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Jake Grafton #3

Final Flight

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The most daring -- and deadly -- terrorist plot of all time is about to unfold aboard the supercarrier USS United States . If it succeeds, the balance of nuclear power will tilt in favor of a remorseless Arab leader. And it looks as if no one can stop it - except navy "jet jock" Jake Grafton. "Cag " Grafton is one helluva pilot. His F-14 Tomcat is one helluva plane. But some of Jake's crewmates have already vanished. A woman reporter who boarded the ship in Tangiers may not be who she claims to be. And Jake may have to disobey a direct order from the President himself for one spine-tingling, hair-raising Final Flight

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1988

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1279 people want to read

About the author

Stephen Coonts

180 books754 followers
Stephen Coonts (born July 19, 1946) is an American thriller and suspense novelist.

Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. He entered the Navy the following year and flew an A-6 Intruder medium attack plane during the Vietnam War, where he served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned a number of Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68). His navigator-bombardier was LTjg Stanley W. Bryant who later became a Rear Admiral and deputy commander-in-chief of the US naval forces in Europe.

After being honorably discharged from duty as a lieutenant in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time.

He published short stories in a number of publications before writing Flight of the Intruder in 1986 (made into a movie in 1991). Intruder, based in part on his experiences as a bomber pilot, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover and launched his career as a novelist. From there he continued writing adventure-mysteries using the character from his first book, Jake Grafton. He has written several other series and stand-alone novels since then, but is most notable for the Grafton books.

Today Coonts continues to write, having had seventeen New York Times bestsellers (out of 20 books), and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son.

Taken from Wikipedia

Learn more about Stephen Coonts on the Macmillan website.

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5 stars
2,440 (37%)
4 stars
2,502 (38%)
3 stars
1,372 (20%)
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1 star
45 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
Profile Image for Chris.
2,079 reviews29 followers
June 20, 2023
Third book in the series and fast forward to Jake Grafton as a captain and the CAG aboard a deployment to the Mediterranean. He’s losing his night vision. Besides dealing with a frenetic optempo that has cost the lives of three naval aviators there’s a Tom Clancy like geopolitical drama as the backstory with Mossad and a Qaddafi like Arab leader. Both meet in the Bay of Naples when the carrier is attacked by terrorists who are after nuclear warheads. Quite an ending!! Final flight indeed.
11 reviews
January 3, 2020
Author does an excellent job with his characters. To much detail with technical descriptions..
Profile Image for Jay Wright.
1,807 reviews5 followers
December 21, 2021
Terrorists attempt to steal nuclear bombs off the aircraft carrier. Toad falls in love. Callie meets Jake for leave in Naples. The Mossad is involved. Jake's flying days are over due to a night vision problem. This is action packed filled with well developed characters.
Profile Image for Steve.
776 reviews21 followers
December 22, 2018
I haven't read this book in years and I had totally forgotten the ending. Very exciting book with (I now remember) a cliffhanger ending. I've read the later books in the series, but I still can't remember the outcome. Looks like I'll have to read the next one!!
Profile Image for Parsley.
7 reviews
February 26, 2022
This was the first in the genre that I decided to read and it was a rough start. I didn't understand much that was happening or what was said. That got me to quit reading it for a some time, hesitating to pick it back up to finish it. That was when my best friend gave me the motivation to finish it, where I read through 100 pages of it in one night. I thought that was the most I would read at the time, but that record has been broken by another book that my best friend motivated me to finish. Overall, it only gets a little better the nearer you get to the end.
Profile Image for Stephen Gallup.
Author 1 book72 followers
November 30, 2009
I carried a more challenging book along on vacation this past week, but once there found I wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. Final Flight was the most appealing title on the small shelf of the resort's library, so I read that instead.

The author is a retired Navy pilot and in a position to provide a superabundance of detail about all that's involved with flying jets off aircraft carriers, as well as candid insights about military brass and other things of concern to the good people who lead such lives. Some of the detail is necessary to advance his story. Then there is another level of it that no doubt appeals to his target audience. At times, I felt that he exceeded that threshold as well.

Because of the detail, the first 75 pages struck me as a poor imitation of Clancy, but then I encountered the first of several bits of amusing military repartee and decided to carry on and see what happened. Glad I did. Not entirely happy with the way he handled at least one of the characters, and at times I skimmed, but the story was effective and compelling.

He could see the reflective tape on the pilot and the bombardier-navigator's helmets whenever his own red anticollision light swept the plane. That was all. Just the outline of two helmets in the darkened cockpit.

That's a nice representative image lifted from a scene near the end, when a pair of jets is in hot pursuit of the bad guys. The prose isn't remarkable, but the scene is a well-placed breather in the midst of 100-plus pages of continuously building action. The best thriller I've ever read was probably Little Drummer Girl , and this one doesn't measure up to that standard. Nevertheless, the way the above short passage is used suggested to me that I was in the hands of a competent story teller.
Profile Image for Olivia.
127 reviews6 followers
January 13, 2023
4 stars (rounded down from 5, explanation below)

Similar to Clancy, Coonts' style is descriptive to an extreme degree. He is also serious, informative and literal. It can take a bit of perseverance to get through his books, but I always find them rewarding in the end. Final Flight is no exception.

Among the many technical details, the author has woven a complex, perfectly paced plot. It's actually a superb military techno-thriller that stands the test of time 35 years later. Sure, technology has evolved and some of the weapons have changed, but politics and human nature have not. The intense action leading up to the climax is white-hot, and then... it ends. Just like that. While I'm not one to read series installments back-to-back, I feel compelled to read The Minotaur (Jake Grafton #4) immediately, if only for continuity and understanding.

Notes and final thoughts:
Lots of swearing and vulgarity, but realistic for the characters and their environment. I was neither surprised nor offended by that. The main character, Jake Grafton, is kind of a jerk most of the time. He's a lot less charming in middle age than when he was in his twenties and youth was on his side. Also, he's still a bit of a cowboy when it comes to rules. He tows the line, but only just. One might wonder how he ever promoted to senior officer status (O-6, really?). And finally, the only reason I rated Final Flight 4 stars instead of 5... There is a specific sexual description on page 60 of the kindle version that was completely unnecessary to the story. There are other brief descriptions of sex later in the book, but I was completely put-off by one sentence on page 60. A shame really, because it could have been so easily omitted.
Profile Image for Jackie.
7 reviews
August 19, 2010
This is the final book of Jake Grafton series, as the title suggested. Stephen Coonts is as good as ever. The plot is grusome and the scenes are brilliantly described. The sculping of characters are also brilliant, especially the bad guy, Qasi, who reminds me of Cortez in Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger. Job well done Mr. Coonts. The only problem is the portraying of each character, not including Jake and Qasi, is not deep enough, leaving a sense of incompleteness. It would be better to know more backgrounds of Judith Farrel, of Ray Raynolds, of El Hakim, of Cali, Jake's wife and etc. It would make those charaters more lively. The difference between Stephen Coonts and Tom Clancy is the former makes his hero died and the latter gets his promoted. Maybe that's why Tom Clancy is more popular, no one wants to see a hero dies
Profile Image for Robert Snow.
277 reviews11 followers
April 29, 2013
Coonts character Jake Grafton is one of those fictional characters you want to believe is real. He is like a fine wine in the sense that he gets better in each book!
Profile Image for Alec.
854 reviews7 followers
March 20, 2019
With Final Flight, Jake Grafton's flying career has both progressed by a number of years since The Intruders and is seemingly in its final stages. This was jarring at first given the first two books happen in close chronological proximity and a decade plus elapses between the second and third. However, I understand why Mr. Coonts decided to move the story along as story after story of life on an aircraft carrier would run the risk of becoming as repetitive as daily life upon an aircraft carrier. This shift sets us up for other parts of Jake Grafton's career, not just the pilot phase, and allows us to see him in action as a leader.

It's interesting to read some of these stories which were published in a different time. They can feel like they were published in a different world, yet remain relevant if the reader is willing to shift names and places. What I particularly liked about this book was the juxtaposition of motivations of the "fanatics" and the implied fanatical motivations of the military. I'm not sure I'm 100% comfortable with the implication that the moral high ground depends on your perspective as I believe there is an ultimate right and wrong, but I thought it was interesting to have that angle presented.
Profile Image for Ted Waterfall.
199 reviews14 followers
August 19, 2020
El Hakim is the dictator of an unnamed North African Muslim nation who has made plans to infiltrate an American nuclear aircraft carrier and steal up to four nuclear bombs, drop one on Tel Aviv, and then gain the respect of the Arab/Muslim world and de facto leadership of same. Bypassing certain safety devices on remaining nuclear weapons on board so they would detonate and destroy a nearby anchorage, discrediting the United States in the process, his leadership would be undisputed. Or so he thought.

But then he never had to deal with Jake Grafton. Stephen Coonts has so far written a series of ten novels in the Jake Grafton series starting with the award winning Flight of the Intruder. Final Flight is the third in this series. An ex Navy flyer, he explains a lot of terminology in his stories which can be helpful and informative, but also a bit disruptive. It gives me the feeling of being part of an audience listening to him telling me a story instead of being part of the action, of being there as things transpired.

It is well enough written but the action as such is pretty limited.

And, of course, no terrorist is a match for a good old American hero like Jake Grafton.
Profile Image for Geoff Battle.
549 reviews6 followers
June 5, 2017
Final Flight is an action yarn that is packed with detail. The basic premise centres around a terrorist's attempt to board a new American super-carrier to slip away with the nukes. It's Die Hard at sea. However, Coonts ensures this tale is as close to reality as possible, through good research and detailed characterisation. The build up, which is difficult at times due to the heady amount of acronyms the navy use, sets a solid background for the final two-thirds of the book, which is non-stop action and intrigue. It's gripping once you get past the initial scene-setting. There is however a lack of compassion for the lead roles. This is a result of their behaviours, which are realistic portrayals of those in armed forces management, but create a level of dislike for them at times. All in all, Final Flight is an enjoyable book, more factual that Cussler, less techno than Crichton, but worth a read.
Profile Image for John.
460 reviews5 followers
December 29, 2017
A few years have passed, and Jake Grafton is now the CAG (Commander, Air Group) for an aircraft carrier. He still flies occasionally, but as a high-ranking officer, also spends a lot of time on administrative duties.

The plot focuses on a middle eastern terrorist named Qazi, who works for El Hakim, which I guess makes him the Bin Laden of the 80s. Qazi and his team are determined to attack the USS United States (what a terrible name, btw) and steal the nuclear weapons on board the ship to alter the balance of power in the Middle East. Their attack is launched while the USSUS is docked in Naples, and many soldiers are on shore leave. Can the carrier crew fight off the attack?

Certainly an exciting finish, even if the book dragged a bit in the middle. I had forgotten that this book required an interesting piece of retconning.
4 reviews
August 23, 2018
This book had so much potential. There were about 150 pages where I couldn’t put it down; the rest was a yawn and a very unpopular ending. In fact I’m still not sure what the middle section of the book was about (although the main character has similar woes and worries to the past books). The excitement of those pages at the end really saved the read I just can’t get over the disappointment of the ending. The plot ultimately was very far fetched and mixed with vivid descriptions of flight and carrier operations. I still can’t get over that he killed the main character at the end. The other major disappointment is the time lapse between the second book and this book. The author had such potential to make this a gripping air series.

I don’t think I can read another book by the author, ultimately to slow and inconsistent build up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hilmi Isa.
378 reviews29 followers
April 29, 2021
Di dalam Final Flight,Stephen Coonts mempersembahkan watak Jake Grafton dengan pangkat yang berbeza. Di dalam The Flight of the Intruder,Grafton hanyalah seorang leftenan udara di dalam Tentera Laut Amerika Syarikat yang menerbangkan A-6 Intruder. Kini,di dalam novel ini,beliau merupakan CAG (Commander Air Group),yang berpangkat kapten,di atas kapal pengangkut pesawat USS United States.

Sebagai seorang bekas juruterbang Tentera Laut Amerika Syarikat,pengetahuan Coonts mengenai operasi seharian kapal pengangkut pesawat adalah sesuatu yang beliau manfaatkan sebaiknya. Novel ini padat dengan istilah/jargon dan gambaran atau senario operasi kapal kebanggaan Tentera Laut Amerika Syarikat ini. Cuma,agak terkejut kerana di penghujung cerita,Jake Grafton dikatakan sudah meninggal dunia. Hm...! Nampaknya saya perlu membaca novel yang selanjutnya untuk mengetahui kisah yang seterusnya.
Profile Image for Jason.
339 reviews
January 13, 2025
Once this book got going, it was pretty enjoyable. Coonts did a great job of keeping the pace up, especially towards the end. He also add a few small twists that helped keep things interesting, even though the story mostly played out as you would have expected. The main issues I had with the book came at the very beginning and the end. The book starts with a lot of technical details. While some of it would have been needed, it really bogged down the beginning of the book. And the ending of the book is just very disappointing. You are kind of left needing to read the beginning of the next book at actually get all of the answers for what happened. Honestly, the book was good enough that I would have given it 4 stars even after the bad start of the book, but the ending disappointed me that much.
Profile Image for Paul Parsons.
Author 5 books7 followers
March 29, 2019
So after rereading "Flight of the Intruder", naturally I followed up with Coonts' sequel. Jake Grafton was a new naval aviator in Vietnam but now he is the seasoned veteran in "Final Flight". Exciting tale that grabs you and has you shouting "NO" throughout. His carrier, United States, comes under terrorist attack while in port. The terrorist really win in this thriller, severely damaging the carrier, killing many Americans, and thwarting nearly every attempt the Americans make to respond. Only Grafton's skill and bravery prevent the carrier from being scuttled. How it ends shocked me and still is bothersome weeks after finishing the book. Read both.
Profile Image for Doris.
2,042 reviews
January 24, 2025
The book started at a show pace, gradually building to an explosive ending for those involved in the final flight. It was an excellent book, well researched and detailed with information from foreign sites well documented.

The main quibble I had was the excessive amount of detail on the mechanisms of the various machines and technology. I felt it didn't add anything to the story itself, except in a couple of cases.

In addition, many of the people who planned heroic roles were under developed, especially the Naval people. I did think that it would have been grand to learn more about Cowboy and Ski, but overall they were fairly well done.

4.5 stars
42 reviews
October 11, 2017
One of Stephen Coonts earlier works. If you love aviation, military aircraft, the United States Navy, this book is for you. The plot twists and turns as does Jake Grafton's aircraft during a dog fight.

Techically, there are only a couple of aeronautic and aerodynamic scenes which are fanciful. Stephen Coonts' later works are much smoother. For an early effort this is a great read. Recently, I have started re-reading all of Coonts books in order (from the beginning publications)

Profile Image for Richard F.
33 reviews
May 11, 2020
Wow. What a story. I am a sci-fi fan at heart, but I came across the Amanda Garrett series by James Cobb and was gripped by the excellent prose, plots, and technical prowess of the author. I am now a military fiction fan. Then I found Coonts. Man! Great stuff! But I was floored by the end of the Jake Grafton trilogy. Be prepared for a shock. It doesn't get better than Jake Grafton and Stephen Coonts. Btw I am not a Tom Clancy fan. Waaaaay to wordy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bennett Lahn.
6 reviews
February 1, 2024
Jake Grafton dies. in book 3 of 11? it's a strange choice but he gets a fitting end for someone so cool. don't get me wrong, the action and writing in this book is one point, just like the first two. in isolation, i'd rate it higher. but what happened to the gushing romance of the first two novels, stephen coonts? i'm surprised Jake Grafton didn't die of boredom rather than melee/airplane-kill-induced-G-LOC.

something tells me book 1 and 2 will not be bested....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Andrew.
813 reviews10 followers
March 4, 2020
Recommended. By far the best Jake Grafton novel by Stephen Coonts. Where the first two really felt like a fictionalised autobiography, chapters sort of self-contained, this was an intriguing read with all the hallmarks of a good military/counter terrorist thriller. And a good cliff-hanger at the end, too.
530 reviews5 followers
July 31, 2020
Good and scary at times thinking about how easily a nuclear aircraft carrier was taken over by enemies. I enjoyed, but somewhat confused as to how this series carries on since it appears that the main character is now dead. There are still 7 books in this series. Will be interesting to see how that plays out in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
34 reviews3 followers
September 20, 2022
After series book 1 and 2I re read...

This amazing adventure will capture your mind and soul. It's another amazing plot Of what it could have been or not. I I hope it captures your imagination and this page turner that's hard to put down, Even for another cup of coffee to keep going. Enjoy
6 reviews
Read
March 25, 2023
A very exciting adventure from beginning to end. The capture of the ship by terrorists was quite unbelievable I think. The security on an aircraft carrier ( I hope) would never be that lax. The ending was very sad because the only way to stop the the nukes from getting to the bad guys was for Grafton to ram the plane resulting in his death. An unfortunate end to an exciting series.
Profile Image for Stuart Leopold.
18 reviews
April 2, 2024
Once More In The Cockpit

Stephen Coonts never fails to grab his readers by both of their shoulders and drag them into his stories. One cannot help but feel as though they feel each wave as it rolls the giant carrier through the seas.
Put on your flight suits and strap yourself in for another adventure.
Profile Image for Michael Toleno.
344 reviews1 follower
September 26, 2025
I read this so long ago—at least 30 years—that I have little memory of the book or my reaction to it. When I read descriptions of it, they scarcely ring a bell. This was the second Stephen Coonts book (of four) that I’ve read. I may read more in the future, but I have a few hundred books in line ahead of them.

As with all of my pre-2000 books, the “Date finished” may be a few years off.
75 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2019
Covering the exploits of Jake Grafton as a the Commander Air Group onboard a aircraft carrier, Coonts delightfully blends together the mundane of serving in the armed forces with the excitement of an attempt by terrorists to obtain nuclear weapons.
529 reviews2 followers
May 27, 2022
I really liked the more realistic approach. If both sides have losses makes it believable. However saying that I don’t think the Navy would have foreigners painting the ship or even have access to it. It would have been pulled into a naval port for repairs.
Profile Image for Monzenn.
886 reviews1 follower
February 22, 2023
Great ending to this mini-series with an appropriate ending for its main character. A bit spoiler-y when I read this from several decades forward, so I try to put myself in the shoes of a reader in the late 80s. Too bad the main subject matter is a bit drab for me but enough thrills are there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews

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