Customer Reviews

Seas of Crisis: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yet another outstanding book from Joe Buff. Find a comfortable place to sit, brew a pot of hot coffee and get comfortable because it's a non-stop read. What baffles me is how Buff continues to find complex twists to add throughout the book for his hero, Jeff Fuller, to resolve. And what an ending! Never saw it coming and literally couldn't put it down for those last 50 pages (despite the protestations of my wife). Meticulous research lends credence and authenticity (Buff has published expert journal articles on submarine warfare) to the technical details and to the fantastic plot twists. His takes on domestic and international politics are believable, engaging and exciting. I enjoy his work not only for the adventure thrill but for his keen insight on geopolitical possibilities. Do not wait for the paperback. Do not wait for remainders. This is a great read.

Just in case you had any doubts, `Seas of Crisis' is proof positive that Joe Buff owns the submarine warfare genre. The thrill ride begins the second that Jeffrey Fuller opens his sealed orders. As a newly-minted Commodore, he must lead his beloved USS Challenger and a stealthy Seawolf class nuclear attach submarine (USS Jimmy Carter) on a desperate mission to end the U.S.-Axis war. Success will save millions of lives, and force a brutal war to its conclusion. Failure will push the world from war to nuclear apocalypse. There are no good choices: only bad options and worse options.

How does it all come out? Pick up a copy of the book and find out for yourself. I finished reading `Seas of Crisis' two days ago, and I'm still surfing an adrenaline high.

Jeff Edwards, Naval Warfare Specialist, and author of "Torpedo"

Joe Buff, the author that is most often compared to the likes of Tom Clancy, has done it again with his newest undersea thriller "Seas of Crisis." This novel has it all from heroes, villains and potential catastrophic events. It will grab you by the seat of your pants and drag you willingly into the depths of its story as you remain transfixed and unable to put the book down. It would be an understatement to say that it is a page burner; that would be like saying that a ton of napalm dropped on someone might ruin their day. This book is Joe's best efforts in a long string of very good books.

The plot is made to seem plausible and the characters feel real. Good word phrasing and technological descriptions. One actually begins to believe the story line--which means that the author hooked us right in once again.

There is something very special about Joe Buff's newest novel. If you are already a fan of his other novels then you will be wonderfully surprised at the new level of action and suspense that this volume offers us. This is a must read and must buy book! The MWSA gives it its HIGHEST RATING - FIVE STARS! This book looks like a clear cut candidate for many awards this year - including the best work of naval fiction for 2006!

In "Seas of Crisis", submarine driver Jeff Fuller takes a break from duking it out undersea with the subs of the German/South African Axis. This latest installment of Joe Buff's saga pitting Americans against a newly-resurgent Imperial Germany sends Fuller towards the frontier of the Russian federation. His mission is outrageous, impossible and borders on atrocity, but it's apparently the last hope the allies have of containing the implacable Germans. In "Seas", Fuller escorts a Seawolf-class sub tasked with depositing a troop of special forces troops into a remote sector of the Russian Federation, which is technically neutral in the war against Germany, but provides technical and material support. Once ashore, the troop will assume the identities of Spetznaz - special Russian troops - and commandeer a Russian ICBM silo. Their target: the Continental United States. The plan hinges on the Russians blaming the attack on Germans in disguise. Once "convinced" of German treachery, the Russians will cut off their aid to the Germans and help turn the tide against them.

Maybe...

I couldn't remember which book of Buff's was read last so, when I needed a sub-book, I simply grabbed his newest. "Seas" is a great read, displaying much of Buff's ability to imagine a coherent science of submarine warfare of the near future. There are some problem spots (the details of the convoluted plan to convince the Russians that the intruders are German troops in disguise, rather than American troops mimicking German intruders masquerading as Russians - Buff has his characters go through the different permutations of the plan in a way that brings the story to a halt) though the story remains compelling enough to keep you glued. Buff also has a tendency to smooth over what should be the roughest and most challenging parts of the story (the nearly botched infiltration of the missile base, and the extended submarine hunt near the end, where Fuller is forced to prolong the masquerade by leading a wolfpack of Russian subs against a fellow USN boat) but provides enough action to keep you onboard. The most thrilling part of the story doesn't even occur on a ship - rather it's Fuller's battle of wits with a Russian officer ready to believe that the missile intrusion really was an American ploy. Definitely a great read.

I've read all of this author's books and continue to be intrigued w/ the strategy & expertise. This is the hardest series I've ever had to put down & now arrive at the fateful end of the series until another book is available. Alas, the painful lag between publishing & reading!

Another good book by a submarine-adventure author I enjoy. Amazon provides a good way to find early books by authors one enjoys. Books are consistently in the condition advertised and are shipped promptly.

In about 1989, when the USSR tossed in the cold-war towel, many authors who for years had been devising intrigues involving East versus West felt impelled to come up with new villains and political milieus. Or perhaps they felt a bit liberated in this regard. At any rate, in this novel, Joe Buff has devised a new evil axis that pairs two old nemeses of the U.S. -- Germany and Russia. This should shorten the learning curve for his readers and give his story a bit of a quick start by playing on our pre-existing animosities.

The story here finds Buff deploying his skill as an author of procedurals, the category of novel that devotes much space to detailing the protocols and gadgetry utilized by organizations such as the police or the military. Buff's specialty is the submarine service. At times, the procedural minutiae slow the action more than a little, as we are informed about a multitude of technicalities, such as where the bayonet attachment is located on a rifle and how the cartridges are arranged in a clip, etc. This includes an 18-page exposition of the pros and cons and what-ifs of a scam our protagonists are planning to carry out in an attempt to alienate Germany from Russia and thereby save the world from falling into the wrong hands. I suppose all this detail lends some verisimilitude and enhances the vicarious experience for many readers. Once the action starts, however, procedures recede enough to let the battle proceed apace, so that the second half of the book provides a satisfying helping of derring-do.

I have read eveyone of Joe Buff's books in ths series and this one is as good and interesting as the first one.

Until recently, I've very much enjoyed Joe Buff's books (and I've read them all). The near-future setting allowed him to explore some terrifying and fascinating ideas about limited nuclear warfare. However, his last two books have been based on plots that are increasingly hard to believe, even in fiction such as this. In particular, Seas of Crisis has a plot that is simply not believable. I'm not going to reveal anything to spoil the story here - obviously others have enjoyed this particular work - but if you're new to Joe Buff's novels, I recommend you start at the beginning and read his earliest, and best novels. Then, if you simply must have more, go ahead and read this - but you've been warned, the plot is as corny and improbable as they come.

--- Update, December 2010 ----
In re-reading my review, it is clear to me that it is too harsh, so I have
upgraded the rating by one star, and apologized to Mr. Buff (see comments).