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John Angstrom #1
Source*Forged Armor
There is an alternate cover edition for this ASIN here.
John Angstrom is a decommissioned CIA field operative, damaged goods from a mission gone awry. He is "placed" into DARPA, a branch of the Pentagon charged with maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. military. It's a landing spot for Angstrom—a career transition—someplace safe for a man who can no longer do what he loves, and what he is trained to do.
His placement coincides with a groundbreaking event in DARPA's history: the crowdsourced design of a next generation Marine Amphibious Vehicle, or MAV. Massive in scale, the effort pulls together top experts in the field and submissions from the largest defense contractors around the world. The placement also pairs Angstrom with Dr. Susan Rand, a beautiful and driven woman working as a consultant on the project. Rand is a force like no other, and Angstrom must quickly figure out her motives, because her agenda is not clear, and she wields power and influence within DARPA in a most unorthodox manner.
Among all of the MAV submissions, there is something significant—something that no one can see for what it truly is—at least, not until Angstrom discovers it. His new role takes him in an unexpected direction, far outside the realm of DARPA, and leads to a new mission that will change lives forever.
John Angstrom is a decommissioned CIA field operative, damaged goods from a mission gone awry. He is "placed" into DARPA, a branch of the Pentagon charged with maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. military. It's a landing spot for Angstrom—a career transition—someplace safe for a man who can no longer do what he loves, and what he is trained to do.
His placement coincides with a groundbreaking event in DARPA's history: the crowdsourced design of a next generation Marine Amphibious Vehicle, or MAV. Massive in scale, the effort pulls together top experts in the field and submissions from the largest defense contractors around the world. The placement also pairs Angstrom with Dr. Susan Rand, a beautiful and driven woman working as a consultant on the project. Rand is a force like no other, and Angstrom must quickly figure out her motives, because her agenda is not clear, and she wields power and influence within DARPA in a most unorthodox manner.
Among all of the MAV submissions, there is something significant—something that no one can see for what it truly is—at least, not until Angstrom discovers it. His new role takes him in an unexpected direction, far outside the realm of DARPA, and leads to a new mission that will change lives forever.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Paul J. Bartusiak
5 books50 followersPaul J. Bartusiak was born and grew up on the South Side of Chicago, with jaunts in a few other places over the years. He holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering, as well as a Juris Doctor, and has worked at several Fortune 500 high-tech companies, first as an Electrical Engineer and now as a Intellectual Property Attorney.
His engineering career allowed him to work on many fascinating technologies, including the radar seeker for the Harpoon missile, energy bandgap manipulation for semiconductor hetero-junction transistors, and integrated circuits for satellite telephones and covert communication systems.
As an Intellectual Property attorney, his work focuses on licensing, transactions, and litigation, which has afforded him the opportunity to travel all over the world and sit across the table with many high tech companies.
Reading Preferences- Classics, espionage, mystery, and as of late, a sampling of modern literary fiction.
Interests- Gardening, biking, jogging (i.e. maintaining reasonable cholesterol levels), reading newspapers (paper versions), cinema, PC gaming, and raising a family...not necessarily in that order.
His engineering career allowed him to work on many fascinating technologies, including the radar seeker for the Harpoon missile, energy bandgap manipulation for semiconductor hetero-junction transistors, and integrated circuits for satellite telephones and covert communication systems.
As an Intellectual Property attorney, his work focuses on licensing, transactions, and litigation, which has afforded him the opportunity to travel all over the world and sit across the table with many high tech companies.
Reading Preferences- Classics, espionage, mystery, and as of late, a sampling of modern literary fiction.
Interests- Gardening, biking, jogging (i.e. maintaining reasonable cholesterol levels), reading newspapers (paper versions), cinema, PC gaming, and raising a family...not necessarily in that order.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 29, 2014
”For the secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for.” From The Grand Inquisitor part of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
John Angstrom has devoted his life to serving his country. He does the dirty work that the rest of us don’t want to know about. His last assignment went sideways leaving him shattered, and bounced out of his elite unit. He lands a desk job with DARPA, an acronym for Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, a branch of the Pentagon. His job is to sort through contracts for building the new MAV (Marine Amphibious Vehicle). Most of the contracts are from major defense contractors (friends of DICK Cheney), but the Pentagon is also receiving ideas and concepts from anyone who wants to submit a proposal. The result is a mound of mostly worthless folders, that regardless, have to be sorted, and read through enough to know they can be safely rejected.
The MAV in this story would replace vehicles similar to this one.
One of the submissions is a porn magazine with a CD inserted in the middle. A creative way to submit a proposal, but it could have been easily passed over without a look except that something about the CD grabs Angstrom’s attention. He loads the CD into his computer and pop up windows of naked ladies doing rather interesting things flood his computer. I remember those days when clicking on what seems like an innocuous picture will launch those porn pop-up windows. You click them off and more are launched. As you are fighting this Hydra of sexploitation, of course, that is the very moment that you see your boss is heading your direction for a little howdy time. Angstrom has the same problems, only his computer has been taken over, and something is being downloaded to his computer.
Angstrom isn’t sure, but he thinks he knows what is going on.
”One of those (technology) briefings dealt with what was, at the time considered to be an area of research that was receiving a lot of attention: a method of covert data transmission referred to as ‘Steganography.’ It was a way of secretly embedding an information payload into another file, or carrier, such as in a JPEG image. In essence, a JPEG image could serve as an ‘envelope’ and cary secret, covert information embedded within it, undetectable by the naked eye. A special computer program was needed to process the resulting modified carrier and extract the covert data, or essentially, to open the envelope.”
Russian Porn might lead you to more than you can ever imagine.
Angstrom is able to read enough to know that this is a serious application and he is given instructions on how to retrieve more of the data in a few days.
Meanwhile his ex-wife, recently jilted by a young lover, asks him over for some, reassuring to her self-esteem, no strings attached sex. He feels a little used, but ultimately great sex is...well...pretty great.
At the next meeting of the people who will ultimately decide which proposal will be awarded a contract Angstrom floats a few of the ideas from the Porn delivered file with mixed results. Some find the technology intriguing, but there is one forceful presence in the room that for some reason feels threatened by this new technology. Susan Rand is of the long legged, sexy, universally attractive segment of the population. She is used to working with “boys” and knows what “boys” want. It isn’t her job to be right. It is her job to be convincing. She decides that Angstrom needs some very special convincing. Being an operative, used to manipulating and being manipulated, Angstrom purely from a “research” standpoint wants to find out just how far she is willing to go. It turns out there is no “too far” in Susan Rand’s vocabulary.
On the other side of the world Professor Romanov Czolski, with ample reason to distrust and even despise his government, is setting a trap for someone he should be able to trust. He is the originator of the steganography that Angstrom is wrestling with back in Washington D.C. His goal is to deliver a package to the West and his calling card is the technology that will design the most advanced MAV the world has ever seen.
Things get dicey as enemies on both sides of the globe are closing in on Czolski and Angstrom. A second too late can be detrimental to everything they are trying to accomplish.
The book starts a little slow. Thrillers in recent years have started moving a very pivotal, action scene to the beginning of the book to hook the reader immediately. I like the fact that Paul decided to go a little old school with this book. He has read the classic spy novels. He gets extra points for having one of his characters reading The Miernik Dossier by Charles McCarry. Despite the slow start, soon, you are caught in the flow of the plot, and must find out how Paul Bartusiak is going to resolve the growing impossibility of the East making it to the West.
Paul J. Bartusiak was born and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He obtained his BSEE from Tennessee Technological University, his MSEE from the University of Texas at Arlington and his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He knows the technology.
Be sure and read the 3rd edition with the cover shown on this review. The early editions were not as well edited and if you look through the reviews it was irritating to first readers. It is a tribute to Bartusiak that he spent the money to improve his book.
To those that are intending to publish their own books, please pay the money to have your books professionally edited. There is nothing more frustrating to reviewers than to be distracted by awkward sentences, grammar issues, typos, and wrong dialogue attributed to the wrong character. It can cost you reviewing stars that are lost forever. My good friendCathy Dupont has helped many writers get their books ship shape for publication. If you don’t know anyone already that can help you, please contact her. Her rates are reasonable, and believe me you will be happier with the results when GR reviewers start reading your book.
John Angstrom has devoted his life to serving his country. He does the dirty work that the rest of us don’t want to know about. His last assignment went sideways leaving him shattered, and bounced out of his elite unit. He lands a desk job with DARPA, an acronym for Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, a branch of the Pentagon. His job is to sort through contracts for building the new MAV (Marine Amphibious Vehicle). Most of the contracts are from major defense contractors (friends of DICK Cheney), but the Pentagon is also receiving ideas and concepts from anyone who wants to submit a proposal. The result is a mound of mostly worthless folders, that regardless, have to be sorted, and read through enough to know they can be safely rejected.
The MAV in this story would replace vehicles similar to this one.
One of the submissions is a porn magazine with a CD inserted in the middle. A creative way to submit a proposal, but it could have been easily passed over without a look except that something about the CD grabs Angstrom’s attention. He loads the CD into his computer and pop up windows of naked ladies doing rather interesting things flood his computer. I remember those days when clicking on what seems like an innocuous picture will launch those porn pop-up windows. You click them off and more are launched. As you are fighting this Hydra of sexploitation, of course, that is the very moment that you see your boss is heading your direction for a little howdy time. Angstrom has the same problems, only his computer has been taken over, and something is being downloaded to his computer.
Angstrom isn’t sure, but he thinks he knows what is going on.
”One of those (technology) briefings dealt with what was, at the time considered to be an area of research that was receiving a lot of attention: a method of covert data transmission referred to as ‘Steganography.’ It was a way of secretly embedding an information payload into another file, or carrier, such as in a JPEG image. In essence, a JPEG image could serve as an ‘envelope’ and cary secret, covert information embedded within it, undetectable by the naked eye. A special computer program was needed to process the resulting modified carrier and extract the covert data, or essentially, to open the envelope.”
Russian Porn might lead you to more than you can ever imagine.
Angstrom is able to read enough to know that this is a serious application and he is given instructions on how to retrieve more of the data in a few days.
Meanwhile his ex-wife, recently jilted by a young lover, asks him over for some, reassuring to her self-esteem, no strings attached sex. He feels a little used, but ultimately great sex is...well...pretty great.
At the next meeting of the people who will ultimately decide which proposal will be awarded a contract Angstrom floats a few of the ideas from the Porn delivered file with mixed results. Some find the technology intriguing, but there is one forceful presence in the room that for some reason feels threatened by this new technology. Susan Rand is of the long legged, sexy, universally attractive segment of the population. She is used to working with “boys” and knows what “boys” want. It isn’t her job to be right. It is her job to be convincing. She decides that Angstrom needs some very special convincing. Being an operative, used to manipulating and being manipulated, Angstrom purely from a “research” standpoint wants to find out just how far she is willing to go. It turns out there is no “too far” in Susan Rand’s vocabulary.
On the other side of the world Professor Romanov Czolski, with ample reason to distrust and even despise his government, is setting a trap for someone he should be able to trust. He is the originator of the steganography that Angstrom is wrestling with back in Washington D.C. His goal is to deliver a package to the West and his calling card is the technology that will design the most advanced MAV the world has ever seen.
Things get dicey as enemies on both sides of the globe are closing in on Czolski and Angstrom. A second too late can be detrimental to everything they are trying to accomplish.
The book starts a little slow. Thrillers in recent years have started moving a very pivotal, action scene to the beginning of the book to hook the reader immediately. I like the fact that Paul decided to go a little old school with this book. He has read the classic spy novels. He gets extra points for having one of his characters reading The Miernik Dossier by Charles McCarry. Despite the slow start, soon, you are caught in the flow of the plot, and must find out how Paul Bartusiak is going to resolve the growing impossibility of the East making it to the West.
Paul J. Bartusiak was born and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He obtained his BSEE from Tennessee Technological University, his MSEE from the University of Texas at Arlington and his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He knows the technology.
Be sure and read the 3rd edition with the cover shown on this review. The early editions were not as well edited and if you look through the reviews it was irritating to first readers. It is a tribute to Bartusiak that he spent the money to improve his book.
To those that are intending to publish their own books, please pay the money to have your books professionally edited. There is nothing more frustrating to reviewers than to be distracted by awkward sentences, grammar issues, typos, and wrong dialogue attributed to the wrong character. It can cost you reviewing stars that are lost forever. My good friendCathy Dupont has helped many writers get their books ship shape for publication. If you don’t know anyone already that can help you, please contact her. Her rates are reasonable, and believe me you will be happier with the results when GR reviewers start reading your book.
September 1, 2013
Where was the editor on this book? Spell check is only as good as the editor that double checks it! Homonyms are NOT synonyms. Site for sight, buy for by, etc diminish the quality of the writing. Sentences such as this one " Thus, for everything that Raskalnikov suspected or wondered about Dmitri, Dmitri was cognizant of it all as well, and therefore he know that not only was it highly important as to what he said next, but also how he said it." as a single paragraph gave me headaches. It was necessary to reread them to get the meaning and I found myself rewriting them in my head. Both of these situations interfered with the rhythm and pace of the reading thus damaging the enjoyment of the plot.
Distracting also were the choices of at least two of the names of the main characters--Angstrom and Keplar. In the case of Angstrom I kept seeing the Swedish letter A with its circle diacritic above it. I suppose the name was a good choice since the scientist Angstrom was very interested in electromagnetic radiation and the MAV design, which is at the center of the story, sort of, involves it. Keplar, on the other hand, was distracting since I kept wanting to correct the spelling. This choice, too, is probably another tip of the hat to a famous mathematician and physicist, Kepler. In fairness, these might only distract a student and teacher of these fields, which I am.
The correlation between four inch heels and women who seem to need to sexually dominate men and enjoy kinky sex was a bit gratuitous. Angstrom's ex-wife makes an early appearance for no other apparent reason than to establish the fact that he, though a tough, seasoned former CIA field operative, seems to have been passive in his sexual relationship with her, while she seems to have been something of a nymphomaniac. Rand, the woman on his team, though his subordinate, assumes an attitude of superiority in the workplace and a dominatrix in the bedroom. She flirts with all the men in the agency, sleeps with some and according to Angstrom has been the victim of some abuse or other situation that has produced a woman with a serious psychological illness. Candy Mav, the pornographic icon used on the crowd-sourced submission for a MAV design, becomes something of an obsession to Angstrom. Surprise of surprises when he finally meets her, she wears four inch stilettos. They move off into the sunset together and, if his ex-wife and Rand are any indication, there is kinky sex ahead. Thankfully, the author did not elaborate on the sex scenes and left the reader to use his/her imagination. All in all, Angstrom's submissive and, in some ways, total disassociation is treated as normal and the womens' behavior as pathological.
Having pointed out the weaknesses of the story, it is now necessary to say that the main theme is engrossing and well written. The MAV is a Marine Amphibious Vehicle and the government has issued a request to the general public for a design for a new model--the request is called crowdsourcing.
Anyone and any entity can submit a design. DARPA, a Pentagon branch, is in charge of sorting through the submissions and choosing one to implement. John Angstrom, a burnt out CIA operative, has been reassigned to DARPA and is put in charge of one vetting team, which includes Keplar and Rand. A CD enclosed in a girlie magazine and sporting a scantily clad woman, on all fours, heavily made up, catches Angstrom's eye. He decides to take the CD home and view it.
The ensuing cat and mouse game between John and the submitter, as well as the plotting by the submitter--The Professor--are fascinating. The specifics of the design are truly interesting and the method of transmitting them over the internet is fascinating. A process called steganography, in which images break apart into pixels and reassemble into something else; the complete take over of a remote computer by intricate programs is riveting.
The back and forth action between the scenes in DARPA and the team and the master planning of The Professor and his final extraction makes this an exciting read. With a little editing, both grammatically and plot-wise, and I would have given this a four, if not five, star rating.
PS--The author contacted me and said that I had a first edition and that the typos had been corrected in subsequent editions. Additionally. a reader on Amazon commented on my review to say that he had gone back over his Kindle edition to check out the typos I cited and he found that they had been corrected there as well. Having received these comments I changed my rating in both places--here and Amazon--to a well deserved 4 stars.
Distracting also were the choices of at least two of the names of the main characters--Angstrom and Keplar. In the case of Angstrom I kept seeing the Swedish letter A with its circle diacritic above it. I suppose the name was a good choice since the scientist Angstrom was very interested in electromagnetic radiation and the MAV design, which is at the center of the story, sort of, involves it. Keplar, on the other hand, was distracting since I kept wanting to correct the spelling. This choice, too, is probably another tip of the hat to a famous mathematician and physicist, Kepler. In fairness, these might only distract a student and teacher of these fields, which I am.
The correlation between four inch heels and women who seem to need to sexually dominate men and enjoy kinky sex was a bit gratuitous. Angstrom's ex-wife makes an early appearance for no other apparent reason than to establish the fact that he, though a tough, seasoned former CIA field operative, seems to have been passive in his sexual relationship with her, while she seems to have been something of a nymphomaniac. Rand, the woman on his team, though his subordinate, assumes an attitude of superiority in the workplace and a dominatrix in the bedroom. She flirts with all the men in the agency, sleeps with some and according to Angstrom has been the victim of some abuse or other situation that has produced a woman with a serious psychological illness. Candy Mav, the pornographic icon used on the crowd-sourced submission for a MAV design, becomes something of an obsession to Angstrom. Surprise of surprises when he finally meets her, she wears four inch stilettos. They move off into the sunset together and, if his ex-wife and Rand are any indication, there is kinky sex ahead. Thankfully, the author did not elaborate on the sex scenes and left the reader to use his/her imagination. All in all, Angstrom's submissive and, in some ways, total disassociation is treated as normal and the womens' behavior as pathological.
Having pointed out the weaknesses of the story, it is now necessary to say that the main theme is engrossing and well written. The MAV is a Marine Amphibious Vehicle and the government has issued a request to the general public for a design for a new model--the request is called crowdsourcing.
Anyone and any entity can submit a design. DARPA, a Pentagon branch, is in charge of sorting through the submissions and choosing one to implement. John Angstrom, a burnt out CIA operative, has been reassigned to DARPA and is put in charge of one vetting team, which includes Keplar and Rand. A CD enclosed in a girlie magazine and sporting a scantily clad woman, on all fours, heavily made up, catches Angstrom's eye. He decides to take the CD home and view it.
The ensuing cat and mouse game between John and the submitter, as well as the plotting by the submitter--The Professor--are fascinating. The specifics of the design are truly interesting and the method of transmitting them over the internet is fascinating. A process called steganography, in which images break apart into pixels and reassemble into something else; the complete take over of a remote computer by intricate programs is riveting.
The back and forth action between the scenes in DARPA and the team and the master planning of The Professor and his final extraction makes this an exciting read. With a little editing, both grammatically and plot-wise, and I would have given this a four, if not five, star rating.
PS--The author contacted me and said that I had a first edition and that the typos had been corrected in subsequent editions. Additionally. a reader on Amazon commented on my review to say that he had gone back over his Kindle edition to check out the typos I cited and he found that they had been corrected there as well. Having received these comments I changed my rating in both places--here and Amazon--to a well deserved 4 stars.
May 8, 2013
SFA is carefully paced spy thriller that has more in common with a John LeCarre character study than a Tom Clancy action yarn. The plot moves along at a steady pace however, building suspense with every page on its way to a climactic finale. There are intriguing twists and turns along the way (to say nothing of a bombshell of a revelation near the end) and some interesting unanswered questions linger long after you’ve finished the book.
Angstrom, a CIA operative sidelined to a desk job after his last field assignment went bad, is asked to take charge of a branch of the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to analyze the crowd sourced submissions for the research and design of a new Marine Amphibious Vehicle. One of the submissions comes to him in a very extraordinary way and leads Angstrom on a journey that causes him to reevaluate his life, his colleagues, and his future. Along the way, he crosses paths with a disenfranchised professor coming to grips with the realities of the new Russia.
This is an intriguing thinking man’s saga of espionage, treason, betrayal and ultimately renewal. It’s not devoid of action, but doesn’t rely solely on it for its essence.
For those who may consider a comparison to Le Carre a turn-off because of his sometimes abstract way of telling a story, rest assured that the comparison is directed more towards similarity in tone and mood than to phraseology itself. SFA is written in a captivating and engaging manner."
Angstrom, a CIA operative sidelined to a desk job after his last field assignment went bad, is asked to take charge of a branch of the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to analyze the crowd sourced submissions for the research and design of a new Marine Amphibious Vehicle. One of the submissions comes to him in a very extraordinary way and leads Angstrom on a journey that causes him to reevaluate his life, his colleagues, and his future. Along the way, he crosses paths with a disenfranchised professor coming to grips with the realities of the new Russia.
This is an intriguing thinking man’s saga of espionage, treason, betrayal and ultimately renewal. It’s not devoid of action, but doesn’t rely solely on it for its essence.
For those who may consider a comparison to Le Carre a turn-off because of his sometimes abstract way of telling a story, rest assured that the comparison is directed more towards similarity in tone and mood than to phraseology itself. SFA is written in a captivating and engaging manner."
October 24, 2013
I promise not to post a spoiler so feel free to read all.
I was going to comment on the cover but I saw the response to another, so I will leave the cover alone, only to say, it’s not my favorite and unless invited to purchase, the cover would not have gotten my attention. (Just sayin')
Paul, did a great job inviting me to read his novel and commenting on it. Not an offer that I would have normally taken but there was something about the invite that made me curious enough to say I will give this a try. And I am so GLAD that I did.
I read this on my kindle, where I read about 85% of all of my reading now. It read perfectly there.
The price was not just affordable, it was a BARGIN. This book was worth twice the price or more.
I love to read, I love all kinds of books and I read for different reasons every day. You would think that with all of the reading that I do, my writing would be better but alas. (That is another tale.)
This book was a great read, characters that I loved to learn about, people that I hoped to see again, in the future. (No comment as to if that will be possible)
I can assure a reader of Mystery, Technical Drama, International Spies, will find a pleasant purchase in Source*Forged Armor
Paul... One of the best things I learned while reading this book was that it was your second book and I can't wait to pick-up your first book and add it to my collection.
Thank You again.
Don't be a stranger to my email or my bookshelf.
Arnold
UPDATE:
A Standing Ovation for you Paul and your decision to adventure off after a possible new cover.
Now, I understand the thoughts and heart behind the original cover, which makes the change to the new cover even more dramatic.
I LOVE the new cover... it is a GREAT choice.
Arnold
I was going to comment on the cover but I saw the response to another, so I will leave the cover alone, only to say, it’s not my favorite and unless invited to purchase, the cover would not have gotten my attention. (Just sayin')
Paul, did a great job inviting me to read his novel and commenting on it. Not an offer that I would have normally taken but there was something about the invite that made me curious enough to say I will give this a try. And I am so GLAD that I did.
I read this on my kindle, where I read about 85% of all of my reading now. It read perfectly there.
The price was not just affordable, it was a BARGIN. This book was worth twice the price or more.
I love to read, I love all kinds of books and I read for different reasons every day. You would think that with all of the reading that I do, my writing would be better but alas. (That is another tale.)
This book was a great read, characters that I loved to learn about, people that I hoped to see again, in the future. (No comment as to if that will be possible)
I can assure a reader of Mystery, Technical Drama, International Spies, will find a pleasant purchase in Source*Forged Armor
Paul... One of the best things I learned while reading this book was that it was your second book and I can't wait to pick-up your first book and add it to my collection.
Thank You again.
Don't be a stranger to my email or my bookshelf.
Arnold
UPDATE:
A Standing Ovation for you Paul and your decision to adventure off after a possible new cover.
Now, I understand the thoughts and heart behind the original cover, which makes the change to the new cover even more dramatic.
I LOVE the new cover... it is a GREAT choice.
Arnold
June 2, 2016
There is a really good story here. Hold on past the first couple of chapters and you will get to it.
Things to like: most characters are developed to the extent that they have a backstop. Also, there is the intriguing concept of DoD trying to crowdsource design of a new military vehicle. And the very realistic scenario where a consultant is working against real innovation to ensure that an established defense contractor gets approval of their bid. I have been on projects like that, though not for DoD.
John Angstrom, the lead character, is a very likeable guy and a good basis for a series.
There are some things to not like as well. The author does a huge amount of exposition by telling the reader what the characters are thinking. If instead he provided scenes between characters the reader could draw conclusions. I think most readers would find that more satisfying.
There are a lot of loose ends that are not really wrapped up. Angstrom sort of just shrugs them off figuring they are someone else's problem. It doesn't feel like the setup for another novel to me.
If you like the spy genre, you will enjoy the story. And this is an early novel for Bartusiak. I expect future novels to fix some of the problems I mention. So you should read it just to make sure you know Angstrom when he becomes a legend.
Things to like: most characters are developed to the extent that they have a backstop. Also, there is the intriguing concept of DoD trying to crowdsource design of a new military vehicle. And the very realistic scenario where a consultant is working against real innovation to ensure that an established defense contractor gets approval of their bid. I have been on projects like that, though not for DoD.
John Angstrom, the lead character, is a very likeable guy and a good basis for a series.
There are some things to not like as well. The author does a huge amount of exposition by telling the reader what the characters are thinking. If instead he provided scenes between characters the reader could draw conclusions. I think most readers would find that more satisfying.
There are a lot of loose ends that are not really wrapped up. Angstrom sort of just shrugs them off figuring they are someone else's problem. It doesn't feel like the setup for another novel to me.
If you like the spy genre, you will enjoy the story. And this is an early novel for Bartusiak. I expect future novels to fix some of the problems I mention. So you should read it just to make sure you know Angstrom when he becomes a legend.
July 24, 2013
John Angstrom has been taken out of his CIA operative field
because of something that happened on his last mission. He
is placed with a branch of the Pentagon called DARPA where
he shuffles papers around for a couple of years. His boss
realizes that John is wasting away here and DARPA has a new
project coming up where they get to check bids on a next
generation Marine Amphibious Vehicle so he places John in
control of Phase II. A strange magazine shows up at DARPA
and falls into John's hands. John finds a strange email in
the magazine and follows its path. Strange things regarding
the building of this Marine vehicle begin appearing on John's
computer. He realizes that he has someone who knows a lot
more than anyone else about the building of this vehicle and
he also wishes to defect. This is a new novel by a new author
named Paul Bartusiak. It's not so much action packed as it is
a very good story and well worth reading.
because of something that happened on his last mission. He
is placed with a branch of the Pentagon called DARPA where
he shuffles papers around for a couple of years. His boss
realizes that John is wasting away here and DARPA has a new
project coming up where they get to check bids on a next
generation Marine Amphibious Vehicle so he places John in
control of Phase II. A strange magazine shows up at DARPA
and falls into John's hands. John finds a strange email in
the magazine and follows its path. Strange things regarding
the building of this Marine vehicle begin appearing on John's
computer. He realizes that he has someone who knows a lot
more than anyone else about the building of this vehicle and
he also wishes to defect. This is a new novel by a new author
named Paul Bartusiak. It's not so much action packed as it is
a very good story and well worth reading.
November 16, 2013
I was lucky enough to win a complimentary copy of this book thanks to the GoodReads First Reads program.
If you enjoy espionage and military tinted stories, then add this one to your to-read list! It's kind of a funny title, but it does relate to the story at hand. I wasn't sure about this one when I started it, thanks in part to the rather generic cover, but it pulled me in by the end of the first chapter and I had a hard time putting it down at that point - I had to know what was going to happen next! It has a really good plot line and interesting characters. I know there are those that can't stand self published work for one reason or another (sometimes grammar or just poor editing?), but please don't let that ever scare you off from a good book.
If you enjoy espionage and military tinted stories, then add this one to your to-read list! It's kind of a funny title, but it does relate to the story at hand. I wasn't sure about this one when I started it, thanks in part to the rather generic cover, but it pulled me in by the end of the first chapter and I had a hard time putting it down at that point - I had to know what was going to happen next! It has a really good plot line and interesting characters. I know there are those that can't stand self published work for one reason or another (sometimes grammar or just poor editing?), but please don't let that ever scare you off from a good book.
June 13, 2016
Bartusiak writes a well paced novel that keeps you turning to the next page. That is not because there is a lot of action,life-and-death situations, or strange mysteries, its just because its a great story. There is a strange addition of some off-page BDSM scenes in a few places that seem out of place. A few secondary character plot lines are not well developed but don't really hinder the overall novel. I will definetely look for this authors next book.
April 5, 2015
Source*Forged Armor has a compelling story, believable characters, an interesting premise and a detailed setting. That would usually rate it four stars (really liked it) based on my scale, but I need to back it off a star for two reasons.
The first is the voice or tone of the book -- while there's action in the story, the tone of the book seems to downplay that action. It's not easy for me to explain and I'll admit it's a personal preference of mine. Others may like this style, but it didn't work very well for me.
The second reason is something that I'm beginning to have less and less patience for in authors these days -- a need for more, better and consistent editing. If I ever publish a book (unlikely), I like to think I would invest heavily in an excellent editor or perhaps even editors. I realize I may have to change my mind if I ever get to that point and I'm staring at an extremely expensive contract and I want my book to see the light of day.
The book itself has many things to like about it. My three stars means "I liked it". And I am looking forward to reading Bartusiak's next one, COOL JAZZ SPY.
The first is the voice or tone of the book -- while there's action in the story, the tone of the book seems to downplay that action. It's not easy for me to explain and I'll admit it's a personal preference of mine. Others may like this style, but it didn't work very well for me.
The second reason is something that I'm beginning to have less and less patience for in authors these days -- a need for more, better and consistent editing. If I ever publish a book (unlikely), I like to think I would invest heavily in an excellent editor or perhaps even editors. I realize I may have to change my mind if I ever get to that point and I'm staring at an extremely expensive contract and I want my book to see the light of day.
The book itself has many things to like about it. My three stars means "I liked it". And I am looking forward to reading Bartusiak's next one, COOL JAZZ SPY.
January 27, 2014
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
The unique and intriguing premise of Paul J. Bartusiak's new novel -- that the US military decides for the first time in its history to design a vehicle through open "crowdsourced" input from the general public -- ensures that this book is at least a little better than the typical Tom-Clancy-ripoff technothriller; but make no mistake, this is still a Tom-Clancy-ripoff technothriller, even down to the central event propelling its plot being almost exactly the same as The Hunt for Red October. (In a nutshell, a Russian uses the contest in an attempt to pass along military secrets while defecting, but passes along the secrets in a sly way that most of the Americans don't catch onto, except for one brilliant analyst withering away at a desk job within the defense department.) Featuring nearly every cliché ever even invented in the military technothriller genre -- from the world-weary top brass to the sexy but tough-as-nails female scientist, the crude and jokey junior agents and a lot more -- this will try the patience of most general audience members, although I suspect that this will go down just fine with hardcore technothriller fans who burn through a novel like this every week. It comes with a limited recommendation today, only to such fans.
Out of 10: 7.1
The unique and intriguing premise of Paul J. Bartusiak's new novel -- that the US military decides for the first time in its history to design a vehicle through open "crowdsourced" input from the general public -- ensures that this book is at least a little better than the typical Tom-Clancy-ripoff technothriller; but make no mistake, this is still a Tom-Clancy-ripoff technothriller, even down to the central event propelling its plot being almost exactly the same as The Hunt for Red October. (In a nutshell, a Russian uses the contest in an attempt to pass along military secrets while defecting, but passes along the secrets in a sly way that most of the Americans don't catch onto, except for one brilliant analyst withering away at a desk job within the defense department.) Featuring nearly every cliché ever even invented in the military technothriller genre -- from the world-weary top brass to the sexy but tough-as-nails female scientist, the crude and jokey junior agents and a lot more -- this will try the patience of most general audience members, although I suspect that this will go down just fine with hardcore technothriller fans who burn through a novel like this every week. It comes with a limited recommendation today, only to such fans.
Out of 10: 7.1
December 9, 2013
This novel is more like a 3.5. Had the author employed a good editor for language polishing, I could have given this book four stars (even five), because I liked the overall story, the plot, the setting, and the characters. Aside from the spelling errors, there were sentences that are four lines long when they could have been shorter yet more effective and sentences that a reader might want to rewrite, like "thoughts of her entered his thoughts," especially since the mid and latter parts of the book are error-free and were written seamlessly, just as a good writer does. The first few pages were quite dragging, but the succeeding chapters were more and more interesting.
Thank you, Paul, for another good book. Your work always reminds me that reading engineering-related journal articles could be fun =)
Thank you, Paul, for another good book. Your work always reminds me that reading engineering-related journal articles could be fun =)
July 17, 2014
Source*Forged Armor is good reading if you are looking to lose yourself in a spy novel while sitting at the beach or poolside. As a spy yarn it has all the necessary components including villains, good guys, betrayal, sex, etc. The book does not get bogged down too deeply into character analysis or background. It just kind of gets right into the story. If you are looking for a James Bond or Jason Bourne type story this is not the book. If you're more interested in a George Smiley type novel this is more your speed. The book relies more on tradecraft than action. There are a number of holes in the plot but do not be deterred, this is fun reading and not meant to be literature. Enjoy.
January 28, 2016
This book was recommended to me by a family member. I am not a fan of spy novels, but I do enjoy the occasional murder mystery so I thought I would give it a try. The characters are gradually developed, so that after a while you can find yourself liking or hating them as the story unfolds. The action is fairly steady, with just a few slow spots. The story is intriguing, and the twists and turns in the plot kept me reading long into the night. Since the storyline of all the characters were not completely wrapped up, I hope the sequel ties things up and doesn't leave me hanging. I look forward to reading the next book sometime in the near future.
August 28, 2013
Source*Forged Armor by Paul J Bartusiak is an old-fashioned spy thriller with omniscient point-of-view, and omniscient characters. John Angstrom works for DARPA reviewing proposals for an innovative design for a MAV -- Marine Amphibious Vehicle -- and Professor Czolski is a genius professor in St Petersburg willing to trade superior Russian technology for his freedom.
For more see: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2013/0...
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway on July 29, 2013. I received the book on August 8, 2013.
For more see: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2013/0...
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway on July 29, 2013. I received the book on August 8, 2013.
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August 13, 2013The cover was hard to overcome! Initially leads reader to assume a plot to kill a government official. Started running into speech mannerisms p123. Story move along well and provided for a pleasant read.
December 7, 2013
This was OK. Plot was mildly interesting and kept me going, got especially good at the end. The women characters were ridiculously hyper-sexualized as well as some of the other material, unnecessarily so, and proved to be more distracting and unrealistic than adding any value to the plot.
August 18, 2013
The plot was interesting. Main character needed more background information, prior to the middle of the book. Overall the book needed more detail.
January 21, 2014
To me, the first chapter was dull and slow. Luckily the rest of the book isn't like that.
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