Customer Reviews

The Sixth Fleet #3: Tomcat

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read this novel by request of a friend. The storyline in "Six Fleet Tomcat" by David Meadows was most interesting and in no time I was completely absorbed in the compelling plot.

At times throughout the book I actually felt as though I was part of the action. And make no mistake about it there was plenty of action.

Loved the intrigue. Loved the characters. And, loved the tale of a small group of Marine Corps Survivors involved in a mission that went South of the Boarder (so-to-speak). A very compelling account as these Marines make their way across the Sahara.

"Sixth Fleet Tomcat" was intelligently written by man definately on the rise in the literary world!

John Savoy
C.E.O. & Financial Advisor
Savoy International
Motion Pictures

This was, without a doubt, the best of the series so far. The story telling was so good that even the few technical errors didn't tarnish my enjoyment of the book. It's an excellant read. I look forward to the next book in the series.

As I was hoping, CAPT Meadows is getting better with each book. This book introduced important new characters and smoothly continued the storyline of earlier books. While some of the characters are rather stereotypical, they greatly contribute to the fun of this series. My only real question about this one was: Why is it called Tomcat? A more accurate title would have been Marine.

I felt that Meadows' characterization of the Marines was much better than his prior interlude with the SEALs. I really liked how the gunny kept thinking about the Foreign Legion as the Marines trekked across the Sahara.

A major part of the ongoing storyline in that the Sixth Fleet area is being treated as a sideshow to the conflict in Korea. While we are kept relatively up-to-date on the course of this campaign, I think a parallel series focusing on this theater would be very enjoyable.

Overall, this is the best entry yet in an entertaining series. I eagerly await the next installment.

I have just finished Sixth Fleet Tomcat. What a read. I was thrilled with the authenticity of the battle sequences and the presentation of the way in which battles are fought in this modern world of high technology and emerging intelligence. I found the novel to be outstanding and one that you hate to put down. I was held by the character and plot development and couldn't wait to return to the pages when I was forced to put the book down. Excellent novel David. Keep up the good work.

I just finished The Sixth Fleet: Tomcat and was held in awe with the excellent plot and character development. David E. Meadows is a fantastic writer, who kept me on the edge of my seat while I followed the tale of forces engaged in a whole new battle ... unconventional war. David is impressively knowledgable concerning modern military tactics and develops the combat situation in a realistic manner. He knows the excitement of engaging the enemy and is able to convey this to the reader. Wonderful military/thriller, I look forward to reading the next in the series. Keep up the great work, David.

I just finished "The Sixth Fleet: Tomcat." I was impressed with the character development and the accuracy with which military strategy and equipment was presented. As a retired military officer, David's portrayal of combat is accurate and gives the reader a real sense of how a modern military force operates in a world faced with unconventional threats. I throughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in Military/Thrillers. Great job, David...

Finished reading one of the best ever nail biters I have ever had the pleasure to read. Dave Meadows is a superb writer who knows the real world. He knows how to get the point across while keeping a person guessing and wanting to get to the final page as rapidly as possible. One of the greatest writers of military life and events, I have ever had the pleasure to read. Sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next book to come out. Al Mehlhaff

Another outstanding book in the series, and probably the best so far. Captain Meadows paints very realistic scenarios in an exciting yarn of U.S. and adversary Naval air and surface force action, but there are added bonuses in this piece. The multiple storylines are captivating. From the Marines in the desert to the hapless Ranger 29 crew to the Al Nasser and Oran Air Base and CTF67 -- the author even includes digs for the Army and Air Force! Very well done. Looking forward to the next one.

I'll confess right up front: Dave "Igor" Meadows and I periodically flew reconnaissance missions together in the US 6th Fleet's area many years ago. He remains a legend among those of us in the community who knew him "back then" and is a respected figure now. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to see he had written a novel,"Sixth Fleet", about a year or so ago. Out of curiosity I picked up the volume and in 24 hours had become absorbed by his entertaining style, descriptive abilities, use of dialogue to advance plot and even his wit, especially when it comes to describing the ins and outs of swimming in the "shark"-infested waters inside the Beltway.

His latest volume, "Sixth Fleet: Tomcat" is oddly named, as it focuses on ground operations in the desert, with a large side-dish helping of submarine warfare and the infighting sometimes seen on the currently in-vogue "Joint" war time staffs.
If you read these three books back to back, the discerning reader will be able to watch Meadows grow as a writer. His characters may seem at first to be fitting the techno-thriller "cartoon cutout" requirements, but as he tells the tale of a small group of Marine Corps troops, survivors of a mission gone horribly wrong, as they attempt to make their way across the Sahara with oil drillers and academics, they grow into people with good and bad sides, strengths and weaknesses, just as much as those characters who have chosen to side with a pan-arabic attempt to oust the influence of the United States and others from the Mediterranean area.

Meadows' cuts away from the action periodically to keep readers of the book up to speed with many of the sub-plots that figured much more significantly in the first two volumes of this series. Old friends come back, new ones emerge, but best of all is his delicious portrayal of a politically-connected Army general sent from Washington to take overall command of allied forces trying to rescue hostages in Algeria, while fighting off attacks on US forces from air and undersea while remaining utterly clueless about the nature of the enemy he faces.

I strongly recommend this book. Moreso, I suggest the reader get all three books and read them in order, in order to fully get the flavor of the arcing concepts that Meadows' puts forth in these books. My only complaint is that for the casual reader, this volume does little to fill you in on the back story for the first third of the book. Even then, the reader will be hard put to link all the various plots together without having read the previous two books. That being said, this volume is a wonderful stand alone read, whether on an airplane, at your bedside table or over a long weekend.

The only problem Meadows' new fans face is the long wait for the 4th volume of this terrifically entertaining series.

Captain Meadows has written another captivating action novel. His command of different scenarios is incredible. Tomcat will hold your interest from the front cover to the last. This whole series is a must read.