BOOK REPORTS—

Twilight by Brendan DuBois

The US is plunged into anarchy after a terrorist nuclear attack devestates much of the northeast. Militia groups fill the void of absent military and law enforcement but are careless in who they eliminate as much of the population scavenges for food and shelter while UN peacekeepers try to establish and enforce an uneasy peace. A good read on a chilling scenario.


Hog Pilots and Blue Water Grunts by Robert D. Kaplan

Kaplan, a visiting professor in national security at the US Naval Academy, manages to get himself attached to US military operations in such places as the Sahara Desert, a naval destroyer in the Indian Ocean, a nuclear submarine in the North Pacific, and army special forces in Algeria, among others, and writes poignantly of his experiences. Of our society he opines, “How to kill at no risk to our troops is only in our eyes a sign of strength; in those of our enemy it is a sign of weakness, cowardice even.”


Culture Warrier by Bill O’ Riley

My left leaning friends will cringe at this serious flaw in my reading taste, but, so be it. O’Riley positions himself as a general in an ongoing cultural war in the US between what he describes as “Secular-Progressives” (liberals) and those who support “Traditional” values (conservatives). Among his bad-guy targets were: George Soros, George Clooney and Susan Sarandan and their Hollywood liberal ilk, and, the ACLU naturally. I agree, but quickly acknowledge the best course for our country is likely somewhere between the extremes on both sides of the ideological fence; with a generous tilt to the right, of course.


Cat and Mouse by Harold Coyle

A little mindless brain candy in this anti-terrorism novel set in the Philippines where the good guys (American Army Rangers) battle not only a ruthless and cunning fanatic but an incompetent boob of a fellow officer. I’ll save you the effort; the good guys win the epic battle, the boob is reassigned to a cushy Pentagon job and the insurgent licks his wounds while pondering the next battle.