Customer Reviews

Last Phoenix

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4 star:		(2)
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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.

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!!

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.

This is Richard Herman's 11th book featuring the ongoing saga of the Pontowski family of exemplary military men, and it is his best work to date. What is enjoyable for me is to see a writer's talent deepen and enrich itself as the reader goes from earlier to later works. Herman's first book, "Warbirds" was and is a good read, but it was a first book and it showed. "The Last Phoenix" is simply spellbinding. While it has all of the acronyms associated with "techno-thrillers", it has an intense, fast paced plot and characters that are well drawn, and with whom we really become involved. It centers around a plot between the Chinese and certain Middle Eastern countries to defeat America's military. While it is the latest in a series, it is a stand alone work, and although there are references to what went on in the earlier books, reading them is not essential to the enjoyment of this book. The plot not only involve military action, but has much to do with national politics as well, as embattled President Madeline Turner fights spineless, conniving pols to lead the Country in time of war.
But overall it is what good adventure fiction is all about: believeable characters involved in an intense, fast moving plot. There is only one caveat, though: be warned that you will probably want to read the whole series. But that's OK, right? After all, most readers are always looking for a "good read", and this is surely that, but with ten predecessors waiting for you.

I was getting concerned that Mr. Herman was going the way of all successful authors by playing to production rather than substance. However, The Last Phoenix dispelled that notion on the first page. Richard Herman has produced one of his finest works in the Last Phoenix. He skillfully melds the characters and plots and has you wanting to turn the page. While the ending could have been stronger, getting there was a treat. One of his best!

After reading "The Trojan Sea" I was concerned that one of my favorite authors had lost his touch. Having just finished "The Last Phoenix" it's apparent that the author has returned to what his fans like about his books. The action...the politics...the characters...are all first rate. Mr. Herman, please continue in this direction. I can see the next generation of Pontowskis and Turners coming... Don't make us wait so long for the next one!

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I was reading through some reviews by a couple of Malaysian friends on this book (I'm Singaporean) and felt compelled to contribute my two cents worth. Firstly, I agree with their observation that Mr Herman really should have done more research on Malaysia and Singapore before embarking on this book. I don't know how professional or courageous Malaysian soldiers are since I have never come into contact with any but to have a whole battalion of Malaysian soldiers deserting is ridiculous. It's their homeland afterall. Compare that to the Singaporean special forces team who are largely willing to charge into inevitable deaths because as they constantly remind us, "those missiles are targeted at our families", it's ridiculous even if taking into account the fact that the Singaporeans are part of an allegedly elite unit. It doesn't make sense at all. Also, what happened to the Mig 29s, the SU 30s (are they delivered yet?), the F/A 18s of the Malaysian AIr Force? Or the PT 91 MBTs? And how on earth did a large force of PLA land in Malaysia without the the Malaysian Navy, with 4 frigates, 6 corvettes, numerous other missile boats and patrol craft having anything to say about it? It's like Mr Herman went back in time to a Malaya under British rule/misrule. Also, the first sign of trouble, Singapore would have mobilised substantial forces forward to aid Malaysia since the Singapore Armed Forces' doctrine is one of 'forward defence' and 'premptive strike'. The air force would also have sent aircraft to forward bases in close support of the troops. Instead, we had a paltry 4 F-16s flying SEAD missions, or was it the same 2 F-16s on two separate missions? And Singapore has about 60 F-16s though 1/3 are based overseas. What about the Apache tank busters? Oh nevermind...I suppose only the Americans can be heroes, although our air force pilots and special forces personnel have consistently won accolades when training with the USAF and the elite troops of the USA. I agree with another reader who said that no Malay (presumably Muslim) man would want to go near a dog, let alone eat it. Also, the Singapore Army uses English as a medium of instruction and Cantonese, though spoken, is not the predominant dialect in Singapore. It is Hokkien, especially in the Armed Forces. Cantonese is more widely used in some parts of Malaysia. Having said that though, I disagree that the Malaysian Army was the only Army that had put down a Communist insurgency as one other reader claimed. The Communist Emergency was before Malaysia became independent of British rule and therefore the Communists were tackled largely by British forces or British controlled forces. Having said all that, the book was still a delicious read. I just hope Mr Herman would drop me an email for research assistance the next time he wishes to write a book on this region. :) Cheers! Hope I've not offended anyone.

Herman should stick to what he knows, military fiction, and leave the politics out. There is too much going on in this story, a major world crisis, the first female president, etc. Each deserves a novel unto itself. Herman over stretches his knowledge on this one.

As an ex-military pilot (and former A-10 driver to boot), I have always appreciated Mr. Herman's use of dialogue, in that his characters talk like real pilots. It's obvious Mr. Herman has an Air Force background. While he's much smarter than I am about the geo-political aspects of the world, I just relate to being the guy who has to go and carry out the desires of the big dogs above me. Mr. Herman gives a real insider's view of both the political side and the warfighter's side. If you're a fan of techno-thrillers, this book is, and the rest of Richard Herman's books are, for you. If you want the inside scoop of how military people think, read his books!