Special Ops

Rating:
Summary: Special Ops
Review: I look forward egerly for each of Griffin's books. It has been too long a dry spell since the last one in the Brotherhood of War, Badge of of Honor or the The Corps series of books. Now that he has brought closure to the Brotherhood series we have his other two popular series to conclude. Special Ops is typical Griffin and is a book that you don't want to start a reading session with if you only have a short time to spend with it. It is a book that you can pass a long cold winter's day or evening with and feel you have not wasted the time. The happy ending for Jack Portet and Marjorie was a nice touch and makes the book more than just a military novel.

Rating:
Summary: Hopefully the series ends here....
Review: I think what I found most annoying about this book was the beginning where large chunks of the previous two novels (The New Breed & The Aviators) were either torn intact or badly rewritten and stuffed into this novel to flesh it out. Granted it's been a long time since a Brotherhood of War novel has been released and it's ok to remind the reader of what has come to pass, but this was nearly insulting and if you've read either of the previous novels recently it's just downright boring to read them AGAIN here.

Mr. Griffin, if you must write another BoW novel, lets hear the story of Craig Lowell's adventures in Vietnam, they're hinted at in several places and sound exciting. Anything would be better than Special Ops.

Rating:
Summary: Hopefully the series ends here....
Review: I think what I found most annoying about this book was the beginning where large chunks of the previous two novels (The New Breed & The Aviators) were either torn intact or badly rewritten and stuffed into this novel to flesh it out. Granted it's been a long time since a Brotherhood of War novel has been released and it's ok to remind the reader of what has come to pass, but this was nearly insulting and if you've read either of the previous novels recently it's just downright boring to read them AGAIN here.

Mr. Griffin, if you must write another BoW novel, lets hear the story of Craig Lowell's adventures in Vietnam, they're hinted at in several places and sound exciting. Anything would be better than Special Ops.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic read
Review: In 1964 the CIA reports revolutionary Che Guevara plans to replace Belgium influence in the area with Cuban control as a first step in making the continent a Cuban landmass. On the advice of Colonel Sanford Felter, Commander of the Top Secret Special Operations unit, President Johnson wants Che stopped, but not killed, preferring an image of a bungler not a martyr.

President Mobuto agrees to allow Felter's crack unit to complete the task of removing Che from the Republic of the Congo. With professionals like Lowell, Bellmon, Craig, Thomas, and new recruit Portet, the Americans succeed in their mission of kicking Che out of Africa. However, the versatile Che simply shifts continents to South America.

It has been a dozen years since W.E.B. Griffin released a "Brotherhood of War" novel. Fans of the series and newcomers will agree that the wait for SPECIAL OPS was well worth it as this novel is a tremendous military adventure. The men of the Special Forces seem like real people with everyday problems as well as dealing with a deadly mission. The story line rings true because of the numerous historical tidbits circa 1964 and the political involvement of various leaders in what the crack unit is authorized to do or not do. Mr. Griffin has triumphantly brought back a winner that will send many a reader searching for the previous eight novels (aside to Putnam: think reprints).

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: aka The New Breed
Review: Is this the same book as "The New Breed" with a different title?

Rating:
Summary: Too many meetings and too much discussion
Review: Meetings and talk, more talk and more meetings mixed with a liberal amount of booze. Little action, adventure and suspense. I also got tired of the memo and message format used liberally at the end of the book. I have read a lot of his books, but it seems like I am always waiting for the action to start. I doubt if I will read any more.

Rating:
Summary: I remembered the characters, vaugely
Review: Once again WEB Griffin has written a book I stayed up until 3 AM to finish. A very interesting story, with well developed personalities.

If there is a down-side, it's that this is a continuation of a series of books that I haven't read in 10 years. I had only vague memories of those characters, but Mr. Griffin does a good job of prompting. (The Lieutenants -> The Green Berets)

I don't need reviews to know that I will love a Griffin book, but read the other series 1st. (Plus you will save money, as Special Ops should be in paperback by the time you finish: "The LT's, The Cpt's, The Maj's, The Col's, The Gen's, The Aviators, The Green Berets.")

Rating:
Summary: Brotherhood of Bore?
Review: Summary: Disappointing, tedious and potentially insulting to the dedicated men and women of all branches of Special Opeations who put there lives on the line for little or no personal recognition.

Though I'm an avid consumer of military fiction and nonfiction, this is my first Griffin book. Based on this experience, I doubt that I'll be back for more. While some reviewers here contend that this books concentrates more on the crucial aspects of Spec Ops planning than actual firefights, I found more tedious descriptions of dinner party menus, polo matches and honeymoon arrangements than discussions of tactical/operational issues. And how many Special Forces operators on assignment are billeted in luxury suites, attended by personal servants with their wives and children vacationing by the pool?

Clue: When the number of champaign bottles emptied exceeds the number of rounds spent, you're closer to a Danielle Steele romance novel than Stephen Ambrose.

Rating:
Summary: Expand your horizons!
Review: The early 60's were a trying time in our country. Most of us are aware of Vietnam, but how many know about the events in the Congo? Griffin brings this little known saga to life as a U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) team goes into the Congo to thwart the plans of Cuban terrorist Dr. Ernesto "Che" Guevara as he tries to expand communist influence into Africa.

Fans of Griffin will see old favorites such as wealthy playboy Lt. Colonel Craig Lowell as he forges an alliance with Argentina through his skill on a polo field! Colonel Sanford Felter is, of course, the mastermind behind stopping Guevara. Former Congo pilot Jack Portet and his family as well as Captain Johnny Oliver are featured prominently as they team up to provide the air support for the Berets. We also find former minor characters thrust into major roles. Major George Washington "Father" Lunsford leads the intrepid group of Berets into the jungle and "Father" finds the love of his life in the arms of ebony beauty, Cecelia Taylor.

But as always in a Griffin book, these events all swirl around the story of stopping Che Guevara and the final battle to drive him from the Congo is classic Griffin.

As usual, my only complaint about a Griffin book is that he doesn't write enough of them fast enough.

Rating:
Summary: Expand your horizons!
Review: The early 60's were a trying time in our country. Most of us are aware of Vietnam, but how many know about the events in the Congo? Griffin brings this little known saga to life as a U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) team goes into the Congo to thwart the plans of Cuban terrorist Dr. Ernesto "Che" Guevara as he tries to expand communist influence into Africa.

Fans of Griffin will see old favorites such as wealthy playboy Lt. Colonel Craig Lowell as he forges an alliance with Argentina through his skill on a polo field! Colonel Sanford Felter is, of course, the mastermind behind stopping Guevara. Former Congo pilot Jack Portet and his family as well as Captain Johnny Oliver are featured prominently as they team up to provide the air support for the Berets. We also find former minor characters thrust into major roles. Major George Washington "Father" Lunsford leads the intrepid group of Berets into the jungle and "Father" finds the love of his life in the arms of ebony beauty, Cecelia Taylor.

But as always in a Griffin book, these events all swirl around the story of stopping Che Guevara and the final battle to drive him from the Congo is classic Griffin.

As usual, my only complaint about a Griffin book is that he doesn't write enough of them fast enough.