Mission Compromised: A Novel [Hardcover]

Oliver North (Author), Joe Musser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

"U.S. Marine Major Peter Newman, A highly decorated hero, was content doing his job- leading his troops into harms way. He was good at it. But the White House had other plans for him. When Newman is handpicked for a dangerous clandestine operation as the head of the White House Special Projects Office, his orders are clear- hunt down and eliminate terrorists before they attack the United States with weapons of mass destruction. From the corridors of power in Washington to the heart of the Middle East, Newman finds himself on an assignment so sensitive that it's known only to a handful of officials as he becomes entagled in a nightmarish web of intrigue, revenge, and betrayal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's hard to figure out just what North has in mind here: a little payback, perhaps, for some of the controversial ex-Marine's treatment by the Beltway establishment? A Christian tract disguised as a topical thriller? An attempt to use every single governmental abbreviation-from AmCits (American citizens) to WHDB (White House Data Base)-in one book? This giant novel (the first in a projected series of three) fits every one of those criteria, and also has a plot so convoluted that a snake might get motion sickness and characters so thin they make Tom Clancy look like Jane Austen. After flashbacks to three sets of killings in 1986, the narrative skips to 1994, when a career Marine Corps officer, Maj. Peter Newman, arrives at the Clinton White House to head a special projects office that hasn't been manned since another Marine-Oliver North-was booted out in 1987. "Look, if you think I'm going to accept a job only to go down in flames like he did, you'd better think again. I'll resign my commission first," Newman growls. But the major, who lost a younger brother in the military disaster at Mogadishu recounted in Black Hawk Down, takes the job when he realizes it will let him go after the warlords (including a rich Saudi called Osama bin Laden) responsible for that debacle. In a preface dated December 14, 2001, Fox News reporter North writes from aboard a U.S. warship with troops bound for Afghanistan, thanking coauthor Musser for his "gift for words" that "has made my military phraseology comprehensible to civilians." Perhaps those thanks were premature.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

North's debut thriller, the first of a three-novel series, is set in the mid-1990s and revolves around Maj. Peter J. Newman, a U.S. Marine assigned to a top-secret National Security Council staff position at the White House. (Guess whose old job and office Newman occupies.) Newman is ordered to coordinate a covert operation to eliminate a group of international law breakers including Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. When the mission is compromised, Newman and his personnel are left hanging, and a series of events unfolds exposing God's hand in Newman's life. While there will be strong demand from North's legion of fans and where T. Davis Bunn is popular, this novel is an irritating act of hubris. By having his character conveniently discover evidence that proves North acted with the full authority of the White House in the Iran-Contra scandal, the author uses fiction to clear his muddied name and get his version of the truth out to the public.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 605 pages
• Publisher: Broadman & Holman Publishers; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805425500
• ISBN-13: 978-0805425505
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #799,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Minor Speed Bumps Can't Stop This Thriller!, September 9, 2002

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mission Compromised: A Novel (Hardcover)

After reading the Publishers Weekly review I was uncertain about diving into a book of over 600 pages. Nevertheless, the sharp-looking cover and intriguing liner notes sucked me into the story...and, boy, am I glad!

Despite a few minor speed bumps, "Mission Compromised" is a fast-paced military thriller. We follow the mission of a Marine, Peter Newman, as he coordinates secretive, UN-appointed teams for quick response in global hotspots. He is particularly motivated to see one team become successful in its assignment to assassinate Aidid, the man responsible for the Mogadishu disaster as documented in "Black Hawk Down." Newman's brother was a victim of the massacre, and Newman wants revenge. He also wants to repair his failing marriage, but has few tools to do so. As the story progresses, other factors--Russian, Iraqi, and American--come into focus and threaten Newman's teams, not to mention his very existence.

"Mission Compromised" is a solid thriller. The scope of the characters and plot never equals the scope of a Tom Clancy novel, but the global ramifications of the story do. To call the plot 'convoluted' is to claim amateur status as a reader of espionage novels. With Joe Musser's co-writing, North communicates clearly and effectively, though never oversimplifying the entanglements of any government operation. North's intimate knowledge of his subject matter adds to the breathlessness of the book, particularly in the last third. Sure, the ponderous military parlance might seem overwhelming, but it also underlines the veracity of the story as a whole.

As for speed bumps? Sections of the story do become evangelistic, but they are tame and far from overwhelming. Characters are believable, but never deeply studied. In fact, the book reads most often with the dispassionate delivery of a nonfiction account; when it does dip into emotionalism, it does so subtly--and managed to catch me off-guard on two separate occasions.

My main question upon completing the last page: Where does fiction end and reality begin? Scary stuff. Maybe I'd be safer not knowing.

53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read., October 24, 2002

By 

Eric S. Mccoy, Sr. "Eric McCoy" (Florence, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mission Compromised: A Novel (Hardcover)

Who is better qualified to write a novel about covert missions overseas? Colonel North does an awesome job of explaining military procedure in terms that a civi like me can understand.

The premise of the book circles around covert mission involving the elite British & U.S. Special forces. Their mission: to eliminate terrorists and Saddam Hussein. Their obstacles, besides being killed, corrupt U.N. officials and politicians.

This is also an excellent Christian novel. Colonel North does a realistic job of explaining how a few of the central characters come to know Christ.

If your looking for a novel of full of suspense, action, military missions , and a strong Christian message.... this is the book for you.

Great show Ollie! Look forward to your next work of fiction.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good ending? Bad ending? Great ending? Awful ending?, January 2, 2005

By 

Michael Freeman (Blanchard, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mission Compromised: A Novel (Hardcover)

Fantastic book! As I approached the end of the book, however, I was EXTREMELY disappointed in the ending. That changed, however, as I figured out what the author was doing. (Hint: when you read the book, do NOT skip the epilogue; specifically, the next-to-last sentence.) North and his co-author are fantastic story-tellers.

North writes this book from a Christian perspective, which is a breath of fresh air from this type of novel. Several subplots tie themselves in together as the story winds up.

I've read several other books of war-fiction, and this was by far the best. I'm looking forward to the sequel.