Customer Reviews

Silver Tower

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Silver Tower is a fast-paced book that depicts a war over the control of Iran. Set in 1992 (a bit dated, USSR was dead then), this book revolves around an American space station called Armstrong, but nicknamed Silver Tower because of it's anti-laser reflective armor. The problem is that Silver Tower has yet only begun to test it's weapons systems, and now the station commander wants the platform to use as a military surveillance station. He does not consider the consequences, as the Soviets will do anything to rid the skies of this battle station, which gives the Americans unmatched control of the region. Problem: For an air force officer (ret.), Brown seems to be biased heavily towards the Soviets. Not only are their missiles able to decimate an American carrier force (protected by two Ticonderoga-class AD cruisers!), but their planes and guns and bombs perform better. Even the language use (The American planes screeched, the Soviet planes roared with immeasurable fury and power) depicts a frail, weak American nation and a roaring, powerful, abusive, unstoppable, Union of Soviet Socailist Republics JUGGERNAUT! Besides that, this was a really good book.

Silver Tower is excitement from page one. This tells the story of a US space station that must direct US forces during a Soviet invasion of Iran. Consequently, they find themselves the target of advanced Russian forces. Plus a rare female protagonist in a techno-thriller. Great work from a master of the genre.

This one was actually written before Flight of the Old Dog, but was published after Old Dog came on the market. A very interesting sci-fi style plot here, which unfortunaltely lacks the realism of his other books. However, this is after all, fiction and the story moves along with all the fast pace of a Clive Cussler book! The space station ideas were well used. the American hypersonic plane was right out of a 1950s sci-fi B movie and the Russian space fighters were a feasible idea. A few inaccuracies - the Nighthawk is actually F-117, not F-19, but considering this was written in 1987 before they were properly used in combat one can let Dale Brown get away with that. As well as the space action scenes, which would look great in a big screen movie, the action on the ground is highly riveting as well. The Iranian sequences are particularly realistic you can feel you're there as airfields are blown to smithereens and foxholes are surrounded, Larry Bond style! Altogether, one worth a read, though Shadows of Steel and Sky Masters are the best!

Mr. Brown is apparently completely ignorant of basic chemistry, physics, and the space program. He introduces a complex laser weapon system that has essentially been created by a single person, although it contains superconducting relays (which would have to be keep near absolute zero of temperature)and a magnetohydrodynamic power source. He thinks that sodium carbonate and nitric acid will produce nitrogen gas, not carbon dioxide, and that this gas could lift a rocket. He thinks that a satellite could pass over the same spot on the earth in every orbit, in spite of the rotation of the earth. All of his descriptions of the U. S. and Soviet space programs are highly unrealistic, as are his description of the limited war, which surely would have started World War III. All in all, this is the most annoying book that I have read in recent years. I am ashamed to have spent enough time on the book to have read it all. However, I am glad that it checked it out of the public library and did not spend any money on it.

I found this book after someone gave me "Flight of the Old Dog", which I thoroughly enjoyed. This, however, is just a dog. I gave up before reading the last hundred pages. I came on Amazon because I was curious if anyone would even write reviews of a book written in 1988. I guess so!

The book is very dated, and Dale Brown's knowledge of space hardware and engineering is surprisingly limited for someone who said he has always been a space nut and consulted NASA in the Author's Notes. Even without hindsight, it's ludicrous. After the Challenger accident, NASA hops into high gear and modifies the Enterprise dummy shuttle to fly (technically impossible), suddenly gets shuttles flying once a month, and builds a gigantic military space station that would probably take about a hundred manned and unmanned missions to assemble, maybe more (in addition to three or four civilian research stations), all in four years. Oh, and the new shuttle and station have super-advanced shielding from lasers and missiles.

If that doesn't make you roll your eyes, I'll just say that the techno-babble is boring and stilted, the characters are simplistic, irritating, retarded, obnoxious cardboard cutouts, the plot is ponderous and irrational, and the results as predictable as an episode of 'Three's Company'. The only reason I give it two stars is because it involves space, and that is one of my true loves, no matter how badly handled.

As an avid Dale Brown reader and someone who has all his books, Silver Tower is the one I have read the most. The technology on display is simply incredible but not so far fetched you disbelieve it. The characters are well developed and the plot is superb, moving along at such a pace that you cannot wait to turn the page. I guarantee you will reach the end of the book and wonder how you read it so quickly! I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a cracking techno-thriller from the world's best writer.

This book turned into a good read. In this book the Soviet
Union invades Iran. Iran has a new potential leader and is making
attempts to shed the radical image.The United States is forced
to defend Iran when it is invaded by the Soviet Union.The Arm-
strong Staion is a space station that also has a laser weapon on
it.The space station starts providing the United States ket
warnings about Soviet attacks.The Russians decide to destroy the
space station.They don't finish the job. The space station is
brought back to life.The Soviets pay a price when this happens.
This is a very interesting book that will give you a keen insight
into laser technology. Buy it and read it. You will not be
dissapointed.

Dale Brown never fails to give the reader his investment back in hard hitting adventure. He is driven to be precise and detail orientated in his description of every detail and the sci-fi enthusiast in all of us has his bell rung every time.

enjoyable enough tosh....is it just me, or does the USS California morph from a 58,000 tonne battleship to an 11,000 tonne guided missle cruiser half way through??? mehh....

A great book that although published quite a few years ago is an engaging tale of possible near-future spy technology and warfare.