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Air Battle Force
by Dale Brown
One dimensional characters run through action sequences. Duh.
Dale Brown brings back the character Patrick McLanahan, now on a mission in Afghanistan and former Soviet republics. Fans who liked Brown's earlier best-selling adventure stories are likely to devour this one too.
But what is the appeal? The action is plentiful-- with every airplane, missile, truck, and firearm named; we have B1-Bs, SA-4s, EB-1Cs, FB-111As, BTR40s, BTR60s, BMPs, ZSU-23/2s, etc., etc…. This is the military buff's equivalent of a James Bond novel cataloging 007's tastes in champagnes, cigarettes, and automobiles.
If the high-tech weaponry holds a certain fascination, the people who populate the book are mostly one dimensional stereotypes. There is camaraderie among the military personnel who tend to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, and friendly --to each other. Politicians are mostly, you know, politicians. Islamic radicals are suitably fanatical. At one point an Islamic guerilla leader says, “Allah, get us out of this, and I promise I will avenge myself on the infidels that send these demon robot planes to kill your faithful servants. I swear it!” Dale Brown isn't big on irony, subtlety or humor. John Le Carre, this is not.
When the action stops, the writing changes gears. The author seems to lose interest, and the resulting pages mix long-winded dialogue, with what seems like a story summary instead of the story itself. There is even a scene in a brothel that somehow manages to be dull.
So, unless your name is Oliver North, I'd skip Air Battle Force, and grab an Ian Fleming thriller, such as Dr. No, which at least has the benefit of being half the size of this 400 plus page behemoth.
Title: Air Battle Force
Author: Dale Brown
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 0060094095
Review written by: William Keogan
Reviewer's Rating:5
Reader's Rating: 7.67
Reader's Votes: 3
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