions into the defensive lines along the coast and hurriedly prepares its Han nuclear subs for deployment. Commander Amanda Lee Garrett and the hypertech stealth destroyer USS Cunnungham are ordered to lead the dangerous sub hunt. Commander Garrett employs the Cunningham's full arsenal with swift and exacting precision. She corners a Han sub in heart-stopping, slow-speed chase that results in an accident miles below the surface, and in the harrowing finale, steers her five-hundred-foot destroyer up into a narrow, muddy Shanghai estuary in pursuit of a submarine only to find her exit blocked. Sea Strike - like the novels of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown - brims with exciting "heat-of-battle" action and authentic, state-of-the-art stealth technology. James H. Cobb is clearly a master of the military thriller.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting alternative to Clancy/Brown/Coonts.......2005-04-10

This was the first book I've read by Cobb and I have to say I enjoyed it. It did get a little tedious at times (though not nearly to the extent that you find with Clancy) but I managed to make it thru. I do plan to go back and read the first book in the series, as well as the subsequent ones.

The story was believable, as were the characters. The author also seemed to know his material. All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to more work by Cobb.

a great read.......2004-07-23

I loved the technical detail (I read the other rev. where it has a lot of nits- would love to see a list. Maybe future-tech gives some wiggle room with inaccuracies? Still, I got all hot and bothered with the descriptions). Call me an old fashioned girl though, the romance does not belong on board with someone under her command nonetheless. Thankfully, it was fairly understated and only distracted briefly once they were onboard and on the hunt.

needs a navy advisor.......2004-05-29

I can't finish this book. Great character development, good interaction, pace of the action is appropriate. But the technical errors make it unreadable. This isn't just Tom Clancy's blunder of having an H-2 hover launch a torp in 'Red October', this is goof after goof after goof. I already ran out of sticky-notes, and barely got past midway. Too bad, likeable crew on the boat.

A successful sortie..........2003-09-10

James Cobb's second outing with the USS Cunningham is just as engaging, if not moreso as his first. Stormdragon/Sea Strike is a worthy successor to Choosers of the Slain and succeeds in enhancing and expanding on the world that he has created. In many ways I find this book to be superior to the first, because most of the characters have already been established it can jump straight into the plot itself. I found that the conflict in this story to be just slightly more believable than fighting over the Antarctic, if only merely because the US has generally stood back when such actions have taken place, unless there has been some kind of threat to their interests, ice and penguins don't count, but nuclear weapons would probably get their interest.

Another Great Hit!!!!.......2003-03-20

Set in historically tense waters, "SEA STRIKE" by James H. Cobb, is a very well written and exciting second effort for this author! Captain Amanda Garret finds her self off the coast of China, under the nose of the Red Chinese forces and a American Admiral who has reservations about her being there. As the Taiwanese invade Red China, American forces watch the situation unfolds till the Communists take the bomb out of the box. Then it is the Cunningham's turn and the stealth destroyer's awesome tech is the point of the navy's saber to deal with the situation. Mr. Cobb has a smooth, informative yet exciting writting style. The author has a skill for informing the reader of all they want to know, yet Mr. Cobb has crafted that information into an exciting read and storyline that doesn't leave the reader wanting for more!

First strike: The exclusive story of how Israel foiled Iraq's attempt to get the bomb

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The Political Background to an Historic Air Raid

First strike: The exclusive story of how Israel foiled Iraq's attempt to get the bomb
Shelomoh Nakdimon
Manufacturer: Summit Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Israel | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
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Raid on the Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign that Denied Saddam the Bomb

ASIN: 0671638718

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The Political Background to an Historic Air Raid.......2001-12-17

In a bombing raid that took months to prepare, and mere minutes to release the bombs, on June 7, 1981 the Israel Air Force robbed Saddam Hussein of the ability to produce nuclear weapons for at least another decade. It would take the Iraqi dictator years of effort to replace what he had lost in this one day's operation. It would take the free world almost as many years to recognized the debt that they owed to the Israeli leadership which had rid them of this threat.
In these pages, Shlomo Nakdimon has captured the political story behind this operation: the years of futile diplomacy and negotiation, during which the Israeli government attempted in vain to warn the United States and Europe of the impending danger of a nuclear armed Iraq; and following the raid, the months of condemnation and the arms embargo that Israel endured for eliminating this threat. Shlomo Nakdimon's account provides an essential record of these events, and a warning against complacency in the face of a dictatorial madman. While not as riveting as Dan McKinnon's account of these same events, which is told from the pilot's point of view, the political story told by Nakdimon is perhaps of more enduring value. It is sobering to realize how many world leaders knew of Saddam Hussein's nuclear ambitions, but failed to react. For those readers who want to further explore the details behind Saddam Hussein's early nuclear weapons program, I can recommend the 1984 publication, "Nuclear Proliferation Today", by Leonard S. Spector. However, Shlomo Nakdimon captures the essentials of this story, and hopefully has captured a lesson that we will not soon forget.

The Doolittle Raid 1942: America's first strike back at Japan (Campaign)

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A Decent Summary

The Doolittle Raid 1942: America's first strike back at Japan (Campaign)
Clayton Chun
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1841769185
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Book Description

In early 1942, the strategic situation was bleak for the United States. She had been in continual retreat since Pearl Harbor, surrendering major areas such as the Philippines, and was preparing for the worst in Hawaii and on the West Coast. The Japanese, on the other hand, had secured a well-defended perimeter, and was set for further expansion. Something needed to happen quickly and be of considerable impact-and the combined-arms, April 1942 Doolittle Raid on Japan was a way to achieve this. This book examines the planning, execution, and aftermath of this innovative, daring and risky attack, which would show that the Japanese navy and air forces were anything but invincible.

Customer Reviews:

A Decent Summary.......2006-03-29

Dr. Clayton K. S. Chun, a professor at the US Army War College, offers an interesting summary of the Doolittle Raid on Japan in April 1942 in Osprey's Campaign #156. The volume is enhanced by Dr. Chun's detailed writing style and his access to declassified US Air Force records, as well as the usual high graphic quality from Osprey. Primarily, this volume is intended to provide a model of a how a joint-service operation can be successfully conducted with limited time and resources available - in this regard, the volume is a success. However, there are aspects of purely historical interest that appear to be slighted herein, and readers with interest in this topic should consult other sources as well.

In the opening sections, Dr. Chun lays out the reasons for the raid after the string of Japanese victories in the Pacific, as well as opposing commanders and forces. Although Dr. Chun provides a decent overview here, he really should have provided a bit more about the capabilities of the Japanese radar net that he mentions (e.g. what was its range?) and the star of the show - the B-25B bomber - gets little discussion of its capabilities (particularly when it comes to the modifications to extend its range). The section on the planning of the raid is good, particularly on intelligence support for target selection, but omits some key details - like how the bombers were placed by cranes on the USS Hornet (no small matter). Dr. Chun succeeds in laying out the groundwork of this joint service operation came together, but has skimmed over some important technical issues. I found Dr. Chun far too succinct about Doolittle's later career or what happened to the other survivors of the raid. I also wonder why no Japanese sources or historians' views were included - did they see the raid in the same terms of historical importance?

The actual narrative of the raid is complemented by the usual 3-D and 2-D color maps that Osprey uses in the Campaign series. The two color scenes depict the attack on the Japanese picket ships and two scenes of B-25s over Japan. The flight profile and target of each aircraft are discussed succinctly, but carefully. It is also a first for Osprey to use 3-D BEVs to depict air-only operations. In the concluding sections, Dr. Chun discusses the fate of the air crews and the safe return of Halsey's task force. I believe that Dr. Chun's conclusions are a bit contentious, in that he states, "the United States was able to change its strategic stance from a defensive to an offensive one, and showcased its military capability to all of the Axis Powers." First, both the Coral Sea and Midway operations that followed involved US defenses of forward bases -not attacks on Japanese bases - and thus the shift to an offensive posture took months to occur after the Doolittle Raid. Furthermore, the initial offensive effort in the Solomons was so strapped for resources that we quickly lost momentum and became involved in a see-saw attritional struggle. The US was not indisputably on the offensive in the Pacific for almost a year after Doolittle's bombs fell on Tokyo. Second, the other major Axis power - Germany - could hardly be impressed by a small-scale raid while US ships and planes could not even defend their eastern seaboard against the on-going U-Boat offensive Operation "Drumbeat." Germany would not begin to respect US military capabilities until well into 1943.

Finally, the idea that the Doolittle Raid precipitated the Japanese attack on Midway and thus brought about their reversal of fortunes puts far too much historical weight on just the raid. The tide turned in the Pacific primarily because of US code-breaking and our superior industrial resources which allowed us to replace losses faster. Even without the Doolittle Raid, it is probable that the US and Japanese fleets would fight a major fleet action or two in the central Pacific in 1942-43, since the Japanese were not simply going to wait for the inevitable US tide of material to sweep westward. The US Navy had some lucky breaks and Midway was a big win, but it could have been more of a draw like Coral Sea or Eastern Solomons, in which case nobody would be writing that Doolittle's Raid began the march to victory. While the raid probably did speed up Japanese intentions to move on Midway, it was probably better for the Japanese to strike while they still had a numerical edge in carriers, rather than wait until they were outnumbered. Thus, the historical value of Doolittle's Raid must be placed in proper context with other influences and not examined in a vacuum.

First Strike/Outlands Strike (Blade Double)

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First Strike/Outlands Strike (Blade Double)
David Robbins
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Men's Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0843932570

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