Customer Reviews

Showdown: USA vs. Militia

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

 

 

I thought this book was great. I notice you guys ragging on the military realism of ian slaters' works. that's alright, but you guys say it takes out of the enjoyment or whatever you may get out of a "good" book. let me remind you that this is a book of "fiction," meaning not real. so maybe he doesn't know every little thing about the military but I thought he wrote it well and it made for in, my opinion, a very exciting and involving book with lots of action. P.S. I think clancy's books are hard to follow and slaters are not, but that's just my opinion

I rather enjoyed this book. The old favorites from the WW III series are back. General Freeman is called upon to lead Federal forces against the militia. The good thing is that he acts like the General Freeman of old and not the "head in the clouds" version of the WWIII South China Sea. I think this should be a great series. However, the militia is shown as blood thirsty savages. I disagree with this tact. Overall, it is a decent enough book!

I read this one and the previous addition to the USA vs Militia series and was a bit dissappointed with this one. While the last book ended rather abruptly, it was overall quite good. Unfortunately I can't say the same about this one. Some of the drawbacks in this one: 1) Australian slang infiltrates the slang of Americans. 2) The main character of Douglas Freeman doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes in the last book (hint: think paratroop drop in this one and compare to what happened in the last book when Freeman went after the militia with a special force). 3) The FBI doesn't seem to learn either (you'll know what I mean once you read it). 4) the reader wants to see Freeman knocked on his butt for once (always a bad sign for your book's protagonist). About 2/3rds of the way through the book, I was about ready to call it quits but the last third injected a badly needed dose of suspense. The book's main strong point is the unusual nature of its subject matter. Read it for those who just can't get enough of future American civil war scenarios.

Here is a more or less mainstream version of the predicted Civil War that many people expect to engulf the United States. The War starts out over a dispute by wacko environmentalists, idiotic federal laws, and those American fossils that still value rugged individualism. Militias, so much maligned by today's press, have been training and preparing for the day when, as they repeatedly say, "we can have a country of our own". After first blood is drawn by the usual federal thug agencies -- a man's wife and children are holocausted -- civil conditions rapidly deteriorate. The militias, well trained by former military officers now turned revolutionaries, have become a force to be reckoned with. Military cache's are raided or otherwise obtained through the black market. Then, in the Northwest, the war begins. The militias, their ranks further swelled by a diverse populations of the disenfranchised American populations -- Racialist skinheads, National Alliance, Christian fundamentalists, various victims of the system. Surprising the world, these rebels score success after success over the police, and the regular armed forces. It is only when they come up against the "Special Forces" that trouble arises. Slater has written a graphic and technically detailed description of the Civil War which has yet to occur. Being a mainstream writer, he is careful not to get too carried away and has a mainstream ending with the chance for a sequel.

i found usa vs. the miltia to be outstanding. I feel that General Freeman to be one of the most entertaining characters that I have read about in years. I could not even imagine what movie star could accurately portray him. The story is very interesting, but do I think that it could happen in America? No. I cannot wait for the next book and I hope that Brentwood, Aussie and the rest of the rest of the guys are included. I look forward to the next World War Three book ,because I know that the Chinese are not finished.

The book showed both sides of the conflict in an equal perspective. However, Ian Slater didn't seem to put the same amount of emotion into this work as he has in his previous works. Even though it was entertaining reading, it seemed a bit on the dry side. The book seemed to drag on in certain spots. As a fan of Mr. Slater, I feel that this book was somewhat lacking the detail of his past works. I didn't seem to get a feel of the characters as I have been able to in his past novels. In his previous books I felt as if I personally knew the characters, I felt their pain and their joy, but not this time, the characters seemed too one sided this time around.

Although I liked Ian Slaters WWIII series (despite the many innaccuracies it was still highly entertaining) I think that if you want to read about a civil war try our own war between the states before picking up SHOWDOWN. He isn't superior to Clancy. Clancy's materials are more researched and the battles are far more realistic. Ian Slater spends too much time making the Militias lookout to be like redneck -hippie religious dopes instead of Americans angry with the system. Freeman is too gung ho. To read a bout a real general try R E Lee, US Grant, Stonewall Jackson or Tom Clancys study on General Franks. (Although I lost the title in my brain it is an excellent book on American leadership during Desert Storm. Franks should be a hero.) Militias are not as racist as Slater makes them out to be and the war is to small scale to be considered a new civil war. And what the heckie darn is up with the fighters on the cover!!!! There was no fighter duels in the book and ! those jets on the cover looked like Japanese anime'!!!!! To read a good book on the 1st civil war try Shelby Footes trilogy. For the second- not this one. To read a good Slater novel try WWIII's best the very first one.

A book that I found deserved to be read. When I found this book I had been waiting for a plot like this, and Ian Slater did not dissapoint me one bit. This book is great for first time Ian Slater readers. It might take awhile to get caught up with the characters as a first time reader, but it doesnt ruin the story. One thing I like about this book is that it isnt USM wins, USM wins, USM wins, end or book. In some points the militia come out strong and actually push back the USM and kill a government official with a cell phone bomb (liked that part). Following the guy that blew up the official as he traveled up to the militias with a guy he picked up I found to be exciting. There were many surprises to me that I didnt necessarily guess I would find, but I did. I also like the part about the bridge and the parachutes proving, the United States Military isnt perfect. If you are a first time reader of Ian Slater, this is a good book, if your not, still should be a good read.

This is Slater's worst book ever!!! He portrays the militias as an organized fighting unit that could give the airborne guys an good fight!!! Hah! Slater, obviously do not know anything about the militia movement in America. They could never fight a convential battle with American military units because they would have been smashed. And I knew that he would portray the real Americans as the baby killers and those stupid militia guys as heroes. It seems that Slater's vast military knowledge vanished while writing this book. Stick to the WWIII series if you want to continue writing good books, Mr. Slater.

And so could I. This book as most of his others is another long drawn out adventure of some outrageous military tatics. While the threat is real, no real militia is so organized as to join up with all the others to suceed from the Union. And he always seems that every American general is either a suck-up or a flamboyant, egotistical, combination George S. Patton/Douglas MacArthur/Dwight D. Eisenhower/Stormin' Norman. And that only a real general would lead his troops from the front and lead them into the battle itself. If you want to read it, please do so with your brain turned off...