The Red Effect

Cold War #1

by Harvey Black

1983: The Cold War has been in existence since the end of World War Two. Although tensions have always been fraught between the Western nations and the members of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, common sense has prevailed.
Until, as a consequence of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, the shooting down of a Korean passenger aircraft in 1983, and the relentless build up of Soviet military strength, everything is about to change.

In a panoramic novel, readers travel from centres of power to the front lines – a war is brewing and events are happening at every angle.Is the Cold War about to turn hot? Can NATO forces endure a mass strike by thousands of Soviet tanks? Can the West survive?

Follow the series of gripping events that culminated in ‘The Red Effect’, in the firstinstalmentof Harvey Black’sThe Cold War trilogy.

Genres: Fiction, Military Fiction, War, Historical Fiction

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2013

About the author

Now a writer, Harvey served with British Army Intelligence. His experience ranges from covert surveillance in Northern Ireland to Communist East Berlin during the cold war.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staggering detail and very realistic interplay between the characters. Harvey Black's geopolitical survey is beautifully intertwined with the personal stories of his characters.

As I have a services background, many of the scenarios were very familiar, but the detail may perhaps make the story a little inaccessible to a wider public. But he builds tension relentlessly and you desperately care what is going to happen.

I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Skloodzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok.

The author needs to stop having non-British characters use 'britishims' in their language, though. Americans don't say 'kit' or 'bugger' or 'chap'.

[Derk West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this a five star rating but, unfortunately , there just wasn't enough action. This book is a large build up of the military with a few action scenes thrown in. That being said, towards the end of the book, the action steps up and delivers. I will read the second book (I already have it) and I hope it continues. There is a lot of military jargon and acronyms that may throw off quite a few readers. Enjoy!

[Daniel Hutmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read.

this was a good read. it covers the ground units on both sides as they prepare for war and then as it starts. I can't wait to read the other two books in the series.

[R Daddio · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word... OUTSTANDING! Can't wait for the next installment.

[Virdomarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many divisions \ regiments etc to keep track of. A disjointed story, with mainly poor characters.
The plot is OK though

[Joe D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard reading a book of this topic (WWIII soviet invasion of Europe) and not compare it to Red Storm Rising (Tom Clancy). In that comparison, this book doesn't do very well. The Red Effect seems to care more about what unit/brigade/division everybody belonged to than character development or storyline. Maybe I would have liked it better if I had a map of Germany open at all times while reading it. If you don't know where these towns are, it loses any significance that they represent. Besides that though, these types of stories provide tense situations that make you read them quickly (if you like these types of books) and I still finished the series.

[Will Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but in the end it amounted to a book about nothing. There were whole swathes which didn't seem to have a point. The entire book could have been compressed to 150 pages without any great loss.

[Renaat · Rating 2 out of 5]

To slow going for me.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good alternative history of the Third World War, although not up to the standard of the Armageddon Song Series by Andy Farman. Still pretty good & worth a read if you like this type of book