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The Day Before Midnight
“A breathtaking, fascinating look at what could happen—given the possibility of an atomic ‘given.’ A wrap-up you'll never forget.”—Robert Ludlum
The countdown begins when welder Jack Hummel is abducted from his suburban Maryland home ans whisked to the South Mountain MX missile site—a top-secret nuclear complex now taken over by paramilitary terrorists.
All that stands between the Uzi-armed commandos and the launch button is a half-ton titanium block. They want Jack Hummel to cut through it—so they can unleash a devastatingly brilliant plot that threatens global disaster.
Now a Delta Force veteran and a think-tank defense wizard must get inside South Mountain—by defeating their own super-security systems and a darkly ingenious enemy leader . . .
. . . while Jack Hummel's torch burns closer and closer to the launch key . . . while the clock ticks closer to midnight—and Armageddon.
Praise for The Day Before Midnight
“Rockets toward a shattering climax like an incoming missile.” —Stephen Coonts, author of Flight of the Intruder and Final Flight
“Nonstop action and mounting tension.” — The New York Times Book Review
“Slam-bang action and relentless suspense.” — The Washington Post
“The novel crackles and jolts.” — Chicago Tribune
“The one to beat this year in the nail-biter class . . . an edge-of-the-seat doomsday countdown thriller.” — Daily News, New York
The countdown begins when welder Jack Hummel is abducted from his suburban Maryland home ans whisked to the South Mountain MX missile site—a top-secret nuclear complex now taken over by paramilitary terrorists.
All that stands between the Uzi-armed commandos and the launch button is a half-ton titanium block. They want Jack Hummel to cut through it—so they can unleash a devastatingly brilliant plot that threatens global disaster.
Now a Delta Force veteran and a think-tank defense wizard must get inside South Mountain—by defeating their own super-security systems and a darkly ingenious enemy leader . . .
. . . while Jack Hummel's torch burns closer and closer to the launch key . . . while the clock ticks closer to midnight—and Armageddon.
Praise for The Day Before Midnight
“Rockets toward a shattering climax like an incoming missile.” —Stephen Coonts, author of Flight of the Intruder and Final Flight
“Nonstop action and mounting tension.” — The New York Times Book Review
“Slam-bang action and relentless suspense.” — The Washington Post
“The novel crackles and jolts.” — Chicago Tribune
“The one to beat this year in the nail-biter class . . . an edge-of-the-seat doomsday countdown thriller.” — Daily News, New York
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
346 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Hunter
110 books1,965 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
June 14, 2020
My 4th time reading this exciting novel! It's the kind of story one does not get tired of reading.
This page-turning, action-packed novel was an inspiration for me to write THE SANDMAN, my first novel. The whole story takes place in a single day, with realistic action scenes, tongue-in-cheek writing, and characters that leave you cheering, and jeering. I read this book in three days! And have since read it twice. Definitely one of Stephen Hunter's best!
Set during the Cold War, a renegade Russian Army general and a Spetsnaz (Russian Special Forces) unit take control of a nuclear missile site in Maryland. It is the only missile site in the U.S. that can fire it's missile independently without presidential authorization. But the Russians need the code key locked in a special safe. To get the key, they kidnap a local welder with tools and experience enough to burn through the safe, which will take hours.
During this time the National Guard forms up units to take back the missile site. They lack experience, but have guts and desire to take on the Aggressor Force. A harrowing battle takes place, and the US commander employs a nuclear technician to help get inside so they can disarm the nuclear control center.
As the clock ticks, the US commanders grow impatient. To cover all bases they pull out a Vietnam veteran from prison. His job....Enter the nuclear site from a closed-up mine and search for a way inside. "Why me?" he asks.
"Because you used to be a 'tunnel rat' in 'Nam," he is told. "And for this we'll give you your freedom."
But they don't send in the African-American vet alone. A Vietnamese refugee who fought with the VC as a child and through her teenage years now lives in the town near South Mountain, where the missile silo is located, and they acquire her help, too. But she has demons haunting her. Although she has grown into a beautiful young woman, she can rarely speak as the memories of fighting and killing many American invaders in the tunnels during the War plague her.
With the clock ticking, the Delta Force commander employs everything at his disposal to defeat the Aggressor Force, including an unlikely Russian diplomat, who unknowingly finds himself in the unpredictable position where the future of the world rests in his hands.
Peter Thiokol, a nuclear scientist who built South Mountain, works feverishly to decipher the code needed to get inside the silo. He learns the leader of Aggressor Force has studied everything about him, including his seductive wife, in order to get inside the silo. Now Peter must learn all about his Russian nemesis in order to get Delta Force inside and crush the invaders.
With the clock ticking closer to midnight, and while all hell breaks loose between soldiers fighting up top, only a miracle will prevent the doomsday missile from plunging the world into a nuclear holocaust.
As I wrote above, this book is exciting, and in every way what a page-turner is supposed to be. I've read 3 times and plan on reading again in the future. It's an all-time classic in the sense of suspense thrillers.
This page-turning, action-packed novel was an inspiration for me to write THE SANDMAN, my first novel. The whole story takes place in a single day, with realistic action scenes, tongue-in-cheek writing, and characters that leave you cheering, and jeering. I read this book in three days! And have since read it twice. Definitely one of Stephen Hunter's best!
Set during the Cold War, a renegade Russian Army general and a Spetsnaz (Russian Special Forces) unit take control of a nuclear missile site in Maryland. It is the only missile site in the U.S. that can fire it's missile independently without presidential authorization. But the Russians need the code key locked in a special safe. To get the key, they kidnap a local welder with tools and experience enough to burn through the safe, which will take hours.
During this time the National Guard forms up units to take back the missile site. They lack experience, but have guts and desire to take on the Aggressor Force. A harrowing battle takes place, and the US commander employs a nuclear technician to help get inside so they can disarm the nuclear control center.
As the clock ticks, the US commanders grow impatient. To cover all bases they pull out a Vietnam veteran from prison. His job....Enter the nuclear site from a closed-up mine and search for a way inside. "Why me?" he asks.
"Because you used to be a 'tunnel rat' in 'Nam," he is told. "And for this we'll give you your freedom."
But they don't send in the African-American vet alone. A Vietnamese refugee who fought with the VC as a child and through her teenage years now lives in the town near South Mountain, where the missile silo is located, and they acquire her help, too. But she has demons haunting her. Although she has grown into a beautiful young woman, she can rarely speak as the memories of fighting and killing many American invaders in the tunnels during the War plague her.
With the clock ticking, the Delta Force commander employs everything at his disposal to defeat the Aggressor Force, including an unlikely Russian diplomat, who unknowingly finds himself in the unpredictable position where the future of the world rests in his hands.
Peter Thiokol, a nuclear scientist who built South Mountain, works feverishly to decipher the code needed to get inside the silo. He learns the leader of Aggressor Force has studied everything about him, including his seductive wife, in order to get inside the silo. Now Peter must learn all about his Russian nemesis in order to get Delta Force inside and crush the invaders.
With the clock ticking closer to midnight, and while all hell breaks loose between soldiers fighting up top, only a miracle will prevent the doomsday missile from plunging the world into a nuclear holocaust.
As I wrote above, this book is exciting, and in every way what a page-turner is supposed to be. I've read 3 times and plan on reading again in the future. It's an all-time classic in the sense of suspense thrillers.
December 2, 2014
This is "just an airport novel" only in the sense that Die Hard (the first one) was "just another action movie." In other words, you have here a familiar genre and set-up (here, the "countdown to Armageddon") being taken to a peak level by expert craftsmanship.
A large part of the book's success is that it's a fascinating, deeply-researched book that refuses to settle on just technical jargon... or even get by on its tightly-woven, brilliant plotting or technicolor-vivid prose. Instead, Hunter constantly takes the time to pull the reader into the heads of his characters, so that even the most seemingly stock characters take on a life of their own. With one exception (the unfortunately profane use of "Jesus" by every individual, it seemed) each character has his or her own unique, individual voice and patterns of thought. And none of them are perfect, not even the greatest hero in the batch. This alone puts Hunter's work on a whole other plane above, say, Tom Clancy, whose characters have essentially the voice of that self-impressed author but with different names.
I was also struck by Hunter's very thoughtful use of violence; one the one hand, it's a very violent book... but on the other, there's a very authentic sense of loss, of the gruesomeness and after-effects of murder and the absurd glories and horrors of combat. In other words, Hunter comes off as having a true human heart beating underneath the kevlar vest. One death in particular, in a suburban house (readers of the novel will know what I'm speaking of), left me stunned and created a real sense of danger -- a sense that anybody could die in this story -- that is rare amidst the TV-movie predictability of so many suspense stories.
If you have any taste at all for suspense and action with a tough-as-nails edge to it, this is a must-read. So I give this excellent thriller 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).
A large part of the book's success is that it's a fascinating, deeply-researched book that refuses to settle on just technical jargon... or even get by on its tightly-woven, brilliant plotting or technicolor-vivid prose. Instead, Hunter constantly takes the time to pull the reader into the heads of his characters, so that even the most seemingly stock characters take on a life of their own. With one exception (the unfortunately profane use of "Jesus" by every individual, it seemed) each character has his or her own unique, individual voice and patterns of thought. And none of them are perfect, not even the greatest hero in the batch. This alone puts Hunter's work on a whole other plane above, say, Tom Clancy, whose characters have essentially the voice of that self-impressed author but with different names.
I was also struck by Hunter's very thoughtful use of violence; one the one hand, it's a very violent book... but on the other, there's a very authentic sense of loss, of the gruesomeness and after-effects of murder and the absurd glories and horrors of combat. In other words, Hunter comes off as having a true human heart beating underneath the kevlar vest. One death in particular, in a suburban house (readers of the novel will know what I'm speaking of), left me stunned and created a real sense of danger -- a sense that anybody could die in this story -- that is rare amidst the TV-movie predictability of so many suspense stories.
If you have any taste at all for suspense and action with a tough-as-nails edge to it, this is a must-read. So I give this excellent thriller 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).
January 10, 2014
For several years leading up to The Day Before Midnight Stephen Hunter had written some fair, but not outstanding novels. The one constant throughout the early novels was an attention to detail when it came to firearms. However to me the earlier novels felt like Hunter was trying too hard. That he wanted to be "literary" instead of just a novelist of entertaining thrillers.
The Day Before Midnight changed all that. I read it when it was released as a paperback in the late eighties and it blew me a way. For not only was I reading a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat, but many of the primary characters were not muscular, athletic James Bond types. They were average people who survived on their wits, luck and a will to survive. I liked that. In this story there was room for the little people. They were integral parts of the story instead of just extras in the background.
This novel moves. There are very few slow points. In many ways it plays out like a big budget popcorn movie. Only without some of the more ludicrous elements that one finds in movies. This should not come as a surprise considering Mr. Hunter is a professional movie critic.
It's a good thriller. I consider it to be one of Hunter's best books. It's the book where Mr. Hunter hit his stride.
The Day Before Midnight changed all that. I read it when it was released as a paperback in the late eighties and it blew me a way. For not only was I reading a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat, but many of the primary characters were not muscular, athletic James Bond types. They were average people who survived on their wits, luck and a will to survive. I liked that. In this story there was room for the little people. They were integral parts of the story instead of just extras in the background.
This novel moves. There are very few slow points. In many ways it plays out like a big budget popcorn movie. Only without some of the more ludicrous elements that one finds in movies. This should not come as a surprise considering Mr. Hunter is a professional movie critic.
It's a good thriller. I consider it to be one of Hunter's best books. It's the book where Mr. Hunter hit his stride.
July 12, 2017
Outstanding
Everyone writes about "a book you can't put down." This is the novel that defines that phrase. Great plot, great characters, great writing.
Everyone writes about "a book you can't put down." This is the novel that defines that phrase. Great plot, great characters, great writing.
August 13, 2017
Picked up this book to reread for the 100th time. This book hooked me on to the author who also has a series on bob lee swagger (sniper) whose character is now on TV in the series Shooter. The day before midnight is unique that it has a host of characters from the average joes to the elite military team that are all somehow central to the conclusion of the theme.
August 12, 2019
THE DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT
If you like stuff like Die Hard and Olympus Has Fallen, chances are good you'll like this one.
The South Mountain missile site in suburban Maryland, complete with a nuclear missile, is taken over by an unknown elite paramilitary assault team. The good guys have only one day, till midnight, to stop the launch.
Nonstop action from the first page, the military and a good variety of citizens really put all they have into stopping the impending disaster. A lot of tension and excitement. Some light humor, a lot of violence and rough language.
Really good book.
If you like stuff like Die Hard and Olympus Has Fallen, chances are good you'll like this one.
The South Mountain missile site in suburban Maryland, complete with a nuclear missile, is taken over by an unknown elite paramilitary assault team. The good guys have only one day, till midnight, to stop the launch.
Nonstop action from the first page, the military and a good variety of citizens really put all they have into stopping the impending disaster. A lot of tension and excitement. Some light humor, a lot of violence and rough language.
Really good book.
February 3, 2015
This 25 year old '89 Hunter story is typical of the post cold war time period that saw the Soviets finish second. More sacrifices than necessary were made. 4 of 10 stars
May 17, 2015
This is an old school Stephen Hunter thriller that grabs you from the opening pages and takes you on a frenetic race that never lets up until it reaches a tense, dramatic conclusion.
A family is taken hostage and the father – a welder – is coerced into doing a treacherous job; a professor stumbles through a lecture as he tries to find some semblance of order in his life after a messy break-up with his wife; a Vietnam veteran is now imprisoned in solitary confinement; and a bungling Soviet spy who loves living in America barely survives an attempt on his life. These and other “ordinary” people are pitted against a diabolical plan to launch the world into nuclear war – and with the clock counting down to midnight they are almost out of time.
Hunter is a brilliant writer and THE DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT is a “doomsday” thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages. Originally published more than 25 years ago, my only complaint is with the publishing company itself and not the quality of the writing or storytelling. I read the Kindle edition, and as is the case with many older books that were recently formatted for distribution on Kindle, it’s as if they did a quick and shoddy job. Many sections run together and are missing the “break” that would separate them on the printed page. It made some parts confusing – additionally, there were some screwy characters due to the conversion process that someone should really have caught and edited before its release. But again, none of that has anything to do with the quality of the story – it’s a terrific thriller and I highly recommend it: 5/5 stars.
A family is taken hostage and the father – a welder – is coerced into doing a treacherous job; a professor stumbles through a lecture as he tries to find some semblance of order in his life after a messy break-up with his wife; a Vietnam veteran is now imprisoned in solitary confinement; and a bungling Soviet spy who loves living in America barely survives an attempt on his life. These and other “ordinary” people are pitted against a diabolical plan to launch the world into nuclear war – and with the clock counting down to midnight they are almost out of time.
Hunter is a brilliant writer and THE DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT is a “doomsday” thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages. Originally published more than 25 years ago, my only complaint is with the publishing company itself and not the quality of the writing or storytelling. I read the Kindle edition, and as is the case with many older books that were recently formatted for distribution on Kindle, it’s as if they did a quick and shoddy job. Many sections run together and are missing the “break” that would separate them on the printed page. It made some parts confusing – additionally, there were some screwy characters due to the conversion process that someone should really have caught and edited before its release. But again, none of that has anything to do with the quality of the story – it’s a terrific thriller and I highly recommend it: 5/5 stars.
May 14, 2012
Stephen Hunter needs to sue somebody's ass. What we have here is a prototype for the TV show "24" (tho this is more like "17," and someone forgot 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. in all the excitement). Each chapter is an hour, and the clock is ticking while the heroes race to avert global catastrophe. In this case, terrorist commandos have taken over a nuclear missile silo in rural Maryland, and a band of scientists, feds, Delta badasses, Vietnam vets and clutzy National Guardsmen try to prevent World War III. The big difference between Hunter's book and TV's "24" is that Hunter needs no idiot plot contrivances to make his thriller work (except for a near endless two minutes before midnight). It's a tightly written, testosterone-driven, ass-kickin, bullet-flyin page burner. Yes, it's all more than a bit silly. But if you're a guy, it's also waaaaaayy way cool. Tho I gotta wonder: What the HELL was Hunter thinking when he named his hero Dick Puller? "Someone – not an admirer – once said of Dick Puller, 'You’d have to put a full magazine into the bastard to stop him from coming at you…'"
May 4, 2016
first rate, Hunter's finest book.
This has to be one of the most well paced and well written "white-knuckle" books I have ever read. The break neck story gallops along with well drawn characters, riveting twists and clearly well researched.
This has to be one of the most well paced and well written "white-knuckle" books I have ever read. The break neck story gallops along with well drawn characters, riveting twists and clearly well researched.
September 11, 2015
Not much good to say about this yarn or Stephen Hunter for that matter, but you have to love the lead military character's name...Dick Puller.
November 13, 2019
Should be a movie.
February 17, 2025
A true vintage Stephen Hunter thriller that takes the reader on a race that Doesn’t let up.
A welder is coerced into doing a treacherous job and a bungling Soviet spy who loves living in America barely survives an attempt on his life. Ordinary people are captured in a conspiracy to launch the world into nuclear war. Midnight is the deadline.
Hunter is brilliant and THE DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT is a “doomsday” thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story itself is well crafted interwoven. It’s a terrific thriller and I highly recommend it.
Kudos.
A welder is coerced into doing a treacherous job and a bungling Soviet spy who loves living in America barely survives an attempt on his life. Ordinary people are captured in a conspiracy to launch the world into nuclear war. Midnight is the deadline.
Hunter is brilliant and THE DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT is a “doomsday” thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story itself is well crafted interwoven. It’s a terrific thriller and I highly recommend it.
Kudos.
August 19, 2013
I'm probably the only one who will say this but when it comes to this novel, which I give props to the author for creating suspense, it is just too long and drawn out. I think I was at page 350 when I finally couldn't take it anymore and threw the book at the wall. It is good to build up suspense in a novel but, after reading this one, now I know that there is such a thing as too much suspense. As a writer's gimmick, you have to gradually give little hints and problematic, somewhat inescapable events, to the reader giving them just enough to feed off of. That's what drives the reader to progress forward, naturally, because he/she wants to see what happens next. But in this book there are just, dare I say, too many subplots. It almost feels that, when you're reading it, the author piles on different problems and events every ten pages. It just gets plain old tiring. It got me frustrated and I wasn't even in a bad mood. Okay, I can believe that someone was kidnapped and brought out of their house and forced into cutting a thick steel wall that leads to a doomsday machine but does there have to be so much stuff in it. Sure, I could imagine it becoming a movie but I couldn't even finish the book. I even cheated and just read the last page just to satisfy myself. But this is only my opinion. It is probably a really great book. If you have the patience for this author. I'm sure a lot of you out there will.
November 16, 2012
I couldn't stop reading this book. My experience with Stephen Hunter before this was limited to his Bob Lee Swagger series, so I wasn't sure what to expect from a book without good ole' Gunny. But whatever expectations I had, Hunter blew them away. The story was masterfully woven together from the different characters' points of view, and all of those stories contributed perfectly to the whole. The characters were likable, the pace was good... I just can't say enough good things about this book. Maybe I liked it so much because it had hints of Clancy: an epic plot, espionage, Soviets, military battles... Clancy has long been one of my very favorite authors, but I gotta say, Stephen Hunter is joining him at the top of that list.
January 4, 2015
Awesome. Perfect beach reading: Brilliant plotting, effortless characterization, and possibly the most head-spinning use of parallel narrative ever deployed. There are times when I suspect there's really nothing better than very, very good genre fiction, and Hunter's book strongly suggest that's true.
March 11, 2021
Hunter at his finest.
August 6, 2019
Not great.
Read it. Kind of a waste of time. Very melodramatic, silly plot. Very unrealistic. Definitely not Stephan Hunter's best work..
Read it. Kind of a waste of time. Very melodramatic, silly plot. Very unrealistic. Definitely not Stephan Hunter's best work..
September 14, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. It had decent character development, started out slow but picked up the pace, and had some interesting/flamboyant characters (granted, I cannot remember his name now, but the leader of the American forces had a hilarious name). The plot had some nice twists to it, and it was a better read than I expected it to be.
It was a good book. It does start out slow, but the pace does pick up. It has some crazy moments and some great characters. There is a chunk of swearing and the overuse of "Jesus" throughout the book, but that is about par for the course for books and movies during that time. As it turned out, it was a better book than I expected it to be, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I am glad I finally got around to reading it.
It was a good book. It does start out slow, but the pace does pick up. It has some crazy moments and some great characters. There is a chunk of swearing and the overuse of "Jesus" throughout the book, but that is about par for the course for books and movies during that time. As it turned out, it was a better book than I expected it to be, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I am glad I finally got around to reading it.
July 27, 2018
Spoiler in this.
Just a short review on this.
I have read several of Mr. Hunters books, enjoyed them to varying degrees. This one was good until the last 15 pages or so. When one of the heroes and main characters gets killed while a traitor lives, with her grief and that is all, I sort of loose interest. She was a traitor who gave up security plans to a nuclear weapons facility to another country and her only excuses are; they are our allies (They weren't), she was angry at him, lonely, and her husband shouldn't have left the plans laying around which made it so easy. Okay, I agree on the last part. Throughout the book she is nothing but arrogant, disdainful of anyone not a artist (and disdainful of many of them too), and self serving about whatever she wants. Yet she gets away with being the main reason over 200 soilders, law enforcement and a mother die with just walking off to cry alone. At least have her swallow a bottle of sleeping pills and a glass of wine or something. Leaving her to cry just seems a lazy way to deal with her, specially when the good guy gets killed stopping the mess that his traitor wife created.
Okay, with that out of the way, I did enjoy the other 99% of the book. There were some twists I didn't see coming, and a good story line. Over all, a good book.
Just a short review on this.
I have read several of Mr. Hunters books, enjoyed them to varying degrees. This one was good until the last 15 pages or so. When one of the heroes and main characters gets killed while a traitor lives, with her grief and that is all, I sort of loose interest. She was a traitor who gave up security plans to a nuclear weapons facility to another country and her only excuses are; they are our allies (They weren't), she was angry at him, lonely, and her husband shouldn't have left the plans laying around which made it so easy. Okay, I agree on the last part. Throughout the book she is nothing but arrogant, disdainful of anyone not a artist (and disdainful of many of them too), and self serving about whatever she wants. Yet she gets away with being the main reason over 200 soilders, law enforcement and a mother die with just walking off to cry alone. At least have her swallow a bottle of sleeping pills and a glass of wine or something. Leaving her to cry just seems a lazy way to deal with her, specially when the good guy gets killed stopping the mess that his traitor wife created.
Okay, with that out of the way, I did enjoy the other 99% of the book. There were some twists I didn't see coming, and a good story line. Over all, a good book.
April 14, 2023
Probably 3.5 stars. This is in some respects dated, what with Soviet commies taking over an American silo base intending to start WWIII, with some racist language that probably would not fly today despite being used in plausible contexts, and with some perhaps over-exaggerated play with the sexualization/fetishization of combat. The characterization is also mixed; Hunter makes strong efforts to create distinct, complex characters, but some attempts are more successful than others (important secondary character Gregor being one of the less successful examples). Some plot points are creaky, such as our protagonist's solving of the code puzzle perhaps the creakiest. On the other hand, it is very exciting. I found the final third or so especially difficult to put down. The plot takes many unexpected twists, and Hunter does a good job (IMO) of challenging the macho stereotypes of the soldier. I had figured out before the end how he was going to counter that, but his point about non-military figures nevertheless works well. Thriller fans should be satisfied.
May 1, 2025
eponymous sentence:
p347: It was a picture, taken by a Ranger who'd thought to bring his Nikon along, and the picture ended up four days later on the cover of Time and Newsweek, as the story of the Day Before Midnight, as the press took to calling it, became the story of the decade, or maybe the second half of the century.
What a way to toot one's horn there, Steve.
It started strong but I somehow I can't keep up with the characters. Maybe because of the formatting--I can't properly distinguish scene breaks sometimes. I thought I would be able to squeeze in the first Bob Lee Swagger volume before the month ended.
There was no firearm featured this time. The Spetsnaz' ballistic knife was showcased a couple of times, though.
p347: It was a picture, taken by a Ranger who'd thought to bring his Nikon along, and the picture ended up four days later on the cover of Time and Newsweek, as the story of the Day Before Midnight, as the press took to calling it, became the story of the decade, or maybe the second half of the century.
What a way to toot one's horn there, Steve.
It started strong but I somehow I can't keep up with the characters. Maybe because of the formatting--I can't properly distinguish scene breaks sometimes. I thought I would be able to squeeze in the first Bob Lee Swagger volume before the month ended.
There was no firearm featured this time. The Spetsnaz' ballistic knife was showcased a couple of times, though.
May 1, 2019
Outstanding nuclear thriller
Hunter’s had only a couple misses, but of all the books I consider his hits, this is at or near the very top. There are no breaks, no fall-back-and-regroup chapters, just drive ahead as quick as possible, as if our lives depended on it (and in the book, they do). Yes, there are technical areas we can point out as inaccurate ( mostly in hindsight, since we’re all “experts” now), but they never caused the book to become mired in unbelievability. Plenty of Brains to go with the Brawn as well. While Bob the Nailer may be Hunters foundation, this proves there’s breadth as well as depth in his storytelling!
Hunter’s had only a couple misses, but of all the books I consider his hits, this is at or near the very top. There are no breaks, no fall-back-and-regroup chapters, just drive ahead as quick as possible, as if our lives depended on it (and in the book, they do). Yes, there are technical areas we can point out as inaccurate ( mostly in hindsight, since we’re all “experts” now), but they never caused the book to become mired in unbelievability. Plenty of Brains to go with the Brawn as well. While Bob the Nailer may be Hunters foundation, this proves there’s breadth as well as depth in his storytelling!
July 2, 2019
It is a good book but Hunter puts in some extra stuff that I feel isn’t needed.
My other criticism is I think he plays down our military capabilities and the Delta guys. Add in like a C-130 had to refuel, what did they start with a quarter tank full, you’ve got to be kidding me? Then when we talk about medical needs saying it was better in Nam? Come on now, this is the USA for crying out loud! Move em! Way short on authenticity or not enough knowledge by Hunter, I don’t like these big guffaws. Hunter has more Russians killed then they brought to the party. I know this is a novel but not that good of one— talk to Clancy Hunter. 4.1
My other criticism is I think he plays down our military capabilities and the Delta guys. Add in like a C-130 had to refuel, what did they start with a quarter tank full, you’ve got to be kidding me? Then when we talk about medical needs saying it was better in Nam? Come on now, this is the USA for crying out loud! Move em! Way short on authenticity or not enough knowledge by Hunter, I don’t like these big guffaws. Hunter has more Russians killed then they brought to the party. I know this is a novel but not that good of one— talk to Clancy Hunter. 4.1
April 22, 2022
This was just okay, in the military-thriller Tom Clancy genre. Set in the late 1980s, a group of Soviet fanatics take over a nuclear missile installation in the US and plan to start World War III by launching the missiles and their Russian targets. Some smart American guys need to figure out what's going on and break into the silo to stop them. There's a little bit of spy-versus-spy, overly-specific weapon descriptions, and some period racism and sexism.
My copy was the audiobook, so it was also abridged from the original text. Occasional sound effects were not entirely helpful. The narrator's voice was pleasant, and he did the various characters' accents.
My copy was the audiobook, so it was also abridged from the original text. Occasional sound effects were not entirely helpful. The narrator's voice was pleasant, and he did the various characters' accents.
August 7, 2022
Bought this for 99 cents at a thrift store and read it on an airplane, which I think I'm going to try to turn into a routine—one stocky 80s mass market paperback about a secret cold war plot per vacation.
Filled with a ton of stock characters who no longer exist in the thriller troupe, mostly related to the Vietnam War but with appearances from others too, including the 80s-comedy-in-the-city style streetwise black guy and the neurotic wisecracking computer genius and the drunken Soviet spy longing to go native. Extremely high body count. Thrilling as advertised, which is all you can ask for for 99 cents.
Filled with a ton of stock characters who no longer exist in the thriller troupe, mostly related to the Vietnam War but with appearances from others too, including the 80s-comedy-in-the-city style streetwise black guy and the neurotic wisecracking computer genius and the drunken Soviet spy longing to go native. Extremely high body count. Thrilling as advertised, which is all you can ask for for 99 cents.
October 30, 2023
finished 29th october 2023 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner and i've read ahandful from hunter stephen have another already open on kindle bullet garden part of a series he has written this one about a group that takes over a missile launch site with the idea of starting world war three. entertaining fast-pace read has all the bells and whistles one associates with a story such as this...but me what do i know...all the technology to kill the other side available i would have thought some of that would have been used...like...mortars? or what else? rpg? anyway, entertaining story. onward and upward.
February 27, 2019
Hunter's books never fail to entertain, inform, provide insights into human behavior and deliver suspense and thrills.
But this one sweeps the table. Situations carefully crafted and artfully introduced. Narrative clear while retaining essential mystery. Clues, portents, emotional contortions and, of course, weapons, action, death and desperation.
Had to read it again to enjoy thoroughly. Who cares that the scenario is out of date and implausible? Each character participates and you believe you're right there with them.
Hat's off to Mr. Hunter and his very interesting characters.
But this one sweeps the table. Situations carefully crafted and artfully introduced. Narrative clear while retaining essential mystery. Clues, portents, emotional contortions and, of course, weapons, action, death and desperation.
Had to read it again to enjoy thoroughly. Who cares that the scenario is out of date and implausible? Each character participates and you believe you're right there with them.
Hat's off to Mr. Hunter and his very interesting characters.
September 29, 2024
The style of writing in this book is very direct and driven by the plot. My favorite parts were the scenes in the tunnels, and the two tunnel rats were my favorite characters, especially Walls. I hope the portrayal of the generals was not accurate, or perhaps overly influenced by the post Cold War time period as neither of them seemed to be concerned about massive casualties or placing poorly trained troops in perilous positions. And, spoiler alert, it was the scientist/college professor who came up with the best strategic maneuver.
July 9, 2019
Very intense storyline keeps you nail biting from start to finish. Almost every character, except Jack the welder and his hostaged family, seem a little bit more misfit than mainstream normal but still manage to come together in time to stop the launching of a nuclear device that would destroy millions. A very good book, well written and character developed but all in all, a little frightening to think how close to true case scenario this just could be.
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