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Two-Minute Warning
Dolphins vs. Redskins
A jam-packed stadium
75 million TV viewers and a homicidal maniac with a high-powered rifle
Director Phil Post couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the shot on camera. There on the roof,above the scoreboard, was a man with a rifle at his side.
Who was he after? There were three governors, five senators, a dozen congressmen and three astronauts in the stands. Was one of them the target? Or was the man a random killer? A mass murderer?
Whoever he was,he had to be stopped. 8 minutes and 52 seconds left in the game. There wasn't much time left. For anybody.
A jam-packed stadium
75 million TV viewers and a homicidal maniac with a high-powered rifle
Director Phil Post couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the shot on camera. There on the roof,above the scoreboard, was a man with a rifle at his side.
Who was he after? There were three governors, five senators, a dozen congressmen and three astronauts in the stands. Was one of them the target? Or was the man a random killer? A mass murderer?
Whoever he was,he had to be stopped. 8 minutes and 52 seconds left in the game. There wasn't much time left. For anybody.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
George LaFountaine
21 books4 followersGeorge La Fountaine was born in Massachusetts and raised in Seattle, Washington. He served as a marine in the Korean War, where he was promoted to sergeant. After the leaving the Marines he attended classes at Pasadena Playhouse from 1955-57. It was there that he learned his craft; having to write scripts for television plays as a regular (weekly) assignment. He also worked in Hollywood as a lighting director, actor and consultant. He worked for the Mary Tyler Moore Company for several years as a scriptwriter.
His first novel, Two Minute Warning, was published in 1975 and came out as a movie the following year. Suspense thriller about an assassin at a Super Bowl game. It had an all-star cast, but received so-so reviews. The same year, Flashpoint was published, but the movie didn't come out until 1984. According to a New York Times review Flashpoint is "much better--more original, written with more security, and with a chilling impact in its last pages."*
He published three more novels over the next eight years--The Scott-Dunlap Ring (1978), The Killing Seed(1980), and The Long Walk(1986). The Long Walk won critical praise for its depiction of a Green Beret POW's return home from Vietnam, and his recovery from the effects of years of torture.
After 1986, La Fountaine dropped off the radar until Dec. 27, 2010, when the first of ten novels appeared in Amazon's Kindle Store, some of them published within a month of each other. This suggests the author had run into difficulty finding traditional publishing outlets, and, as so many are doing these days, took to the self-publishing route for a backlog of novels he'd been writing over the previous two decades.
His first novel, Two Minute Warning, was published in 1975 and came out as a movie the following year. Suspense thriller about an assassin at a Super Bowl game. It had an all-star cast, but received so-so reviews. The same year, Flashpoint was published, but the movie didn't come out until 1984. According to a New York Times review Flashpoint is "much better--more original, written with more security, and with a chilling impact in its last pages."*
He published three more novels over the next eight years--The Scott-Dunlap Ring (1978), The Killing Seed(1980), and The Long Walk(1986). The Long Walk won critical praise for its depiction of a Green Beret POW's return home from Vietnam, and his recovery from the effects of years of torture.
After 1986, La Fountaine dropped off the radar until Dec. 27, 2010, when the first of ten novels appeared in Amazon's Kindle Store, some of them published within a month of each other. This suggests the author had run into difficulty finding traditional publishing outlets, and, as so many are doing these days, took to the self-publishing route for a backlog of novels he'd been writing over the previous two decades.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 20, 2024
"Two-Minute Warning" is a lesser-known thriller from the seventies. Made into a mediocre movie with Charlton Heston it was one of the first of its kind. It's a race to stop a "lone gunman" before he starts shooting into a stadium full of tens of thousands of people. There are eight (possibly ten) characters that the story follows. The bulk of the story takes place during the last thirty minutes of the Super Bowl. It's probably one of several sources that directly, or indirectly, served as the inspiration for the television series "24" as well as other thrillers that take place within a compressed period of time and a restricted location (i.e. "Die Hard")
Typically, I don't like novels that bounce from once character to another - which "Two-Minute Warning" does. However, in this case Mr. La Fountaine got it right. The story moves along at a very brisk pace, and I found myself turning the pages eagerly. Regardless of the start and finish dates below I actually read this novel today (01/05/15) in about two hours. It's a very fast read, but an enjoyable one.
Before venturing into the story, one needs to understand that the book was written in the early Seventies. There are going to be details that date the book. For example: it's the Super Bowl and the L.A.P.D. SWAT isn't there. Instead, there is a call-out for SWAT when the sniper is discovered by a television camera. As a matter of fact, there are no L.A.P.D. units assigned to the game when the novel begins. Somehow, I find that hard to believe. By the early seventies an event of that size would have had a significant police presence, but I chalk it up to poetic license. Possibly many readers wouldn't have thought of such a horrific event taking place back in 1974. Though, for the life of me I can't imagine why, considering that Charles Whitman in Austin, Texas (1966), Mark Essex in New Orleans, Louisiana (1973) and other sniper shootings had taken place by the date of publication. In 2015/2020 it will be harder for a reader to swallow.
Nevertheless, it's obvious that the author did some research in writing this novel. I was surprised to come across police procedural details that are portrayed correctly and, even forty years later, haven't changed. Technology yes, but much else. Some of the observations about the profession are also dead on.... even in 2015.
The book is a product of its time, but in other ways it's still very fresh. Not a bad thriller. It's sitting next to my copy of "Black Sunday". Seems appropriate.
Typically, I don't like novels that bounce from once character to another - which "Two-Minute Warning" does. However, in this case Mr. La Fountaine got it right. The story moves along at a very brisk pace, and I found myself turning the pages eagerly. Regardless of the start and finish dates below I actually read this novel today (01/05/15) in about two hours. It's a very fast read, but an enjoyable one.
Before venturing into the story, one needs to understand that the book was written in the early Seventies. There are going to be details that date the book. For example: it's the Super Bowl and the L.A.P.D. SWAT isn't there. Instead, there is a call-out for SWAT when the sniper is discovered by a television camera. As a matter of fact, there are no L.A.P.D. units assigned to the game when the novel begins. Somehow, I find that hard to believe. By the early seventies an event of that size would have had a significant police presence, but I chalk it up to poetic license. Possibly many readers wouldn't have thought of such a horrific event taking place back in 1974. Though, for the life of me I can't imagine why, considering that Charles Whitman in Austin, Texas (1966), Mark Essex in New Orleans, Louisiana (1973) and other sniper shootings had taken place by the date of publication. In 2015/2020 it will be harder for a reader to swallow.
Nevertheless, it's obvious that the author did some research in writing this novel. I was surprised to come across police procedural details that are portrayed correctly and, even forty years later, haven't changed. Technology yes, but much else. Some of the observations about the profession are also dead on.... even in 2015.
The book is a product of its time, but in other ways it's still very fresh. Not a bad thriller. It's sitting next to my copy of "Black Sunday". Seems appropriate.
March 22, 2025
Even 13-year-old Ari skipped the animal violence bits. But, being objective, even without that, this book still utter crap amd will only be enjoyed by people who maybe, gosh, I so desperately don’t want to say lowIQ, or teenagers who don’t know better.
Look, if you are smart and you enjoy this, please go see a therapist.
Day of the Jackal this is definitely not.
Look, if you are smart and you enjoy this, please go see a therapist.
Day of the Jackal this is definitely not.
September 13, 2021
Muy lento. Al proporcionar demasiados datos técnicos y detalles sobre el pasado de los personajes que, en principio, no tienen nada que ver con la trama real, distrae al lector y no permite que este se meta en la historia.
June 30, 2020
Read in 1975. Suspenseful thriller about a sniper at football game.
March 29, 2017
I hoped to read something quick and entertaining as I am a fan of 1970's disaster novels. Wrong! The book was sluggish with little character development and the chapters were disjointed. Apparently, the original print of the movie that followed is rare. Not worth your time. If you want football and suspense, read 'Black Sunday' instead.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews