Rating: 
Summary: A great "bang" for a book.
Review: One day, in a bookstore not so far away, I was browsing for books, and came upon Circle William. I didn't recognize the author's name. I read the jacket and was intrigued. I read the first chapter and proceeded to the checkout; I was hooked. I hadn't read any good naval humor since Admiral Dan Gallery. The author, Bill Harlow, combined fact with fiction and his very active sense of humor. Several times, I drew odd looks from my fellow railroad commuters when I laughed out loud when I was intently reading and would suddenly come upon one of Mr. Harlow's witicisms out of the blue. It was like hitting a humourous speed bump. And the great part is that the humor doesn't detract from the seriousness of the situation. Many of the characters remind me of military and civilian characters I have known that take their responsibilities very seriously, but not themselves; they lighten up when the moment is appropriate. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Harlow's books. (And more of the Schmidt brothers.)
Rating:
Summary: A great "bang" for a book.
Review: One day, in a bookstore not so far away, I was browsing for books, and came upon Circle William. I didn't recognize the author's name. I read the jacket and was intrigued. I read the first chapter and proceeded to the checkout; I was hooked. I hadn't read any good naval humor since Admiral Dan Gallery. The author, Bill Harlow, combined fact with fiction and his very active sense of humor. Several times, I drew odd looks from my fellow railroad commuters when I laughed out loud when I was intently reading and would suddenly come upon one of Mr. Harlow's witicisms out of the blue. It was like hitting a humourous speed bump. And the great part is that the humor doesn't detract from the seriousness of the situation. Many of the characters remind me of military and civilian characters I have known that take their responsibilities very seriously, but not themselves; they lighten up when the moment is appropriate. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Harlow's books. (And more of the Schmidt brothers.)
Rating:
Summary: Wins "Best Fun With Your Clothes On" category
Review: Serious literature? Nope. Techno-thriller. Uh-uh. Instead, Circle William is simply a great read. Mr. Harlow writes with an engaging, wry humor that captures the nuttiness of inside-the-beltway life. To his credit, he also neatly packages life on board a front-line warship -- both the common-sense professionalism as well as the quirky personalities. Circle William goes down as quick and easy as a mint julep in July. Mixing a bit of Seinfeld and Schwarznegger in 315 pages, Mr. Harlow kept me engaged (cover-to-cover) for about half of a recent trans-Atlantic flight. Apparently, it was the longest recorded incident of a Scandinavian Airlines stewardess going unnoticed. Ok, Mr. Harlow. Count me in for your next book.
Rating: 
Summary: What thriller?
Review: This was a book that should have been better, but it shows that having insider knowledge doesn't necessarily make you a better writer. The characters are horribly conceived and written. The Captain and his crew seem to belong in a sitcom not a realistic novel. The antics of the Captain and crew would seem to indicate a removal from command or a court martial not the reward of a high-profile assignment. The XO and the religious zealot ensign are not believably written. For all of our sakes, I hope this isn't a realistic depiction of our military forces. The press secretary brother is better written but there is still too much of an attempt to give everyone their own little idiosyncracies and it becomes very forced. All the other characters seem to be from technothriller casting central. But that all could be excused if the action was believable and up to snuff but what little military action there is seems underwritten and anticlimatic. If you're writing in this genre, it's important not to skimp on the military sequences and rush to a conclusion. I'm sure Mr. Harlow could bring a lot to the genre with his insider knowledge, but hopefully next time it's with a better story and a stronger editor. I'm glad I checked this one out from the library instead of buying it.
Rating: 
Summary: Schmidt Happens
Review: This was a surprisingly well-plotted, fast-paced and realistic story involving terrorist threats by Moammar Gadhafi. Two brothers, Bill Schmidt, a navy commander and Jim Schmidt, a presidential press secretary, become intricately involved in uncovering and preventing a potentially tragic threat to national security. The Libyian plan to use chemical weapons is accidentally discovered while secretly monitoring phone calls. The plan cannot be revealed however, without also revealing the source and method of obtaining the information. I was absorbed by the build-up to the suspenseful and fairly plausible climax. Naturally, I would hope if a real-life event were to occur the outcome wouldn't be cut so close, but it does make for intiguing reading. I will look forward to Bill Harlow's next book and hope it will be written as well as Circle William.
Rating:
Summary: A great surprise and an author to follow
Review: When I bought this book I thought it would be (hopefully) an interesting and easy read for an airplane ride. I read loads of technical material and like to mix it up with an action thriller. Little did I know that this book would be like no other I had read. It had mystery (keeps me wanting to read), action (why I bought it in the first place) and a great believable group of characters that I actually began to care about. Mostly action books do no character development. Harlows book does lots. The last thing is the humor. I found myself laughing and telling my wife what a good author this ex-naval guy was.
Rating:
Summary: A great surprise and an author to follow
Review: When I bought this book I thought it would be (hopefully) an interesting and easy read for an airplane ride. I read loads of technical material and like to mix it up with an action thriller. Little did I know that this book would be like no other I had read. It had mystery (keeps me wanting to read), action (why I bought it in the first place) and a great believable group of characters that I actually began to care about. Mostly action books do no character development. Harlows book does lots. The last thing is the humor. I found myself laughing and telling my wife what a good author this ex-naval guy was.
Rating:
Summary: So good could not put down
Review: With the start of teh novel I found myself hooked right form the begining. And the farther I got into it the harder it became to put it down, the only way I was able to set it down was when I passed out from lack of sleep. I can say from the many books I have read over the last 20 years or so this one ranks in the top 5 that I have read. I look forward to any sequel that may come forward, or maybe a series novel would be great. if you have not read this book yet I urge you to get it and just take a gander at it.
Rating:
Summary: Circle William
Review: Without a lot of convoluted subplots "Circle William" delved into the workings of both an Arleigh Burke Class destroyer and the behinds the scenes working our government. I liked the Schmidt brothers, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of profanity. Even though this book was written several years ago, it was incredibly relivent to current events. What initially drew me to the book was that it was written about the USS Winston Churchill (DDG81). My son is currently assigned to the USS Roosevelt (DDG80), he thought the book was good and did a good job dipicting life on board ship. It's an easy read, gripping in spots, especially toward the end. I will never forget that "Schmidt happens!"
Rating:
Summary: Circle William
Review: Without a lot of convoluted subplots "Circle William" delved into the workings of both an Arleigh Burke Class destroyer and the behinds the scenes working our government. I liked the Schmidt brothers, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of profanity. Even though this book was written several years ago, it was incredibly relivent to current events. What initially drew me to the book was that it was written about the USS Winston Churchill (DDG81). My son is currently assigned to the USS Roosevelt (DDG80), he thought the book was good and did a good job dipicting life on board ship. It's an easy read, gripping in spots, especially toward the end. I will never forget that "Schmidt happens!"
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