The Price of Power [Mass Market Paperback]

James W. Huston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2000

An admiral is on trial for having defied the President while carrying out the orders of a rebellious Congress; a President is on trial for having failed to act when a crisis threatened his country.

Congressional aide Jim Dillon discovered a little- known provision in the U.S. Constitution, and it plunged the federal government into chaos. Now he struggles to gain control over the extraordinary events his actions precipitated, volunteering for the defence team at the court martial of Admiral Ray Billings, who disregarded a presidential order by leading an assault on foreign terrorists.

Meanwhile, in the South Pacific, a fanatic plans to exploit the weaknesses of an American government in upheaval by brutally shedding American blood and taking innocent citizens hostage. But nothing will prevent a great nation from doing what is right, no matter what the price, not when the honour and the future of America is at stake.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Those who enjoyed Huston's debut in the political-military thriller Balance of Power might take to this near-clone; others probably won't. Returning hero attorney Jim Dillon, top aide to Speaker of the House John Stanbridge, is at the forefront of two high-profile political trials. The first involves the court martial of one Admiral Ray Billings, accused of disobeying a direct presidential order (albeit while following a congressional order), resulting in the death of American troops. The second is the impeachment and Senate trial of President Edward Manchester, also familiar from Balance of Power and now charged with "pacificism" and subsequent dereliction of duty. The narrative is tautly written but mechanical, with few surprises. It begins with the terrorist kidnapping of the CEO (and his wife) of the world's largest American-owned gold mine, in West New Guinea, then segues into military maneuvers involving Navy SEALs. Dillon's role in defense of Billings at the admiral's trial leads to his appointment to the team prosecuting the president at the impeachment trial. Much of the legal manipulation at that trial depends on semantic technicalities and ingenious interpretations of the Constitution, leading to a grandstanding conclusion. In the midst of these wranglings and legal heroics, Dillon continues to pursue his personal relationship with attorney Molly Vaughan. Readers attuned to Huston's lockstep plotting ought to be able to guess the outcome, but they should be impressed anyway by the authenticity of the author's procedural details, apparently based on his experience as a lawyer, Top Gun graduate and former naval flight officer. The cartoonish characterization of the pacifist president, however, who more or less blames the U.S. for WWII, lacks credibility, and the hawkish politics that pervade the narrative may turn off some readers.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this sequel to the successful Balance of Power, an admiral who has defied orders by invading a small Indonesian island is court-martialed by an angry presidentAwho in turn is targeted for (of all things) impeachment.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Avon (March 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380731606
• ISBN-13: 978-0380731602
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Political

More About the Author

James W. Huston grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana and attended the University of South Carolina on a Navy ROTC scholarship. He majored in History with a minor in English. During his senior summer he did an exchange cruise with the French Navy then attended the University of Warwick in England to study English Reformation history and English literature.

After college he received his Navy wings as a Naval Flight Officer and was assigned to VF-84, the Jolly Rogers on the USS Nimitz. With others in VF-84, he participated in making the movie, The Final Countdown, including flying in numerous scenes and filming and directing others. While with the Jolly Rogers he was selected to attend TOPGUN.

After leaving active duty he attended the University of Virginia School of Law. He moved to San Diego to join a firm and began flying in the Navy Reserves. After a few years he transferred his reserve duty to Naval Intelligence.

He started writing in the early 90s by writing op/ed pieces for the San Diego Union-Tribune. After a couple of years of writing for the paper, he decided to try fiction. Like many aspiring writers, neither his first novel nor his second was accepted for publication. But his third was different. It combined all his experience into a compelling story -- military action, political intrigue, and Constitutional Law. He found a clause in the U.S. Constitution that hadn't been used since 1812. He posed the simple question: "What if it was used today? What would happen?"

His other novels have built on the same themes. Politics. Law. Military action. Some have more of one area than the others, but they remain true to his style and ask compelling questions while providing a thrilling read. His eighth novel, FALCON SEVEN, is due to be released on May 11, 2010.

James W. Huston is a partner in the international law firm of Morrison & Foerster and works in the San Diego office. For additional information on his books visit his website: www.JamesWHuston.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another terrific page turner, November 28, 1999

By 

John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Price of Power: A Novel (Hardcover)

I ordered both of Mr. Huston's books at the same time and started them just before Thanksgiving. After three days I had read them both, enjoyed them thoroughly and lost much sleep. It may be trite to say that he writes like Tom Clancy without the tedious technical explanations. It may also be a bit innacurrate as I enjoyed him more than TC. Huston is especially good with dialogue and these characters came alive for me. Clinton is lucky that Jim Dillon is a fictional character and not one of the Managers of Impeachment. I agree with the reader who would have liked to know more about the bad guy "George Washington". The characters in the book wanted to also as they realized the nature and extent of the armaments and techical equipment they possessed and asked the Butch Cassidy question: "Who are these guys"? I tend to agree that there will not be a three-peat...but you may recall that they could not i.d. GW, if that was in fact him who had his face blown off. In any event, if political/military/action novels are of interest to you, you could not do better than to read Mr. Huston. I am now a BIG fan!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Huston could have stopped at page 303 - and still won big!, July 25, 1999

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Price of Power: A Novel (Hardcover)

I'm still catching my breath. Two memoranda and a research project lay unfinished on my desk: I simply had to finish this book.

Every character is sharply defined: the bile rises against the bad guys - and you want to cheer the good men and women on to victory.

The plot is beautifully honed. Literally every word advances the story. The anti-climax at page 303 is powerful. I was immediately frightened that Huston couldn't keep the story going with the same force. Happily I was wrong: there are another pulse-pounding 128 pages ahead.

As with any truly great thriller, the ultimate disappointment emerges when you finish the last page. You want more. These characters have become your friends (at least the good guys have) and you want them to immediately commence their next adventure.

Thank you, Mr. Huston. It was nice to get entirely away from my petty problems because you wrote a book that I simply could not put down.

Jerry

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars US Navy 2 Bad Guys 0, July 27, 1999

By 

Jeff Slater - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Price of Power: A Novel (Hardcover)

What a great follow-up to Huston's first novel. Pardon the cliche, but, I couldn't put it down. Fast-moving, plausible, and a true political thriller that weaves great action seamlessly into the storyline. The only negative comment I have is that I don't see a third book in this "series". Not really sure if the same characters can be utilized again. I was a Huston fan after "Balance of Power". Now I am a "groupie".