When the U.S. government sends Jake Grafton to Hong Kong to find out how deeply the U.S. consul-general is embedded in a political scandal, he takes his wife, Callie, along. They met in Hong Kong where the consul-general, Tiger Cole, is an old friend. The Graftons discover that Hong Kong is a powder keg ready to explode...and Tiger is right in the middle of the action. When a rebel faction kidnaps Callie, Jake is pulled into the vortex of a high-tech civil war. To save his wife, he must figure out whom he can trust - both among the Western factions vying for control of the situation, and among the Chinese patriots fighting for their nation's future - and make sure the right side wins.
"...gripping and intelligent thriller." (Publishers Weekly)
Last year, Coonts had Cuba teetering on the political edge in his megaseller of the same name. Now it's Hong Kong, in another steadfast speculative thriller. The great city/state is falling out of Communist hands, just a few short years after the Chinese takeover. The revolution is being fomented by the cyberintelligentsia, who have managed to rig computer systems throughout Hong Kong and China so that all vital functionsAthe power grid, airports, oil refineries, telephone systems, etc.Awill collapse at the same time. At the helm of the insurrection is Virgil Cole, the American consul general who used his enormous wealth as a former Silicon Valley exec to finagle the overseas appointment; he views the revolution as a kind of extreme sport. He doesn't, however, anticipate the arrival of Jack Grafton, navy admiral and Washington's go-to guy, who starts prowling around a few days before the revolution begins. Just as Grafton is beginning to figure things out, a criminal gang leader working with the rebels kidnaps his wife. Anyone who's seen Grafton in action before knows that he isn't one to take such personal slights lightly. The final third of the book shows Hong Kong under spectacular siege as the rebels rely on sabotage, cunning and half a dozen fighting robots, called Sergeant Yorks, to subdue the Chinese soldiers. Coonts does a remarkable job of capturing the mood of clashing cultures in Hong Kong, creating some noteworthy secondary characters. These include Lin Pe, the aging owner of a fortune cookie factory who finds solace in writing simple fortunes while the world around her crumbles, and Sun Siu Ki, the Beijing-installed governor of Hong Kong, whose peasant mind simply cannot grasp rebellion. For all its stylish accents, however, the story goes from point A to point B with few detours or surprises. Most readers will likewise rush headlong through this seventh Grafton adventure. Major ad/promo. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Hong Kong in the immediate future is the scene for Coonts!s (Cuba) latest thriller. China is ripe for an anti-Communist revolution, and it explodes while Admiral Jake Grafton is in Hong Kong on a fact-finding assignment. While most previous Grafton novels have revolved around military actions, Hong Kong deals with spies, murder, kidnapping, and treachery. When the revolution erupts, the rebels use cyberwarfare to paralyze the Chinese government!s computers and gain access to traditional weapons. A real distraction is the use of Terminator-type combat robots to turn the tide for the rebels. Since these automata don!t exist (yet), they should not play a role in a novel that purports to be based on fact, and they spoil what could have been a compelling novel about a people!s struggle for freedom. Despite its flaws, this book will be enjoyed by Coonts!s many fans. For general collections. -"Robert Conroy, Warren, WI Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Stephen Coonts is the author of 14 New York Times bestsellers, the first of which was the classic flying tale, FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER. Born in 1946, Stephen Paul Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a coal-mining town of 6,000 population on the western slope of the Appalachian mountains. He majored in political science at West Virginia University, graduating in 1968 with an A.B. degree. Upon graduation he was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and began flight training in Pensacola, Florida. He received his Navy wings in August, 1969. After completion of fleet replacement training in the A-6 Intruder aircraft, Mr. Coonts reported to Attack Squadron 196 at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. He made two combat cruises aboard USS Enterprise during the final years of the Vietnam War as a member of this squadron. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz. He left active duty in 1977 and moved to Colorado. After short stints as a taxi driver and police officer, he entered the University of Colorado School of Law in the fall of 1977. Mr. Coonts received his law degree in December, 1979, and moved to West Virginia to practice. He returned to Colorado in 1981 as a staff attorney specializing in oil and gas law for a large independent oil company. His first novel, FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER, published in September 1986 by the Naval Institute Press, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover. A motion picture based on this novel, with the same title, was released nationwide in January 1991. The success of his first novel allowed Mr. Coonts to devote himself full time to writing; he has been at it ever since. He and his wife, Deborah, enjoy flying and try to do as much of it as possible. Mr. Coonts' books have been widely translated and republished in the British Commonwealth, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, China, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Serbia, Latvia, and Israel. Mr. Coonts was a trustee of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1990-1998. He was inducted into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 1992. The U.S. Naval Institute honored him with its Author of the Year Award for the year 1986 for his novel, FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER. Mr. Coonts and his wife, Deborah, reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
I truly enjoyed this book. After the first 100 or so pages I couldn't put it down. Much better than the prior novel (Cuba). I found the principal characters generally believable. The robots seemed a bit much at first, but then anything is possible. Perhaps something similar does exist for the military. Looking forward to the next story.
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Stephen Coonts proves he is more than equal to the task of maintaining the Jake Grafton character as he ages and moves away from the cockpit and the flight deck. This story harkens back to the tone and the pace that Coonts set with Under Siege, another book that found Jake Grafton ashore. Coonts works in some old characters, an exotic locale and some pretty good observations on the looming political/cultural struggles in China. He also weaves in some good comparisons to present day Hong Kong and life the way it was under British rule. There is enough high-tech stuff here to satisfy the techno-thriller reader, but it is paralleled by some good character portraits and an expansion of the character of Jake's wife, Callie. All in all a very satisfiable addition to the Jake Grafton series.
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This, in my opinion,is one of those rare 5 star books. It packs a ton of action with an outstanding locale. You'll actually find yourself cheering for the good guys with enthusiasm. The two different plots in the book are weaved together with a fine touch. Jake Grafton must rescue his wife from a greedy criminal while at the same time rebels are trying to overrun the communists. This is one heck of a good read, and if action is on your list, don't miss this one.
Highly recommended.
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