Barracuda 945

Admiral Arnold Morgan #6

by Patrick Robinson

He was one of the world's most skillful submariners, trained by the best in the business, the Royal Navy. Now, at the peak of his powers and skill, he finally comes into his own. For years, he has been a sleeper for the enemies of the West, now he has been given his orders and will carry them out with brutal efficiency, or die in the attempt. His target? The oil-supply lines that carry America's life blood from the frozen wastes of Alaska to the power hungry refineries of America's West Coast. His weapon? A lethal submarine, Barracuda 945, that he hijacks before setting off in search of the pipelines he will destroy. The Barracuda, like the shark it is named after, is swift, silent and deadly. Who can stop him? - only the Special Forces and the submariners of the West's navies, but only if they can trace him in the first place and eliminate him before he destroys the oil supply routes.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, Audiobook, Action, Military Thriller, Ebooks

498 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 29, 2003

About the author

Patrick Robinson was a journalist for many years before becoming a full-time writer of books. His non-fiction books were bestsellers around the world and he was the co-author of Sandy Woodward's Falklands War memoir, One Hundred Days.

Reviews

[Ian Birtwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting idea for an anti-USA plot and I'm guessing one that will be continued in the next book in the series! Good story an characters and a good plot as well. Can't really say more than that without it spoiling the story! I enjoyed it and look forward to the next in the series.

[Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars out of 5.0, rounded up to 3.0 because rounding down seemed a trifle unfair before finishing the review.

This novel has an interesting main topic/plot: the defection of an extremely highly trained SAS Major who is absolutely the super-best at everything he does. However, he is really a sleeper agent for HAMAS and eventually takes up a position planned for him many years earlier: that of a treasonous SAS guy who (amazingly it must be said) trains in a matter of months to become the skipper of a massively huge Soviet nuclear super submarine, hi-jacks two of them (two no less!) including some pretty super-duper missiles, with the aid of the Chinese Navy and some nasty Iranians. The Chinese help the Iranians use the submarines to blow the absolute crap out of the USA's coastal oil production and storage facilities from top to bottom (I think it was the West coast, but could well have been the East).

The book almost hit the DNF shelf but I held my breath waiting for the inevitable mother-of-all American retaliations. Deciding what to do took forever and in the end was disappointingly mild and even more unlikely than stealing two super-subs. Ultimately the super special forces SAS guy exits safely stage left, with super-talented special forces girl in hand, to sip super cocktails in the sunset, awaiting delivery of the script for the sequel.

The sequel needs to be way less wordy, so for a start employ an editor; way less full of thirty years old technical bullshit, way more credible and I am still unlikely to read it. Now I remember why it deserved 2.5 rounded down to 2.0 stars, not up to 3.0.

[Brian Lobodzinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read with an absolutely terrifying theme. The consequences of such action doesn't bear thinking about. I have my doubts that any such an event could occur, not due to the technology or the willpower but, because there is a large amount of human involvement. Somewhere along the line a person or people associate with the complex transfer of the submarine or even disillusioned terrorists who weren't picked for the crew would say something. Given the reach of the NSA a wagging tongue would be picked up. I only hope that the US isn't as dependent on the oil and power supply outlined as the author says. Finally, it may just be my opinion but, I don't think Mr Robinson is a Democratic party supporter!!

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

The theme of the book, that a terrorist could take down the USA power grid was a good one. But, it goes downhill from there. Buy a submarine from the Russians, using the Chinese...nope!!! There were several outright errors of fact. And, the chief terrorist, a clever SAS Brit of Iranian descent is able to persuade the ayatollah of his genuineness. And, again...who is Admiral Morgan and what role does he play? He's a national security advisor with pure parochial Navy in his heart...doesn't know how to pull any other levers. Thank goodness, we shed the Brit narrator this time.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next book in the Arnold Morgan series. I'm still liking it just enough keep going. New narrator this time which was rather jarring after the whole series being consistent up until now. This one had a good story but the conclusion was a bit less than satisfying. New villain, this book basically stands alone with some references to past plots but they are not truly important.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent action novel about a SAS officer who disappears while in Isreal and reappears, sort of, later robbing banks in the Middle East. Then the Chinese buy one or maybe two Russian nuclear submarines. The SAS officer, working for Hamas ends up partnering with the Iranian Navy to launch terror attacks along the US West Coast.

[Ken · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts out interesting enough and moves along quite well. The typical American right wing jingoism in the end kills it for me though.

Basically glazed over the last chapters with Panama Canal and Navy seals. Too much American justification for destroying other countries things. Makes it unpalatable for non American readers

[MMc14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The plot was original and very treacherous.

I did wonder if the Admiral would have been more interested in the movement of the Russian sub from the get go, based on his previous interest in sub movements st all times.

[Vinayak Joshi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is not bad. The presence of typical macho American high-handed attitude makes it less palatable to non-american/non-western readers like me. The plot lines were more or less predictable, but the ending was not. I was expecting some big bang, which did not come.

[Meakin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like so many "series" books, they can get kind of "long in the tooth". That is the case here. A big problem, shout Kathey COFFEE, call in the Seals, blow everything up. Bad guy escapes to do more dastardly deeds etc. etc. etc. I think I'll look elsewhere.

[Kym Gamble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I could hardly put down. I was getting up at 3 in the morning to have more time to read. It was suspenseful and scary all at once. I had read some of Robinsons books before but this one kept me at the edge of my seat.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've gotten back to this series and I'm glad I did. A very well written book along the lines of a Tom Clancy series involving military and geo-political power.

[Bill Donhiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all Patrick Robinson books in this series, this is a well written, well-done thriller. The usual bad guys, Middle East, China, and Russia vs Admiral Morgan & Co. Very enjoyable

[R. Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book, but gets way to conservative politically for me

[Bradley Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good modern naval fiction, Terrorism thriller

[Silvio Villa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La trama è interessante, gradevole ed il finale per nulla scontato. Grande Robinson, il giusto romanzo per una settimana estiva!"

[ARTHUR S WAGGOTT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping storyline

Another gripping read from Patrick Robinson.
Great story, great detail and well written.
Must follow up with the next one.

[David Walley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could a nuclear submarine launch weapons So close to the American mainland yet still remained undetectable? I find this very hard to believe and so only give this book 2/5 stars.

[Petr Toman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dobré se to čte, rychle to utíká, jen mě štvalo, jak si to všichni všechno dokáží z maličkosti vydedukovat.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tense plot - I love a submarine thriller.
Very much 'of its time' though....

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. I think I may have read it before - some if it is very interesting, some of it is so, so. It was good, overall. Had a decent flow to it. Character development for the villain was the main focus of the first few chapters. It is 'funny' how many future terrorists are let into specialized British programs [he said with a smile on his face].

In this story, a Major in the SAS defects to Hamas because he feels a strange affinity to the people in Palestine. He hooks up with the widow of a dead Hamas soldier and leaves his former life behind after he saves her from possibly being killed by a fellow SAS soldier. Ravi [the former SAS dude] and his future wife Shakira make a brilliant team, hitting the Israelis where it hurts [and netting over $100 million in the process]. He then comes up with a plan to lay the Americans low. He communicates with Iran and works with the Iranians to convince the Chinese to purchase TWO nuclear submarines for $600 million which will be used to attack the Americans. His plan is to cause terror and financial ruin by attacking power systems and whatnot with a minimal loss of life through the use of conventional cruise missiles, making it too expensive for America to continue playing global policeman [especially in the Persian Gulf].

After attacking at will up and down the West Coast, he takes the submarine into the Panama Canal. Through a fluke, the Americans track the submarine to the Canal, but China refuses to allow an American destroyer passage [as specified by the treaty that returned the Canal to Panama's control]. Arnold Morgan is furious and sends in the SEALs to drain the lake in the middle of the canal system, revealing the Russian nuclear submarine the terrorists were attempting to hide in the middle of the lake in the canal system. The US Marines are sent in to regain control over the Panama Canal at the end of the book, removing Chinese control and ensuring American interests are paramount in Panama for the next 1000 years.

As in his other books, this book is written as both a thriller and as a warning. I think the warning is two-fold. The first warning is obvious: the inherent danger of a terrorist organization gaining control of a nuclear submarine, let alone two of them. Modern submarines are hard enough to detect as it is; it would cause untold havoc if a terrorist organization acquired the use of one of these weapons platforms. The second warning has to do with the Chinese acquiring control of the Panama Canal. The author feels that the United States never should have relinquished control of the Canal, especially in light of treaty violations on the part of the Panamanians. I have to agree with the author in principle, in this case. We should have given Panama the opportunity to become the fifty-third state of the Union [after Guam and Puerto Rico ;)] instead of letting control of the Canal slip away like we did.

I thought it was an interesting premise: the Iranians using the Chinese as middle-men to acquire nuclear subs from Russia as well as ensuring the Iranians were trained to be able to operate such a weapon. Some of the segments of the story were very vivid for me, which makes me think I have read this story previously but forgotten that I had. The part that remains very fresh in my mind is when Ravi [posing as R. Kerman] visits an old friend to kill him in order to ensure Ravi's identity and the fact that he is still alive remains hidden a while longer from the attention of intelligence agencies worldwide [as well as the SAS]. The section involving the submarine being in the Panama Canal was also very familiar to me, which makes me think I had read this book previously.

It is a fairly realistic book, on the one hand. The United States receives some comeuppance from Iran but is unable to determine who sponsored the terror attacks against the West Coast. Arnold Morgan determines Ravi [aka Kerman] is probably to blame but cannot prove this to be the case. I shall have to read the next book to learn what happens to Mr. Ravi and his ravishing, yet deadly, wife Shakira.

[Alex Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review 5
Barracuda 945 by Patrick Robinson
4. Most of the characters are well developed in this book. In the beginning, it can be hard to understand why Ray Kerman, one of the main characters, switches from fighting for the British special forces, to becoming the leading terrorist in the group Hamas. However, as the book progress, we learn why Ray does what he does and the book gains coherency. Another character, Arnold Morgan is developed early as an Admiral in the US Navy, but he remains constant most of the play, bent on bringing down Kerman.
5. I read this book a few years ago, and as someone who does not read much, I was impressed by the storyline. It’s a long book, and can be confusing at times as the storyline is intricate, but there are plenty of cliffhangers and moments in the book that make your heart race. I really enjoyed the book and have been thinking about reading it again.
6. Barracuda 945 is a typical fictional war novel. There is not a movie directly based off of it, but many stories and books have very similar storylines. Books that talk about revenge and betrayal in the military aspect can be related back to this book.
7. The book is a thriller, suspenseful, war story. I own a few Patrick Robinson books and all of them are naval based war stories. Most of them are also set in modern times, making them more relatable.
8. This book may be offensive to people that are against the military and killing. There is not, however, much blatant racism or offensive content from what I noticed.
9. It’s been difficult for me to find any lessons in this book, as it is more of a thrilling story than a book made to motivate or learn from. Maybe the lesson is don’t betray your country for a terrorist group. Maybe it is follow the love of your life, I am not sure.
10. This book would be good for people in high school and up. It is a long book, took me about three days to read, so someone with an enjoyment of reading. Also I would recommend it to someone who specifically likes thrillers or war stories. If you are more of a John Green type person then this book may not be enjoyable for you.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on my way through Singapore in 2009, thinking that with Admiral Sandy Woodward of Falklands War fame as an advisor, it would be pretty good. Not only is it not, but I could also see why other commanders in the fleet were worried that Woodward, with limited aviation or amphibious experience, be the wrong guy for the job: once the plot puts to sea the whole premise is based on the ‘fact’ that the US Navy is the only service in the US DoD which helps the story along by skipping gayly around inconveniences like AWACs…I also think that the three unnamed Special Forces officers who allegedly advised on the story need to hand back any beers they received for ‘advice’ as the SF side is pretty weak as well.

Without spoiling what story there is, a key assumption in the book is that the way to win an insurgency is to out-exasperate the opposition, i.e. harass them to the point of just giving up and going home…at the time of reading the book, these seemed like a great recipe for success for insurgents and difficult to beat from a COIN perspective – but could initiatives like Crimestoppers in a COIN/Stability campaign actually be the start of the Death of 1000 Cuts for an insurgency? Turning The War of the Flea on its head and subjecting the insurgents to an endless series of pinpricks and mossie bites until they have just had enough and start to consider their options…?

One thing I did like about Barracuda 945 is that the ending is not the righteous vengeance that one might have been expecting. Instead it presents a very left-field scenario which strikes at a core issue and not just a symptom – does that sound like something that might be drawn from FM 3-24 – even if the story does use major elements of national power to achieve the effect…?

[Yuri Yulaev · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is very interesting - a mid-level SAS officer crosses the lines and joins Hamas. That in itself makes this book worth reading. Book overall is great, not very deep in details (but that probably should be expected), but a typical cat-and-mouse, spy vs. spy type novel. One incorrect technical detail I noticed was about the ability to turn off the GPS system to render missiles useless. Book states that even the President of the USA cannot do it. AFAIK, it is technically possible and it was actually done during the second Iraq war. It was done at a regional level, so US users (millions of devices used by us) were not affected. White house clearly stated that they CAN turn it off if necessary. (http://clinton6.nara.gov/2000/05/2000...). While I am not sure about the technical details, the fact that all major world powers (NATO, Russia, China, etc.) started developing their own GPSs right after that is very telling it itself.

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I last read this book in May 2011, it was the first Patrick Robinson book I had read at the time and since then I've read the series from Nimitz Class onwards and reached this title earlier this month. I was wondering about whether to re-read it or not but figured it wouldn't be bad to refresh my memory for the following title.

I'm glad I did as it certainly is an action filled tale of terrorism and undersea skulduggery. The story revolves around an SAS soldier who defects to HAMAS and employs his years of training and front line expertise to help his long lost 'home' country/religion. Being a series about submarines predictably they end up buying a submarine via Iran/China (although not so predictably it's boring, you just know from the series where it's going, the actually manner of purchase is not dull).

Brings back memories of the Ben Adnam escapades however the plot is different enough that it doesn't feel stale, and amazingly for a novel about the US military/navy it doesn't end with them on top.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is at best a very watered down version of a Tom Clancy novel. The author drags out a somewhat simple story for a few hundred pages by adding military, political, and social details; most of which he simply makes up. I might have been able to look past all of this, but the ending of this book never happened. The bad guy didn't really win, but he wasn't caught either. The author goes off on a tangent that was implausible and silly. Reading this book was a waste of time.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the way Robinson uses his characters to bash the Carter and Clinton administrations. They deserve it. Admirals Morris and Morgan might be a bit typecast, and yet I find I'd like to be like them!

Odd, too, that the INS Sindhurakshak just caught fire and sank, but started out life as a Kilo class sub. It makes me think, with respect to the series overall, not in particular of this book, that there may be more truth than fiction in these.

[Joe Newell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, methodical story line which step by step unfolds the actions of a Westerner turned Hamas leader and his planned attack on America, and simultaneously follows the actions of the US government to stop the attacks and kill the attacker.

It was good enough reading. I didn't so much like the ending. I dislike when authors don't have a clean and final ending. Here, like so many, the Author was obviously penning for a sequel. Booo. Don't do that!!!

[Santosh Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Highly disappointed after reading this book. had very high regards for Robinson after reading his earlier books and blindly picked this book going by his reputation but was gravely disappointed by the book. There is nothing much to be written about this book. The plot sucks and you whats going to happen next with having to take a wild guess :-(. I would recommend Robinson fans to give a skip to this book...Seriously.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great work of military fiction from Patrick Robinson! Centered around Special Forces and naval operations as usual, this book kept my reading it from beginning to end. I only stopped reading whenever I left my place or went to bed. If you want a good book to read, I highly recommend this one - but you should read the others before it so you can understand the main characters better!