The Last Phoenix [Hardcover]

Richard Herman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 23, 2002

A true master of the action-packed geopolitical thriller, Richard Herman puts America in the middle of a two-front war where success is far from certain.

The Last PhoenixIt is the beginning of a new century and Maddy Turner, the first woman to occupy the White House, is about to become a wartime president. The war on terrorism has been too successful; the radical Islamic states have devised a brilliant, unthinkable strategy and found a new ally in a surging China. They know the price will be high, but the prize is control of the vast Middle Eastern oil reserves and the strategic Strait of Malacca. By working in concert where timing is critical, they intend to create a new axis of world power by ensnaring the president's armed forces in a devastating double-pronged conflict -- a war the American military can no longer win.

Fueled by the failure of her intelligence agencies to foresee the unexpected, President Turner must react to a global crisis of world-altering proportions, as nightmarish scenes of brutal conflict and terrorism are played out half a world away. It will take courage, remarkable cunning, stealth, luck, and seemingly unbearable sacrifice to avoid Armageddon, as she approaches what will either be her finest hour or her most tragic mistake. But working below the radarscopes of Turner's antagonists is an ancient warrior on a quest of vengeance in the jungles of Malaysia. Victor Kamigami, a legend in the world of special operations, is a wild card no one knows is in play.

Fighting for reelection against a political enemy as unprincipled and determined as her foes on the battlefield, Turner must turn to the man she trusts above all others, perhaps the only one she can trust in the brutal snake pit of Beltway politics: Brigadier General Matt Pontowski -- himself the grandson of a president -- a brilliant flier and military tactician, and an intimate confidant of the most powerful woman on earth. The mission she must entrust him with is bold and extraordinary -- and potentially suicidal -- a daring incursion into the Malaysian jungle, where a small force of determined warriors must hold off a fearsome, overwhelming aggressor long enough for another war to be won. The risks are astronomical, the chance of success slim. But the alternative is unthinkable. And it is the only road America has left.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Maestro of the military thriller, Herman (The Trojan Sea) offers a panoramic, jet-propelled epic long on battles, political intrigue and, unfortunately, tangential subplots. Reprising their roles from Edge of Honor, Maddy Turner, the beleaguered first female president of the United States, and her secret lover, retired air force general Matt Pontowski, are the heroes of this new novel, which opens in the near future with the president in the final months of a hard-fought reelection campaign. A sudden Chinese invasion of Malaysia is quickly followed by an attack on Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by an alliance of Iraq, Iran and Syria. Hampered by cut-to-the-bone peacetime budgets, the U.S. military doesn't have the resources to respond to wars on both fronts. When troops are dispatched to protect U.S. interests in the oil-rich Middle East, Maddy is left with no regular military to combat the Chinese and is forced to ask Matt to reactivate his old American Volunteer Group-a ragtag collection of pilots flying A-10 Warthogs-to hold back the Chinese until the regular military can be brought up to strength. The story cuts from Washington to Malaysia and other points on the globe in a rapid-fire montage. An expert at fast-paced action, Herman does a passable job keeping technobabble to a minimum, but there are too many bloodstained subplots with comic book characters. Matt's implausible escape and his heroics with a broken collarbone make the end more fizzle than bang.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Herman, author of 10 other novels, is back with another thriller involving his favorite subject--global intrigue and a strike against the U.S. The plot concerns Iraq, Iran, Libya, and Syria, who have joined forces to seize the region's oil reserves. On the other side of the globe, China is preparing to take over all of Asia. The U.S. fears an attack from these menacing forces. Worst of all, the U.S. has reduced its defense budget, so how can the president (a woman) have the resources to attack these evil nations? But wait, all is not lost. The president has called on one Major General Matt Pontowski, who has a plan--perilous, almost suicidal--to save us. There's lots of military jargon and abbreviations in these pages, including Warthogs, AVG'S, SEAC, FAC, KIA, and TLAS, some romance, and a few references to the attack on the World Trade Center. This sounds somewhat like Herman's other thrillers, but his many fans won't be disappointed. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (July 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066209765
• ISBN-13: 978-0066209760
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,642,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A good book handicapped by lazy (no?) research, April 3, 2003

By 

"armydude73" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Phoenix (Hardcover)

I have always enjoyed Mr Herman's books and believed he had a good grasp of what he writes about.

However, being a Malaysian who currently resides in Singapore, I'm apalled at what I've read so far. Yes I'm only halfway through the book but am already wondering about whether to continue reading.

While it is a work of fiction, the factual errors in the book coupled with a poor understanding of Malaysia and Singapore has greatly reduced my opinion of Mr Herman.

He may be an ex fighter pilot and writes well enough about aerial conflict and the workings of the American political and military machine, Herman should have at least put some effort into making the bits about Malaysia and Singapore beliveable.

The Malaysian Army for example is one of the few forces in the world to have successfully put down a communist insurgency. The way he portrayed Malaysian troops makes them sound more like the Iraqi Republican Guards.

US Marines and Rangers regularly train in Malaysia and have acknowledged their professionalism. The Malaysian Armed Forces may not be quite ready to fight a major conventional war, but in the context of this book, they would undoubtedly more than hold their own.

It's fine if you're only catering to the American market who still think Malaysia is a country somewhere in the Carribean but for those of us here who appreciate good fiction, this is a poor effort.

Let's hope he puts more effort into his next book. And no, watching Ben Stiller's Zoolander is not enough if you want to know about Malaysia.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Herman Returns to Top Form, September 20, 2002

By 

John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Last Phoenix (Hardcover)

I was very disappointed in the book that preceeded this one (The Trojan Sea) and bought this one with my fingers crossed. They did not stay crossed for long as they were too busy turning pages. This book is somewhat topical for those who are keeping an eye on the Middle East and also the Far East, but topical or not it spins a tale that grabs the reader at once and returns many old characters or their progeny into action. Detailing the story lines takes unnecessary space, If you have been a fan of this author - welcome back on board. If he is new to you, not to worry - this book stands alone and will probably send you into looking into other books he has written. the only one I would avoid is the one I mentioned at the outset. The World According to Richard Herman rolls on!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, but not entirely accurate, January 6, 2003

By 

Sofian bin Abdul Rahman (Johor Bahru, Johor Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Phoenix (Hardcover)

The author's treatment of power politics and aerial warfare is both insightful and exciting. The scenario is plausible and the action fast-paced. I find this this is one of those books that is entertaining to read while at the same time is informative as well.

However, it gives a poor account of Malaysia, the Malaysian army and the Malays. Of course, this is a work of fiction but there are some cultural misconceptions too glaring to ignore. For example, there is a part where a man who speaks Malay (presumably a Malay), tries to kill and eat Sgt Rockne's dog, Boyca. Malays do not eat dogs. Never have and never will.

In all, Last Phoenix is a satisfying read. It's a shame that it had to portray Malaysia and Malays in such a dim light.