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Arc Light
From Publishers WeeklyIn a scenario terrifyingly close to today's headlines, Harry's debut novel opens with a North Korean invasion of South Korea that leads, through a series of tragic errors and decisions, to a Russian nuclear attack on military bases in the U.S. Like techno-thriller master Tom Clancy, Harry offers a sprawling narrative that focuses on a small army of soldiers, politicians and their families, American and Russian. National Security Advisor Greg Lambert must keep and tell secrets that may lead to Armageddon; Reservist David Chandler must leave his pregnant wife in order to drive a tank; U.S. President Walter Livingston, eager for peace, must endure the ignominy of impeachment; Russian General Yuri Razov must deal with the consequences of his initial decision to launch nuclear missiles. Ground, air and submarine battles alternate with scenes of anarchy stateside as exhausted leaders are forced to make instant decisions that might snuff out humanity forever. With a masterful grasp of military strategy and geopolitics, Harry moves his characters through nightmares of blood and death; his intricately detailed scenes of nuclear devastation are particularly horrifying. Told through a series of rapid-fire climaxes, this novel, a political and military cautionary tale of considerable power and conviction, will keep readers riveted.
658 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 1994
69 people are currently reading
1275 people want to read
About the author
Eric L. Harry
17 books155 followersRaised in a small town in Mississippi, Eric L. Harry graduated from the Marine Military Academy in Texas and studied Russian and Economics at Vanderbilt University, where he also earned a J.D. and M.B.A. In addition, he studied in Moscow and Leningrad in the USSR, and at the University of Virginia Law School. He began his legal career in private practice in Houston, negotiated complex multinational mergers and acquisitions around the world, and rose to be general counsel of a Fortune 500 company. He left to raise a private equity fund and co-found a successful oil company. His previous thrillers include Arc Light, Society of the Mind, Protect and Defend and Invasion. His books have been published in eight countries. He and his wife have three children and divide their time between Houston and San Diego. Contact him on Facebook or visit him online at www.EricLHarry.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 7, 2012
I've read this book twice (gave it a decade between reads) and my results did not vary. There's a lot of good writing here and he renders a matter of fact approach to a limited nuclear war scenario. One only needs to read his account of a nuclear strike on an airbase from the perspective of the people in a nearby hangar to see how this writer can shine. The prose is decent and the characters are (mostly) believable and sympathetic.
What rubbed me was his shoddy treatment of the larger picture. He failed to capture the actual horror of a situation like the one he proposes insofar as its certain effects on both society and environment. It seemed as if the affected areas were isolated spots of hell and everyplace else was pretty much okay. Cities with hundreds of thousands living in them take numerous airbusts but the novel speaks of this as if it were only an airbase or a chain of missile silos that were hit and the obvious repercussions of what would be millions in need of medical care and material support are pretty much avoided. It all falls into a black hole while the good ol' USA prosecutes a land war in Asia, able to fight a prolonged offensive campaign unfazed by what would be a complete breakdown of the production and supply chain that would result from the scenario as it's proposed.
Unbelievably, the US expeditionary forces in east Asia aren't simply decimated despite being supplied from the sea. Such a stretch is the product of either ubernationalism or the shameless necessities of plot.
I was also stuck by his somewhat comical ideas of what life in a Marine Corps unit must be like. Contrary to Mr. Harry's suggestion, grunts don't tend to address one another with ridiculous nicknames.
At least he didn't have soppy delusions about what an opposed landing against a Soviet force might have looked like.
Some aspects of this book rate a 4. Others rate a 2. I'll settle at 3.
What rubbed me was his shoddy treatment of the larger picture. He failed to capture the actual horror of a situation like the one he proposes insofar as its certain effects on both society and environment. It seemed as if the affected areas were isolated spots of hell and everyplace else was pretty much okay. Cities with hundreds of thousands living in them take numerous airbusts but the novel speaks of this as if it were only an airbase or a chain of missile silos that were hit and the obvious repercussions of what would be millions in need of medical care and material support are pretty much avoided. It all falls into a black hole while the good ol' USA prosecutes a land war in Asia, able to fight a prolonged offensive campaign unfazed by what would be a complete breakdown of the production and supply chain that would result from the scenario as it's proposed.
Unbelievably, the US expeditionary forces in east Asia aren't simply decimated despite being supplied from the sea. Such a stretch is the product of either ubernationalism or the shameless necessities of plot.
I was also stuck by his somewhat comical ideas of what life in a Marine Corps unit must be like. Contrary to Mr. Harry's suggestion, grunts don't tend to address one another with ridiculous nicknames.
At least he didn't have soppy delusions about what an opposed landing against a Soviet force might have looked like.
Some aspects of this book rate a 4. Others rate a 2. I'll settle at 3.
August 27, 2021
3.1⭐
While I'm a sucker for these WWIII stories, good ones are few and far between. This author can string together a fair tale at least, though heavy suspension of disbelief is required. It kept my interest until the end, that's something. OK beach book.
While I'm a sucker for these WWIII stories, good ones are few and far between. This author can string together a fair tale at least, though heavy suspension of disbelief is required. It kept my interest until the end, that's something. OK beach book.
April 9, 2015
This is a difficult book to review; there are so many things wrong with it and so many things that work well. I've read a number of books about modern warfare, the possible Third World War and nuclear apocalypse, that I feel do things a lot better and keep the interest if the reader gripped throughout. This book stretched my patience at times, I have to admit.
What could have been a gripping opening is ruined by long lists of who is being evacuated to where, lists of monitoring stations and so on that are really totally superfluous - this is a novel, not a documentary or report, or even a manual to be consulted in the event of a major crisis erupting. To make matters worse the Russian villain comes straight out of a Bond movie... too cliched!
The nuclear attack is tense and keeps us gripped only to be marred by military jargon and detailed descriptions of what happens when a missile goes off. What should be thermonuclear impact turns into a series of flash bang sizzles.
The political manoeuvring that comes in after the initial nuclear strikes feels rather artificial but it is America, after all, so one has to accept that their politics really is so stupid (but really, to hold an investigation whilst the crisis is still ongoing?). The impact on civilian life - the chaos in the hospital, the hunt for a missing wife - begins to hold out promise of good things ahead, of something that reflects the true nightmare that has unfolded but sadly this is not maintained.
Too much time is wasted on the political in-fighting within the Senate and whilst I find it hard to believe that the American Government would allow itself to tear itself apart in a time of crisis I am forced to repeat that nothing about the stupidity of the US system would surprise me. That this would be carried out openly, so that the instability and potential dangers to others could be reported in the media as it happens, is unbelievable yet supported by other sources (such as US films and television dramas) that show the Americans place the freedom of the press above national security and common sense. Meanwhile people are dying and the crisis is unfolding - this aspect of the story is, sadly, only a sideshow to the politics. The military build-up initially consists of just waiting for something to happen and when it does (in the shape of an air attack on a naval base) it tends to lose itself in the techno-babble and "cleverness" of the author. I've read more thrilling and more dramatic stuff elsewhere.
Yet (despite the author's attempts to put me off) something about the story keeps me interested. Perhaps it is his seeding of reality in amongst the political posturing and over-detailed information that keeps me going? Once the politics is apparently over, the action begins. There is some maintenance of tension and of keeping the action going but, initially, there is too much distance between what is actually happening and us - sometimes this is deliberate to create that feel of being on the sidelines as one watches the situation unfold, but at other times it is created by that annoying military lingo that really only means something to a combat veteran or to some nerd who gets his high on understanding this sort of thing. Annoying! Yet now, almost two-thirds of the way in, the book begins to take on the shape I was expecting as it concentrates on the real world and begins to ditch the jargon and technicalities. We get a good glimpse of the action on the battlefronts and of life on the home front and they are well-depicted, even, at times, powerful. I feel relieved, as though I've fought the good fight myself!
The tension mounts until the gripping finale when the outcome really is unpredictable and we sit on the edge of our seats...
So was this a good read? Was it worth the ploughing through the lists and irrelevancy, the politics and the posturing? The answer, in the end, has to be yes. The whole book could have been a lot shorter and more interesting, there could have been much more focus on ordinary lives rather than the people at the top, but its saving grace lies in that last section, just over a third of the book - therein lay a good, tense novel!
What could have been a gripping opening is ruined by long lists of who is being evacuated to where, lists of monitoring stations and so on that are really totally superfluous - this is a novel, not a documentary or report, or even a manual to be consulted in the event of a major crisis erupting. To make matters worse the Russian villain comes straight out of a Bond movie... too cliched!
The nuclear attack is tense and keeps us gripped only to be marred by military jargon and detailed descriptions of what happens when a missile goes off. What should be thermonuclear impact turns into a series of flash bang sizzles.
The political manoeuvring that comes in after the initial nuclear strikes feels rather artificial but it is America, after all, so one has to accept that their politics really is so stupid (but really, to hold an investigation whilst the crisis is still ongoing?). The impact on civilian life - the chaos in the hospital, the hunt for a missing wife - begins to hold out promise of good things ahead, of something that reflects the true nightmare that has unfolded but sadly this is not maintained.
Too much time is wasted on the political in-fighting within the Senate and whilst I find it hard to believe that the American Government would allow itself to tear itself apart in a time of crisis I am forced to repeat that nothing about the stupidity of the US system would surprise me. That this would be carried out openly, so that the instability and potential dangers to others could be reported in the media as it happens, is unbelievable yet supported by other sources (such as US films and television dramas) that show the Americans place the freedom of the press above national security and common sense. Meanwhile people are dying and the crisis is unfolding - this aspect of the story is, sadly, only a sideshow to the politics. The military build-up initially consists of just waiting for something to happen and when it does (in the shape of an air attack on a naval base) it tends to lose itself in the techno-babble and "cleverness" of the author. I've read more thrilling and more dramatic stuff elsewhere.
Yet (despite the author's attempts to put me off) something about the story keeps me interested. Perhaps it is his seeding of reality in amongst the political posturing and over-detailed information that keeps me going? Once the politics is apparently over, the action begins. There is some maintenance of tension and of keeping the action going but, initially, there is too much distance between what is actually happening and us - sometimes this is deliberate to create that feel of being on the sidelines as one watches the situation unfold, but at other times it is created by that annoying military lingo that really only means something to a combat veteran or to some nerd who gets his high on understanding this sort of thing. Annoying! Yet now, almost two-thirds of the way in, the book begins to take on the shape I was expecting as it concentrates on the real world and begins to ditch the jargon and technicalities. We get a good glimpse of the action on the battlefronts and of life on the home front and they are well-depicted, even, at times, powerful. I feel relieved, as though I've fought the good fight myself!
The tension mounts until the gripping finale when the outcome really is unpredictable and we sit on the edge of our seats...
So was this a good read? Was it worth the ploughing through the lists and irrelevancy, the politics and the posturing? The answer, in the end, has to be yes. The whole book could have been a lot shorter and more interesting, there could have been much more focus on ordinary lives rather than the people at the top, but its saving grace lies in that last section, just over a third of the book - therein lay a good, tense novel!
January 3, 2010
Arc Light is the cure for the common war novel – or in my case, it was the one that made most I'd read before it seem shallow and forgettable. Eric Harry's frightening depiction of an accidental nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia loses little of its punch in the post 9/11-era, even if the passage of time somewhat dates the geopolitics depicted in the book. Unlike Clancy or others, Harry never treats war as an action movie; consequently this book has a rare maturity and gravity to it.
I have to take polite exception to the suggestion that this novel is politically biased. It reads nothing like the tiresome polemics of a Tom Clancy or a Dale Brown. Arc Light is, first and foremost, a tragic depiction of war; for the plot to unfold as it does, Harry needed a dovish president. That said, the character of President Livingston is far from a caricature - if anything, he becomes more sympathetic and persuasive over the course of the novel.
Harry's concern isn't with US politics; it is with the constant danger posed by nuclear weapons. To read this as yet another right-wing potboiler is to mistake the novel in its entirety.
I have to take polite exception to the suggestion that this novel is politically biased. It reads nothing like the tiresome polemics of a Tom Clancy or a Dale Brown. Arc Light is, first and foremost, a tragic depiction of war; for the plot to unfold as it does, Harry needed a dovish president. That said, the character of President Livingston is far from a caricature - if anything, he becomes more sympathetic and persuasive over the course of the novel.
Harry's concern isn't with US politics; it is with the constant danger posed by nuclear weapons. To read this as yet another right-wing potboiler is to mistake the novel in its entirety.
November 19, 2009
Admittedly I am not yet entirely through the book but I dont think my review is going to change. The characters have not really been developed well, at least not well enough for me to care about. There is a pervasive anti-Democrat sentiment throughout the story that goes beyond plot. I dont really dont care about the author's political leanings but it is impossible to ignore (He must really hate Obama). As a result, some of the post exchange developments seem really absurd. Finally, as noted by others, it gets bogged down in being overly technical on things that dont really add to the story. All that said, he takes some different perspectives on WWIII and I try to finish the book.
February 1, 2015
An interesting novel. Written in the 90s, it is a portrayal of a realistic nuclear conflict, started by a believable chain of events. Deals more with the military and political side of matters, than the sort of post apocolyptic fall outs. Millions die, but strangely seems to be a side show to proceedings.
Unlike the norm in such grandiose "techno thrillers", with their usual slow build up leading to a climax with little surprises, in this novel within 50 pages, we have had an invasion of South Korea, a near future world of Russian and Chinese conflict over resources outlined, a Russian nuclear strike on China, a Russian nationalist coup, and the American government taking to the skies as mistakes lead to 100s of nuclear warheads arcing towards the United States with the inevitable destruction to millions to follow.
And after that, then the story actually begins. From American reaction, mobilisation, Presidential impeachments, trials, European invasion, the equivalent of D Day landings on Pacific Russian coasts, attempts to negotiate the appalling end game scenarios, it is relentless. And one guesses the ending is not going to be good, but there are twists, and it surprises you in the end.
The undeniable superior organisational and military might of America is of course outlined, but this is no tub thumping, patriotic snoozefest. The nightmarish consequences of the American national desire for retribution is shown, the horrors and sacrifices and bodycounts and moral turpitude of invasions into Moscow and surroundings are addressed.
It feels a unique work, or maybe I have not read enough of this stuff. But marines doing strange "street talk" with ludicrous nicknames and some things inevitably receiving very short treatment, with all that is fitted into 500 pages, and the odd section dragging (tank battles etc) i don't feel it was always a quick or enjoyable read, that one is looking for in such novels. It was believable, and effecting in the end. I am glad I stumbled across this out of print "oddity".
Unlike the norm in such grandiose "techno thrillers", with their usual slow build up leading to a climax with little surprises, in this novel within 50 pages, we have had an invasion of South Korea, a near future world of Russian and Chinese conflict over resources outlined, a Russian nuclear strike on China, a Russian nationalist coup, and the American government taking to the skies as mistakes lead to 100s of nuclear warheads arcing towards the United States with the inevitable destruction to millions to follow.
And after that, then the story actually begins. From American reaction, mobilisation, Presidential impeachments, trials, European invasion, the equivalent of D Day landings on Pacific Russian coasts, attempts to negotiate the appalling end game scenarios, it is relentless. And one guesses the ending is not going to be good, but there are twists, and it surprises you in the end.
The undeniable superior organisational and military might of America is of course outlined, but this is no tub thumping, patriotic snoozefest. The nightmarish consequences of the American national desire for retribution is shown, the horrors and sacrifices and bodycounts and moral turpitude of invasions into Moscow and surroundings are addressed.
It feels a unique work, or maybe I have not read enough of this stuff. But marines doing strange "street talk" with ludicrous nicknames and some things inevitably receiving very short treatment, with all that is fitted into 500 pages, and the odd section dragging (tank battles etc) i don't feel it was always a quick or enjoyable read, that one is looking for in such novels. It was believable, and effecting in the end. I am glad I stumbled across this out of print "oddity".
January 31, 2015
Nuclear war happens by accident, people die, a mostly conventional invasion of Russia begins. This is a fairly silly technothriller with lots of genre-typical exposition, plot points that go absolutely nowhere and many things that just feel implausible or silly (those Marines...).
The author earns a second star for not going full jingoist and managing to make the politics feel like they are the opinions of the characters instead of the author's. Still, the ending .
The book is perhaps a bit above the usual level for technothriller schlock, so if you like the genre and nukes, it's at least readable.
The author earns a second star for not going full jingoist and managing to make the politics feel like they are the opinions of the characters instead of the author's. Still, the ending .
The book is perhaps a bit above the usual level for technothriller schlock, so if you like the genre and nukes, it's at least readable.
January 12, 2008
I read a description of the plot of this book while looking for another thriller. It sounded interesting enough to buy, but was out of print. Eventually, I tracked down a used copy, and ended up paying $15 for a dogeared paperback by an author I'd never heard of. Best $15 I've ever spent. I read plenty of thrillers, but I've never read a book that was this exciting from cover to cover. It probably didn't hurt that it was written by a lawyer and one of the protagonists is a lawyer who becomes a war hero. Talk about your basic risk-averse, desk-jockey litigator dreams...
I wish I could claim credit for this review, but it's one I agree with: "Begins with nuclear war...then the action REALLY starts!" Arc Light is a hidden gem that anyone who has ever read and enjoyed one of Tom Clancy's techno-thrillers should read.
I wish I could claim credit for this review, but it's one I agree with: "Begins with nuclear war...then the action REALLY starts!" Arc Light is a hidden gem that anyone who has ever read and enjoyed one of Tom Clancy's techno-thrillers should read.
June 29, 2010
This was a terrifying book of what happens when you mix major superpowers in with nuclear weapons. What would happen if there was an exchange of nuclear weapons and would we be able to stop before it was all destroyed? When I read this book I found myself actually yelling at some of the characters. That is how vivid this book is written. Anyone who likes to read Tom Clancy or Larry Bond get this book and make some room on your schedule.
June 8, 2025
This one of my favorite books ever. I have read it maybe a dozen times over the last twenty or so years. Due to miscomunications, and a wannabe dicatator in russia leads to a nuclear exchange. This leads to disaster in Russia and america, and war between the two. While American forces close in on Moscow, the treat of the destruction of America's cities hang in the balance.
The writing is great, the story is tense and exciting. You actually care about the various characters.
The writing is great, the story is tense and exciting. You actually care about the various characters.
April 12, 2013
This is the third time I've read the book. I go back to it because it describes a simpler Cold War world, use of limited nuclear weapons, with horrible outcomes, and the inability of people to foresee outcomes. causality is a difficult thing.
Read
October 21, 2007Arc Light is a very respectable geopolitical technothriller. Its greatest asset is that it does not hesitate to pull the nuclear trigger--to horrifying effect.
March 25, 2016
Modern war book. Entertaining. *shrug*
March 23, 2025
I got this as I really enjoyed Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy.
This book is leagues ahead and much more entertaining, highly recommend.
This book is leagues ahead and much more entertaining, highly recommend.
December 27, 2023
I told one of my sons a few weeks ago that I was thinking of re-reading Red Storm Rising. He suggested i look at one called Arc Light too. After having read it I'm filled with mixed feelings. That means that the book was written really well.
The premise is that the fear all of GenX grew up with, that of an angry or stupid man somewhere making one bad choice that spirals out of control into a nuclear conflagration. After the first five or so chapters I had to put the book down and walk away for a while. It took several days to analyze the feelings I was having until a flash of recognition made it clear. It was dread. The dread I grew up with. The dread that made Red Dawn a feel-good movie for my generation. The dread that everything I did, had or even was could be reduced to radioactive ash in a moment because of things far outside of my control.
Once I had a handle on my feelings I returned to the book. It's well told, and like similar books in the genre jump from POV character to another. Settling on maybe four primary characters but often pulling in someone else for a single view of their situation, or for several chapters telling a longer story.
The story zooms from overview characters like the President of the US or USSR (it's set in the Soviet years) down to grunts digging holes in the ground on the very cutting edge of the fighting. Their stories are all told with a deft hand giving even briefly seen characters a personality and presence that is evocative.
I wanted to give it three stars because of how I felt. But frankly its written better than that so in spite of my personal feelings I'm giving it four. The sense of dread persists through the book with a tension that is held until the very final scene, but even that leaves one wondering what could happen next in a world where nuclear arms has been used on a wide scale once already?......
The premise is that the fear all of GenX grew up with, that of an angry or stupid man somewhere making one bad choice that spirals out of control into a nuclear conflagration. After the first five or so chapters I had to put the book down and walk away for a while. It took several days to analyze the feelings I was having until a flash of recognition made it clear. It was dread. The dread I grew up with. The dread that made Red Dawn a feel-good movie for my generation. The dread that everything I did, had or even was could be reduced to radioactive ash in a moment because of things far outside of my control.
Once I had a handle on my feelings I returned to the book. It's well told, and like similar books in the genre jump from POV character to another. Settling on maybe four primary characters but often pulling in someone else for a single view of their situation, or for several chapters telling a longer story.
The story zooms from overview characters like the President of the US or USSR (it's set in the Soviet years) down to grunts digging holes in the ground on the very cutting edge of the fighting. Their stories are all told with a deft hand giving even briefly seen characters a personality and presence that is evocative.
I wanted to give it three stars because of how I felt. But frankly its written better than that so in spite of my personal feelings I'm giving it four. The sense of dread persists through the book with a tension that is held until the very final scene, but even that leaves one wondering what could happen next in a world where nuclear arms has been used on a wide scale once already?......
May 28, 2022
If Red Storm Rising was set in the 1990s and had nukes. . .
This is a solid techno thriller that is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I’ve read this book six times now, and it is a favorite diversion. It is very well fleshed out with good plot continuity among the various plot lines - especially for a first novel.
Pros
-Well developed main characters. Particularly Lambert and Chandler
-One if the few novels to use WMDs (all of them) as active plot devices rather than MacGuffins or the main acts
-Interesting political framework
-engaging technical detail - especially with the TEAMS idea
-Excellent continuity among the many simultaneous plot lines
-A fun read
Cons
-Some of the secondary plots and characters were not as far developed as they had room to be (particularly the Delta flight crew)
-There is significant backstory between Generals Thomas and Razov that would be interesting to know more about
-The land war portion seemed to be very biased to the US side until the events in Ukraine unfolded this year (2022). Maybe an updated version could feature tractors.
-The Lambert post-strike plot line is a bit too maudlin for my taste
Overall read this book. I would love to read a prequel if one was ever written.
This is a solid techno thriller that is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I’ve read this book six times now, and it is a favorite diversion. It is very well fleshed out with good plot continuity among the various plot lines - especially for a first novel.
Pros
-Well developed main characters. Particularly Lambert and Chandler
-One if the few novels to use WMDs (all of them) as active plot devices rather than MacGuffins or the main acts
-Interesting political framework
-engaging technical detail - especially with the TEAMS idea
-Excellent continuity among the many simultaneous plot lines
-A fun read
Cons
-Some of the secondary plots and characters were not as far developed as they had room to be (particularly the Delta flight crew)
-There is significant backstory between Generals Thomas and Razov that would be interesting to know more about
-The land war portion seemed to be very biased to the US side until the events in Ukraine unfolded this year (2022). Maybe an updated version could feature tractors.
-The Lambert post-strike plot line is a bit too maudlin for my taste
Overall read this book. I would love to read a prequel if one was ever written.
October 6, 2024
Clancy-style thriller about a limited nuclear war that might not stay limited. There’s some interesting stuff in here, too often swamped by technobabble - though this in turn makes it all the more surprising that when Harry can tear himself away from his wargame simulations and military equipment checklists, he’s actually a pretty decent writer; certainly better than your average airport thriller novelist. (I suspect that unlike a lot of these kinds of WWIII thrillers, there are specific scenes in here that will stay with me.)
It’s about 150 pages too long and could have trimmed out of a lot of the land warfare chapters which are not Harry’s strong suit, and after all this hardcore military realism it culminates in a rather un-realistic showdown that feels straight out of Hollywood, but I mostly enjoyed it and overall its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Check it out if it seems like your thing.
It’s about 150 pages too long and could have trimmed out of a lot of the land warfare chapters which are not Harry’s strong suit, and after all this hardcore military realism it culminates in a rather un-realistic showdown that feels straight out of Hollywood, but I mostly enjoyed it and overall its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Check it out if it seems like your thing.
August 15, 2017
Arc Light is quite a broad novel with some parts being politics, some parts being large scale nuclear attacks, some parts being first person military fighting, amongst other things.
It does many things very well and has crisp and straight forward prose that draws you right in even if not up on the intricacies of the US political system.
The book is about a fictional world war 3, a nuclear exchange between Russia and America, with the following conflict leading to the disbanding of NATO and a Russian attack on parts of Europe, and an American retaliation. It's quite well done with a bit of a spellbinding quality to it, it's very easy to lose an enter afternoon when you start it after lunch for a bit of a read.
It does many things very well and has crisp and straight forward prose that draws you right in even if not up on the intricacies of the US political system.
The book is about a fictional world war 3, a nuclear exchange between Russia and America, with the following conflict leading to the disbanding of NATO and a Russian attack on parts of Europe, and an American retaliation. It's quite well done with a bit of a spellbinding quality to it, it's very easy to lose an enter afternoon when you start it after lunch for a bit of a read.
January 25, 2019
The key to enjoying this book is to accept the limitations of the world of the mid-1990s. If you can do that and refrain from nit-picking some of its sillier features, Arc Light possessed great scope and imagination. Its description of limited nuclear combat was disturbing, as was attention to detail in the depictions of Russian weakness in a dirty conflict it had no hope of winning and the intelligently-imagined political chaos in DC.
It's not perfect, (the early Russian antagonist is cartoonish, reminiscent of Vlad Zhirinovsky), there was an excessive use of lists in too many places and the climax felt a bit contrived. If you're fairly forgiving of its foibles and are willing to cut the author some slack, Arc Light's good features make it well worth the time.
It's not perfect, (the early Russian antagonist is cartoonish, reminiscent of Vlad Zhirinovsky), there was an excessive use of lists in too many places and the climax felt a bit contrived. If you're fairly forgiving of its foibles and are willing to cut the author some slack, Arc Light's good features make it well worth the time.
June 21, 2020
Hmm... this was an intense read. It's an interesting speculation on what could have been (might still be). It was very detailed and extremely well researched. The book was just a tad verbose, though. The story would not have suffered too much if a 150 pages of extreme details had been left to the reader's imagination.
However, no harm-no foul. It was still a good book, even if somewhat disturbing, particularly reading it in these current times (Trump, Putin, Xi, Kim, Covid-19, riots/protests, etc.)
Hat's off to this talented writer. His first book was quite extraordinary.
However, no harm-no foul. It was still a good book, even if somewhat disturbing, particularly reading it in these current times (Trump, Putin, Xi, Kim, Covid-19, riots/protests, etc.)
Hat's off to this talented writer. His first book was quite extraordinary.
August 21, 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen, I can not believe I missed this book when it came out in 1994. I absolutely loved it, I believe Eric L Harry is just a step below Tom Clancy. The book is Clancesque with all the plot twists, strong characters, very detailed explanations on the weapons, tactics and strategy and surprises around every corner. It is a little dated but it was written in 1994. If you have a chance please get this book and read it, you will not be disappointed.
June 24, 2022
I shudder to think of the kind of reader who would enjoy this. There's a definite warning not-too-subtly buried in this tale of a near-apocalyptic showdown between the U.S. and Russia, but most of it is tedious war-porn with tons of dead bodies, battles, bombs, you name it. Very grim, especially given what's going on today in the Ukraine.
February 10, 2019
Easy thriller about WW3 in the mid 90s. Some parts were good and some were just silly. Full jingoism in effect. As horrific of an event this would be, a realistic balanced novel from both sides would be an interesting read.
June 18, 2024
The overall concept was compelling, but this book was badly in need of an editor unafraid afraid to kill big chunks of military lingo and unnecessary storylines. Could have been 60% as long and probably would have been much better.
December 10, 2024
Gripping. Finished it in 3 sittings I was so hooked! If you're not squeamish about the realities and horrors of combat, this book is an amazing dive into how the 90s may have played out differently.
If you're squeamish, might not be the best book for ya.
If you're squeamish, might not be the best book for ya.
October 28, 2017
3.5. Long book, good in parts wouldn't read again.
October 29, 2017
it was ok. no tom clancy here.
October 28, 2018
Fantastic. It seemed so real as if it happened in a parallel universe. The author rates up there with Clancy in this genre.
July 8, 2019
Too many inaccuracies to stumble upon, even for a fiction book (and not particularly interesting in the main plot)
August 27, 2019
Fun thought exercise on nuclear war.
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