Customer Reviews

Barracuda, Final Bearing

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Loved this book! I like techo thrillers that are realistic, "hard" type sci fi, and Dimercurio's Barracuda Final Bearing is on target (almost a pun, but non intended). If you like Clancy you'll love this book...but what you'll like even better about DeMercurio over Clancy is this author is more economical with words, shoots cleanly at the goal of keeping you in page turning suspense as he thrills you (certainly thrilled me) with a simple but very real and frighteningly possible outcome. Clancy has gotten too wordy (for me) and forget those collaborative "Net Force" books. Not good, shame on you T.C. DeMurcurio seems to keep in mind - for the reader's benefit -what Clancy seems to have lost. Don't get me wrong, I still admire Clancy's plots and work; he's had some great, classic stuff. "Hunt for Red October" was perhaps one of the best submarine thrillers ever but see if you don't agree: I think DeMercurio might have surpassed Clancy's "Red October" classic on this one. Am now anxious to read this author's newest: "Threat Vector," about a cruise ship and a sub. Try this guy. You'll love the way he plots and writes. Funny Hollywood hasn't picked up a couple of these. In my opinion, they're "missing the boat," again: no pun intended. Barracuda Final Bearing would be an excellent movie if they can make it half as good as the book.

The absolute unchallenged King of the underwater submarine adventure has DONE IT AGAIN! I almost want to join the Navy after reading his exciting stories (...ALMOST...). Trying to avert WWIII...a daunting task, but thank heavens our Sub force is up to the task. I echo another reviewers praise of Mr. DiMercurio's talent for getting TO the point without unnecessary literary mumbo-jumbo that serves no purpose other than to make the book bigger and ultimately less entertaining (a trap that Clancy has been falling into since 'The Sum of All Fears'). Always a few years ahead, DiMercurio's stories give us descriptions of weapons that just MIGHT be invented and implemented on subs in the near future (if they actually haven't already). I also appreciate the insight into the minds of those manning these incredible weapons of war, very interesting to say the least.

On a side note, recently I visited Portland, Oregon and floating on the Willammette River at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry is the decommissioned sub, USS Bluefish (remember the sub that came shooting out of the water in 'The Hunt For Red October' the movie? Well THAT is the same sub). I took a tour on this, the smallest American sub on active duty for many many years, and it was absolutely thrilling and amazing to walk the decks of a ship that had actually trailed Russian subs during the Cold War. It reminded me very much of reading Mr. DiMercurio's novels (ALL of which are awesome). If you ever get the chance to tour a sub, I suggest you do NOT pass it up--it was an incredible adventure to see first hand a little of what life was like on board one of these ships. 'Barracuda Final Bearing' is easily one of the best sub stories available in print today. A MUST read for any submariner or anyone interested IN subs.

Mr. DiMercurio has written an all-around great military thriller with "Barracuda Final Bearing". He clearly knows his subs and their crews.His descriptions make you feel like you were on board a Seawolf-class submarine. He also has made great predictions in his technology. This book would have made five stars if Mr. DiMercurio's had decided not to include his description of future aircraft. As an avid aviation enthusiast, I can tell when some one isn't in their element concerning flight. Despite this flaw, this is still a great book. I look forward to reading "Pirahna Firing Point."

"Barracuda" is a great story idea horribly told. USS Barracuda is one of two surviving Seawolf class subs - Seawolf itself was destroyed in DiMercurio's "Phoenix Sub Zero" - and both `Cuda & Piranha (the other Seawolf) are deployed against the Japanese in an emergency blockade. A newly aggressive Japan has just attacked the suddenly independent nation of Manchuria - specifically a bunker housing ex-Soviet nucs mistakenly left behind when the Soviets left - and a vigilante America demands that Japan completely demilitarize itself.

Though Admiral Pacino (DiMercurio's perennial hero) suggests direct action - namely destroying Japan's advanced Destiny class nuclear subs before they leave port, his craven superiors over-rule him. Instead, he's to lead a blockade which will give the Japanese time to deploy their killer subs. The Destiny subs are quieter than anything in the sea, carry gear making them immune to enemy torpedoes, and fire Nagasaki torpedoes which never miss and cannot be outrun. In little time, the Destiny subs wipe the seas clean of American subs and surface ships - leaving Pacino to hit back with his two Seawolf ships. Even with his Seawolves, Pacino is still forced to rely on the Vortex missile, an underwater rocket that's equally deadly to its target and launcher (the force of launch ruptures the launch tube, and floods the front of the sub.) With no way to launch a Vortex from a torpedo tube, but desperate for any weapon against the Destiny ships, Pacino hits on a (barely) workable solution: external mounts for the torpedoes. Unable to command a ship, Pacino tags a maverick sub commander named Bruce Phillips with the unenviable task of taking `Cuda to war.

So why does this fish story sink? "Barracuda", a slim book, spends its time poorly, giving too little attention to the subs that DiMercurio handles so well. DiMercurio takes about half the book to get to the parts where subs actually fight. Until then, we have Japanese politicians and Generals, Manchurian strongmen, Japanese spies - all agonizing over whether newly independent Manchuria has nukes, and what Japan will do should they learn of that fact. The problem is, we know that Manchuria has nukes, and that the Japanese are going to taken `em out, so the extended lead-in is completely superfluous. We then get American politicians and generals arguing over whether there's going to be an armed response, but we know that that's a done deal as well. DiMercurio then takes forever getting Pacino to sea - it's an interesting sequence, but when he then completely glances over the utter devastation wrought by the Japanese on the Americans, you've got to ask yourself, was this trip worthwhile? (We learn after the fact that large numbers of American ships have been sunk - a bit of horrible news that generates barely a ripple here.) The submarine scenes are annoyingly brief - attacking ships detect their targets and shoot them; targeted subs hear torpedoes in the water, and are sunk. DiMercurio plumps up the scenes with submarine dialog ("open outer doors, shoot on generated bearings") but never fleshes out the story. Even the travails of sailors trying to save their battle-damaged ships (which made "Phoenix" a better than average story) are missing. It's like DiMercurio wrote a submarine technothriller with as little about submarines as possible. DiMercurio crafts a great team - Bruce Phillips as the maverick Skipper, and Hornick, a button-down genius akin to Mr. Scott of "Trek", but uses them sparingly. These two guys should have had their own book.

"Barracuda" also suffers from some plot gaps: DiMercurio hypes Japanese subs with completely computerized crews - but they prove utterly incapable of handling American subs, or much of anything besides large surface ships. (Though taking a toll, once they've committed their attacks, the robot subs remain helpless on the surface where they're captured by Americans.) The premise relies on the Japanese taking action against Manchuria that seems unnecessary - there being no animosity between Japan and Manchuria prior to the attack, why should Japan take the rap? (Japan could also have saved itself a lot of trouble had they equipped their spy with a small nuclear bomb - nobody would have known that Japan was behind the attack or, once Manchuria fessed up to its nukes, that there had even been an attack.) Japan's preemptive action against WMD's seems sadly more plausible in 2003 than in 1996 when "Barracuda" was written (I had to check the date). The world response, largely vilifying Japan and demanding total demilitarization, also seems out of proportion given an attack confined to an illegal nuclear bunker. While bad, I doubt that the real world would require reenacting "Surrender on the Missouri" as punishment. The Manchurians themselves and most of the Japanese and American figures simply vanish from the story. It's impossible to read this and not think "hack job". The best thing I can think of is that this is unusually poor for DiMercurio, and shouldn't reflect on his better books.

With Barracuda Final Bearing, former submariner Michael DiMercurio once again proves he is the best author in this class. A Naval Academy graduate with a strong engineering background, who served in the US Navy's submarine service, he possesses a command of the subject matter without equal. His dust jackets say that he works as a mechanical engineer now that he's left the Navy so it would seem that he has lost none of his engineering prowess. Unlike many technically trained people however, who can't write a compound sentence, DiMercurio delivers.

He writes about Navy people with compassion and a great deal of understanding. After all, he's been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt. He knows from whence he speaks. I have read all of his books in the order published and they continue to grab me and keep my attention. Mr. DiMercurio has a phenomenal ability to take the reader into the future with new technologies but, his works do not read like unbelievable science fiction. What he writes is something we all know could be with us in the not too distant future.

This is not the most scholarly of reviews. But then again, DiMercurio isn't writing "The Brothers Karamazov," either. What he does deliver, each and every time, are well written and thoroughly plausible stories of Navy submariners who quietly go about their business, which is defending America and her interests. I am a veteran and a serving member of the reserves and these books always make me stop and pause to think about my active duty brethren, who perform arduous tasks under less than optimal conditions. These men and women, serving at home and far away deserve our undying respect, affection and appreciation.

I think the writings of Michael DiMercurio are his way of telling his former colleagues, who are still on active duty, that he has not forgotten them, that they are with him every day. These books are in their own way, his tribute to their valor and sacrifice(s) so that the rest of us can go about our daily lives.

Barracuda Final bearing is one book in an outstanding series. They have given me many hours of reading pleasure.

BZ Michael. Thank you for every word and for your service to this great country we call home.

After reading "Attack of Seawolf", I found myself hooked on DiMercurio and have since read all his books. The stories though fiction, have an air of reality that keeps you from wanting to put the book down. "Threat Vector" was no different. And, with the end left in limbo, I cannot wait for his next book. As someone who doesn't read very often, DiMercurio has definitely got me, hook, line and sinker.

My only complaint about this book was that I lost sleep because I couldn't put it down! DiMercurio almost literally lifts you off the pages and drops you on the Conn. He gets very in depth technically, without losing the reader. If you're like me and you enjoy authors like Tom Clancy and Larry Bond... Pick up this book!

This is good Sci-Fi work backed by a very impressive imagination and solid writing. However, there is just too much coincidence with the luck of the wild Admiral and his friends and too much mass warfare going on to keep a story lined focused. I was much more impressed with Phoenix Sub Zero.

This one makes The Hunt For Red October as outdated as WW2 German U-boats! Set around the year 2020, it details a conflict between Japan and a new nation called Greater Manchuria over a stockpile of nukes. When a suicide commando learns of the find, the Japs launch a plutonium glue missile strike on the base, and the action kicks off as their new high tech robosubs manage to obliterate US navy units sent to blockade Japan in condemnation of the attack. So, the USS Piranha dives beneath the polar icecaps armed with the latest weaponry available on its way to the Pacific . . . what more can one say.Utterly brilliant, in the tradition of Clive Cussler's imaginative thrillers. Fascinating and feasible technology (WritePads and orbiting Internet servers! Great stuff!) and submarine action scenes to rival Tom Clancy, matching his authenticity and detail superbly. Altogether, well worth a read. I would give this ten stars but the scale won't let me!

I've had many novels about subsurface combat and undersea naval warfare pass through my hands. Few have been as technically accurate and as true to the logic of naval strategy as this one. While some of the weapon systems are beyond modern technology, the fundamental thrust and parries of undersea warfare were a joy to behold. I especially enjoyed seeing the humour that abounds within the submarine community, but is often omitted in other novels, being represented. I will certainly seek out his other works to see if they hold true to the same rich characters and high technical content.