Customer Reviews

Gideon's War: A Novel

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I know I'm probably the only other person in this world other than that Tibetan monk living in Africa to never have seen `24', but I have heard of the show. So when I saw that a producer (executive no doubt) wrote a book... heck, why not check it out? Everyone else seems to be writing a freaking book. Actors, musicians, midgets (oops... little people), athletes, homeless folk, orange-skinned skanks from New Jersey, and prenatal babies. If those Darwin-reject yahoos that crashed the White House dinner can get a book (and TV) deal how hard can it be, REALLY!? Howard Gordon is exec. Producer for one of the baddest shows ON the tube, so what did he have to do? Put on his socks, grab his tall chai latte and say "I feel like writing a book today"? I doubt it but it's a likely enough story and it IS Hollywood right?

My nonchalant tongue-in-cheek attitude was quickly put in check as I started reading. Cutting through all my BS, I was completely taken with this book. This is an ecstasy pill of adrenaline for us thriller readers. The main man, Gideon, couldn't be more flawed and was actually getting on my damn nerves. A top negotiator on the world stage, Gideon is accustomed to using his words to get his meaning across. Usually he's very successful, and because of this the President has him on his team. Unfortunately irony's favorite bed mate is usually chaos, and their love child sprouts into Gideon's life, placenta and all, to bring him some serious hurt.

Gideon's brother is been accused of being a ruthless and severely bloodthirsty terrorist who is slaughtering his way across the Middle East. Gideon has some well placed misgivings but the amount of evidence leaves no room for doubt. His job: track him down and talk. If that fails? Well... Able, meet Cain. Be prepared for a journey as Gideon tracks down the only family he has left. We are taken us on a virtual peyote sit-n-spin of geographic locations, multicultural flavor, and "clinch it up" action. Blood, fighting, technology, villains to loathe, and some slight sexual tension is just some of what puts `Gideon's War' on my list (already) of `Jason's badass novels of 2011'. (Yes I know it's only January 5th, but just go with me here).

I mentioned earlier that Gideon was getting on my nerves. Dammit, that's because he was! This fool was being chased, shot at, set-up, handcuffed, damn near blown up and he was trying to stick by his "I don't use guns anymore" mantra. Lord help this fool! I'm not going to give away the story, but how long do you think he can keep up that ever so sweet motto while nine inch bullets are cutting him new sideburns? Whatever magic Gordon used for `24' translates nicely in `Gideon's War'. Everything about this book was just right. The tempo, the violence, the betrayal, and (of course) the male bravado with that fresh football locker room smell. Because this is a thriller and the main character is a guy who gets out of impossible situations, you'll hear comparisons to past books/characters/movies. Ignore them all. This one totally stands on its own.

This will sell well at airports. And really, it's not a bad choice for something to read on a plane.

Just like a season of 24, it's addictive, not really all that good, kind of dumbed down, but a dirty pleasure that you allow yourself. And it's really not *that* bad.

My biggest problem was the lacking and just kind of "thrown in" explanations of anything technical, confusing, or non-action. Like "hey, let me get back to writing about action scenes, here's the boring crap that isn't action." Problem is, that's the stuff that actually develops the story and makes it more interesting.

Second biggest problem was the undertone of "I must find my estranged brother at all costs!" It was weakly developed and kind of phony.

Also, it was a bit corny that it was set on an oil rig. Gee, where on earth did the author come up with the idea to have an explosion on an oil rig?

Anyway, it's not an amazing piece of literature, but it was ok. The closest I'll get to watching a new season of 24!

I read Howard Gordon's Gideon's War knowing that I would not want it to end.

I was an obsessed fan of 24 from it's inception, and am an avid reader of thrillers, mysteries and suspense novels, so I had very high expectations for this debut novel. I was not disappointed.

From the first page I was riveted. The book is fast paced and Howard Gordon's plot twists are thrilling and continuous. The story immediately took me in as if I were there and living the adventure. There were moments when I actually thought I couldn't breathe. The writing is so good I felt like I was inside the heads of the characters. And, despite the suspense and the action, there is humor interspersed through their thoughts. This made them very relatable and likable to me--it was almost as if I knew them.

The setting is splendid and vivid, and extremely believable as I have been to the part of the world where the story takes place. It is so well described. The detail in all areas is extraordinary, from scenes on the oil rig to those depicting the remnants of war, to the portrayals of how much the human body can take under certain conditions.

I found the novel captivating, fascinating, exciting and well writren; it left nothing out. I was invested in the relationships and was overwhelmed emotionally by the reality of the strength of the family bond.

I highly recommend this book--It was excellent. I truly could not put it down! And yes, I am sorry that I finished it, although I am hoping for another! And, not surprisingly, I am hoping for a movie.

Great book. If you are a fan of the "can't put it down" action novel, this is a book you will enjoy. Fantastic read for all ages. Quick pace, lots of action, good plot. Gordon may perhaps be the Robert Ludlum of this generation. A very talented writer. I highly recommend this book.

This was a very fast-paced, adrenaline pumping book. A "man's man" kind of book that guys will likely read with gusto. But even so, women will breeze through this book as well....I know I did! This was an excellent thriller. Lots of twists and turns and getting out of tight spots. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire reading. This book is full of political intrigue with a touch of family drama thrown into the mix for good measure. A great read!

U.S. President Diggs sends his best peacemaker special envoy Gideon Davis to the Pacific island the Sultanate of Mohan. An Islamist insurgency led by terrorist Abu Nasir threatens to overthrow the American-friendly government. Diggs also sends advisor Earl Parker, Uncle Earl to Gideon and his older brother Tillman, as he raised them after their parents died two decades ago. Though he has not had a breather after working a cease fire in the jungles of Columbia for the last three months and just came out of a Columbian hut a few hours ago to attend a DC award ceremony, Davis knows he has to leave immediately as his sibling Tillman has twenty-three hours left.

Earl and Gideon travel to Mohan where they are to pick up rogue CIA Agent Tillman to bring him back to the States. Instead nothing goes right and Parker is abducted while Gideon struggles to survive amidst the civil war tearing apart the island country. Besides rescuing Uncle Earl, Gideon must liberate the Obelisk deep sea oil rig that terrorists led by Tillman seized. Oil rig manager Kate Murphy is Gideon's only ally.

Faster than the speed of light, the executive producer of 24 Howard Gordon brings that concept to the written thriller genre. Ignoring plausibility with the story line over the top of the Himalayas, fans of the TV show will enjoy the Houdini escape artistry of the hero while the clock ticks down with a lot more at stake than his Uncle and a key oil rig as a world conspiracy is about to ignite. Inane, but fun, Gideon's War is to take back the Obelisk from his brother while readers anticipate a Cain and Abel confrontation; lurking in the background is the global crisis.

Harriet Klausner

Howard Gordon has managed to write a novel that takes the best parts of 24 the TV series (which is sorely missed) and a suspense novel. The action is NON-STOP and, while not always plausible, is always entertaining. This novel is meticulously researched and I can easily imagine Gideon Davis as Jack Bauer. Has anyone thought about adapting this novel for the 24 movie? It is nerve-jangling and awfully exciting! This is the closest anyone has come in some time to the frenetic action and pace of a vintage Robert Ludlum novel. Well done Mr. Gordon! Put me down for a copy of your next (eagerly awaited) novel.

Whether you are a lover of mysteries, biographies, or romance novels, this is THE must read book of the year. Howard Gorden's story keeps you on your toes throughout the entire book. It's thrilling and touching at the same time. i don't want to give away any of the plot twists or turns, so just trust me.... you won't be sorry.

Don 't pick this book up unless you want to be glued to your seat til it's completion. Admittedly a fan of "24", I nonetheless opened this book with trepidation because I am a huge fan and voracious reader of "who-done-its", procedurals and thrillers and who knew how good Howard Gordon, "24"s show runner, would be with the novel form? Not to worry. After getting through the intro it was a non stop ride. Who knows what will happen next? The characters are fine, the action nonstop, the heroes heroic and properly flawed, with admirable skill sets and moral dilemmas galore. I pretty much found myself not able to put it down to get to my daily chores, kept looking for excuses to sit on the porch and find out what was going to happen next. I look forward to Gordon's next outing. Perhaps the brothers could be enlisted to work together on some future save-the-world mission, since Jack Bauer has been, sadly, retired? Or perhaps Bauer may live on in novel form?
One can only hope that Mr. Gordon sells a scad of books and is encouraged to keep at it.

I admit it, I'm a big '24' fan which is why I bought and read this book as soon as it came out. I loved it! It has everything 24 had: action, suspense, betrayal, redemption, and a story that can be interpreted from opposite perspectives depending on your moral and political point of view. What's better about it than 24 though, is the fluidity of Gordon's written word. Unlike the limitations of the script format, this book moves and flows, bending and weaving, pushing and pulling the characters with it. Any reader who savors the great suspense novel will thoroughly enjoy this gripping and multilayered novel!