Strike Force [Mass Market Paperback]

Dale Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2008

A new era appears to be dawning in the Middle East. But the free world must be wary of old enemies . . .

Rebel Iranian General Hesarak al-Kan Buzhazi is launching a coup that could destroy Iran’s theocratic regime, and must turn to his old nemesis, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan, for help. On presidential authority, McLanahan sends a new, top-secret fleet of XR-A9 Black Stallion spaceplanes into the fray. The strike force, capable of virtually instantaneous global reach—led by test pilot and astronaut Captain Hunter Noble—could change the course of history in the Middle East for generations to come.

But the reactivation of America’s first military space station has rekindled fears of a space arms race. And with McLanahan caught in a furious political battle with those secretly working to undermine his military initiative, it falls to Noble and his dedicated space engineers to halt a growing insurgency in Iran that threatens to erupt into a devastating worldwide jihad.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Brown (Edge of Battle) takes the subject of his latest from current headlines—the rapprochement between Iran and Russia (the former wants to secure nuclear technology, the latter a new foothold in the Middle East). The emergence of an Iranian nuclear arsenal sets off a crisis, which the usual high-tech weaponry and clean-cut American flyboys (and now girls) deal with as effectively as ever in Brown's fictional world. The author presents his Iranian characters as more than cardboard villains, skillfully showing the influence of Islamic culture on their motivations. Of course, Brown also provides plenty of fast action and exotic hardware, like the XR-A9 space plane, plus such nice touches as a U.S. president who wants to make a space flight. Techno-thriller fans and aviation buffs will be well rewarded. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

All but Brown's most avid fans, of whom there are many, are likely to give up on the latest Patrick McLanahan adventure. Although recent efforts have indicated a general smoothing out of the author's clunky prose style, this one makes it look as though he has gone downhill. Turgid is an understatement for this bloated, slow-moving opus. Dialogue scenes go on way longer than they need to, and the dialogue is painfully inept. Expository paragraphs and narrative descriptions are dull, as though Brown got the information down on paper as quickly as he could, intending to go back later and make it readable. On the other hand, the thriller plot will draw action fans—a Middle Eastern rebel leader calls on Patrick, his old nemesis, to help him defend himself against a terrorist army—and those who can't get enough high-tech gimmickry will enjoy Brown's latest inventions, including a suborbital space plane that sounds really cool. But wading through the book is like wading through rain-soaked mud: painful and exhausting for all but the truly motivated. Pitt, David
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1st ptg. edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006117369X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061173691
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #590,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Political

More About the Author

Former U.S. Air Force captain Dale Brown is the superstar author of 21 action-adventure "techno-thriller" novels: FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG (1987), SILVER TOWER (1988), DAY OF THE CHEETAH (1989), HAMMERHEADS (1990), SKY MASTERS (1991), NIGHT OF THE HAWK (1992), CHAINS OF COMMAND (1993), STORMING HEAVEN (1994), SHADOWS OF STEEL (1996), FATAL TERRAIN (1997), THE TIN MAN (1998), BATTLE BORN, (1999), WARRIOR CLASS (2001), WINGS OF FIRE (2002), AIR BATTLE FORCE (2003), PLAN OF ATTACK (2004), ACT OF WAR (2005), EDGE OF BATTLE (2006), STRIKE FORCE (May 2007), SHADOW COMMAND (2008) ROGUE FORCES (2009), EXECUTIVE INTENT (2010) and A TIME FOR PATRIOTS (May 2011). Fourteen of his novels have been New York Times best-sellers. He is also the co-author of the best-selling DREAMLAND techno-thriller series and writer and technical consultant of the Act of War PC real-time strategy game published by Atari Interactive and the Megafortress PC flight simulator by Three-Sixty Pacific. Dale's novels are published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. Worldwide sales of his novels, audiobooks and computer games exceed 12 million copies.

Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon. Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course. He was also an Air Force instructor on aircrew life support and combat survival, evasion, resistance, and escape.

Dale supports a number of organizations to promote law enforcement, education, and literacy. He is a Life Member of the Air Force Association, U.S. Naval Institute, and National Rifle Association. He is a command pilot for Angel Flight West (www.angelflightwest.org), a group that donate their time, skills, and aircraft to fly medical patients free of charge. He is also a mission pilot with the Civil Air Patrol, flying a variety of missions in support of the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his Piper Aztec-E airplane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, scuba diving, and soccer. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once again, Dale Brown hits his stride, May 19, 2007

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Strike Force: A Novel (Hardcover)

Dale Brown, putting it mildly, is inconsistent. Sometimes his novels are lackluster or worse. Other times, like his breakthrough "Flight of the Old Dog" are absolute page turners. "Strike Force" is one of Brown's best in recent years, a real page turner, loaded with action.

Many of the characters will be familiar to Brown's fans. Patrick McLanahan, the maverick general running Dreamland; President Martindle; Hal Briggs and some others. There are lots of new characters introduced to the Air Battle Force. One, in fact, may wonder at Brown's motivation in adding so many women to the combat roster. However, they all behave as if they were men, so it doesn't do anything one way or another to the story.

The story is complex in a way. An Iranian army general is demoted and shifted to an irregular religious militia where it is hoped he will be killed by a fanatic. As it turns out, the general initiates an insurgency against the theocracy. Iran is, by the way, nuclear capable in this novel which plays a big part in the story.

Brown really stretches things by having an unbelievably precocious 15 year old expatriate Iranian princess return to usurp both the insurgency and the theocracy.

But never fear: McLanahan is ready, disobeying orders, inciting Russia, invading a few countries with his Tin Man Air Battle Force, reactivating a militarized space station and, in general, doing what McLanahan does.

The characters are on the thin side, but in a Brown novel, that doesn't matter much: it's what they do that propels the story, not who they are. The plot, as usual, features lots of Washington inner sanctum warfare with ambitious, avaricious polticians and staffers - other than the President - doing what they perceive as best for themselves without regard for the nation's welfare. There are a couple of major editing blunders, but the action moves so fast, you probably won't catch them and if you do, they won't matter.

All in all, a terrific adventure read, especially for those who enjoy techno-thrillers. "Strike Force" is an absolute delight.

Jerry

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fair Dale Brown Book, June 27, 2007

By 

Computer Man - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike Force: A Novel (Hardcover)

I think I've read everything he has written and was excited to see this, but when I read it I was disappointed. It has a lot of the characters in it from previous books, but they almost made cameo appearances. The whole book seems to revolve around Patrick's conflict with government officials (which has been ongoing for several books now) and then as an afterthought lets add some action. As one of the other reviewers said, the way it ends leads you to believe that the whole book was written just to create a plot for a sequel.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Combat Story!, May 26, 2007

By 

Melvin Hunt (Cleveland,, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strike Force: A Novel (Hardcover)

The hero of these stories General Patrick McLanahan has the nation of

Iran to deal with. General Hesarak al-Kan Buzhazi is being hunted by the

terror soldiers of the Pasadran. He had been arrested by the Pasadran but

was freed by old associates from his military days. He makes an urgent plea for help from General McLanahan. They had previously done battle in another Dale Brown book. The President does not want to commit troops to a civil disturbance in Iran. The President does authorize the use of the Black Stallion, a sophisticated space plane that Dreamland is developing.

General McLanahan is busy doing battle with the President and members of

the cabinet so the battle activity in Iran falls upon Captain Hunter Noble

a pilot.In the meantime McLanahan and his forces have to rescue a living

Princess,Azar Assiyeh Quagev who is a Iranian Monarch. General Hesarak and his movement against against the theoratic regime in Iran is gaining

momentum. General McLanahan and his troops have to handle the looming crisis in Iran. Russian complicity is also shown in this book.

This is a very realistic book that you will enjoy reading.