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Tom Clancy's Op-Center #6
Stato d'assedio
Alcuni soldati di varie nazionalità che appartengono a una forza di pace dell'ONU si abbandonano ad attività criminali, spinti da un'insaziabile avidità. Quando il loro mandato finisce, si trasformano in un vero gruppo terroristico e danno corso a un'azione che attirerà l'attenzione di tutto il mondo e consentirà loro di chiedere un riscatto da cento milioni di dollari: assaltano il Palazzo di Vetro a New York e prendono in ostaggio diplomatici e partecipanti a un ricevimento. Tra questi c'è la figlia adolescente di Paul Hood, il capo di Op-Center che aveva deciso di godersi la meritata pensione. Ancora una volta toccherà a Hood e alle tecnologie e al coraggio degli uomini di Op-Center combattere contro le forze oscure del terrore.
359 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
October 31, 2018
After living through the hypocrisy of being a part of a United Nations security force, a band of mercenaries decide to strike at the organization itself and unknowingly take resigning Op-Center director Paul Hood’s daughter hostage. State of Siege, is the sixth book of the Op-Center series written by Jeff Rovin, ghosting for the titular Tom Clancy, finds Paul Hood in the middle of a hostage situation as his daughter is being held in the Security Council after cleaning out his desk and hoping to rebuild his family that is hanging by a thread and however Hood reacts he risks destroying it.
A team of five former UN soldiers, who served in Cambodia, rob an armored car in Paris to finance buying weapons from an arm’s dealer in New York to strike at the United Nations for a $250 million payday after taking room full of hostages. Among the hostages are diplomats, young violinists including Harleigh Hood, and two undercover Cambodian hitmen looking to take their revenge against the terrorist group’s leader. The situation is both personal and professional for Paul Hood, who is torn to do something to save his daughter and being with his wife to support. The newly appointed Secretary-General is a negotiator who wants to solve the problem as peacefully as possible, but events quickly get out of her control leading to a final solution to the siege that both pleases and displeases many.
Released in 1999, State of Siege puts the United Nations center stage as well as the debate between military versus diplomacy to solve crises. The problem that the “debate” is useless given that the crisis in this particular book could never have been solved diplomatically and this book is less than 400 pages as well as the story taking only about five hours in total. Besides this flaw is the one that has been running throughout the series, Paul Hood’s marriage which has been doomed to fail because Sharon Hood has been written to be literally be the unreasonable wife to the man running a government agency trying to do his best—how cliché can you get?—and it sinks to even worst levels here. And on top of that were the just bad dialog, characters literally knowing things they couldn’t actually know, plot holes all over the place, and finally not being able to decide what point-of-view to have from one paragraph to the next.
State of Siege keeps up the Op-Center tradition of having an intriguing plot, which is ruined by Jeff Rovin’s characterizations and overall subpar writing. This book is a big step down from the previous installment, Balance of Power, but is unfortunately more to type of what the series has been like for most of its run so far.
A team of five former UN soldiers, who served in Cambodia, rob an armored car in Paris to finance buying weapons from an arm’s dealer in New York to strike at the United Nations for a $250 million payday after taking room full of hostages. Among the hostages are diplomats, young violinists including Harleigh Hood, and two undercover Cambodian hitmen looking to take their revenge against the terrorist group’s leader. The situation is both personal and professional for Paul Hood, who is torn to do something to save his daughter and being with his wife to support. The newly appointed Secretary-General is a negotiator who wants to solve the problem as peacefully as possible, but events quickly get out of her control leading to a final solution to the siege that both pleases and displeases many.
Released in 1999, State of Siege puts the United Nations center stage as well as the debate between military versus diplomacy to solve crises. The problem that the “debate” is useless given that the crisis in this particular book could never have been solved diplomatically and this book is less than 400 pages as well as the story taking only about five hours in total. Besides this flaw is the one that has been running throughout the series, Paul Hood’s marriage which has been doomed to fail because Sharon Hood has been written to be literally be the unreasonable wife to the man running a government agency trying to do his best—how cliché can you get?—and it sinks to even worst levels here. And on top of that were the just bad dialog, characters literally knowing things they couldn’t actually know, plot holes all over the place, and finally not being able to decide what point-of-view to have from one paragraph to the next.
State of Siege keeps up the Op-Center tradition of having an intriguing plot, which is ruined by Jeff Rovin’s characterizations and overall subpar writing. This book is a big step down from the previous installment, Balance of Power, but is unfortunately more to type of what the series has been like for most of its run so far.
December 22, 2020
Great characters... True depth.
June 30, 2014
I am a long time Clancy Fan. At least for the books he actually DID Write. Those I have read every last one up to and including Threat Vector and love them immensely. Also I do actually like Net Force story line as well (Even there too the distracting Marriage Counselor role is thrust on me.).
The Op center Series in general and this one in particular Grated on my nerves. Given bellow are some of the points that I hate about this Book and the Series in general.
1. Unlike Rainbow Six, here you have a distinct impression of Rambo Style Gung Ho attitude. Not necessarily controlled and calculated action but sporadic and uncontrolled violence.
2. The Agency's Director Paul Hood sounds like Schizophrenic Self centered womanizer. Particularly in this book, I felt like I was a Marriage Counselor. Hated to be treated that way. That part about the personal life was purely idiotic and I could have done without. The other personal aspects I understand have to come in.
3. The military angle, does not even seem like methodical planned operation. It sounds more like Spur of the Moment "Die Hard" kind of sequence. For such a intensely trained elite unit as Striker, that's just plain silly.
4. In this book, the Villains are methodical, planned and without remorse. But they seem to fall apart towards the end for no apparent reason. Totally baffling. Makes me feel like I am reading Some Hollywood Scriptwriter's draft.
I first read War of Eagles in this series but hated it. So Read couple of more, Mission of Honor and Line of Control before this one. I swear, this is the last one in this series. NO WAY I am going to be subjected to any more crap about Op Center.
The Op center Series in general and this one in particular Grated on my nerves. Given bellow are some of the points that I hate about this Book and the Series in general.
1. Unlike Rainbow Six, here you have a distinct impression of Rambo Style Gung Ho attitude. Not necessarily controlled and calculated action but sporadic and uncontrolled violence.
2. The Agency's Director Paul Hood sounds like Schizophrenic Self centered womanizer. Particularly in this book, I felt like I was a Marriage Counselor. Hated to be treated that way. That part about the personal life was purely idiotic and I could have done without. The other personal aspects I understand have to come in.
3. The military angle, does not even seem like methodical planned operation. It sounds more like Spur of the Moment "Die Hard" kind of sequence. For such a intensely trained elite unit as Striker, that's just plain silly.
4. In this book, the Villains are methodical, planned and without remorse. But they seem to fall apart towards the end for no apparent reason. Totally baffling. Makes me feel like I am reading Some Hollywood Scriptwriter's draft.
I first read War of Eagles in this series but hated it. So Read couple of more, Mission of Honor and Line of Control before this one. I swear, this is the last one in this series. NO WAY I am going to be subjected to any more crap about Op Center.
February 9, 2018
So far in the Op-Center series this Novel was the least interesting to read. This one seemed like it was more of a filler to explain the private life of Paul Hood the boss of Op-Center with a major world event that put him and his family in the center of it. It had way too much personnel back story and family story and just didn't seem to fit this series. There was a few story hooks that would have been nice to have played out more, but were just dropped. At this point the only reason I would recommend the book is to read it if you are planning on reading the whole series as I do.
July 26, 2020
Not completely predictable. Good light read
October 16, 2018
The first and most important event in this book, is when a group of terrorists, break into the united nations building, and hold the embassies as hostages. There is a man who is retiring from a job in a government named Paul hood, and his daughter is in the room. He is trying to get some people together to go save the kids and delegates. Some of the people that he works with all get together, and they end up saving all the kids and it’s all good in the end.
There is a lot of people in this book, and it is able to go from person to person, and explain what is going on at the same time as this story is. It talks about hood the most. It also talks about the terrorists, hood’s daughter, a CIA agent who is helping the terrorists, some Cambodian agents who are trying to kill the terrorists, and a UN secretary-general. One of the most interesting aspects that this book views, is from the perspective of the terrorists, and it explains the events leading up to it.
I think that it was a very good book that is exciting, and is able to explain everything. There is a lot going on, and it is able to portray everything from many other points of view. One example is when the Cambodians try to shoot the leader of the terrorists, and it shows it from their perspective, then the other terrorists perspective, then it shows it from the people who are outside the room, like the security personnel.
There is a lot of people in this book, and it is able to go from person to person, and explain what is going on at the same time as this story is. It talks about hood the most. It also talks about the terrorists, hood’s daughter, a CIA agent who is helping the terrorists, some Cambodian agents who are trying to kill the terrorists, and a UN secretary-general. One of the most interesting aspects that this book views, is from the perspective of the terrorists, and it explains the events leading up to it.
I think that it was a very good book that is exciting, and is able to explain everything. There is a lot going on, and it is able to portray everything from many other points of view. One example is when the Cambodians try to shoot the leader of the terrorists, and it shows it from their perspective, then the other terrorists perspective, then it shows it from the people who are outside the room, like the security personnel.
September 29, 2023
I think this is the worst book in the series that I have read (1-6, 10).
This book goes through a lot of the characters' background and POVs, a lot more than the other books. Unfortunately a lot of those characters are really not likeable. Georgiev and Downer really have no redeeming value. I got to the point where I wanted Barone to shoot them. All the important female characters are irritating. Chatterjee is increasingly annoying. She is far more concerned about the US actions and the terrorists' rights, than the the terrorists' actions and the victims. Sharon...well...she is just unpleasant. In her mind, Hood could not do anything right. I had some hopes for Ani, but that got crushed right away.
The plot itself is also irritating. First, it's crawling, very slow. Second, it's like a comedy of errors, except they are not funny. What could go wrong went wrong, not because things just went unexpectedly badly or the bad guys were really, really good (granted, they were well prepared), but it's because people were being stupid. You could see bad things happening a long time before they did. I do get that the book is trying to stress the uselessness of the UN, but it makes a very annoying reading. There was some prologue that I thought was going to become important later. It did become part of the plot, but it happened so quickly and felt like a let down.
This book goes through a lot of the characters' background and POVs, a lot more than the other books. Unfortunately a lot of those characters are really not likeable. Georgiev and Downer really have no redeeming value. I got to the point where I wanted Barone to shoot them. All the important female characters are irritating. Chatterjee is increasingly annoying. She is far more concerned about the US actions and the terrorists' rights, than the the terrorists' actions and the victims. Sharon...well...she is just unpleasant. In her mind, Hood could not do anything right. I had some hopes for Ani, but that got crushed right away.
The plot itself is also irritating. First, it's crawling, very slow. Second, it's like a comedy of errors, except they are not funny. What could go wrong went wrong, not because things just went unexpectedly badly or the bad guys were really, really good (granted, they were well prepared), but it's because people were being stupid. You could see bad things happening a long time before they did. I do get that the book is trying to stress the uselessness of the UN, but it makes a very annoying reading. There was some prologue that I thought was going to become important later. It did become part of the plot, but it happened so quickly and felt like a let down.
April 4, 2025
This book was headed for a five star review until Chapter 39 and then......NOT. I do not know what has happened to these authors that have great plots and ideas going and then all of a sudden, write chapters that do not make sense.
This is a spoiler free review, but I simply cannot believe that Mr. Rovin made the decision he did in this chapter to change the course of the entire plot.
Why have a moment when the character (antagonist in this case) does something totally out of character for what has been set up? Why change the direction of the plot when you are on track for a gripping finale? I wish I knew. But unfortunately it has become commonplace for the Op-Center series.
This is a spoiler free review, but I simply cannot believe that Mr. Rovin made the decision he did in this chapter to change the course of the entire plot.
Why have a moment when the character (antagonist in this case) does something totally out of character for what has been set up? Why change the direction of the plot when you are on track for a gripping finale? I wish I knew. But unfortunately it has become commonplace for the Op-Center series.
March 31, 2023
__________________________________________
1 star = Did not finish / did not like
2 stars = Had trouble keeping attention to finish
3 stars = Good enjoyable book. A great way to spend my time.
4 stars = Couldn't set the book down. Engaging. Great Book.
Will likely reread when more of the series is released.
5 stars = (4 stars) plus such a good book I will re-read it periodically.
___________________________________________
1 star = Did not finish / did not like
2 stars = Had trouble keeping attention to finish
3 stars = Good enjoyable book. A great way to spend my time.
4 stars = Couldn't set the book down. Engaging. Great Book.
Will likely reread when more of the series is released.
5 stars = (4 stars) plus such a good book I will re-read it periodically.
___________________________________________
September 17, 2025
Reading books inherited from my Dad's bookshelf. He rated this one as NBG - No Bloody Good! He rated quite a few books like that, but never like to read or had time to read as much as my Mum did. While I found this book a little hard to get started - another book on war... it ended up being much more than that. I found the book to be well written, good plot and gripping, once I was past the first few chapters. It did not take me long to complete the book. It was much better than NBG.
February 15, 2020
CC1
As usual another great story. Paul unfortunately learned the hard way about being a parent and having a job that encompasses your life. Luckily he has the people of Opt- Center as second family. The U.N lives in another world when dealing with terrorism. But the President made the right decision. 5 stars plus. Great plot and series. Thanks, Carl Clause
As usual another great story. Paul unfortunately learned the hard way about being a parent and having a job that encompasses your life. Luckily he has the people of Opt- Center as second family. The U.N lives in another world when dealing with terrorism. But the President made the right decision. 5 stars plus. Great plot and series. Thanks, Carl Clause
February 12, 2021
I found the idea and story telling really interesting at first.
Like many of these books for me though, the last quarter is usually a bit boring. Trying to quickly tidy up all the messy storylines, and wrapped in a neat bow.
I would have given it 4/5 if the expected corny occurrences weren't so common.
I'd still read other books in this series.
Like many of these books for me though, the last quarter is usually a bit boring. Trying to quickly tidy up all the messy storylines, and wrapped in a neat bow.
I would have given it 4/5 if the expected corny occurrences weren't so common.
I'd still read other books in this series.
April 26, 2021
This novel has a huge cast, and it races from person to person. The narrative explains what’s going on in the story while also talking about the characters and their lives. It delves into the CIA agent who is in cahoots with the terrorists, and on the opposite end, angry Cambodians who are trying to terminate them.
https://smolinskiblog.co/2021/04/26/o...
https://smolinskiblog.co/2021/04/26/o...
June 29, 2018
The UN has been invaded with a bunch of teen age girls in it to give a concert. When the invaders start killing people Paul and 2 other op-center men go in to save the people one of which is Paul's daughter
October 10, 2023
A breath of fresh air compared to the Power Plays series.
Far from amazing, but compelling. Awkward relationships with women in male dominated series.
The small scale of this book is a welcome change from the often world-traveling series.
Far from amazing, but compelling. Awkward relationships with women in male dominated series.
The small scale of this book is a welcome change from the often world-traveling series.
March 4, 2025
Read this one on the Nook (both mine and my wife's). This one caught my interest because Hood was retiring. I had just retired after a 22 years. I, too, went back to work, though. Great story. Kept the Op center crew on the edge of their seats.
July 5, 2017
Great read
Such an amazing book, so much different cultures and action. History was revealed about things that I didn't know and was very interesting.
Such an amazing book, so much different cultures and action. History was revealed about things that I didn't know and was very interesting.
April 8, 2018
Nail biter
June 5, 2018
Good book - very quick read - ending definitely leaves you hanging for the next one - consistent with all the previous ones and is somewhat predictable- still worth the read
September 25, 2019
Really entertaining
December 10, 2019
Cool and scary
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
September 23, 2020
Belle description de l'ONU où plutôt de l'inutilité de ces institutions...
October 29, 2021
Enjoyable but not up to Mr. Clancy's level.
January 17, 2023
Great story that would make a great movie.
April 8, 2023
An attack against the UN and Hoods daughter is among the captives. A well done thriller
April 18, 2023
too many agencie involved.
February 26, 2024
Very entertaining book with a lot of plot twists.
June 17, 2024
Very good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews