Customer Reviews

Full Black (Scot Harvath)

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

Def: "Black Operation" or "Black Ops" is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.

Def: "Full Black" - a black operation on a six-pack of Red Bull.

Harvath is back and he's in the rare position of having worked a couple of operations that have gone horribly wrong. Because of this, the sand cowards will unleash an attack on America that shocked even me. The maniacal nutcase in this book is named James Standing; a billionaire that hates capitalism (figure THAT out). He has the power, the money, the connections, the strategy, and the brain damage to plan for the destruction and forced socialism of America.

The amount of destruction reeked in this book is pretty staggering even for Thor. As with all of Thor's books, your reading will struggle to keep up with the pace as danger and honor come from all sides and every corner of the globe. `Full Black' is Thor doing what Thor does best; stomping the hell out of the radical Islamic terrorist cowards by our favorite human superhero, Scot Harvath. Thor's books are always current, political, steeped in action, and more than a little controversial. This one is going to tick off a LOT of people. On the menu this time, socialism.

Now, I will be honest and say that this book was the first time that I've ever felt that Brad was preaching at me. I know that a lot of people (usually the ones who don't agree with him) have felt that way about his work in the past. It's no secret as to where Brad stand politically but I never felt like it took away from the story until now. There is a small section near the middle of the book where he just goes off! And I don't mean like your backyard 4th of July going off, I'm talking the six barge San Diego 4th of July bang-slam-a-jamma going off!! Usually Brad does his "preaching" within the context of the story amongst the bullets and blood, but this time I felt it was different.

The paradox here is that I agree with Brad but as a reader it caught me by surprise. That's the only hiccup but I felt it was worth mentioning. He does some more preaching in this book but it was within the context of the story. The conversation between James Standing and Julia is just pure brilliance! I think he needs to cut and paste that into an email and send it to the yahoo's in Washington. The difference was that it was within the context of the story and that's what made it powerful. Some of you may think that I'm off my rocker but I'd love to hear what you think when you read it.

The Carlton Group comes across information about a series of attacks that will not only collapse America financially but collapse us... period. The plans of the terrorists are bold in scope and they have the full backing of socio-psychopath (is that a word)? It's hard to believe that Washington could get any friendlier to the terrorists... but they have. Harvath has had enough and devises a plan so dark and so off the books he must go "Full Black". (No spoilers) Unfortunately, despite his best planning and his dance with lady luck, things happen that will make you wonder how things can ever be the same again in America. Despite that little hiccup in the middle, I highly recommend this next installment of the "don't `F' with America cause Scot Harvath is back" series.

With "Full Black", Thor pays off the promises found in "Foreign Influence" and delivers a thinking man's thriller. There's plenty of action, military insight, and even more action - but there's also a cogent political, social, and economic story woven into the fabric of the book. Taking a step back and looking to the horizon, we find that while still dangerous, radical Islam is not the only enemy we face. At times nuanced and at other times blunt, Thor pulls no punches in deconstructing the broader adversaries aligned against us in the world today. It's a story about layers, and serves to lay the foundation for the continued evolution of both Thor as a storyteller and Scot Harvath as a character.

When last we saw Harvath (aside from a brief cameo in "The Athena Project"), he was beginning to pull at the strings of a larger conspiracy behind recent terrorist attacks in the United States. Betrayed by someone within the intelligence community, Harvath has nonetheless continued to track down and disrupt terror cells. As he works his way down the rabbit hole, he makes a stunning revelation about the driving force behind further planned attacks.

Where the book really shines is in its exploration of current geopolitical realities as seen through the lens of fiction. Thor has said all good thrillers are rooted in reality and this is no exception. From the threat of radical Islam, to the institutional shortcomings of our intelligence apparatus, to the asymmetrical warfare being waged on us by the Chinese and others, to the frightening reach of our own government, to the elements in our society who want to see us fail as a nation - it's all here.

There's a good reason this book is called "Full Black". Not only does it deal with a black op conducted completely off the books - it also takes an unflinching look at the dangers we face in this country, with a populace still stuck in the soft slumber of willful ignorance. Sure, the bad guys get brought to justice at the end of the story and the extant threat is addressed - but the underlying issues remain. There are still enemies out there, and they are patient:

"You still have your name. You still have your flag. You still believe you have your freedoms, though in reality they have been slowly siphoned away. You still believe you have a Republic when, day-by-day, what you have been left with is merely an illusion of a Republic. Your entire house, as it were, has been rebuilt one brick at a time and no one has even noticed. No one has done a single thing about it."

Not a simple "stop the plot, save the world" story, "Full Black" is instead an intelligent examination of current events and a wake-up call for free thinking people everywhere. It shines the light on a world order I don't want to live in. The America described above is not the America I want to leave for my kids. In this book we are given a glimpse of what real danger looks like. It may only be fiction, but it's a book you should read. Consider it an alarm clock. We've hit the snooze button one too many times already. It's time to wake up.

Like the phenominal financial thriller I just finished reading, Chaos and Kingdom, Full Black brings up the same dramatic questions of what it means to be American and conspiracy-esque who can you trust in government or society today? Chaos is 100% local while Thor spans the globe in his intricate plot, but the depth of story and philosophy behind the story are right up there.

What could make 9/11 look like a mosquito bite? What the enemies of America (not just the Jihadist) have been planning since well before that fateful day (since the 1940s), according to the latest thriller by Brad Thor, The Dark Knight of the author's career. Full of fantastic but believable international intrigue from China to Sweden and the crux of it boiling down to a plot to completely bring the United States to its knees. How? By pulling the plug. Thor uses the brownout in the Northeast a few years back to illustrate the importance energy has on American society. We can't live without it. After a few hours, we freak out. After a few days, we run out of water and start dying. After enough time, the entire society would collapse--pretty scary stuff. When it's done from the inside, it's even scarier.

Along the way, Thor drops gems of knowledge on the reader making him or her reflect on politics and economics. There are certainly layers in this book--it's deep. In this way, I think Thor is turning more heady and bold in his writing approach. I for one am glad for that.

If you have read Thor in the past, get ready for a shocking eye-opener of a book. This will be your favorite of his works. It's the same detailed Thor but with much more bite. It's a step up in Harvath as a character and Thor as a writer. I've liked Thor's stuff before, but this one I will tell my friends to read.

We last left Scot Harvath and friends with a problem. The terrorist they had worked so hard to bring to justice was assassinated as they tried to hand him over to the CIA. That left a bit of anger in Scot towards those who rained on his parade.

We start now with Scot having done the hard work of tracking down another terrorist cell that might provide answers for who and how the sleeper cells in the U.S. are doing their work. They infiltrate Chase into the group and are moving in for the take down. But a small problem happens, the leader of the cell is smarter than they think and he lays a trap for the team that is moving in. Scot is left to pick up the pieces again and this time he is not going to loose.

Scot and the Carlton Group are working very hard to find the head of the terrorist group and put an end to the violence once and for all. But instead they have only stirred up the anger of James Standing, the man behind the scenes. So, Standing unleashes his terrorist cells to do their dirty deeds throughout America. Now the race is on. Will thousands of innocents die or will Scot and the Carlton Group intervene and save the day?

During all of this there is another sub story running. A Hollywood Producer, Salomon is putting together a documentary that will shed light on the true agenda of the billionaire James Standing, the man who wants to destroy capitalism and bring on socialism. Standing sends a group of Russian Spetnaz troops to take out the production team. But Luke Ralston, former Navy Seal, steps in and saves Salomon from the plot. Now Luke sets out to find out who is behind the attempt.

Luke and Scot will cross paths as it turns out they are searching for the same man. Unfortunately Thor does not develop Ralston's character as much as Scot Harvath. He doesn't include Luke in much more of the action. Which I think is a bit sad.

But the information that Luke Ralston turns up is the information that is needed by the Carlton Group to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. Now the race is on. Can they stop what Standing has started? Can they bring Standing to Justice? Can they save the world from a the 'destiny' that Standing feels it deserves?

The book is good and I read it through in two days. But I felt that Brad Thor did get a bit preacher in a couple of spots. I think he could have given us a bit more action and saved some of the preaching on the difference between socialism and capitalism.

That said, I enjoyed the book and think if you have enjoyed Brad Thor's other works you will enjoy this one.

This is one of the most exciting novels that I have yet encountered. It revolves around a plot to destroy the United States so that a new world order can emerge. Author Brad Thor poses a question that the enemies of the U.S. cannot answer truthfully: Would the world indeed be a better place without a powerful United States? It seems to me that all the most bitter enemies of the U.S. can offer the world is intolerance, death, and destruction. Look at all the countries with desperate poverty and no human rights. How much influence does the U.S. have in these countries?

There are two stories working simultaneously here. The larger one involves terrorists who develop a program of "unrestricted warfare." (Interestingly, this scheme was not put together in the Middle East.) Unrestricted warfare means that the U.S. would be destroyed with an overwhelming multi-pronged attack. Destroy such basic functions as electrical service. Undermine major corporations to bring down an already weak economy. Launch massive terrorist attacks to create a climate in which the people will embrace a dictatorship that will destroy liberty.

The other plot involves a Hollywood producer who is putting together a documentary that will inform the people about this nefarious scheme.

The central figure is Scot Havrath, a former Navy SEAL who now works for the Carlton Group, patriots who operate with the covert support of the U.S. government. Havrath and his friends know that the enemies of the U.S. follow no rules, and it may be necessary to use brutal violence to destroy them.

The writing is extremely crisp. (Look for the paraphrase from the film Gone With the Wind.) All of the characters are well developed. There's a lot of exciting action. Easily a five. This is my first Brad Thor book, but it won't be my last.

This book could literally scare you to death. Once again Thor delivers an outstanding thriller. The scary part is the all too real scenarios that are presented that could devastate America. How much is fact? How much comes from Thor's imagination? I wish I knew. The writing is crisp and the story is a page turner.

If you read the series you know that everything is not neat and clean. Even the hero, Scott Horvath isn't always right and things do get messy. The story strikes close to home as terrorists are plotting the downfall of American society, the very way of life.

The book ends as most of Thor's do - right where the next one will begin ...

I have read everything Brad Thor has written and enjoyed each book. He has strong opinions on the war on terror and how the US is performing. Some might not like this but since I agree with most of what he says, I don't have any issues with his characters actions. I highly recommend this book and the Scot Harvath series. Read them all!

I know Brad Thor may be considered by some to be "over the top" in his uber-patriotic, definitely conservative viewpoints as always expressed in his books, but I find them totally refreshing. This is due, in large part, to his insistance in explaining WHY he / Scott feels the way he does. I have worked within the Defense and Intelligence industries for several decades, many of them filled with experiences and acquaintances hard to forget. And although Scott occasionally stays on his soapbox a tad too long, still... he's right on target with his descriptions of the way the world looks (especially in the Middle East) when viewed without the rose-colored glasses. I especially loved the dinner debate on free market versus "global government" that took place between Standing and the TV reporter; excellent! The book's premise is one that truly scared the bejesus out of me, purely because of its absolutely logical and completely realistic description of an enemy plot that could definitely bring the U.S. to its knees, perhaps permanently. For those of you who have not yet been introduced to Thor's bulging library of best sellers, you're in for a treat if you believe that hard work, honor, love of family/friends/country, and the assumption of personal responsibility is something of which to be proud. Nobody does it better.

This is the latest offering from Brad Thor in the Scott Harvarth series. The author does a very good job of taking two story lines and dove-tailing them into a single plot that applies to both. The first story deals with a hit on a movie producer by a Russian execution team. The producer is saved by a friend who also happens to have been a former seal and a direct friend of Scott Harvath. The movie producer is presently putting together a documentary on a foreign power which develops a program aimed at taking down the American government and their economy by using well planned terrorist attacks. Of course from the other story line comes Scott Harvath who is tracking a terrorist cell while he operates on foreign soil. Harvath's team attempts to infiltrate the cell with a team member to gain information and to capture the head of the cell. The operation yields some results, but mostly causes a sever loss to the overall assault team when they try to raid the cell. The cell leader escapes and the inserted team member is nearly killed by gun fire as he tries to escape.

Harvath learns of a massive network that the terrorists have established in the U.S., but before he can react they strike and many targets are hit with a great loss of life. Harvath then follows a lead to another terrorist believed to be a part of a cell in America. While observing him Harvath notes a number of people leaving the house under surveilance with suitcases as if they were going to travel or fly somewhere. Harvath persues the groups of terrorists and concludes they are heading for LAX. He alerts the authorities and they start to take down the teams, but one team detonates their bomb before they can be captured. Based on these events other airports are alerted and the teams arriving at them are quickly captured.

Harvath captures one of the terrorist leaders from the LAX bombing and gets him to a safe house for interrogation. While involved in that action the former seal, the friend of the movie producer, calls Harvath to tell him of the information he has uncovered from the attempt on the life of the producer and how it may relate to a much bigger plan to bring down the United States and its government and financial structures. Now the two plots merge into one and from here on the writing provides excellent reading as the main plot is revealed and a plan is formulated to foil the terrorists as well as locate the head of the operation and his assistant.

Brad Thor adds some of his own politics to the writing which is about midway in the book and brought forward by a newspaper reporter while interviewing one of the characters in the story. This made for some dry reading and non-action. The author goes overboard in explaining each character's background as it relates to prior books he had written. Finally, as a piece of fiction the reader may just think that this book could eventually be a possible blueprint for an actual future terrorist plot or maybe an alert to America's defense agencies to check their vulnerability in certain areas that were pointed out in the book. Either way, the book is a great read and most of the time a good thriller that will keep you turning the pages. I suggest you pick up a copy for your enjoyment.

The attacks on Americans abroad and on home soil have the CIA and HSD struggling to react. Intelligence strongly confirms a bigger terrorist assault is coming. While working on a secret documentary, movie producer Larry Salomon exposes an affluent anti-American. An apparent Russian wet team arrives in California to silence the producer leaving three dead and the movie maker alive only due to former Delta operative technical consultant Luke Ralston.

Near Uppsalla, Sweden, covert counterterrorism agent Scot Harvath and his team begin a measure to infiltrate a nasty terrorist network while trusting no one in the Intel community. Thus he and his squad go Full Black starting with the capture of computer guru Mansoor Aleem, the nephew of Jihad Mufti, on his way to meet with a cell run by Mustafa Karami and replace him with Sean Chase. While the attacks intensify, time is running out

This exciting action-packed thriller has its first death on page one and never looks back as the action in Sweden and Hollywood expands to other locales with death counts rising rapidly. The story line is fast-paced from that opening sequence in which Horvath breaks the neck of a terrorist and accelerates from there as the field operatives try to prevent full implementation of Project Green Ramp. Full Black is an exciting tale that showcases how vulnerable Europe and America remains to terrorism.

Harriet Klausner