What do you think?
Rate this book
Mack Bedford #4
Power Play
It is the year 2018—a highly volatile nuclear world. Israel has obliterated the deep underground nuclear weapons facility built by Iran. The United States has destroyed the nuclear facility of a defiant North Korea.
Against this background, the Russians have upped the stakes in the latest world power-play—cyber warfare—to reduce the United States to helplessness: a three-strike missile attack on the National Security Agency at Fort Mead, Maryland, while simultaneously jamming the top-secret electronic access key to America’s nuclear launch system—the nuclear football. If successful, Russia would blow the United States off the nuclear map.
Meanwhile the British Royal Navy, formerly the most powerful in the world, is rapidly crumbling, leaving the United States without its main deep sea ally at a time when they’re needed most.
As this geo-political battle comes to light behind close doors dealings and dark secrets, it is up to Mossad spymaster, codenamed the ‘Golan,’ to avert the Russian scheme, and there is only one man he in turn can trust to get the job done: US Navy Seal Mack Bedford.
It is now up to Mack Bedford, the hero previously encountered in The Delta Solution, Intercept, and Diamondhead, to devise a plan to stop the Russians before they and their cyber weaponry reach the Chinese border—the launch site of their master plan. And with the entire country’s fate in his hands, Mack and his hard-trained, one of a kind SEAL Team 10 must not, cannot fail.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 2012
70 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Robinson
103 books341 followersPatrick 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
August 25, 2018
Russia is up to its usual tricks of trying to gain an advantage over the West. This time through cyber attacks. Somewhere along the way, a submarine runs aground near a British port. The British don't have the guts to actually do anything except help the sub get back to open water.
Enough is enough, and the POTUS decides to build a Naval base in Northern Ireland. The only man who can do the job, is of course, Admiral Morgan. The base is built. SEALs waste some Russian wimps. Northern Ireland is well on its way to becoming the 51 state.
Fun, but implausible.
Enough is enough, and the POTUS decides to build a Naval base in Northern Ireland. The only man who can do the job, is of course, Admiral Morgan. The base is built. SEALs waste some Russian wimps. Northern Ireland is well on its way to becoming the 51 state.
Fun, but implausible.
July 22, 2020
Cetvrti dio serijala o Macku Bedfordu, i vjerovatno posljednji. Mislim da mi je sasvim jasno zasto. Ovo je definitivno najlosiji dio u serijalu (sto je stvarno bilo tesko uradit LOL) a vjerovatno i jedna of najlosiji knjiga koje sam procitao uposte. Od samog pocetka ova je knjiga krenula jako lose i to ju je pratilo sve do pred sami kraj kad je ta borba na brodu malo popravila utisak, jer bi inace ovo bila cista 1. U kratko Rusija odlucuje da napdne Ameriku, sa tajnom misijom, koja je bila sve samo ne tajna. Nevjerovatno je stvarno kako od samog pocetka Amerikanci saznaju sve planove koje Rusi imaju, i to preko jednog spijuna, koji je vise stvari hajmo reci pogodio nego sto je u stvari saznao povjerljivo. A sa druge strane Rusi su bukvalno predstavljeni kao idioti koji nisu u stanju sabrati 2+2. Najjaca scena mi je bila kad su otkrili tog spijuna, i ubili ga odmah na mjestu, umjesto kao sto bi upravom zivotu ga vjerovatno uhapsili i mucili na razlicite nacine dok ne bi saznali cijelu istinu. Al ne ovdje mu ispale metak u glavu zato jer su culi da je odao 3 stvari. Mnoge se stvari ovdje nikad ne bi dogodile u stvarnom zivotu. Mislim da je i knjiga bezveze prosirena sa tom situacijom oko izgradnja baze u Irskoj. Mislim pricas pola knjige o nekoj stvari koja nema toliki znacaj sa samom radnjom. To se komotno moglo ispricat u roku od par strana.
Navikao sam se na Americku propagadnu, i nikad mi nije nesto smetala jer je nisam nikad uzimao za ozbiljno, al ovo je stvarno next level. Amerikaci su bukvalno predstavljeni kao neka nepobjediva sila koja ne zna da napravi niti jedan pogresan korak, i uvijek im se posloze sve kockice. Mislim da je i cinjenica da niko od Americkih vojnika nije poginuo niti ranjen u sve 4 knjige govori sve o tome. I ova se propaganda provlaci kroz sve knjige osim u prvom dijelu. Upravo taj prvi dio je i jedini drugaciji, zanimljiv i vrijedan citanja a ovi ostali su apsolutno cisto gubljenje vremena.
Navikao sam se na Americku propagadnu, i nikad mi nije nesto smetala jer je nisam nikad uzimao za ozbiljno, al ovo je stvarno next level. Amerikaci su bukvalno predstavljeni kao neka nepobjediva sila koja ne zna da napravi niti jedan pogresan korak, i uvijek im se posloze sve kockice. Mislim da je i cinjenica da niko od Americkih vojnika nije poginuo niti ranjen u sve 4 knjige govori sve o tome. I ova se propaganda provlaci kroz sve knjige osim u prvom dijelu. Upravo taj prvi dio je i jedini drugaciji, zanimljiv i vrijedan citanja a ovi ostali su apsolutno cisto gubljenje vremena.
July 23, 2020
This book spent way too much time on the building of a naval port in Ireland, from site selection to materials acquisition to actual production. All of that was completely irrelevant to the main story line. There were easily 100 pages right in the middle of the book where the main plot was completely dropped. How ridiculous.
April 12, 2022
Book Review - Not too bad of a military thriller - “Power Play” by author Patrick Robinson. Story is about Navy SEAL Team Leader Mack Bedford and his Team of SEALs stopping the Russians from blowing the US off the face of the earth. Bedford devises a plan to stop the Russians with the fate of the entire country in his hands. He and his highly-trained, one of a kind SEAL Team 10 must not, cannot and will not fail. Robinson’s storytelling was slow at first but built up to be an intense yet heroic ‘save the world’ military thriller. Plenty of action and some real “what ifs” to contemplate if something like this fictional story ever came true. Although the story was ‘scary’ in it’s imagery, it was very intriguing and entertaining to read. Glad I finally pulled this book off the back burner after letting it set for awhile. Not great but not bad either. High cyber-weaponry and nuclear war content.
July 25, 2017
I really don't know why it's listed a Mack Bedford series as a majority of the book had absolutely no Mack Bedford action. In fact, after the first book (Diamondhead), the action falls off in each book to basically nothing in Power Play. If you want to kill 14 hours and have absolutely nothing to listen to, give it a go. But DON"T expect an action thriller book, even though it's listed as a thriller. It's a rap for me with Patrick "mega detail" Robinson.
April 28, 2016
Likedhis earlier books better.
May 26, 2018
too much narrative, too little action
October 10, 2014
This novel starts slowly and revs up til the end. Well written with excellent pace and good plots that holds this listener's interest throughout. This 4th Mack story is a much better effort than both #2 & #3. 9 of 10 stars
June 5, 2018
Dreadful.
January 26, 2021
4 stars
A Russian Submarine has run aground off the coast of Scotland. It’s swept under the rug as a diplomatic mistake, but the US Military doesn’t buy that for a moment. So when Mack Bedford is told by an old friend in Mossad that his Russian spy has learnt of a nuclear attack being planned on the USA, the Pentagon goes into melt down as a game of cat and mouse reminiscent of the Cold War begins.
Russia isn’t aware that the US is onto them, but with no knowledge of when they will strike; the US is at a huge disadvantage. Will the US get the intelligence and Irish location that they need so that Mack and his SEAL team can prevent a nuclear disaster or will Russia send the USA to its knees in the ultimate power play?
Power Play is the fourth and final book in the Mack Bedford series and I must admit I was a little apprehensive about it given books two and three. However, I’m pleased to report that Robinson dramatically lifted his game and that not only was this book at the level I would expect from him and thus restoring my faith in his writing; but that it tied up the series in a satisfying manner.
I was pleased that the thrills and spills were back. The plot thickened as the suspense built and even though you knew the SEALs would always save the world, I liked that I was left guessing as to how and that I could actually feel the tension of the plot actually build.
I also appreciated that many of the characters that had been with us since book one were back again and that Admiral Morgan from Robinson’s first series of fiction books returned. You don’t need to have read that series to read this book or the Mack Bedford series generally, for Power Play can easily be read as a stand alone novel; but this was a nice treat for long time Robinson fans.
Power Play is a recommended read for those who like thrillers (especially military and political ones), the action/adventure genre, books where the hero saves the day and authors such as Chris Ryan, Vince Flynn and Andy McNabb. It was my favourite of the four book series deserving of four stars.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
A Russian Submarine has run aground off the coast of Scotland. It’s swept under the rug as a diplomatic mistake, but the US Military doesn’t buy that for a moment. So when Mack Bedford is told by an old friend in Mossad that his Russian spy has learnt of a nuclear attack being planned on the USA, the Pentagon goes into melt down as a game of cat and mouse reminiscent of the Cold War begins.
Russia isn’t aware that the US is onto them, but with no knowledge of when they will strike; the US is at a huge disadvantage. Will the US get the intelligence and Irish location that they need so that Mack and his SEAL team can prevent a nuclear disaster or will Russia send the USA to its knees in the ultimate power play?
Power Play is the fourth and final book in the Mack Bedford series and I must admit I was a little apprehensive about it given books two and three. However, I’m pleased to report that Robinson dramatically lifted his game and that not only was this book at the level I would expect from him and thus restoring my faith in his writing; but that it tied up the series in a satisfying manner.
I was pleased that the thrills and spills were back. The plot thickened as the suspense built and even though you knew the SEALs would always save the world, I liked that I was left guessing as to how and that I could actually feel the tension of the plot actually build.
I also appreciated that many of the characters that had been with us since book one were back again and that Admiral Morgan from Robinson’s first series of fiction books returned. You don’t need to have read that series to read this book or the Mack Bedford series generally, for Power Play can easily be read as a stand alone novel; but this was a nice treat for long time Robinson fans.
Power Play is a recommended read for those who like thrillers (especially military and political ones), the action/adventure genre, books where the hero saves the day and authors such as Chris Ryan, Vince Flynn and Andy McNabb. It was my favourite of the four book series deserving of four stars.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
August 21, 2018
This is a really good book I would rate it higher but I almost feel I should rate it lower. The reason is the ending. I feel the lack of ethics and adherence to Maritime as well as The rules of war the capture of prisoners was completely disregarded. The good guys turned into pirates. The author tried to justify this however this was another nation mounting an attack. The Russians were not terrorists or extremismitsts but rather another nation and ethically should have been captured not murdered. Each and every navy seal would be justified being tried in the courts for war crimes or crimes against humanity. The good guys turned into the bad guys. I also found it amusing how “cheap” the base in Ireland was going to be 1 billion dollars...... forgot about the 1/2 trillion in debt they took on..... very expensive base! I found this very unrealistic. Also no ending to what happened to Ronnie ore the Russian spy scouting in America.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2022
This is a highly fictionalized account of an account involving a Russian naval officer's treasonal relationship with a Masad agent who reveals the horrendous plans of his government and military to devastate USA nuclear capabilities and intelligence facilities. There is also an imaginative naval installation development in Northwest Ireland and even the suggestion that Ireland become granted statehood.
September 8, 2018
I listened to the whole Mack Bedford series (https://www.goodreads.com/series/8697...) while I was laid up with hip surgery and broken computer.
It helped keep me stay sane.
I've borrowed my wife's work MacBook to do some catchup, but I don't know far I'll get before she catches me.
Good Rah! Rah! series to keep your spirits up.
It helped keep me stay sane.
I've borrowed my wife's work MacBook to do some catchup, but I don't know far I'll get before she catches me.
Good Rah! Rah! series to keep your spirits up.
November 28, 2020
Slowest “international thriller” I’ve ever read. The plot was mildly interesting but never fully developed. A thin 300 pages, the author focused more on minute details that left me thinking “who cares?” I know plenty about Irish history and Israeli wines now, but don’t understand the importance. I only finished it because, surely, there are important details coming.
August 17, 2024
Morgan rises up again…❤️
I’ve read all from Nimitz Class through to “To the Death” 10 in total, thoroughly enjoyed and was engrossed by every book and this is no different a, diabolical Russian plot, foiled by “Admiral Arnold Morgan Ret” can never get enough of tales like this🙏🏻🙏🏻👏🏻🇦🇺🇦🇺
I’ve read all from Nimitz Class through to “To the Death” 10 in total, thoroughly enjoyed and was engrossed by every book and this is no different a, diabolical Russian plot, foiled by “Admiral Arnold Morgan Ret” can never get enough of tales like this🙏🏻🙏🏻👏🏻🇦🇺🇦🇺
January 6, 2022
Nikoli Chekov, a young Russian naval Captain, e.g. Lieutenant Commander, was unhappy with his government’s policies and afraid they would eventually lead to economic failure or war. He went to the Israeli Embassy to offer his service. Ronnie Ben-Assan, aka John Carter, is an Israeli Mossad field officer, Nikoli’s handler. The story continued with a detailed and interesting account of cyber security history and facilities within the United States. Fort Mead’s Crypto City, aka the NSA, humorously called No Such Agency by its employees, is the warehouse and interpreter of all gathered information. It is one of the most highly protected spots on earth that does not appear on any map. Continuing, implications and incidents with Russia, Britain, and the United States are developed further. Ronnie was positive there was a Russian attack being planned against the United States. He had bits and pieces of information, clues to other pieces, and intuition based on decades of experience. But he did not have enough evidence to go to government leaders, setting off a potential panic. So his interim plan was to go to his trusted friend for help; Captain Mack Bedford. The story continues with the United States response to the Russian threat and the role played by Mack Bedford and Seal Team 10. I liked this novel a lot and think it is the best of the Mack Bedford series. The descriptions of, and the appreciation for Ireland and its people come through. Something I don’t get. The Russians are worried over a missile hitting a U.S. city, killing hundreds of thousands, causing the President to retaliate in kind. But hitting a building, killing hundreds within, is not a problem? Is not each of those scenarios an act of war? How do they justify their thinking? Anyway, I enjoyed the tale and highly recommend it.
April 17, 2019
I’ve enjoyed Robertson’s book for many years. This one did not disappoint
October 10, 2019
Excellent....
February 8, 2021
Great story, couldn’t put it down.
May 26, 2021
Great book
This book was an easy read with great suspense and military craft. Could not put the book down. Another great Mack Bedford thriller.
This book was an easy read with great suspense and military craft. Could not put the book down. Another great Mack Bedford thriller.
May 30, 2021
Final book of the Mack Bedford series by Patrick Robinson. Interestingly, Mack doesn’t make an appearance the first 1/4 of the book.
Read
August 16, 2022NOOK
February 14, 2025
I thought it was a great story, maybe a little far fetched, but as a loyal AMERICAN patriot I loved it. The ending was somewhat abrupt!
April 23, 2025
Loved this book - enjoyed the suspense - learned a lot and now I want to visit these places in Ireland 🇮🇪
February 7, 2018
* I'm 60 pages into the book and it's still a sleeper - quite unlike Robinsons' normal style -- the likes of Nimitz and Kilo Class. Stay tuned -- I'm expecting a surprise
* Now finished, the surprise is THIS VOLUME IS A DUD!! Robinson at his worst
* Now finished, the surprise is THIS VOLUME IS A DUD!! Robinson at his worst
December 8, 2012
Mr. Robinson's latest effort left me disappointed. Did the story grab me and not let go? Did it fully engage me? Did it have that "page turner" pacing and feel to it? Sadly for me, the answers were no, no, and no. It was just...boring.
The plot was thin, the speed of building a new base in Ireland was just surreal, and the idea that Ireland would become the 51st state if we just forgive half their debt is bizarre. I loved many of Mr. Robinson's earlier books with curmudgeonly Admiral Morgan running the show. I just believe the author has lost some of his energy and originality.
The plot wasn't anything really creative or new, not if you've read, like every Dale Brown thriller there is.
Mack Bedford doesn't even appear until more than a quarter of the book is gone (at one point, I actually wondered if I was reading a Mack Bedford novel) and the "action" didn't start until past the 90% point in the book. This is a book about the NAVY SEALS. How can it possibly be boring??
The dialogue was painful. Like this stilted, clumsy passage on page 82:
"That's not going to happen. Because that would bring us as close to World War III as October 1962, when, when Khrushchev decided to plant ballistic missiles in Cuba...DEFCON 3...ninety miles from Miami and all that."
And people yell on almost every page, always in annoying italicized capital letters.
There's also tons of rah-rah "me tough" banter that makes these SEALS sound like hicks or hillbillies, like these gruesome examples:
"To face a hard-trained Navy SEAL is to face a crouched mountain lion with an M4 rifle and a combat knife."
" 'Can we stop 'em, Captain? '
'Affirmative, sir. We'll stop 'em alright. And there won't be anyone left to discuss it, either. Russian sonsabitches.'
Arnold Morgan loved Navy SEALs. "
While I realize that this is fiction and recognize the need for dramatic license, there are several plot points that are simply totally implausible, including the pivotal point at the climax of the story. When a book of this genre is really great, I find myself saying, "Wow! This could really happen!" Unfortunately, several times during this read I found myself saying, "No way! This simply wouldn't happen like this!"
The plot was thin, the speed of building a new base in Ireland was just surreal, and the idea that Ireland would become the 51st state if we just forgive half their debt is bizarre. I loved many of Mr. Robinson's earlier books with curmudgeonly Admiral Morgan running the show. I just believe the author has lost some of his energy and originality.
The plot wasn't anything really creative or new, not if you've read, like every Dale Brown thriller there is.
Mack Bedford doesn't even appear until more than a quarter of the book is gone (at one point, I actually wondered if I was reading a Mack Bedford novel) and the "action" didn't start until past the 90% point in the book. This is a book about the NAVY SEALS. How can it possibly be boring??
The dialogue was painful. Like this stilted, clumsy passage on page 82:
"That's not going to happen. Because that would bring us as close to World War III as October 1962, when, when Khrushchev decided to plant ballistic missiles in Cuba...DEFCON 3...ninety miles from Miami and all that."
And people yell on almost every page, always in annoying italicized capital letters.
There's also tons of rah-rah "me tough" banter that makes these SEALS sound like hicks or hillbillies, like these gruesome examples:
"To face a hard-trained Navy SEAL is to face a crouched mountain lion with an M4 rifle and a combat knife."
" 'Can we stop 'em, Captain? '
'Affirmative, sir. We'll stop 'em alright. And there won't be anyone left to discuss it, either. Russian sonsabitches.'
Arnold Morgan loved Navy SEALs. "
While I realize that this is fiction and recognize the need for dramatic license, there are several plot points that are simply totally implausible, including the pivotal point at the climax of the story. When a book of this genre is really great, I find myself saying, "Wow! This could really happen!" Unfortunately, several times during this read I found myself saying, "No way! This simply wouldn't happen like this!"
October 23, 2012
“Power Play” by Patrick Robinson, published by Press.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
Rani Ben Adan is a Mossad field agent and is working with disenchanted Russian Lieutenant Commander Nikolai Chirkov. Nikolai has come into information regarding a nuclear strike against the United States. The strike is to coincide with jamming the nuclear football used by the President to initiate retaliatory strikes. The strike against the US is in retaliation for our helping Israel destroy the nuclear capability of Iran. Their purpose is to belittle the US and only destroy its spying capabilities. Rani is good friends with US Navy Seal Mack Redford and the two of them work together to find a way to stop the attack. The US can not depend on its European Allies as most of them, due to economics, have cut their military budgets and are just a shell of what they used to be. Mack, knowing the US needs a presence in the North Atlantic looks at Ireland for a possible US military base. The US has had good relations with Ireland and Ireland needs money to offset a huge national debt. The US must get the base up and running in time to make a Seal attack on the ship carrying the Russian missiles that are to be launched from a South American country. The attack must also be done in a way that no one will know about the attack and sinking of the Russian vessel.
A good story that is long on diplomacy and short of military action until the last 50 pages. A different kind of look at how the military and politics become a factor in National decisions. Although set in the future, these actions by any governments could very well be happening today.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
Rani Ben Adan is a Mossad field agent and is working with disenchanted Russian Lieutenant Commander Nikolai Chirkov. Nikolai has come into information regarding a nuclear strike against the United States. The strike is to coincide with jamming the nuclear football used by the President to initiate retaliatory strikes. The strike against the US is in retaliation for our helping Israel destroy the nuclear capability of Iran. Their purpose is to belittle the US and only destroy its spying capabilities. Rani is good friends with US Navy Seal Mack Redford and the two of them work together to find a way to stop the attack. The US can not depend on its European Allies as most of them, due to economics, have cut their military budgets and are just a shell of what they used to be. Mack, knowing the US needs a presence in the North Atlantic looks at Ireland for a possible US military base. The US has had good relations with Ireland and Ireland needs money to offset a huge national debt. The US must get the base up and running in time to make a Seal attack on the ship carrying the Russian missiles that are to be launched from a South American country. The attack must also be done in a way that no one will know about the attack and sinking of the Russian vessel.
A good story that is long on diplomacy and short of military action until the last 50 pages. A different kind of look at how the military and politics become a factor in National decisions. Although set in the future, these actions by any governments could very well be happening today.
August 8, 2015
4* Beginning: Is this intended to be hilarious? I'm loving the scathing commentary on today's world in this engaging, only slightly futuristic story. One of my shortcomings is that I am not well informed in politics and current events, so I would expect that a better informed person would be even more entertained. I'm impressed by the writing and the reading too. Good stuff!
Phew. An audiobook can't be "a real page-turner" but I found this to be the equivalent. I'm going to listen to it again. It's great entertainment with a healthy dose of social commentary. The grimness in places is dealt with quickly after making its point. No need to dwell there, and thanks for that.
Yes, enjoyed the second listen just as much and caught several things I missed the first time. In my opinion, a fine work. I'll be looking for more by this author.
Phew. An audiobook can't be "a real page-turner" but I found this to be the equivalent. I'm going to listen to it again. It's great entertainment with a healthy dose of social commentary. The grimness in places is dealt with quickly after making its point. No need to dwell there, and thanks for that.
Yes, enjoyed the second listen just as much and caught several things I missed the first time. In my opinion, a fine work. I'll be looking for more by this author.
September 12, 2015
This book confused me. As I read it I was thinking "what is this author's agenda? I assumed he was American as the spelling was American. Constantly taking swipes at the UK and some weird agenda to make Ireland the 51st state. Of course I'd fallen foul of the the publisher dumbing down the English for North America. Why do they do this? UK publishers don't change the spelling of US books. What the author is actually doing is warning that the UK's constant military budget cuts are going to sideline the UK, and the USA will look for more reliable partners. In this he achieves a book that appeals to US republicans and a UK audience wondering what role their country is going to have in the twenty first century. There were some slight research issues and some of his style I found a little condescending of the reader's intelligence and/or knowledge.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews