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Collateral Damage - Red Flag
Love Story and a Techno Thriller, Military Romance Story - Book One of Collateral Damage Series. Faced Paced Action as Lovers Trapped in War Zone Gloria Wang and Alex Swift met at UCLA. A contemporary romance follows. One more of convenience than love. The relationship changes as Gloria and Alex visit Taiwan to attend a wedding. Set in 2020 China invades Taiwan. They become collateral damage and form a loving relationship as they struggle to survive under war conditions. You Need To Read This Book Because: You want to be entertained. You like exciting techno thriller action You like romance. You especially like war romance You like strong, believable male and female characters. Because your time is valuable and you don't like fluff - Novella is 31300 words Fast Paced Page Turner Review by Readingcamel --- Collateral Damage - Red Flag projects an all-too-possible future situation involving China's desire to reunite Taiwan as part of the PRC. The compelling story unfolds through shifts in points of view as different characters become the first person speaker. Because of excellent clarity of locations and times, this does not lead to any confusion on the reader's part, and makes for an enjoyable, fast-paced read. Review by Dangrdav --- Mr Greene has delivered another page turner. Now Mr. Green gives us a look at the world just a few years from now. The Chinese want their "renegade province" back and are willing to risk war with the United States. The US navy has been the best in the world for 70 years but now a new weapons system could change the balance of power.
164 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2013
8 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Greene
13 books27 followersI’ve had an interesting life. I suppose that’s why a couple years ago I started writing. I’ve had an interest since grade school. Growing up I was a dedicated reader. I read many of the classics, from Moby Dick to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
My grandmother had the full collection of Ernest Hemingway on her bookshelves. I read them all. I was hooked on going to libraries.I’d spend hours browsing the shelves. I read The Count of Monte Cristo, The Odyssey, anything by Jack London. Later in life I became a Tom Clancy fan.
As I aged, I realized I’ve seen a lot and done a lot, both good and bad. I thought I might as well write some of it down, before I forget it all.)
I grew up as an Air Force brat. As a ten and eleven years old I lived in Japan for 18 months. This was during the Korean War. The war ended in 1953 (not really, a cease fire took place) so my step dad was rotated back to the States. I had no choice, but to return with him. I liked Japan.
We weren’t in the States for long. In 1955 we went to Chateuroux, France. We were in France for three years. I hated to leave. I was a high school sophomore, a football star, a big fish in a small pond. How many young American teenagers get to walk down the Champs–Élysées and drink Cognac in sports bars. I really liked France.
Fast forward a few years and I was attending Georgia Tech part time and working at Western Electric as an Engineering Associate. I was bummed out to get a draft notice. Like Mohammad Ali, I had no quarrel with the yellow man. I thought the war a huge mistake.
To beat the draft I joined a Navy Reserve unit located at the Ga. Tech campus. I joined with a good friend who said we should apply for the Seabees. We didn’t know it at the time, but that was like purchasing a trip to Vietnam and being in the field with the Marine Corps. We ended up in the same squad in Vietnam.
With all this military stuff going on, it’s no wonder I’ve gravitated toward writing techno thrillers. I guess military life is in my blood. During World War 11 my dad was a Sergeant in the Army Air Corps. He didn’t make it. In 1944 the B-24 heavy bomber he was a gunner on was shot down over Germany. By a cruel twist of fate, it was on my second birthday.
My writing reflects my military experiences and thoughts about military life. Few wars are necessary. Often they take place by a series of mistakes and miscalculations. Once started there is no good or easy way out. I write about the harm war brings to so many people.
I respect the military and military families. They often face great hardship so the majority of the American public can continue with their shopping, TV watching, overeating, or whatever the current fad may be.
I respect few current politicians. Most only play to their base. Since the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, that base has narrowed. Now they listen only to those who can write a big check. The money men, pandering politicians, and the circle of 1% elite, are the ones who send young men and women to war. I’m sure this lack of respect shows up in my writing.
But, no way I’m giving up on America. As Winston Churchill once said, “The Americans will always do the right thing… after they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.”
My grandmother had the full collection of Ernest Hemingway on her bookshelves. I read them all. I was hooked on going to libraries.I’d spend hours browsing the shelves. I read The Count of Monte Cristo, The Odyssey, anything by Jack London. Later in life I became a Tom Clancy fan.
As I aged, I realized I’ve seen a lot and done a lot, both good and bad. I thought I might as well write some of it down, before I forget it all.)
I grew up as an Air Force brat. As a ten and eleven years old I lived in Japan for 18 months. This was during the Korean War. The war ended in 1953 (not really, a cease fire took place) so my step dad was rotated back to the States. I had no choice, but to return with him. I liked Japan.
We weren’t in the States for long. In 1955 we went to Chateuroux, France. We were in France for three years. I hated to leave. I was a high school sophomore, a football star, a big fish in a small pond. How many young American teenagers get to walk down the Champs–Élysées and drink Cognac in sports bars. I really liked France.
Fast forward a few years and I was attending Georgia Tech part time and working at Western Electric as an Engineering Associate. I was bummed out to get a draft notice. Like Mohammad Ali, I had no quarrel with the yellow man. I thought the war a huge mistake.
To beat the draft I joined a Navy Reserve unit located at the Ga. Tech campus. I joined with a good friend who said we should apply for the Seabees. We didn’t know it at the time, but that was like purchasing a trip to Vietnam and being in the field with the Marine Corps. We ended up in the same squad in Vietnam.
With all this military stuff going on, it’s no wonder I’ve gravitated toward writing techno thrillers. I guess military life is in my blood. During World War 11 my dad was a Sergeant in the Army Air Corps. He didn’t make it. In 1944 the B-24 heavy bomber he was a gunner on was shot down over Germany. By a cruel twist of fate, it was on my second birthday.
My writing reflects my military experiences and thoughts about military life. Few wars are necessary. Often they take place by a series of mistakes and miscalculations. Once started there is no good or easy way out. I write about the harm war brings to so many people.
I respect the military and military families. They often face great hardship so the majority of the American public can continue with their shopping, TV watching, overeating, or whatever the current fad may be.
I respect few current politicians. Most only play to their base. Since the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, that base has narrowed. Now they listen only to those who can write a big check. The money men, pandering politicians, and the circle of 1% elite, are the ones who send young men and women to war. I’m sure this lack of respect shows up in my writing.
But, no way I’m giving up on America. As Winston Churchill once said, “The Americans will always do the right thing… after they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.”
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 26, 2014
I was quite taken with the concept of this near-future techno thriller. If you think China plans to take over the world with cheap consumer goods, this novella paints a totally different picture. It’s chilling, and as a piece of fiction, reads believably.
The romance story that underpins the events of the book creates a nice contrast to the military and political aspects of the story. Lovers Alex and Gloria are the collateral damage to which the title refers - two people that have their lives irrevocably changed by war, as so many innocent people do.
The book is told in a mixture of narrative styles, with different characters and technical insight into the mechanics of modern warfare. It almost has a documentary feel about it. The first missile strike outside the Drunken Chicken restaurant early in the book is vividly described, sudden and brutal. This is not a book that glorifies warfare in any way. There’s rather a nice line near the end that sums it up: “War creates misery for every living creature.”
I received a free copy of this interesting and thought-provoking book in exchange for an honest non-reciprocal review.
The romance story that underpins the events of the book creates a nice contrast to the military and political aspects of the story. Lovers Alex and Gloria are the collateral damage to which the title refers - two people that have their lives irrevocably changed by war, as so many innocent people do.
The book is told in a mixture of narrative styles, with different characters and technical insight into the mechanics of modern warfare. It almost has a documentary feel about it. The first missile strike outside the Drunken Chicken restaurant early in the book is vividly described, sudden and brutal. This is not a book that glorifies warfare in any way. There’s rather a nice line near the end that sums it up: “War creates misery for every living creature.”
I received a free copy of this interesting and thought-provoking book in exchange for an honest non-reciprocal review.
June 13, 2014
Gerald Greene writes with the authenticity of his service as a Vietnam War Veteran. Wars usually sprawl and scatter its spawned horrors. The author gathers with impressive skill some of those remnants of war, condensing them into Collateral Damage: Red Flag. He even manages to run the fragile thread of romance through his military thriller.
Although the author shows the reader mercy by toning down the gore of war, he plots the right amount of shocks and surprises to make a believer out of the reader that yes, a future that horrible is quite possible. New readers to military thrillers will appreciate Greene’s smoothly developed plot of events. But make no mistake, each event becomes more believable as one pages through his story.
The author anchors the plot of CD through different first-person perspectives, which left me with an array of emotions to sort through as different individuals moved the story forward. CD is tightly written, but when I finished it, I knew CD was a lit fuse leading to the author’s other nine novels, just waiting to erupt, page by page.
Mission accomplished, Mr. Greene! Collateral Damage gave me an afternoon of Five-Star entertainment. And your Vietnam War service is greatly appreciated!
Although the author shows the reader mercy by toning down the gore of war, he plots the right amount of shocks and surprises to make a believer out of the reader that yes, a future that horrible is quite possible. New readers to military thrillers will appreciate Greene’s smoothly developed plot of events. But make no mistake, each event becomes more believable as one pages through his story.
The author anchors the plot of CD through different first-person perspectives, which left me with an array of emotions to sort through as different individuals moved the story forward. CD is tightly written, but when I finished it, I knew CD was a lit fuse leading to the author’s other nine novels, just waiting to erupt, page by page.
Mission accomplished, Mr. Greene! Collateral Damage gave me an afternoon of Five-Star entertainment. And your Vietnam War service is greatly appreciated!
July 15, 2014
This short novella (about 56 pages in length) is set in 2020, and postulates what a conflict between China, the US and Taiwan would be like with advanced weapons technology.
I started off reading with great enthusiasm, as this sort of thing is right up my street. Although there is military action and drama, I wasn't hooked. This book just did not manage to hold my attention. In many, many, many places it reads like an essay--even within some dialogue episodes. It feels like the author is giving a lecture, not a fictional feast.
The punctuation is lacking, and there are many clumsy sentences as a result. One example is:
Once in a shitty grimy village near Kabul, Afghanistan a car bomb detonated with my tank crew and me standing only 100 feet from the explosion.
and:
She slipped into bed and pouting propped up on pillows, covers pulled up only to her navel.
There is far too much telling in this novella, and nowhere near enough showing.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just needs too much work. It is full of split infinitives and poor punctuation. It is also written in a passive writing style. This book is in need of a comprehensive edit. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars, which will be upgraded to a weak 3 for posting purposes.
I started off reading with great enthusiasm, as this sort of thing is right up my street. Although there is military action and drama, I wasn't hooked. This book just did not manage to hold my attention. In many, many, many places it reads like an essay--even within some dialogue episodes. It feels like the author is giving a lecture, not a fictional feast.
The punctuation is lacking, and there are many clumsy sentences as a result. One example is:
Once in a shitty grimy village near Kabul, Afghanistan a car bomb detonated with my tank crew and me standing only 100 feet from the explosion.
and:
She slipped into bed and pouting propped up on pillows, covers pulled up only to her navel.
There is far too much telling in this novella, and nowhere near enough showing.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just needs too much work. It is full of split infinitives and poor punctuation. It is also written in a passive writing style. This book is in need of a comprehensive edit. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars, which will be upgraded to a weak 3 for posting purposes.
July 12, 2016
This was a fairly entertaining read, but it had a lot of rough edges that bothered me. The concept and execution of the main plot felt derived more from a cold war dynamic that doesn't exist in contemporary politics, and didn't quite seem to fit with the political players and plotline laid out. And I suppose that initial burst of skepticism carried through into my interpretations of the characters. They never really quite felt dimensional to me, and the exposition in the first few chapters felt too heavy. The dialogue didn't flow as evenly as I'd like. It wasn't a bad read, but I thought it could have been better with more polish to the dialogue and characterizations. If you enjoy mainstream or classic thrillers, you'll have a lot of fun with this. It wasn't quite my cup of tea, though.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 7, 2013
Fast paced and intense Collateral Damage - Red Flag explores the trauma of a young couple trapped in a war zone when China invades Taiwan. They came to Taiwan to take part in a wedding and instead of joy and fun experience suffering and grief.
At times funny, at times brutal, the novella (27300) words is an interesting mix of techno thriller action and romance.
At times funny, at times brutal, the novella (27300) words is an interesting mix of techno thriller action and romance.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews