Customer Reviews

Charlie Class

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

 

 

According to the author, David E. Meadows, Charlie Class is his last book for the foreseeable future. In my humble opinion, that's our loss, because if you like high-powered submarine action books, you'll probably enjoy this one. I certainly did. But I have to warn you; it takes a long time to get to the action in this story, which is typical of this author's style. I've read Final Run and Echo Class and he seems to always throw in a lot of personal stuff such as his relationship with his wife (I could care less). All I want is pure realistic, accurately portrayed get-down action with the bad guys being out witted and eventually blown to smithereens. So to me all that personal stuff belongs in another kind of book. But once he finally gets to the meat of the story, I give him an "A" for high interest and fast paced action and, of course, for knowing his way around submarines and their battle tactics.

Charlie Class takes place in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Rota, Spain, and the backdrop is the Yom Kippur War. Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israel. Naturally, we are aligned with Israel, and Syria and Egypt are allies of the Soviet Union. At the beginning of the Story a Soviet nuclear boat captain pulls a major blunder that puts him directly in the crosshairs of our own nuclear submarine operating in the same general area. So as the story unfolds, the two submarine captains square off on a style reminiscent of the old west fast draws depicted in American cowboy movies. Think High Noon and you've got the idea. And in so many words, the author makes it perfectly clear that the first captain who blinks... loses. What happens? I highly recommend you read this book and find out. I give it five stars.

Like another reviewer, I too was an active duty submariner during the time period of the book. It is interesting that the author thanks all the friends and shipmates that provided technical support. Evidently none of them served in submarines. Too much inaccurate info took away from the story: e.g. blowing ballast tanks to change depth (Joe Buff had the same bum dope), transmitting on the floating wire, rig for red in Maneuvering ("Throttle Compartment"), and best of all that a third class petty officer had the best job - no responsibility and no crappy jobs. I guess messcooking is not considered a crappy job. Also needs some QA on the TMA geometries. Too many other inaccuracies to mention. Oh yeah one more, taps with a bosun pipe. This book was given to me - I'll pass next time.

I never knew of David Meadows till I got my Kindle. Now I have gotten all his books that are available on here. This book is part of a 3 book series. And you don't have to read them in order. But it's the best to read them in order. Enjoy all 14 of his books if you can.

Just finished the new Charlie-class by David Meadows. The technical accuracy fell off somewhat from his earlier book Echo-class (yeah, what imaginative naming) - or at least he made more gross mistakes like the crappy idea of re-equipping a Permit with bow/aft torpedo configuration (kiss the spherical sonar goodbye, not to mention the problems of adding a aft torpedo room to a design that never meant for it), not realizing the Charlie already HAD an aft torpedo room ... etc.

If anything, given that the book is all about ASW warfare, why isn't it Victor-class rather than Charlie. The Victor has a better sonar, if nothing else.

But technically nitpicks aside, the guy managed to insert the superiorities that led to the American win with a subtlety the likes of Tom Clancy can't begin to lick the heels of. The Americans subtly see more and farther, giving their ship the edge, without any TC type stupidities like the kamikazeing Chinese subs in SSN or a murderous overwhelming technical advantage so beloved by the likes of Dale Brown (and TC of course).

The subtlety is beyond any technothriller I've read, and is perhaps the most realistic (despite the flaws proposed by the pros) display of the kind of edges a superior team gets over a less experienced one in technothriller fiction.

I was in the submarine service at the time portrayed in this book so it had a special appeal to me. Aside from literary license taken with some of the details, it was a good submarine novel and it kept me engaged. I wanted the Russian to get it in the end...and he does. The author indicated that this is the last of his naval novels and that is too bad; it is hard to find good submarine novels anymore.
Larry Brodsky

Story line was fine, plenty of action but the poor research on how life and operations on a real submarine removed most of the enjoyment from the book. I was disapointed.

A well written book with well developed lead characters. Similar to Tom Clancy but with submarines. Author knows how to develop a reasonable scenario from historical backgrounds and create a series of thrillng ineractions between a Soviet sub and a US sub with no hint of the end until the last view pages.