All Out War

Eric Steele #2

by Sean Parnell

Special operative Eric Steele, introduced in Man of War, is on the hunt for a formidable Russian terrorist in this high-intensity tale of international intrigue from the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Outlaw Platoon.

Badly injured while stopping a rogue agent from obtaining weapons of mass destruction, elite warrior Eric Steele is drawn back into service before he’s ready when unknown assailants break into his home near Pittsburgh, injuring his mother and stealing his father’s pistol.

An Alpha—an elite soldier under the direct command of the president of the United States—Steele is hell-bent on finding the attackers and bringing them to justice. While tracking his foe, Steele discovers he’s become entangled in a far more sinister plan that’s already been set in motion.

A terrorist named Zakayev, once locked away in a maximum-security prison in Russia, has escaped and joined forces with Hassan Sitta, a man who’s shown his prowess and ingenuity with a spectacular bomb planted somewhere in the Middle East that hasn’t been ignited—and no one can find. But that is only the beginning of a horrifying plan that, if it succeeds, will shatter international alliances and bring the world to the brink of war.

Now, the hunted must turn the tables on the hunter—Steele must find a way to stay alive and stop Zakayev before innocent lives are lost.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, Espionage, Audiobook, Spy Thriller, War

479 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 3, 2019

About the author

Sean Parnell is the author of the bestselling memoir Outlaw Platoon. He is a retired Army Infantry captain who served in some of the heaviest combat of the Afghan War. He recounts those battles in vivid detail during his leadership presentations for the nation's most successful teams and corporations. He is also the Co-Founder of the American Warrior Initiative, a charity that honors and empowers our nation's veterans. Sean lives with his three children near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Book one was good and this is even better.

All Out War has a strong story, intriguing backstory and it gets personal for Steele. The story and dialogues are more fluid and I love the sense of humor in between intense scenes. But don't get too comfortable ... Nooo!! I did not see that coming. How could you do this?! 🤬😠

[Lobstergirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

And now Sean Parnell has joined the Trump administration as chief Pentagon spokesperson ! Of course he did ! Birds of a feather.

From here on, I will update a review any time the author joins the corrupt Trump administration !

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I promised myself I would update a review any time an author was accused of wife beating and child abuse, so here I am.

According to the Washington Post, "The wife of Pennsylvania Senate candidate Sean Parnell said Monday that Parnell once strangled her until she bit him to get free and another time slapped one of their children so hard that he left welts on the child’s body."

"She said one time, her husband had pinned her down and called her a “whore” and a “piece of s---.” Another time, he forced her out of their vehicle and told her to “go get an abortion,” the Inquirer reported."

"Laurie Parnell also testified that her husband slapped one of their three young children, leaving “fingerprint-shaped welts” on the child’s back, according to the Inquirer. She also said he once strangled her on a couch, only relenting after she bit him to free herself."

"Sean Parnell is running in the Republican primary to succeed retiring Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), in what is likely to be one of the most hotly contested Senate races of 2022. He has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump, who said in a September statement that Parnell will “make Pennsylvania very proud.”

Some voters don't like wife beaters and child abusers. Other voters love this type of thing. This was the type of allegation that was once disqualifying for a political candidate. Needless to say - those days are past.


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The Little Free Library thrust this into my unwilling hands, and to there, it shall return.

I see now that the author, a brawny veteran of the war in Afghanistan, ran for Congress as a Republican from Pennsylvania in the November 3rd election. This is unsurprising given some of the book's passages (calling Guantanamo "Club Med" for its handsome soccer field, an agent understanding "why Israel had been pissed when the former administration had signed the nuclear deal with Iran", a suspicious focus on the loss of a two-day pregnancy). He lost to the incumbent Democrat. He is also a Fox News contributor (but who isn't, really).

Despite its constant action and endless guns, knives, bombs, and murders, the book is deadly dull. The reader is beaten over the head with machoness and former Special Forces (or something) characters who irritatingly call each other "mano" and "brother." In an early scene, the protagonist Eric Steele (of course he is named Steele) grills some steaks and in a single scene the steaks are referred to multiple times, to impress on us how manly Steele is even as he eats. My favorite passage was where Parnell, to make sure we don't think Steele's mother is some old hag, explains that "she was blessed with a timeless beauty, which made it difficult to guess her real age. The time she'd invested with her personal trainer, plus her fresh Bahamian tan, didn't hurt."

[Kashif · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Out War is an adrenaline infused action-packed high stakes follow-up to Man of War. Eric Steele is a witty and badass operator who is as lethal with a browning Hi-Power as he is with his quips. From the moment the first chapter opens up, you are treated to strong vibes of non-stop action and espionage intrigue.

All Out War picks up shortly after the events of Man Of War, with Eric Steele getting back on active service after recuperating from the tense and explosive climax of the first book. As Eric shows tactfully that he is more than prepared to take on any challenges, he is put in the crosshairs of terrorists who are after a mysterious package sent to Eric that can help them free a captured terrorist from a black site prison to cause political unrest in the Middle East by targeting Israeli, Saudi, and American leaders all in one place. Things become personal for Eric as the attack hits close to home, and Eric, along with his handler Demo, are tasked with catching the terrorists before they can unleash their sinister attack. Furthermore, Steele also discovers secrets about his father linked closely with the antagonists; the cliffhanger at the end leaves things up in the air for readers to want to find out what happened to his father.

All Out War has superb and visceral action sequences, infusing sharp details about weaponry and gadgets into kinetic combat environment which amazed me. There is non-stop action throughout the book, and each action sequence invokes tense reactions from readers as well as hoots for Eric as he skillfully takes out bad guys with an H&K UMP45, a Browning Hi-Power, a Glock 19, and a TAC-14 shotgun in cinematically spectacular ways. The combat arenas themselves feel fresh and unique to read.

We see Eric Steele at his emotionally vulnerable side as he takes some hits in this narrative. This brings out a raw and brutal side to him as he exacts vengeance on the enemy. The antagonists are written with just the right amount of detail to want readers for Eric Steele to wipe them off the face of the earth. The motivations are clear and the antagonists do have a three-dimensional side to their characters that aids in creating a realistic enemy for Steele.

I enjoyed reading through the espionage and tactical tradecraft employed by Eric and his handler in the field. The secrecy, the innovative combat technology, and exciting locales made for an exciting read. The black site prison itself is a cool and creative concept with an awestriking location (it is not located on land). Reading some of the sequences felt like watching a James Bond movie with cool infiltrations into unfriendly zones and supposedly impenetrable forts.

All in all, All Out War is a well-written, action-packed, smart thriller with a witty and badass protagonist who I would definitely love to read more of. I consider Eric Steele as ranking high with the big boys like Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath.

[David Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story picks up 6 months after Man of War concluded. Eric Steele has recovered and is back in the fight. And what a heart stopping, edge of your seat thriller it is! Just like the first book in the series, the writing is concise and the imagery is clear. I love the heart in this series and wasn't expecting to be hit with the emotions I felt. The character development of not only Eric and his crew but the terrorists adds to the ability to lose yourself in the story. Although 400 pages long it flies by like a novel half it's length. I'm definitely #teamEricSteele and can't wait for the next installment. I highly recommend this military thriller to those of you who don't mind the down and dirty grittiness of the genre as this is one of the best there is!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just before having dinner with his mother, Steele's bunker like house is attacked and destroyed by enemy forces. Of course, it's all about his father.

There's some good set pieces here, but not really much else.

[Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-stop action, written by a very knowledgeable author

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those that likes thrillers and action with a military twist this is a must. Wow, I hardly could put it down. I want more.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breakneck non-stop action. As good as this genre gets.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's talk chili. You know how everyone has their own idea of what chili should taste like? Even though all chili has the same basic ingredients, it's the increments of the ingredients, the cook time and personal taste that makes chili "chili" for each individual. No one else's chili is quite like your own or what you grew up eating.
Military action series are like chili. You have the same basic ingredients but they are not all equal to each reader. Case in point, Sean Parnell and the Eric Steele series. When I needed a book to read, I reached for Man of War. I then realized, thanks to Goodreads, that I had completed this book a year and a half ago and had very little recall of it. People really love this series. So, I grabbed book two since it was available. And again, not my cup of tea.
Parnell is a good author. The plot and pacing are very good too. Good action and details of the weapons and carnage. This chili is just bland and so serious. I prefer my chili with a sense of levity and a hint of fun. But I am sure I will keep reading Parnell. It took me six books to really appreciate Brad Thor.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first novel, Man Of War, of the Eric Steele series by Sean Parnell and really like it. This one, the second in the series seems to me to be even better than the first - hard to put down every time I picked it up. I will seek out novels by Sean Parnell in the future and look forward to the next in the Eric Steele series!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Library
*Genre* Thriller
*Rating* 4.0

*Thoughts*

All Out War, by author Sean Parnell, is the second installment in his Eric Steele series. This story picks up 6 months after the end of Man of War. Eric Steele is the kind of hero that fans love: a badass with brains, brawn, and tons of heart. If you haven't started reading this series yet, and you love characters like Jack Reacher and Mitch Rapp, you really should try it sometime. 6 months ago, Eric stopped a former mentor from detonating a nuclear bomb on US soil in an act of revenge on those who did him wrong. In the process, he was severely injured requiring some much needed down time at his home in Pennsylvania.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steele is a force not to be reckoned with!

I wasn’t sure how Parnell was going to top Man of War, but he did it with this read! This is the story line of what will a warrior of Steele’s caliber do when his family is attacked. I’ve always loved this story arc, and Parnell delivered with this. The answer we get with All Out War is Steele on a collision course with whoever hurt his family. I can’t wait for book three since Parnell left it wide open!

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Parnell is probably best known for his non-fiction account of his military service in Afghanistan, Outlaw Platoon, which is one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. However, he is absolutely no slouch when it comes to writing fiction. I loved debut novel, Man of War, and All Out War is more of the same. I like Eric Steele as a character (less of a hard edge than others), the dialogue and plotting are good, the action sequences exciting, and I like the backstory potential of The Program. There was one part that was a little too predictable due to over foreshadowing, but that's the only drawback. Can't wait for book 3.

[Beth Lechman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Harper Collins and Scene of the Crime. The opinion below is my own.

This is not my normal type of book that I read. That being said if you are a fan of Military strategies & undercover operatives this is the book for you. although I didn't totally understand some of the terms or descriptions in this book it was fast paced, full of action and suspense at a non stop rate.
If this is your type of book I would definitely recommend this one.

[James Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use ratings to decide which books I am going to buy, and I recently decided I am partially responsible for inflating the ratings on books. Either they were 5 star or 1 star. I decided to use the star rating more objectively as follows:

★★★★★ Great book! Can’t wait to read it again (and I will).
★★★★☆ Good book. I am glad I read this.
★★★☆☆ OK book. Nothing special but not bad.
★★☆☆☆ Not good. Why did I waste my time?
★☆☆☆☆ Lousy. I didn’t finish.

[Karen Gail Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished "All Out War" this morning. It will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat! The plot involves the Mid East and a bomb planted there which Eric Steele, a US Alpha soldier has to find and destroy in order to avoid war.

I did have to keep looking back to keep characters and agencies straight. There are a lot of characters and agencies involved. I think a forward outlining these agencies, their national origin and the characters tied to these agencies could have helped.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as the first one. After Steele and his mom are nearly killed he takes the fight to the enemy.

[Dalton Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, with All Out War, Sean Parnell has improved upon the first installment! In a rare occurrence of the sequel being better than the original, Eric Steele is back and better than ever. I don’t even know for sure what specifically improved between book 1 and 2, but it seemed better across the board! More action, more invigorating story and more attention grabbing!

I really loved book 2 and it has catapulted me in the best possible way to be prepared for book 3. Incredible!

[Slaven Tomasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purple Heart recipient and New York Times Bestselling author, Sean Parnell is back with his second Eric Steele novel, ALL OUT WAR. Sean Parnell was a U.S. Army Captain in the infantry, the famous 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, NY. Division motto: Climb to Glory. With a strong presence in WWII, Somalia, Haiti, and of course the War on Terror, which Captain Parnell was a major part of. In 2006, then Lieutenant Parnell led his platoon, “Outlaw Platoon” on a 16-month extended deployment near the Pakistani border in the Barmal District of Paktika Province. On June 10th, 2006, his platoon was nearly overrun with a force that outnumbered them ten to one, Parnell was knocked unconscious and wounded several times during this battle but refused to give up or leave his men. He kept getting up and continued to lead. Upon completion of this mission, Parnell was awarded two Bronze Star Medals and a Purple Heart. For a better understanding of these events and the entire 485 days of almost constant battle, Sean put out a memoir in 2012, OUTLAW PLATOON. A definitive must read.

Eric Steele in an Alpha. At any given time, there are nine Alpha’s assigned their own geographical territory on the globe. An Alpha is “a Clandestine operative assigned to a unit known simply as ‘The Program’.” Its purpose is to give the United States President another option to use when “All Out War” is on the horizon. Much like The Orion Team Mitch Rapp was a part of early in his career, or more recently The Taskforce in Brad Taylor’s bestselling Pike Logan Series and Task Force Ember in the must-read Tier One series by Andrews and Wilson.

Following the events of Man of War, (2018) Steele took six months off to recover. Upon coming back to active duty status as an Alpha, he had to prove his skills and stamina were up to par. Enduring a tough assessment, he finished with flying colors and was ready to embark on a new mission with his keeper, Demo. Before they had a chance to organize for this mission, Steele got attacked at his home. Not by some wannabe tough guy intruder with a gun, but Steele heard “the unmistakable shriek of an RPG-7 leaving its launcher.”

AN RPG-7 FIRES A 40 MM SHELL UP TO 500 METERS, EFFECTIVE BLAST RADIUS IS 10 METERS FOR THE KILL ZONE AND UP TO 130 METERS FOR CASUALTIES. IT’S ABLE TO PENETRATE ARMOR, IT HAS BEEN RECORDED IN SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS AGAINST TANKS, ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS, BUILDINGS, FORTIFICATIONS, SHOT DOWN MORE LOW-FLYING HELICOPTERS THAN MOST MAN-PORTABLE AIR-DEFENSE SYSTEMS, KNOWN AS THE “ONE-MAN DEALER OF DEATH.”

If that wasn’t bad enough, Steele’s mom was over for dinner and delivering a package he received at her place. Unknown to him at the time, the reason for this attack at his house is that very package. Utilizing some formidable skills, a small arsenal of weapons and his state-of-the-art security system, Steele fought back and even manages to get away in his Pontiac GTO. His adversary however planned for every possible outcome and gave chase, getting outmaneuvered and ambushed Steele realizes he’s in trouble and calls for help. Help did come, but a bit too late and the outcome puts both passengers of the GTO in the ICU.

Recovering quickly with some experimental treatment, Steele was anxious to find his attacker and bring them down. Throughout his efforts he slowly learns that there is more at play, this isn’t only personal anymore, it’s a well-planned, backed with formidable opposition, global conspiracy that could threaten major world partnerships and bring All Out War. Steele quickly turns the tides, no longer the hunted, he starts hunting. In his efforts he learns a terrorist named Zakayev is responsible for all the chaos including the personal attack that left his mom in a medically induced coma, and is planning to break out an old friend, Hassan Sitta from one of the most secure prisons on the planet. Sitta, a genius bomb builder with ties to Hezbollah. Pulling their strings, a man named Gabriel, working for a prominent intelligence agency.

Parnell brings us a globe trotting thriller with our hero fighting bad guys in his home, then London, Budapest, Vienna, the middle of the Arctic Ocean, Norway, Egypt, and Israel. There is never any lack of action and putting this thriller down is a tall order. Like very few authors out there, Sean Parnell has been there and done that. This carries over into his novel, giving his writing a level of accuracy very rare among the rest. From his knowledge in basic infantry tactics, weapons, the use of support, such as submarines, jets, cyberwarfare, it is all well explained and easy to understand. Parnell also manages to bring a small, but well written level of humor into his writing, surprising me as the reader a bit since “Rangers aren’t issued a sense of humor” (RLTW). The outcome is a must read novel that has earned itself a Blast Radius of a Nuclear Bomb! A Definite must read.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to me to see that this book had a higher Goodreads rating than book 1 of this series. For me, it was the complete opposite. I really, really enjoyed the first book, but this book was just not as good as the first book, in my opinion. It was still an action packed book that starts off with a "bang" and doesn't let up from there and I did enjoy it, but there were too many times when I was pulled out of the story.

My issues came with some of the scenarios that our MC goes through that just kind of left the realm of believability (an emergency submarine pick up just as an example). The ending was also very confusing to me. I alternated between reading and listening to it on Audible and during the final crisis situation, it was very confusing for me. I picture the story in my head, kind of like a movie, when listening to books yet the entire last section was hard for me to visualize. Things just didn't add up so that made it hard for me to stay in the story.

But, for only being a second novel - he has created a wonderful character and I'm looking forward to being able to say the third book is the best of all!

[Josh Hitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this followup to Man of War. Steele is an Alpha who has to stop a mad bomber from killing a county's leader and an even madder force from starting basically WW3.

Really has everything you expect from a military thriller including a prison break (not a typical prison to put it mildly), gun fights aplenty, and all the tech and political intrigue you could want. On top of that you have very engaging characters with real story arcs and personal issues. Though it can be read like a straight thriller novel and be fine, all in all its those personal issues that put it over the top and makes it a top tier novel.

Highly recommended, looking forward to the third book.

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Out War by Sean Parnell
Action adventure lovers rally around, this is your kind of book. A secret government agency must stop an attack on our President or allies or both.
Eric Steele is an Alpha. That is a super secret anti-terrorist group supported by the U.S. government but not acknowledged by them. When a terrorist hurts one of Steele’s family members, it becomes personal.
This book is a wealth of action with a surprisingly strong plot.
I enjoyed it.

[Stuart Ashenbrenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book got better the longer you read it. By the end, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It just seemed to take a little time to get going.

[Barry Medlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!! I barely had time to catch my breath, fast-paced and non-stop action! Sean Parnell knows his stuff!!

[Prasanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent action packed thriller.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook that I listened to while cleaning my mom's house out so she could move. Interesting enough but nothing spectacular.

[Tony Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you read the first book in a series--particularly one from a "new" or inexperienced author--you're kind of conditioned to grade it w/a +1 saving roll, forgiving some of its shortcomings and looking for its potential going forward. And so it was w/Sean Parnell's novel Man of War. It read like a story w/the training wheels still on, but there was enough there to get me to give book #2 a go. I'm glad I did.

All Out War is an improvement over the first novel in every possible way. It's better written, better paced and with far more personality than its predecessor. The plot is nothing special. It's standard thriller stuff. But it's not the chicken, but how you cook it, and here Parnell serves up a tasty dish.

For my money Mark Greaney's Gray Man and Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X are the two best thriller series going, but w/a little more polish they may have some company very soon.

[Read Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in anticipation of my GoodReads giveaway win of book #3.

Another fine Eric Steele novel. This time he is on the hunt for the hit team that struck him at his home in the US. You just can't do something like that without consequences.

This is America's counterpart to the British 00x Agents. Parnell is not shy about the parallels. My big issue with some of the characters is the timeline doesn't seem to fit well. Some personnel have ties all the way back to WWII, but the stories are set in the present day world. Just stretching the timeline a bit.

Overall, this is a GoodReads.

[Audra Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Sean Parnell’s account of his time in Afghanistan “Outlaw Platoon” (which should be required reading for every American) and decided to give his first fiction novel “Man of War” a shot even though it wasn’t my usual fair. It was a fast-paced thriller that I throughly enjoyed. Parnell keeps the thrills coming in his second novel “All Out War” from almost the very first page. I had to pace myself or I would have lost a good night’s sleep trying to finish it! If you like thrillers, give Eric Steele a shot. I’m looking forward to book three!

[Linda Schmidt]

Sean Parnell's All Out War presents insight into special warriors who protect us from terrorism as well as entertains and informs us. We learn about the kind of people who want to destroy the efforts to have peace in the Middle East: hate-filled Chechens, for example. We see the efforts terrorists go to in order to disrupt tranquility in contrast to Eric Steele's work to save society. Eric Steele is a loving son who is also trying to avenge terrorists' attack on his mother. You will enjoy this exciting book!