The Day Before Midnight [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephen Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1989

Paramilitary terrorists who have taken over a top-secret nuclear complex kidnap Maryland welder Jack Hummel and force him to cut through a half-ton titanium block that conceals the launch button. Reissue. NYT.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hunter ( The Spanish Gambit ) has written a smoothly believable race-against-time thriller with frightening plausibility. Unidentified military terrorists kidnap welder Jack Hummel from his Maryland home and direct him to cut through a block of titanium to reach a launch key in the South Mountain MX missile site. The president decides to send in the crack Delta assault team, but the man best suited to command them is Col. Dick Puller, who was discredited and disgraced in Iran in 1979. Puller, in turn, must work with the only man who knows the missile silo, its designer, Prof. Peter Thiokol. The leader of "Aggressor-One" is discovered to be Russian Military Intelligence chief Arkady Pashin: he is charismatic, reactionary and messianically determined to launch the single MX that will trigger a massive Soviet reply. Part of the fast-moving plot revolves around two abandoned coalmine tunnels, a stupid Russian spy and Thiokol's estranged wife, who unwittingly gave the Russians the plans for South Mountain. The 7 a.m.-to-midnight action flashes cinematically on Delta Force, the crack Russian Spetsnaz troops and various civilians. The book is fun, even if the finale is too drawn-out and a bit preachy: " . . . the regular people, the Rest of US" will save us. 40,000 first printing; $40,000 ad budget.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Bestselling author Stephen Hunter is a staff writer and film critic for The Washington Post and winner of The American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Distinguished Writing in Criticism (1998), as well as the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for film criticism. He has written many novels, including Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and The Day Before Midnight. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (December 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780553282351
• ISBN-13: 978-0553282351
• ASIN: 0553282352
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Technothrillers

More About the Author

Stephen Hunter won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism as well as the 1998 American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Distinguished Writing in Criticism for his work as film critic at The Washington Post. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Time to Hunt, Black Light, Point of Impact, and the New York Times bestsellers Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and Hot Springs. He lives in Baltimore.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first-rate "familiar" thriller!, May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Day Before Midnight (Mass Market Paperback)

A previous reviewer refers to the fact that the plot elements of "The Day Before Midnight" have been done before. Those of us who are thriller devotees have realized this already; the trick is to find a writer who can take these familiarities and still keep you interested. The time-running-out-to-avoid-a-nuclear-catastrophe storyline has indeed been used, but, even though I was confident things would work out in the end, I still was glued to the pages. This was my first Stephen Hunter novel, but certainly not my last. I can't say enough about the characterizations (I loved Walls!), the storyline, and the finale, literally a last-second cliffhanger. I can't read Clancy; he has the attitude every word he writes is precious. Hunter can tell the same type of story far, far better. He has taken his place with Sandford, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, et al. Now that it seems Ludlum may be done, and DeMille writing infrequently, it is wonderful to know such talents as Hunter are out there! This is one of the best books I have read in ages.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hunter is Top Notch, December 26, 2001

By 

JC "JC" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Day Before Midnight (Mass Market Paperback)

After reading The Master Sniper, I took me a while to get back to reading Stephen Hunter. I wish it hadn't. Upon finishing the last Bob Lee Swagger novel, I was leary about reading The Day Before Midnight since I loved the Swagger character so much. WOW - was I wrong. Let's just say this - NOBODY can develop a character like Stephen Hunter. While reading his books, you feel connected to the people he is writing about. Regardless of the number of central characters (in this book, there were at least 9), he is able to make every one seem lifelike and important. You remember his characters and you root hard for them or against them.

As far as the plot goes, yes, it has been done before. None have done it as well as Hunter. Period.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great action from an underappreciated author, March 8, 2001

By 

"falcon92" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Day Before Midnight (Mass Market Paperback)

Stephen Hunter is perhaps the most unassuming and underated author writing thrillers today. While I love Clancy, Dale Brown, et. al, their work usually takes me half the book to get into. I can read Hunter from page one and be on the edge of my seat. This book, while not as good as Point of Impact and Time to Hunt, has all the elements of a great tale; heroes, villians, reluctant heroes, self-serving individuals, reformed criminals, cheating spouses, and a pulse-pounding finale that goes on for about 100 pages. A great read!