What do you think?
Rate this book
"Triad brings together three of the world's super powers--America, Russia and China- in a cold and calculating game of mutual hate and distrust, threatened destruction, and nuclear blackmail."
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
5 people want to read
About the author
Richard Rohmer
51 books8 followersMajor-General (Ret'd) Richard Heath Rohmer, OC, CMM, DFC, O.Ont, KStJ, CD, OL, QC, JD, LLD (born in 1924). Canada's most decorated citizen, an aviator, a senior lawyer (aviation law), adviser to business leaders and the Government of Ontario and is a prolific writer. Rohmer was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and spent some of his early youth in Pasadena, California as well as in western Ontario at Windsor and Fort Erie.
The Peterborough Examiner's lead editorial of 14 January 2009 says this: "Rohmer, one of Canada's most colourful figures of the past half-century, was a World War II fighter pilot, later a major-general in the armed forces reserve, a high-profile lawyer and a successful novelist and biographer."
The Peterborough Examiner's lead editorial of 14 January 2009 says this: "Rohmer, one of Canada's most colourful figures of the past half-century, was a World War II fighter pilot, later a major-general in the armed forces reserve, a high-profile lawyer and a successful novelist and biographer."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 25, 2022
Richard Rohmer, now 98 and Honorary Advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff, wrote this book in 1981. It was written as the cold war reached a state of mutually assured destruction (mad). The bombs had the capability, the ICBMs the capacity if not yet really the accuracy, hence the overkill, and the computers and satellites not fully the precision. Rohmer is the first I have read dealing with this from a military / strategic / geo-political perspective. He pre-dates Tom Clancy, Stephen Coonts, Dale Brown and others of the techno-thriller genre. He is not really of the t-t genre, although he might like to think he is. He has not really done his homework to provide the detailed operational flavour desired by those readers.
In this story, the USA and USSR come within six hours of strategic bomb launches. Russia is running out of petroleum based fuels and has a fleet in motion to take over the middle east and its oil. USA forces are within two or three days of landing in Pakistan to assist them in self defense and defense of the middle east. If they land, Russia will use nukes and will also sink the worlds’ major tankers. The USA is stretched in Viet Nam and does not have enough forces to stop Russia. Russia will stop oil to all the western and NATO countries. US President Hansen has a plan and is ready to launch his missiles within the hour if the current emergency meeting with USSR Chairman Romanov does not go as planned.
Hansen has a plan, but he needs the agreement of the Chinese who also have a lot of bombs but also one billion people who scare the Russians almost as much. He has a plan for world disarmament of nuclear weapons. Rohmer is a Canadian, so... Hansen needs the help of the Canadian Prime Minister Turcot who, in the 1980s, has the respect and affection of the Chinese. Also, the Canadian PM might have a bit more influence with several of the countries armed with smaller nuclear arsenals. The Brits iron lady and the French war resistance fighter are unlikely to easily release their nuclear deterrents and make their countries more vulnerable. The MP of course, conducts magnificent philosophical discussion in French, and Canada is still a strong active member of the British Commonwealth. He signs up.
Rohmer might have invented the concept of pit stop diplomacy. For several days we see Air Force 1 with the US President and another of his fleet with the Canadian PM, flying back and forth to Russia, Labrador, Europe, Asia and around the globe. Some of the hold outs are encouraged as the Iran, Iraq war goes nuclear in the battle for Baghdad. We find a resolution on the last page of the book.
Rohmer may have had an interesting idea for a plot. In my opinion however, it was never much more than an outline. The t-t genre that followed provided lots of detail. Detail re: the operations of the weapons, nuclear and non-nuclear, the details of the ‘small’ wars and battles always being fought, and they accurately represented the operations of the governments they wrote about. They also told whole stories not just conclusions. This is an average book. Three stars.
In this story, the USA and USSR come within six hours of strategic bomb launches. Russia is running out of petroleum based fuels and has a fleet in motion to take over the middle east and its oil. USA forces are within two or three days of landing in Pakistan to assist them in self defense and defense of the middle east. If they land, Russia will use nukes and will also sink the worlds’ major tankers. The USA is stretched in Viet Nam and does not have enough forces to stop Russia. Russia will stop oil to all the western and NATO countries. US President Hansen has a plan and is ready to launch his missiles within the hour if the current emergency meeting with USSR Chairman Romanov does not go as planned.
Hansen has a plan, but he needs the agreement of the Chinese who also have a lot of bombs but also one billion people who scare the Russians almost as much. He has a plan for world disarmament of nuclear weapons. Rohmer is a Canadian, so... Hansen needs the help of the Canadian Prime Minister Turcot who, in the 1980s, has the respect and affection of the Chinese. Also, the Canadian PM might have a bit more influence with several of the countries armed with smaller nuclear arsenals. The Brits iron lady and the French war resistance fighter are unlikely to easily release their nuclear deterrents and make their countries more vulnerable. The MP of course, conducts magnificent philosophical discussion in French, and Canada is still a strong active member of the British Commonwealth. He signs up.
Rohmer might have invented the concept of pit stop diplomacy. For several days we see Air Force 1 with the US President and another of his fleet with the Canadian PM, flying back and forth to Russia, Labrador, Europe, Asia and around the globe. Some of the hold outs are encouraged as the Iran, Iraq war goes nuclear in the battle for Baghdad. We find a resolution on the last page of the book.
Rohmer may have had an interesting idea for a plot. In my opinion however, it was never much more than an outline. The t-t genre that followed provided lots of detail. Detail re: the operations of the weapons, nuclear and non-nuclear, the details of the ‘small’ wars and battles always being fought, and they accurately represented the operations of the governments they wrote about. They also told whole stories not just conclusions. This is an average book. Three stars.
July 26, 2014
In this sequel to Periscope Red, heroic President John Hansen orders nuclear strikes so as to prevent the Soviet Union from invading the Middle East. With hours to go, vast oil reserves are discovered in Russia and Chairman Romanov calls his troops home. Relieved, Hansen reboots their relationship; the mass murder of foreign nationals in Periscope Red is never mentioned. Hansen proposes that the United States, Soviet Union and China join forces to threaten other countries into giving up their nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Margaret Thrasher of the United Kingdom isn’t keen, François Mitterrand is disdainful, but Canadian prime minister Louis Turcot is happy to broker the deal. Meanwhile, a young Afghan bride is raped and widowed on her wedding day and mercenary fighter pilots fly about Iran.
More: Triad discussed at the Reading Richard Rohmer blog
More: Triad discussed at the Reading Richard Rohmer blog
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews