Barracuda 945 [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Patrick Robinson (Author), David McCallum (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 29, 2003

Barracuda 945 is the ultimate weapon. A jet black Russian nuclear hunter-killer, it runs deep, and its silence and speed are fearsome. It can stay submerged indefinitely and can fire land-attack guided missiles from below the surface. Invisible to any pursuer, it is nearly impossible to track in the millions of square miles of ocean water.

In the hands of a Navy, it brings instant credibility and respect.

In the hands of a diabolical terrorist, it could launch unspeakable horror.

Admiral Arnold Morgan, the President's National Security Adviser, meets his greatest enemy yet, a special forces military genius who now leads the most vicious terrorist group in the Middle East. Morgan valiantly marshals America's forces, nearly helpless in the face of an enemy they cannot detect, a nightmare of modern warfare.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Terrorists lay siege to the West Coast in this engrossing if frustratingly digressive naval thriller that features a turncoat British officer matching wits with Robinson's series star, National Security Adviser Arnold Morgan. The crusty, steel-nerved Morgan, making his sixth appearance (The Shark Mutiny, etc.), goes up against former SAS commando Ray Kerman, who has become a leader in the terrorist group Hamas. Kerman has spearheaded such daring missions as a $100-million bank robbery in Jerusalem and a raid on an Israeli prison that freed 47 of the most feared Arab terrorists. With the help of the Iranians, Kerman is now taking his battle to the West. He has purchased a Russian nuclear submarine, the Barracuda 945, and has begun using it for missile strikes against Alaskan oil supplies for California's electrical grid. Along with strategist and sidekick Lt. Jimmy Ramshawe, Morgan directs the might of the U.S. Navy, as well as his raging temper, toward capturing the Barracuda. After weeks of fruitless pursuit, U.S. forces finally pin down the elusive sub in the confines of the Panama Canal. Though marred by a pallid finale, Robinson's latest is the work of a skilled storyteller and researcher. Some readers may chafe at his tendency to drift into pedantry-on the history of the Panama Canal, presidential speechwriting and the Academy Awards, among others-just when the plot gets hot. Those who don't mind such lectures will be treated to an audacious, richly told tale with action both above sea level and below.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Robinson's latest high-testosterone military thriller should leave his fans delighted and most other readers rather perplexed. While it must be admitted that the author puts together rip-roarin' stories full of excitement and danger, it must also be acknowledged that (like fellow thriller writers Ludlum, Cussler, and Clancy), his grasp of nuance and style is tenuous at best. Fans looking for Robinson's typical blend of action and adventure will be well pleased. A high-ranking British SAS officer has apparently gone wacko and is now the leader of the terrorist group Hamas. His plan is to snatch a nuclear submarine. His target: the U.S. Only one man, Admiral Arnold Morgan, the president's national security advisor, can stop him--if he has enough time. The story is fast-paced and just far-fetched enough. It's fun in that cartoony way, but readers who expect their thrillers to be stylishly written, with realistic characters and dialogue that (let's be honest) doesn't make you cringe, may find it all a little ham-fisted. Recommend this one to Robinson's fans only. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: HarperAudio; Abridged edition (July 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060548541
• ISBN-13: 978-0060548544
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,337,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patrick Robinson is the co-author of the recent New York Times bestseller, "A Colossal Failure of Common Sense - the inside story of the collapse of Lehman Brothers."

Before that, he co-authored Lone Survivor for Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell which was #1 on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list for eight months in 2007.

Patrick is also the author of eleven international bestselling suspense thrillers, including To the Death, Nimitz Class, Hunter Killer, and Diamondhead, the first book in his brand new series.

He lives in Ireland and spends his summers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ponderous and Insulting, April 18, 2005

By 

Jon R "Jon" (Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barracuda 945 (Mass Market Paperback)

Let me preface this by saying that I really enjoyed Nimitz Class, Kilo Class and HMS Unseen, which is why I picked this book up in the first place. Although I checked the book out of the library and haven't had to pay any money for it, I still spent hours of my life reading this book that I will never get back.

To be blunt, I found this book to be highly insulting, and what is more I can't believe that Robinson's editor even has a job. Thrillers of this type have to move at a good clip. Barracuda 945 is ponderous at best. Robinson insists on referring to his characters by their full titles, or even worse, by abbreviated titles, e.g.," Lt. Cmdr. Shakira Rashood then went to the bathroom." His dialogue leads me to believe that he has never had an interesting conversation with another human being, not to mention a relationship with a woman. His characters are incapable of genuine self-reflection, and feel that they need to repeat themselves time and again. In the chapter concerning the deal the Iranians make with the Chinese to purchase the submarines from the Russians, Robinson spends 20 pages in dialogue that essetially runs like this:

"We want you to buy these two subs for us. They are nuclear and very quiet.Undetectable. The Russians will agree, they're broke."

"Yes, you want us to buy an undetectable nuclear sub for you, from the Russians. And they will agree because they're broke."

"Yes, the Russians are broke, and they will do anything for money. And we will give you the money to buy the subs from them. Did we mention that the subs are nuclear and undetectable?"

And so on....

On top of all this, Robinson's poitical agenda isn't just conservative, it's insane. Obviously, the US and the West are the "good guys," and have to protect their interests. But when the National Security Advisor decides the BLOW UP THE PANAMA CANAL acting unilaterally, surrounded by subordinates who essentially say "good idea boss" in the last 50 pages of the book, I think the author's elevator no longer goes to the top. Between this type of demented foreign policy fantasy, and his ramblings about liberals, it turns my stomach to think that he is hoping that people will finish this book and say "Boy, America sure is great!"

Don't do us no favors Patrick.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars WHY AREN'T NEGATIVE STARS AVAILABLE?, May 6, 2005

By 

Elliot Green (NEW YORK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barracuda 945 (Mass Market Paperback)

The only reason I gave this book one star was because it is the lowest rating available. Amazon should permit negative ratings, especially for a Patrick Robinson book.

This absurd story begins with the sudden "flipping" of an experienced British commando during a firefight who suddenly "sees the light" and is now an anglo-hating terrorist. More ridiculous is that England, the commando's own country can not seem to locate him but the U.S. quickly starts following his trail; one of many overt political statements from Mr. Robinson.

The author adds an even "more realistic" scenario. A maximum-security Israeli prison housing some of the world's most dangerous terrorists manned by a few poorly trained guards is easily overrun.

Next a Russian submarine sitting in drydock for several years is suddenly thrust into service and manned by foreign nationals not exactly known for their naval ability. The sub, manned by a skeleton crew, evades all detection by the most technologically advanced country in the world. Quite realistic. Even better, after sitting in drydock for lack of money for so long, this submarine never ever has one mechanical breakdown?

This is just the beginning of the book's many insults to the readers' intelligence.

Throughout this ridiculous story are constant overt political opinions by Mr. Robinson who uses his books as his own political soapbox from which to preach his ultra-conservative "Might makes Right" declaration. The story's liberal characters are inserted merely as punching bags for the author's infallible conservativism.

Mr. Robinson's political tirades are at best... juvenile.

I had found Mr. Robinson's earlier works- Kilo Class, Nimitz Class, HMS Unseen and The Shark Mutiny more researched and less implausible but his works deteriorated with each subsequent novel.

Root canal is less painful than reading this book.

If you want to read good submarine techno-thrillers try Joe Buff or Michael Dimercurio

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrifyingly bad, December 7, 2003

By 

Bipin Sen (Lansing, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barracuda 945 (Robinson, Patrick) (Hardcover)

When Nimitz Class came out, I thought Patrick Robinson had taken the world by storm by bringing the wonderous world of submarine warfare into mainstream reading. The following books have succeeded in going down in style, and up in the barf-o-meter. Kilo Class was good, HMS Unseen OK, USS Seawolf marginal, Shark Mutiny terrible, and now this book that pretends to be good reading. Yuck.
I bought this book because I was on a one week business trip to Germany and wanted to take something I could enjoy. I had plenty of free time, but I chose to watch German TV that I could not understand than this book that made me think of how I could have better spent my money. The ending of this book is nothing but a launching pad for the dazzling career of General Ravi Rashood. Gimme a break. Weak plot, weaker motivations.
The character of Admiral Morgan is now so over-dramatized. I was actually hoping that the attempted assasination of his character in this book had succeeded. I was disappointed.
The good thing about Nimitz Class was it's attention to engineering detail. This book does away with all pretenses to be well researched. Mr. Robinson chooses to employ words such as "zillions of gallons of water" rather than do a quick calculation of his own. And this example is only representative of such shortcuts (just an excuse not to do research).
What can I say. I'm a Patrick Robinson groupie. Even if his next book is like this tripe, I'll buy it. But Mr. Robinson, if you can't write anything good, can you please not write anything at all? Please?