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Rating: 
Summary: A well-written thriller
Review:
This could easily be rated as five stars, were it not for some minor proofreading problems which do not detract significantly from its readability. It is a self-published book, very well written and extensively researched. The author has assembled a great many facts about the Vietnam War, including the designations of various military groups involved, and has obviously studied several conspiracy theories closely. In other words, the story has a plausible ring--an essential of all good fiction.Whether the author, Harold Thomas Beck, has any actual personal military experience is open to question, but his book is highly readable. The story revolves around the life of one Charley Reed and his various loves who all seemed to think he was the greatest lover since Don Juan. But Charley, a Green Beret, or "snake-eater" as they were known by most Vietnam veterans, was killed in an auto accident--or was he? There is a great deal of sex in the book, with well-written and highly explicit accounts of the details of the act. In fact, most of the characters seem to be veritable sex machines, copulating at the drop of a hat--and the hat seems to drop almost continuously; so much so that the depiction of the act becomes tedious. It was the only aspect of the book that seemed totally implausible to me. The action moves along well, and the author manages to work in details of the the explosion of TWA flight 800, blaming terrorists; the twin towers holocaust of September 11th, 2001; and allusions to the assassination of John Kennedy, making Lyndon Johnson an accomplice,whom he also accuses of manufacturing the Gulf of Tonkin incident for which there is some good evidence, much as Lincoln is reputed to have pushed North Carolina into firing on Fort Sumpter and FDR pushed the Japanese into attacking us--in each case to prepare the country emotionally for war. The book is extremely unflattering to the Johnson administration, to say the least, in spite of the fact that the author seems also to hold conservatives in low esteem. This is a good novel. One has to keep in mind constantly that, as the author says, "It should not be construed as anything but fiction." Too often, perhaps, readers of really good fiction come away with the idea that an author's daydream is based on fact. And sometimes that is no doubt true. I think, though, that is not the case here. Joseph Pierre, USN(Ret)
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books
Rating: 
Summary: This fiction reads like historical fact
Review: At first I thought this was non fiction. Harold Beck has an uncanny way of placing the reader in the center of the story and has them watching the events take place. Bravo! It has been a long time since I read a CIA mystery thriller as good as this one. I am reminded of Tom Clancey when he first started writing. Without a doubt this is the book of the season if not the year. Mr. Beck and his publisher are very brave to venture out with this work so close to September 11th but the job is done well and complete. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a great read.
Rating:
Summary: HEY BUD!
Review: This book is fantastic---and I'm not even completely done yet! Actually I just started 2 days ago and I'm only on pg150 but it really makes you feel like Mr. Beck is sitting next to you telling the story and you can't tear yourself away. I've even cried once! Authors rarely are able to bring me into their novels so deep that I begin to feel emotional equivalecies to the characters and I can't wait to see what's on the next page. This book is very, VERY intriquing. It keeps you interested and it keeps you guessing. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.
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