Scan barcode
lynguy1's review
4.0
If you enjoy military adventure thrillers, then this novel was written for you. Brown brings action, politics, technical details and more to this suspenseful techno-thriller. It’s the eighth book in the Patrick McLanahan series. The world is on the brink of war. Patrick has been sent to a unit in Nevada to develop and train a tactical strike unit designed to seek out and destroy enemy missiles. He’s looking for aggressive maverick pilots, but time runs out as the peace in Asia is shattered. Set mainly in and over the Korean peninsula, this novel does an excellent job handling the technical, military and political aspects of the story. The characters had a wide variety of depths and more was needed. Additionally, there is one question that didn’t get answered regarding an accident investigation. I wanted closure on this item.
Overall, this fast-paced, action-packed novel was compelling. The ending action scene is intense and memorable. The author’s military experience added an authentic feel to the flying experience.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was November 2, 1999.
----------------------------------------
My 4.02 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Overall, this fast-paced, action-packed novel was compelling. The ending action scene is intense and memorable. The author’s military experience added an authentic feel to the flying experience.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was November 2, 1999.
----------------------------------------
My 4.02 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
weaselweader's review against another edition
3.0
If being terrified thrills you, read Battle Born and think about the current resident of the Oval Office!
The Korean peninsula has long been a geo-political hot spot and a potential ignition point for the conflict that could easily escalate into World War III. Dale Brown’s Battle Born is the story of a hypothetical invasion of an embattled, poverty-stricken, weary North Korea by the South Koreans and their surprisingly peaceful recombination into a single country through inspired diplomacy and statecraft.
Brown posits South Korea’s virtually bloodless absorption of North Korea with a high speed Blitzkrieg operation that would have made WW II Germany’s head spin. But the world wakes up to discover that the fledgling United Republic of Korea, having stumbled upon illegal Chinese weapons stored within the former North Korean borders, is now the world’s newest power with thermonuclear capability. China, Russia, Japan and the USA are very interested, very angry, very worried and very frightened. Brown’s astonishing imagining of the political ramifications of such an event unfolding in the corridors of power around the world is at once breathtaking, disgusting, terrifying, compelling, bleak, saddening and worrisome.
His portrayal of China’s incessant, almost childish, need to save face, United Korea’s confidence, hope and optimism for the future coupled with its fervent hope for peace and prosperity, and the USA’s infernal belligerent and bellicose belief in its need to be the “world leader” is masterful. “Jerrod Hale scowled at the President’s courteous words. No president of the USA, he said in silent admonishment, should ever have to suck up to a foreign leader, however grave the situation.” And a great story gets even better when rogue factions within both the former North and South Korea threaten to tip a precariously achieved and grudging peaceful balance over the brink and into the irrevocable beyond of a nuclear war.
But despite the fact that I could shower Battle Born’s socio-political story with superlatives all day long, it’s pulled down by the maudlin parallel story of General Patrick McLanahan’s rogue team of “elite” bomber pilots. This is a group of self-important, arrogant, narcissistic, undisciplined men and women who fancy that rules of engagement, rules of military behavior, rules of safety and rules of common sense were written for everyone but them. Frankly, their story is distracting, irritating and verges on boring. Even when Brown relates tantalizing episodes of high-speed aerial combat and regales the reader with informative side-bar essays on the unbelievable destructive power of modern weaponry, the characterization of this team continues to pull down the overall impact of a novel that could have been great.
My opinion on the overall effect of Battle Born notwithstanding, I’d recommend it as an important novel to read in light of the stupidity that Trump is currently exhibiting to the world. It is worth understanding the tragedy that might unfold as a result of his seat-of-the-pants, self-directed, arrogant efforts at “diplomacy”.
Paul Weiss
The Korean peninsula has long been a geo-political hot spot and a potential ignition point for the conflict that could easily escalate into World War III. Dale Brown’s Battle Born is the story of a hypothetical invasion of an embattled, poverty-stricken, weary North Korea by the South Koreans and their surprisingly peaceful recombination into a single country through inspired diplomacy and statecraft.
Brown posits South Korea’s virtually bloodless absorption of North Korea with a high speed Blitzkrieg operation that would have made WW II Germany’s head spin. But the world wakes up to discover that the fledgling United Republic of Korea, having stumbled upon illegal Chinese weapons stored within the former North Korean borders, is now the world’s newest power with thermonuclear capability. China, Russia, Japan and the USA are very interested, very angry, very worried and very frightened. Brown’s astonishing imagining of the political ramifications of such an event unfolding in the corridors of power around the world is at once breathtaking, disgusting, terrifying, compelling, bleak, saddening and worrisome.
His portrayal of China’s incessant, almost childish, need to save face, United Korea’s confidence, hope and optimism for the future coupled with its fervent hope for peace and prosperity, and the USA’s infernal belligerent and bellicose belief in its need to be the “world leader” is masterful. “Jerrod Hale scowled at the President’s courteous words. No president of the USA, he said in silent admonishment, should ever have to suck up to a foreign leader, however grave the situation.” And a great story gets even better when rogue factions within both the former North and South Korea threaten to tip a precariously achieved and grudging peaceful balance over the brink and into the irrevocable beyond of a nuclear war.
But despite the fact that I could shower Battle Born’s socio-political story with superlatives all day long, it’s pulled down by the maudlin parallel story of General Patrick McLanahan’s rogue team of “elite” bomber pilots. This is a group of self-important, arrogant, narcissistic, undisciplined men and women who fancy that rules of engagement, rules of military behavior, rules of safety and rules of common sense were written for everyone but them. Frankly, their story is distracting, irritating and verges on boring. Even when Brown relates tantalizing episodes of high-speed aerial combat and regales the reader with informative side-bar essays on the unbelievable destructive power of modern weaponry, the characterization of this team continues to pull down the overall impact of a novel that could have been great.
My opinion on the overall effect of Battle Born notwithstanding, I’d recommend it as an important novel to read in light of the stupidity that Trump is currently exhibiting to the world. It is worth understanding the tragedy that might unfold as a result of his seat-of-the-pants, self-directed, arrogant efforts at “diplomacy”.
Paul Weiss
More...