Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising
Ok ok this is probably bad to admit, but dang, I'm really liking Red Storm Rising. I don't believe I've ever read a Tom Clancy book before. When he tries to inject, y'know, actual human feelings into things, it's kind of facepalmy, but...well...actually that isn't even true. He seems pretty good at representing anguish associated with combat deaths...but as for these two characters who fall in love...uh...pretty cringey, actually.
Anyway.
Anyway.
posted by Winston Smith at
10:06 AM
5 Comments:
Hunt for Red October is a better book. Red Storm Rising did not age well, and I thought it reads a bit too much like an RPG log. His books rapidly fall off in quality after that. W.E.B. Griffin is m much better milfic author, though he runs out of material after two or three series: one army, one marines, and one OSS.
Yeah...you know, that's almost what I like about the book...no nonsense! Just fightin'! Most of this stuff I've tried to read was too much like that...and terribly-written. RSR hits the sweet spot, IMO.
Thanks for the recommendations--will totally check those out.
Griffin's first series largely revolves two men, somewhat reminiscent of Patrick O'Brian's* Aubrey and Maturin series. Lowell is a misfit old-money type, who is drafted into the German Occupation after being kicked out of Harvard. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, and is rather too vocal about it. He ends up as a warrior's warrior, leading various cavalry raids 19th century style. Felter is the one Jewish cadet at West Point, and serves in the trailing end of WWII as a translator/interrogator. (He doesn't suffer fools gladly either, but is more strategic about dealing with them.) He is ends up as a spy's spy, first as a MI officer, later as Counselor to the President, over the course of 1943-1972.
There are other stories woven in--real soap opera plot--but the series really follows the two I mentioned, first as Lieutenants in the eponymous book, then continuing from Captain up to General (though both men gain too many enemies to ever make the final rank.)
His other series are similar, but with less 'Odd Couple' story, less back story, and more mis-en-scene in exotic places. It's clear Butterworth (Griffin's actual name) was an army officer; he knows that stuff cold. For the Marines, he does a great job, but doesn't have quite the detail of inside knowledge.
* an absolute must read, way better than Kent (ugh) and Forrester for age-of-sail navy books.
Whoa...thanks...will check 'em out!
Dont feel bad, I read fanfic online for purely escapist reasons. Then again I also spend a bunch of time reading business and computer science shit so call me crazy :)
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