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Dewey Andreas #2
Coup D'Etat
Ex-Special Agent Dewey Andreas has retreated to rural Australia to escape the turbulent forces he once fought against. US National Security Advisor, Jessica Tanzer, has her own reasons for wanting him home. But there is someone else who has a much more sinister agenda. Someone who seeks revenge and who will not rest until he finds the man who has ruined his life. Meanwhile in the border region of Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan is escalating. As the situation quickly spins out of control, it becomes clear that world peace is in jeopardy. With just hours to head off disaster, the US President joins forces to help avert a worldwide crisis. There is only one man he can trust to carry out the near impossible task. Can he be found in time, and can he be persuaded to carry out the most difficult and dangerous mission of his career?
479 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2011
907 people are currently reading
2861 people want to read
About the author
Ben Coes
35 books1,791 followersHi and thanks for visiting my Goodreads profile!
I'm a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of international political and espionage thrillers. Nine of these books are part of a series featuring Dewey Andreas, including:
Power Down #1
Coup D'Etat #2
The Last Refuge #3
Eye for an Eye #4
Independence Day #5
Trap the Devil #6
First Strike #7
Bloody Sunday #8
The Russian is the first book in a new spin-off series about the Russian Mafia, starring Rob Tacoma.
My next book The Island comes out this summer and is available for pre-order.
All of my books are based on current events and are strongly influenced by friends who are or were in the military, law enforcement, and intelligence circles.
I went to Columbia College and was awarded the university's highest writing award, the Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction. I was a White House Intern under Ronald Reagan and served as a White House-appointed speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Gulf War. I was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
I lives in Massachusetts with my wife and children.
I hope you'll visit my website and sign-up for my newsletter: https://bencoes.com
Thanks for being a reader!!
I'm a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of international political and espionage thrillers. Nine of these books are part of a series featuring Dewey Andreas, including:
Power Down #1
Coup D'Etat #2
The Last Refuge #3
Eye for an Eye #4
Independence Day #5
Trap the Devil #6
First Strike #7
Bloody Sunday #8
The Russian is the first book in a new spin-off series about the Russian Mafia, starring Rob Tacoma.
My next book The Island comes out this summer and is available for pre-order.
All of my books are based on current events and are strongly influenced by friends who are or were in the military, law enforcement, and intelligence circles.
I went to Columbia College and was awarded the university's highest writing award, the Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction. I was a White House Intern under Ronald Reagan and served as a White House-appointed speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Gulf War. I was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
I lives in Massachusetts with my wife and children.
I hope you'll visit my website and sign-up for my newsletter: https://bencoes.com
Thanks for being a reader!!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 498 reviews
August 3, 2018
Following in the footsteps of giants like Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn, Ben Coes burst onto the publishing scene in 2010 with “Power Down,” which Flynn described as “One of the must-read thrillers of the year.” Coes and his brilliant book “Power Down” hero, Dewey Andreas, are back in fine form in Coes’ latest thriller, “Coup d’Etat.”
When a fragile peace breaks down between Pakistan and India, the United States is forced to intervene. When a rapidly escalating war threatens to engulf the entire region, the president must find a way to shut it down immediately―or else face total destruction for the world at large.
With the clock ticking and Pakistan in the hands of a religious radical willing to do anything and risk everything to achieve his deadly plan, there is only one man with the skills and experience to infiltrate the live war theatre and successfully execute a nearly impossible, unbelievably daring plan. His name: Dewey Andreas. His mission: to remove the Pakistani president from power. Now all the White House has to do is find him…before time runs out.....
After the dramatic ending of “Power Down,” Andreas has left the United States, looking for some peace and quiet working on a ranch in rural Australia, far from the turmoil. But Fortuna’s father, Aswan, is seeking revenge for the death of his son and is using all his vast resources to track down and kill the man responsible for his son’s death – Andreas. And now, Hezbollah assassins hired by Aswan have found him, forcing Andreas to fight for his life against a well-armed and well-trained group of killers. After violently avoiding capture and dispatching most of the assassins, Andreas is ready to flee Australia......
Andreas is a wonderful action hero – strong, courageous, confident and trained in dozens of ways to kill a man. He embodies the best of what we want our soldiers and our heroes to be. It’s no surprise that Coes worked in the White House under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Returning villains, returning heroes, an array of great characters, a lesson in history, a lack of sleep as I read and read to finish this fast paced, action packed rollercoaster of a action thriller.
An epic of a story, as his first book was, Coes keeps the standard and story telling to an immaculate pace,With two great main characters in Dewey Andreas and Jessica Tanzer.
Love these books. Five stars
When a fragile peace breaks down between Pakistan and India, the United States is forced to intervene. When a rapidly escalating war threatens to engulf the entire region, the president must find a way to shut it down immediately―or else face total destruction for the world at large.
With the clock ticking and Pakistan in the hands of a religious radical willing to do anything and risk everything to achieve his deadly plan, there is only one man with the skills and experience to infiltrate the live war theatre and successfully execute a nearly impossible, unbelievably daring plan. His name: Dewey Andreas. His mission: to remove the Pakistani president from power. Now all the White House has to do is find him…before time runs out.....
After the dramatic ending of “Power Down,” Andreas has left the United States, looking for some peace and quiet working on a ranch in rural Australia, far from the turmoil. But Fortuna’s father, Aswan, is seeking revenge for the death of his son and is using all his vast resources to track down and kill the man responsible for his son’s death – Andreas. And now, Hezbollah assassins hired by Aswan have found him, forcing Andreas to fight for his life against a well-armed and well-trained group of killers. After violently avoiding capture and dispatching most of the assassins, Andreas is ready to flee Australia......
Andreas is a wonderful action hero – strong, courageous, confident and trained in dozens of ways to kill a man. He embodies the best of what we want our soldiers and our heroes to be. It’s no surprise that Coes worked in the White House under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Returning villains, returning heroes, an array of great characters, a lesson in history, a lack of sleep as I read and read to finish this fast paced, action packed rollercoaster of a action thriller.
An epic of a story, as his first book was, Coes keeps the standard and story telling to an immaculate pace,With two great main characters in Dewey Andreas and Jessica Tanzer.
Love these books. Five stars
December 30, 2015
Look, I'm saying up front That I'm rating this book on enjoyability, readability and just good story telling. I know that there are some points where you have to have beefed up your "suspension of disbelief muscles. Dewey (our hero) is in the mold of the traditional hero. The "gun fighter", the "demigod" (Hercules etc.), the superhero. He's the hero who shows up or gets dragged into a situation and then triumphs over impossible odds.
So, I'd say don't "fret it" just enjoy.
Here Dewy has moved on from the events of the last novel...physically. Of course he's still "deep, dark, and suffering in silence". That said, his past won't leave him alone. The father of the evil villain he killed in the last book is willing to "burn the world" to get Dewy.
Aside from this he (the villain) is involved with a brewing war that could bring the world into a nuclear confrontation.
And only Dewy can save the world!!!!!
No really, he's the only one, the book says so.
So enjoy.
This book is semi-serious brain candy with it's share of gunfire and explosions. Mr. Coe takes his time setting his story up as he did in the first novel but ties it together well and then gives a satisfying thrill ride.
I like it and can recommend it.
So, I'd say don't "fret it" just enjoy.
Here Dewy has moved on from the events of the last novel...physically. Of course he's still "deep, dark, and suffering in silence". That said, his past won't leave him alone. The father of the evil villain he killed in the last book is willing to "burn the world" to get Dewy.
Aside from this he (the villain) is involved with a brewing war that could bring the world into a nuclear confrontation.
And only Dewy can save the world!!!!!
No really, he's the only one, the book says so.
So enjoy.
This book is semi-serious brain candy with it's share of gunfire and explosions. Mr. Coe takes his time setting his story up as he did in the first novel but ties it together well and then gives a satisfying thrill ride.
I like it and can recommend it.
December 10, 2022
Quick rant. Horrible. Absolutely horrible.
What irritated me first of all, was that that the author apparently thinks all Pakistanis have Persian names. I have never heard 70% of the names he uses for Pakistanis in this book.
As the book progressed, the flaws became glaring. The author's incomplete understanding of the relationship between the Pakistani military and political setup became more and more evident. Why China would intervene in the war militarily was not thrashed out well. It was NEFA and beyond, and just for the heck of it.
The war escalated exponentially just to serve the story. The target of Pakistan's nuclear strike made no military sense. The protagonist is uninteresting. The M203 is a grenade launcher NOT a rifle.
I might add that I have not enjoyed the work of most of the new thriller writers like Vince Flynn and brad Thor etc. So your mileage may vary.
What irritated me first of all, was that that the author apparently thinks all Pakistanis have Persian names. I have never heard 70% of the names he uses for Pakistanis in this book.
As the book progressed, the flaws became glaring. The author's incomplete understanding of the relationship between the Pakistani military and political setup became more and more evident. Why China would intervene in the war militarily was not thrashed out well. It was NEFA and beyond, and just for the heck of it.
The war escalated exponentially just to serve the story. The target of Pakistan's nuclear strike made no military sense. The protagonist is uninteresting. The M203 is a grenade launcher NOT a rifle.
I might add that I have not enjoyed the work of most of the new thriller writers like Vince Flynn and brad Thor etc. So your mileage may vary.
November 22, 2017
I generally don't review books, maybe because I don't feel like passing a judgement on a book/author but I will review this one because of the sheer number of inaccuracies involved, in fact this is the first book I am reviewing on Goodreads. Here's something about me, I have taken special interest in military and strategic sciences, global affairs, foreign policies etc. and have done a lot of study and research in this field. I have always liked plots involving hypothetical war scenarios between India and Pakistan (or any other country for that matter), especially that from an international author, just to see their perspective on Indo-Pak rivalry. Here in this book I must say I am terribly disappointed by the way the author has raked up things. The first thing the author got wrong was that India and the US are not allies, they are partners at most, so I cannot imagine the US coming to India's help, that too militarily. Second, India is not a presidential democracy as is shown in the book, here the Indian President takes all the decisions which is plain wrong, in India the Prime Minister takes all executive decisions and the President acts as a rubber stamp. Third things seem to just happen in this book, an Indian village is attacked, an Indian counterattack happens and suddenly a war starts without realistic scenarios, nuclear bomb is dropped, no international reaction, no diplomatic efforts, bodies fall continuously and no one cares and add to that the fact India goes to US for help instead of its long time strategic partners Russia/France. Fourth, the US doesn't help India because they are allies but because they think that an escalating war between India and Pakistan might push a Chinese military reaction where US may have to defend India by sending foot soldiers which would have been true if it were 1960s or 70s but sadly now China and India are global partners (apart from resolving a few issues). These are just a few shortcomings of many in this book.
In short this book was pathetically researched (I even checked the acknowledgment section and found that the author had not consulted even a single expert on Indo-Pak relations). It has flawed concept of global geopolitics and anyone praising this book has no knowledge of the South Asian political affairs.
In short this book was pathetically researched (I even checked the acknowledgment section and found that the author had not consulted even a single expert on Indo-Pak relations). It has flawed concept of global geopolitics and anyone praising this book has no knowledge of the South Asian political affairs.
September 19, 2012
This is a pretty entertaining 1980's B-movie of a book. I say 1980's because that's the era of entertainment when one handsome, super muscular American special forces Superman could go into a hostile country, kill people wholesale, call in air support to blow up the bad guys, save the world from nuclear war and then go home with the gorgeous, yet single, high-ranking government lady (spoiler!). The bad guys are jihadists. The good guys are good because they are emotionless special forces guys who mercilessly kill said jihadists (which kind of dehumanizes both). Probably 90% of the people given any kind of description in this book end up killed. There are a some things that don't make sense. The hero car-chases the bad guys who have his friend in their car, but then he fires his gun indiscriminantly into the bad guys' car anyway and ends up crashing it into a tree. There are some story lines that are developed and then go nowhere. Ex., a good guy kills some airport customs guys, stashes their bodies, and leaves, demonstrating his infiltration skills I guess. But then some story time is devoted to the subsequent investigation of those killings and the discovery by the foreign country officials that the killer was an America special forces guy. Later an official for the good guys says, don't worry, we took care of that investigation. Great, thanks. The biggest eye-roll came when the good guy states that his bullet is stamped "Made in the USA" in a climactic moment. There are a lot of recent stories and movies giving realistic descriptions of Delta guys, and the Deltas in this story don't fit those descriptions. They do, however, fit right into Arnold and Sly-wannabe movies from the 80's. And those were sometimes pretty entertaining movies.
September 27, 2020
What can I say? The sequel was equally entertaining. A true warrior has to have training, quick thinking, and a certain amount of luck to live very long. Yes, of course, sometimes it seems a bit too amazing that he survives some of the situations he gets himself into or he finds himself in. However we all love a hero and that’s part of the story. They somehow survive, go on to avenge their brothers in arms, and save the world yet again. I’m ok with that. I very much enjoy Dewey Andreas and will keep reading this series.
July 17, 2012
Another great book by Ben Coes!
Coup D'Etat begins roughly a year after the end of the events chronicled in Power Down. Former Delta Force solider Dewey Andreas again serves as the protagonist, and readers will find themselves cheering him on as events rapidly unfold around him while India and Pakistan are teetering on the edge of nuclear war.
Coes has a real gift for descriptive writing, painting vivid pictures of the scenes his characters encounter without crossing the line and allowing his descriptions to overshadow the actual story, as many authors unfortunately are prone to do. An unforgiving deadline hangs over Dewey's head in Coup D'Etat like the sword of Damocles, and the story never lags, consistently flowing along at a great pace from start to finish.
Interestingly enough, even though Dewey is just as ruthlessly effective in accomplishing his objectives as he was in Power Down, Coes has successfully allowed his protagonist to evolve in Coup D'Etat. In so doing, he gives readers occasional glimpses of the soldier's softer side that confirm his bedrock decency and make you root for him even harder.
All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed Coup D'Etat. It could easily be read as a stand-alone book by readers with no prior knowledge of Dewey's escapades in Power Down, but I think it will be appreciated more by those who have previously read the first installment in the series. Moreover, the events depicted in Coup D'Etat flow quite seamlessly into the beginning of the third book in the series (The Last Refuge), which I downloaded and began reading immediately after finishing Coup D'Etat.
Congratulations to Ben Coes for writing such an exciting and worthy sequel to Power Down! I think he has created a great protagonist in Dewey Andreas, and I look forward to reading many more installments in this series as they become available.
Coup D'Etat begins roughly a year after the end of the events chronicled in Power Down. Former Delta Force solider Dewey Andreas again serves as the protagonist, and readers will find themselves cheering him on as events rapidly unfold around him while India and Pakistan are teetering on the edge of nuclear war.
Coes has a real gift for descriptive writing, painting vivid pictures of the scenes his characters encounter without crossing the line and allowing his descriptions to overshadow the actual story, as many authors unfortunately are prone to do. An unforgiving deadline hangs over Dewey's head in Coup D'Etat like the sword of Damocles, and the story never lags, consistently flowing along at a great pace from start to finish.
Interestingly enough, even though Dewey is just as ruthlessly effective in accomplishing his objectives as he was in Power Down, Coes has successfully allowed his protagonist to evolve in Coup D'Etat. In so doing, he gives readers occasional glimpses of the soldier's softer side that confirm his bedrock decency and make you root for him even harder.
All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed Coup D'Etat. It could easily be read as a stand-alone book by readers with no prior knowledge of Dewey's escapades in Power Down, but I think it will be appreciated more by those who have previously read the first installment in the series. Moreover, the events depicted in Coup D'Etat flow quite seamlessly into the beginning of the third book in the series (The Last Refuge), which I downloaded and began reading immediately after finishing Coup D'Etat.
Congratulations to Ben Coes for writing such an exciting and worthy sequel to Power Down! I think he has created a great protagonist in Dewey Andreas, and I look forward to reading many more installments in this series as they become available.
May 5, 2015
This book was enormously disappointing. I really enjoyed Coes' first book and this one was pretty highly rated in Goodreads.
I will be brief,as it deserves no more:
- good premise
- Dewey Andreas is a solid super agent main character
- positively ridiculous National Security Advisor, more like a love sick teenager
- weak plot in that it was so impossible, it makes Alice in Wonderful seem realistic
- most of the other characters were plausible
You may be asking yourself why I gave it two stars. The premise was so well done that I had to give Coes some credit.
On my pure enjoyment scale where 1 = crap that I could not finish and 10 = I couldn't wait to get back to it each evening, I give Coup D'état a 3.
I will be brief,as it deserves no more:
- good premise
- Dewey Andreas is a solid super agent main character
- positively ridiculous National Security Advisor, more like a love sick teenager
- weak plot in that it was so impossible, it makes Alice in Wonderful seem realistic
- most of the other characters were plausible
You may be asking yourself why I gave it two stars. The premise was so well done that I had to give Coes some credit.
On my pure enjoyment scale where 1 = crap that I could not finish and 10 = I couldn't wait to get back to it each evening, I give Coup D'état a 3.
July 24, 2013
This is a superb thriller, written with a deft hand, an excellent understanding of global geopolitics, and crackling action. If you only read one thriller in the next year, it should be Coup D'Etat. I look forward to reading Coes' third book.
January 14, 2016
Dewey Anndreas makes Mitch Rapp and Jack Reacher look like girlie-boys! If you are looking for non-stop action,this book is for you!
July 13, 2020
It pains me to give this book only 2 stars, but ultimately, this was just okay for me. It isn't often that I'm baffled by all of the 5 star reviews, but that is where I am at with this one. I enjoy reading books by this author, Ben Coes. I particularly enjoy the MC, Dewey Andreas, in this series. What I like the most are the intricacies in the plot. The author has a solid grasp on elevation and action. But there were other things that worked against that.
First, this felt a little fragmented. It was all over the map, with one thing sort of linking up with the next thing. But that is no big deal to me. What was a big deal, was the dialogue. It didn't feel authentic at all, and it was painful to read. Often times it felt like it was written by a group of 7th grade boys, complete with 7th grade insults. The terrorists were portrayed as bumbling idiots with the vocabulary to match. That caused some eye rolling on my part. But I will still read this author, and I will still read any Dewey Andreas books.
First, this felt a little fragmented. It was all over the map, with one thing sort of linking up with the next thing. But that is no big deal to me. What was a big deal, was the dialogue. It didn't feel authentic at all, and it was painful to read. Often times it felt like it was written by a group of 7th grade boys, complete with 7th grade insults. The terrorists were portrayed as bumbling idiots with the vocabulary to match. That caused some eye rolling on my part. But I will still read this author, and I will still read any Dewey Andreas books.
December 9, 2021
This one was better than the first and there is plenty more of this story to come. Andreas and Coes rock. It took me too long to get to these stories but I’m officially hooked two books in.
This one had it all. War, revenge, mystery and a ton of thrills. Can’t wait for the next one.
This one had it all. War, revenge, mystery and a ton of thrills. Can’t wait for the next one.
March 21, 2019
My 2nd Dewey Andreas book within the past four months. I am getting hooked on this character. Lots of action. Political intrigue as well. Special ops, CIA, terrorists, and the all too real scenario of nuclear war and how easily things could escalate out of control. I have already checked and my digital library has the next book in this series: The Last Refuge (in fact they have all 8 titles so far).
August 10, 2016
The ending could have been better as Dewey did not get to fulfill a promise. 8 of 10 stars
August 22, 2021
Looking at some of the ratings, it's two stars, 5 stars, two stars, 5 stars, two stars...Somebody doesn't know what they're talking about.
I like how Ben Coes plays with names. Menachem Dayan( an amalgam of Moshe Dayan and Menachem Begin) Meir, and Archibald McCleish! But not the poet Archibald MacLeish. Dewey Andreas is the Timex watch of thrillers. He takes a licking and keeps on ticking. There were victims galore in this I wonder if anyone is keeping track of all the bad guys Dewey has sent off.
I like how Ben Coes plays with names. Menachem Dayan( an amalgam of Moshe Dayan and Menachem Begin) Meir, and Archibald McCleish! But not the poet Archibald MacLeish. Dewey Andreas is the Timex watch of thrillers. He takes a licking and keeps on ticking. There were victims galore in this I wonder if anyone is keeping track of all the bad guys Dewey has sent off.
October 17, 2011
"Coup D'Etat" is a thriller that is so realistic that it could have been taken from a futuristic newspaper reporting on a doomsday scenario.
Omar El-Khayali, a radical cleric, has been elected president of Pakistan benefiting from millions of dollars from militant Aswan Fortuna. Fortuna hopes that with his puppet in Pakistan and with the philosophy of the president of Iran, the countries would work together against Israel, the U.S. and India.
Dewey Andreas is in Australia, wanting a normal life after he helped thwart a terrorist plot in "Down Under." He killed Fortuna's son and now there are teams of killers looking for Dewey.
In the land between Pakistan and India, a minor skermish escallates into a major conflict with India. The situation rapidly escallates out of control as India seems ready to unleash their arsonal of nuclear weapons against Pakistan. The U.S. fears that this might lead to China coming into the conflict and the U.S. would have to step in to defend India.
The only suggestion for avoiding a nuclear showdown is a coup d'etat and Dewey and a small team is asked to carry it out.
This is a wonderful story that had me leaving other tasks to return to the book to see how the story was progressing. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it to others.
Omar El-Khayali, a radical cleric, has been elected president of Pakistan benefiting from millions of dollars from militant Aswan Fortuna. Fortuna hopes that with his puppet in Pakistan and with the philosophy of the president of Iran, the countries would work together against Israel, the U.S. and India.
Dewey Andreas is in Australia, wanting a normal life after he helped thwart a terrorist plot in "Down Under." He killed Fortuna's son and now there are teams of killers looking for Dewey.
In the land between Pakistan and India, a minor skermish escallates into a major conflict with India. The situation rapidly escallates out of control as India seems ready to unleash their arsonal of nuclear weapons against Pakistan. The U.S. fears that this might lead to China coming into the conflict and the U.S. would have to step in to defend India.
The only suggestion for avoiding a nuclear showdown is a coup d'etat and Dewey and a small team is asked to carry it out.
This is a wonderful story that had me leaving other tasks to return to the book to see how the story was progressing. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it to others.
December 5, 2012
I don’t know which I enjoyed more - Ben Coes’ intricate plot or his hero, Dewey Andreas!
If you ever wondered how a nuclear war would start, this provides the answer…SCARY! It’s not too hard to image radical Islam exacerbating a dispute between Pakistan and India. Image further the impact on China and the US.
Dewey Andreas is phenomenal. Delta trained and, more important, a patriot. A Medal of Honor recipient who again answers his country’s call – and likely a suicide mission.
I also found it interesting that Coes is able to share the heroics with other characters without diminishing Andreas. The author is thus able to explores the character of an elite class of warriors.
I enjoyed this as much as any Mitch Rapp thriller.
If you ever wondered how a nuclear war would start, this provides the answer…SCARY! It’s not too hard to image radical Islam exacerbating a dispute between Pakistan and India. Image further the impact on China and the US.
Dewey Andreas is phenomenal. Delta trained and, more important, a patriot. A Medal of Honor recipient who again answers his country’s call – and likely a suicide mission.
I also found it interesting that Coes is able to share the heroics with other characters without diminishing Andreas. The author is thus able to explores the character of an elite class of warriors.
I enjoyed this as much as any Mitch Rapp thriller.
April 30, 2017
Let me be blunt and say this book piece of garbage and shouldn't be read. I don't understand why this book is highly rated here. Let me tell you why this book isn't worth reading.
The sheer amount of lack of research baffles me. Looks like the author didn't bother to do any kind of research and just wrote whatever he can imagine. India and America are not allies, Russia is. India doesn't have presidential form of government. And what the fuck is with selection of names? Bolin? Seriously? How delusional of him to think that a muslim country's top head would have a christian name. And how the fuck small incident turned into a full fledged war, nuclear bomb dropped etc. What happened to good old diplomacy and back channelling?
Not worth reading.
The sheer amount of lack of research baffles me. Looks like the author didn't bother to do any kind of research and just wrote whatever he can imagine. India and America are not allies, Russia is. India doesn't have presidential form of government. And what the fuck is with selection of names? Bolin? Seriously? How delusional of him to think that a muslim country's top head would have a christian name. And how the fuck small incident turned into a full fledged war, nuclear bomb dropped etc. What happened to good old diplomacy and back channelling?
Not worth reading.
June 17, 2012
The author explores the implications of another war between India and Pakistan and how it will alter the geo-political scenario in the Indian sub continent.
I must say the assessment brings out the very much real possibility of China chipping in to fish in troubled waters and the US having to intervene as a result.
Pakistan in the hands of Jihadists could always be dangerous and make the area unstable. The author manages to analyze exhaustively the essential realities through this book.
Highly readable.
I must say the assessment brings out the very much real possibility of China chipping in to fish in troubled waters and the US having to intervene as a result.
Pakistan in the hands of Jihadists could always be dangerous and make the area unstable. The author manages to analyze exhaustively the essential realities through this book.
Highly readable.
October 9, 2012
Extremely poor research. I wonder where he came up with names for the Indian and Pakistani characters. No truck driver in India earns $100 a day!! And no bowling alley and pool hall are not found in mining villages in India.
That said, it's a good thriller, I enjoyed the story and characters. I think I might have enjoyed it more had I not been from India and had I not kept going "what?" everytime there was a new Indian name mentioned.
So again, good read, seriously bad research.
That said, it's a good thriller, I enjoyed the story and characters. I think I might have enjoyed it more had I not been from India and had I not kept going "what?" everytime there was a new Indian name mentioned.
So again, good read, seriously bad research.
October 9, 2011
I wasn't sure being speechwriter for George H.W. Bush qualified Ben Coes to be a thriller author, but Vince Flynn's recommendation--that Coup D'etat (St. Martin's Press 2011) is "one of the must-read thrillers of the year"--encouraged me to try this political insider-turned-writer. I'm glad I did.
The story starts in Australia on what some call a ranch, but they call a 'station'. Coes' description of the setting told me a lot about his writing skills: "The terrain was empty and lifeless for as far as the eye could see. A few large, bulbous clouds sat lazily to the west, just seeming to rest off to the side of the light blue sky. It was almost silent, with only the occasional exhale from Deravelle..." Anyone who can describe land this well deserves at least a few more pages. Coes' wordsmithing powers go well beyond settings, to the people and culture of exotic areas--"An old man... his brown face deeply creased by nearly a century of wind and sun...appeared as part of the land..."
Coup D'etat is the story of Dewey Andreas, a top-notch Special Forces agent hunted so virulently by people from his past, he's forced to hide out in the remote Australian outback, which is as far as he can get from his girlfriend and the world he loves just to keep them safe. But his enemies find him and he realizes that the only way he can truly escape is by doing one more mission for his country, this one to stop nuclear destruction at the hands of Pakistan and India. To stop the two nations from destroying the world in their bi-national feud, Andreas must defeat those who will go to any lengths to kill him. Coes does a superb job (to my apolitical mind) of analyzing the politics and mindsets behind Pakistan and India's steps to the brink of a worldwide nuclear conflict, weaving the plot threads until they come together in a satisfying frightening conclusion.
This is Coes' second book with this main character. Andreas is an appealing hero, strong but harshly damaged by his past, sincere but untrusting. There is a sadness about him that permeates everything he does, a lack of joy for the world he has helped to protect. Little by little, we learn why Andreas is hiding from terrorists in Australia and the huge price he has paid to protect his country. He's that character all patriotic readers can relate to--a man with enough talent and smarts that he can put his country over everything else, step into the breech and succeed. My only complaint is that Andreas doesn't get enough time in the early chapters. About the time it really started annoying me, Coes' foundation material was through and Andreas moved into the spotlight. Good timing.
Overall, a good thriller with a unique main character. I'll be reading each new book Coes publishes.
The story starts in Australia on what some call a ranch, but they call a 'station'. Coes' description of the setting told me a lot about his writing skills: "The terrain was empty and lifeless for as far as the eye could see. A few large, bulbous clouds sat lazily to the west, just seeming to rest off to the side of the light blue sky. It was almost silent, with only the occasional exhale from Deravelle..." Anyone who can describe land this well deserves at least a few more pages. Coes' wordsmithing powers go well beyond settings, to the people and culture of exotic areas--"An old man... his brown face deeply creased by nearly a century of wind and sun...appeared as part of the land..."
Coup D'etat is the story of Dewey Andreas, a top-notch Special Forces agent hunted so virulently by people from his past, he's forced to hide out in the remote Australian outback, which is as far as he can get from his girlfriend and the world he loves just to keep them safe. But his enemies find him and he realizes that the only way he can truly escape is by doing one more mission for his country, this one to stop nuclear destruction at the hands of Pakistan and India. To stop the two nations from destroying the world in their bi-national feud, Andreas must defeat those who will go to any lengths to kill him. Coes does a superb job (to my apolitical mind) of analyzing the politics and mindsets behind Pakistan and India's steps to the brink of a worldwide nuclear conflict, weaving the plot threads until they come together in a satisfying frightening conclusion.
This is Coes' second book with this main character. Andreas is an appealing hero, strong but harshly damaged by his past, sincere but untrusting. There is a sadness about him that permeates everything he does, a lack of joy for the world he has helped to protect. Little by little, we learn why Andreas is hiding from terrorists in Australia and the huge price he has paid to protect his country. He's that character all patriotic readers can relate to--a man with enough talent and smarts that he can put his country over everything else, step into the breech and succeed. My only complaint is that Andreas doesn't get enough time in the early chapters. About the time it really started annoying me, Coes' foundation material was through and Andreas moved into the spotlight. Good timing.
Overall, a good thriller with a unique main character. I'll be reading each new book Coes publishes.
August 29, 2017
After getting hooked on the Alex Berenson, 'John Wells' series, but finishing all the available books, this one caught my eye as I was prowling through Barnes& Noble.
The story centers around Dewey Andreas and ex-Delta, who is drawn back into a pressing conflict between Pakistan and India. He is sent in to execute a coup d'etat. Dewey is no John Wells, he is not as thoughtful or multi-faceted. He is a full-on soldier, body and mind. I am as far removed from being like Dewey or, for that matter, Wells, so it was odd that I got so drawn into these stories. But then again, I don't really want to identify with them. In theory or course, most people will identify with aspects of Dewey's character, mostly the wish to protect people we care for. Dewey lives for that very purpose, only a much heightened version. He tasks himself with the responsibility of protecting an entire nation. At times, I felt it was all a bit much. One man saves the world, but it's a story and a fast-paced, entertaining, and scary one at that. I was a bit concerned, knowing that the author worked for both Bush and Romney, that there would be a very blatant focus on conservative politics, but this wasn't the case. I think readers of thrillers with enjoy this.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
The story centers around Dewey Andreas and ex-Delta, who is drawn back into a pressing conflict between Pakistan and India. He is sent in to execute a coup d'etat. Dewey is no John Wells, he is not as thoughtful or multi-faceted. He is a full-on soldier, body and mind. I am as far removed from being like Dewey or, for that matter, Wells, so it was odd that I got so drawn into these stories. But then again, I don't really want to identify with them. In theory or course, most people will identify with aspects of Dewey's character, mostly the wish to protect people we care for. Dewey lives for that very purpose, only a much heightened version. He tasks himself with the responsibility of protecting an entire nation. At times, I felt it was all a bit much. One man saves the world, but it's a story and a fast-paced, entertaining, and scary one at that. I was a bit concerned, knowing that the author worked for both Bush and Romney, that there would be a very blatant focus on conservative politics, but this wasn't the case. I think readers of thrillers with enjoy this.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
October 29, 2012
Another sensational political thriller. Coes has outdone himself in his second book, which, literally, picks up where the first left off. Coes continues to paint excellent images of the characters, a complex set of story lines, and interweaves them all together to make another action-packed book. Each sentence appears to push the story forward and each chapter progresses the larger story together. There is little time and space for waste and Coes knows that all too well. With numerous plots running parallel, Coes does what few can effectively; he pushes them all together and finishes their thread, not cutting it off when the 'main' story seems resolved. This makes for a much more interesting and complex story.
I much prefer the continuity between books, which Coes has mastered (and Joel C. Rosenberg introduced me to in his recent series). It is as though one book flows into the next. True, I can read the first three back to back to back, which makes it easier to feel this flow, but still, Coes lets the reader know that there is nothing 'in between' that really needs a backstory to properly tell the tale.
Amazing, Mr. Coes. You are surely the diamond in the political thriller ruff for which I have sought over the past few years. Keep it up!
I much prefer the continuity between books, which Coes has mastered (and Joel C. Rosenberg introduced me to in his recent series). It is as though one book flows into the next. True, I can read the first three back to back to back, which makes it easier to feel this flow, but still, Coes lets the reader know that there is nothing 'in between' that really needs a backstory to properly tell the tale.
Amazing, Mr. Coes. You are surely the diamond in the political thriller ruff for which I have sought over the past few years. Keep it up!
April 28, 2012
A fast moving, exciting second novel by this author. Ripped from today's headlines, this story is timely and accurate. The good guys are really good and the bad guys are awful. The bravery that is depicted in this novel inspires us to remember the service members who are protecting us every day. The tribute to the Israeli Special Forces is a credit to the author who understands the critical need for mutual assistance.
June 23, 2015
Not recommended. At least half again too long. Too much detail on guns, ammo, vehicles, etc. If I was reading this book, I could have skimmed, but I was listening to the audio version and was not happy.
June 1, 2021
3.5 stars, a good read.
May 17, 2021
This being my first Ben Coes, I didn't have much of expectation, but I am completely a fan of him now. I particularly love this genre of books.
The reason I read fiction is to get entertained. This one definitely met that expectation. I liked the speed of the story. It never stalls you when you are reading it. Another reason I picked this one is because it is based on the long standing conflict between India and Pakistan. The author has beautifully explained how a small incident can escalate to a global event. The books has explained the dangers of having religious extremist at the helm of the country. If that country is a nuclear power, then only solution to avoid complete annihilation is Coup d'Etat .
Few parts of the story are exaggerated. I never imagined a US president traveling to a country which is under imminent nuclear threat. I also did not understand the author's narrative of china actively stepping into Indo-Pak war. I expected a bit more drama in the coup execution but apart from few setbacks it was little predictable.
As an Indian, I spotted one gap in the book. The author painted India's President as a supreme authority to take decisions on war. But in reality, Indian president is bound to act based on recommendations of Union council of Minister's headed by Prime minister. The Prime Minister is almost non-existent in this plot. Something author should have researched.
In the end, barring this shortcomings, I would still recommend this book because it truly is entertaining.
The reason I read fiction is to get entertained. This one definitely met that expectation. I liked the speed of the story. It never stalls you when you are reading it. Another reason I picked this one is because it is based on the long standing conflict between India and Pakistan. The author has beautifully explained how a small incident can escalate to a global event. The books has explained the dangers of having religious extremist at the helm of the country. If that country is a nuclear power, then only solution to avoid complete annihilation is Coup d'Etat .
Few parts of the story are exaggerated. I never imagined a US president traveling to a country which is under imminent nuclear threat. I also did not understand the author's narrative of china actively stepping into Indo-Pak war. I expected a bit more drama in the coup execution but apart from few setbacks it was little predictable.
As an Indian, I spotted one gap in the book. The author painted India's President as a supreme authority to take decisions on war. But in reality, Indian president is bound to act based on recommendations of Union council of Minister's headed by Prime minister. The Prime Minister is almost non-existent in this plot. Something author should have researched.
In the end, barring this shortcomings, I would still recommend this book because it truly is entertaining.
November 28, 2022
I've read other reviews that mention the inaccuracies in regards to the political alliances and policies of this book. I, frankly, don't care. I'm not referencing this book for any research papers or to increase my political acumen. I read the book to follow a protagonist that I love from an author that has become one of my favorite authors over the years.
If you are a fan of Vince Flynn or Brad Thor-style books, you will love this series. Great action. Very well developed characters.
Coes is my favorite bad-a** protagonist writer.
If you are a fan of Vince Flynn or Brad Thor-style books, you will love this series. Great action. Very well developed characters.
Coes is my favorite bad-a** protagonist writer.
May 19, 2020
I picked it randomly after reading the back cover in a book fair as it was on offer but got lucky for sure!
An American author writing about an India- Pakistan fight is not usual so it gives a different feel to the story for sure!
A full throttle entertaining read. Good storytelling , action filled keeping you in anticipation as you read. I just never know what to expect or how the story will end. If you enjoy action thrillers then this is for you, you will not be disappointed.
An American author writing about an India- Pakistan fight is not usual so it gives a different feel to the story for sure!
A full throttle entertaining read. Good storytelling , action filled keeping you in anticipation as you read. I just never know what to expect or how the story will end. If you enjoy action thrillers then this is for you, you will not be disappointed.
March 31, 2022
While I did enjoy Coup d'Etat, I found it glossed over sections that I would have loved to have read in depth... to avoid spoilers, I will just say the last 10% of the novel. However, that aside, I love Ben's writing and story progression. At times my heart felt like it was running a race as the story drew me in, and the tension rose. Exactly what I want in a story. Looking forward to book three in the series.
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