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Task Force Thunderbolt
2025 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal
After six months stagnation on the Ukrainian battlefield, NATO’s counteroffensive looms. Captain Logan Trondfjell and the armored warriors of Lightning Troop will guard the right flank. On the eve of battle, Logan moves up to squadron staff, pulling him farther from his old battle buddy, Sergeant First Class Running Bear. Opposite no-mans-land, Russian divisions mass to crush the counteroffensive. Behind the Russian divisions, a top-secret prisoner of war camp contains Americans the Russians would rather kill than return. Only a daring raid by Captain Sam Gentry’s U.S. Rangers can rescue their fate. As Russian President Voroshilov’s war climaxes, a blizzard isolates all and stirs the swirling chaos.
After six months stagnation on the Ukrainian battlefield, NATO’s counteroffensive looms. Captain Logan Trondfjell and the armored warriors of Lightning Troop will guard the right flank. On the eve of battle, Logan moves up to squadron staff, pulling him farther from his old battle buddy, Sergeant First Class Running Bear. Opposite no-mans-land, Russian divisions mass to crush the counteroffensive. Behind the Russian divisions, a top-secret prisoner of war camp contains Americans the Russians would rather kill than return. Only a daring raid by Captain Sam Gentry’s U.S. Rangers can rescue their fate. As Russian President Voroshilov’s war climaxes, a blizzard isolates all and stirs the swirling chaos.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2025
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6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 9, 2025
Over the past three years or so, since I found this great little piece of the internet, Military Thriller Book Group, I have been informed about “new” authors and various books that they have put out. Some of these “new” authors include the mainstream authors such as Jack Carr, Tom Clancy (and the authors who have continued on with his series following his demise), and Brad Taylor.
In addition to the mainstream authors, there have been a multitude of “independent” or lesser-known (at least to me) authors that I have been made aware of and I have had the opportunity to read their books and provide a review (“my five cents’ worth”) to let other bibliophiles know about these authors, some of these authors have included James A, Bultema, Nicholas Ryan, Bob Asher, and (the latest author to become part of this “group”) Galen Peterson.
Recently, one of these authors, Galen Peterson, reached out to me and made a favourable comment about my reviews and the fact that I put some effort into each one. He asked me if I might be interested in reading his latest work, Task Force Thunderbolt, and give it “my five cents’ worth”.
Task Force Thunderbolt is the third and final book in Peterson’s “Global Response Force” military thriller series that is set in a near future during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, where NATO forces, led by the US Global Response Force.
______________________________________________________
The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and has since escalated to include the occupation of the Donbas region in 2018 and ultimately the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by Russian forces. The war, thus far, has resulted in a refugee crisis and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
In response to the annexation, some NATO members began training the Ukrainian army.
It has been argued that Russia's aggressive actions since 2014 have done the most to push Ukraine towards the West and NATO. The result of this has led to multiple NATO nations providing training and weapons for the beleaguered Ukraine.
Peterson's tale takes the story one step further with the introduction of the Global Response Force to the Ukrainian conflict. The Global Response Force is an armored company-sized force, maintained by the US Army, capable of deploying anywhere in the world within ninety-six hours. The tank- and armored-vehicle-equipped team provides the firepower, protection, and shock power for rapidly developing contingencies against formidable foes.
______________________________________________________
The key American units in the Global Response Force are represented by a contingent of US Rangers, led by Captain Sam Gentry, and are tasked with a daring raid to rescue captured American soldiers currently being held in a Russian POW camp, and an armoured unit (codenamed Lightning Troop) led by Captain Logan Trondfjell.
After six months of stagnation on the Ukrainian battlefield, NATO’s counteroffensive looms. Captain Logan Trondfjell and the armored warriors and scouts of Lightning Troop will guard the right flank. On the eve of battle, Logan is promoted to squadron staff, pulling him farther from his old battle buddy, Sergeant First Class Running Bear.
Across no-mans-land, Russian divisions mass to crush the counteroffensive. Behind the Russian divisions, a top-secret prisoner of war camp contains Americans the Russians would rather kill than return. Only a daring raid by Captain Sam Gentry’s U.S. Rangers can rescue their fate. As Russian President Voroshilov’s war climaxes, a blizzard isolates all and stirs the swirling chaos.
One of the points in this storyline that I found to be so authentic and realistic (and really came to appreciate) was the fact that Peterson refuses to portray the Russian forces as any less than what they actually are – a group of young men, being placed in the same predicament as the Allied forces, just following orders. Peterson weaves an incredible tale of modern warfare that plunges the reader into the midst of armoured combat and overwhelms the senses with an adrenaline rush, the noise, blood, and the horrors of combat.
On my self-determined five-star scale, I would easily give this book a solid five stars and would highly recommend this book (and subsequently the series) to those military thriller aficionados who enjoy authors such as Tom Clancy, Harold Coyle, Craig DiLouie, and Larry Bond. After having read this book, I can easily say that I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.
As with all my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents’ worth.
In addition to the mainstream authors, there have been a multitude of “independent” or lesser-known (at least to me) authors that I have been made aware of and I have had the opportunity to read their books and provide a review (“my five cents’ worth”) to let other bibliophiles know about these authors, some of these authors have included James A, Bultema, Nicholas Ryan, Bob Asher, and (the latest author to become part of this “group”) Galen Peterson.
Recently, one of these authors, Galen Peterson, reached out to me and made a favourable comment about my reviews and the fact that I put some effort into each one. He asked me if I might be interested in reading his latest work, Task Force Thunderbolt, and give it “my five cents’ worth”.
Task Force Thunderbolt is the third and final book in Peterson’s “Global Response Force” military thriller series that is set in a near future during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, where NATO forces, led by the US Global Response Force.
______________________________________________________
The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and has since escalated to include the occupation of the Donbas region in 2018 and ultimately the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by Russian forces. The war, thus far, has resulted in a refugee crisis and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
In response to the annexation, some NATO members began training the Ukrainian army.
It has been argued that Russia's aggressive actions since 2014 have done the most to push Ukraine towards the West and NATO. The result of this has led to multiple NATO nations providing training and weapons for the beleaguered Ukraine.
Peterson's tale takes the story one step further with the introduction of the Global Response Force to the Ukrainian conflict. The Global Response Force is an armored company-sized force, maintained by the US Army, capable of deploying anywhere in the world within ninety-six hours. The tank- and armored-vehicle-equipped team provides the firepower, protection, and shock power for rapidly developing contingencies against formidable foes.
______________________________________________________
The key American units in the Global Response Force are represented by a contingent of US Rangers, led by Captain Sam Gentry, and are tasked with a daring raid to rescue captured American soldiers currently being held in a Russian POW camp, and an armoured unit (codenamed Lightning Troop) led by Captain Logan Trondfjell.
After six months of stagnation on the Ukrainian battlefield, NATO’s counteroffensive looms. Captain Logan Trondfjell and the armored warriors and scouts of Lightning Troop will guard the right flank. On the eve of battle, Logan is promoted to squadron staff, pulling him farther from his old battle buddy, Sergeant First Class Running Bear.
Across no-mans-land, Russian divisions mass to crush the counteroffensive. Behind the Russian divisions, a top-secret prisoner of war camp contains Americans the Russians would rather kill than return. Only a daring raid by Captain Sam Gentry’s U.S. Rangers can rescue their fate. As Russian President Voroshilov’s war climaxes, a blizzard isolates all and stirs the swirling chaos.
One of the points in this storyline that I found to be so authentic and realistic (and really came to appreciate) was the fact that Peterson refuses to portray the Russian forces as any less than what they actually are – a group of young men, being placed in the same predicament as the Allied forces, just following orders. Peterson weaves an incredible tale of modern warfare that plunges the reader into the midst of armoured combat and overwhelms the senses with an adrenaline rush, the noise, blood, and the horrors of combat.
On my self-determined five-star scale, I would easily give this book a solid five stars and would highly recommend this book (and subsequently the series) to those military thriller aficionados who enjoy authors such as Tom Clancy, Harold Coyle, Craig DiLouie, and Larry Bond. After having read this book, I can easily say that I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.
As with all my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents’ worth.
July 3, 2025
Excellent Story
Top notch addition to the Global Response Force series. I should not have started it during evening hours because I ended up staying up late because I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see where this series leads and look forward to Book 4!!
Top notch addition to the Global Response Force series. I should not have started it during evening hours because I ended up staying up late because I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see where this series leads and look forward to Book 4!!
August 10, 2025
Great series
For myself, spending 2 tours in Iraq with Tiger Squadron, 3rd ACR, I was so mentally in these books. Very good reading and hard to put down. AI-EEE-YA
For myself, spending 2 tours in Iraq with Tiger Squadron, 3rd ACR, I was so mentally in these books. Very good reading and hard to put down. AI-EEE-YA
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews