Pax Pacifica [Paperback]

Steve R. Pieczenik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

International crisis manager Desaix Clark, last seen in Maximum Vigilance, is sent to China to assess the threat that this nation could pose to the United States. At first it seems that his major concern is the two Chinese leaders vying for power, but it soon becomes evident that he may be an expendable pawn in a much deadlier game that will affect the entire globe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Intricate Oriental intrigue lies at the heart of this psycho-political thriller from Pieczenik (Maximum Vigilance), who once again turns to crafty Cajun protagonist Dr. Desaix Clark to solve an international crisis. This time, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs must travel to China to defuse the rivalry between Prime Minister Lee Ann Wu ("ambitious, willful, and manipulative") and her Defense Minister, General Y.K. Chang ("an ugly, ruthless son of a bitch"). Clark also must determine if the pair's shady maneuvers with Taiwan and Japan are designed to unite East Asia or to generate a war that will bring a new balance of power to the region. Once in China, Clark finds diplomacy giving way to danger as he is taken hostage by Chang, and to romance as he dallies with Prime Minister Wu. Pieczenik's story line is tangled, sometimes overly so, but a wealth of fascinating detail about contemporary China (rampant pollution in Beijing; cannibalism in the provinces) makes it more enticing. Throughout, moreover?and especially in scenes like the gripper in which Clark is forced to watch a man being tortured?Piecznik's ability to excavate ever deeper layers of character motivation is on full display, making this a strong bet for thriller fans who prefer the firing of neurons to the firing of guns.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A thriller based on a fundamental tenet of Sun Tzu's Art of War: Wars are won not on the battlefield, but in the minds of men. After trying to disentangle the minds here, we'll take the action, please. Assistant Secretary of State Desaix Clark (hero of Maximum Vigilance, 1992) is sent to Beijing by his friend and boss, Secretary of State Jim Moffat, to avert a Chinese/Japanese invasion of Taiwan. His initial meeting with Prime Minister Lee Ann Wu is rife with hidden meanings underlying the chatter about food and culture; Desaix, also a psychiatrist, is happy to engage in the minister's mind games. When Ann reveals a possibly apocryphal conflict with her defense minister, General Y.K. Chang, Desaix is torn between negotiating with Chang, who periodically detains him in torture chambers, or with Ann, who proves to be mentally unstable. His uncertainty extends to all the top officials he meets from China, Japan, and Taiwan, any of whom may be vying for pan-Asian control. He and his entourage, which includes CIA Beijing Station Chief Phoebe Hill, race via underground tunnel, rail, and ship to Shanghai, where an international delegate will attempt to reach a resolution before war erupts. Desaix gradually uncovers the most shocking secret of all regarding bureaucratic rivalry between the US State Department and the CIA. Realizing that he is being used as a pawn between Ann and Chang, Desaix is now unable to trust even his old friend Jim. The narrative embodies Sun Tzu's state of formlessness, in which the warrior follows his adversary with a plan that has no constant shape, observing and waiting until he has the opportunity to strike. Unfortunately, the complex deceptions and lack of structure create a difficult reading experience. The mental gymnastics Desaix employs to get himself out of dangerous situations are lost on baffled readers. Pieczenik uses Chinese philosophy to weave a web so intricate that it's opaque and abstruse. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Time Warner International (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446602507
• ISBN-13: 978-0446602501
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Give 'Pax' the Ax, April 7, 2009

By 

MntTrekker (Carmichael, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pax Pacifica (Paperback)

This is the most dull and tedious book I've read in a long time.

The first five pages are exciting and intriguing. Don't be misled. That is the only real action in the entire book. The rest of it is convoluted dialog, both internal and external (and often inane), in which the protangonist is invariably left wondering what's really going on. The reader is left even more clue-less.

The best thing I can say about this novel is that I'm glad I'm done with it. Call me an idiot, but I actually did read it all. The worst is that I ever started.

Now I know why I've never enjoyed any of the books in which Pieczenik collaborates with Clancy half as much as a real Clancy novel.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Rare to read a book I wanted more to refrain from finishing., November 29, 1998

By 

Furst (Florence, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pax Pacifica (Paperback)

Written in the spirit of Pieznik's works with Clancy, this book looks and reads more like an outline for the development of one of their joint efforts. Knowing a smidgen about Piecznik's background from the jacket cover, I understand Clancy's desire for his insights. However, if this book is an example of the contribution made by Piecznik to the Op Cneter books, maybe he should have refrained. Clancy's books, even with this co-author, are excellnet.

Pax Pacifica contains the same twisting plots and incessant introduction of new characters. These factors lead to the prevention of the true development of the characters and the lack of flushing out of the plots. One thing we do know about the main character, the Assistant Secretary of State, is that he wants and needs friends and friendship. Action in the Op-Center concerns itself with the ordering of pizza, with extra cheese, for his co-workers while out of no where the pacific rim is preparing for war. This crisis, the fear of World War III, disappears at the end of the chapter as an assistant goes to meet the pizza delivery man. Fortunately, all of the chapters are short, allowing them to be disoriented and apparently unfinished, without getting the reader too interested or too involved before the chapter fizzles.

Speaking of unfinished, I hope to complete this book today and pray that the end somehow ties it all together.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and exciting, highly predictive engrossing novel., April 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pax Pacifica (Hardcover)

Though not an easy ready for the careless consumer, this book has incredible insight into Chinese national character, negotiations and the current political stand off between China and the U.S. Considering it was written four or five years ago, it accurately predicted the exact scenario that has evolved with respect to U.S. Chinese relationships especially related to commerce, espionage secrets in nuclear technology and the current failure of the Chinese economy.