Customer Reviews

Black Gold Gray

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bougth this book because my father was a World War II veteran and a West Point Graduate. This is a powerful story about eight courageous men and the impact war had on their lives. I highly recommend this book.

THIS BOOK IS A REAL THRILLER AND BUILDS TO AN EXCITING END. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT T ANY READER.

A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS BEING THRILLED, ELECTRIFIED, AND HELD IN SUSPENSE!

MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR! A MUST READ!

Very difficult to put the book down when you get started reading it. Anyone interested in West Point and the brotherhood of graduates will especially enjoy the story. While the characters are fictitious the story is built around a lot of accurate history, culture, and geography. A little political bias but that makes it even more interesting. Could make a great motion picture. Bill

I loved this book.Thrilling, eye-opening.
Couldn't put it down.Finished it in one day.
Highly recommend. Fantastic ending.

Rarely does a book appear that is entertaining, fast, exciting, believable, and straightforward about the reality of a world that is affecting us now. It is real, alive, and compelling.

The moment you turn to the first page of the story you know it has you. The authors have done an excellent job of preparing the reader for a very fast pace by providing a "Cast of Characters," "Locations," and Preface prior to launching the story. Taking the time to "get warmed up" causes the reader to want to jump into the book. The characters are believable and the reader instantly feels part of the story.

The pace is fast, believable, and easy to follow. The authors have not overcomplicated the text with unnecessary verbiage. They do an excellent job of describing locations, surroundings, the environment, and the feel of each location. Many of the readers will have been to some of the locals, making it all the more believable. Some of us having spent time in the military will have a special affinity for the commitment, bravery, honor, and very human attributes of the characters.

This is an important read that captivates you; and brings you up close to many of today's realities both home and abroad. The authors salt the story with insight into what is happening politically, militarily, and economically. The poignancy of the book brings to mind a lot to ponder.

I have never understood much about male bonding, but this book is a thriller, and bonding plays a large part. You will become very involved in the lives of eight brave men, all graduates of West Point where bonds forge strong. There's exciting suspense when seven West Point Graduates (Class of 1949) learn of the kidnapping of one of their late West Point brother's sons. That's when they band together to rescue him; a USA Major General on his way back from Iraq. Great plot! You won't be able to put this book down.

When a "quick read"patriotic novel provokes the readers senses so they react. then the reader knows that the authors have acheived the golden fleece of writing. The writers have transformed their written words into images,feelings, and responses that are real.
This is a form of hypnosis.
I "could taste the sand in my mouth".
BLACK GOLD GRAY is based mostly on fact- and cast in 2004 during the war in Iraq.
The bad guys are not terrorists but a Saudi oil minister, several European and American financial types, and an aged Nazi slime.
They conspire to increase the number of USA troops in Iraq.
They dont give a damn for their own countries but are in it for power and profit.
The good guys are seven graduates of West Point class of 1949==they are all around 80 years YOUNG, and are bound for a last reunion when a crisis erupts---They learn that the son of
one of their deceased 1949 brothers, has been kidnaped--Probably
USA government officials are also involved, so they decide to "muster
themselves" to rescue their brothers son--a USA major general
on his way back from Iraq. I tell you no more----
This book is not only a thriller but a geography,history,and sociology lesson as well.
The scenes are from WWII,Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq--AND ARE REAL.
The women are real.Probably the conspiracy was real...
That said this book is mostly about the power of male bonding-
powerful and still in tact after 60 years from cadet life.
It is also about what we all suspect to be true about the Iraq war: corruption and fraud and YES even treason going on
at the higrst levels of business and government.
THE BOOK REVEALS how hopelessly our armed forces are WEDGED into this tragedy because they are trained and sworn to obey civilian
orders-AND THIS IS HOW IT MUST BE..
Does Truth,Duty,Honor,Country prevail??? Yes, but at what a cost!
BLACK GOLD GRAY are the colors of West Point, and we dont have to be reminded that West Point belongs to all Americans
WHAT A BLOCK BUSTER MOVIE THIS WILL MAKE----READ IT FIRST.

I had the pleasure of meeting on of the authors at the Bookexpo in LA, and we talked a bit. His personal experience caught my interest, so I read the book. I have a lot of international military background, and the concept of this book, WWII veterans, Class of '49 West Point, having to activate themselves to save one of their members from an international plot in Iraq, was pretty thought provoking.

The characters are all introduced quite well, and they seemed very plausible, to the point of suspecting that the authors had built these characters quite closely to the men they knew in that class. I mentioned my own international/military experience because you can't fool with these things- you either know them or you don't, and it is impossible to provide the level of detail and the feeling of these places- Paris, Morocco, etc, without the author having been there, done that.

I found the politics a bit off-putting, I am pretty conservative and there is some serious "Bush-bashing" going on in the book, but all in all this is a five-star yarn. Doesn't mean the evil oil money fantasy isn't right, either, because that sure happens.

Worth the read. I urge the reader to take the time, because the perspectives and the flavor of the experiences in this book are darn sure worth it.

Thanks for the book, I truly enjoyed it

Five stars for the magnificent truth woven implicitly into this entertaining piece of fiction -- West Pointers have a bond like no other group of Americans. Alan Lubke, USMA Class of 1961.