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Summary: Military Technology-Politics & Humour a Novel reaction
Review: "Circle William is a wonderfully balanced written first novel by Captain Bill Harlow. His obvious inside knowledge of the US Navy and the US Political System just added to the realism.I agree with Bob Woodwards review in regards to -"all done with great seriousness while capturing the humour in the personalities". It was well paced and not too much technical information overload, that Tom Clancy sometimes falls into."
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Summary: A must read for anyone who wants to learn about today's Navy
Review: "Circle William" author Bill Harlow provides the reader with all the nuances of shipboard service in today's Navy. Other techno-thriller authors THINK they know about life in today's Navy; Harlow has lived it and gets it right. Some say the plot is contrived, but this reader feels the scenario makes the read all the better-- and faster! If you were to read one book about how the Navy operates today, and how it fits into our national security strategy, this is it. I breezed through it on a flight from Australia to Washington and left the airplane refreshed.
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Summary: An excellent " escape " adventure.
Review: "Circle William" delivered far more than I expected of it. Bill Harlow's use of scene-shifting, humor, and genuine Navy knowledge and experience left me as if I'd just come out of a really good film,which I hope it in fact becomes. So many books of this type are better classified under science fiction. They are not even plausible. I get so tired of "it's a one-man race against time to save the planet! " Mr. Harlow's scenarios are perfectly acceptable and even likely. As a destroyer veteran, I can vouch for its authenticity, and I heartily recommend it to all readers!
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Summary: An insider's novel about the White House and Navy
Review: "Circle William" takes place in the White House, the Pentagon, and onboard a Navy ship in the Mediterranean. Many previous thrillers have used similar settings. What makes this book unusual is that the author has worked in all those locations. As a Navy Captain, Assistant Press Secretary to the President, and Pentagon spokesman I was fortunate enough to see and do some extraordinary things. I've tried to give the reader a sense of what life is like when you are near the center of power when all hell breaks loose. Circle William is my first novel. I worked on it nights and weekends during my last year in the Navy. After completing the first draft, I got up my courage to show it to a well-known journalist with whom I have worked. He read Circle William in a single night, said he loved it, and asked me if I minded if he mentioned it to his publisher. Mind? Within days a copy of the manuscript was in the hands of an editor at Scribner. He too read it in a single sitting and told me my story was going to be a book. Within a matter of weeks I had a contract and a new sideline: author. I've kept my day job, however. Or more accurately, I have taken a new one. After retiring from the Navy I became chief spokesman for the Central Intelligence Agency. The term "Circle William" refers to steps Navy ships take when they are preparing to defend themselves against chemical, biological or nuclear attack. The book "Circle William" is about steps taken by two brothers, one the White House Press Secretary, the other the Captain of the destroyer USS WINSTON CHURCHILL, to try to defend the United States from the threat of a Libyan chemical weapons attack. Drawing upon my 25 years in the Navy and especially the four years I spent at the White House, I have tried to paint a realistic picture of how the highest levels of government deal with a life or death crisis. Just as importantly, I have tried to portray the people the way they are: hard working, often heroic, and, on occasion, downright wacky. I have been gratified by the praise that "Circle William" has received from early readers such as former National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft and former White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater. I was especially pleased when a reader wrote: "Harlow has the Navy right, the press right, the White House right. I love this book. It's a terrific read -- all done with great seriousness while capturing the humor in the personalities who reside in some of the places of power or semi-power." That reader was Bob Woodward, co-author of "All the President's Men," assistant managing editor of The Washington Post, and a former Navy lieutenant. I hope you too will find "Circle William" factual, fast paced and fun.
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Summary: Thriller--Once you start, you can't put this one down.
Review: A real thriller--once you start reading it, you cannot put it down. As a former U.S. Naval Officer who served in the Mediterranean and the Pentagon, this book is packed with authenticity and local color. The Circle William plot makes you step back and think, especially when you consider recent world events and the proliferation of chemical weapons. It kept my attention all the way to the end. In my view, the author (Bill Harlow) has joined the ranks of Clancy et. al.
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Summary: Exceptionally accurate portrait of life at sea on a warship
Review: Absolutely wonderful ... suspenseful, witty, accurate. Bill Harlow captures both life at sea and inside the beltway--perfectly!
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Summary: Great book!
Review: As a former surface line officer with over 20 years of active and reserve service to the United States Navy, I found Captain Harlow's book great entertainment and realistic. His characters on board the ship are obviously based on his observations of many years of service. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever served in the navy or is remotely interested.
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Summary: Tom Clancy Lite
Review: Being a fan of this genre of techno-thrillers, I was eager to read a new author's entry, especially given his apparent insider perspectives. Well, his insider perspectives did not disappoint, but the flow, attention to detail, and story-telling did. The concept was interesting, and with the comic-book characters would make for a good movie. However, unlike a Tom Clancy novel where much is lost from the book to the movie, there would not be much lost from this book to the movie. Overall I enjoyed the book and would still recommend it, but like Chinese food I was hungering for more an hour after I finished.
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Summary: Better than Clancy.
Review: Better than Clancy. Harlow knows the White House and the military as only someone who's been there would, and he's a pretty darn good storyteller to boot. Circle William is rich in detail and moves fast. I can hardly wait for the movie.
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Summary: Good Read! Don't miss this one.
Review: Bill Harlow knows his Navy, his bureaucrats and his bad guys! This was a delightful find. The Libyan government is up to no good, planning to gas Israel and the United States. The title refers to Navy slang for the procedure used by warships under chemical and/or biological attack. Commander Bill Schmidt finds himself and his crew on the firing line (in more ways than one) in an effort to thwart the Libyan attack. Without giving too much away, Washington comes up with a hair-brained scheme and Bill's crew gets the assignment to carry out orders. This book is engaging, well paced and well written. Like many first novels, it goes from beginning to end without many side trips. I've added Harlow's name to my list of authors to watch.
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