1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One lemon and three peaches, February 13, 2005
This review is from: Combat, Vol. 3 (Mass Market Paperback)
I picked this book up from an airport bookstall to while away a transatlantic flight, and came very close indeed to binning it after a dozen pages. What a shame that the editor should have put Harold Coyle's "Cyberknights" first of the four short stories in this collection. The other three are fine, but Coyle - although I hate to say it - has lost his bearings. "Cyberknights" has a promising theme: a special team of computer hackers is recruited by the US Army to defend against hostile hackers from other countries. Working closely with real soldiers and agencies like the NSA, these "Cyberknights" (yes, the pompous title is capitalised every time) also strike back against the countries they *think* are encouraging hostile activities. In the story, they respond to a hack that nearly splashes a flight of F16 fighter jets into the ocean by changing their flight orders "in the computer". (What computer this is, and why the USAF would be stupid enough to link it to the Internet, is not explained). The Cyberknights' response? They engineer the destruction of a chemical plant in the supposed aggressor country.
Apart from being ethically dubious to say the least, the Cyberknights are ludicrous to anyone who knows the first thing about computer security. When counterattacking a hacker's PC, they see fit to upload a huge coloured picture of a charging knight - just to give warning of their intentions. It is clear that Coyle knows little about computers and the Internet, and he has made the mistake of assuming his readers know even less.
"There is no war in Melnica" by Ralph Peters could not be more different. Instead of florid, pretentious fantasies supported by inadequate research, this is a simple, poignant vignette of the NATO intervention in the Balkans and its aftermath. Right from its opening words - "The workman tossed him a skull" - Peters grabs your attention and doesn't let go. With admirable economy of words, he shows you the senselessness of war, the impossibility of identifying the "good" (our allies) from the "bad" (our enemies), and the unbridgeable gulf between those who have been there and the distant politicians and brass who set events in motion without any idea of the consequences - even in retrospect.
James Cobb's "Cav" is a tightly-written, exciting example of a genre in which Coyle ("Team Yankee", "Bright Star") and Peters ("Red Army" and "The War in 2020") have excelled. In 2021 the Islamic Republic of Algeria launches a Blitzkrieg invasion of its southern neighbour Mali, one of the poorest nations on earth. While heavy US and French forces are on the way, a small US Army detachment is sent to head off the Algerian armoured column, if possible, at the only pass through the strategic El Khnachich range of hills. It is a perfect scenario: the superior American equipment (with the advantage of surprise) is pitted against overwhelming force.
R J Pineiro's "Flight of Endeavour" is the longest of the four stories, at 130 pages - but there is no danger of getting bored. What if the International Space Station housed, at the request of the UN, an array of 15 kiloton yield non-nuclear missiles for "anti-terrorist" purposes - and a terrorist happened to seize control of them? A female astronaut and a heavily armed team of Marines go up in a modified Space Shuttle to reclaim the weapons. Unfortunately, the space station is also equipped with a powerful chemical laser... It's a thrilling, thought-provoking situation, none the worse for having been anticipated by 50 years in Robert Heinlein's classic short story "The Long Watch" (1949).
Apart from "CyberKnights", this book is well written, exciting, and ideal for the purpose I had in mind - distraction during a long flight. It also gave me some great ideas, and Peters' story explained more about the Balkans to me than ten years of news reports. Recommended - if you don't like the Coyle story, just skip it and read the rest.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
War: on earth, in outer space, and in cyberspace, June 23, 2005
This review is from: Combat, Vol. 3 (Mass Market Paperback)
"Combat, Volume 3" is edited with an introduction by Stephen Coonts. This book collects four short novels in the genre of military fiction. The first piece is "Cyberknights," by Harold Coyle. This tale looks into the work of a unit of U.S. Army computer specialists who wage war on the electronic frontier. Although the Internet is their vehicle, their warfare has real world consequences. Coyle creates an intriguing portrait of a unique military unit with its own jargon, protocols, and evolving culture; he raises potent issues of leadership and ethics in an Army facing profound technological and cultural change.
The second short novel is "There Is No War in Melnica," by Ralph Peters. This tale follows the mission of a two-person U.S. Army team investigating wartime atrocities in the Balkans. In straightforward but powerful prose, Peters creates a graphically violent and bloody tale. It is a devastating look at how war and ethnic hatred warp and degrade human beings. Through his characters Peters raises the incisive question: How should the Unted States respond to global acts of genocide? It's a gripping, suspenseful, and even heartbreaking story.
Third in the collection is "Cav," by James Cobb. This tale, set in the year 2021, follows the exploits of an Army unit in combat with hostile Algerian forces in Africa. The story goes into detail about the unit's high-tech weaponry and vehicles, and also explores the personalities of the team. The unit includes both men and women, and is diverse along both ethnic and religious lines.
The fourth and final short novel is "Flight of _Endeavor_," by R.J. Pineiro. When the International Space Station is seized by a mutinous crew member with a deadly agenda, the space shuttle _Endeavor_ is sent with an emergency response team that has orders to retake the station. The story's protagonist is a female former Marine aviator who now serves as an astronaut and shuttle commander. This is an action packed, high-tech thriller that offers an interesting look at a woman in command. Overall, "Combat 3" is a very entertaining and thought-provoking gathering of tales; it's an outstanding addition to the military fiction genre.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Combat #3-Good War Stories!, August 20, 2002
This review is from: Combat, Vol. 3 (Mass Market Paperback)
Combat #3 offered up four good stories by four good authors.
The first story was written by Harold Coyle.He told of a special Army unit made up of cyber warriors. They are recruited to combat the growing attacks by hackers whocause online terrorism around the world. The next story is by Ralph Peters. His story takes place in the Balkan states. A U.S. Army observer is taken hostage by the people he is sent over to observe.James Cobb tells of a U.S. calvary unit that does combat with an Algerian recon division that is attempting to attack a helpless African country.R.J. Pineiro,one of the rising stars among today's authors tells of a Russian terrorist seizes a space station
equipped with nuclear warheads.It is up to Marine Diane Williams to stop him.Four good stories for the price of one. Read this. You will enjoy it.
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