Strike of the Cobra: A Novel [Hardcover]

Timothy Rizzi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1993

When the Space Shuttle Atlantis is forced to land in Northern Chad, a small Libyan army moves in to capture the ship, but a Cobra Team quickly intercepts, and the two forces clash.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rizzi zooms past his debut Nightstalker to rival Tom Clancy in this space-based techno-thriller. Solid data for technophiles is salted through the most visceral air battles since CNN's coverage of Desert Storm. When the Russian government requests the aid of the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis to lasso the out-of-orbit satellite Kosmos , it neglects to mention the nuclear warheads aboard. General Duke James and his astronaut crew tuck the renegade bird into their cargo bay. Enter General Popivich, an old Soviet warhorse who once controlled Kosmos , who hijacks the Atlantis and activates the satellite's reentry boosters with the intent to destroy both ships and thus keep his nuclear secret. But Atlantis survives reentry with good luck (Duke spots a runway in Chad) and bad luck (the airstrip belongs to Libyan supported terrorist Abu Ajami). When the U.S. Air Force identifies the nuclear warhead parts, the Cobra Special Operations Team--a crack squadron stationed in the area--moves into action to retrieve the warheads and rescue the astronauts. Rizzi converts satellite and military data into speed-readable action with an appealing cast of men and women on both sides of the conflict. Rescue maneuvers, Pentagon planning and Libyan/terrorist interaction are equally engrossing right up to the cinematic ending.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Rizzi constructs a refreshing plot for his technothriller: An American space shuttle, sent to retrieve orbiting--and illegal--Russian (formerly Soviet) nuclear warheads at the request of the Russian government, is forced to recover in Chad with the weapons aboard. Such a prize attracts the attention of the Libyan government, which decides that the nuclear warheads would make a fine addition to its national arsenal. Rizzi ( Nightstalker , LJ 4/15/92) combines an adequate description of the inhabitants of the region and a spy/rescue plot with a superb knowledge of American military operations under new defense doctrine. The author's real strength is his description of flying, air combat, and air operations. Technothriller fans and armchair fighter pilots who balk at many of the error-fraught Clancy clones will especially enjoy this novel. Those seeking fuller characters and literary depth might look elsewhere. Recommended for popular fiction collections.
- Jim Cunningham, Illinois Mathematics & Science Acad., Aurora
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (July 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556113595
• ISBN-13: 978-1556113598
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,493,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Strike of the Cobra Unspectacular But Solid, October 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Strike of the Cobra: A Novel (Hardcover)

In the same vein as Tom Clancy, Stephen Coonts, et al, Timothy Rizzi creates a viable, if a little far-fetched, technothriller scenario...Though stock characters populate this book, Rizzi does a fine job with the technical end, especially the aerial dogfighting and the covert ground ops...The last hundred pages dragged a little, but again, that's forgivable, because suspense and action are so hard to sustain over almost 500 pages...

There's nothing spectacular here, but die-hard technothriller fans will find solid, honest reading...

4.0 out of 5 stars good read, easy to follow, April 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Strike of the Cobra (Paperback)

i like when the characters move from book to book to keep the story line open

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tom Clancy II, April 24, 2002

By 

Andrew Shortill (Waterboro, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike of the Cobra (Paperback)

For years I have been a devout Clancy fan. I firmly belived that no one could come close to matching Clancy's uncanny ability to capture the military-technothriller. Timothy Rizzi's Strike of the Cobra changed all that. Rizzi captured all the nessicary details and information required to make the pages fly and you feel like you are there. Rizzi describes everything down to the number of G's a pilot is feeling as he throws his F-15E into a tight vertical climb to avoid the SAM locked onto his tailfire. Rizzi does not waste ink on useless information. Every word propels the plot to the stunning climatic areial fighter battle. The charactors have depth and realisim. You can identify with them. They have personality. Rizzi has created a masterful novel. This one is worth the read!