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Countdown #3
Countdown: H Hour
#3 in the breakthrough Countdown modern-day military adventure series. Brutally effective retired Army colonel Wes Stauer commands a crack outfit of former comrades to pull off a miracle mission. But Stauer must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself.
Welcome to the Philippines outback. It’s a true garden spot, if you happen to like drug running, bush-bound revolutionary movements, Balkanized tribal warfare, illegal weapons trading, and kidnapping for fun and profit.
It’s hostage rescue time once again for Terry Welch's special operations company. But this is turning out to be one of those missions. No clue as to the hostage's whereabouts. An employer who is completely untrustworthy. An indigenous social structure coming apart at the seams. And it’s topped off by Welch and his crew having to endure a rifle company of hated competitors supposedly sent along for reinforcement.
Part of the territory for Welch. But then an attack on both companies’ home bases leaves families and friends under threat of death and any available support scurrying to defend. Worse, advance team members sent to reconnoiter have been taken hostage as well. No help, no backup, team members in the soup.
Welch knows there’s only one do whatever it takes . Use whatever means necessary to complete the mission. And if those means include force, guile, sneak attacks, and a small dose of heightened interrogation techniques for scumball terrorist enablers (okay, maybe a somewhat larger dose), then so be it. This is H Hour. And the fight is on.
Welcome to the Philippines outback. It’s a true garden spot, if you happen to like drug running, bush-bound revolutionary movements, Balkanized tribal warfare, illegal weapons trading, and kidnapping for fun and profit.
It’s hostage rescue time once again for Terry Welch's special operations company. But this is turning out to be one of those missions. No clue as to the hostage's whereabouts. An employer who is completely untrustworthy. An indigenous social structure coming apart at the seams. And it’s topped off by Welch and his crew having to endure a rifle company of hated competitors supposedly sent along for reinforcement.
Part of the territory for Welch. But then an attack on both companies’ home bases leaves families and friends under threat of death and any available support scurrying to defend. Worse, advance team members sent to reconnoiter have been taken hostage as well. No help, no backup, team members in the soup.
Welch knows there’s only one do whatever it takes . Use whatever means necessary to complete the mission. And if those means include force, guile, sneak attacks, and a small dose of heightened interrogation techniques for scumball terrorist enablers (okay, maybe a somewhat larger dose), then so be it. This is H Hour. And the fight is on.
624 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 31, 2012
13 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 20, 2021
Pretty good!
February 10, 2020
This is probably a first for me: contemporary military fiction with a side of torture/gore porn for good measure?!
The action is brisk and fast paced. The writing is mostly accessible, aside from the technical military lingo thrown in for the sake of realism which apparently checks out. In this regard, it reminded me of several Vietnam War novels I've read in which I had to familiarize myself with the military jargon used by the US soldiers at the time just so I could understand what the characters or even the author himself was trying to say. Still, the technical language wasn't so distracting that I wasn't ultimately swept away by the narrative.
The action military sequences were three: Somalia, an island in the Philippines' archipelago, and a gangster controlled neighborhood in Manila. They were all compelling and satisfying although none of them was an even match. Then again, neither is real life.
The first one in Somalia reminded me of the movie Black Hawk Down. In fact, this entire sequence feels like the author studied the notorious Battle of Mogadishu and decided to tell us what he would've done had he been in command back then. Then again, hindsight is 20/20. N'est Pas?
His description of the present day political situations were very informative. Although I'm marginally aware of the complete breakdown of society in Somalia and the Piracy problem off its coast, this is the first time I've ever heard of the Moros let alone their armed rebellion in present day Philippines. Moros is obviously taken from Spanish and it means "Moors." I think that the use of the term stems from the fact that this particular Philippine ethnic group is Muslim, just like the Moors who occupied Spain for 7 centuries.
My one problem with the novel was that there was a veritable legion of characters and many of them became indistinguishable from one another. Having said that, he was very good in his description of women particularly his Philippine female characters. One more thing, his main villain was very well drawn, a nasty piece of work.
The author has little to no respect for liberals, pacifist and, apparently, people involved in humanitarian missions. He takes particular delight in abusing and humiliating characters that fall within this category. In fact, I think his only purpose in creating them in the first place
is just so he can abuse them in order to trigger any unsuspecting liberal that wanders into his fiction by accident.
For my part, as a liberal myself, but one with more of a thick skin and some knowledge of history, I thought he was too obvious and facile to the point of making me laugh rather than enervating me.
Mr. Kratman is a gifted writer. He has the potential to be Great. He should spend more time developing his characters and giving them more of a back story in order to render them more real to his audience.
Recommended, if you're into fast paced military action fiction.
The action is brisk and fast paced. The writing is mostly accessible, aside from the technical military lingo thrown in for the sake of realism which apparently checks out. In this regard, it reminded me of several Vietnam War novels I've read in which I had to familiarize myself with the military jargon used by the US soldiers at the time just so I could understand what the characters or even the author himself was trying to say. Still, the technical language wasn't so distracting that I wasn't ultimately swept away by the narrative.
The action military sequences were three: Somalia, an island in the Philippines' archipelago, and a gangster controlled neighborhood in Manila. They were all compelling and satisfying although none of them was an even match. Then again, neither is real life.
The first one in Somalia reminded me of the movie Black Hawk Down. In fact, this entire sequence feels like the author studied the notorious Battle of Mogadishu and decided to tell us what he would've done had he been in command back then. Then again, hindsight is 20/20. N'est Pas?
His description of the present day political situations were very informative. Although I'm marginally aware of the complete breakdown of society in Somalia and the Piracy problem off its coast, this is the first time I've ever heard of the Moros let alone their armed rebellion in present day Philippines. Moros is obviously taken from Spanish and it means "Moors." I think that the use of the term stems from the fact that this particular Philippine ethnic group is Muslim, just like the Moors who occupied Spain for 7 centuries.
My one problem with the novel was that there was a veritable legion of characters and many of them became indistinguishable from one another. Having said that, he was very good in his description of women particularly his Philippine female characters. One more thing, his main villain was very well drawn, a nasty piece of work.
The author has little to no respect for liberals, pacifist and, apparently, people involved in humanitarian missions. He takes particular delight in abusing and humiliating characters that fall within this category. In fact, I think his only purpose in creating them in the first place
is just so he can abuse them in order to trigger any unsuspecting liberal that wanders into his fiction by accident.
For my part, as a liberal myself, but one with more of a thick skin and some knowledge of history, I thought he was too obvious and facile to the point of making me laugh rather than enervating me.
Mr. Kratman is a gifted writer. He has the potential to be Great. He should spend more time developing his characters and giving them more of a back story in order to render them more real to his audience.
Recommended, if you're into fast paced military action fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
Again, great book. Looking forward to more.
Thoroughly realistic. Characters are different and real, some with depth and others simple. As people are.
I have already complimented the author greatly for the world view and vision of how to fix the general rot. It bears saying again.
What the world needs, is this. A legion or twenty that kills barbarism, so that civilization can grow and thrive.
I like this series perhaps even more than the Carrera series, to be honest. Although I am not sure. Both are part of the same thing, and teaches something like an all-encompassing curriculum.
Sir. This is a very fine job you are doing. Posterity will give you far, far more credit than contemporary society does. If we indeed recover from the state the world is in, whoever leads that effort probably read your books. Or just accidentally arrived at all the same conclusions.
Heartfelt thanks from distant Sweden.
Thoroughly realistic. Characters are different and real, some with depth and others simple. As people are.
I have already complimented the author greatly for the world view and vision of how to fix the general rot. It bears saying again.
What the world needs, is this. A legion or twenty that kills barbarism, so that civilization can grow and thrive.
I like this series perhaps even more than the Carrera series, to be honest. Although I am not sure. Both are part of the same thing, and teaches something like an all-encompassing curriculum.
Sir. This is a very fine job you are doing. Posterity will give you far, far more credit than contemporary society does. If we indeed recover from the state the world is in, whoever leads that effort probably read your books. Or just accidentally arrived at all the same conclusions.
Heartfelt thanks from distant Sweden.
March 29, 2015
So far its interesting even if its a little bit on the crude side when it comes to getting started. But there again we all want our action books to have a little bit of that hard boiled style when it comes to story telling. Kratman does himself and the other authors of Baen proud, not only does he provide the reader with a story that keeps them interested but also pays attention to the little details like making sure the guns are shoot the correct kind of ammo.
March 16, 2016
If you have read M-Day you'll remember a detachment had been sent off to the Philippines to look for an abductee? Well this is their story.
Told in typical Kratman style, they guys of M-Day are off to save the world, or at least delay the demise as best they can. Along the way Kratman makes a funny little dig at a "hack science fiction writer" and if you are a fan of his work you will pick up on the joke right away. If not, start the Carrera series right away.
Told in typical Kratman style, they guys of M-Day are off to save the world, or at least delay the demise as best they can. Along the way Kratman makes a funny little dig at a "hack science fiction writer" and if you are a fan of his work you will pick up on the joke right away. If not, start the Carrera series right away.
September 20, 2015
The third of Kratman's Countdown series, military adventure set in an almost-apocalyptic world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews