The Shark Mutiny

Admiral Arnold Morgan #5

by Patrick Robinson

Throughout the fifteenth century, China's blue-water navy fleets dominated all the oceans between the Yellow Sea and the Persian Gulf. But for the next five hundred years, it regressed to a dim echo of its glorious past. However, it is now the year 2007 and the Chinese agenda has changed. With a tremendous navy buildup, anchored by a new base in Burma and a $2 billion oil refinery on the southern Iranian coast, the Chinese are poised not only to challenge America's superiority on the open sea but also to upset the delicate balance of oil power in the Middle East and the free passage of the world's giant tankers.

Admiral Arnold Morgan, the President's National Security Adviser, is closely monitoring the Chinese when an oil tanker mysteriously explodes in the Persian Gulf. When it happens a second and then a third time, he knows it is no coincidence.... The Chinese navy, in partnership with Iran, has laid a minefield clean across the Strait of Hormuz, holding the world's oil supply hostage. As a global oil crisis ensues, the world financial markets spiral out of control. Mystified by China's motive yet drawn to action, the United States moves to disarm the mines with a huge display of force, deploying five Carrier Battle Groups, 80 percent of its active sea power.

While the sweepers blow out the mines, Morgan characteristically slams back at China. Navy SEAL veteran commanders Rick Hunter and Rusty Bennett lead devastating attacks on China's Indian Ocean power bases. And at the center of the missions is USS Shark, a thirty-year-old nuclear boat on her final tour of duty, commanded by Donald Reid, an officer struggling with his inner demons. His executive officer is Lt. Commander Dan Headley, an intrepid Kentuckian, himself on his way to full command. When the brave SEALs are confronted with the unexpected death of their own, the unimaginable happens: the first mutiny in the modern history of the United States Navy.

Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Navy sits and waits for their ultimate gambit, a move so shocking and unexpected that it forces the world to hold its breath. Was the minefield in the strait just a diversion?

Featuring an ensemble cast that stretches from the most secretive heart of the Chinese high command to the control room of a U.S. submarine, out onto the screaming flight decks of the great aircraft carriers, all the way to a United States Navy court-martial, The Shark Mutiny is epic in its sweep, meticulous in its authenticity, and breathtaking in its pacing. Terrifying and thrilling, it is the most dramatic story of rebellion on the high seas since The Caine Mutiny.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, War, Military Thriller, Audiobook, Adventure

463 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2001

About the author

Patrick Robinson was a journalist for many years before becoming a full-time writer of books. His non-fiction books were bestsellers around the world and he was the co-author of Sandy Woodward's Falklands War memoir, One Hundred Days.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

China sets mines in the Persian Gulf as a distraction for their real plan.

As usual Jimmy finds out what's going on, Admiral Morgan has to get the politicians to actually do something. During the inevitable naval maneuvers, a submarine captain chickens out, and causes a mutiny.

The trial is full of sound and fury, but the outcome is foregone, and the verdict unsatisfying in a way I don't think the author intended. I don't think the statement of the judge is at all believable in this day and age.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

China and Iran have conspired to mine the Strait of Hormuz in order to cut off the supply oil to the west. After several tankers are hit the US takes action with a Seal attack on a Chinese refinery on the coast of Iran. As the Seal exfiltrate with one dead and one wounded, the Captian of the Shark,the Sub that brought to the target refuses to move closer to pick them up resulting in the death of the wounded Seal. Later in the story the same Sub and Captain again deliver a Seal team on a mission to destroy a new Chinese Naval base in the Indian Ocean and again he refuses to change his orders to go to their aid as they flee for their lives. This tie=me his XO refuses his orders and believing is Captain is having mental problems confines him to his cabin and rescues the Seals. The results is the Captain claiming mutiny and an ensuing court marshal of the XO. This is the bare bones, there is much more action that takes place that makes it an interesting read.

[Jyoti Dahiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the slowest of the six books I read in Sep 2014. Though really, should not have been. It's a war story, with SEALs.

It's a book about the US Navy. Dan Headley and Rick Hunter are childhood friends who join the Navy. Cut to the present day. Admiral Arnold Morgan is the cynical NSA to a President he holds in contempt. (There seems to have been at least one other book before this one--and I see there have been, it's the fifth in a series; but it's fairly standalone, though it seems the Chinese were villains in the previous one(s) as well). A young lieutenant finds satellite and other intelligence to indicate that the Chinese are up to no good, along with the Iranians.

Sure enough, they have mined the Strait of Hormuz, and blow up a set of tankers. This sends the world oil markets into a tizzy. While nobody claims responsibility, Admiral Morgan is bent on teaching the pesky Chinamen a lesson. This the SEAL team does. The Chinese in the meantime do more cunning things and need to be taught more lessons. It's very much a world in which the USA calls all the shots and diplomacy and other countries are not relevant. It's a world with war, so that's not surprising. It's also written by an American, for American readers.

Morgan is almost a caricature, with quirky speech and mannerisms. One would expect less use of such literary crutches, and in the other characters, they are not used. Dan Headley, the XO of the nuclear submarine Shark is to insert the SEAL team for the retributive attacks. His Captain is a strange guy, on his last tour. Rick Hunter leads the second SEAL team. The first tour has issues which show that the Captain is not exactly operating with a full deck.

Hence, the mutiny. Actually, it happens in the last 100 pages of the book, almost as an anti-climax. Except that the point is to show how a modern navy would handle a mutiny, even a 'justified' one like we have. That raises the book from the level of mere thriller.

Not the best writing, but a solid story, and a tremendous love for the navy which shines through every episode.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story, somewhat off the point i think a little at the end, but over all good read

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is in the Admiral Morgan series, but it's really a book about SEALs and their work. If it was a book about Morgan, it would be about interactions in DC, not about SEALS in the Middle East. The work of Admiral Morgan is really third or fourth priority among priorities in this book....background. It kept my interest throughout--the ending was good and true to form for the USN. Some of the discussion was very intricate and technical, indicating an ability to research by this author. This story is really a very close parallel with the Caine Mutiny; even contains a reference to Captain Queeg. Again, I criticize the author for his parochial US Navy attitude. Not even the Navy is non Joint any more...other options were not even considered by POTUS. That resulted in a naval direction for the book. Robinson....figure out that there are other Services, please! Oh, and the Brit narrator is a pretty good reader, but detracts from the story because he's not believable. There was an Aussie analyst, but he was fleeting also.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "mutiny" itself seemed implausible even as the author built it up. The mutiny subplot was also "lost" among everything else such as China, Iran, and China's endgame. I won't say more on the plot points. However, when it came to the characterization of Commander Reid and his use of astrology and "wackiness" - it can be tough to make a CO look sane and not sane at the same time. Kudos to Robinson and his experts (see author's note); they gave him a lot of information but wanted to remain anonymous. We will never know exactly how this novel came about, since men like Reid who gain command of a nuclear submarine and yet seemed to have "failed" psych exams are inconceivable to civilians.

Reid admittedly said he wanted to play it safe and invoked the spirits of two tragic captains - Villeneuve and Liarchin to guide him. He should have invoked John Paul Jones - "Give me a fast ship, for I intend to sail into harm's way."

[TheIron Paw · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a military techno-thriller but what I got here was a military techno-borer. I couldn't figure out what the main plot was. We run from Iran to Burma to Taiwan to Washington to San Diego in what really seems like separate plot lines. The novel is too filled with unnecessary detail: do we really care that a minor character came from East Podunk Corners and was a star high school baseball player, or that the Chinese soldiers are firing Russian made bullets from their Kalishnikov's? Further, I found the tone too much MAGA: America above all and the Chinese soldier is incompetent. Cardboard characters and unbelievable plot. Enough of my rant - I did enjoy the last part of the book that contained (what I hope are) accurate descriptions of US Naval court martial proceedings.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It has a decent flow to it, and I liked the author's 'surprise twist' in it in reference to the Chinese. It kept my interest throughout [even though I had read it once before], and I thought the ending was decent.

In this book, the Chinese and the Iranians form an alliance to close the Straight of Hormuz with a mine field made up of Russian-built mines . A lowly analyst at the NSA is notified of over two hundred Russian mines being purchased and he attempts to track them to their destination point [despite being told not to worry about it by his commanding officer]. The lowly analyst breaks protocol by using his girlfriend's father's phone to pose as the Australian Ambassador to contact Admiral Morgan. Morgan chastises the Lt. until chaos breaks out in the Arabian Gulf when three separate tankers are sunk in the Gulf. Six US CVBGs are sent to restore order and a seventh is sent to Taiwan as oil prices skyrocket all over the globe. The only nations not adversely affected are the Chinese and the Iranians. Morgan contacts friends in the Indian Navy to assist in Hormuz as he plots retaliatory strikes against the Chinese and Iranians. This results in more chaos in the region.

The title of the book stems from an incident that takes place at the end of the book, where the CO of a Sturgeon-class submarine refuses to come to the aid of a group of Navy SEALs and the XO relieves the captain of command in order to commandeer the boat to save the SEALs. The last chapter or two of the book involves the court-martial of the XO, seen by the SEAL community as well as most of the US Navy as being a hero for ensuring the rescue of the beleaguered SEAL team.

It gets crazy after the Indian minesweepers begin their work. The carrier heading for Taiwan is severely damaged by some Chinese-owned Kilos and has to be towed to Okinawa. This opens the path for the Chinese to attack Taiwan without American interference. In retaliation, the Americans destroy a brand-new Chinese naval base situated in the nation formerly known as Burma. The SEAL team comes under attack while attempting to flee their destructive calling card and the XO commandeers the Shark by inciting the crew to mutiny in contravention of their commander's orders in order to save the SEAL team. The Chinese end up conquering Taiwan, which was their ultimate goal, but it cost them more than they anticipated in terms of a lost refinery in the Arabian Gulf, a destroyed naval base and naval vessels in Burma, and the number of men and material lost during the conquest of Taiwan. Morgan informs them their expansionist days are over [for now].

The Captain of the Shark not only believes in reincarnation, but believes he is the reincarnation of a French admiral who lost to the British in a major naval engagement and subsequently committed suicide. He believes he has been communicating with other dead naval commanders, especially commanders who have suffered severe naval disasters. He also firmly believes in astrology. The Defense attempts to portray his beliefs in such a manner during the court-martial as to try and convince the court that he is crazy. It is a good plan, but does not fully succeed.

Another issue is that Captain Reid [CO of the Shark] refused to surface and move in to assist a SEAL team with members needing immediate medical attention fleeing the coast of Iran. Despite there being no clear and present danger to the Shark, he refuses to surface and a SEAL who might have lived dies due to not receiving medical assistance in time. Despite knowing of the man's cowardly tendencies, the US Navy has Reid transport another group of SEALs to Burma to attack and destroy the Chinese naval base located there. In a repeat of the first mission, the surviving SEALs are calling for help due to injuries suffered. The main difference is there are two Chinese helicopters attacking them as well. The CO refuses to surface to help the SEALs; the XO commandeers the submarine and goes in to aid the SEALs. The ploy works; not expecting a submarine to attack them, the helicopters are easily dispatched posthaste. So the Navy now has a serious problem. The CO is within his rights to demand the XO be court-martialed for mutiny, but the Navy has no desire to court-martial a hero who saved the lives of valuable members of the SEAL [and SpecFor] community while defending a man who refused to come to the aid of the SEALs even when there was no clear and present danger. At least it did not end like The Caine Mutiny, although I would have understood it if it had.

The author did not take the 'easy way out' by exonerating the XO of his wrong-doing, despite the man's decisions having strongly positive results . I felt the author did a decent job expounding on the various views in terms of the court-martial and why it went the way it did. It made perfect sense to me [even though the CO of the Shark was made to look far worse than Queeg ever did in the Caine Mutiny]. In light of how the plot was written, the XO's actions made perfect sense. But at the same time, in light of Naval Regulations, the rendered verdict also made perfect, logical sense. I also liked how the author moved the book in one direction and then spun the plot in a different direction with one final twist for the end. The character development, such as it was, was okay. There really was not much room for it, to be honest. Maybe in terms of some of the SEALs who had been portrayed previously in other books one could see the 'most' character development, I suppose. Overall, I enjoyed the story a second time around.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been a good series, and this book started out as exciting and intriguing as the others in the series. My problem with it is slightly spoilerish, so stop here if you will. There is so much detail about the world condition, seeing the plans come together from all sides, right up until the title mutiny. From that point forward the author completely ignores all of the other story lines, leaving many of them hanging and giving a sentence or two to others in the epilogue. Certainly the mutiny was the central storyline, but why spend so much time developing all of the subplots to completely ignore them in the last 20% of the book and not pay them off? We'll see if I move on to the 6th book or not, feeling a bit abandoned at the moment after this one.

[Ian Birtwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read any of the other Arnold Morgan books then you know what you're going to get from this book. As I've found with other books in the series, the plot plays out quite slowly and then gathers speed toward the back of the book and, as with some of the other books, it's reached such a crescendo that you expect the final denouement only to be let down somewhat; As if all the money has been spent on the 1st 7/8 of the book and there's nothing left for the final 1/8. I feel a bit rushed in the final stages of the book, as if there should have been a little more. Still, it was a great story. Onto the next!

[Bill Donhiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again a great book by Patrick Robinson. I have one left to read in the Admiral Morgan series and I am very much looking forward to it. Well written, great plot, ranks right up there with Tom Clancy's better books. Unfortunately Mr. Robinson no longer appears to be writing new books. Hope to see something new from him but I am afraid he may have retired.

[MMc14 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book.

I thought a couple things:

1. Seems unlikely to me that the US would ever leave Taiwan that exposed.

2. I thought the Kilo decoys would show up as a fixed grid pattern, alerting the CVBG that they were being spoofed?

3. Second book in a row in this series to end in the same way.

[Mike Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very busy book by Patrick Robinson; some of the events included are the mining of the Straits of Hormuz, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a couple of SEAL missions and a mutiny aboard an American submarine. As you can imagine, the book took on several personalities throughout the course of all of these events. Overall, it was a quick read especially the latter half of the book.

[Mark Boast · Rating 2 out of 5]

A classic example of why an ending really matters! Excellent storyline and particularly well detailed but without satisfactory conclusions. Neither of the war fighting scenarios are resolved which left the literary responsibility of concluding the narrative in an almost absurd Court Martial. A shame for an author with obvious gifts for gripping storytelling and love for all things Naval.

[john mcewen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naval paranoia

An excellent read and utterly believable story and I realize that the XO had to be found guilty but I would have thought a more realistically end could have been made.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book the ending pissed me off

[Lky · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I have ever read. His writing was awful and the story went on, and on, and on, and on and concluded with a "well, finally."

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting study in the impact of friendship and duty on leadership. The fact it mentions the issue of Mercury going into retrograde is just an added bonus.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my favorite style of book.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wenngleich spannend, ist die Geschichte doch etwas unglaubwürdig, sehr US-zentrisch, und weist einige Lücken auf. Für Liebhaber des Genres ein guter Zeitvertreib, aber kein Ausnahmewerk.

[Meakin]

A good read right to the end.

[Silvio Villa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nel suo genere è uno dei migliori, scorre velocemente e non rimane scontato nei dettagli. Gradevole"

[David Hutson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

Excellent story enjoyed every page the story line was very exciting and I couldn't put it down I recommend it

[Stuart Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. A host of characters so unlikable that their casual slapstick racism wasn't even their worst aspects.

[Brian Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading

It is a great book and some politicians in the west should read it and take note of the threat from China. They obviously have sinister expansion on their minds .

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

[Lou Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book although it can drag on sometimes. This is the first Patrick Robinson book I read, but I am for sure going to read some of his other books.

[Melissa Kapela · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Could have been better. Not horrible just not great.

[Jim Scholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating book that gets you emotionally involved. Highly recommended.

[Anne Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

all of Patrick Robinson books are thrillers with great characters .