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The War Planners #1
Los planificadores de la guerra
Contains Episodes 1-4 of The War Planners
A Chinese invasion is coming.
A CIA operative in Shanghai transmits two earth-shattering revelations to his contacts in Langley, and then goes missing. First, the U.S. government has been infiltrated with Chinese spies. Second, an inner circle of Chinese leaders have set in motion plans to do the unthinkable - to invade the United States of America.
Lena Chou is one of the few U.S. officials who knows the truth. She must put together a top-secret task force to help America’s government prepare for what will come. Now, in order to covertly plan the U.S. defense, Lena has gathered a Red Cell, a group of experts that will plan how China could best attack it.
David Manning is one of those experts. After he is abruptly taken to the covert island base where the Red Cell is being held, Lena presents the group with evidence of China’s imminent attack. But while the Red Cell plans for war, David suspects that something about this gathering of minds is terribly wrong…
A Chinese invasion is coming.
A CIA operative in Shanghai transmits two earth-shattering revelations to his contacts in Langley, and then goes missing. First, the U.S. government has been infiltrated with Chinese spies. Second, an inner circle of Chinese leaders have set in motion plans to do the unthinkable - to invade the United States of America.
Lena Chou is one of the few U.S. officials who knows the truth. She must put together a top-secret task force to help America’s government prepare for what will come. Now, in order to covertly plan the U.S. defense, Lena has gathered a Red Cell, a group of experts that will plan how China could best attack it.
David Manning is one of those experts. After he is abruptly taken to the covert island base where the Red Cell is being held, Lena presents the group with evidence of China’s imminent attack. But while the Red Cell plans for war, David suspects that something about this gathering of minds is terribly wrong…
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2015
5748 people are currently reading
1752 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Watts
42 books247 followersAndrew Watts graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2003 and served as a naval officer and helicopter pilot until 2013. During that time, he flew counter-narcotic missions in the Eastern Pacific and counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa. He was a flight instructor in Pensacola, FL, and helped to run ship and flight operations while embarked on a nuclear aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East.
Today, he lives with his family in Ohio.
Today, he lives with his family in Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
December 19, 2017
Could have been five star.
Very engaging story, China has been in the headlines for a long time. Be careful, while reading and hoping for a ending, you're not going to get it. Have to read the next book to find the ending, hopefully. After building and building, not having the ending of this story makes me so mad. Almost gave one star.
Very engaging story, China has been in the headlines for a long time. Be careful, while reading and hoping for a ending, you're not going to get it. Have to read the next book to find the ending, hopefully. After building and building, not having the ending of this story makes me so mad. Almost gave one star.
September 23, 2017
I couldn't get in to this. It starts off with a man being abducted on his way home. He is shanghaied, put on a plane, destination unknown, and ultimately to an unknown island, with many other Americans of different backgrounds and skills. They are told they are there to come up with ways and means for China to attack and conquer the US, so that others can come up with defences. No-one demands to see proof of the identity of those in charge, nor of the genuineness of what they are being asked to do. I got bored with the naive discussions of how to destroy their own country, and flipped on several pages to see if anyone would start to question the setup.
Though the initial few pages were good, I didn't find myself strongly drawn to any of the characters. Their reaction to the situation into which they were placed was unbelievable, and I felt I was being kept waiting too long for "the story to start". I don't think I am likely to go back and finish this.
Though the initial few pages were good, I didn't find myself strongly drawn to any of the characters. Their reaction to the situation into which they were placed was unbelievable, and I felt I was being kept waiting too long for "the story to start". I don't think I am likely to go back and finish this.
October 24, 2017
I liked this book a lot. While it is loaded with war planning - it is not the direction you would think. Consultants (Army, Navy, Air Force, private contractors, etc.) were brought to an island in the South Pacific to help find the weaknesses in America's defenses ostensibly to figure out how China planned on invading America. A fact an agent embedded in China discovered and communicated before he was killed. It is a very interesting read and may be more so because was in the service at one time.
November 22, 2017
Not for me
I thought the story premises sounded interesting, then upon reading the concept was intriguing, but the characters became unbelievable. I also prefer that the story comes to some conclusion, not left hanging to be in another book.
I thought the story premises sounded interesting, then upon reading the concept was intriguing, but the characters became unbelievable. I also prefer that the story comes to some conclusion, not left hanging to be in another book.
December 2, 2022
This was a very original story. A group of American planners is planning China's Invasion of the US. It is not all as it seems, but the story is very creative and holds my attention. I was disappointed with the extreme cliffhanger, you must keep reading the series to see what happens.
What I liked:
-The story was original.
-It was interesting seeing the possibility the team came up with to invade the US.
-Characters were believable and exciting.
-Loved the story.
What I didn't like:
-Nothing really, except the book having a very big cliffhanger.
What I liked:
-The story was original.
-It was interesting seeing the possibility the team came up with to invade the US.
-Characters were believable and exciting.
-Loved the story.
What I didn't like:
-Nothing really, except the book having a very big cliffhanger.
January 28, 2015
Wow!!! Andrew Watts > The War Planners is an amazing novella. It has suspense, it has mystery and most importantly it ends with a cliff hanger. A short read around 86 pages, but it is nonetheless packed with twists and turns.
David Manning is a retired Navy soldier working for In-Q-Tel a CIA backed venture fund which spotted potential technology which will allow US to maintain its technological advantage over its contemporaries. He is abducted on his way back home and flow to a remote island in the middle of nowhere where he meets other people with experience and expertise in technology, military, intelligence, strategy and what not... They are called The Red Cell and they have 3 weeks to put together the most devastating plan where they will forecast the worst possible attack scenarios that China can come up with if it wants to overcome the United States in an unconventional warfare.
Asymmetric warfare at its deadliest. Everything looks legit... but David's instincts are off, and he is worried that things are not as they seem...
The novella sets the right tone, the dialogue is crisp without going too much into the technical details which may divert the readers attention.
My only peeve with this is that it left me hanging at the end... I want to read through to the end and know what happens and I want to know it now....
Andrew are you listening... Andrew....
David Manning is a retired Navy soldier working for In-Q-Tel a CIA backed venture fund which spotted potential technology which will allow US to maintain its technological advantage over its contemporaries. He is abducted on his way back home and flow to a remote island in the middle of nowhere where he meets other people with experience and expertise in technology, military, intelligence, strategy and what not... They are called The Red Cell and they have 3 weeks to put together the most devastating plan where they will forecast the worst possible attack scenarios that China can come up with if it wants to overcome the United States in an unconventional warfare.
Asymmetric warfare at its deadliest. Everything looks legit... but David's instincts are off, and he is worried that things are not as they seem...
The novella sets the right tone, the dialogue is crisp without going too much into the technical details which may divert the readers attention.
My only peeve with this is that it left me hanging at the end... I want to read through to the end and know what happens and I want to know it now....
Andrew are you listening... Andrew....
June 12, 2015
Great story line!
I originally gave the first episode 4 stars and mentioned that I thought that I could anticipate where this was going. Well, I will amend that a bit. Even thought I had a small idea of the plot direction, I was wrong about a lot more. This is a pretty good story about a fairly real way that WWIII could start and continue. I'm hooked! The characters aren't extremely deep, but they seem placed well enough to keep my interest. This is good fun reading.
I originally gave the first episode 4 stars and mentioned that I thought that I could anticipate where this was going. Well, I will amend that a bit. Even thought I had a small idea of the plot direction, I was wrong about a lot more. This is a pretty good story about a fairly real way that WWIII could start and continue. I'm hooked! The characters aren't extremely deep, but they seem placed well enough to keep my interest. This is good fun reading.
May 3, 2015
So far really enjoying this book
Looking forward to the next 3 parts. Didn't realize it was a continuation. Ready to start part 2 and anxious for the next 2 parts. Easy read.
Looking forward to the next 3 parts. Didn't realize it was a continuation. Ready to start part 2 and anxious for the next 2 parts. Easy read.
February 1, 2017
A so-so thriller about a war with China
May 24, 2017
stopped reading at page 120....a dog ....thru it away. There are better books out there wating to be read.
March 4, 2018
Didn't finish it...
January 14, 2020
Interesting
Wow! Could an episode get me any more hooked? I fear the premise of this book but am really interested in what happens next
Wow! Could an episode get me any more hooked? I fear the premise of this book but am really interested in what happens next
May 4, 2021
Although I love reading, nowadays I mainly read non-fiction. I made an exception because I needed to decompress my brain.
Whilst I have been enjoying this novel so far, I read a couple of reviews and came to the conclusion that it is not for me. I made the decision based on the amount of time that would take me to finish this, the opinions of others and the fact that there are millions of pages out there for me to read and that sometimes the reality can be more interesting than fiction.
Being said that, I have to leave this book now.
Whilst I have been enjoying this novel so far, I read a couple of reviews and came to the conclusion that it is not for me. I made the decision based on the amount of time that would take me to finish this, the opinions of others and the fact that there are millions of pages out there for me to read and that sometimes the reality can be more interesting than fiction.
Being said that, I have to leave this book now.
July 14, 2024
Good Story and character development. The book does not end at the end of the story though. Will likely read the second.
May 19, 2020
I have to admit to having problems with this book, and therefore series. The premise at the start seemed highly feasible, but very quickly became questionable. To get all those scientists, etc on to an island to work together became not credible shortly into the book. What they were asked to do was something that could have been achieved without isolating them in the was that took place, and I am sure that they would have been missed quite quickly. Strangely the printed version and the audio one were not the same which caused me some confusion as well. Although I did finish the book because the later chapters, involving attempted escapes, were quite good, I did find myself irritated by the constant use of the word "said" rather than varying the word - in the audio version, which was well read in quite an intense fashion, despite a very questionable Australian accent towards the end, the constant repetition of someone "said" followed by someone else "said" became quite tedious.
Sadly not a series that I will be following any further.
Sadly not a series that I will be following any further.
October 13, 2016
Great-ish idea, less than great execution.
I like the idea for this book… guy taken away to help serve in a US Government think tank that turns out to be run by the Chinese government.
What I don’t like is pretty much everything else.
First of all, I don’t like the point of view. We have a main character and for a lot of the book we follow along with him. These are the best chapters. They let us in on how he progressively figures out that something is wrong, and what he works on doing about it. Third person fly on the shoulder. Good POV.
But then the author slips away from this point of view to move us into others. And every time he does this, he manages to delete some of the tension from the book.
The next thing to not like are the characters, and I succeeded in not liking pretty much every single character. Even the main character. About the only think I ended up liking about him is that he, in the end, kills this real jerk of a secondary evil character. With this bare hands and a rock. But he still ends up pretty wimpy for most of the book. Not that I liked anyone else any better.
I thought the idea was good, but the timing for the idea was bad. I can’t see this kind of thing being a ‘last minute’ kind of thing. War planning, good war planning, takes months or even years to execute, and that would have worked her if the author had done it.
Then there were enough little ‘ooops’ along the way that kind of spoiled even my willing suspension of disbelief.
Anyway, good idea, bad execution. I won’t mind reading another book by the same author, and I’d love to be part of his beta reading team, and catch some of the mistakes earlier than in a review.
I like the idea for this book… guy taken away to help serve in a US Government think tank that turns out to be run by the Chinese government.
What I don’t like is pretty much everything else.
First of all, I don’t like the point of view. We have a main character and for a lot of the book we follow along with him. These are the best chapters. They let us in on how he progressively figures out that something is wrong, and what he works on doing about it. Third person fly on the shoulder. Good POV.
But then the author slips away from this point of view to move us into others. And every time he does this, he manages to delete some of the tension from the book.
The next thing to not like are the characters, and I succeeded in not liking pretty much every single character. Even the main character. About the only think I ended up liking about him is that he, in the end, kills this real jerk of a secondary evil character. With this bare hands and a rock. But he still ends up pretty wimpy for most of the book. Not that I liked anyone else any better.
I thought the idea was good, but the timing for the idea was bad. I can’t see this kind of thing being a ‘last minute’ kind of thing. War planning, good war planning, takes months or even years to execute, and that would have worked her if the author had done it.
Then there were enough little ‘ooops’ along the way that kind of spoiled even my willing suspension of disbelief.
Anyway, good idea, bad execution. I won’t mind reading another book by the same author, and I’d love to be part of his beta reading team, and catch some of the mistakes earlier than in a review.
April 26, 2015
NOTE: I received this book free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
I’m a bit conflicted in my rating of this book. I will say first, this is a fairly good read. It moves pretty immediately into an action-packed suspense; by page 4 the story takes off! I think this is an effective strategy to hook the reader. Watts also maintains a taut energy and suspense throughout the book. Given this sustained dynamism, a short book that would be a quick read in any instance is accelerated because of the reader’s desire to know what happens next.
The problems. You can pretty much guess a lot of what happens thanks, in part, to Watts’s use of foreshadowing. Even without that narrative device, however, parts of the story are just predictable (I think it’s important to state that this fact did not make me want to stop reading). I also felt a bit cheated by the book's length. The actual story comes in under 100 pages; I can’t be more exact because there are no page numbers and I refuse to count the pages. The War Planners: Episode 1, as is, feels more like the beginning of a book versus the beginning of a series, which I guess is the author’s explanation of its brevity.
Despite the problems I had with the novella (this is certainly not a full length novel) I’ll say again, it is a good, quick read. I certainly want to know what happens next and I would recommend it to other readers. That, I think, is a sign of success.
I’m a bit conflicted in my rating of this book. I will say first, this is a fairly good read. It moves pretty immediately into an action-packed suspense; by page 4 the story takes off! I think this is an effective strategy to hook the reader. Watts also maintains a taut energy and suspense throughout the book. Given this sustained dynamism, a short book that would be a quick read in any instance is accelerated because of the reader’s desire to know what happens next.
The problems. You can pretty much guess a lot of what happens thanks, in part, to Watts’s use of foreshadowing. Even without that narrative device, however, parts of the story are just predictable (I think it’s important to state that this fact did not make me want to stop reading). I also felt a bit cheated by the book's length. The actual story comes in under 100 pages; I can’t be more exact because there are no page numbers and I refuse to count the pages. The War Planners: Episode 1, as is, feels more like the beginning of a book versus the beginning of a series, which I guess is the author’s explanation of its brevity.
Despite the problems I had with the novella (this is certainly not a full length novel) I’ll say again, it is a good, quick read. I certainly want to know what happens next and I would recommend it to other readers. That, I think, is a sign of success.
April 25, 2015
I went into this read knowing it was an episodic storyline, so there is no problem with the cliffhanger at the end. It reminds me of going to the old Saturday matinees at the theater (yes, I am that old) and watching the serials; knowing full well that there was not going to be an ending, merely a week-long pause in the action. That being said, Andrews Watts is an excellent author. His opening in this book grabs your attention and you are dragged into the story, much like David was. The characters are well-conceived and the dialog is believable. I did have a slight problem, in the beginning with David's naivete, but that was resolved in an interesting manner. The relationships between the characters are interesting and you are constantly looking at each one, wondering exactly who were they? I can only hope Mr. Watts will be releasing these episodes quickly or the townsfolk may end up at his gates, looking for the next book. There are a lot of interesting "free reads" out there, this is one of them that will have you in the line for the next episode, your $0.99 clutched firmly in your hand, waiting for the matinee to start. Well done, sir, you have piqued my interest.
July 4, 2016
a bit far fetched I got this free and it wasn't horrible. A different genre than I usually read but it hey for free. The premise that China is attacking and how our characters find out is a bit far fetched, in fact that was the main problem for me for this story. The writing was done well and the characters were for the most part believable. I just couldn't get past the way the Red Cell was established, the kidnappings, and how they were used.
I mean really are we all that naive that if someone kidnapped us and said our expertise is needed on a remote island to help plan a war so we can then stop it and we go along? I couldn't accept that so the book for me is only 1 1/2 stars. It might make a better made for tv movie and who knows the second book may be better. The ending was good and it left me almost wanting to go get the second one, but not enough.
I mean really are we all that naive that if someone kidnapped us and said our expertise is needed on a remote island to help plan a war so we can then stop it and we go along? I couldn't accept that so the book for me is only 1 1/2 stars. It might make a better made for tv movie and who knows the second book may be better. The ending was good and it left me almost wanting to go get the second one, but not enough.
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February 13, 2016Typical Thriller
Andrew Watts War Planners is a somewhat stereotyped action thriller. At times it feels strained. Several parts of the plot are predictable. It is an entertaining book and a good "escape book."
Andrew Watts War Planners is a somewhat stereotyped action thriller. At times it feels strained. Several parts of the plot are predictable. It is an entertaining book and a good "escape book."
January 7, 2017
Somewhat predictable
whilst it was readable and the plotline interesting it seemed rather predictable to me. Some of the dialogue was stilted and clumsy and the characters were stereotypical. For all that it was readable but not enough to make me want the follow up.
whilst it was readable and the plotline interesting it seemed rather predictable to me. Some of the dialogue was stilted and clumsy and the characters were stereotypical. For all that it was readable but not enough to make me want the follow up.
April 22, 2017
Transparent
The plot is shown to the reader quite early with hints about something not right. The plausibility of twenty or so top secret guys just disappearing without any questions is zero. The more you read the less you can credibly accept. Don't waste your time.
The plot is shown to the reader quite early with hints about something not right. The plausibility of twenty or so top secret guys just disappearing without any questions is zero. The more you read the less you can credibly accept. Don't waste your time.
September 4, 2017
I enjoyed this trilogy and was amazed by the knowledge of the author as far as US Navy procedures and helicopter flying were concerned. When I read that the author was a retired Naval Officer and helicopter pilot, everything was explained. Interesting plot.
June 26, 2015
Excellent read. You care about the characters, the action moves and each page leaves you wanting time for the next one.
October 22, 2015
A quick easy read, but very intriguing and scary. It kept me turning the pages. Looking forward to finising the series.
December 12, 2015
Great premise and great characters but not long enough to really feel like you're getting into it good. Enjoyed it a lot.
October 3, 2016
Nicely paced, good balance between detail and story. You can get this for free from the author's web site.
December 20, 2018
This is a taut techno-thriller similar to what Tom Clancy used to write. While the premise may be a little hard to swallow if you think too much about it, the pace is fast and when you think it's coming to a resolution there's another twist around the corner. The author knows enough about the Internet and other electronic things that he's able to make many of the cyber-threats believable.
However, I did not like the fact it lacks a proper ending. I don't object to a series but each book in the series should stand somewhat on its own, not be a total cliffhanger like this.
David, the protagonist, was a pretty good character, and Lena Chou was delightfully evil, tough and beautiful. If you have a female bad guy that's a good way for her to be. Bringing a bunch of people together that didn't know each other beforehand and expecting them to do the planning for an attack on their own country didn't seem as nutty when it's presented in the text as it does in retrospect. In reality that kind of elite group would catch on far sooner to the plot. (Agreeing with some of the other reviewers).
I also found a few details didn't ring true -- no individual could have manhandled a naval RIB down the beach, even on on rollers, singlehanded into the monster surf of a tropical storm, and I'm not convinced he could even have controlled it after starting the engine enough to power his way through 15 foot breakers. There was wind, too, enough to make the craft hard to control.
So while I found it a quick and entertaining read, I'm not convinced I want to spring for the second book in the series.
However, I did not like the fact it lacks a proper ending. I don't object to a series but each book in the series should stand somewhat on its own, not be a total cliffhanger like this.
David, the protagonist, was a pretty good character, and Lena Chou was delightfully evil, tough and beautiful. If you have a female bad guy that's a good way for her to be. Bringing a bunch of people together that didn't know each other beforehand and expecting them to do the planning for an attack on their own country didn't seem as nutty when it's presented in the text as it does in retrospect. In reality that kind of elite group would catch on far sooner to the plot. (Agreeing with some of the other reviewers).
I also found a few details didn't ring true -- no individual could have manhandled a naval RIB down the beach, even on on rollers, singlehanded into the monster surf of a tropical storm, and I'm not convinced he could even have controlled it after starting the engine enough to power his way through 15 foot breakers. There was wind, too, enough to make the craft hard to control.
So while I found it a quick and entertaining read, I'm not convinced I want to spring for the second book in the series.
August 2, 2020
"For fans of Tom Clancy," the kindle site said. Don't believe it. This book and the writing reflected none of Tom Clancy's writing. Not the storyline, not the storytelling, not the writing.
I was going to go with 2 stars but opted for just 1 single star for one reason, I did not finish the story. If I can't finish the story, it is only 1 star. To clarify, I did finish the book (more on that to come). But the book did not have a conclusion. The book ended with a cliff hanger to entice me to buy and read the next one. I am not falling for it. I have read plenty of serials before and not one of them has ever had a book that was an unfinished story.
When I was nearing the end of the book and realized that the story was not going to conclude, it clarified for me something about the writing that really bothered me. It was weighed down with pointless text that seemed to serve no purpose in moving the story along. Sentences were turned into paragraphs and paragraphs turned into pages. I found my self skipping ahead frequently.
I also found the writing to be flat. Every character seemed to speak with the same voice and the storytelling relied too much on the dialog between characters to unfold the events.
I may have skipped as much as half of this book, but really missed none of the story. Perhaps with some good editing and a bit more efficient writing the author could have condensed this story into a single book.
I was going to go with 2 stars but opted for just 1 single star for one reason, I did not finish the story. If I can't finish the story, it is only 1 star. To clarify, I did finish the book (more on that to come). But the book did not have a conclusion. The book ended with a cliff hanger to entice me to buy and read the next one. I am not falling for it. I have read plenty of serials before and not one of them has ever had a book that was an unfinished story.
When I was nearing the end of the book and realized that the story was not going to conclude, it clarified for me something about the writing that really bothered me. It was weighed down with pointless text that seemed to serve no purpose in moving the story along. Sentences were turned into paragraphs and paragraphs turned into pages. I found my self skipping ahead frequently.
I also found the writing to be flat. Every character seemed to speak with the same voice and the storytelling relied too much on the dialog between characters to unfold the events.
I may have skipped as much as half of this book, but really missed none of the story. Perhaps with some good editing and a bit more efficient writing the author could have condensed this story into a single book.
June 14, 2022
I read this book through "Prime Reads".
This story begins ith David Manning being ordered to go on a "Red Cell" mission. He is given no time to pack and driven to an airport where he boards a jet that has two other members of the "Red Cell" onboard. Tom Coleman who heads the Red Cell explains that word that China is going to attack the U.S. and they are being asked to devise a plan to combat it. The plane lands somewhere else and Tom gets off, but more members of the "Red Cell" arrive. After a long flight, they finally arrive on an isolated island where they are told that they will be working on the plan.
Several days go by and the group is working hard and coming up with schemes. David couldn't sleep one night so he got up and took a walk outside where he saw a member of the "Red Cell" group being carried to a helicopter while he was unconscious. David decided that he was going to check out the other side of the island. Once he did this, he discovered that there were probably Chinese soldiers. He immediately cmae to the conclusion that they were developing plans for the Chinese and not the Americans as they were told. Once David relayed the information, they got together to develop a plan to escape, but things did notr work out well. David and Henry, another member, were able to get away, but were then caught in Australia.
To discover what schemes they came up with, then you need to read the book, it is well worth it.
This story begins ith David Manning being ordered to go on a "Red Cell" mission. He is given no time to pack and driven to an airport where he boards a jet that has two other members of the "Red Cell" onboard. Tom Coleman who heads the Red Cell explains that word that China is going to attack the U.S. and they are being asked to devise a plan to combat it. The plane lands somewhere else and Tom gets off, but more members of the "Red Cell" arrive. After a long flight, they finally arrive on an isolated island where they are told that they will be working on the plan.
Several days go by and the group is working hard and coming up with schemes. David couldn't sleep one night so he got up and took a walk outside where he saw a member of the "Red Cell" group being carried to a helicopter while he was unconscious. David decided that he was going to check out the other side of the island. Once he did this, he discovered that there were probably Chinese soldiers. He immediately cmae to the conclusion that they were developing plans for the Chinese and not the Americans as they were told. Once David relayed the information, they got together to develop a plan to escape, but things did notr work out well. David and Henry, another member, were able to get away, but were then caught in Australia.
To discover what schemes they came up with, then you need to read the book, it is well worth it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews