The Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact’s pre-emptive strike against the West, supported by the use of chemical weapons, has left NATO forces stunned. Although reinforcements continue to arrive in theatre from all the NATO member countries, the Allies are pushed back relentlessly. The Eastern Bloc armies throw fresh regiments into the fray, their intention to deliver the killing lunge deep into the West’s retreating armies. What are the options open to NATO? Can the West stem the disorderly retreat? Can they gather enough conventional forces to hold? Or will they need to resort to more deadly means? Follow the series of gripping events in ‘The Blue Effect’, the third instalment in Harvey Black’s Cold War trilogy.
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.
So, after having read the entire series of Harvey Black's Cold War books, I have just one point of critique towards the last book. In my opinion, it continued the very detailed story and mixture of grand-level storytelling and still keeping tabs with some individuals of both sides.
While the narrative continued on its own pace, the ending came rather abrupt and sudden. Also, what happened on the political level in the Kremlin is completely out of touch with aforementioned storytelling. The focus is of course on the action on the front lines, but in my opinion the political leaders of the Soviet Union do not need any introduction if their future actions are hard to understand. While the political ending in the Kremlin is not illogical per se, missing details of how we came to this point actually strengthens the feeling of 'sudden death ending'.
Still, I do like Cold War era books and this series did not disappoint me, quite the contrary.
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