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Red Metal #1
Red Metal
21 hours, 21 minutes
From the author of the Gray Man series comes a startlingly realistic novel of World War III.
A desperate Kremlin takes advantage of a military crisis in Asia to simultaneously strike into Western Europe and invade east Africa in a bid to occupy three Rare Earth mineral mines that will give Russia unprecedented control for generations over the world's hi-tech sector.
Pitted against the Russians are a Marine lieutenant colonel pulled out of a cushy job at the Pentagon and thrown into the fray in Africa, a French Special Forces captain and his intelligence operative father, a young Polish female partisan fighter, an A-10 Warthog pilot, and the captain of an American tank platoon who, along with a German sergeant, fight from behind enemy lines in Germany all the way into Russia.
From a daring MiG attack on American satellites, through land and air battles in all theaters, naval battles in the Arabian sea, and small unit fighting down to the hand-to-hand level in the jungle, Russia's forces battle to either take the mines or detonate a nuclear device to prevent the West from exploiting them.
From the author of the Gray Man series comes a startlingly realistic novel of World War III.
A desperate Kremlin takes advantage of a military crisis in Asia to simultaneously strike into Western Europe and invade east Africa in a bid to occupy three Rare Earth mineral mines that will give Russia unprecedented control for generations over the world's hi-tech sector.
Pitted against the Russians are a Marine lieutenant colonel pulled out of a cushy job at the Pentagon and thrown into the fray in Africa, a French Special Forces captain and his intelligence operative father, a young Polish female partisan fighter, an A-10 Warthog pilot, and the captain of an American tank platoon who, along with a German sergeant, fight from behind enemy lines in Germany all the way into Russia.
From a daring MiG attack on American satellites, through land and air battles in all theaters, naval battles in the Arabian sea, and small unit fighting down to the hand-to-hand level in the jungle, Russia's forces battle to either take the mines or detonate a nuclear device to prevent the West from exploiting them.
22 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 16, 2019
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About the author
Mark Greaney
59 books6,171 followersMark Greaney has a degree in International Relations and Political Science. In researching The Gray Man series he traveled to ten countries and trained extensively in the use of firearms, battlefield medicine, and close range combative tactics.
Learn more at MARKGREANEYBOOKS.COM
Email Mark at MarkGreaneyBooks@gmail.com
Learn more at MARKGREANEYBOOKS.COM
Email Mark at MarkGreaneyBooks@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 645 reviews
August 1, 2022
This is an excellent read and I'm extremely happy that I did not give up (a few times I thought of doing it due to detailed tanks and artillery). What pulled me through are the fascinating cast of characters and great writing. You rooted for them, bonded with many, and grieved for the fallen. This includes the French and Polish characters that I initially feel are just secondary characters.
This book is Army/Marine Corps heavy with support from the Navy and Air Force.
This book is Army/Marine Corps heavy with support from the Navy and Air Force.
July 13, 2019
I don’t usually read war thrillers, but... ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I thought this would be a great book to share with my dad, so we can discuss it. ♥️
Back in February, I was invited to read a Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney, Mission Critical. I loved it. It was edgy and full of action. I read it as a standalone, but it is part of a series. This book, Red Metal, is a true standalone.
What if World War III happened?
Russia takes a hit at both Western Europe and east Africa. The goal is to gain control of key mineral mines.
There’s an interesting and varied cast of heroes from multiple countries up against the Russians.
Fighting through land and air and all across the world, everyone is trying to stop Russia from taking the mines, while Russia threatens to use a nuclear bomb to keep anyone else from gaining access to them.
Red Metal is a chunk of a read at over 600 pages, but it never felt like it. I was captivated early on, and it never let go. From the start, it feels like it could actually happen; that it was actually happening. The characters were easy to care for as well.
I’m not writing a long review because reading Red Metal is an experience. It felt like a Clancy novel in its scope, depth, and authenticity. There’s great tension as the story builds, and I was completely absorbed and consumed by Red Metal.
Check out the reviews and ratings on Goodreads. Mark Greaney is a well-loved and well-respected author, and this may be his best work.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Back in February, I was invited to read a Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney, Mission Critical. I loved it. It was edgy and full of action. I read it as a standalone, but it is part of a series. This book, Red Metal, is a true standalone.
What if World War III happened?
Russia takes a hit at both Western Europe and east Africa. The goal is to gain control of key mineral mines.
There’s an interesting and varied cast of heroes from multiple countries up against the Russians.
Fighting through land and air and all across the world, everyone is trying to stop Russia from taking the mines, while Russia threatens to use a nuclear bomb to keep anyone else from gaining access to them.
Red Metal is a chunk of a read at over 600 pages, but it never felt like it. I was captivated early on, and it never let go. From the start, it feels like it could actually happen; that it was actually happening. The characters were easy to care for as well.
I’m not writing a long review because reading Red Metal is an experience. It felt like a Clancy novel in its scope, depth, and authenticity. There’s great tension as the story builds, and I was completely absorbed and consumed by Red Metal.
Check out the reviews and ratings on Goodreads. Mark Greaney is a well-loved and well-respected author, and this may be his best work.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
August 20, 2019
This is a stand-alone book. The book is about a modern war with Russia. It is primarily a United States Marines with tank and infantry type of story but with some Marine air support and a bit of help from the Navy. A female submarine captain performs heroic maneuvers to help the Marines. The story takes place in Africa (Kenya), Poland, Germany.
The book is well written; the characters are exciting and colorfully. The book could have been shorter, but it is written in the Clancy style. The story seemed somewhat familiar to me, but I could not place it. I found the book hard to put down. It is an exciting military thriller.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twenty-one hours and twenty-one minutes. Marc Vietor does an excellent job narrating the book. Vietor is an actor and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Audiofile Earphone Awards.
The book is well written; the characters are exciting and colorfully. The book could have been shorter, but it is written in the Clancy style. The story seemed somewhat familiar to me, but I could not place it. I found the book hard to put down. It is an exciting military thriller.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twenty-one hours and twenty-one minutes. Marc Vietor does an excellent job narrating the book. Vietor is an actor and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Audiofile Earphone Awards.
May 7, 2022
Mark Greaney is prescient predicting a Russian false flag operation against a European neighbor. All one has to do is substitute Ukraine for Poland. Dictator and war criminal Vladimir Putin is perfectly portrayed. All that is left is for the real world to stop this murdering KGB butcher. 7 of 10 stars
June 28, 2019
Best known for his Gray Man series, New York Times bestseller Mark Greaney shows yet again why he’s one of the most talented, versatile, and dominant writers in the genre today with Red Metal (co-authored with Lt. Col. H. Ripley Rawlings), a brilliant standalone that offers a realistic glimpse at what World War III might look like in the near future.
Seeking to restore their reputation as a superpower, a desperate Russia launches a daring plan to take back several Rare Earth mineral mines in Africa, igniting a new world war in the process.
Not that long ago, Russia held the coveted mines, which produce the needed material to effectively own the world’s high-tech sector for generations to come. Since they lost control, special forces commander Col. Yuri Borbikov has been hellbent on taking them back, even going as far as to draw up a plan he calls Operation Red Metal—which basically amounts to an attack in Europe designed to severely limit AFRICOM, the United States’ Africa Command stationed in Germany, while simultaneously hitting one of the mines in Kenya. All they need now is to wait for the right moment to strike.
In Asia, the Chinese government launches a plan to assassinate a high-profile politician in Taiwan—a country that has grown tired of having their independence threatened and are finally ready to fight back. America takes note, and, with those events momentarily distracting them from what the Russians are up to, Red Metal is quickly approved by the Russian president—catching NATO, who didn’t think the sleeping bear would awaken quite yet, by surprise—and all hell suddenly . . .
Continue reading this review here: https://therealbookspy.com/2019/06/27...
Seeking to restore their reputation as a superpower, a desperate Russia launches a daring plan to take back several Rare Earth mineral mines in Africa, igniting a new world war in the process.
Not that long ago, Russia held the coveted mines, which produce the needed material to effectively own the world’s high-tech sector for generations to come. Since they lost control, special forces commander Col. Yuri Borbikov has been hellbent on taking them back, even going as far as to draw up a plan he calls Operation Red Metal—which basically amounts to an attack in Europe designed to severely limit AFRICOM, the United States’ Africa Command stationed in Germany, while simultaneously hitting one of the mines in Kenya. All they need now is to wait for the right moment to strike.
In Asia, the Chinese government launches a plan to assassinate a high-profile politician in Taiwan—a country that has grown tired of having their independence threatened and are finally ready to fight back. America takes note, and, with those events momentarily distracting them from what the Russians are up to, Red Metal is quickly approved by the Russian president—catching NATO, who didn’t think the sleeping bear would awaken quite yet, by surprise—and all hell suddenly . . .
Continue reading this review here: https://therealbookspy.com/2019/06/27...
July 15, 2019
Wow! What a story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is a massive read but loaded with so much action you don’t really realize how fast the pages fly. These men brought a masterful story together that just begs to be read by anyone interested in military novels, action, thrills and suspense, and realistic stories that are so plausible, it’s damn near scary.
I was reading some additional information regarding how these two authors met and how the idea for the story came together. The incredible knowledge of these two men became evident in several conversations they had together and the project seemed to come together easily.
They also talked about their favorite character in the book. And while there are many amazing, strong, courageous men and women, I have to go with Mark‘s choice of Paulina. A 20-year-old Polish bad ass who completely transformed during her various roles.
I also really enjoyed the characters of Apollo, Glitter, and Shank. There were so many amazing players in this story, it was hard to choose just a few. Lt. Col Dan Connolly definitely stands out as well as Griggs.
This is the type of book that you would probably want to read more than once. With so much action and activity scattered throughout the world, it’s hard to absorb every nuance of this incredible novel.
Red Metal offers an amazing insight at what World War III would look like today. This book was intense and so addicting, it was difficult to set it aside. But I found I had to because it was almost an obsession of just one more chapter!
Definitely a powerful combination of talent, brain power, and detail came together for an incredible read. Awesome read you will not want to miss!
* Copy received for review consideration
full review - https://amidlifewife.com/red-metal-by...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is a massive read but loaded with so much action you don’t really realize how fast the pages fly. These men brought a masterful story together that just begs to be read by anyone interested in military novels, action, thrills and suspense, and realistic stories that are so plausible, it’s damn near scary.
I was reading some additional information regarding how these two authors met and how the idea for the story came together. The incredible knowledge of these two men became evident in several conversations they had together and the project seemed to come together easily.
They also talked about their favorite character in the book. And while there are many amazing, strong, courageous men and women, I have to go with Mark‘s choice of Paulina. A 20-year-old Polish bad ass who completely transformed during her various roles.
I also really enjoyed the characters of Apollo, Glitter, and Shank. There were so many amazing players in this story, it was hard to choose just a few. Lt. Col Dan Connolly definitely stands out as well as Griggs.
This is the type of book that you would probably want to read more than once. With so much action and activity scattered throughout the world, it’s hard to absorb every nuance of this incredible novel.
Red Metal offers an amazing insight at what World War III would look like today. This book was intense and so addicting, it was difficult to set it aside. But I found I had to because it was almost an obsession of just one more chapter!
Definitely a powerful combination of talent, brain power, and detail came together for an incredible read. Awesome read you will not want to miss!
* Copy received for review consideration
full review - https://amidlifewife.com/red-metal-by...
January 2, 2020
Mark and Rip knock it out of the park with Red Metal. Not since Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising have I enjoyed an epic military thriller this much. If, like me, you've been looking for a book that harkens back to the days when Lary Bond, Tom Clancy, Harold Coyle and others wrote big books focusing on near peer threats, look no further. With Red Metal, Mark and Rip may have just relaunched a genre!
August 4, 2019
I'm Active Duty Navy and I LOVED this book. First of all, let's make something clear. There ARE women on submaarines, and they are on all classes of submarine TODAY! Not tomorrow, not in the near future, we are on fast attacks and boomers, so get used to it. (Yes, I read one review that started "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, the authors chose to be politically correct and make a female sub captain." Well, my friend, we are already onboard, and it's just a few years before we're commanding, again, get used to it... and btw: sexist much? Ok, on to the story. This is an accurate, up to date (if not a bit in the future) gtg military fiction novel in the EXACT genre of Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising or the Hunt for Red October. I haven't seen a book that spans the globe, gets the military details down as accurately, or is as exciting a novel as this since then. Most just cannot pack the realism, suspense, dram and character development I have wanted to see in a military novel in quite some time. The characters are fun, engaging and react in real time in a very realistic manner. 5-stars for this awesome book and thanks to Mark Greaney for his excellent Grey Man series (which I also adore) and the newcomer, whom I see is also a kin of King Neptune, covers off to you LT Colonel Rawlings Sir, excellent work gentlemen.
June 10, 2019
In Greaney et al's 600+-page Red Metal (Penguin Group 2019), we follow the carefully orchestrated and brilliant Russian plot to simultaneously strike Western Europe, Taiwan, and East Africa with the goal of taking over several Rare Earth mineral mines in Africa that they believe will give the Russians control over America if not the West. Told through the eyes of different parties, each involved in different ways--a Polish civilian warrior who has barely enough training to fire her weapon, two Russian commanders--one eager to make his mark and the other fearful of what a world war will do to his beloved Rodina, an almost-retired French Intelligence Officer (and his son) who just happen upon clues that they can't resist but to follow, two American Intelligence Officers who try valiantly to get their American agencies to take the series of seemingly disconnected clues seriously. The events seem far-flung but in the fullness of the story, come together to create a top-notch geopolitical thriller.
The detail of the Naval war strategies is impressive, thorough, and believable. Like this:
"The carrier strike group used submarines as its outer most ring to serve as the eyes and ears of the task force by venturing out from the CSGs to find enemy shipping. The next ring was an array of frigates. The workhorse of the fleet, they screened for enemy submarines."
If Greaney and Rawlings weren't sitting at the elbow of the officers in charge of America’s Pacific Fleet, they should be--that's how consuming the facts are. It takes a while to determine who the main character(s) is/are, if there is even one or two. I become so vested in all of the characters, they could all be the protagonist. I must confess, I've read all of Greaney's Gray Man novels, always know that Gray Man is the operator no matter what is happening in the story or where in the world I am. This is different.
Let me close with a high recommendation: If you loved Tom Clancy’s iconic war novels, this is a perfect story for you. Not just the incredible detail and depth of knowledge but the way Greaney and Rawlings are able to bring these characters to life in dramatic life-and-death circumstances.
The detail of the Naval war strategies is impressive, thorough, and believable. Like this:
"The carrier strike group used submarines as its outer most ring to serve as the eyes and ears of the task force by venturing out from the CSGs to find enemy shipping. The next ring was an array of frigates. The workhorse of the fleet, they screened for enemy submarines."
If Greaney and Rawlings weren't sitting at the elbow of the officers in charge of America’s Pacific Fleet, they should be--that's how consuming the facts are. It takes a while to determine who the main character(s) is/are, if there is even one or two. I become so vested in all of the characters, they could all be the protagonist. I must confess, I've read all of Greaney's Gray Man novels, always know that Gray Man is the operator no matter what is happening in the story or where in the world I am. This is different.
Let me close with a high recommendation: If you loved Tom Clancy’s iconic war novels, this is a perfect story for you. Not just the incredible detail and depth of knowledge but the way Greaney and Rawlings are able to bring these characters to life in dramatic life-and-death circumstances.
August 20, 2019
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Mark Greaney's Gray Man books. This is a departure in that it does not feature the Gray Man, but is rather a stand alone about a conventional Russian invasion of the West. If you like a lot of technical details about weapons and weapon systems (I do) you will enjoy this book. If you do not, it would be somewhat tedious. It also tells the story of what amounts to the beginning of World War III from the men who fight it, that is, all of the main characters are colonels or less. The President, Joint Chiefs and the other high ranking generals and admirals are simply spectators, with all of the decisions being made by the men in the field. So this book is a somewhat unrealistic technical tale of war but still a ripping good battle yarn with great characters.
April 15, 2023
3.5 just a little too much military lingo for me, but otherwise not bad
July 24, 2019
WARNING! WARNING! Find yourself a quiet confortable seat, a bucket of beers, put the dogs out and tell the family you are busy. From page one until the end of the book you will be engrossed in reading Red Metal, it is a can't put down book. The authors have gone beyond excellent in preparing this novel for those who enjoy reading military novels. The Russians are coming and NATO is blind, what else can happen? Get a copy anyway you can and find out. This should be the book of the year.
One note: Books A Million had only one copy delivered to our local store (I got it), they need to stock and display this book so it sells out!!!!! Bad Books A Million.
One note: Books A Million had only one copy delivered to our local store (I got it), they need to stock and display this book so it sells out!!!!! Bad Books A Million.
July 19, 2019
This is one of the best military fiction novels I have read since Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. The action is amazing and so true to life. The character descriptions are rich and the locations are exciting. I could not put this down. I stayed up four nights in a row past midnight to see what was going to happen next. The authors, one of which I think went to war and the other is the awesome Greaney who wrote the Grey Man series which I really enjoy. Nail biting, gripping, awesome!
January 14, 2020
It's been a long time since I've read a military thriller that encompassed as much as this work. The battle scenes with Russian troops moving across Eastern Europe reminded me of the novels of Larry Bond and Harold Coyle from 30 or so years ago. The battle scenes of the Marine Corp in Africa was as exciting as one can find in a novel. Add in a French spy, French Special Forces, a navy submarine and Polish civilian militia. At 600 plus pages the authors took their time to develop all of the characters from both sides of the conflicts.
All in all, this will fill the needs of any military thriller junkie.
All in all, this will fill the needs of any military thriller junkie.
August 4, 2019
I couldn't get enough of RED METAL! This is the best military/action novel I've read in quite a while. The author did a marvelous job of explaining various military moves; it was so well done that I could visualize everything. There is non-stop action as we follow those "bastard" Russians around the world as they begin wars on several fronts. Highly recommended reading!
October 17, 2019
Outstanding 21st Century military fiction that ranks with the best I've ever read. Truly memorable characters, an original plot premise and relentless action power this kick ass novel. Semper Fi to co-author Lt. Col. Hunter Rawlings USMC.
November 3, 2022
A 20-minutes Into the Future military fiction/political thriller mashup in which the Russian Federation invades Northern Europe to make an African resources grab.
USMC AH-1W Super Cobra Gunship
My dead pixels copy was 771 pages. A dead tree copy would be a hefty 656 pages. The book had a US 2019 copyright.
This book was co-authored. Mark Greaney is an American novelist. He is the author of about twenty books in the political thriller and espionage genres, primarily in series. H. Ripley Rawlings IV is a serving officer in the US Marine Corps. This is the first book in Greaney and Rawlings’ unnamed (Red Metal?) military fiction/political thrillers series. This is the first book I've read by either author.
Firstly, it is not completely necessary to have any previous: military, military history, geography or technology background to be reading this book. However, it would be helpful to have a Popular Mechanics -level understanding of contemporary military systems, a familiarly with military organization, and a grasp of Northern and Central European and East African geography. That is, this is not a beginner military fiction/political thriller story.
Secondly, I have spent several years amongst U.S. and allied soldiers, sailors and airmen, both officers and rankers. I’m also familiar with several US weapon systems, a few of which appeared in the narrative. I also fancy myself an amateur military historian and armchair general. This makes me somewhat more critical of the authors, than most folks.
This book was part of the long tradition of modern, hypothetical wars, military fiction first made popular in the 1980’s by books like John W. Hackett’s The Third World War: August 1985 and Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising. In fact, Greaney was a co-author with Clancy for several books. These books include a detailed military narrative of a future war against the West’s (typically American) opponents. Military technology is deeply woven into the story.
Interestingly, many of these type stories adopt the same chapter format. That is, many very short chapters, each from a different character’s POV describing a different aspect of the combat: air, sea, land, cyber and near space. Many times these contributing characters are Red Shirts. Advanced weapons systems, and high technology along with modern military strategy and tactics with a veneer of a story are always involved. This book follows that tradition.
TL;DR Review
In the story, the Russians abet a Great Politics Mess-Up between the Americans and the Chinese as a strategic distraction. Their real goal was a Russian developed African Rare Earth Metals (REM) mine in Kenya lost due to Kenyan nationalization. To truly obfuscate their intentions, the Russians execute an: air, sea, land, space, cyberspace coup de main on Christmas against NATO. Meanwhile, a large, Russian expeditionary force secretly leaves for Kenya to seize the mine. The air land battle is fought in Europe by the story’s minor characters. The nominal protagonist Connelly, is sent to Kenya where an outnumbered Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) needs to stop the Russians. Modern tactical and operational warfare ensues. The geopolitical politics of the story were too contrived. Some operational aspects of the combat sidestepped national military doctrine(s) to cater to a better ground combat centered story. However, the combat vignettes were good. The authors somewhat decoy the reader from the story's flaws with them.
The Review
Writing was technically good, although I would characterize it as workmanlike. It was written in a clear, unaffected manner. A competent, details oriented, ‘writing team’ typically produces a well-groomed narrative. The book was also well proofread. The narrative contains a lot of vivid details in illustrative scenes from both sides of the conflict. In particular, I liked the technique of adding an extraneous detail to a common action. Such as, the tank gunner putting in his feet in the excrement left on the driver’s seat, while boosting himself out of the vehicle’s hatch. The driver had lost control of his bowels in fright during a tank duel. Dialog, at least that related to action scenes was good too.
I had a few real issues with the prose. First, the characters felt very flat. This was an artifact of the very short, chapters with changing POVs. It did not leave a lot of pages for character development, nor did they give me time to become invested in any of them. Secondly, the writing felt sterile. This was an advantage in the cut ‘n dried techo-political plotlines. However, the narrative fell flat when attempting to describe emotional relationships other than the “comrades, standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the foe”. Male, female relationships (all relationships were heterosexual) came out as either maudlin or superficial.
Finally, as previously written, I have spent some time in the company of ranker: soldiers, sailors and marines. In the story, their dialog was sanitized. A shame really, because I’ve heard some truly poetic profanity from sergeants and chiefs (naval rank).
There were many POVs in the story. As mentioned above, many of them were there to demonstrate an aspect of the MIL-tech and many of those characters were Red Shirts. Frankly, there were about a dozen too many POVs. Realizing that, the authors provide a List of Characters, so readers will know that Who’s on First ? I noted that the authors were not afraid to kill-off characters who looked to have Earned Their Happy Ending.
First amongst equals protagonist-wise was Marine Lt. Col. Dan Connelly. He was the anchoring USMC POV. He’s a married with kids, field-grade officer, currently at the Pentagon after too may tours in the Middle East. Connelly received the most development of all the characters. He's a warrior and not a REMF. He’s also obviously the co-author, Rawlings. Maj. Bob Griggs (US Army) is Connelly’s Buddy Cop at the Pentagon. Griggs is the Cowboy Cop of the pair. Connelly and Griggs are the only two folks at the Pentagon to realize that the US has fallen victim to a Russian We Need a Distraction. They are ignored by their careerist superiors, who they circumvent only a little too late.
The main Russian antagonists include Col. Yuri Borbikov, Col. Gen. Boris Lazar, and Col. Gen. Eduard Sabaneyev. Borbikov is the Spetznaz mastermind, and author of the Evil Plan. He convinces a Vladimir Putin-like Russian leader its OK to attack the West and seize resources in Africa. He's also starting the conflict out of Patriotic Fervor and a need for revenge against Russian humiliations. Lazar was the line-general of the Kenyan Russian expeditionary force. He’s likely modeled on kinder, version of Gorgy Zhukov ? He was the antithesis of Borbikov in his patriotic fervor. Sabaneyev was the narcissistic line-general leading the European incursion. He’s the one most likely to be voted a War Criminal. In general the foreign nationals throughout the story bore too close a resemblance to American stereotypes of foreigners. For example, the Russians were strong, sentimental, cruel, crafty and stupid all at once.
After, the main characters, the authors created several minor characters to illustrate the land, sea, air, cyber and space war plot lines. For example the, US Army armour colonel, the female US Army helo pilot, the female US Navy submarine captain, the French Special Forces captain, the Russian fighter pilot, the German tank gunner, etc.. The female characters were generally good. They suffered for their gender no more than their comrades-in-arms. I thought the authors had a chance at very good female character in the Polish militia leader. However, they missed their mark. I noted there were no Russian female characters of note.
The book contained almost no sex, no drugs, and a small amount of music references. (That's, sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.) There was a lot of violence, including implied torture. Consensual sex was highly abstracted. No drugs were consumed. Liquor was consumed to the state of drunkenness by Poles only and only after action by the victors. The abuse of stimulants by the military personnel in combat situations was non-existent. Violence was: physical, edged-weaponed, small arms, and military heavy weapons. Violence was not gory and only mildly descriptive. As in many thrillers, the main protagonists and antagonists were more resistant to harm than mere mortals. Body count was high. (There was a war on.) I noted there was no sacking by the Russians. There was no mention of rape, but there was minor looting by Russian troops. Although, Spetznaz troops did commit war crimes by executing prisoners. Music references came from rankers (bad Pop/Rock) at work and military band music.
The included maps were somewhat useful, but not well positioned within the narrative. I found myself using Google Earth to keep pace with the narrative and to access the terrain. For example: Mrima Hill Mine, Kenya .
First and foremost, this story was a military systems techno-fest. The story was there to support the technology. The levels of detail were generally very high and realistic. The weapons, combat systems and the doctrine applied were very correct. For example, the cyber-attack on the NATO Command and Control infrastructure used all the correct terminology and was a textbook example of what could be accomplished by a well-resourced and determined aggressor.
While I thought the guns, drums, smoke, and bugles were very accurate, I also thought the authors took liberties to bend their story to be an epic land combat story. You can only be too realistic? Inconvenient to the story NATO and American rocket artillery, artillery, and tactical air assents were noticeably absent. Strategically, the Russian armored assault through Poland and Germany may have made for a more exciting story, but a cruise missile or Surface-to-Surface missile strike on Stuttgart would likely have had the same effect with less clash of steel. International Law and the use of SSMs is murkier than an armoured column attacking across Poland and into Germany.
The MEF was a "six ship flotilla". Typically, a MEF includes, a guided missile cruiser (CG), guided missile destroyers (DDG) and submarine (SSN) support. All of which could have launched SSMs (including TLAMs) in support of the marines on the ground. (Which they didn't.) Operationally speaking, the Russian’s should also have used standoff weapons against the MEF’s carrier off the coast of Kenya.
The NATO air wings of the RAF, Luftwaffe wings and Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace escadrons were noticeably absent from the fray. NATO doctrine is based on the projection of air power into the air space of an attacker or attacking state. Most of the story's European air battle related to the ground attack. Key NATO sensor and battle management platforms like AWACs and JSTARS were never mentioned. NATO combat COMINT and SIGINT resources would have picked-out the Russian command train and its SAM radars quickly as targets for NATO AGMs, ASMs, SSMs or artillery, of which there was noticeably little of. It seemed like only the Russians could use artillery! That the Russians initially achieved local air superiority was fair. However, NATO air forces should have shortly challenged that and achieved air supremacy over the battlefield through weight of numbers.
The MacGuffin of the Kenyan mine was also a problem. Could the Russians really benefit from a hostile seizing of a large resource extraction operation so far from the Motherland? That new industry would require constant protection, a long logistics chain they didn't have, and a transportation, refining, and fabrication infrastructure that doesn't exist in Russia? It could take a decade for them to develop that resource for their use. Attempts at autarky like this are uneconomical and seldom successful.
I also found the politics of the story to be very contrived. At the very beginning they were right out of the daily news. The Chinese pressure on Taiwan was realistic and contemporary. The American response and the Russian's taking advantage of the situation in some way would have been credible. It was downhill from there. However, I understood the purpose of the ending political situation was there to setup for the next book by the authors.
Finally, the book went on too long. I developed combat fatigue. I felt either the European incursion or the clash of expeditionary forces in Kenya would have been more than enough combat pr0n for this story. In particular, with the interleaved, short, POV-based chapters coming fast and furious during combat in both Kenya and Poland/Belarus there were just too many guns and bugles to keep track of. One or the other would have kept the book to a more easily-readable 350 pages, without adversely affecting the story.
This book is a hybrid-fiction/non-fiction work. Putting aside the techno-bling of future air/land/sea/cyber/space warfare it was pretty thin soup. There were too many sub-plots devoted to MIL-Tech on too few pages. The result was that the major plots each with its separate minor and major protagonists/antagonists were starved for development. The authors had so many sub-plots they forgot to tie-up a couple of them at the end. The book either needed an additional 150-200 pages, or one less theater of combat. Dumping the armoured European incursion would have been my first suggestion toward have making a better book. Note that the authors ignored certain aspects of NATO and American war fighting doctrine and available war fighting resources to make a better war story on the ground. This went against the hyper-realistic grain of the overall book. I also could not avoid thinking the basic geopolitical thesis of the book was jingoistic and advocating autarky. Many books of this 'future war' military fiction sub-genre do. However, if you’re a MIL-tech geek into modern war pr0n this would be a fine beach read. Although, this book was of the category, where the trees were of more value than the forest.
I'm uncertain if I'll be reading the sequel, Red Metal 2.
Although a bit dated, I recommend reading The Third World War: August 1985. This was a very real description of modern, mechanized warfare. Also Red Storm Rising to which this book has its naval roots.
USMC AH-1W Super Cobra Gunship
My dead pixels copy was 771 pages. A dead tree copy would be a hefty 656 pages. The book had a US 2019 copyright.
This book was co-authored. Mark Greaney is an American novelist. He is the author of about twenty books in the political thriller and espionage genres, primarily in series. H. Ripley Rawlings IV is a serving officer in the US Marine Corps. This is the first book in Greaney and Rawlings’ unnamed (Red Metal?) military fiction/political thrillers series. This is the first book I've read by either author.
Firstly, it is not completely necessary to have any previous: military, military history, geography or technology background to be reading this book. However, it would be helpful to have a Popular Mechanics -level understanding of contemporary military systems, a familiarly with military organization, and a grasp of Northern and Central European and East African geography. That is, this is not a beginner military fiction/political thriller story.
Secondly, I have spent several years amongst U.S. and allied soldiers, sailors and airmen, both officers and rankers. I’m also familiar with several US weapon systems, a few of which appeared in the narrative. I also fancy myself an amateur military historian and armchair general. This makes me somewhat more critical of the authors, than most folks.
This book was part of the long tradition of modern, hypothetical wars, military fiction first made popular in the 1980’s by books like John W. Hackett’s The Third World War: August 1985 and Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising. In fact, Greaney was a co-author with Clancy for several books. These books include a detailed military narrative of a future war against the West’s (typically American) opponents. Military technology is deeply woven into the story.
Interestingly, many of these type stories adopt the same chapter format. That is, many very short chapters, each from a different character’s POV describing a different aspect of the combat: air, sea, land, cyber and near space. Many times these contributing characters are Red Shirts. Advanced weapons systems, and high technology along with modern military strategy and tactics with a veneer of a story are always involved. This book follows that tradition.
TL;DR Review
In the story, the Russians abet a Great Politics Mess-Up between the Americans and the Chinese as a strategic distraction. Their real goal was a Russian developed African Rare Earth Metals (REM) mine in Kenya lost due to Kenyan nationalization. To truly obfuscate their intentions, the Russians execute an: air, sea, land, space, cyberspace coup de main on Christmas against NATO. Meanwhile, a large, Russian expeditionary force secretly leaves for Kenya to seize the mine. The air land battle is fought in Europe by the story’s minor characters. The nominal protagonist Connelly, is sent to Kenya where an outnumbered Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) needs to stop the Russians. Modern tactical and operational warfare ensues. The geopolitical politics of the story were too contrived. Some operational aspects of the combat sidestepped national military doctrine(s) to cater to a better ground combat centered story. However, the combat vignettes were good. The authors somewhat decoy the reader from the story's flaws with them.
The Review
Writing was technically good, although I would characterize it as workmanlike. It was written in a clear, unaffected manner. A competent, details oriented, ‘writing team’ typically produces a well-groomed narrative. The book was also well proofread. The narrative contains a lot of vivid details in illustrative scenes from both sides of the conflict. In particular, I liked the technique of adding an extraneous detail to a common action. Such as, the tank gunner putting in his feet in the excrement left on the driver’s seat, while boosting himself out of the vehicle’s hatch. The driver had lost control of his bowels in fright during a tank duel. Dialog, at least that related to action scenes was good too.
I had a few real issues with the prose. First, the characters felt very flat. This was an artifact of the very short, chapters with changing POVs. It did not leave a lot of pages for character development, nor did they give me time to become invested in any of them. Secondly, the writing felt sterile. This was an advantage in the cut ‘n dried techo-political plotlines. However, the narrative fell flat when attempting to describe emotional relationships other than the “comrades, standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the foe”. Male, female relationships (all relationships were heterosexual) came out as either maudlin or superficial.
Finally, as previously written, I have spent some time in the company of ranker: soldiers, sailors and marines. In the story, their dialog was sanitized. A shame really, because I’ve heard some truly poetic profanity from sergeants and chiefs (naval rank).
There were many POVs in the story. As mentioned above, many of them were there to demonstrate an aspect of the MIL-tech and many of those characters were Red Shirts. Frankly, there were about a dozen too many POVs. Realizing that, the authors provide a List of Characters, so readers will know that Who’s on First ? I noted that the authors were not afraid to kill-off characters who looked to have Earned Their Happy Ending.
First amongst equals protagonist-wise was Marine Lt. Col. Dan Connelly. He was the anchoring USMC POV. He’s a married with kids, field-grade officer, currently at the Pentagon after too may tours in the Middle East. Connelly received the most development of all the characters. He's a warrior and not a REMF. He’s also obviously the co-author, Rawlings. Maj. Bob Griggs (US Army) is Connelly’s Buddy Cop at the Pentagon. Griggs is the Cowboy Cop of the pair. Connelly and Griggs are the only two folks at the Pentagon to realize that the US has fallen victim to a Russian We Need a Distraction. They are ignored by their careerist superiors, who they circumvent only a little too late.
The main Russian antagonists include Col. Yuri Borbikov, Col. Gen. Boris Lazar, and Col. Gen. Eduard Sabaneyev. Borbikov is the Spetznaz mastermind, and author of the Evil Plan. He convinces a Vladimir Putin-like Russian leader its OK to attack the West and seize resources in Africa. He's also starting the conflict out of Patriotic Fervor and a need for revenge against Russian humiliations. Lazar was the line-general of the Kenyan Russian expeditionary force. He’s likely modeled on kinder, version of Gorgy Zhukov ? He was the antithesis of Borbikov in his patriotic fervor. Sabaneyev was the narcissistic line-general leading the European incursion. He’s the one most likely to be voted a War Criminal. In general the foreign nationals throughout the story bore too close a resemblance to American stereotypes of foreigners. For example, the Russians were strong, sentimental, cruel, crafty and stupid all at once.
After, the main characters, the authors created several minor characters to illustrate the land, sea, air, cyber and space war plot lines. For example the, US Army armour colonel, the female US Army helo pilot, the female US Navy submarine captain, the French Special Forces captain, the Russian fighter pilot, the German tank gunner, etc.. The female characters were generally good. They suffered for their gender no more than their comrades-in-arms. I thought the authors had a chance at very good female character in the Polish militia leader. However, they missed their mark. I noted there were no Russian female characters of note.
The book contained almost no sex, no drugs, and a small amount of music references. (That's, sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.) There was a lot of violence, including implied torture. Consensual sex was highly abstracted. No drugs were consumed. Liquor was consumed to the state of drunkenness by Poles only and only after action by the victors. The abuse of stimulants by the military personnel in combat situations was non-existent. Violence was: physical, edged-weaponed, small arms, and military heavy weapons. Violence was not gory and only mildly descriptive. As in many thrillers, the main protagonists and antagonists were more resistant to harm than mere mortals. Body count was high. (There was a war on.) I noted there was no sacking by the Russians. There was no mention of rape, but there was minor looting by Russian troops. Although, Spetznaz troops did commit war crimes by executing prisoners. Music references came from rankers (bad Pop/Rock) at work and military band music.
The included maps were somewhat useful, but not well positioned within the narrative. I found myself using Google Earth to keep pace with the narrative and to access the terrain. For example: Mrima Hill Mine, Kenya .
First and foremost, this story was a military systems techno-fest. The story was there to support the technology. The levels of detail were generally very high and realistic. The weapons, combat systems and the doctrine applied were very correct. For example, the cyber-attack on the NATO Command and Control infrastructure used all the correct terminology and was a textbook example of what could be accomplished by a well-resourced and determined aggressor.
While I thought the guns, drums, smoke, and bugles were very accurate, I also thought the authors took liberties to bend their story to be an epic land combat story. You can only be too realistic? Inconvenient to the story NATO and American rocket artillery, artillery, and tactical air assents were noticeably absent. Strategically, the Russian armored assault through Poland and Germany may have made for a more exciting story, but a cruise missile or Surface-to-Surface missile strike on Stuttgart would likely have had the same effect with less clash of steel. International Law and the use of SSMs is murkier than an armoured column attacking across Poland and into Germany.
The MEF was a "six ship flotilla". Typically, a MEF includes, a guided missile cruiser (CG), guided missile destroyers (DDG) and submarine (SSN) support. All of which could have launched SSMs (including TLAMs) in support of the marines on the ground. (Which they didn't.) Operationally speaking, the Russian’s should also have used standoff weapons against the MEF’s carrier off the coast of Kenya.
The NATO air wings of the RAF, Luftwaffe wings and Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace escadrons were noticeably absent from the fray. NATO doctrine is based on the projection of air power into the air space of an attacker or attacking state. Most of the story's European air battle related to the ground attack. Key NATO sensor and battle management platforms like AWACs and JSTARS were never mentioned. NATO combat COMINT and SIGINT resources would have picked-out the Russian command train and its SAM radars quickly as targets for NATO AGMs, ASMs, SSMs or artillery, of which there was noticeably little of. It seemed like only the Russians could use artillery! That the Russians initially achieved local air superiority was fair. However, NATO air forces should have shortly challenged that and achieved air supremacy over the battlefield through weight of numbers.
The MacGuffin of the Kenyan mine was also a problem. Could the Russians really benefit from a hostile seizing of a large resource extraction operation so far from the Motherland? That new industry would require constant protection, a long logistics chain they didn't have, and a transportation, refining, and fabrication infrastructure that doesn't exist in Russia? It could take a decade for them to develop that resource for their use. Attempts at autarky like this are uneconomical and seldom successful.
I also found the politics of the story to be very contrived. At the very beginning they were right out of the daily news. The Chinese pressure on Taiwan was realistic and contemporary. The American response and the Russian's taking advantage of the situation in some way would have been credible. It was downhill from there. However, I understood the purpose of the ending political situation was there to setup for the next book by the authors.
Finally, the book went on too long. I developed combat fatigue. I felt either the European incursion or the clash of expeditionary forces in Kenya would have been more than enough combat pr0n for this story. In particular, with the interleaved, short, POV-based chapters coming fast and furious during combat in both Kenya and Poland/Belarus there were just too many guns and bugles to keep track of. One or the other would have kept the book to a more easily-readable 350 pages, without adversely affecting the story.
This book is a hybrid-fiction/non-fiction work. Putting aside the techno-bling of future air/land/sea/cyber/space warfare it was pretty thin soup. There were too many sub-plots devoted to MIL-Tech on too few pages. The result was that the major plots each with its separate minor and major protagonists/antagonists were starved for development. The authors had so many sub-plots they forgot to tie-up a couple of them at the end. The book either needed an additional 150-200 pages, or one less theater of combat. Dumping the armoured European incursion would have been my first suggestion toward have making a better book. Note that the authors ignored certain aspects of NATO and American war fighting doctrine and available war fighting resources to make a better war story on the ground. This went against the hyper-realistic grain of the overall book. I also could not avoid thinking the basic geopolitical thesis of the book was jingoistic and advocating autarky. Many books of this 'future war' military fiction sub-genre do. However, if you’re a MIL-tech geek into modern war pr0n this would be a fine beach read. Although, this book was of the category, where the trees were of more value than the forest.
I'm uncertain if I'll be reading the sequel, Red Metal 2.
Although a bit dated, I recommend reading The Third World War: August 1985. This was a very real description of modern, mechanized warfare. Also Red Storm Rising to which this book has its naval roots.
December 18, 2019
Not my type of typical read; however, still a fab read!! A few times in the book, I felt that it was drug on and on but it still kept my attention and worthy of 4 stars!❤️❤️
June 24, 2019
What a great book - I'm no stranger to espionage & assassin thrillers, but this was my first military thriller and it did not disappoint! There is a plethora of military lingo & terminology; I found I was constantly looking up tanks, airplanes, helicopters, personnel carriers, submarines & a wide variety of other vehicle and weapon models to truly get a feel for the large scale battles that take place in this story.
Taking place on a global scale, you'll find the characters constantly absorbed in a race against time & strategy. Tracking the stories of several individuals you receive some insight as to the characters themselves, however, I'd say the majority of the writing focuses on the engagements & unveiling of the plans set into action by the superpowers of the world.
This opened me up to military thrillers, and I will certainly be looking to find books in a similar realm that are as engaging as this book was.
Thank you, Mark & Rip!
April 15, 2019
If you liked Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising, Larry Bond's Red Phoenix, or Harold Coyle's Team Yankee you will love Mark Greaney's Red Metal The plot is timely, characters compelling and the action is riveting, I was drawn in on page 1 and had to force myself to put it down so I could sleep!
Russia is back and the new Cold War has grown very hot indeed. The viewpoint is told from both sides which makes for a much better read.
I would highly suggest that you don't have to get up early if you read Red Metal at night as you will find it very hard to get any sleep
Russia is back and the new Cold War has grown very hot indeed. The viewpoint is told from both sides which makes for a much better read.
I would highly suggest that you don't have to get up early if you read Red Metal at night as you will find it very hard to get any sleep
June 22, 2019
Excellent book. Fast reading with a lot of action. In my opinion the technical detail was just about right ... not too much to drag out the plot and enough to give you a good understanding of the tactics and strategy. Looking forward to the next book.
July 16, 2019
Introducing Red Metal, from Mark Greaney, the author behind seven Tom Clancy novels in the Jack Ryan series as well as eight of his own Gray Man novels. The latest, Mission Critical debuted top five on New York Times Best Seller list. Also, co-written by Marine Corps Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hunter “Rip” Rawlings IV. An infantry and Reconnaissance Officer with over 22-years of experience, including ten combat and peace keeping deployments. These two writers, one very talented, meticulous with his research to ensure accuracy and authenticity in his writings. The other, a life time of real-world combat experience in the most dangerous, most feared fighting force on the planet. Together, they combined their talents to pen the best Military Thriller ever. Red Metal is a completely accurate and detailed in what I imagine war with Russia would be like. Gone are the days of the insurgents in the middle east. Now, a new enemy approaches, one that wears a uniform, does not hide behind innocent men, women, and children. One that can match our arsenal and technologies pound for pound. This is what Red Metal is all about.
The issue with Russia starts a few years back, a Special Forces Spetsnaz Commander, Colonel Yuri Borbikov is in Africa ready to fight to take this rare metal mine from any force that stands in his way. A Mine Russia discovered, purchased, and developed. This mine contains 60% of the world’s known supply of essential minerals and would give Russia a much-needed upper hand in its dwindling economy among world super powers. However, politicians thousands of miles away negotiate a peace agreement and Colonel Borbikov and his Spetsnaz soldiers are ordered to vacate, leaving the mine with their tails between their legs. This enrages the Colonel and he vows to come back and claim this land for the Rodina, (motherland). He spends the next few years coming up with the plan to do just that, spending his own money, time and resources to come up with a bold plan. Impressed with his plan and forced to make drastic moves to cling to power, Russian President, President Anatoly Rivkin summons his two most feared and respected Generals and tasks them with this mission, “ROBATA KRASNYY METALL,” Operation Red Metal. The one designed by the Special Forces Colonel. The first part of this operation was to weaken US leadership and command in PACOM, they did this by creating a scandal between two highly placed officers. From there, two waves of attacks waged on two different continents.
First wave led by Russian Colonel General Eduard Sabaneyev, his mission is to take his army through Poland and into Germany. On their way, they are to kill and destroy anything in their way. The plan called for strategic hacking of NATO computers, the destruction of their low orbit satellites, which disabled all advanced communications and GPS. All of this, right before Christmas when majority of NATO troops were on holiday leave.
The second wave led by Colonel General Boris Lazar crossed the vast desert of Iran in what looked like a joint exercise between the two nations. From there, his army boarded container ships and floated into Africa. Once they got there, they gathered their equipment and troops and started for the mine in Kenya. At this point, one Marine Corps Regiment was all that stood in the way of the advancing superior Russian Army. The battles fought here were epic, many times I felt as if I was watching a movie or better yet, in those trenches with those Marines. The up-close battles fought here, with tanks, artillery, air support, machine guns, carbine rifles, even at one-point hand to hand combat was utilized. The excitement and stress the battles created are depicted so well, the amount of death, chaos, portrayed in Red Metal is enough to create a healthy fear of just what World War Three would look like if these pages Mark Greaney and LtCol Rawlings put together came to be true.
Couple of things that caught my eye in Red Metal was the accuracy of life in the Marine Corps and the Military in general, one tiny bit of detail which stood out due to the fact that I experienced it many times as a Marine, is the constant hammering of ensuring all the troops did certain annual requirements which we called PME, Professional Military Education. My Staff Sergeant would always ask me to make sure my squad is PME complete. This list includes many types of training and education such as, annual rifle qualification, the gas chamber, Physical Fitness Test / Combat fitness test, as well as medical evals and such. The example that stuck with me in Red Metal is a commander telling his troops to ensure everyone gets their flu shot so as not to get on the “director’s shit list.” While a very small example, the term “shit rolls downhill” comes to mind. Imagine a battalion commander gets a phone call that some random Lance Corporal in the Battalion missed his dental appointment, and from that point on, everyone in his chain of command under that commander receives an ass-chewing. Another completely different scenario which stood out to me was customs and mannerisms which are common in European countries were so well researched and its evident that much thought had been put into every detail of this book, from the fighting to this specific example of two close Polish friends who had a custom to kiss each other on both cheeks before speaking whenever they saw each other. I’ve personally traveled to Europe many times and can attest to this custom.
Red Metal illustrates a type of war the US Military has not seen since WWII. Our latest wars, fighting the insurgency in the middle east whose best weapon is an IED. While Red Metal has US and NATO forces fighting against a battle tested hardened soldiers with coordinated artillery strikes, air raids, cyberwarfare, and naval support. The 600 plus pages of Red Metal never get boring, never gets dull, each page forces you to the next one, each battle is life or death for the characters you get to know so well, whether it’s a Russian, a German, Polish, French or American. You get to know them, you learn their story and at times it feels like you’re there with them. From a cockpit of the A-10 Warthog American fighter jet, to Russian Su-57 stealth fifth generation jet, to the trenches the Marines have dug, the pilot seat of an attack helicopter, a submarine commander, or the inside of a tank as they’re sending death down range. This military thriller is an absolute must read, you will NOT be disappointed.
The issue with Russia starts a few years back, a Special Forces Spetsnaz Commander, Colonel Yuri Borbikov is in Africa ready to fight to take this rare metal mine from any force that stands in his way. A Mine Russia discovered, purchased, and developed. This mine contains 60% of the world’s known supply of essential minerals and would give Russia a much-needed upper hand in its dwindling economy among world super powers. However, politicians thousands of miles away negotiate a peace agreement and Colonel Borbikov and his Spetsnaz soldiers are ordered to vacate, leaving the mine with their tails between their legs. This enrages the Colonel and he vows to come back and claim this land for the Rodina, (motherland). He spends the next few years coming up with the plan to do just that, spending his own money, time and resources to come up with a bold plan. Impressed with his plan and forced to make drastic moves to cling to power, Russian President, President Anatoly Rivkin summons his two most feared and respected Generals and tasks them with this mission, “ROBATA KRASNYY METALL,” Operation Red Metal. The one designed by the Special Forces Colonel. The first part of this operation was to weaken US leadership and command in PACOM, they did this by creating a scandal between two highly placed officers. From there, two waves of attacks waged on two different continents.
First wave led by Russian Colonel General Eduard Sabaneyev, his mission is to take his army through Poland and into Germany. On their way, they are to kill and destroy anything in their way. The plan called for strategic hacking of NATO computers, the destruction of their low orbit satellites, which disabled all advanced communications and GPS. All of this, right before Christmas when majority of NATO troops were on holiday leave.
The second wave led by Colonel General Boris Lazar crossed the vast desert of Iran in what looked like a joint exercise between the two nations. From there, his army boarded container ships and floated into Africa. Once they got there, they gathered their equipment and troops and started for the mine in Kenya. At this point, one Marine Corps Regiment was all that stood in the way of the advancing superior Russian Army. The battles fought here were epic, many times I felt as if I was watching a movie or better yet, in those trenches with those Marines. The up-close battles fought here, with tanks, artillery, air support, machine guns, carbine rifles, even at one-point hand to hand combat was utilized. The excitement and stress the battles created are depicted so well, the amount of death, chaos, portrayed in Red Metal is enough to create a healthy fear of just what World War Three would look like if these pages Mark Greaney and LtCol Rawlings put together came to be true.
Couple of things that caught my eye in Red Metal was the accuracy of life in the Marine Corps and the Military in general, one tiny bit of detail which stood out due to the fact that I experienced it many times as a Marine, is the constant hammering of ensuring all the troops did certain annual requirements which we called PME, Professional Military Education. My Staff Sergeant would always ask me to make sure my squad is PME complete. This list includes many types of training and education such as, annual rifle qualification, the gas chamber, Physical Fitness Test / Combat fitness test, as well as medical evals and such. The example that stuck with me in Red Metal is a commander telling his troops to ensure everyone gets their flu shot so as not to get on the “director’s shit list.” While a very small example, the term “shit rolls downhill” comes to mind. Imagine a battalion commander gets a phone call that some random Lance Corporal in the Battalion missed his dental appointment, and from that point on, everyone in his chain of command under that commander receives an ass-chewing. Another completely different scenario which stood out to me was customs and mannerisms which are common in European countries were so well researched and its evident that much thought had been put into every detail of this book, from the fighting to this specific example of two close Polish friends who had a custom to kiss each other on both cheeks before speaking whenever they saw each other. I’ve personally traveled to Europe many times and can attest to this custom.
Red Metal illustrates a type of war the US Military has not seen since WWII. Our latest wars, fighting the insurgency in the middle east whose best weapon is an IED. While Red Metal has US and NATO forces fighting against a battle tested hardened soldiers with coordinated artillery strikes, air raids, cyberwarfare, and naval support. The 600 plus pages of Red Metal never get boring, never gets dull, each page forces you to the next one, each battle is life or death for the characters you get to know so well, whether it’s a Russian, a German, Polish, French or American. You get to know them, you learn their story and at times it feels like you’re there with them. From a cockpit of the A-10 Warthog American fighter jet, to Russian Su-57 stealth fifth generation jet, to the trenches the Marines have dug, the pilot seat of an attack helicopter, a submarine commander, or the inside of a tank as they’re sending death down range. This military thriller is an absolute must read, you will NOT be disappointed.
July 23, 2019
I'll admit that Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising is one of, if not the best, military thrillers I've ever read (my own opinion). So, I anticipated this release with a huge mountain of expectation. At over 200K of finished word count, it's a massive scale book told through the eyes of a handful of participants in a global WWIII setting. I don't like spilling the goods on a new release, so I'll keep this brief: The research is impeccable, done over several years, and the character choices aren't always whom you'd expect from a point-of-view. Despite the vast nature of telling a "what if" on a global scale, this book sails through the action in heart-pounding fashion. You'll sit amazed how many pages you read as you get sucked into the storyline. I grew up on Clancy, my all-time favorite, so this pains me to say Red Metal is my new favorite military action thriller--and I've read and studied most of them. Simply put, you HAVE to read this book.
October 18, 2022
After getting kicked out of Ethiopia, the Russians plan a way to get their territory, and the rare earth metals contained therein. The plan requires an invasion of Poland, and striking into Germany.
The attack is a complete surprise,and we get various story lines of the Russians making the strikes, as well as those trying to stop them.
At least 100 pages too long.
The attack is a complete surprise,and we get various story lines of the Russians making the strikes, as well as those trying to stop them.
At least 100 pages too long.
August 28, 2019
Get ready for World War III, because bestselling author Mark Greaney has teamed up with Lt. Col. Hunter Ripley Rawlings IV. USMC to create an absolutely incredible military thriller, Red Metal, which looks at how a potential invasion from Russia would unfold.
After years of war in the Middle East, the United States and their allies are preparing themselves for the next conflict. Many believe that this war will occur in the Pacific Ocean against China, especially after the Chinese begin to interfere in Taiwanese politics in an attempt to reunify the island nation with the mainland. As Chinese troops gather just outside of Taiwan and the United States military is rocked by a debilitating scandal, hardly anyone is expecting a move from Russia.
Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has been in an economic decline, and it desperately requires access to various advanced resources to remain a world power. An ambitious Russian colonel has come up with a complex plan to secure a vital Rare Earth mine that has the potential to secure the country’s future. Launching a high-speed and ruthlessly coordinated attack as Christmas falls, Russian forces stream across the border into Europe, crippling NATO and cutting the continent off from the United States. As America and NATO attempt to work out the extent of Russia’s plans in Europe and counter them, they are left distracted from Russia’s true goal as a second Russian army is secretly heading towards the African coast in order to reach the mine in Kenya.
As Russia continues its advance, the fate of the free world lies in the hands of several different individuals. In Washington, a veteran Marine Lieutenant Colonel and his colleagues attempt to decipher the Russian strategy before it is too late, while in Africa, a wily old French Intelligence agent and his Special Forces son must uncover why undercover Russian agents are abroad in Djibouti. In Europe, a mixture of unprepared NATO soldiers, including a young member of the Polish militia, an out-of-his-depth American tank commander and a high-flying US pilot must fight against the odds to push back against the invading Russian force. As epic battles erupt across several countries, one thing is clear: the world will never be the same again.
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After years of war in the Middle East, the United States and their allies are preparing themselves for the next conflict. Many believe that this war will occur in the Pacific Ocean against China, especially after the Chinese begin to interfere in Taiwanese politics in an attempt to reunify the island nation with the mainland. As Chinese troops gather just outside of Taiwan and the United States military is rocked by a debilitating scandal, hardly anyone is expecting a move from Russia.
Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has been in an economic decline, and it desperately requires access to various advanced resources to remain a world power. An ambitious Russian colonel has come up with a complex plan to secure a vital Rare Earth mine that has the potential to secure the country’s future. Launching a high-speed and ruthlessly coordinated attack as Christmas falls, Russian forces stream across the border into Europe, crippling NATO and cutting the continent off from the United States. As America and NATO attempt to work out the extent of Russia’s plans in Europe and counter them, they are left distracted from Russia’s true goal as a second Russian army is secretly heading towards the African coast in order to reach the mine in Kenya.
As Russia continues its advance, the fate of the free world lies in the hands of several different individuals. In Washington, a veteran Marine Lieutenant Colonel and his colleagues attempt to decipher the Russian strategy before it is too late, while in Africa, a wily old French Intelligence agent and his Special Forces son must uncover why undercover Russian agents are abroad in Djibouti. In Europe, a mixture of unprepared NATO soldiers, including a young member of the Polish militia, an out-of-his-depth American tank commander and a high-flying US pilot must fight against the odds to push back against the invading Russian force. As epic battles erupt across several countries, one thing is clear: the world will never be the same again.
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May 26, 2019
Red Metal (2019) by Mark Greaney and Lt. Col. H. Ripley Rawlings IV, USMC. For fans of the military thriller genre, this is one not to be missed. On a par with Red Storm Rising, Red Phoenix, Team Yankee and other compelling, European land-based military incursion adventures, Red Metal goes beyond the expected.
The book begins a few years earlier when Spetsnaz Colonel Yuri Borbikov is forced to withdraw in humiliation from a mine he has been holding in Kenya. Proud beyond the norm, he plans revenge on the West. He is but one of more than a dozen individuals we will follow through the course of this action packed book, each character bringing their own humanity to what is the inhuman act of war.
The years pass and the President of Russia calls on his top two generals and visits on them an outrageously bold plan for resuming the Rodina’s place in the world order. One General is to strike like a stiletto into the heart of Germany through Poland. The other, more experienced general, has a greater, even more bold mission. He is to recapture the glory of the past in one other bold strike. Together, with their armies, the pair will neutralize the West’s satellite communications, leaving NATO in the dark and silent.
All this and China is threatening Taiwan with military action if the results of an up-coming election does not go the mainland’s way.
Don’t think too long on the political reality of this situation or you may wonder who in their right mind would authorize this madness. Rather, go with the flow, follow the battlefield methods laid out by Rawlings (with more than 22 years experience in commanding Marines in all situations) and Greaney. The action is intense, the emotions real, and the National Pride that comes into play will have you cheering for the citizen soldiers who try to defend their country against the evil invaders.
Even at over 600 pages this is a quick read. The plot pulls you in, the characters will carry you through, and the action never stops. Like the other books in Mr. Greaney’s growing library, this is a very good read.
I won this book through Goodreads.
The book begins a few years earlier when Spetsnaz Colonel Yuri Borbikov is forced to withdraw in humiliation from a mine he has been holding in Kenya. Proud beyond the norm, he plans revenge on the West. He is but one of more than a dozen individuals we will follow through the course of this action packed book, each character bringing their own humanity to what is the inhuman act of war.
The years pass and the President of Russia calls on his top two generals and visits on them an outrageously bold plan for resuming the Rodina’s place in the world order. One General is to strike like a stiletto into the heart of Germany through Poland. The other, more experienced general, has a greater, even more bold mission. He is to recapture the glory of the past in one other bold strike. Together, with their armies, the pair will neutralize the West’s satellite communications, leaving NATO in the dark and silent.
All this and China is threatening Taiwan with military action if the results of an up-coming election does not go the mainland’s way.
Don’t think too long on the political reality of this situation or you may wonder who in their right mind would authorize this madness. Rather, go with the flow, follow the battlefield methods laid out by Rawlings (with more than 22 years experience in commanding Marines in all situations) and Greaney. The action is intense, the emotions real, and the National Pride that comes into play will have you cheering for the citizen soldiers who try to defend their country against the evil invaders.
Even at over 600 pages this is a quick read. The plot pulls you in, the characters will carry you through, and the action never stops. Like the other books in Mr. Greaney’s growing library, this is a very good read.
I won this book through Goodreads.
April 16, 2019
The Russian bear has awakened from her long slumber and she’s starving. Starving for power. In Asia, China is again threatening Taiwan’s independence and in eastern Europe, the Polish partisan fighters are trying valiantly to defend their homeland from Russia’s tyranny. All the above are merely precursors to the Russian army marching across Poland and Belarus to reach the seaport to sail around the Horn of Africa to a rare earth mine in Kenya. This is the same mine Russia was forced to cede three years earlier and Mother Russia wants it back. Rare earth ores are found in only a handful of places around the world and are essential for production in today’s hi-tech world. And Russia wants to take back what she lost..
“Red Metal” is replete with a multi-layered plot, ala Clancy, with enough alphabet soup hi-tech hardware to satisfy the geek in all of us. Even better are the complex characters Greaney has breathed life into. He is a masterful writer who brings his reader into the thick of battle and before you know it, you can almost smell the fear and sweat and yes, even the blood. This richly plotted story is timely and chillingly relevant, especially in light of current geo-political stirrings. The obvious worry is the distinct possibility of a similar scenario in real time.
#Red Metal #Net Galley #Mark Greaney #Hunter Ripley Rawlings IV
“Red Metal” is replete with a multi-layered plot, ala Clancy, with enough alphabet soup hi-tech hardware to satisfy the geek in all of us. Even better are the complex characters Greaney has breathed life into. He is a masterful writer who brings his reader into the thick of battle and before you know it, you can almost smell the fear and sweat and yes, even the blood. This richly plotted story is timely and chillingly relevant, especially in light of current geo-political stirrings. The obvious worry is the distinct possibility of a similar scenario in real time.
#Red Metal #Net Galley #Mark Greaney #Hunter Ripley Rawlings IV
May 27, 2019
Wow! This is a great read! “Red Metal” is a masterfully written military thriller that addresses current world issues. It holds you in its grip from beginning to end. The characters are extremely well developed and I found myself vested in their outcomes. The plot is realistic, scary and creates a thrilling ride. I can’t recommend it enough! “Red Metal” is in the same vain as Tom Clancy’s best. BTW in reading his Bio he coauthored several of Tom’s books! Now, when is the movie coming out??
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!
August 5, 2019
As everyone has been saying Red Metal is truly Tom Clancy style (Red Storming Rising). Full of details and not one real lead character just a bunch of strong support roles. The last 100 pages will leave you wanting more.
9.5/10. I could go on but I don’t want to ruin the plot. If you like Tom Clancy this is a must read book.
9.5/10. I could go on but I don’t want to ruin the plot. If you like Tom Clancy this is a must read book.
August 4, 2019
Dear Donald Trump don't make this book become reality. Although my book was damaged it was an Outstanding story.
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