Customer Reviews

The Silent Service: Grayback Class

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

 

 

This book was a page turner. It held more than enough suspense to keep me going. While the character depth wasn't all it could be, you still cared about their well being. The action in this book was excellent, and even though the plot sounds thin, that is probably the way that information was found on the Russian Akula class subs. A fine read, and I'll watch for the next Silent Service to come out.

Being a big fan of the techno-thriller genre, and a huge fan of submarines, buying this book was a no brainer. Now I was unfamiliar with the author, but Riker drops you right into the driver's seat of both the state-of-the-art Los Angeles class as well as the aging Grayback, and doesn't let you up for air. The book has something for everyone from SEAL teams to skulking Russian attack subs to a climax that has to be read! Talk about the edge of my seat! Someone read this, and go "hmm.. we could make that into a movie!" A throughly good read, and I can't wait until his next Silent Service book comes out in Spring 2001

You'll either like it or not. I'm looking forward to the next one. This was far better than his SEAL series where he copied the real life work of others (from their autobiography / books) Only a couple of technical mistakes, but a page turner none the less.

I usually don't write reviews for books, especially one this old. But I'm making the exception to warn others not to bother with this one. This book is fraught with idiotic plot omissions and problems. It gets worse as one gets farther into the book. One thinks that, yes, it will get better but, no, it doesn't. I've read several fine sub novels and this is not one of them. The writing is fairly good but the plot is unbelievable and highly unrealistic. Now this is NOT written as a fantasy or stretched novel but instead of realistic one. They steam an old Grayback class diesel sub in the Russian white sea and there's no shore based radar guarding the entrance? Or decent patrols? The action when it does occur is just plain stupid. The Russian are presented like idiots not even adequately protecting their major "secret" military base. Very one sided and unrealistic. Other authors do a much, much better job of presenting realistic scenarios. The big end finale is marred by the utter absurdity of the nuke boat (accompanying the grayback diesel sub) shutting down its nuclear reactor and running on its backup diesel WHILE UNDERWATER. For a couple of hours. Ok, this is really stupid. The diesel requires air, huge quantities of air. Running it underwater is impossible because it will suck up ALL the air in the boat in seconds killing the crew and shutting itself down due to lack of air. Ridiculous. So perhaps this was a fitting end, a big idiotic impossibility, ending a string of poor and unrealistic plot elements and actions. This is one book for waste paper basket. Plop! There it goes now into the trash. Scratch one pretend sub writer that's not worth reading.

Riker just keeps on turning out great books. This one is no different. He went from Navy Seals to the Silent Service without a hitch. I have read every one of his books and I,m not going to stop now.

This is an enjoyable page-turner. It's not Clancy's _Hunt for Red October_, and the plot pushes reality a bit, but anyone who liked _Red October_ should enjoy this book.

Sorry all you sub/military fans, but I had a hard time picking this one up once I had started. It was sluggish and stayed that way. In the beginning we have about 2 chapters with the Russians and then they're not heard from again for about 3/4 of the book. This was supposed to be a big bang post-Cold War, and the enemy's mostly missing. The acronyms are handled poorly and there are things that get mentioned and lost again. I felt there was maybe only one chapter worth reading at all... If you're into action, don't bother.