The Enemy Within

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT story of 'What If?' that we HOPE never happens...
Review: I consider myself a Larry Bond veteran. I started with his first book, 'Red Phoenix' many years ago, and absolutely loved it. His 2nd and 3rd novels were a re-hashing of his first story, sorta like 'Red Storm Rising' with different locations, but all were very well written, and each novel better than the previous. When 'The Enemy Within' came out, I half expected it to be yet another scenario of war like his other novels had been, but I was pleasantly surprised when it was not only different, but TOTALLY different. This is Bond's 1st true effort to reach the level of techno-thriller established by Tom Clancy. While not as complex as Clancy, Bond DOES hit paydirt quickly with this very well-written story of terrorism on OUR soil. The premise is actually almost too simple to be true, but it IS: What if Iran wanted to invade Iraq? What is to stop them from doing so? An intervention from the United States most likely. But what if America was busy dealing with something more important while this invasion took place? But WHAT could be so involving that we couldn't notice or even attempt to do something about a full-scale invasion by Iran? How 'bout dealing with terrorist on OUR home turf? Terrorists who aren't afraid of doing the unthinkable...even to a school-yard full of children. I tell ya this story made me think, 'What IF?' on more than one occasion. Our country has been spared (for the most part) terrorist activity unlike other parts of the world where it doesn't just happen, but its every day life. HOW would we really react? What would we DO? Would we really be taken off guard SO MUCH that this nightmarish scenario could actually happen? I actually think so. Larry Bond has given us a truly horrific story that borders on not 'what if' it happens, but closer to 'when' it happens... Not just a good story, but a GREAT story that is likely to stay with you long after you are finished. Kudos to Bond...let us all PRAY this scenario NEVER plays out in real life.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT story of 'What If?' that we HOPE never happens...
Review: I consider myself a Larry Bond veteran. I started with his first book, 'Red Phoenix' many years ago, and absolutely loved it. His 2nd and 3rd novels were a re-hashing of his first story, sorta like 'Red Storm Rising' with different locations, but all were very well written, and each novel better than the previous. When 'The Enemy Within' came out, I half expected it to be yet another scenario of war like his other novels had been, but I was pleasantly surprised when it was not only different, but TOTALLY different. This is Bond's 1st true effort to reach the level of techno-thriller established by Tom Clancy. While not as complex as Clancy, Bond DOES hit paydirt quickly with this very well-written story of terrorism on OUR soil. The premise is actually almost too simple to be true, but it IS: What if Iran wanted to invade Iraq? What is to stop them from doing so? An intervention from the United States most likely. But what if America was busy dealing with something more important while this invasion took place? But WHAT could be so involving that we couldn't notice or even attempt to do something about a full-scale invasion by Iran? How 'bout dealing with terrorist on OUR home turf? Terrorists who aren't afraid of doing the unthinkable...even to a school-yard full of children. I tell ya this story made me think, 'What IF?' on more than one occasion. Our country has been spared (for the most part) terrorist activity unlike other parts of the world where it doesn't just happen, but its every day life. HOW would we really react? What would we DO? Would we really be taken off guard SO MUCH that this nightmarish scenario could actually happen? I actually think so. Larry Bond has given us a truly horrific story that borders on not 'what if' it happens, but closer to 'when' it happens... Not just a good story, but a GREAT story that is likely to stay with you long after you are finished. Kudos to Bond...let us all PRAY this scenario NEVER plays out in real life.

Rating:
Summary: One Fatal Flaw
Review: I found the book compelling and lively until a few pages from the end when the hero disobeys a direct verbal order from the President. As a former military officer, I was appalled by the notion that an officer who had sworn to defend the Constitution of the United States would disregard that oath. Instead of demonstrating Colonel Thorn's (the hero) confidence and intensity, this unnecessary plot twist demonstrates Bond's shallow understanding of the men that make up the United States military. Besides, the last paragraph would have to be rewritten because it would be impossible for Colonel Thorn to walk into Helen's hospital room when he would spend the rest of his life incarcerated.

If the book is ever made into a movie, I hope this section is rewritten. The President should respond, "I approved the assassination attempt and if the local commander thinks he can still accomplish the mission, I say give him the go." Simple, makes the President look competent and keeps Thorn from being an insubordinate, loose cannon. With this rewrite, the book gets a 10.

Rating:
Summary: Senior Thesis
Review: I have to read this book for my senior thesis, and I haven't. I need extream help!!! If anyone out there know of any literary criticizm, send it to [e-mail] Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Eye-Opening View of Our Trusting Society
Review: I just finished it after spending my whole weekend doing nothing else. Started Saturday and couldn't put it down until I finished on Sunday afternoon (during football, no less). Altho' I had a little trouble getting into the first 25 pages (too many Iranian names, locations, etc.), once the action started it was a page-turner to the end. This is a book to strike terror and paranoia into every American's soul. The apparent ease with which terrorist attacks are carried out is frightening and horribly realistic. It seems that this could really happen. I hope that none of the people reading this book are inclined to act on these ideas. This is the first of Larry Bond's books that I have read but I will be on the lookout for more. He certainly surpasses Clancy (who has sold out to commercialism and the screenplay mentality) and the characters are more well-defined than Clancy's (except in his "Red October" ...the best of his books). Don't read this if you are already paranoid about what is happening in this country because you will not sleep comfortably again. Kudos to Larry Bond for a timely & thought-provoking read.

Rating:
Summary: Thanks for the Kind Words
Review: I just found this comments section on Amazon (I'm still learning to navigate the Web) and I'm pleased and gratified by all the positive comments. To the California reader who didn't like Thorn's defiance of the President's recall order, that was a deliberate and difficult call for me. I was an officer myself, and the President was certainly within his rights to recall Peter, and it was the safe choice. Colonel Thorn should have obeyed, but at that point, Peter's motivations are very strong, and as a storyteller, I did it to show the strength of those feelings. Besides Helen's wounds, hundreds of Americans are dead because of Taleh. And remember how mission-oriented Special Warfare people are. The idea of taking all the risks they'd taken to get there, and then leaving with only half a loaf was something Peter simply wasn't willing to do. He does pay a price for his disobedience, as you will see if you read Day of Wrath, my next one. Now that I've found this comments section, I'll check back occasionally. It's a great feature of great site.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing for Bond
Review: I recently checked out the audio book format of The Enemy Within, expecting it to be as good as Vortex, arguably one of the best books ever written. I was disappointed with this one. The Thorn character seemed a little too heroic. Especially in the part where he defies the President's orders. It's kind of like, "Screw the President, I know better than my commander-in-chief." So he risks the life of his team to go hunt down his friend-turned-arch enemy and get revenge for his girlfriend who was mortally wounded in the line of duty. I like the scenes of the terrorist attacks, which are well written, and the Tomahawk attack on Iran is awesome. After these, the book fades out. A readable book, but definitely not Bond's best.

Rating:
Summary: In the vain of Tom Clancy- Almost 5 stars
Review: I truly enjoyed 'The Enemy Within'. I am always intrigued on the idea of sleeping countries one day waking up to wreak havoc onto the world, where the U.S. generally comes in to save the day. Like Clancy, this book offers multiple story threads and characters all doing their own thing, at the same time, all over the world, until the strings get pulled tighter and tighter to a crescendo. Also mix in CIA and FBI technology and read how the pro's may actually uncover the truth.

The only reason I did not give this 5 stars was the very ending. After the building climax takes place, the book almost literally ends. I felt cheated with a few of the main characters. It seemed it just stopped and I asked myself "That's it?". Bummed.

I read some of his others, Vortex, and Red Phoenix and liked those just as well.

Rating:
Summary: Best Argument for Anonymous Remailers Yet
Review: I was disappointed: you never know why the bad guy's the bad guy, there were far too many points of view (many characters are introduced only to be killed on that page or on the next) and the main point the book made, in my opinion, is that if you're planning a terrorist attack, at least use an anonymous remailer when you send your messages to the troops over a commercial email service--or at least keep don't keep your private key on your hard drive

Rating:
Summary: Good story, ditch the bimbo
Review: I would have given this book at least 4 stars but Mr. Bond's inclusion of a unnecessary romance with the female HRT leader brought it down by 2. The romance angle was shallow, unnecesarry and only there to appease the mentally deficient of his readers. Look at his previous 3 books, excellent books with no Harlequin romance crap dropped in for filler.

I am very disappointed, this book could have been great.