FIREFALL [Hardcover]

Ed Ruggero (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1994

Fresh from taking on North Korean troops in 38 North Yankee, Major Mark Isen finds himself involved in a lethal post-Cold War operation in politically divided, economically depressed Germany.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

American Army Rangers parachuting into the winter German countryside believe they are part of a peaceful multinational training exercise but, in a frighteningly believable vision of possible European political developments, a fanatical German Reserve Army contingent has begun a military coup to drive out the American presence. Major Mark Isen, hero of Ruggero's 38 North Yankee and The Common Defense , first attributes the lack of coordination and suppport for his exercise to miscommunication. Soon, however, the deadly truth emerges: the Rangers are the target of enemy fire. Frightened, cold, hungry, exhausted, the men group and regroup, relying on training that may not, in this peacetime Army, be appropriate. Without air support, with faltering communications, they struggle to hold their positions while the politicians in Berlin and Washington posture and strategize. As the fighting reaches its bloody climax, civilians and Rangers alike become casualties. Unlikely heroes emerge as panic and despair begin to destroy the command structure. The men die in the forests and against the roadsides; they lose their comrades and their minds. Ruggero's concentration on ground maneuvers, focused tightly on the Rangers in their terrifying isolation, is a powerful indictment of the possible consequences of our current military draw-down. No peace dividend here. The author, a former Army infantry officer, is a professor of English at West Point.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Mark Isen, Ruggero's globetrotting hero in The Common Defense (LJ 12/91), has been promoted to major and is leading a battalion of Army Rangers in a training exercise, parachuting into Germany on a winter night armed only with game plans and blanks. But the Rangers are unable to contact the German exercise controllers and find that the regular German army has been overtaken by the German People's Union, a xenophobic faction that intends to overthrow the German government and decimate the Rangers in a show of force. Faced with an armed and hostile enemy, Isen must first procure some ammunition and then figure out a way to survive until U.S. reinforcements arrive. This military thriller, filled with realistic battle accounts, will be welcomed by readers following Isen's exploits and will appeal to fans of Tom Clancy as well. For genre collections.
Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calumet Lib., Hammond, Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1St Edition edition (May 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067173010X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671730109
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #541,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Following graduation from West Point, Ed was commissioned in the United States Army and served as an infantry officer in a variety of positions, including an assignment teaching at West Point. Following his service, Ed pursued a career as an author and public speaker, engaging audiences around the world in discussions on leadership and leader development. He also leads a Gettysburg and a Normandy Leadership Experience, where participants walk the ground of these great struggles to learn battle-tested leadership lessons that will help them meet their own challenges. Ed lives in Wallingford, Pennsylvania with his wife, Marcia Noa and a bunch of dogs. For more information, see www.edruggero.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite re-reads!!!!!, July 6, 2008

By 

M. Schmidt (Sonoma, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Firefall (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is permanently on my bookshelves. I read it again and again and it is just as gripping as the first time. It is one of my favorite books. I am going to reorder in paperback as my copy is getting a little 'worse for wear'. I am a big reader of war novels and this book can hold it's head up among the best.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent action, not Dickens, but not corny., May 22, 2001

By 

Ben Sheppard (Austin, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: FIREFALL (Hardcover)

Excellent action, not Dickens, but not corny. This book is filled with lots of action sequences and different incidences. The equivalent of watching the movie Navy SEALs (Charlie Sheen) or Saving Private Ryan (insomuch as the frequent action and so on) I really liked it a lot and highly recommend it. Its easy to get into.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Uninspiring, September 17, 2000

By 

Suzanne Whalen (APO, AE USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: FIREFALL (Hardcover)

This book was uninspired at best. The authors attempt to draw the reader in was weak due to the underdeveloped characters. Being a service member with experience in dealing with international tension at the lowest level, I can say sicerely that this story was plausable but again underdeveloped.

My greatest hope in writing this review is that I will steer the average reader who is not in the military away from this writer in order to prevent any misconceptions about the U.S. Army. I also would like to prevent other readers from the sense of bewilderment at the conclusion of the story.

SFC Whalen