I've heard people call this book "plausible." That's the last way I'd describe it. The plot is razor-thin. Character development is non-existent -- hell, Tom and Jerry display deeper, more nuanced, more human personalities than this book's characters. Most of the situations described make absolutely no sense -- particularly with respect to the the idiotic Grrl-power "insurgent". (Who can kill a team of muscle-bound Marines with a single 1.5" ceramic knife, and go on a murder spree, while seemingly evading all forms of surveillance and detection.)
...Long story short: This book treats its readers like idiots. Something which is hammered home with the endless footnotes that are completely unnecessary. (Peter Watts does it right; these guys do it very wrong indeed.)
For a much better book on the same topic, see Twilight's Last Gleaming by John Michael Greer.
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Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War Hardcover – June 30, 2015
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P. W. Singer
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August Cole
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Print length416 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherEamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Publication dateJune 30, 2015
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Dimensions6 x 1.39 x 9 inches
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ISBN-100544142845
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ISBN-13978-0544142848
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Ghost Fleet is what Call of Duty would be like if it put on a tie and went to Capitol Hill."--Playboy
"A harrowing, realistic future of world war...Ghost Fleet also comes with hundreds of footnotes explaining how every single military technology, 'sci-fi' weapon and geopolitical trend mentioned in the book is grounded in reality. That's why, rather than simply a good read, Ghost Fleet can come across as a 400-page warning."--Wired
"Ghost Fleet brings back memories of Tom Clancy's technical savvy with the human touch of Herman Wouk.”--Max Brooks
"If you’ve been looking for a smart update to Tom Clancy, this is for you." —Foreign Policy
"When two experts on modern warfare get together to write fiction I get in line to read it...summer is fading fast and August approaches. Get Ghost Fleet to read on the beach."--Forbes
"Its often jaw-dropping explorations of how new technologies might be used should make this book required reading for all military personnel...Ghost Fleet is the best techno-thriller since Red Storm Rising."--War on The Rocks
"A ripped from the headlines novel about war that’s just around the corner...Exciting."--Buzzfeed
"If colleges ever decide to offer courses on first-person shooter video games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, they should use the novel Ghost Fleet as the primary textbook.”--Forbes
“It’s easy to see why “Ghost Fleet” has captured the imaginations of foreign policy experts in the U.S. and abroad. The techno-thriller, by P.W. Singer and August Cole, not only tells a crackling-good story but also casts light on the warnings that have come from many quarters about the risks of offshoring U.S. defense procurement....A perfect summer read. If what you like is edge-of-the-seat action, you’ll have trouble putting it down. And even if thrillers aren’t your thing, the book will well repay a read, if only for the disturbing questions it raises.”--BloombergView
"Ghost Fleet is a strangely satisfying blend of storytelling and strategy, of fiction and non-fiction. In an era where most people prefer not to think about all the horrible things that could go wrong in the world, it's good to know that there are writers like Singer and Cole who not only think about them, but also do so in a readable and enjoyable style."--Huffington Post
"Beyond fast and fun reading, Ghost Fleet’s biggest draw is its unified, multi-domain vision of future warfare...the result is a vibrant vision of conflict in the information age—and hopefully the closest we’ll get to the real thing."--Business Insider
"A highly realistic portrayal...a tremendous book"--Defense News
"The First 'Post Snowden' Technothriller"--the Intercept
"Fascinating...Though it is fiction, the authors have taken great pains to keep their storytelling realistic....Ghost Fleet has a certain weight. Cole and Singer are so steeped in future wars that they depict the fighting — on the ground, in space and on the Internet –with an air of indisputable authority....Ghost Fleet is full of wonderful moments. It’s got space pirates, drug-addled hackers out of a William Gibson novel and American insurgents fighting occupation in Hawaii. Cole and Singer make these fantastical elements work, and weave them into the story."--Reuters
“Its like the Battlestar Galactica reboot meets Band of Brothers meets Hunt for Red October meets Call of Duty.”--Yahoo! News
"A novel that reads like science fiction but bristles with rich detail about how the next World War could be fought."--Vice
"With their new techno-thriller, Ghost Fleet, Peter Singer and August Cole take an unexpected twist on the classic Clancy formula, producing a book that is equal parts science fiction and science fact...The book is a ‘must read’, the kind of book you read in a day and relentlessly turn page after page."--Medium.com
"Ghost Fleet is not only a riveting novel, it is science fiction at its best. It helps us ask the right questions about our future - questions the answers to which might help us take advantage of technology while minimizing risk to humanity."--H. R. McMaster, Author, Dereliction of Duty, Lt General, US Army, Director, Army Capabilities Integration Center and Futures, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
"It's a page turner...Thoughtful, strategic and relevant." --Admiral Jonathan Greenert, 30th Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy
"It’s Tom Clancy for the twenty-first century, a rip-roaring, “near-futuristic” thriller...The book is peppered with real-life military facts and figures, but it moves so briskly you may hardly notice that you’re learning as you go."--Council on Foreign Relations
"Ghost Fleet Nails The Perfect Vision of World War III...a futuristic techno-thriller that’s as plausible as it is entertaining. Make no mistake, however, this is no technical slog — it’s a highly readable and engaging thriller that sets a new standard for techno-thrillers."--io9
"An engaging, ‘near-futuristic’ war-thriller packed with cutting edge technologies...[Yet] also pays homage to the works of master military strategists Sun Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz and Alfred Thayer Mahan."--Real Clear Defense
"Singer and Cole have crafted an eminently readable novel, which is both highly entertaining and sobering. If you have ever wondered how today's tech trends might affect future conflicts there is no doubt about it; you will want to read this book."--Small Wars Journal
"Ghost Fleet is a great book." --Kevin Mauer, author of the New York Times Bestseller No Easy Day
"An absolute pleasure to read. It contains much of the same storytelling as a work by someone like Tom Clancy, but with an intensity, depth of knowledge, and vision infrequently found in those books. It is an expansive work in its scope, and one that will undoubtedly retain its relevance for years to come....Ghost Fleet is an enjoyable book. It is a fun book. What’s more, it is an insightful and prescient book, without forcing the reader to ever acknowledge that fact."--Medium.com
“Ghost Fleet is a gripping account of an all-too-possible future where America has lost its technological edge and US-China relations have deteriorated to the point of war. Although American decline and US-China conflict are by no means inevitable, this exciting techno-thriller provides an ominous warning of what might be coming our way if the forces of disorder get the upper hand.” -Jamie Metzl, author of Genesis Code and The Depths of the Sea
"Tom Clancy fans will relish Singer and Cole’s first novel, a chilling vision of what might happen in a world war launched by a Chinese sneak attack on America’s eyes and brains in outer space. Singer, a military strategist, and Cole, a former defense-industry analyst for the Wall Street Journal, easily wed their knowledge to a fast-moving plot and characters who make an impression, even the minor characters who appear briefly. After the global economy tanks, urban workers’ riots sweep China, but instead of repressing the workers themselves, the military ousts the Communist leaders, clearing the way for a new government. When the Chinese strike, the Americans fight back.
Among the many heroes is Cmdr. James Simmons, who assumes command of the USS Coronado when its captain is killed. Detailed endnotes documenting the real-world technologies and trends behind the book make the fiction even more plausible."--Publishers Weekly
"It is the kind of book that can educate and provide food for thought to a national security geek (not to mention the general public) as to some of the latest technical developments and their warfighting implications - and provide an excellent tool to research them, to boot. In lawyerly professional terms, it’s the sort of book that helps a lawyer understand the ‘client’s’ thinking."--LawFareBlog.com
"Ghost Fleet is a page-turner filled with thrills and chills, but it is also more than that. Drawn from real world trends in cyber tech, intelligence, and defense, it offers a haunting glimpse into our future that you'll find hard to forget." —Nina Jacobson, Producer of The Hunger Games
“I couldn’t put this one down. Reads like the very best of classic Tom Clancy, updated for the 21st century, persuasive in its detail, simultaneously thrilling and terrifying.” —Phillip Meyer, author of The Son
"Global war between China and the United States — unimaginable? Hardly. In Ghost Fleet, Peter Singer and August Cole lay out a plausible, frightening, and pitch-perfect vision of what such a war could look like in the near future. This page-turning marvel is the best source of high-tech geopolitical visioneering since Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising and Sir John Hackett's The Third World War. A startling blueprint for the wars of the future and therefore needs to be read now!" —Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret); Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, 2009-2013; Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
"Ghost Fleet is a thrilling trip through a terrifyingly plausible tomorrow. This is not just an excellent book, but an excellent book by those who know what they are talking about. Prepare to lose some sleep." —D.B. Weiss, Writer and Executive Producer of HBO's Game of Thrones
"A harrowing, realistic future of world war...Ghost Fleet also comes with hundreds of footnotes explaining how every single military technology, 'sci-fi' weapon and geopolitical trend mentioned in the book is grounded in reality. That's why, rather than simply a good read, Ghost Fleet can come across as a 400-page warning."--Wired
"Ghost Fleet brings back memories of Tom Clancy's technical savvy with the human touch of Herman Wouk.”--Max Brooks
"If you’ve been looking for a smart update to Tom Clancy, this is for you." —Foreign Policy
"When two experts on modern warfare get together to write fiction I get in line to read it...summer is fading fast and August approaches. Get Ghost Fleet to read on the beach."--Forbes
"Its often jaw-dropping explorations of how new technologies might be used should make this book required reading for all military personnel...Ghost Fleet is the best techno-thriller since Red Storm Rising."--War on The Rocks
"A ripped from the headlines novel about war that’s just around the corner...Exciting."--Buzzfeed
"If colleges ever decide to offer courses on first-person shooter video games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, they should use the novel Ghost Fleet as the primary textbook.”--Forbes
“It’s easy to see why “Ghost Fleet” has captured the imaginations of foreign policy experts in the U.S. and abroad. The techno-thriller, by P.W. Singer and August Cole, not only tells a crackling-good story but also casts light on the warnings that have come from many quarters about the risks of offshoring U.S. defense procurement....A perfect summer read. If what you like is edge-of-the-seat action, you’ll have trouble putting it down. And even if thrillers aren’t your thing, the book will well repay a read, if only for the disturbing questions it raises.”--BloombergView
"Ghost Fleet is a strangely satisfying blend of storytelling and strategy, of fiction and non-fiction. In an era where most people prefer not to think about all the horrible things that could go wrong in the world, it's good to know that there are writers like Singer and Cole who not only think about them, but also do so in a readable and enjoyable style."--Huffington Post
"Beyond fast and fun reading, Ghost Fleet’s biggest draw is its unified, multi-domain vision of future warfare...the result is a vibrant vision of conflict in the information age—and hopefully the closest we’ll get to the real thing."--Business Insider
"A highly realistic portrayal...a tremendous book"--Defense News
"The First 'Post Snowden' Technothriller"--the Intercept
"Fascinating...Though it is fiction, the authors have taken great pains to keep their storytelling realistic....Ghost Fleet has a certain weight. Cole and Singer are so steeped in future wars that they depict the fighting — on the ground, in space and on the Internet –with an air of indisputable authority....Ghost Fleet is full of wonderful moments. It’s got space pirates, drug-addled hackers out of a William Gibson novel and American insurgents fighting occupation in Hawaii. Cole and Singer make these fantastical elements work, and weave them into the story."--Reuters
“Its like the Battlestar Galactica reboot meets Band of Brothers meets Hunt for Red October meets Call of Duty.”--Yahoo! News
"A novel that reads like science fiction but bristles with rich detail about how the next World War could be fought."--Vice
"With their new techno-thriller, Ghost Fleet, Peter Singer and August Cole take an unexpected twist on the classic Clancy formula, producing a book that is equal parts science fiction and science fact...The book is a ‘must read’, the kind of book you read in a day and relentlessly turn page after page."--Medium.com
"Ghost Fleet is not only a riveting novel, it is science fiction at its best. It helps us ask the right questions about our future - questions the answers to which might help us take advantage of technology while minimizing risk to humanity."--H. R. McMaster, Author, Dereliction of Duty, Lt General, US Army, Director, Army Capabilities Integration Center and Futures, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
"It's a page turner...Thoughtful, strategic and relevant." --Admiral Jonathan Greenert, 30th Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy
"It’s Tom Clancy for the twenty-first century, a rip-roaring, “near-futuristic” thriller...The book is peppered with real-life military facts and figures, but it moves so briskly you may hardly notice that you’re learning as you go."--Council on Foreign Relations
"Ghost Fleet Nails The Perfect Vision of World War III...a futuristic techno-thriller that’s as plausible as it is entertaining. Make no mistake, however, this is no technical slog — it’s a highly readable and engaging thriller that sets a new standard for techno-thrillers."--io9
"An engaging, ‘near-futuristic’ war-thriller packed with cutting edge technologies...[Yet] also pays homage to the works of master military strategists Sun Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz and Alfred Thayer Mahan."--Real Clear Defense
"Singer and Cole have crafted an eminently readable novel, which is both highly entertaining and sobering. If you have ever wondered how today's tech trends might affect future conflicts there is no doubt about it; you will want to read this book."--Small Wars Journal
"Ghost Fleet is a great book." --Kevin Mauer, author of the New York Times Bestseller No Easy Day
"An absolute pleasure to read. It contains much of the same storytelling as a work by someone like Tom Clancy, but with an intensity, depth of knowledge, and vision infrequently found in those books. It is an expansive work in its scope, and one that will undoubtedly retain its relevance for years to come....Ghost Fleet is an enjoyable book. It is a fun book. What’s more, it is an insightful and prescient book, without forcing the reader to ever acknowledge that fact."--Medium.com
“Ghost Fleet is a gripping account of an all-too-possible future where America has lost its technological edge and US-China relations have deteriorated to the point of war. Although American decline and US-China conflict are by no means inevitable, this exciting techno-thriller provides an ominous warning of what might be coming our way if the forces of disorder get the upper hand.” -Jamie Metzl, author of Genesis Code and The Depths of the Sea
"Tom Clancy fans will relish Singer and Cole’s first novel, a chilling vision of what might happen in a world war launched by a Chinese sneak attack on America’s eyes and brains in outer space. Singer, a military strategist, and Cole, a former defense-industry analyst for the Wall Street Journal, easily wed their knowledge to a fast-moving plot and characters who make an impression, even the minor characters who appear briefly. After the global economy tanks, urban workers’ riots sweep China, but instead of repressing the workers themselves, the military ousts the Communist leaders, clearing the way for a new government. When the Chinese strike, the Americans fight back.
Among the many heroes is Cmdr. James Simmons, who assumes command of the USS Coronado when its captain is killed. Detailed endnotes documenting the real-world technologies and trends behind the book make the fiction even more plausible."--Publishers Weekly
"It is the kind of book that can educate and provide food for thought to a national security geek (not to mention the general public) as to some of the latest technical developments and their warfighting implications - and provide an excellent tool to research them, to boot. In lawyerly professional terms, it’s the sort of book that helps a lawyer understand the ‘client’s’ thinking."--LawFareBlog.com
"Ghost Fleet is a page-turner filled with thrills and chills, but it is also more than that. Drawn from real world trends in cyber tech, intelligence, and defense, it offers a haunting glimpse into our future that you'll find hard to forget." —Nina Jacobson, Producer of The Hunger Games
“I couldn’t put this one down. Reads like the very best of classic Tom Clancy, updated for the 21st century, persuasive in its detail, simultaneously thrilling and terrifying.” —Phillip Meyer, author of The Son
"Global war between China and the United States — unimaginable? Hardly. In Ghost Fleet, Peter Singer and August Cole lay out a plausible, frightening, and pitch-perfect vision of what such a war could look like in the near future. This page-turning marvel is the best source of high-tech geopolitical visioneering since Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising and Sir John Hackett's The Third World War. A startling blueprint for the wars of the future and therefore needs to be read now!" —Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret); Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, 2009-2013; Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
"Ghost Fleet is a thrilling trip through a terrifyingly plausible tomorrow. This is not just an excellent book, but an excellent book by those who know what they are talking about. Prepare to lose some sleep." —D.B. Weiss, Writer and Executive Producer of HBO's Game of Thrones
From the Inside Flap
$28.00
Higher in Canada
What will World War III look like? Find out in this ripping, near-futuristic thriller.
The United States, China, and Russia eye each other across a twenty-first century version of the Cold War. But what if it ever turned hot? Ghost Fleet tells the story of World War III, following a global cast of characters fighting at sea, on land, in the air, and in two new places of conflict: outer space and cyberspace. Warship captains battle through a modern day Pearl Harbor; fighter pilots duel with stealth drones; teenage hackers battle in digital playgrounds; American veterans are forced to fight as low-tech insurgents; Silicon Valley billionaires mobilize for cyberwar; and a serial killer carries out her own vendetta. Ultimately, victory will depend on who can best blend the lessons of the past with the weapons of the future.
Ghost Fleet is a page-turning thriller in the spirit of The Hunt for Red October. The debut novel by two leading experts on the cutting edge of national security, it is unique in that every trend and technology featured in the book no matter how sci-fi it may seem is real.
Higher in Canada
What will World War III look like? Find out in this ripping, near-futuristic thriller.
The United States, China, and Russia eye each other across a twenty-first century version of the Cold War. But what if it ever turned hot? Ghost Fleet tells the story of World War III, following a global cast of characters fighting at sea, on land, in the air, and in two new places of conflict: outer space and cyberspace. Warship captains battle through a modern day Pearl Harbor; fighter pilots duel with stealth drones; teenage hackers battle in digital playgrounds; American veterans are forced to fight as low-tech insurgents; Silicon Valley billionaires mobilize for cyberwar; and a serial killer carries out her own vendetta. Ultimately, victory will depend on who can best blend the lessons of the past with the weapons of the future.
Ghost Fleet is a page-turning thriller in the spirit of The Hunt for Red October. The debut novel by two leading experts on the cutting edge of national security, it is unique in that every trend and technology featured in the book no matter how sci-fi it may seem is real.
From the Back Cover
I couldnt put this one down. Reads like the very best of classic Tom Clancy, updated for the 21st century, persuasive in its detail, simultaneously thrilling and terrifying.
Phillip Meyer, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Son
Global war between China and the United States unimaginable? Hardly. Singer and Cole lay out a plausible, frightening, and pitch-perfect vision of what such a war could look like. This page-turning marvel is the best source of high-tech geopolitical visioneering since Tom Clancys Red Storm Rising and Sir John Hacketts The Third World War. A startling blueprint for the wars of the future that needs to be read now.
Admiral James Stavridis, US Navy (Ret.); former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, and Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
A thrilling trip through a terrifyingly plausible tomorrow. This is not just an excellent book, but an excellent book by those who know what they are talking about. Prepare to lose some sleep.
D.B. Weiss, writer and executive producer of HBOs Game of Thrones
"Ghost Fleet is a page-turner filled with thrills and chills, but it is also more than that. Drawn from real world trends in cyber tech, intelligence, and defense, it offers a haunting glimpse into our future that you'll find hard to forget."
Nina Jacobson, producer of The Hunger Games
What makes GHOST FLEET so scary and so compelling is how real it feels. Want to see the future of national security? Get ready.
Brad Meltzer, author of The Fifth Assassin
Phillip Meyer, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Son
Global war between China and the United States unimaginable? Hardly. Singer and Cole lay out a plausible, frightening, and pitch-perfect vision of what such a war could look like. This page-turning marvel is the best source of high-tech geopolitical visioneering since Tom Clancys Red Storm Rising and Sir John Hacketts The Third World War. A startling blueprint for the wars of the future that needs to be read now.
Admiral James Stavridis, US Navy (Ret.); former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, and Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
A thrilling trip through a terrifyingly plausible tomorrow. This is not just an excellent book, but an excellent book by those who know what they are talking about. Prepare to lose some sleep.
D.B. Weiss, writer and executive producer of HBOs Game of Thrones
"Ghost Fleet is a page-turner filled with thrills and chills, but it is also more than that. Drawn from real world trends in cyber tech, intelligence, and defense, it offers a haunting glimpse into our future that you'll find hard to forget."
Nina Jacobson, producer of The Hunger Games
What makes GHOST FLEET so scary and so compelling is how real it feels. Want to see the future of national security? Get ready.
Brad Meltzer, author of The Fifth Assassin
About the Author
P. W. SINGER is an expert on twenty-first-century warfare. His award-winning nonfiction books include the New York Times bestseller Wired for War.
AUGUST COLE is a writer and analyst specializing in national security issues, and a former defense industry reporter for the Wall Street Journal.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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Product details
- Publisher : Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; First Edition (June 30, 2015)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 416 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0544142845
- ISBN-13 : 978-0544142848
- Item Weight : 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.39 x 9 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#448,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,786 in Technothrillers (Books)
- #1,941 in Political Fiction (Books)
- #3,944 in Political Thrillers (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
2,322 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
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Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
In essence, the premise for “Ghost Fleet” is a war between China and the USA set at some time in the near future. It’s an interesting idea that could be explored. However, this premise is the only thing of value. I am simply unable to recommend this book.
Why? The plot is choppy and confusing, the characters are totally implausible and wooden, and the writing style leaves much to be desired. In short, this book disappointed me immensely. I had read only positive reviews. Perhaps I should have checked more thoroughly. Indeed, I only wish I had done so.
Do not read. Better value to be had almost anywhere else.
Why? The plot is choppy and confusing, the characters are totally implausible and wooden, and the writing style leaves much to be desired. In short, this book disappointed me immensely. I had read only positive reviews. Perhaps I should have checked more thoroughly. Indeed, I only wish I had done so.
Do not read. Better value to be had almost anywhere else.
38 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book builds out a fascinating premise but it lacks the vermissiltude that made Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising required reading for military professionals in the 1980s.
Reading Tom Clancy, military members will think "yeah, that seems about right..." Reading Ghost Fleet, the flow of a good story is consistently interrupted by an inner voice crying out "that's stupid - it would never happen that way."
Example: (spoiler) The book's opening hook is an astronaut getting locked out of the space station. It ends with "...his remaining oxygen. Would it be enough time for the Eastern Seaboard to come into view? His wife and grown boys were vacationing on Cape Cod, and he wanted to look down at them one last time."
I found this image fascinating and kept thinking about it, but my thoughts were "This is a good story gone stupid. There is absolutely no way the personality type of this character is going to spend his last minutes of life mooning over his family on Earth. He is 100% locked in on getting back in that space station...or bringing it down with him."
The whole book reads as if written by a Hollywood screen writer (or Washington DC think tankers) with no real sense of military attitudes or culture. It's too grating to ignore.
Reading Tom Clancy, military members will think "yeah, that seems about right..." Reading Ghost Fleet, the flow of a good story is consistently interrupted by an inner voice crying out "that's stupid - it would never happen that way."
Example: (spoiler) The book's opening hook is an astronaut getting locked out of the space station. It ends with "...his remaining oxygen. Would it be enough time for the Eastern Seaboard to come into view? His wife and grown boys were vacationing on Cape Cod, and he wanted to look down at them one last time."
I found this image fascinating and kept thinking about it, but my thoughts were "This is a good story gone stupid. There is absolutely no way the personality type of this character is going to spend his last minutes of life mooning over his family on Earth. He is 100% locked in on getting back in that space station...or bringing it down with him."
The whole book reads as if written by a Hollywood screen writer (or Washington DC think tankers) with no real sense of military attitudes or culture. It's too grating to ignore.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017
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From a strategic analysis standpoint, this is a great book. Extremely well researched and thought provoking, it makes Americans question how long our dominance on the world stage can last and what we might need to change in order to prevent a scenario like the one in the book from happening. From a storytelling standpoint, this book is written in the style of the Game of Thrones books - each chapter rotates between characters, and at first you don't really know what is going on until the many plotlines start to come together. However, it is far too short of a book for this approach to be truly effective. Many characters/plotlines are introduced but then forgotten or wrapped up haphazardly. Another frustrating similarity this book shares with Game of Thrones is a knack for ending a chapter right as something intense is about to happen. You only find out about how such events unfolded in passing in later chapters, if the event is explicitly mentioned again at all. But the value of the book is in the vulnerabilities and possibilities we face as a nation in the 21st century, so I still thought it was a great book overall.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2021
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Understand this is, in my opinion a good book: you should understand though, it's a very narrow, and limited story about a small slice of the US Navy's fleet, a dubiously patched up ship, with a great gun (a single great gun) and the personal stories of men and women in Hawaii, and California, and about their stories during a war between the United States, versus China, and Russia. It's full of drama and action, and a great deal of modern and futuristic war-fighting gear, and equipment. The author's provide details, and histories of the equipment, to include great insight in to the development of these systems, and their political/military trials as they were being developed and used. The characters are interesting and believable: in my opinion, the authors spent too much time on the enemy personnel (with exception of the Russian advisor.) I think the great failing of the book, is that we are led to the dramatic ending and then abandoned without experiencing the final conclusion of the battle. Next chapter, we do see a few survivors of the war and how they survived and are doing, with nothing about the conclusion of the pentu ltimate battle, a fleet still missing, mention of one US Army brigade, and how citizens of Hawaii pitched in to assist American efforts. Very unsatisfactory way to tell a story.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017
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A cautionary tale. America's military has fallen prey to ill-advised budget cuts and has unwisely allowed key electronics components to be supplied by manufacturers subverted by enemy agencies... processor chips have naughty agendas!
I enjoyed this, but it's scary. I really truly hope our military never fall prey to the scenarios portrayed in this novel.
The only thing preventing me from given this book 5 stars was, for me, the ending seemed a bit rushed. After the huge amount of detail given the lead-up to the final battle, the actual battle seemed a bit perfunctory - I want to relish how the baddies were at last given their just deserts and the final denouement was too brisk.
I enjoyed this, but it's scary. I really truly hope our military never fall prey to the scenarios portrayed in this novel.
The only thing preventing me from given this book 5 stars was, for me, the ending seemed a bit rushed. After the huge amount of detail given the lead-up to the final battle, the actual battle seemed a bit perfunctory - I want to relish how the baddies were at last given their just deserts and the final denouement was too brisk.
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Damien Vidal
1.0 out of 5 stars
Independence day with the Chinese instead of ET
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2018Verified Purchase
This is a classic blockbuster, only with more product placement and as a book instead of a film. A lot of details are painfully annotated (painfully for the reader, I mean, do anybody needs an footnote with a reference to explain what an IED is ? And it is not even in the footnote) but arranged in a haphazard order that makes no sense.
The political setup makes no sense : come on, a major reversal of alliance by a great power because, a vice-admiral meets a governing body in a submarine base built in a cave inside an island ? He would be lucky to speak to the Chief of Naval Operations or the defense minister, and he would go to them, not the opposite, especially not the whole government...
This is really painful to read as it mixes actual correct details (far too many) with horse crap. For instance take this short scene : a Chinese missile is shot at a F-35 and the pilot takes evasive action to avoid it. However unbeknownst to him, the Chinese have managed to introduce a 1mm antenna into the design of 6 chips and the missile is homing on it. He understands he is doomed and spends his last few seconds staring at his girlfriend picture before going kaboom.
So what's correct ?
1/ The introduction of subtle bugs or hidden functionalities in chips is a real concern, these are not usually conceived from scratch but by buying licenses for different functionalities to different suppliers (an ARM core design, a broadcom controller and whatnot) and bundling that in a single chip to have all the features you need. So at one point somebody could introduce something and you'd never know (or keep a bug they have discovered secret to exploit it, I'm looking at you NSA). That's a problem.
2/ We can (kinda) build antennas directly inside the die of a processor, using the same process at least.
Now, the horsecrap :
1/ That problem exists pour subtle bugs and limited functionalities. 1mm² is the size of the whole L2 cache on a modern server core. This is enormous. It will be noticed. It's not like adding a few gates to introduce a subtle bug.
2/ I've not even dared to compute what power it could emit, because it is dwarfed even by the chip Vcc, and the whole stuff is shielded anyway. An there are two big generators behind, driven by the engines and the whole plane is EM shielded anyway. If you have electronics to detect that, you could just pick up the plane itself from Alaska without this convoluted scheme...
3/ Were I a F-35 pilot, knowing I have a missile I can't escape incoming in two sec, I would not spend them looking at my gf picture : I would pull the bloody handle of my MB US16E and eject immediately. Dude.
You also have navy officer proud of saying that they forged ahead after the two class Nimitz aircraft carrier they protected were destroyed exactly were the Chinese had drawn the line (to total annihilation of course, but here they don't seem to expect to be court-martialed).
Etc, the whole book is like that, with a list of materials and techniques used incorrectly. It reads like the name dropping of an half digested list of weapons and techniques, used incorrectly at every page, and without serving the story...
The political setup makes no sense : come on, a major reversal of alliance by a great power because, a vice-admiral meets a governing body in a submarine base built in a cave inside an island ? He would be lucky to speak to the Chief of Naval Operations or the defense minister, and he would go to them, not the opposite, especially not the whole government...
This is really painful to read as it mixes actual correct details (far too many) with horse crap. For instance take this short scene : a Chinese missile is shot at a F-35 and the pilot takes evasive action to avoid it. However unbeknownst to him, the Chinese have managed to introduce a 1mm antenna into the design of 6 chips and the missile is homing on it. He understands he is doomed and spends his last few seconds staring at his girlfriend picture before going kaboom.
So what's correct ?
1/ The introduction of subtle bugs or hidden functionalities in chips is a real concern, these are not usually conceived from scratch but by buying licenses for different functionalities to different suppliers (an ARM core design, a broadcom controller and whatnot) and bundling that in a single chip to have all the features you need. So at one point somebody could introduce something and you'd never know (or keep a bug they have discovered secret to exploit it, I'm looking at you NSA). That's a problem.
2/ We can (kinda) build antennas directly inside the die of a processor, using the same process at least.
Now, the horsecrap :
1/ That problem exists pour subtle bugs and limited functionalities. 1mm² is the size of the whole L2 cache on a modern server core. This is enormous. It will be noticed. It's not like adding a few gates to introduce a subtle bug.
2/ I've not even dared to compute what power it could emit, because it is dwarfed even by the chip Vcc, and the whole stuff is shielded anyway. An there are two big generators behind, driven by the engines and the whole plane is EM shielded anyway. If you have electronics to detect that, you could just pick up the plane itself from Alaska without this convoluted scheme...
3/ Were I a F-35 pilot, knowing I have a missile I can't escape incoming in two sec, I would not spend them looking at my gf picture : I would pull the bloody handle of my MB US16E and eject immediately. Dude.
You also have navy officer proud of saying that they forged ahead after the two class Nimitz aircraft carrier they protected were destroyed exactly were the Chinese had drawn the line (to total annihilation of course, but here they don't seem to expect to be court-martialed).
Etc, the whole book is like that, with a list of materials and techniques used incorrectly. It reads like the name dropping of an half digested list of weapons and techniques, used incorrectly at every page, and without serving the story...
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Martin Belderson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Don't approach this book with high expectations. That way you'll be less disappointed.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2020Verified Purchase
I don't doubt the threats that the writers warn us about, but this reads like a sub-standard late Tom Clancy novel churned out by a second tier ghost writer. What with the fuss about how important and influential Ghost Fleet is, I was expecting something original and well written. What did I find? Re-hashed elements from two Clancy books with a shout-out to Harry Turtledove thrown in. Change a few locations and names, then update the technology and you've got half of Red Storm Rising, much of Debt of Honour, and an update on Turtledove's Pearl Harbour alternate history. However, both TC and HT made (and still make) sure to keep the action on the page in their novels unlike Ghost Fleet, where you never get to immerse yourself in many of the more significant twist and turns in the plot. You're just blandly informed of them by mostly bland characters. Then there's the main premise which supposedly drives all of China's subsequent actions. It's absurd to pretend (as the authors seem to) that climate change is not happening and that high extraction cost hydrocarbons will not become increasingly irrelevant as more and more renewable resources come online. China has many better and cheaper energy reserves to potentially tap into than this (hence the fuss over the South China Sea). And don't get me started on the extreme unlikelihood of viable hydrocarbon deposits in an active oceanic subduction zone. That the authors can't get basic stuff like this right undermines their credibility elsewhere.
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Anna
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2020Verified Purchase
Interesting for sure, but at times felt overwritten.
Maybe it was technical detail, or just overflowing of technology ‘of the future’ in general
Story-line interesting, funny at times (Polish element)
....but you can’t shake the feeling that this ‘bright’ technological, smart future - which frankly we already see grabbing us by throats - the Internet-of things - will be most likely the source of our undoing...
Troops on constant drugs, outsourced high-tech, trans humanism... scary
Maybe it was technical detail, or just overflowing of technology ‘of the future’ in general
Story-line interesting, funny at times (Polish element)
....but you can’t shake the feeling that this ‘bright’ technological, smart future - which frankly we already see grabbing us by throats - the Internet-of things - will be most likely the source of our undoing...
Troops on constant drugs, outsourced high-tech, trans humanism... scary
m Bris
1.0 out of 5 stars
As a piece of fiction it really sucks. The authors' couldn't take their ideas and enthusiasm ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2016Verified Purchase
This book contains some fascinating detail, ideas and all together is a potentially realistic scenario of a near future war. But the massive shame with this book is the awful writing. As a piece of fiction it really sucks. The authors' couldn't take their ideas and enthusiasm and turn it into believable and flowing fiction. Stunted chapters, wafer thin characters, clunky plotting. If you don't mind very bad fiction, but adore those "what-if..." war stories, this book may satisfy. But for the general reader, avoid.
6 people found this helpful
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Alan D H.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to keep track
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2017Verified Purchase
So i mostly enjoyed this book but maybe it's just me that found it difficult to keep track of so many changing locations and characters.
you might find it hard to stitch everything together that is going on unless you have the time to read it in one long sitting.
Yet another exiting climax that fizzled out unfortunately.
Ah well back to the library
you might find it hard to stitch everything together that is going on unless you have the time to read it in one long sitting.
Yet another exiting climax that fizzled out unfortunately.
Ah well back to the library
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