I have many times viewed a good Jack Higgins novel as a Tom Clancy story written with less than half the words. I'll give it to Jack, he wastes no time getting to the plot and moves it along at a fast clip, too. What we have with 'Eye of the Storm' is a fictional re-telling of the botched bombing of #10 Downing Street in London in the 80's. How was the plot to attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Thatcher hatched? How was it to be executed? AND most importantly: WHO was behind the bombing? This novel gives us an entertaining fictional version of the hows, who's and the why's. Sean Dillon, who ultimately becomes a good guy in future Higgins stories is portrayed as a troubled but highly intelligent IRA strongman who is given the task of killing one of their biggest enemies. The authenticity with which this novel was written makes one wonder whether or not Mr. Higgins actually HAS IRA connections...or is just a very very good author. I'd like to think it was his talent.

This book HAS to be one of Jack Higgins' best! As the combined forces of British and French Security Services "set a thief to catch a thief", the adventure gets even more deadly and complicated. At one side there is an Irish-American Martin Brosnan who is an ex-IRA gunman trying to live a decent life and at the other hand there is a ruthless but honorable and charismatic villain, Sean Dillon, whom you can't resist loving. As the hunter becomes the hunted, the reader gets more and more sucked in this great Jack Higgins book which combines his old books (thorough the appearence of his Liam Devlin and mentioning of Frank Barry) to his new ones... And when you are finished, you can't shake the feeling that this WAS actually what REALLY happened during the mortar attack on Number Ten Downing Street on February 7, 1991...

A must-read!! This was the first Higgin's book I've ever read and it made me wanna read all of his novels. I think it's one of his best. Sean Dillon, the ruthless but charming and smart hero, is planing the coup of his life: Blowing up Downing Street 10! The book is pretty exciting and it will fascinate you from the first to the last page!!! "Eye of the storm" is a very gripping novel with a very satisfying and unusual ending!!

This masterpiece sucked me into the story on the very first page. It was interesting to read while some of the people Latif writes about are surrendering themselves in Iraq. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about Iraq, Saddam and in particular Saddams oldest son, Uday.

Latif Yahya has seen things most people cannot even imagine. As a double for Uday Hussein, son and possible successor of Saddam, Latif witnessed acts of depravity and torture that almost sound like something out of a Marquis de Sade novel. This book will open your eyes to the relative value of human life; to the ruling elite of Iraq, people are as expendable as bad batteries. Yahya himself endured harsh torments at the hands of a man who called him a "brother"- one can only, with a great deal of dread, contemplate the atrocities meted out to enemies. After reading this book, I came to the conclusion that the only thing worse than Saddam is his oldest brat, and I would personally throttle the life out of that demon myself if given the opportunity. Even if only a fraction of it is true (and I believe most of it is accurate, as I've seen several of the tales about Uday in other sources), the entire Saddam Hussein regime is following nicely down the path paved by the likes of Hitler and Stalin. The big difference is that the Iraqi government is doing these things, as we speak. Enjoy this book, but pray to whatever god you choose that Uday Hussein does not come to power.

Having read different titles about Saddam and his regime, especially after 11/09/01 I have found this book "ICH WAR SADDAMS SOHN" to have painted the most acurate and discriptive picture of life in the Saddam Clan.
It offered a look into the everyday workings of the Iraqi
Tyrant and of course his notorious son. From the start, you are under no illusion of the lengths that were taken to ensure the "family's" safety not to mention the unbridled brutality that Uday Saddam Hussein is notorious for.
An interesting fact is that Uday was always a callous and sadistic person, he did not develop his penchant for torture overnight, it was a culmination of bad deeds over the years that brought his true disregard for human life and dignity to the fore. As his behaviour went unchecked his passion for brutality grew.
Having seen the author Dr. Latif Yahia on BBC Channel's Breakfast with Frost on Sunday 15/06/03, I have had to ask myself why this man was not asked to share his knowledge of the Iraqi Regime, surely it would have been of benefit to the Government and possibly they would not have ended in the quagmire that they are in now.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book on several levels and await a sequel, I'm sure the story doesn't just end at the authors flight from Iraq.

A friend who knows the author suggested this book, and I've now recommended it to a number of others. Every time I see a "nano technology" conference I think of it.

The story is clear and engaging, with enough twists to lend some interest and keep you thinking. A few more twists and I'd call it Pynchonesque. There are parts that get a bit silly and over the top (the comparison of Bill Gates and Saddam Hussein), but going over the top every now and then can be fun.

If you live in the 128 area, silicon valley, or any place that has decided to call itself the silicon something (alley, village, shopping mall, whatever), you should pick this up and read it. Then look around and see if you see some of what is in here going on in this book around you.

This book has a lot to offer for everyone. It kept me reading, and indeed I read most of it in one sitting. The plot is detailed and complex, but not confusing. The character development is also good, as the characters and their actions seem believable. In fact, despite the fact that the plot seems like it could be a vast conspiracy turning up on some crazy web site, it is not so far out that one is not engrossed and wondering if such things could or will actually happen.

It's apparent that the author knows a lot about technology and also did a fair amount of research on aspects of the book like the happenings during the Gulf War. Though the word 'technology' may put some readers off, it shouldn't. People who are knowledgeable about technology will say, "He knows his stuff," while most people who aren't will not be lost or and will not be wishing for a plotline that involves less technology.

If you want an entertaining and intelligent thriller, this is it. I definitely would recommend this book, and look forward to more from Mr. Sundman.

Mr. Sundman has written a provocative yet humorus view of a future where the cybercrats and DNA researchers have gone too far. The book should appeal to any reader who has misgivings about technology as the "New Savior" There is plenty of wit to balance the the tale of a new "Big Brother" headed our way; one who thinks nothing of murdering thousands of people to achieve the "New Age."

While the plot may at first glance seem a little far out, one only needs to see Bill Gate's new commercial, (I am a nice guy, here to help everyone) to realize that the new Computer Age may not be totally benign. As Nick, Bartlett and Paul discover, there are dark forces about.

Mr. Sundman makes good use of current political and medical events, the gulf War, AIDS, DNA research to create a feeling that his novel is closer to fact than fiction. His insights into high-tech companies is obviously basd on first-hand knowledge. That makes the book that much scarier.

I recommned you turn off your computer and read this book. You may not be in a hurry to log back on once you have finished Acts of the Apostles

Hamzah's book is a well written, insightful and intelligently observed account of the meglomania of Saddam Hussein. The account of Hamzah's involvement in Saddam's attempt to develop a nuclear weapon is fascinating, but even at that is not the most interesting part of this book. Much more engrossing are the insider accounts of Saddam's pyschotic rule and the appalling depredations he has unleashed on his people. Particularly terrifying is the account of Saddam using his own government officials to unleash a horrific purge where officials were forced to kill one another to prove their loyalty. Hamzah's makes clear that not only has Saddam ruined Iraq economically, he has made so many in Iraq amoral government stooges. Even as his people starve, Hamzah observes that billions continue to be poured into Saddam's nuclear program, to say nothing of the building of more and more palaces for Saddam. Hamzah makes clear that Iraq is a nation led by a psychopath.

More interesting even still is the utterly gripping tale of Hamzah's harrowing escape from Saddam's sick grasp. The chapters dealing with Hamzah's sojourn in Libya are both poignant and suspensful as the reader is left to guess how Hamzah can possibly escape the jeopardy he found himself in there as well as how he would extract his family from Iraq. This nightmarish dillema will have you on the edge of your seat.

At the same time, it is discouraging to see the way in which the CIA so cavilierly and insensitvely dealt with Hamzah and his family. The US nearly lost an invaluable intelligence asset, to say nothing of being rather careless with the man's life and that of his family. It is similarly discouraging to see how badly UN inspectors have been duped by Saddam and how mislead we all were about the extent of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction program. It is also disturbing to see the willingness with which some nations assisted Saddam in his weapons program, including some in this nation, and that many of these same governments are again rushing headlong into taking the pressure off Saddam, all for the sake of making a buck. Hopefully the new presidential administration in this country will deal more aggressively and perceptively to prevent Saddam from getting the bomb and re-arming himself.

I rated the book with four stars mainly because it bogs down a little towards the middle in describing the details of Hamzah's deal making on trips abroad to procure weapons components. I suppose this section is necessary to establish Hamzah's bona fides since we can see some are trying to mislead us into belieiving Hamzah was not extensively involved in Saddam's nuclear program. They likely are spreading such deception on Saddam's behalf as part of Saddam's craven disinformation campaign. Anyone with common sense can see that Hamzah's detailed account could only have been written by someone at the center of Saddam's nuclear program.

Otherwise Hamzah's book is a can't put down thriller that will keep you on edge and engrossed. It will also leave you with a thorough appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy and the ability to live free of terror as well as the need to be ever vigilante against meglomaniacs in our own country who would attempt to seize power not granted them (Remember, Saddam was also vice president of his country when he illegally seized his current office.)

This is a compelling story of one man's journey to hell and back. The book is extraordinary, frightening and unfortunatley, a realistic portrait of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Although the story details the escape of Dr. Hamza, there is so much more to the story that goes beyond the account of one individuals freedom and liberation. The book gives a chilling account of the inhumane regime of one of the planets truly bad guys. The book reveals Saddam to be a very dangerous man that will go to any lenghts to achieve his desires. In this case it is a nuclear weapon, not to mention the much known about biological weapons of mass destruction. This creep uses his own people for guinea pigs. His dastardly regime eliminates opposition and uncooperative scientists at will. He not only murders anyone in his way but tortures them before killing them. If need be, to emphasize the point, Saddam does it himself. No one is safe, the families of anyone crossing Saddam are the first to "disappear." Those that cooperate and are trusted are given a privileged life that includes state sponsored homes, high salaries and a new luxury Mercedes Benz to get around. There are perks for those that can live with the fear of suddenly being on Saddams wrong side. All of this makes the story even more amazing and truly fascinating. A true story that shows how one man lived through the hell and made a daring escape, risking his life as well as his families, with the help of the CIA to escape from Saddams Iraq. The story has the best elements of a good spy novel, only this is the real deal. It is a book that is hard to put down, full of intrigue but it also gives insight into daily life, in a secret Iraq, under Saddam Hussein. The book details the clandestine bomb program, dating back to the seventies, through it's peak in 1993-94 and culminating with Dr. Hamza's safe reunion with his family in 1996. Get this book for a portrait of evil inside Irag.

I've always thought Saddam was a shady character. Forget what the "liberal" media says. If you want to get to know what Saddam is like, take it from a man who knows all too well.

The author was part of Saddam's secret team tasked with building nuclear weapons. He recounts with great detail how he rose in the ranks to become one of the top people in Saddam's secret nuclear program.. and lived to tell about it.

He details all that transpired and how he managed to get his family out of Iraq. Most chillingly, you'll find out just what Saddam was like as a person and as a boss.

For the skeptics and doves, you owe it to yourself to at least give this book a chance. If you had doubts about this man, take it from someone who knew what REALLY went on in Iraq. After reading this one, I'm pretty convinced that dispite his claims to the contrary, Saddam still has a secret nuclear program going today. It's goal: to build the first "arab bomb"

Well written and to-the-point, Saddam's Bombmaker is a solid piece of Non-Fiction and a must for anyone who is curious and/or uncertain about the current situation in Iraq.

I live in the area that is so well portrayed in this book. It hooked me completely in the opening sentence. Tom McInnes is a very interesting character, as well his secretary and pal Joey. This book is well planned and completely held my attention. I read this book non-stop. I could not ever figure out what was going to happen next. Mike Stewart's attention to detail was excellent as well as interesting. It accurately described the region as well as capturing the essence of the south. I am off today to find the other books Mike Stewart has written! What a find!

Tom McInnes isn't a quitter, but he just couldn't take it anymore. He simply had to get out of the upscale, Mobile, Alabama lawfirm to which he pledged his soul. So he did, opting to save his sanity and what was left of his integrity by opening his own office. Shortly after setting up shop, he recieves a call from his father, telling him that his younger brother had been murdered. Not knowing exactly what to expect, McInnes returns to his home town to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his brother's untimely death. What he uncovers is a viper's nest of trouble...with him in the dead center of it. The resulting story is a hellacious thriller put together by a master storyteller. One would never guess that "Sins..." is Mike Stewart's first foray into the literary world. His characters sing and shine in every aspect, and his capabilities as a believable and deft writer are finely displayed here. The action races along, with nary a breath between scenes, with perfect execution. I found myself flipping pages practically faster than I could read, wanting to find out what happens next. All the way to the last word, Stewart holds you enthralled, like a voyeur at the scene of some heinous crime. Buy this today!

Also recommended: "Deviant Ways"--Chris Mooney "Raveling"--Peter Moore Smith "The Best American Mystery Stories 2000"--ed. Donald Westlake

This is the best book I have read in a long time! Hard to believe it's his first novel - Stewart writes like an experienced author. The book is a page-turner. And it is refreshing to read a story set in the south that is realistic and minus the corny stereotypical characters. Buy this book - you will not be disappointed! Looking forward to many more from this talented writer.

I just finished a stunning novel by Charles Sheehan-Miles entitled Prayer at Rumayla. The main character is a tank loader in the Gulf War. The action takes place after the war is over, but there are remembrances of the war throughout the book. Military recruits can read a bit about the horrors of war and how unprepared they will be for the carnage. You get a glimpse into the soul of a damaged warrior. Sheehan-Miles takes you right into the mind of the main character: the good, bad, and the ugly of it.

Those who have not served in combat will hopefully be able to use this book to better appreciate those who had to live through war. We learn that the CNN footage and glowing reports were not the reality of the Gulf War. It is a good clue to how our media sanitizes what we see and hear.

Get the book. Read the book. Learn the truth.

Sheehan-Miles does a great job of showing us what the day to day was like for a tank loader in the Gulf War. The sleep deprived crew is counted on to make the right, split-second decisions in the middle of combat. It was not all ice cream and rounding up prisoners.
He also shows what the struggle was like for a young man returning to the "sanity" of America and trying to work out his feelings about what he had to do to keep himself and his fellow soldiers alive.
Chet Brown has elements of Catcher in the Rye in his back-in-the-states persona. He is complex and does things he does not fully understand because of his inward struggle. It is a brutal portrayal of someone fighting his demons about actions that he truly had no control over.
I agree with an earlier review that called for the copy editor's head for the spelling and sentence problems that were left in the book.
I look forward to reading more from Charles Sheehan-Miles.

Charles Sheehan-Miles, Prayer at Rumayla (Xlibris, 2001)

I had some trepidations before cracking the cover on this one; with a very few notable exceptions, I've never been much of one for war novels, which tend to either fall into the knee-jerk anti-war camp or the "sis-boom-bah rah-rah-rah" camp. Prayer at Rumayla leans towards the left side of the division, but prefers to let the images and events therein do its preaching, which already puts Sheehan-Miles ahead of 95% of the pack. Despite the book's "A novel of the Gulf War" subtitle, this is more a case of the Gulf War being a driving force for the main character's actions after he's back in the U.S. after combat.

Chet Brown, a tank loader in the Gulf War, is home after a particularly nasty engagement in Iraq. While there, he had no real goals other than to get home; now that he's back, he keeps wondering if he can go back over. His dissatisfaction with his former life and the changes in both himself and those around him lead him to spend a month's leave travelling, rather than staying in Georgia, and the three central chapters of the novel (about half the book) recount Chet's trip to New York and back.

More than anything, this is a roadtrip novel, with the usual conventions of the genre. Chet finds out about himself by meeting a series of others who reflect various parts of his personality (the obvious comparison is to On the Road here, but I found my mind drawn to various post-Vietnam novels, especially those of Lucius Shepard and J. K. Flowers rather than the land-of-Camelot stuff Kerouac was on about). However, Sheehan-Miles makes one big departure from the genre (to say what would be a plot spoiler), and that gives the book a freshness and realism that are unexpected in the modern road novel. The book is unpredictable because it plays on the predictability of its genre, and the (lack of) twist at the end is all the more powerful for not bowing to convention.

My only real problems with the book have nothing to do with the narrative itself. There are a rash of proofreading errors and more than one case where an editor should have slapped the author upside the head for sentence construction problems. Neither is overly common, however (one crops up every ten pages or so), and so the distraction value is kept to a minimum.

A promising first novel. Hopefully we'll be seeing more. *** ½

This review is for ""Along the Edge of America" by Peter Jenkins, which I've recently finished reading. I want this book review to serve also as my tribute to a very good writer.

I still have my paperback copies of "A Walk Across America" published in 1979 and "The Walk West", circa 198l. Somewhat faded and yellowed, but treasured. These books have been unforgettable to me.

The late 70's and the 80's, to the present time, often find me temporarily leaving reality behind. Escaping my own daily struggles and cares, I can mentally journey down roads or waterways with Peter, experiencing the colors and textures of his adventures, his people and the landscapes he paints with sentences.

I well know the feeling of loss of confidence in ones self. Most of us do, and get beyond it, somehow. In "Along the Edge of America" Peter found his own way of conquering past disappointments. His story reflects a happier man who is better able to accept what life has handed him and to more fully enjoy the rest of it.

A gentle sadness falls over me as I come to the end of any book written by Peter Jenkins. I wonder, "Will there be another book?", "What part of the world will I learn about this time?", "What people will I know through his stories?"

I've never personally visited any of the people described in Peter Jenkins books. But he has introduced them to me and made me feel their happiness as well as their sorrows and regrets. We all have plenty of those three things in our lives.

"Along the Edge of America" seems an honest account of a very trying, yet valuable portion of this man's life. It's a good group of stories and very pleasing to read.

Thank you, Peter Jenkins.

Years after Peter Jenkins took me on an extraordinary journey with his books Walk Across America and A Walk West, I picked up a copy of Along The Edge of America. As usual, I couldn't put the book down. There were times when I was reading this book that I secretly wished that the rest of the world would just go away so that I could concentrate on the story.

The book starts by telling of Peter's life-shattering divorce and the depression that followed. It is within this time period that Peter discovers he must once again go on a journey. The journey that Peter takes us on this time around is not that of a young man searching for his place in a country but of a man searching for his place in his own life. What he finds is an extraordinary journey into lives of some very ineteresting people. He travels through parts of the Gulf Coast that are nearly cut of from the real world and the government that runs it. He finds real people living real lives, even when the chips are down. Along the edge of America, Peter takes us along as he makes lifetime friends on a life-changing adventure.

This is a real story about real places and real people. I know because Chapters 30-33 are about my hometown and my family. I am forever grateful to Peter Jenkins for preserving part of my family history. I got to know my great uncle Esten that died before I was born. Several weeks ago my family said goodbye to sweet Daisy Durante who passed away in her sleep. She was loved not only by my family, but now by the multitudes that read this book. I highly recommend this book as a way of getting to know a part of the real South and the real people who live there.

Let's be honest: if you want a high-intense marine sniper action, you have to buy "Marine Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills". Dead Center is more about the life of a marine sniper on Vietnam based on a every-day point of view. Sometimes the book tells you how boring was life on the camp. However, this doesn't mean the book is not helpful and entertaining. If you want to know how a marine lived on Vietnam, read this book but, if you want to read exciting stories about impossible sniper missions and crude enemy infiltration operations, you should try "Marine Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills".
Now, about the book, its very funny to learn how the snipers made life on war fun, and how they killed boreness with certain games that we may call stupid. Besides, we get to know the impact of war on people's behavior, and how the sniper, because of being sniper, was more vulnerable to severe behavior changes after some time on war. The story about sniper missions are not very exciting.

Dead Center is a straightforward, no BS, skip the fluff, unglamorous account of Ed Kugler's two years as a Marine sniper in Vietnam. That's exactly what made it such a great book. I think this is an excellent book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. Too many war stories and books are full of glamour, heroes, and lame love stories. You won't find any of that in Dead Center. Not to say that Kugler and his fellow Marines weren't heroes, you just won't find him bragging about it. This book is an excellent, true account of a boy faced with the harsh reality of war that would eventually turn him into a man. From boot camp to Santa Domingo, on to Vietnam and the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley, you'll feel like you're a Marine the second you start reading this book. You won't be plagued with the boring details contained in many war stories, just raw action. However, this book does have a deeper side. Kugler demonstrates the importance to make good decisions, whether you're a sniper in the bush, or a politician in Washington D.C. He makes it known that the bad decisions made in Washington directly affect the young men we send to battle, and that a bad decision made in the bush could get you killed. Dead Center also shows the strong camaraderie and friendship between members of the United States Marines. Ed Kugler writes with his own kind of style. You'll likely never see him win a Pulitzer, but you'll enjoy his book regardless. The story is told through the eyes of a teenager, using the language of a teenager. It is not unlikely that you'll spot {an offensive word} more than five times on a single page, or any other vulgar words for that matter. But the language makes it more real, giving the reader the feeling that it came from an eighteen year old kid. I would definitely like to see Dead Center turned into a movie, mostly because of the fact that it goes against most other Hollywood war movies. I would definitely rather see the reality war and the lessons that come with it, rather than see a hero with a red bandana and a lame love story. All in all, it was an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone; who can handle the language that is.

I thought that this book was outstanding. It really gave me a feel of what it was like to live the life of a Marine sniper during that turbulent time. The action and suspense will keep you turning the pages. I read the whole book in two days. I couldn't put it down. Mr. Kugler gives the reader a good insight into what it was really like to be over there. Some of the grim realities of war are portrayed better most I have read. I was really moved with how he expressed the bond of brotherhood between himself and his fellow Marines. Anyone who is interested in this type of book must read "Dead Center"!

For Andy McNab's best work, read BRAVO TWO ZERO, the harrowing account of McNab's duty in Iraq and unfortunate capture by Iraqi forces during Gulf War I. You get a much more detailed account of what's involved in planning and executing a mission in the SAS, and the story is much more involving.

Still, IMMEDIATE ACTION is a good read and clears up a lot of the details about special forces duty that civilians like myself might have. While the book sells itself as divulging information that the British government wanted to "suppress," I found myself asking more questions. I think McNab holds back quite a bit. I can't fault him. I'm sure a lot of the information he withholds is crucial to the national security of Britain and for honor's sake alone, had to remain secret.

You get a real good idea what kind of duty the SAS has been involved with for the past three decades. From IRA suppression in Northern Ireland, to South Africa, Belize and drug cartel suppression in Colombia, the SAS really gets around. And the variation of the missions is impressive. The SAS trains its troops to be able to handle all sorts of duty, from surveillance, to assault, to training the forces of other countries, the SAS does it all. The final mission described in the book, in Colombia, is the most fascinating and approaches the level of detail that I wanted to see in the entire book.

A good, informative read, but often lacking in the level of detail that I would really like to see.

While an excellent introduction to the SAS and the life of a professional soldier, I found it somewhat annoying that McNab totally ignores the political context of his tours in Northern Ireland: it's as simple as "us vs. them". But perhaps that is a major point of the book: when you're a soldier, you're given orders from above, and you do the best you can to meet your mission objectives and get home safely. What I really liked about this book was how McNab contrasted his failing family life and marriages with his need to be totally dedicated to the SAS. Being in a family with military ties, I totally related. Save for the lack of political context, "Immediate Action" was a great read. I'm currently reading "Bravo Two Zero" (there's a BBC movie starring Sean Bean of this out by the way) and look forward to "Remote Control".

Andy McNab, the elite warrior of the most "special" military unit in the world swept me through half his military career in just a few days. This included breaking and entry at the age of 15-16, service with his parent regiment The Royal Green Jackets, selection to the Regiment, training missions in the middle-east, covert operations in Northern Ireland,counter terrorist duties with the Quick Reaction Force and also one failing marriage after another. His attention to detail overwhelmed me, I got glued to the book. Never in my life have I read a book at such speed. What also makes this book (and of course his three others) so exhilirating is the fact that this is a documentary, this is real. It all actually happened to this man. What it gave me besides pure reading pleasure was an overwhelming urge to leave Norway, apply for British citizenship, join the BA and eventually go for selection. Too bad Norway is not a commonwealth country. Sincerely: Experience this book! I also highly recommend: Andy McNab - "Bravo Two Zero", "Remote Control" and is latest work of "fiction" "Crisis Four", Cameron Spence - "Saber Squadron" and "All Necessary Measures", Gaz Hunter - "The Shooting Gallery", Chris Ryan - "The One That Got Away" and his "Gordie Sharp"-novels.