Cliches and stereotypes abound, 06 Mar 2008
Previous books have worked well but like other reviewers almost stopped reading.
The Britsih are stiff upper lip fools,The Argetinians great tactically.The Russions are there just for fun and the Americans are clever and smart and can solve all problems with a little Special Force.
The book gets so many views wrong....
The Falklands will never ever be forgotton by the British and in a modern World with the Internet.Newspapaers TV the original premise to could not occur.
The biggest problem is the fact the British in this situation would do what we always do and that is to use Cunning and deceptiion to regain the Falklands not some silly Naval mission.How about Cruise Missiles up the Presidents Residence

Falkland islanderes are written as if they do not mind if they are British or Argentinian.This is so wrong .

There is no way the Falklands could be handede over to Argentina in say 100 years at least and then only if the Islanders agree which they never will.They speak English are British and no UK Prime minister would be able to sign over and stay in their job.
I could go on but if you are from The UK this book makes no sense and is very disspoiniting.If you are from outside the UK and you view Britain via Cliches,stereotypes and Mary Poppins then you will enjoy this book.





So poor., 27 Feb 2008
This is this first time I have done a review. I so wished I had never bought this book was so angrey when I finished it. Loved all the rest of his books.
The way he writes about Navy SEALs as some sort of Gods what a joke. Mr Robinson must be trying to get into Hollywood. The Britsh SAS/SBS are the best of all special forces from the best Armed forces in the world. It's the USA that calls for our troops. Avoid this book. GHOST FARCE WOULD BE A BETTER NAME.



Excellent job!!!, 27 Jan 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read, right up with Nimitz class and Kilo class. The story involves a new setting to the Falklands, which was excellent, although they should have done it faster. Also, I think Admiral Arnold Morgan (the main character) needs to retire by then, as he has saved US too many times, it may get a little boring. I hope that the next series a new character, called James Ramshawe, can replace Arnold Morgan's place as the new saviour of the United States. The editing is good, but needs some corrections. For example Captain Gregor Vanislav, he wrote once Captain Yanislav. The ending is excellent, although it may get a little crappy that it ends with a question grunted by Arnold Morgan.
The start is a bit too boring and it sends the readers too far off course because it starts at Siberia and suddenly springs to the Falklands. Also, it mistook that, in fact the British naval force ain't that bad, not like what depicted in the book. The most exciting parts are the SEALs' missions, although I think the guards at Pebble Island Airfield weren't so crap.
The overall of this book is excellent, except the editing and the start. I dearly recommend this book for techno-thriller readers!

Shockingly poor, unrealistic and poorly researched 'effort'. , 03 Jan 2008
If I could have given this 0 stars I would have done. I stopped reading after 150 pages when Robinson annoyed me too much. It is a shame, as I have always found Admiral Morgan a very interesting character. Unfortunately the rest of the book is a shambles. Poorly researched, and sloppy throughout (well throughout those 150 pages anyway). Robinson fell into his usual trap of letting his own political views bias his writing. Unfortunately he made statements with regards to British politics that are plain incorrect. There are also other statements which, while a matter of opinion, are stomach churningly one sided and right wing, ie. "the guiding light of goodness and purpose that had always gripped Margaret Thatcher"

His grasp on all things British is poor at best, but unfortunately he passes himself off as an expert. PLEASE AVOID THIS BOOK.
Utterly

Not researched. Not plausible, 26 Nov 2007
What a disappointment after Nimitz and Kilo class. I suppose things started going wrong from the start. The Royal Navy would not commit mass suicide just to 'obey orders'. No self respecting admiral would allow the scenario to evolve. The Daring class are not armed in the way the story tells and no 1st generation fighter bomber can get close to the ships now because they all have goalkeepers/phalanxes -and search radar would pick 'em up with plenty of time to shoot 'em down.
Poorly researched.

Cliches and stereotypes abound, 06 Mar 2008
Previous books have worked well but like other reviewers almost stopped reading.
The Britsih are stiff upper lip fools,The Argetinians great tactically.The Russions are there just for fun and the Americans are clever and smart and can solve all problems with a little Special Force.
The book gets so many views wrong....
The Falklands will never ever be forgotton by the British and in a modern World with the Internet.Newspapaers TV the original premise to could not occur.
The biggest problem is the fact the British in this situation would do what we always do and that is to use Cunning and deceptiion to regain the Falklands not some silly Naval mission.How about Cruise Missiles up the Presidents Residence

Falkland islanderes are written as if they do not mind if they are British or Argentinian.This is so wrong .

There is no way the Falklands could be handede over to Argentina in say 100 years at least and then only if the Islanders agree which they never will.They speak English are British and no UK Prime minister would be able to sign over and stay in their job.
I could go on but if you are from The UK this book makes no sense and is very disspoiniting.If you are from outside the UK and you view Britain via Cliches,stereotypes and Mary Poppins then you will enjoy this book.





So poor., 27 Feb 2008
This is this first time I have done a review. I so wished I had never bought this book was so angrey when I finished it. Loved all the rest of his books.
The way he writes about Navy SEALs as some sort of Gods what a joke. Mr Robinson must be trying to get into Hollywood. The Britsh SAS/SBS are the best of all special forces from the best Armed forces in the world. It's the USA that calls for our troops. Avoid this book. GHOST FARCE WOULD BE A BETTER NAME.



Excellent job!!!, 27 Jan 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read, right up with Nimitz class and Kilo class. The story involves a new setting to the Falklands, which was excellent, although they should have done it faster. Also, I think Admiral Arnold Morgan (the main character) needs to retire by then, as he has saved US too many times, it may get a little boring. I hope that the next series a new character, called James Ramshawe, can replace Arnold Morgan's place as the new saviour of the United States. The editing is good, but needs some corrections. For example Captain Gregor Vanislav, he wrote once Captain Yanislav. The ending is excellent, although it may get a little crappy that it ends with a question grunted by Arnold Morgan.
The start is a bit too boring and it sends the readers too far off course because it starts at Siberia and suddenly springs to the Falklands. Also, it mistook that, in fact the British naval force ain't that bad, not like what depicted in the book. The most exciting parts are the SEALs' missions, although I think the guards at Pebble Island Airfield weren't so crap.
The overall of this book is excellent, except the editing and the start. I dearly recommend this book for techno-thriller readers!

Shockingly poor, unrealistic and poorly researched 'effort'. , 03 Jan 2008
If I could have given this 0 stars I would have done. I stopped reading after 150 pages when Robinson annoyed me too much. It is a shame, as I have always found Admiral Morgan a very interesting character. Unfortunately the rest of the book is a shambles. Poorly researched, and sloppy throughout (well throughout those 150 pages anyway). Robinson fell into his usual trap of letting his own political views bias his writing. Unfortunately he made statements with regards to British politics that are plain incorrect. There are also other statements which, while a matter of opinion, are stomach churningly one sided and right wing, ie. "the guiding light of goodness and purpose that had always gripped Margaret Thatcher"

His grasp on all things British is poor at best, but unfortunately he passes himself off as an expert. PLEASE AVOID THIS BOOK.
Utterly

Not researched. Not plausible, 26 Nov 2007
What a disappointment after Nimitz and Kilo class. I suppose things started going wrong from the start. The Royal Navy would not commit mass suicide just to 'obey orders'. No self respecting admiral would allow the scenario to evolve. The Daring class are not armed in the way the story tells and no 1st generation fighter bomber can get close to the ships now because they all have goalkeepers/phalanxes -and search radar would pick 'em up with plenty of time to shoot 'em down.
Poorly researched.

A bit irked, 11 Jul 2008
In common with a lot of the other reviews I thought that it was a good read, quite pacey in parts but with a predictable ending. However, I found that the portrayal of all the Americans as demi gods with gorgeous fawning women falling over them and the foreigners as undersized ignorant thickos, banal and irksome. Are there no short fatish commanders with matronly wives in the US forces hierarchy? When I read these stereotypical descriptions I had to force myself to continue through to the end of the book. It also worries me that someone of the stature of Admiral Sir John (Sandy) Woodward, in his afterword, seems to lend credence to this as a viable foreign policy

A great read!, 30 Jul 2005
Kilo Class, Robinson's second novel, is a great read. It has a fast paced, entertaining story, with the odd bit of humour nicely woven in. After Nimitz Class, it certainly did not dissapoint. A poor economic climate in the ex-Soviet Union prompts the sale of two Kilo-class submarines to China. As we have seen in Nimitz Class, these Diesel-powered boats are one of the few weapons that can be turned against a Carrier Battle Group. For this reason, should these subs fall into Chinese hands, we could see s significant shift in the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Of course, the US administration comes to the rescue, employing some naval tactics of their own. Although the plot is very predictable, it is a nice journey, and I can certainly recommend it.

predictable, but enjoyable., 02 Jan 2005
A very unlikely storyline which deals with the utter destruction of anyone or any country that dares to stand in front of the USA and total world domination.
That said, I really enjoy the character of Arnold Morgan. His undisputable love for his country and 'buckshot' is great.
I do like to read books by this author, but I believe this to be one of weakest so far.

Good, but not great., 17 May 2004
This is the sequel to "Nimitz Class", but it stands alone as it merely refers to a few events in Robinson's earlier books. The main plot revolves around the US destroying Russian submarines destined for China, but also includes a rather bizarre subplot concerning Taiwan building a secret base in Antarctica, possibly because the "main" plot doesn't really have enough meat for a full novel.

On the plus side its an interesting, fast paced novel, but whereas "Nimitz Class" did seem plausible, this seemed a little unlikely. Apparently Russia can't afford NOT to sell Subs to China so the US have no option but to sink them. Apparently America paying the Russians the value of the subs in exchange for the cancelling the deal or threatening to cancel existing loans is too humdrum an option for the author. Certainly no non-military options even seem to be considered. I hope a real US president may just think twice before sending special forces into the heart of Russia.

I odn't know why British author Patrick Robinson writes about Americans... maybe they just have more exciting equipment than the rather budget starved Royal Navy. He doesn't seem comfortable writing about American characters...he seems to have created a world where all Americans are Donald Rumsfeld which is a shame because he's clearly a talented author. When he writes about what he knows his knowledge and immagination really comes through. Sadly "Admiral Morgan" is a rather one dimensional sub-Dale Brown character. I've just bought "HMS Unseen" and hope its up to the standard of Nimitz Class.

Were not worthy, 25 Nov 2003
If your into the whole tom clancy/ chris ryan type saga and enjoyed hunt for red october then this is a must buy.

You wont be able to put it down as soon as you open it and some of the reviewers above are misguided. Although it does make the us war-machine seem overwhelming, the book is fiction and as such should be treated as entertainment not military fact.

The technical details in the book are very impressive with robinsons research spot on. The plot develops at a good pace with engaging characters and humour to break the seriousness.

This is my favourite book of the series, once hooked you will understand. A must buy.

With Barracuda 945 Patrick Robinson takes many of the testosterone-fuelled certainties of the modern military thriller and turns them vehemently on their heads. Confronted with a massacre of Palestinian civilians by the sorely provoked Israeli troops he is advising (but who will not listen to him) SAS commander Ray Kerman rediscovers his long-lost Islamic roots, turns on his own men and defects, for good.

What follows is a disaster--not for the world of Islamic fundamentalism into which he slips as neatly as a shark into a welcoming ocean but for the West which trained him. Robinson proceeds to demonstrate how a properly trained commander trusted by the Iranian ayatollahs and their terrorist proxies could do damage so much more severe than 9/11 that it takes the breath away.

This feels like the first of a sequence--Ray Kerman becomes Ravi Rashood, finds true love and works mischief while half a world away a CIA analyst puts the story together and plans some eventual come-uppance. This is an interesting thriller because Robinson has some real political agendas, however reactionary they may be, and because he has a certain sense of how things work. --Roz Kaveney

Cliches and stereotypes abound, 06 Mar 2008
Previous books have worked well but like other reviewers almost stopped reading.
The Britsih are stiff upper lip fools,The Argetinians great tactically.The Russions are there just for fun and the Americans are clever and smart and can solve all problems with a little Special Force.
The book gets so many views wrong....
The Falklands will never ever be forgotton by the British and in a modern World with the Internet.Newspapaers TV the original premise to could not occur.
The biggest problem is the fact the British in this situation would do what we always do and that is to use Cunning and deceptiion to regain the Falklands not some silly Naval mission.How about Cruise Missiles up the Presidents Residence

Falkland islanderes are written as if they do not mind if they are British or Argentinian.This is so wrong .

There is no way the Falklands could be handede over to Argentina in say 100 years at least and then only if the Islanders agree which they never will.They speak English are British and no UK Prime minister would be able to sign over and stay in their job.
I could go on but if you are from The UK this book makes no sense and is very disspoiniting.If you are from outside the UK and you view Britain via Cliches,stereotypes and Mary Poppins then you will enjoy this book.





So poor., 27 Feb 2008
This is this first time I have done a review. I so wished I had never bought this book was so angrey when I finished it. Loved all the rest of his books.
The way he writes about Navy SEALs as some sort of Gods what a joke. Mr Robinson must be trying to get into Hollywood. The Britsh SAS/SBS are the best of all special forces from the best Armed forces in the world. It's the USA that calls for our troops. Avoid this book. GHOST FARCE WOULD BE A BETTER NAME.



Excellent job!!!, 27 Jan 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read, right up with Nimitz class and Kilo class. The story involves a new setting to the Falklands, which was excellent, although they should have done it faster. Also, I think Admiral Arnold Morgan (the main character) needs to retire by then, as he has saved US too many times, it may get a little boring. I hope that the next series a new character, called James Ramshawe, can replace Arnold Morgan's place as the new saviour of the United States. The editing is good, but needs some corrections. For example Captain Gregor Vanislav, he wrote once Captain Yanislav. The ending is excellent, although it may get a little crappy that it ends with a question grunted by Arnold Morgan.
The start is a bit too boring and it sends the readers too far off course because it starts at Siberia and suddenly springs to the Falklands. Also, it mistook that, in fact the British naval force ain't that bad, not like what depicted in the book. The most exciting parts are the SEALs' missions, although I think the guards at Pebble Island Airfield weren't so crap.
The overall of this book is excellent, except the editing and the start. I dearly recommend this book for techno-thriller readers!

Shockingly poor, unrealistic and poorly researched 'effort'. , 03 Jan 2008
If I could have given this 0 stars I would have done. I stopped reading after 150 pages when Robinson annoyed me too much. It is a shame, as I have always found Admiral Morgan a very interesting character. Unfortunately the rest of the book is a shambles. Poorly researched, and sloppy throughout (well throughout those 150 pages anyway). Robinson fell into his usual trap of letting his own political views bias his writing. Unfortunately he made statements with regards to British politics that are plain incorrect. There are also other statements which, while a matter of opinion, are stomach churningly one sided and right wing, ie. "the guiding light of goodness and purpose that had always gripped Margaret Thatcher"

His grasp on all things British is poor at best, but unfortunately he passes himself off as an expert. PLEASE AVOID THIS BOOK.
Utterly

Not researched. Not plausible, 26 Nov 2007
What a disappointment after Nimitz and Kilo class. I suppose things started going wrong from the start. The Royal Navy would not commit mass suicide just to 'obey orders'. No self respecting admiral would allow the scenario to evolve. The Daring class are not armed in the way the story tells and no 1st generation fighter bomber can get close to the ships now because they all have goalkeepers/phalanxes -and search radar would pick 'em up with plenty of time to shoot 'em down.
Poorly researched.

A bit irked, 11 Jul 2008
In common with a lot of the other reviews I thought that it was a good read, quite pacey in parts but with a predictable ending. However, I found that the portrayal of all the Americans as demi gods with gorgeous fawning women falling over them and the foreigners as undersized ignorant thickos, banal and irksome. Are there no short fatish commanders with matronly wives in the US forces hierarchy? When I read these stereotypical descriptions I had to force myself to continue through to the end of the book. It also worries me that someone of the stature of Admiral Sir John (Sandy) Woodward, in his afterword, seems to lend credence to this as a viable foreign policy

A great read!, 30 Jul 2005
Kilo Class, Robinson's second novel, is a great read. It has a fast paced, entertaining story, with the odd bit of humour nicely woven in. After Nimitz Class, it certainly did not dissapoint. A poor economic climate in the ex-Soviet Union prompts the sale of two Kilo-class submarines to China. As we have seen in Nimitz Class, these Diesel-powered boats are one of the few weapons that can be turned against a Carrier Battle Group. For this reason, should these subs fall into Chinese hands, we could see s significant shift in the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Of course, the US administration comes to the rescue, employing some naval tactics of their own. Although the plot is very predictable, it is a nice journey, and I can certainly recommend it.

predictable, but enjoyable., 02 Jan 2005
A very unlikely storyline which deals with the utter destruction of anyone or any country that dares to stand in front of the USA and total world domination.
That said, I really enjoy the character of Arnold Morgan. His undisputable love for his country and 'buckshot' is great.
I do like to read books by this author, but I believe this to be one of weakest so far.

Good, but not great., 17 May 2004
This is the sequel to "Nimitz Class", but it stands alone as it merely refers to a few events in Robinson's earlier books. The main plot revolves around the US destroying Russian submarines destined for China, but also includes a rather bizarre subplot concerning Taiwan building a secret base in Antarctica, possibly because the "main" plot doesn't really have enough meat for a full novel.

On the plus side its an interesting, fast paced novel, but whereas "Nimitz Class" did seem plausible, this seemed a little unlikely. Apparently Russia can't afford NOT to sell Subs to China so the US have no option but to sink them. Apparently America paying the Russians the value of the subs in exchange for the cancelling the deal or threatening to cancel existing loans is too humdrum an option for the author. Certainly no non-military options even seem to be considered. I hope a real US president may just think twice before sending special forces into the heart of Russia.

I odn't know why British author Patrick Robinson writes about Americans... maybe they just have more exciting equipment than the rather budget starved Royal Navy. He doesn't seem comfortable writing about American characters...he seems to have created a world where all Americans are Donald Rumsfeld which is a shame because he's clearly a talented author. When he writes about what he knows his knowledge and immagination really comes through. Sadly "Admiral Morgan" is a rather one dimensional sub-Dale Brown character. I've just bought "HMS Unseen" and hope its up to the standard of Nimitz Class.

Were not worthy, 25 Nov 2003
If your into the whole tom clancy/ chris ryan type saga and enjoyed hunt for red october then this is a must buy.

You wont be able to put it down as soon as you open it and some of the reviewers above are misguided. Although it does make the us war-machine seem overwhelming, the book is fiction and as such should be treated as entertainment not military fact.

The technical details in the book are very impressive with robinsons research spot on. The plot develops at a good pace with engaging characters and humour to break the seriousness.

This is my favourite book of the series, once hooked you will understand. A must buy.

barracuda 945, 14 May 2006
an excellent book well thought out with an interesting twist for once the good old USA dose not get its man!

A book that reflects the powder keg we all live in

Not even good enough for airplane fodder, 21 Oct 2004
A lot has been written in other reviews on this site regarding Patrick Robinson's political persuasion so I wont go extensively about that, but I will offer a word of warning to anyone sitting on the centre left that this book can be somewhat heavy going and can detract from the overall story.

The prior review from "petersym" offers an interesting contrast into the detail of the book compared to my review and certainly has more detail on the military aspects of the book. I hope though that I offer a view to people who have limited knowledge of this field.

I always like to start with a positive and as such I will. As a completely non-military person Patrick Robinson does have an ability to bring to life all of the military terminology and put it in a way that even a mere mortal can understand, he does sometimes go over the top with this but still, it adds valuable context to the narrative.

I am afraid this is where the positives end...

I have never quite read a book where no one, and I mean no one makes a mistake. It is quite incredible. From the young but brilliant, Lt Ramshaw, to the deity of Navy intelligence that is Arnold Morgan to the stunningly brave and tactically astute Ray Kerman and finally onto to the resilient Shakira Rashood who becomes the first women to operate aboard a submarine and who is also at the cutting edge of navigation. Now I am all for efficiency in a novel but this is ridiculous. If the world was truly this efficient then we would have no unemployment, no homelessness and communism would be adopted across all nations.

Ray Kerman goes through what can only be described as an emotional journey to a land he believes is his homeland to find the people he believes he belongs with. This alone could have made a story I would have happily read. What a shame that the author decided gloss over this and make it a simple transition for what I imagine would be one of the most heart rendering decisions of a mans life. The simplicity of the description this transformation is at best a lack of detail and at worst down right shoddy writing.

Once the action kicks in you begin to look at the story with a slightly glazed look. It begins to belie any concept you may have of possible, which isn't in itself a bad thing, but in this case really doesn't work. I found the constant caricaturing of both the Chinese and the Russians to be not only boring but xenophobic and do question whether the author has ever bothered to take the time to understand these cultures before he rips into them.

By the time I was on the penultimate chapters of the book I had completely lost interest in the outcome and couldn't really careless if the entire West side of America had been blown to pieces, unusually really because you would think one would care about such an occurrence!

The story is clearly left open for a sequel and to be honest I do not care whether he does or doesn't go ahead and write it. Those of you who are fans of techno thrillers and specifically Patrick Robinson will want to read it I am sure and that is of course your prerogative. To the rest of you I would recommend reading something a little less partisan and a little more intelligent.

Magnifies the best & worst of Robinson, 01 Sep 2004
Barracuda 945 showcases all thats right and wrong with Patrick Robinson.

The story is very much more of the same. Real fans will love it, while those who aren't so keen may think they've read it before. In a nutshell, an Arab born SAS man (Ray Kerman) is sickened by Israeli actions in Hebron, defects to HAMAS and masterminds several strikes against Israel. So far so good... what better terrorist than an SAS man? It almost like a gamekeeper turned poacher.

Then he goes to Iran and masterminds a brilliant strike against the US using a Russian nuclear submarin (the Barracuda type 945). At this point you have to suspen your disbelief. While an SAS man would be great at infiltrating Israel, you've got to wonder what he'd really know about subs. His masterplan involves getting Iran (on behalf of HAMAS) providing a submarine crew and money. The Chinese buy the sub from Russia and give it to the arabs to attack america. When the US get a little angry everyone will deny ever having the sub.

As with Robinson's previous Ben Adnam books (Nimitz class, HMS Unseen) the idea of having a terrorist with a sub is great. He's realised that his fans like reading about mass distruction wrought from the sea by master terrorists & as a result Kerman is the major character in the book. Unfortunately the whole plot is a bit too much like HMS Unseen to be considered original.

Many reviewers have complained that Robinson is very right wing. He is. His criticism of Bill Clinton is very accurate.. only the most die-hard democrat would claim that Clinton didn't weaken the US military. Certainly he allowed the Panamanians to give control of the Panama canal to China (without spoiling the plot this is quite important) and allowed China to get access to some very powerful US missile technology. Unfortunately rather than being satisfied with making the point once he has to reinforce it again & again & again.

As with his previous 5 books Robinson's main advisor is Falklands task force leader Admiral Sandy Woodward. While I have great respect for the Admiral, Robinson seems obliged to highlight his every achievement. I refuse to believe that any US admiral would ever say "A nuclear submarine is the most destructive weapon on earth. This was shown in December 1982 when Admiral Sandy Woodward torpedoed the 13,500 ton Argentinean cruiser Belgrano 182 miles off the coast of the Falklands". 5 pages later "thats ten times more explosive than Admiral Sandy Woodward used to sink the 13,500 ton cruiser the Belgrano". As with his politics its about as subtle as an A-bomb. If (British born) Patrick Robinson is so proud of the Royal Navy then why doesn't he write about it rather than than focusing on the americans so much? In his books the only real role for the Brits seems to be breeding terrorists!

Without spoiling too much it all ends like every one of Robinsons books. SEALS blowing things up & the "damn chinese" defeated. It sets things up nicely for a sequel. All in all this is an easy to read page-turner. If you've read his previous books you'll like this. If Bill Clinton is your favourite presidnet of all time, don't bother.

Not his best, but still a good read, 19 May 2004
I started reading Patrick Robinsons books a long time ago, and eagerly awaited this one and was disapointed with the disjointed story. However, I still enjoyed the book and would recomend it, with a note of caution. I have just finsihed reading his latest 'Schimitar SL2' and found it much better - to my relief.

Obviously not every beginning must have an end!, 10 Feb 2004
Potentially unfairly, I started this book off the back of the latest Gerald Seymour and yet after the first 100 pages was so hooked into the potential of the story I would have ranked it even higher.

The presentation of ideas well thought through and systematically linked set the scene for a memorable 'battle' between the practical General and the strategic Admiral, although the annoying introduction of the wunderkind Lieutentant scored negatively for me.

Imagine my surprise therefore when the author decided that as he himself couldn't distinguish who would triumph between the pair, he would instead write the conclusion for a completely different novel!

The disappointment I felt was compounded by the fact that the start was so good but I also believe that I should discourage anybody else from purchasing this book and thus avoid a similar feeling of time-waste!

Cliches and stereotypes abound, 06 Mar 2008
Previous books have worked well but like other reviewers almost stopped reading.
The Britsih are stiff upper lip fools,The Argetinians great tactically.The Russions are there just for fun and the Americans are clever and smart and can solve all problems with a little Special Force.
The book gets so many views wrong....
The Falklands will never ever be forgotton by the British and in a modern World with the Internet.Newspapaers TV the original premise to could not occur.
The biggest problem is the fact the British in this situation would do what we always do and that is to use Cunning and deceptiion to regain the Falklands not some silly Naval mission.How about Cruise Missiles up the Presidents Residence

Falkland islanderes are written as if they do not mind if they are British or Argentinian.This is so wrong .

There is no way the Falklands could be handede over to Argentina in say 100 years at least and then only if the Islanders agree which they never will.They speak English are British and no UK Prime minister would be able to sign over and stay in their job.
I could go on but if you are from The UK this book makes no sense and is very disspoiniting.If you are from outside the UK and you view Britain via Cliches,stereotypes and Mary Poppins then you will enjoy this book.





So poor., 27 Feb 2008
This is this first time I have done a review. I so wished I had never bought this book was so angrey when I finished it. Loved all the rest of his books.
The way he writes about Navy SEALs as some sort of Gods what a joke. Mr Robinson must be trying to get into Hollywood. The Britsh SAS/SBS are the best of all special forces from the best Armed forces in the world. It's the USA that calls for our troops. Avoid this book. GHOST FARCE WOULD BE A BETTER NAME.



Excellent job!!!, 27 Jan 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read, right up with Nimitz class and Kilo class. The story involves a new setting to the Falklands, which was excellent, although they should have done it faster. Also, I think Admiral Arnold Morgan (the main character) needs to retire by then, as he has saved US too many times, it may get a little boring. I hope that the next series a new character, called James Ramshawe, can replace Arnold Morgan's place as the new saviour of the United States. The editing is good, but needs some corrections. For example Captain Gregor Vanislav, he wrote once Captain Yanislav. The ending is excellent, although it may get a little crappy that it ends with a question grunted by Arnold Morgan.
The start is a bit too boring and it sends the readers too far off course because it starts at Siberia and suddenly springs to the Falklands. Also, it mistook that, in fact the British naval force ain't that bad, not like what depicted in the book. The most exciting parts are the SEALs' missions, although I think the guards at Pebble Island Airfield weren't so crap.
The overall of this book is excellent, except the editing and the start. I dearly recommend this book for techno-thriller readers!

Shockingly poor, unrealistic and poorly researched 'effort'. , 03 Jan 2008
If I could have given this 0 stars I would have done. I stopped reading after 150 pages when Robinson annoyed me too much. It is a shame, as I have always found Admiral Morgan a very interesting character. Unfortunately the rest of the book is a shambles. Poorly researched, and sloppy throughout (well throughout those 150 pages anyway). Robinson fell into his usual trap of letting his own political views bias his writing. Unfortunately he made statements with regards to British politics that are plain incorrect. There are also other statements which, while a matter of opinion, are stomach churningly one sided and right wing, ie. "the guiding light of goodness and purpose that had always gripped Margaret Thatcher"

His grasp on all things British is poor at best, but unfortunately he passes himself off as an expert. PLEASE AVOID THIS BOOK.
Utterly

Not researched. Not plausible, 26 Nov 2007
What a disappointment after Nimitz and Kilo class. I suppose things started going wrong from the start. The Royal Navy would not commit mass suicide just to 'obey orders'. No self respecting admiral would allow the scenario to evolve. The Daring class are not armed in the way the story tells and no 1st generation fighter bomber can get close to the ships now because they all have goalkeepers/phalanxes -and search radar would pick 'em up with plenty of time to shoot 'em down.
Poorly researched.

A bit irked, 11 Jul 2008
In common with a lot of the other reviews I thought that it was a good read, quite pacey in parts but with a predictable ending. However, I found that the portrayal of all the Americans as demi gods with gorgeous fawning women falling over them and the foreigners as undersized ignorant thickos, banal and irksome. Are there no short fatish commanders with matronly wives in the US forces hierarchy? When I read these stereotypical descriptions I had to force myself to continue through to the end of the book. It also worries me that someone of the stature of Admiral Sir John (Sandy) Woodward, in his afterword, seems to lend credence to this as a viable foreign policy

A great read!, 30 Jul 2005
Kilo Class, Robinson's second novel, is a great read. It has a fast paced, entertaining story, with the odd bit of humour nicely woven in. After Nimitz Class, it certainly did not dissapoint. A poor economic climate in the ex-Soviet Union prompts the sale of two Kilo-class submarines to China. As we have seen in Nimitz Class, these Diesel-powered boats are one of the few weapons that can be turned against a Carrier Battle Group. For this reason, should these subs fall into Chinese hands, we could see s significant shift in the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Of course, the US administration comes to the rescue, employing some naval tactics of their own. Although the plot is very predictable, it is a nice journey, and I can certainly recommend it.

predictable, but enjoyable., 02 Jan 2005
A very unlikely storyline which deals with the utter destruction of anyone or any country that dares to stand in front of the USA and total world domination.
That said, I really enjoy the character of Arnold Morgan. His undisputable love for his country and 'buckshot' is great.
I do like to read books by this author, but I believe this to be one of weakest so far.

Good, but not great., 17 May 2004
This is the sequel to "Nimitz Class", but it stands alone as it merely refers to a few events in Robinson's earlier books. The main plot revolves around the US destroying Russian submarines destined for China, but also includes a rather bizarre subplot concerning Taiwan building a secret base in Antarctica, possibly because the "main" plot doesn't really have enough meat for a full novel.

On the plus side its an interesting, fast paced novel, but whereas "Nimitz Class" did seem plausible, this seemed a little unlikely. Apparently Russia can't afford NOT to sell Subs to China so the US have no option but to sink them. Apparently America paying the Russians the value of the subs in exchange for the cancelling the deal or threatening to cancel existing loans is too humdrum an option for the author. Certainly no non-military options even seem to be considered. I hope a real US president may just think twice before sending special forces into the heart of Russia.

I odn't know why British author Patrick Robinson writes about Americans... maybe they just have more exciting equipment than the rather budget starved Royal Navy. He doesn't seem comfortable writing about American characters...he seems to have created a world where all Americans are Donald Rumsfeld which is a shame because he's clearly a talented author. When he writes about what he knows his knowledge and immagination really comes through. Sadly "Admiral Morgan" is a rather one dimensional sub-Dale Brown character. I've just bought "HMS Unseen" and hope its up to the standard of Nimitz Class.

Were not worthy, 25 Nov 2003
If your into the whole tom clancy/ chris ryan type saga and enjoyed hunt for red october then this is a must buy.

You wont be able to put it down as soon as you open it and some of the reviewers above are misguided. Although it does make the us war-machine seem overwhelming, the book is fiction and as such should be treated as entertainment not military fact.

The technical details in the book are very impressive with robinsons research spot on. The plot develops at a good pace with engaging characters and humour to break the seriousness.

This is my favourite book of the series, once hooked you will understand. A must buy.

barracuda 945, 14 May 2006
an excellent book well thought out with an interesting twist for once the good old USA dose not get its man!

A book that reflects the powder keg we all live in

Not even good enough for airplane fodder, 21 Oct 2004
A lot has been written in other reviews on this site regarding Patrick Robinson's political persuasion so I wont go extensively about that, but I will offer a word of warning to anyone sitting on the centre left that this book can be somewhat heavy going and can detract from the overall story.

The prior review from "petersym" offers an interesting contrast into the detail of the book compared to my review and certainly has more detail on the military aspects of the book. I hope though that I offer a view to people who have limited knowledge of this field.

I always like to start with a positive and as such I will. As a completely non-military person Patrick Robinson does have an ability to bring to life all of the military terminology and put it in a way that even a mere mortal can understand, he does sometimes go over the top with this but still, it adds valuable context to the narrative.

I am afraid this is where the positives end...

I have never quite read a book where no one, and I mean no one makes a mistake. It is quite incredible. From the young but brilliant, Lt Ramshaw, to the deity of Navy intelligence that is Arnold Morgan to the stunningly brave and tactically astute Ray Kerman and finally onto to the resilient Shakira Rashood who becomes the first women to operate aboard a submarine and who is also at the cutting edge of navigation. Now I am all for efficiency in a novel but this is ridiculous. If the world was truly this efficient then we would have no unemployment, no homelessness and communism would be adopted across all nations.

Ray Kerman goes through what can only be described as an emotional journey to a land he believes is his homeland to find the people he believes he belongs with. This alone could have made a story I would have happily read. What a shame that the author decided gloss over this and make it a simple transition for what I imagine would be one of the most heart rendering decisions of a mans life. The simplicity of the description this transformation is at best a lack of detail and at worst down right shoddy writing.

Once the action kicks in you begin to look at the story with a slightly glazed look. It begins to belie any concept you may have of possible, which isn't in itself a bad thing, but in this case really doesn't work. I found the constant caricaturing of both the Chinese and the Russians to be not only boring but xenophobic and do question whether the author has ever bothered to take the time to understand these cultures before he rips into them.

By the time I was on the penultimate chapters of the book I had completely lost interest in the outcome and couldn't really careless if the entire West side of America had been blown to pieces, unusually really because you would think one would care about such an occurrence!

The story is clearly left open for a sequel and to be honest I do not care whether he does or doesn't go ahead and write it. Those of you who are fans of techno thrillers and specifically Patrick Robinson will want to read it I am sure and that is of course your prerogative. To the rest of you I would recommend reading something a little less partisan and a little more intelligent.

Magnifies the best & worst of Robinson, 01 Sep 2004
Barracuda 945 showcases all thats right and wrong with Patrick Robinson.

The story is very much more of the same. Real fans will love it, while those who aren't so keen may think they've read it before. In a nutshell, an Arab born SAS man (Ray Kerman) is sickened by Israeli actions in Hebron, defects to HAMAS and masterminds several strikes against Israel. So far so good... what better terrorist than an SAS man? It almost like a gamekeeper turned poacher.

Then he goes to Iran and masterminds a brilliant strike against the US using a Russian nuclear submarin (the Barracuda type 945). At this point you have to suspen your disbelief. While an SAS man would be great at infiltrating Israel, you've got to wonder what he'd really know about subs. His masterplan involves getting Iran (on behalf of HAMAS) providing a submarine crew and money. The Chinese buy the sub from Russia and give it to the arabs to attack america. When the US get a little angry everyone will deny ever having the sub.

As with Robinson's previous Ben Adnam books (Nimitz class, HMS Unseen) the idea of having a terrorist with a sub is great. He's realised that his fans like reading about mass distruction wrought from the sea by master terrorists & as a result Kerman is the major character in the book. Unfortunately the whole plot is a bit too much like HMS Unseen to be considered original.

Many reviewers have complained that Robinson is very right wing. He is. His criticism of Bill Clinton is very accurate.. only the most die-hard democrat would claim that Clinton didn't weaken the US military. Certainly he allowed the Panamanians to give control of the Panama canal to China (without spoiling the plot this is quite important) and allowed China to get access to some very powerful US missile technology. Unfortunately rather than being satisfied with making the point once he has to reinforce it again & again & again.

As with his previous 5 books Robinson's main advisor is Falklands task force leader Admiral Sandy Woodward. While I have great respect for the Admiral, Robinson seems obliged to highlight his every achievement. I refuse to believe that any US admiral would ever say "A nuclear submarine is the most destructive weapon on earth. This was shown in December 1982 when Admiral Sandy Woodward torpedoed the 13,500 ton Argentinean cruiser Belgrano 182 miles off the coast of the Falklands". 5 pages later "thats ten times more explosive than Admiral Sandy Woodward used to sink the 13,500 ton cruiser the Belgrano". As with his politics its about as subtle as an A-bomb. If (British born) Patrick Robinson is so proud of the Royal Navy then why doesn't he write about it rather than than focusing on the americans so much? In his books the only real role for the Brits seems to be breeding terrorists!

Without spoiling too much it all ends like every one of Robinsons books. SEALS blowing things up & the "damn chinese" defeated. It sets things up nicely for a sequel. All in all this is an easy to read page-turner. If you've read his previous books you'll like this. If Bill Clinton is your favourite presidnet of all time, don't bother.

Not his best, but still a good read, 19 May 2004
I started reading Patrick Robinsons books a long time ago, and eagerly awaited this one and was disapointed with the disjointed story. However, I still enjoyed the book and would recomend it, with a note of caution. I have just finsihed reading his latest 'Schimitar SL2' and found it much better - to my relief.

Obviously not every beginning must have an end!, 10 Feb 2004
Potentially unfairly, I started this book off the back of the latest Gerald Seymour and yet after the first 100 pages was so hooked into the potential of the story I would have ranked it even higher.

The presentation of ideas well thought through and systematically linked set the scene for a memorable 'battle' between the practical General and the strategic Admiral, although the annoying introduction of the wunderkind Lieutentant scored negatively for me.

Imagine my surprise therefore when the author decided that as he himself couldn't distinguish who would triumph between the pair, he would instead write the conclusion for a completely different novel!

The disappointment I felt was compounded by the fact that the start was so good but I also believe that I should discourage anybody else from purchasing this book and thus avoid a similar feeling of time-waste!

"America's Best, Forget the Rest" -- if you like that, buy this!, 17 Feb 2008
"America's best, forget the rest" is a motto followed by some writers. There are those who despite this attitude manage to write entertaining novels, such as Tom Clancy.
Hunter Killer, however, is not one of those novels.
The story is boring, not well told, and the constant French bashing, along with unashamed and abundant praise lavished on the USA, is a bit tiring. A little more balance would not have hurt.
In closing, this is a great book for francophobes.


French Bashing, 10 Oct 2007
This is the first book I've read by Parick Robinson and it'll be the last.
Right I'm French, but still I was astounded by the idiocy of such a scenario from a right-winger who certainly cannot be compared to Frederick Forsyth. Robinson just imagines a most improbable plot in which a nation like France perpetrates the most abominable terrorist attack on the scale of the planet. Thank God Admiral Morgan and the USA are there to save the world and in the end France is exposed as the villain of the piece and humiliated in front of the whole world at the UN.
When you realise that that book was written when G.W.Bush launched his attack against Iraq on the basis of a pack of lies, when the French were mocked as cowards for not joining in, (which Robinson , no doubt a fervent supporter of Bush and the Iraq war, can't help reminding the reader ), it's no wonder, yet a bit rich to write a story having the President of France , (of all stupid ideas a former communist,) allowing himself to be dragged into a terrorist act of war and giving orders to that effect which will be carried out down the military hierarchy without anyone protesting or leaking it.
Now if you are fond of technological details about the navy high-tech weaponry you may enjoy that kind of story,but I cannot recommend that book to anybody. Personally I soon got bored but I kept reading it just to see what end such a stupid story could be leading to.

Great fun, 28 Aug 2006
Unlike some of the other reviews I read books to be entertained and this book did it for me. Far from the plot being far-fetched find it completly possible. The Saudies are going to fall it is only a matter of when and picking the French as the devious nation to be party to the fall is perfect as they are the most self centred and power hungry nation in Europe. This was fun and I past a dull and wet weekend being amused and thrilled in turn. It was a nice touch of Clancy and like him the attention to detail was first class. Will now set out to read his other books. More please.

Freddie Forsyth v. The Simpsons, 12 Jul 2006
I bought this book on an excitable whim, based on the reviews ("The new Frederick Forsyth") and some knowledge of the authors previous works. Yes, the storyline is far fetched, but then I expected that from reading the synopsis, knowing the genre and a glance at the authors previous works.

What is disappointing is the lack of depth and ability to try and help suspend reality; how hard can it be to scatter a few personal or real-life details through the story? And to keep at least some level of reality?

I'm not sure about the plotting and even some of the technical detail either. I would put this at the Cartoon end of the Thriller spectrum; if you are going on a longhaul flight then this may be for you. But the lack of even basic credibility and realism mean't that I began to lose interest around Chapter Three, and ultimately gave up halfway through the book, skim reading until completion.

Maybe I'll try a previous work, but this was poor.

An average thriller - nowhere near his best, 11 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Nimitz' and the 'Scimitar' novels but I'm now worried that Robinson is 'doing a Cussler' and, having found a few good characters, is resurrecting them again and again.

Other reviewers and the Amazon précis all provide a good outline of the story, so I won't repeat that. However,I will say that the basic premise of the Saudi prince recruiting help from the French - and the French then setting things in motion - is developed at interminable length. A huge part of the start of the novel is taken up with laying foundations so thickly (and boringly) that you could construct a trilogy upon them - never mind one novel. Whole hypotheses are repeated as if Robinson is trying to make sure you're following along.

It is often said that George Lucas has good ideas but can't write dialogue to save his life. I'm afraid that this also applies in parts of 'Hunter Killer'. Some of the chit-chat is either banal or mind-numbingly unrealistic.

Once the action gets going - and brother, does that take a long time !!!!! - the book improves. But it's all rather predictable and is nowhere near as good as many of the earlier novels.

I hope that Patrick now buries the characters he's become so fond of, and creates a few new ones.

Cliches and stereotypes abound, 06 Mar 2008
Previous books have worked well but like other reviewers almost stopped reading.
The Britsih are stiff upper lip fools,The Argetinians great tactically.The Russions are there just for fun and the Americans are clever and smart and can solve all problems with a little Special Force.
The book gets so many views wrong....
The Falklands will never ever be forgotton by the British and in a modern World with the Internet.Newspapaers TV the original premise to could not occur.
The biggest problem is the fact the British in this situation would do what we always do and that is to use Cunning and deceptiion to regain the Falklands not some silly Naval mission.How about Cruise Missiles up the Presidents Residence

Falkland islanderes are written as if they do not mind if they are British or Argentinian.This is so wrong .

There is no way the Falklands could be handede over to Argentina in say 100 years at least and then only if the Islanders agree which they never will.They speak English are British and no UK Prime minister would be able to sign over and stay in their job.
I could go on but if you are from The UK this book makes no sense and is very disspoiniting.If you are from outside the UK and you view Britain via Cliches,stereotypes and Mary Poppins then you will enjoy this book.





So poor., 27 Feb 2008
This is this first time I have done a review. I so wished I had never bought this book was so angrey when I finished it. Loved all the rest of his books.
The way he writes about Navy SEALs as some sort of Gods what a joke. Mr Robinson must be trying to get into Hollywood. The Britsh SAS/SBS are the best of all special forces from the best Armed forces in the world. It's the USA that calls for our troops. Avoid this book. GHOST FARCE WOULD BE A BETTER NAME.



Excellent job!!!, 27 Jan 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read, right up with Nimitz class and Kilo class. The story involves a new setting to the Falklands, which was excellent, although they should have done it faster. Also, I think Admiral Arnold Morgan (the main character) needs to retire by then, as he has saved US too many times, it may get a little boring. I hope that the next series a new character, called James Ramshawe, can replace Arnold Morgan's place as the new saviour of the United States. The editing is good, but needs some corrections. For example Captain Gregor Vanislav, he wrote once Captain Yanislav. The ending is excellent, although it may get a little crappy that it ends with a question grunted by Arnold Morgan.
The start is a bit too boring and it sends the readers too far off course because it starts at Siberia and suddenly springs to the Falklands. Also, it mistook that, in fact the British naval force ain't that bad, not like what depicted in the book. The most exciting parts are the SEALs' missions, although I think the guards at Pebble Island Airfield weren't so crap.
The overall of this book is excellent, except the editing and the start. I dearly recommend this book for techno-thriller readers!

Shockingly poor, unrealistic and poorly researched 'effort'. , 03 Jan 2008
If I could have given this 0 stars I would have done. I stopped reading after 150 pages when Robinson annoyed me too much. It is a shame, as I have always found Admiral Morgan a very interesting character. Unfortunately the rest of the book is a shambles. Poorly researched, and sloppy throughout (well throughout those 150 pages anyway). Robinson fell into his usual trap of letting his own political views bias his writing. Unfortunately he made statements with regards to British politics that are plain incorrect. There are also other statements which, while a matter of opinion, are stomach churningly one sided and right wing, ie. "the guiding light of goodness and purpose that had always gripped Margaret Thatcher"

His grasp on all things British is poor at best, but unfortunately he passes himself off as an expert. PLEASE AVOID THIS BOOK.
Utterly

Not researched. Not plausible, 26 Nov 2007
What a disappointment after Nimitz and Kilo class. I suppose things started going wrong from the start. The Royal Navy would not commit mass suicide just to 'obey orders'. No self respecting admiral would allow the scenario to evolve. The Daring class are not armed in the way the story tells and no 1st generation fighter bomber can get close to the ships now because they all have goalkeepers/phalanxes -and search radar would pick 'em up with plenty of time to shoot 'em down.
Poorly researched.

A bit irked, 11 Jul 2008
In common with a lot of the other reviews I thought that it was a good read, quite pacey in parts but with a predictable ending. However, I found that the portrayal of all the Americans as demi gods with gorgeous fawning women falling over them and the foreigners as undersized ignorant thickos, banal and irksome. Are there no short fatish commanders with matronly wives in the US forces hierarchy? When I read these stereotypical descriptions I had to force myself to continue through to the end of the book. It also worries me that someone of the stature of Admiral Sir John (Sandy) Woodward, in his afterword, seems to lend credence to this as a viable foreign policy

A great read!, 30 Jul 2005
Kilo Class, Robinson's second novel, is a great read. It has a fast paced, entertaining story, with the odd bit of humour nicely woven in. After Nimitz Class, it certainly did not dissapoint. A poor economic climate in the ex-Soviet Union prompts the sale of two Kilo-class submarines to China. As we have seen in Nimitz Class, these Diesel-powered boats are one of the few weapons that can be turned against a Carrier Battle Group. For this reason, should these subs fall into Chinese hands, we could see s significant shift in the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Of course, the US administration comes to the rescue, employing some naval tactics of their own. Although the plot is very predictable, it is a nice journey, and I can certainly recommend it.

predictable, but enjoyable., 02 Jan 2005
A very unlikely storyline which deals with the utter destruction of anyone or any country that dares to stand in front of the USA and total world domination.
That said, I really enjoy the character of Arnold Morgan. His undisputable love for his country and 'buckshot' is great.
I do like to read books by this author, but I believe this to be one of weakest so far.

Good, but not great., 17 May 2004
This is the sequel to "Nimitz Class", but it stands alone as it merely refers to a few events in Robinson's earlier books. The main plot revolves around the US destroying Russian submarines destined for China, but also includes a rather bizarre subplot concerning Taiwan building a secret base in Antarctica, possibly because the "main" plot doesn't really have enough meat for a full novel.

On the plus side its an interesting, fast paced novel, but whereas "Nimitz Class" did seem plausible, this seemed a little unlikely. Apparently Russia can't afford NOT to sell Subs to China so the US have no option but to sink them. Apparently America paying the Russians the value of the subs in exchange for the cancelling the deal or threatening to cancel existing loans is too humdrum an option for the author. Certainly no non-military options even seem to be considered. I hope a real US president may just think twice before sending special forces into the heart of Russia.

I odn't know why British author Patrick Robinson writes about Americans... maybe they just have more exciting equipment than the rather budget starved Royal Navy. He doesn't seem comfortable writing about American characters...he seems to have created a world where all Americans are Donald Rumsfeld which is a shame because he's clearly a talented author. When he writes about what he knows his knowledge and immagination really comes through. Sadly "Admiral Morgan" is a rather one dimensional sub-Dale Brown character. I've just bought "HMS Unseen" and hope its up to the standard of Nimitz Class.

Were not worthy, 25 Nov 2003
If your into the whole tom clancy/ chris ryan type saga and enjoyed hunt for red october then this is a must buy.

You wont be able to put it down as soon as you open it and some of the reviewers above are misguided. Although it does make the us war-machine seem overwhelming, the book is fiction and as such should be treated as entertainment not military fact.

The technical details in the book are very impressive with robinsons research spot on. The plot develops at a good pace with engaging characters and humour to break the seriousness.

This is my favourite book of the series, once hooked you will understand. A must buy.

barracuda 945, 14 May 2006
an excellent book well thought out with an interesting twist for once the good old USA dose not get its man!

A book that reflects the powder keg we all live in

Not even good enough for airplane fodder, 21 Oct 2004
A lot has been written in other reviews on this site regarding Patrick Robinson's political persuasion so I wont go extensively about that, but I will offer a word of warning to anyone sitting on the centre left that this book can be somewhat heavy going and can detract from the overall story.

The prior review from "petersym" offers an interesting contrast into the detail of the book compared to my review and certainly has more detail on the military aspects of the book. I hope though that I offer a view to people who have limited knowledge of this field.

I always like to start with a positive and as such I will. As a completely non-military person Patrick Robinson does have an ability to bring to life all of the military terminology and put it in a way that even a mere mortal can understand, he does sometimes go over the top with this but still, it adds valuable context to the narrative.

I am afraid this is where the positives end...

I have never quite read a book where no one, and I mean no one makes a mistake. It is quite incredible. From the young but brilliant, Lt Ramshaw, to the deity of Navy intelligence that is Arnold Morgan to the stunningly brave and tactically astute Ray Kerman and finally onto to the resilient Shakira Rashood who becomes the first women to operate aboard a submarine and who is also at the cutting edge of navigation. Now I am all for efficiency in a novel but this is ridiculous. If the world was truly this efficient then we would have no unemployment, no homelessness and communism would be adopted across all nations.

Ray Kerman goes through what can only be described as an emotional journey to a land he believes is his homeland to find the people he believes he belongs with. This alone could have made a story I would have happily read. What a shame that the author decided gloss over this and make it a simple transition for what I imagine would be one of the most heart rendering decisions of a mans life. The simplicity of the description this transformation is at best a lack of detail and at worst down right shoddy writing.

Once the action kicks in you begin to look at the story with a slightly glazed look. It begins to belie any concept you may have of possible, which isn't in itself a bad thing, but in this case really doesn't work. I found the constant caricaturing of both the Chinese and the Russians to be not only boring but xenophobic and do question whether the author has ever bothered to take the time to understand these cultures before he rips into them.

By the time I was on the penultimate chapters of the book I had completely lost interest in the outcome and couldn't really careless if the entire West side of America had been blown to pieces, unusually really because you would think one would care about such an occurrence!

The story is clearly left open for a sequel and to be honest I do not care whether he does or doesn't go ahead and write it. Those of you who are fans of techno thrillers and specifically Patrick Robinson will want to read it I am sure and that is of course your prerogative. To the rest of you I would recommend reading something a little less partisan and a little more intelligent.

Magnifies the best & worst of Robinson, 01 Sep 2004
Barracuda 945 showcases all thats right and wrong with Patrick Robinson.

The story is very much more of the same. Real fans will love it, while those who aren't so keen may think they've read it before. In a nutshell, an Arab born SAS man (Ray Kerman) is sickened by Israeli actions in Hebron, defects to HAMAS and masterminds several strikes against Israel. So far so good... what better terrorist than an SAS man? It almost like a gamekeeper turned poacher.

Then he goes to Iran and masterminds a brilliant strike against the US using a Russian nuclear submarin (the Barracuda type 945). At this point you have to suspen your disbelief. While an SAS man would be great at infiltrating Israel, you've got to wonder what he'd really know about subs. His masterplan involves getting Iran (on behalf of HAMAS) providing a submarine crew and money. The Chinese buy the sub from Russia and give it to the arabs to attack america. When the US get a little angry everyone will deny ever having the sub.

As with Robinson's previous Ben Adnam books (Nimitz class, HMS Unseen) the idea of having a terrorist with a sub is great. He's realised that his fans like reading about mass distruction wrought from the sea by master terrorists & as a result Kerman is the major character in the book. Unfortunately the whole plot is a bit too much like HMS Unseen to be considered original.

Many reviewers have complained that Robinson is very right wing. He is. His criticism of Bill Clinton is very accurate.. only the most die-hard democrat would claim that Clinton didn't weaken the US military. Certainly he allowed the Panamanians to give control of the Panama canal to China (without spoiling the plot this is quite important) and allowed China to get access to some very powerful US missile technology. Unfortunately rather than being satisfied with making the point once he has to reinforce it again & again & again.

As with his previous 5 books Robinson's main advisor is Falklands task force leader Admiral Sandy Woodward. While I have great respect for the Admiral, Robinson seems obliged to highlight his every achievement. I refuse to believe that any US admiral would ever say "A nuclear submarine is the most destructive weapon on earth. This was shown in December 1982 when Admiral Sandy Woodward torpedoed the 13,500 ton Argentinean cruiser Belgrano 182 miles off the coast of the Falklands". 5 pages later "thats ten times more explosive than Admiral Sandy Woodward used to sink the 13,500 ton cruiser the Belgrano". As with his politics its about as subtle as an A-bomb. If (British born) Patrick Robinson is so proud of the Royal Navy then why doesn't he write about it rather than than focusing on the americans so much? In his books the only real role for the Brits seems to be breeding terrorists!

Without spoiling too much it all ends like every one of Robinsons books. SEALS blowing things up & the "damn chinese" defeated. It sets things up nicely for a sequel. All in all this is an easy to read page-turner. If you've read his previous books you'll like this. If Bill Clinton is your favourite presidnet of all time, don't bother.

Not his best, but still a good read, 19 May 2004
I started reading Patrick Robinsons books a long time ago, and eagerly awaited this one and was disapointed with the disjointed story. However, I still enjoyed the book and would recomend it, with a note of caution. I have just finsihed reading his latest 'Schimitar SL2' and found it much better - to my relief.

Obviously not every beginning must have an end!, 10 Feb 2004
Potentially unfairly, I started this book off the back of the latest Gerald Seymour and yet after the first 100 pages was so hooked into the potential of the story I would have ranked it even higher.

The presentation of ideas well thought through and systematically linked set the scene for a memorable 'battle' between the practical General and the strategic Admiral, although the annoying introduction of the wunderkind Lieutentant scored negatively for me.

Imagine my surprise therefore when the author decided that as he himself couldn't distinguish who would triumph between the pair, he would instead write the conclusion for a completely different novel!

The disappointment I felt was compounded by the fact that the start was so good but I also believe that I should discourage anybody else from purchasing this book and thus avoid a similar feeling of time-waste!

"America's Best, Forget the Rest" -- if you like that, buy this!, 17 Feb 2008
"America's best, forget the rest" is a motto followed by some writers. There are those who despite this attitude manage to write entertaining novels, such as Tom Clancy.
Hunter Killer, however, is not one of those novels.
The story is boring, not well told, and the constant French bashing, along with unashamed and abundant praise lavished on the USA, is a bit tiring. A little more balance would not have hurt.
In closing, this is a great book for francophobes.


French Bashing, 10 Oct 2007
This is the first book I've read by Parick Robinson and it'll be the last.
Right I'm French, but still I was astounded by the idiocy of such a scenario from a right-winger who certainly cannot be compared to Frederick Forsyth. Robinson just imagines a most improbable plot in which a nation like France perpetrates the most abominable terrorist attack on the scale of the planet. Thank God Admiral Morgan and the USA are there to save the world and in the end France is exposed as the villain of the piece and humiliated in front of the whole world at the UN.
When you realise that that book was written when G.W.Bush launched his attack against Iraq on the basis of a pack of lies, when the French were mocked as cowards for not joining in, (which Robinson , no doubt a fervent supporter of Bush and the Iraq war, can't help reminding the reader ), it's no wonder, yet a bit rich to write a story having the President of France , (of all stupid ideas a former communist,) allowing himself to be dragged into a terrorist act of war and giving orders to that effect which will be carried out down the military hierarchy without anyone protesting or leaking it.
Now if you are fond of technological details about the navy high-tech weaponry you may enjoy that kind of story,but I cannot recommend that book to anybody. Personally I soon got bored but I kept reading it just to see what end such a stupid story could be leading to.

Great fun, 28 Aug 2006
Unlike some of the other reviews I read books to be entertained and this book did it for me. Far from the plot being far-fetched find it completly possible. The Saudies are going to fall it is only a matter of when and picking the French as the devious nation to be party to the fall is perfect as they are the most self centred and power hungry nation in Europe. This was fun and I past a dull and wet weekend being amused and thrilled in turn. It was a nice touch of Clancy and like him the attention to detail was first class. Will now set out to read his other books. More please.

Freddie Forsyth v. The Simpsons, 12 Jul 2006
I bought this book on an excitable whim, based on the reviews ("The new Frederick Forsyth") and some knowledge of the authors previous works. Yes, the storyline is far fetched, but then I expected that from reading the synopsis, knowing the genre and a glance at the authors previous works.

What is disappointing is the lack of depth and ability to try and help suspend reality; how hard can it be to scatter a few personal or real-life details through the story? And to keep at least some level of reality?

I'm not sure about the plotting and even some of the technical detail either. I would put this at the Cartoon end of the Thriller spectrum; if you are going on a longhaul flight then this may be for you. But the lack of even basic credibility and realism mean't that I began to lose interest around Chapter Three, and ultimately gave up halfway through the book, skim reading until completion.

Maybe I'll try a previous work, but this was poor.

An average thriller - nowhere near his best, 11 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Nimitz' and the 'Scimitar' novels but I'm now worried that Robinson is 'doing a Cussler' and, having found a few good characters, is resurrecting them again and again.

Other reviewers and the Amazon précis all provide a good outline of the story, so I won't repeat that. However,I will say that the basic premise of the Saudi prince recruiting help from the French - and the French then setting things in motion - is developed at interminable length. A huge part of the start of the novel is taken up with laying foundations so thickly (and boringly) that you could construct a trilogy upon them - never mind one novel. Whole hypotheses are repeated as if Robinson is trying to make sure you're following along.

It is often said that George Lucas has good ideas but can't write dialogue to save his life. I'm afraid that this also applies in parts of 'Hunter Killer'. Some of the chit-chat is either banal or mind-numbingly unrealistic.

Once the action gets going - and brother, does that take a long time !!!!! - the book improves. But it's all rather predictable and is nowhere near as good as many of the earlier novels.

I hope that Patrick now buries the characters he's become so fond of, and creates a few new ones.

Very, very disappointing, 31 Jan 2008
After the interest grabbing introductory chapters this book suddenly jams the breaks on and proceeds to lumber along at a tedious pace, not quite knowing what to do with itself, or where to go. The characters were unengaging and obvious; the gruff Admiral, the slightly maverick hero etc and for the most part the dialogue is stilted and unnatural. Please see a Lee Child book for convincing Anglo written US dialogue. The author has the unusual habit of having to tell us which State each character hails from, which was pointless in regards to character or plot development. The book is littered with long passages that don't advance the story, and seem to be there to pad the book out, as does one particular plot devise. This was my first Patrick Robinson book, and will probably be my last.

Could have done with some good editing, 23 Jan 2008
Absolutely cracking story but cutting down on the repetitions would have moved the story along and shaved about 100 pages off.
I enjoyed Kilo class far more
5 stars for story, 1 star for treating the reader as a moron that can't remember someone's name or place of birth from one page to the next

A modern nautical yarn but by no means a classic, 26 Sep 2006
An interesting plot but by now out-dated by events as evidenced by the quote in the epilogue. The President of the USA read the reports and "there seemed little further they could advance, save declare war in Iraq, which on reflection was not a great idea" Patrick Robinson labours his characters and confuses his readers by using boat intials of SDV, SSN etc and submarine speak "Possible discharge transient on bearing" "Ahead flank. Right full rudder...30 down...900 feet...decoys one and two..." "Bearing 260...sweep mode...moving left" "Rudder amidships" He identifies his villain far too early and then fails to elaborate on how he is finally caught. Robinson gets three stars for storyline but the book falls a long way short of The Hunt for Red October

Excellent and exciting read!, 27 Jul 2005
This book was an excellent read. Undoubtedly the best of Robinson's works to date. He develops the story intelligently, carefully and with a lot of suspense, which contrasts somewhat with popular submarine novels from other authors, who tend to drown the story in techno-details and over-imaginative plots, and a lot of explosions! Through the story, we travel to some fascinating locations and meet well-developed and diverse characters. I particularly enjoyed the playful banter between Morgan and Rankin, although Morgan's is somewhat overdone in places. I heartily recommend this book to anybody
What's more, the sequel, Kilo Class, is just as entertaining!

Realistic & convincing, 05 May 2004
This was my first Patrick Robinson, but won't be my last- I've just bough the "sequels" Kilo Class & HMS Unseen. The book is a little bit "Hunt for Red October" - a US Navy Nimitz class carrier explodes in a nuclear fireball near the Persian gulf. Initially it seems like a terrible accident, but evidence soon points to a stolen submarine armed with nuclear armed torpedoes (If you're wondering they do exist). Cut to the brother of one of the carrier's officers hunting down the rogue sub commander.

Unusually for a British author most of the main characters are American. As a result they're a touch wooden. The "best" character is Brit admiral McClean, a thinly disguised version of Admiral "Sandy" Woodward (commander of the task force that retook the Falklands & the major source of Robinson's technical info). There's relatively few "action pieces", but what's there is very good without the ridiculous "over-drama" used by several very succesful american techno-thriller writers.

All in all a very convincing & exciting, "could just happen" thriller. Sadly recent events in the gulf have made parts of the plot a little redundant, but this doesn't detract from the story too much. Worth reading if you've never tried Robinson before.

Cliches and stereotypes abound, 06 Mar 2008
Previous books have worked well but like other reviewers almost stopped reading.
The Britsih are stiff upper lip fools,The Argetinians great tactically.The Russions are there just for fun and the Americans are clever and smart and can solve all problems with a little Special Force.
The book gets so many views wrong....
The Falklands will never ever be forgotton by the British and in a modern World with the Internet.Newspapaers TV the original premise to could not occur.
The biggest problem is the fact the British in this situation would do what we always do and that is to use Cunning and deceptiion to regain the Falklands not some silly Naval mission.How about Cruise Missiles up the Presidents Residence

Falkland islanderes are written as if they do not mind if they are British or Argentinian.This is so wrong .

There is no way the Falklands could be handede over to Argentina in say 100 years at least and then only if the Islanders agree which they never will.They speak English are British and no UK Prime minister would be able to sign over and stay in their job.
I could go on but if you are from The UK this book makes no sense and is very disspoiniting.If you are from outside the UK and you view Britain via Cliches,stereotypes and Mary Poppins then you will enjoy this book.





So poor., 27 Feb 2008
This is this first time I have done a review. I so wished I had never bought this book was so angrey when I finished it. Loved all the rest of his books.
The way he writes about Navy SEALs as some sort of Gods what a joke. Mr Robinson must be trying to get into Hollywood. The Britsh SAS/SBS are the best of all special forces from the best Armed forces in the world. It's the USA that calls for our troops. Avoid this book. GHOST FARCE WOULD BE A BETTER NAME.



Excellent job!!!, 27 Jan 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read, right up with Nimitz class and Kilo class. The story involves a new setting to the Falklands, which was excellent, although they should have done it faster. Also, I think Admiral Arnold Morgan (the main character) needs to retire by then, as he has saved US too many times, it may get a little boring. I hope that the next series a new character, called James Ramshawe, can replace Arnold Morgan's place as the new saviour of the United States. The editing is good, but needs some corrections. For example Captain Gregor Vanislav, he wrote once Captain Yanislav. The ending is excellent, although it may get a little crappy that it ends with a question grunted by Arnold Morgan.
The start is a bit too boring and it sends the readers too far off course because it starts at Siberia and suddenly springs to the Falklands. Also, it mistook that, in fact the British naval force ain't that bad, not like what depicted in the book. The most exciting parts are the SEALs' missions, although I think the guards at Pebble Island Airfield weren't so crap.
The overall of this book is excellent, except the editing and the start. I dearly recommend this book for techno-thriller readers!

Shockingly poor, unrealistic and poorly researched 'effort'. , 03 Jan 2008
If I could have given this 0 stars I would have done. I stopped reading after 150 pages when Robinson annoyed me too much. It is a shame, as I have always found Admiral Morgan a very interesting character. Unfortunately the rest of the book is a shambles. Poorly researched, and sloppy throughout (well throughout those 150 pages anyway). Robinson fell into his usual trap of letting his own political views bias his writing. Unfortunately he made statements with regards to British politics that are plain incorrect. There are also other statements which, while a matter of opinion, are stomach churningly one sided and right wing, ie. "the guiding light of goodness and purpose that had always gripped Margaret Thatcher"

His grasp on all things British is poor at best, but unfortunately he passes himself off as an expert. PLEASE AVOID THIS BOOK.
Utterly

Not researched. Not plausible, 26 Nov 2007
What a disappointment after Nimitz and Kilo class. I suppose things started going wrong from the start. The Royal Navy would not commit mass suicide just to 'obey orders'. No self respecting admiral would allow the scenario to evolve. The Daring class are not armed in the way the story tells and no 1st generation fighter bomber can get close to the ships now because they all have goalkeepers/phalanxes -and search radar would pick 'em up with plenty of time to shoot 'em down.
Poorly researched.

A bit irked, 11 Jul 2008
In common with a lot of the other reviews I thought that it was a good read, quite pacey in parts but with a predictable ending. However, I found that the portrayal of all the Americans as demi gods with gorgeous fawning women falling over them and the foreigners as undersized ignorant thickos, banal and irksome. Are there no short fatish commanders with matronly wives in the US forces hierarchy? When I read these stereotypical descriptions I had to force myself to continue through to the end of the book. It also worries me that someone of the stature of Admiral Sir John (Sandy) Woodward, in his afterword, seems to lend credence to this as a viable foreign policy

A great read!, 30 Jul 2005
Kilo Class, Robinson's second novel, is a great read. It has a fast paced, entertaining story, with the odd bit of humour nicely woven in. After Nimitz Class, it certainly did not dissapoint. A poor economic climate in the ex-Soviet Union prompts the sale of two Kilo-class submarines to China. As we have seen in Nimitz Class, these Diesel-powered boats are one of the few weapons that can be turned against a Carrier Battle Group. For this reason, should these subs fall into Chinese hands, we could see s significant shift in the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Of course, the US administration comes to the rescue, employing some naval tactics of their own. Although the plot is very predictable, it is a nice journey, and I can certainly recommend it.

predictable, but enjoyable., 02 Jan 2005
A very unlikely storyline which deals with the utter destruction of anyone or any country that dares to stand in front of the USA and total world domination.
That said, I really enjoy the character of Arnold Morgan. His undisputable love for his country and 'buckshot' is great.
I do like to read books by this author, but I believe this to be one of weakest so far.

Good, but not great., 17 May 2004
This is the sequel to "Nimitz Class", but it stands alone as it merely refers to a few events in Robinson's earlier books. The main plot revolves around the US destroying Russian submarines destined for China, but also includes a rather bizarre subplot concerning Taiwan building a secret base in Antarctica, possibly because the "main" plot doesn't really have enough meat for a full novel.

On the plus side its an interesting, fast paced novel, but whereas "Nimitz Class" did seem plausible, this seemed a little unlikely. Apparently Russia can't afford NOT to sell Subs to China so the US have no option but to sink them. Apparently America paying the Russians the value of the subs in exchange for the cancelling the deal or threatening to cancel existing loans is too humdrum an option for the author. Certainly no non-military options even seem to be considered. I hope a real US president may just think twice before sending special forces into the heart of Russia.

I odn't know why British author Patrick Robinson writes about Americans... maybe they just have more exciting equipment than the rather budget starved Royal Navy. He doesn't seem comfortable writing about American characters...he seems to have created a world where all Americans are Donald Rumsfeld which is a shame because he's clearly a talented author. When he writes about what he knows his knowledge and immagination really comes through. Sadly "Admiral Morgan" is a rather one dimensional sub-Dale Brown character. I've just bought "HMS Unseen" and hope its up to the standard of Nimitz Class.

Were not worthy, 25 Nov 2003
If your into the whole tom clancy/ chris ryan type saga and enjoyed hunt for red october then this is a must buy.

You wont be able to put it down as soon as you open it and some of the reviewers above are misguided. Although it does make the us war-machine seem overwhelming, the book is fiction and as such should be treated as entertainment not military fact.

The technical details in the book are very impressive with robinsons research spot on. The plot develops at a good pace with engaging characters and humour to break the seriousness.

This is my favourite book of the series, once hooked you will understand. A must buy.

barracuda 945, 14 May 2006
an excellent book well thought out with an interesting twist for once the good old USA dose not get its man!

A book that reflects the powder keg we all live in

Not even good enough for airplane fodder, 21 Oct 2004
A lot has been written in other reviews on this site regarding Patrick Robinson's political persuasion so I wont go extensively about that, but I will offer a word of warning to anyone sitting on the centre left that this book can be somewhat heavy going and can detract from the overall story.

The prior review from "petersym" offers an interesting contrast into the detail of the book compared to my review and certainly has more detail on the military aspects of the book. I hope though that I offer a view to people who have limited knowledge of this field.

I always like to start with a positive and as such I will. As a completely non-military person Patrick Robinson does have an ability to bring to life all of the military terminology and put it in a way that even a mere mortal can understand, he does sometimes go over the top with this but still, it adds valuable context to the narrative.

I am afraid this is where the positives end...

I have never quite read a book where no one, and I mean no one makes a mistake. It is quite incredible. From the young but brilliant, Lt Ramshaw, to the deity of Navy intelligence that is Arnold Morgan to the stunningly brave and tactically astute Ray Kerman and finally onto to the resilient Shakira Rashood who becomes the first women to operate aboard a submarine and who is also at the cutting edge of navigation. Now I am all for efficiency in a novel but this is ridiculous. If the world was truly this efficient then we would have no unemployment, no homelessness and communism would be adopted across all nations.

Ray Kerman goes through what can only be described as an emotional journey to a land he believes is his homeland to find the people he believes he belongs with. This alone could have made a story I would have happily read. What a shame that the author decided gloss over this and make it a simple transition for what I imagine would be one of the most heart rendering decisions of a mans life. The simplicity of the description this transformation is at best a lack of detail and at worst down right shoddy writing.

Once the action kicks in you begin to look at the story with a slightly glazed look. It begins to belie any concept you may have of possible, which isn't in itself a bad thing, but in this case really doesn't work. I found the constant caricaturing of both the Chinese and the Russians to be not only boring but xenophobic and do question whether the author has ever bothered to take the time to understand these cultures before he rips into them.

By the time I was on the penultimate chapters of the book I had completely lost interest in the outcome and couldn't really careless if the entire West side of America had been blown to pieces, unusually really because you would think one would care about such an occurrence!

The story is clearly left open for a sequel and to be honest I do not care whether he does or doesn't go ahead and write it. Those of you who are fans of techno thrillers and specifically Patrick Robinson will want to read it I am sure and that is of course your prerogative. To the rest of you I would recommend reading something a little less partisan and a little more intelligent.

Magnifies the best & worst of Robinson, 01 Sep 2004
Barracuda 945 showcases all thats right and wrong with Patrick Robinson.

The story is very much more of the same. Real fans will love it, while those who aren't so keen may think they've read it before. In a nutshell, an Arab born SAS man (Ray Kerman) is sickened by Israeli actions in Hebron, defects to HAMAS and masterminds several strikes against Israel. So far so good... what better terrorist than an SAS man? It almost like a gamekeeper turned poacher.

Then he goes to Iran and masterminds a brilliant strike against the US using a Russian nuclear submarin (the Barracuda type 945). At this point you have to suspen your disbelief. While an SAS man would be great at infiltrating Israel, you've got to wonder what he'd really know about subs. His masterplan involves getting Iran (on behalf of HAMAS) providing a submarine crew and money. The Chinese buy the sub from Russia and give it to the arabs to attack america. When the US get a little angry everyone will deny ever having the sub.

As with Robinson's previous Ben Adnam books (Nimitz class, HMS Unseen) the idea of having a terrorist with a sub is great. He's realised that his fans like reading about mass distruction wrought from the sea by master terrorists & as a result Kerman is the major character in the book. Unfortunately the whole plot is a bit too much like HMS Unseen to be considered original.

Many reviewers have complained that Robinson is very right wing. He is. His criticism of Bill Clinton is very accurate.. only the most die-hard democrat would claim that Clinton didn't weaken the US military. Certainly he allowed the Panamanians to give control of the Panama canal to China (without spoiling the plot this is quite important) and allowed China to get access to some very powerful US missile technology. Unfortunately rather than being satisfied with making the point once he has to reinforce it again & again & again.

As with his previous 5 books Robinson's main advisor is Falklands task force leader Admiral Sandy Woodward. While I have great respect for the Admiral, Robinson seems obliged to highlight his every achievement. I refuse to believe that any US admiral would ever say "A nuclear submarine is the most destructive weapon on earth. This was shown in December 1982 when Admiral Sandy Woodward torpedoed the 13,500 ton Argentinean cruiser Belgrano 182 miles off the coast of the Falklands". 5 pages later "thats ten times more explosive than Admiral Sandy Woodward used to sink the 13,500 ton cruiser the Belgrano". As with his politics its about as subtle as an A-bomb. If (British born) Patrick Robinson is so proud of the Royal Navy then why doesn't he write about it rather than than focusing on the americans so much? In his books the only real role for the Brits seems to be breeding terrorists!

Without spoiling too much it all ends like every one of Robinsons books. SEALS blowing things up & the "damn chinese" defeated. It sets things up nicely for a sequel. All in all this is an easy to read page-turner. If you've read his previous books you'll like this. If Bill Clinton is your favourite presidnet of all time, don't bother.

Not his best, but still a good read, 19 May 2004
I started reading Patrick Robinsons books a long time ago, and eagerly awaited this one and was disapointed with the disjointed story. However, I still enjoyed the book and would recomend it, with a note of caution. I have just finsihed reading his latest 'Schimitar SL2' and found it much better - to my relief.

Obviously not every beginning must have an end!, 10 Feb 2004
Potentially unfairly, I started this book off the back of the latest Gerald Seymour and yet after the first 100 pages was so hooked into the potential of the story I would have ranked it even higher.

The presentation of ideas well thought through and systematically linked set the scene for a memorable 'battle' between the practical General and the strategic Admiral, although the annoying introduction of the wunderkind Lieutentant scored negatively for me.

Imagine my surprise therefore when the author decided that as he himself couldn't distinguish who would triumph between the pair, he would instead write the conclusion for a completely different novel!

The disappointment I felt was compounded by the fact that the start was so good but I also believe that I should discourage anybody else from purchasing this book and thus avoid a similar feeling of time-waste!

"America's Best, Forget the Rest" -- if you like that, buy this!, 17 Feb 2008
"America's best, forget the rest" is a motto followed by some writers. There are those who despite this attitude manage to write entertaining novels, such as Tom Clancy.
Hunter Killer, however, is not one of those novels.
The story is boring, not well told, and the constant French bashing, along with unashamed and abundant praise lavished on the USA, is a bit tiring. A little more balance would not have hurt.
In closing, this is a great book for francophobes.


French Bashing, 10 Oct 2007
This is the first book I've read by Parick Robinson and it'll be the last.
Right I'm French, but still I was astounded by the idiocy of such a scenario from a right-winger who certainly cannot be compared to Frederick Forsyth. Robinson just imagines a most improbable plot in which a nation like France perpetrates the most abominable terrorist attack on the scale of the planet. Thank God Admiral Morgan and the USA are there to save the world and in the end France is exposed as the villain of the piece and humiliated in front of the whole world at the UN.
When you realise that that book was written when G.W.Bush launched his attack against Iraq on the basis of a pack of lies, when the French were mocked as cowards for not joining in, (which Robinson , no doubt a fervent supporter of Bush and the Iraq war, can't help reminding the reader ), it's no wonder, yet a bit rich to write a story having the President of France , (of all stupid ideas a former communist,) allowing himself to be dragged into a terrorist act of war and giving orders to that effect which will be carried out down the military hierarchy without anyone protesting or leaking it.
Now if you are fond of technological details about the navy high-tech weaponry you may enjoy that kind of story,but I cannot recommend that book to anybody. Personally I soon got bored but I kept reading it just to see what end such a stupid story could be leading to.

Great fun, 28 Aug 2006
Unlike some of the other reviews I read books to be entertained and this book did it for me. Far from the plot being far-fetched find it completly possible. The Saudies are going to fall it is only a matter of when and picking the French as the devious nation to be party to the fall is perfect as they are the most self centred and power hungry nation in Europe. This was fun and I past a dull and wet weekend being amused and thrilled in turn. It was a nice touch of Clancy and like him the attention to detail was first class. Will now set out to read his other books. More please.

Freddie Forsyth v. The Simpsons, 12 Jul 2006
I bought this book on an excitable whim, based on the reviews ("The new Frederick Forsyth") and some knowledge of the authors previous works. Yes, the storyline is far fetched, but then I expected that from reading the synopsis, knowing the genre and a glance at the authors previous works.

What is disappointing is the lack of depth and ability to try and help suspend reality; how hard can it be to scatter a few personal or real-life details through the story? And to keep at least some level of reality?

I'm not sure about the plotting and even some of the technical detail either. I would put this at the Cartoon end of the Thriller spectrum; if you are going on a longhaul flight then this may be for you. But the lack of even basic credibility and realism mean't that I began to lose interest around Chapter Three, and ultimately gave up halfway through the book, skim reading until completion.

Maybe I'll try a previous work, but this was poor.

An average thriller - nowhere near his best, 11 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Nimitz' and the 'Scimitar' novels but I'm now worried that Robinson is 'doing a Cussler' and, having found a few good characters, is resurrecting them again and again.

Other reviewers and the Amazon précis all provide a good outline of the story, so I won't repeat that. However,I will say that the b