Air Battle Force
Large Print Edition
By Dale Brown
Harper Large Print, 2004
ISBN: 0-06-054551-8
Genre: Thriller
Reviewed by Herbert White - November 8, 2004
Dale Brown has once again hit a grand slam with Air Battle Force. In this high impact military techno-thriller USAF (United States Air Force) Major General Patrick McLanahan is working with an eclectic team of engineers to develop the Air Force of the future. Creating, and using, the newest gadgets and weaponry, McLanahan's team is melded into the First Air Battle Force. This high tech, super secret air force unit is called into action when the Taliban overthrows the Russian regime in Turkmenistan. As ripples of this action fan out, they trigger a coup in Russia that leads to a military confrontation between the United States and Russia.
In an attempt to protect US assets and to prevent the confrontation from escalating into a full scale war, McLanahan and the First Air Battle Force group must use all their skills and all their new weaponry to defeat the Russian forces before they can take effective counter measures. To complicate matters, there are many on the American side that want McLanahan to fail, and fail badly. Their reasons are numerous, ranging from political expediency to jealously. One thing is sure, they make McLanahan's job that much harder, and increase the suspense level of the story.
This riveting story leads directly into Brown's next book, Plan of Attack. While Air Battle Force is, technically, a complete story, Brown leaves several loose threads that need tieing. However, he continues the story line started in Air Battle Force in Plan of Attack. Therefore, you'll want to be sure to read Air Battle Force first, and then move on right away to Plan of Attack to finish the story line.
Air Battle Force is a seat-of-your-pants fast-paced story that will have you ducking every time a weapon is fired. Although a bit thin on plot, techno thrill seekers won't mind as this is a high impact, action packed story full of neat gadgets, including robotic planes, unique body armor, and of course, graphic descriptions of air battles. The weaponry, gadgets, and fighter pilot slang used in both militaries, Russian and American, are explained in detail. In addition, the alternative reality that Brown has created is totally believable, as are the political machinations of all countries concerned.
Related Reviews:
Battle Born, by Dale Brown
North and South Korea have been reunified and now they turn their attention toward their mutual enemy, China. As a nuclear confrontation threatens, USAF Brigadier General, Patrick McLanahan leads a special Air Force strike task unit whose mission is to destroy Korea's weapons of mass destruction - before they launch them against China and start World War III.
Plan of Attack, by Dale Brown.
The Russian Federation has launched a sneak attack on the United States. The US president has two options - cave in to the Russian's and admit defeat, or start an all out nuclear war. Only one man, Major General Patrick McLanahan, believes there is a third option that will allow the US to triumph without resorting to the use of nukes - the only problem is - no one will listen to him! Can he stop World War III?
