CARRIER 3 ARMAGEDDON MODE BY KEITH DOUGLASS

Copyright 1992

India and Pakistan have gone to war. The stakes raise when Pakistan detonates a nuclear bomb showing the world it is now a nuclear power. Carrier battle group 14 lead by the U.S.S. Jefferson is on station in the Arabian sea. They accidentally sink an Indian submarine. The Indians demand all foreign warships leave the area. America refuses and plans to attack the Indians to stop the war. They are joined by a Russian carrier group. The Russians want to show the world they are still a world power. The Indians launch an attack. Using mass waves of aircraft, they hope to penetrate the defenses and show the world their power.

The third book in the series takes the carrier to the Indian Ocean and a battle with India. India was a growing naval power at the time, so it makes sense to write a story of them battling the Indians. Combine this with the Pakistan-India rivalry and you have the genesis of the start of a conflict. The Russians are in this also and portrayed as allies. They want to prove the Commonwealth (anybody remember the Commonwealth?) is still relevant. Now the Soviet Union had just collapsed and there was an optimistic believe they would be partners with the U.S. We know where that went.

Anyway, the Russians don’t really work well with America and have their own agendas which complicates the battle. Plus, a new commander who is more concerned with his career also complicates things. This book is the first time that the carrier group faces an opponent that could seriously sink or damage them. The battle scenes feel realistic and exciting. Another enjoyable entry in the series.

CARRIER 2 VIPER STRIKE BY KEITH DOUGLASS

Copyright 1991.

The U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson has been ordered to Thailand. The government there is suffering a Communist rebellion in the north. The Jefferson is there to show support for the government. Yet sinister forces are at work. A renegade Chinese intelligence agent has joined forces with a Burmese general and disaffected officers in the Thai army. He manages to bring over a squadron of Chinese J-7 aircraft into Burma. The goal is to destabilize the government so a coup can occur. This would give the plotters control of the drug trade in the Golden Triangle.

Tombstone Magruder and the other crew are looking forward to a relaxing leave in Bangkok. Magruder starts a love affair with a journalist who was sent to interview him. Only the coup plotters drag in the crew. An F-14 gets shot down and the crew has adventures with Karen rebels inside Burma. Tombstone and others get kidnapped to reveal info to help a plan to attack the Jefferson. It all comes down to an action-packed ending that destroys the various coup plotters.

The second book in the series is a bit low key. The first dealt with the planning of a complex rescue operation against a country. There were major air and land battles. This one is more about the intrigue of a complex coup plot. The awesome might of the carrier is not really used until the final part when they battle the renegade Chinese planes. It does a great job of giving the reader the cultural and political background of Thailand and Burma. It also gives us a different story from the first book which I appreciate.

CARRIER BY KEITH DOUGLASS

Copyright 1991.

The North Koreans attack and capture the U.S. spy ship U.S.S. Chimera and hold the crew captive. They threaten to execute them. Fortunately, CVB-14 U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson is in the area. A plan is implemented that includes Navy SEALS and a Marine landing to rescue the hostages. Lt. Commander “Tombstone” Magruder leads the Tomcats in the fight to attack the North Koreans. He has his hands full bombing the SAM sites and protecting the fleet from attacks by bombers and fighters.

This is the first of a series in the nineties about a carrier battle group and their various battles. It was created by William H. Keith Jr. who wrote the first six books in the series. Keith wrote many other most notably under the pen name Ian Douglas for a series of futuristic marine and navy novels. He also did the excellent time travel series Freedom’s Rangers.

Keith is a former Navy veteran and is very knowledgeable about the service. His story paints a very realistic portrayal of the combat. The dogfights as well as ground combat feels very realistic. You do get a feeling of being on a carrier. He also puts in realistic accidents such as a guy carelessly not paying attention and getting sucked into a jet engine and causing an explosion. The result closes down the deck for a crucial hour. The scenario at the time was also realistic. The Soviet Union was in decline and aid was getting cut to the hardline regime. You could see them doing this to get attention and need aid. This was a very solid first book for the new series.

CONAN THE INVINCIBLE BY ROBERT JORDAN

Copyright 1982.

Conan is a thief in Shadizar and only seventeen. He gets hired by a Stygian sorcerer to steal pendants from the king. These pendants were a gift from the King of Turan. Only someone beats him to it. They also steal a slave girl that Conan promised to free. He sets out and gets captured by The Red Hawk a woman who leads a band of brigands. They find the wizard Amanar in his fortress in the Kezankian Mountains with his army of snake-men. Conan must use all his skills to defeat this powerful wizard and the demon he serves who eats souls.

Tor Books started to print new Conan stories in the eighties with its resurgence in popularity. They wisely chose Robert Jordan who delivers a first-rate book. The story is well written and very interesting. It weaves together this tale of stolen slave girls and jeweled pendants. An evil all powerful wizard and the demon he serves. The Red Hawk is a beautiful and powerful bandit chief in the mold of Red Sonja. The characters feel like a Howard story. I highly recommend if you are fan.