Customer Reviews

Rules of Command: A Novel of the U.S. Navy Under Siege

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After reading two other books written by Ms. Mobley I have found this book to be one of the best book I have picked up in quite a while. I got the books out of order from the way they were written but none the less the story line was well written and the happenings very believable. I am looking forward to future books written by Ms. Mobley.

Rules of Commnad kept me turning page after page, I had to know if Bailey would be able to pull out of this one and keep her crew alive. A terrific read, great for the beach days to come.

The best Mobley yet. A fast developing political/military crisis demands decisive action to avoid a major catastrophe. Is Jerusha Bailey and the Navy up to the challenge? This is a believable piece ripped out of the headlines. C.A. Mobley, a retired 20-year Naval officer, bases the action on her detailed knowledge of Navy capabilities and procedures. Excellent.

Confusing but intriguing tale that seems to get better as it progresses, then in the last few pages this USN warship blasts its way into the Panama Canal and sails uphill without benefit of locks! It even sails back to the Pacific before the gates are replaced! Magic... Or sheer stupidity.

Not as much action as I expected, but Mobley did a good job creating tension. The situation just keeps getting worse and worse for the U.S. as the Chinese restrict traffic into the Panama Canal and blow up merchent ships with manned torpedoes. The interest level really peaked as Commander Bailey's Intel unit and the destroyer USS Jouett make a harrowing escape out of the Canal. Good character development. Bailey is one heck of a smart lady. Lt. Cmdr. Collins makes for a great protagonist with her itchy trigger finger personality. The head-butting between her and Jouett's CO, Captain Renninger, after they accidentally shoot down the Panamanian President's plane was handled well. Really liked Green Beret Billy Elwell. Always helpful to Bailey, seems like a nice, regular guy, but knows how to make his way through all the shady places in Panama. One of the best characters had to be torpedo pilot T'sing Lin. I loved how little by little his fears over his impending suicide mission wear him down mentally. The more he tries to put on a brave front, the more he drowns in his fear of dying.

This is a true page turner that trancends the usual "military techno-thriller" category. Without the usual things that go along with novels of this ilk (i.e. mindless bravado, senseless violence, gratuitous sex, etc.), the author still provides much technical knowledge, and insider expertise that lends itself to the overall story. It made me question the agenda and motivations of the military and State Department organizations, but these kind of things are what a good story will do for you. I look forward to reading more fine novels from this new and exciting author in the future --- well worth the search and the price!

Obviously written by someone who knows the Navy and knows enough technology to move it into a believable "next step." The story focuses on an attempted takeover of the Panama Canal with dire international consequences. The navy finds itself both the victim and hero of this coup and the author convinces you it could happen. Naval assets and personnel are deployed in an interesting tempo of action and interaction. While occasionally the mission and capabilities of some elements are strectched, that is done with good literary effect. Only a purist would object. Overall, a terrific read. I'm glad to have discovered this relatively newly published author.

This was pretty bad. I can't see where the main character - Commander Jerusha Bailey - did anything. It almost looked as if the book was written, unsuccessfully, for the sole pupose of trying to find a plausible scenario in which female navy officer could be depicted a super-hero.

C.A. Mobley is apparently a 20 year veteran of the naval service; unfortunately, a majority of that time must not have been spent at sea on combatant warships. The limited understanding of watchstanding procedures mixed with ill prepared research of current weapon systems and ships truly undermines any literary capability of the author.

A naval officer who's stood the watch and taken a fast ship into harm's way, I was truly disappointed to learn that a former naval officer could write such drivel with pride. For a better understanding of the U.S. Navy, read the books by George Galdorisi.