Rating: 
Summary: Research overwhelms the story
Review: If you're looking for a fairly quick, Clancy-esque beach read, you could do worse than SOAR. I know, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement. But this action yarn has all the realism in technical details and battle engagements that you'd wish for-and for some people that's all they want. SOAR is about a secret Delta Force rescue mission to extract a covert CIA operations team from western China after the latter has been captured by Uighur terrorists. The "Mission Impossible"-like rescue also involves a lot of shooting, bomb-making, and the defusing of a nuclear weapon. It's basically an action movie (with a lamentable lack of gratuitous sex). The problem is that the characters are only sketchily drawn; they basically exist for their roles or skills. One might as well have called them "CIA Guy No. 1," "CIA Guy No. 2," "Delta Guy No. 1," etc. The guys in "The Dirty Dozen" had more personality. The politicos in Washington seem to have a little more depth, but that's at least in part because John Weisman seems to have adapted the personalities of some of our current officeholders for these roles. (President Forrest admittedly doesn't seem much like President Bush.) For some reason, there's a token female character, Tracy Wei-Liu, that's dragged through the story line, ostensibly to defuse the nuke. Perhaps the real reason is the short diversion in the latter part of the book in which the main character, Mike Ritzik, engages in a bit of repartee with her on the morality of killing in battle. But Ritzik just gets royally pissed off, and the subject is dropped. In the lead-up to the climax, the characters seem to get sidetracked into a few exchanges like this that, to me, seem unlikely when you're literally under the gun. I guess the author is trying to score a few political points amidst the fun. I, for one, found the preparations for insertion more interesting and exciting than the actual engagement. The battle scenes just seemed a tad tedious after a while. However that may be, I'll look forward to future works by Mr. Weisman. If he can make the people as real as the technology, then he might make something really worthwhile.
Rating: 
Summary: credible info-fiction
Review: John Weisman provides the reader with a fast-paced and accurate descripton of tecnical systems and procedures, while advancing a taut plot line and interesting characters. He has done his homework and is comfortable dealing with spec ops. A superb read.
Rating: 
Summary: SpecOps Techno-Pulp Fiction
Review: Most known for his co-authoring of the Rogue Warrior books with Richard Marcinko, Weiseman has written a new piece of fiction without everyone's favorite SEAL. What we have is a Delta Force sends bad guys to the bone yard with big guns type thing. It's fun, for lack of a better word. There's plenty of detail here for just about anyone who loves information about weapons, gear, surveillance, etc. Lots of acronyms, shooting, explosions, military slang, etc. Actually the only annoying thing is how superficially some of the politics are treated in the story. The author takes every opportunity possible to snipe at Clinton, despite the fact that the problems that drive the antagonists of this book(and in real life) have dated back to before WW2. For people interested in the history of terrorism I very much recommend ex-CIA case officer Robert Baer's two books "Sleeping with the Devil" and "Hear No Evil". But flag waving and stupid politics aside, this is fun read. I read it in around 3-4 hours. It reads very quickly. There's no thought provoking deeper issues here. No deeper understanding of who the bad guys are, where they came from and what were their motivations,just good old fashion prowling and growling (I guess that's supposed to be the Army's version of "shoot n loot" from the Marcinko books). If you like the Rogue Warrior books, you'll probably dig this too. Enjoy ^_^
Rating: 
Summary: Written for Kids
Review: Soar is written at a high school level for guys who love war yarns and the latest high-tech gizmos. His characters are all entirely predictable--the good guys all are noble and brave and sure. Staff officers are limp-wristed effetes with no understanding of the needs of those in the field (an odd notion, since the vast majority of officers routinely rotate between the field and the office).
If you can ignore the insipid characterization, then the reader may enjoy this story which set in exotic locals that may become more familiar to Americans as world events unfold.
But it's definitely not a book for serious readers.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: This book cap[tures the changing face of warfighting. It was obviously written by someone who knows the subject. The characters are interesting and well-developed. The pace is quick and the plot so real world it could actually have taken place. And as well, the author gives readers some fascinating hiostory of special operations. This is a must read for all military fans of clancy and the others like him. Five stars.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: This book cap[tures the changing face of warfighting. It was obviously written by someone who knows the subject. The characters are interesting and well-developed. The pace is quick and the plot so real world it could actually have taken place. And as well, the author gives readers some fascinating hiostory of special operations. This is a must read for all military fans of clancy and the others like him. Five stars.
Rating:
Summary: SOAR PUNCHES THROUGH!
Review: This fast paced, believable account of black operations is far superior to anything written by Clancy. Great, page-turning, up all night account!
Rating:
Summary: very good. it's time for weisman to dump richard macinko
Review: this is a very good military operation novel. can't believe how weisman knows so much about almost everything. with his new 'jack in the box', senor, i've got to tell you i'm totally hooked by this conservative battle-crying eagle dude. the only regret after this tour-de-force reading is that i just wish our real time president would be like pete forrest, the president in this particular book. but compare these two guys....well, it's just a shrub to a forest.
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