Customer Reviews

Acts of Vengeance

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

ACTS OF VENGEANCE is the second in the high-voltage military adventure series from ex-Navy fighter pilot Robert Gandt. His scenes of action aboard the warship, USS Ronald Reagan, take you right onto the flight deck and into the cockpit of the new F/A-18 Super Hornet. Without giving the surprise ending away, let it be said that the intricately woven plot and superb charaterization of this story will hook the reader and keep him hooked until the nerve-shattering end. Be sure to read the prequel, WITH HOSTILE INTENT, to get the full story on how ex-asronaut and now squadron skipper Brick Maxwell fought his way to the best job in naval aviation.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the exciting drama of Gandt's first novel, With Hostile Intent, I eagerly anticipated this action-packed sequel to Commander Brick Maxwell's daring exploits over the No-Fly Zone of Iraq.

In Acts of Vengeance, Gandt takes the reader into the god-forsaken Gulf of Aden where evil terrorist forces conspire to commit widespread death and destruction within the venerable U.S.S. Ronald Reagan Battle Group. When Colonel Jamal Al-Fasr reappears to wreak mayhem upon the unsuspecting peace-keeping naval forces, Maxwell and his band of F/A Super Hornets vow to engage and destroy the enemy deep within the bowels of Yemen.

Once again, Gandt has woven an explosive tale that is sure to stir the very heart of every American who continues to seethe with fresh remembrance of the unspeakable horrors of the recent attack by Mid-Eastern terrorists upon our beloved homeland.

With a lifetime of love for adventure and all things aviation, the writer has skillfully crafted a most engaging novel which I enjoyed immensely.

"Acts of Vengeance" is the second book in Robert Gandt's "Brick Maxwell" series of novels, and the best one of the three that I've read so far. There's lots of really great combat action, lots of excitement, and a plot that provides quite a bit of suspense.

The action takes place in and around Yemen in the Middle East, where Brick Maxwell is commanding a squadron of F/A-18 Hornets flying off the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. In addition to the usual conflicts between the American forces and some local "bad guys" there are also some serious conflicts between various American interests. In other words, some of the "good guys" are causing just as many problems as the "bad guys".

Combat scenes are taking place in the air, on the ground, and at sea. There are some great dogfights between the American F/A-18 Hornets and F-14 Tomcats on one side and some Russian-built MiG-29 Fulcrums on the other side. Meanwhile, a Marine Expeditionary Unit has been ambushed on the ground and is fighting for its life against a much larger number of attackers. And last but not least, out in the Gulf of Aden a Russian-built Kilo class submarine is silently stalking the USS Ronald Reagan, getting ready to fire four torpedoes at point-blank range!

The description of how the submarine slowly closes in on the unsuspecting USS Ronald Reagan provides some of the best suspense I've experienced in a military combat novel in a long time. And Robert Gandt's descriptions of all of the various kinds of combat ring true, making it all the more exciting.

On the other hand, the plot is pretty unrealistic for several reasons, and this detracts from the enjoyment of the story. To start with, the idea of Americans who are willing to cozy up to an Arab revolutionary leader who is responsible for the death of two US Navy Admirals and an American ambassador is pretty crazy.

Another plot element that wasn't explained (or else I missed it) is the question of who was financing this Arab revolutionary. Operating a private army isn't cheap, especially when they have six MiG-29's and loads of high-tech weapons and communications gear, etc. So where did the money come from?

Also on the negative side is the fact that the characters are rather stereotyped. This is par for the course for military action thrillers, but Stephen Coonts has demonstrated that it's actually possible to write techno-thrillers populated with real people.

The bottom line is that the positives far outweigh the negatives. So if you like military action books with lots of excitement and suspense then I can recommend Robert Gandt's "Acts of Vengeance".

Rennie Petersen

Robert Gandt has found another niche he can claim as his own: writing military thrillers. He has used what he knows with what he imagines in a superb combination of reality and art. Without burdening his text with technical descriptions, he carries his readers into the world of the military as naturally as if they were an invisible fly on his collar button. And in the air battle scenes, he succeeds in making readers feel they are experiencing virtual reality. You forget you're the reader and become the pilot. You feel the G forces, the rushing ground, the hair-raising near misses...you hear the mighty jet engines swooping and swooning...you see the target in your cross hairs and smell death. You feel your heart beating, your hands sweating inside your gloves, and you feel steely cool focused only on your target.

Aside from his amazing ability to put you inside the story is the story itself--a story that may be closer to the truth than we care to imagine in the days of war coming to Iraq. He portrays a cunning and skillful enemy you can understand and have to respect. Treachery, no matter who suffers as a result of it, is cause for vengeance, right or wrong, and we see forces equally motivated to devine that justice, which makes the outcome even more dramatic in its deliverance.

What's even more admirable is his portrayal of women challenging a man's world: a war correspondent and a F-18 pilot. They do their jobs becuse they love doing them, not because they want to be distinct from the pack. And both women can't have their man. Even this rivalry is worked out the way real women would resolve it.

Bob Gandt soars to the top of my favorite military novelists, and I hope to see Brick Maxwell and his Roadrunners along with broadcaster Claire Phillips on the USS Ronald Reagon in a TV series soon.

This is the second in what I hope will be an ongoing series of naval aviation adventure stories. Acts of Vengeance has it all--gutsy flying scenes, romance, a submarine attack on a super carrier, Marines in ground combat with terrorists, a charismatic terrorist leader who is very nearly the match of the hero, Brick Maxwell. Throw in a you-are-there feel of life aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Gandt cranks up the suspense and doesn't turn loose. Can't wait for the next one.

Great story..I read his first fiction
with Hostile Intent and it was good..now having
read acts of vengeance I am looking forward to the next
episode..this was very well written and a good look
into the workings of the politics of war fighting..thanks
again..

I lost sleep with this book - it was the first book I have read that I absolutely couldn't put down. The parallel stories all came together in one exhilarating climax, but the real fun was getting there. It was great how the story lines kept you focused and wanting more info. throughout the book. It helped to have read the first novel, "With Hostile Intent", as it sets up many of the main characters. Great twists and turns. I was exhausted from all of the action - With Gandt's writing style, you are inserted into the middle of the story and experience it with more clarity than if you were actually there. I think I will read it again - but I will start early in the morning, this time, to avoid the "midnight oil".

Put aside some time because you will not want to put this book down. The author's credentials include Navy fighter pilot, airline captain and air show pilot. He combines them to give us this riveting novel set today in the Red Sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Gandt weaves threads of treason, violence, love and international intrigue into a novel you don't want to end.

Robert Gandt did a doable job with, Acts of Vengeance. A bit predictable but still enjoyable enough.

I looked forward to reading this book with the same anticipation as Clancy, Coonts, Coyle or Brown and I was not dissapointed. The story was incredible and Bob puts you in the cockpit like no one else can. The realism that is portrayed by his writing is second to none. It was helpful to have read 'with hostile intent' first, but this one still can stand on its own. I can't wait for the next one.