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Dan Lenson #6
China Sea
Welcome to the most dangerous sea in the world...
Dan Lenson was taking the USS Gaddis on her final journey, turning her over to the Pakistani Navy. But things didn't go according to plan. Now Dan finds himself commanding an undermanned, under-gunned, strife-filed ship on the China Sea--and cut off from Naval command. The Gaddis is supposed to be patrolling against pirates. But with a monsoon bearing down on his ship, and his crew ready to explode, Dan knows the Gaddis has been turned into a renegade to engage in a violent, secret shoot-out against the second most powerful nation on earth.
For Dan, a bizarre, treacherous mission has become a desperate journey of honor, character, and courage. For not only has the Gaddis been forced into a covert mission against China, she now has a murderer on board...
Dan Lenson was taking the USS Gaddis on her final journey, turning her over to the Pakistani Navy. But things didn't go according to plan. Now Dan finds himself commanding an undermanned, under-gunned, strife-filed ship on the China Sea--and cut off from Naval command. The Gaddis is supposed to be patrolling against pirates. But with a monsoon bearing down on his ship, and his crew ready to explode, Dan knows the Gaddis has been turned into a renegade to engage in a violent, secret shoot-out against the second most powerful nation on earth.
For Dan, a bizarre, treacherous mission has become a desperate journey of honor, character, and courage. For not only has the Gaddis been forced into a covert mission against China, she now has a murderer on board...
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 22, 2000
71 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
David Poyer
82 books240 followersAka D.C. Poyer.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 11, 2011
This was really mediocre. I think all the ex-Navy or Navy afficiandos will appreciate the technical detail - the man knows his stuff - but plot-wise, it was dull, dull, dull. There were two principal problems for me; the first was that his writing was more than a little forced, showing off a bit of vocabulary, but not a lot of talent for language, controlling tiempo or building momentum. (The "sizzling tension" was more like pissing on a campfire.) The second was too many elements for a less-than-talented writer to handle, including a basic "Jack the Ripper" onboard to complicate the commander's problems. Tom Clancy, he's not; this author is more of a klutz with these things and should probably try to simplify his plots instead of clutter them up with off-the-wall stuff and general xenophobia but he has a following so someone must like these books.
December 27, 2019
Really enjoyed this story. Lots of twists and turns. Probably the best on yet.
February 5, 2020
Better than Tomahawk
June 11, 2019
Once again, via the writing skills of David Poyer, I entered the world of Daniel V. Lenson, USN. The book I read this time around is "China Sea," and this is a somewhat different outing for Lieutenant Commander Lenson. He is given temporary command of a U.S. warship scheduled to be handed over to the navy of Pakistan. Upon arrival in Karachi, orders direct Lenson to retain command of the warship and its American crew, and become part of a multi-nation fleet charged with combating piracy in the South China Sea. The fleet, however, falls apart for various reasons until only Lenson's ship is left to carry out the mission. And then things get really interesting... David Poyer weaves an intriguing tale which kept me turning the pages. So, a somewhat different military thriller, but one worth the time.
March 16, 2021
This was another one of those books that I grabbed from my condo's " library" ( that room where already-read novels go to languish in obscurity - read " not in my unit anymore").
I found this book to be a mish-mash of a couple of themes - international intrigue (or at least involving international powers, I guess), piracy and murder mystery.
The story revolves around piracy of commercial container ships in the South China Sea (hence the name....lol) and the expansion of territorial boundaries by China.
Obviously, the author knows his stuff (God knows, he used enough naval terminology) but a Tom Clancy-esque author he is not. Found that some of the story dragged in places and then was "solved" pretty damn quick.
As far as book reviews go, the technical knowledge would definitely rate a five, but as mentioned I found to drag on inexorably and therefore would be generous in giving this book three stars out of five.
As with all reviews, this is just my five cents worth.
I found this book to be a mish-mash of a couple of themes - international intrigue (or at least involving international powers, I guess), piracy and murder mystery.
The story revolves around piracy of commercial container ships in the South China Sea (hence the name....lol) and the expansion of territorial boundaries by China.
Obviously, the author knows his stuff (God knows, he used enough naval terminology) but a Tom Clancy-esque author he is not. Found that some of the story dragged in places and then was "solved" pretty damn quick.
As far as book reviews go, the technical knowledge would definitely rate a five, but as mentioned I found to drag on inexorably and therefore would be generous in giving this book three stars out of five.
As with all reviews, this is just my five cents worth.
February 3, 2022
Lt. Commander Dan Lenson deals with America's most dubious allies, the Pakistanis, only to find himself fighting pirates in a dilapidated ship with a serial killer aboard. As usual, Poyer starts slow, building up an authentic workaday Navy ambience, and builds to a slam-bang finish. He is almost as inventive at devising hair-raising nautical predicaments for his resourceful hero as C.S. Forester was for Hornblower. But his characters, especially his hero, are a dull bunch.
December 28, 2024
Best so far
This was a page turner. The plot while still requiring some suspension of disbelief was exciting and compelling. Lenson’s first official command role was demanding and challenging. Recommended, highly.
This was a page turner. The plot while still requiring some suspension of disbelief was exciting and compelling. Lenson’s first official command role was demanding and challenging. Recommended, highly.
April 20, 2023
Outstanding straight out of the headlines.
March 14, 2021
David Poyer has written over 15 action thriller novels featuring Dan Lenson, a United States Navy officer. Each book finds Lenson aboard a different ship and heading into action on the high seas.
In China Sea, Lenson is the skipper aboard an old Knox class frigate that is being sold to Pakistan. Just when you think you know what’s happening in this sea story, the plot shifts into high gear. Lenson leads an almost mutinous crew through monsoons, pirate attacks, disasters at sea and shipwrecks, all while undertaking a top secret mission that breaks every US Navy rule and regulation. Plus there’s murder and intense at-sea combat.
Watch my no-spoiler video book review for David Poyer's CHINA SEA on YouTube
In China Sea, Lenson is the skipper aboard an old Knox class frigate that is being sold to Pakistan. Just when you think you know what’s happening in this sea story, the plot shifts into high gear. Lenson leads an almost mutinous crew through monsoons, pirate attacks, disasters at sea and shipwrecks, all while undertaking a top secret mission that breaks every US Navy rule and regulation. Plus there’s murder and intense at-sea combat.
Watch my no-spoiler video book review for David Poyer's CHINA SEA on YouTube
Read
October 24, 2011I need a simple, mindless adventure story at the moment. This looks promising. !? We shall see.
10/24 - okay, finished this a few days ago. Pretty much what I expected. Wasn't quite as 'mindless' as I had hoped for - too many military abbreviations, jargon, naval terms etc. Almost every paragraph was sprinkled with this stuff. In a way, it added a sense of ... real. Sorta like Patrick O'Brian's books - with the terminology I mean.
Not a bad read. Wouldn't be way high on my list of favorites, however.
10/24 - okay, finished this a few days ago. Pretty much what I expected. Wasn't quite as 'mindless' as I had hoped for - too many military abbreviations, jargon, naval terms etc. Almost every paragraph was sprinkled with this stuff. In a way, it added a sense of ... real. Sorta like Patrick O'Brian's books - with the terminology I mean.
Not a bad read. Wouldn't be way high on my list of favorites, however.
November 14, 2013
Wow; this was one of the best books I ever read! The plotting, the characterizations, the dialog; everything about this novel was eminently readable. David Poyer's novels have been required reading at the U.S. Naval Academy for years, and now I know why. This was impossible to put down; I finished it in two days. Flank speed!
June 4, 2008
The worst kind of technical military novel. Unbelievable plot and characters, plot elements that just come up or leave off with no real explanation, tireless descriptions of naval technologies that screams "Look how much I know about boats!". Oh, how I wish I could get those hours back.
August 28, 2010
Poyer's Dan Lenson series just keeps getting better and better!
I couldn't put this one down.
I don't understand a lot of the technical Navy "talk", but doesn't matter when the plot and the characters are so well written.
Kudos to David Poyer
I couldn't put this one down.
I don't understand a lot of the technical Navy "talk", but doesn't matter when the plot and the characters are so well written.
Kudos to David Poyer
February 24, 2016
#6 in the Dan Lenson series.
Dan Lenson navel novel - In 1991, during Desert Shield, Lenson is sent to the China Sea as a part of an international anti-piracy task force. Eventually, he faces off against the Chinese government sponsored pirates with a rundown ship and a mutinous crew.
Dan Lenson navel novel - In 1991, during Desert Shield, Lenson is sent to the China Sea as a part of an international anti-piracy task force. Eventually, he faces off against the Chinese government sponsored pirates with a rundown ship and a mutinous crew.
May 24, 2016
OMG - so much technical jargon involving both the military and sailing that I had a very hard time reading this book. I would not recommend this author unless you are a military veteran or get into that type detail.
Read
July 28, 2009Enjoyed
November 12, 2014
I would love to read another novel like this or any novel with Asian setting.
April 15, 2017
I found of most interest regarding China is on page 172, “They are gradually territorializing what was once open sea, and the overall intent is plain.” The book’s copyright is in the year 2000 and reading this 17 years later one can see how China’s long-term vision becomes a reality within the contested area of the China Sea.
Having served on a Knox Class frigate many years ago I really enjoyed much of this book. The book may be a challenge for other than Navy readers to understand. But, it could be viewed as an opportunity to explore further and appreciate the seagoing life along with its hardships. I appreciated the Navy aspect more than the story line which seemed to be far-fetched and at times simply advanced leaving the reader wondering what happened. Pretty much there was too much action or twists in this adventure novel which curtails me from making the highest recommendation.
Having served on a Knox Class frigate many years ago I really enjoyed much of this book. The book may be a challenge for other than Navy readers to understand. But, it could be viewed as an opportunity to explore further and appreciate the seagoing life along with its hardships. I appreciated the Navy aspect more than the story line which seemed to be far-fetched and at times simply advanced leaving the reader wondering what happened. Pretty much there was too much action or twists in this adventure novel which curtails me from making the highest recommendation.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews