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High Ground #3
Assassin
Charles Knight is released from an especially unpleasant stay in prison, only to rejoin a society overwhelmed by looting, riots, arson, viral panic, mob-think and economic decay . . . with a presidential election in the balance. The cronies are in charge, abetted by their media lackeys and political puppets. They’ll do anything to get what they want. How can Charles stop the deadly crimes committed by those who control the law, print the money, and confuse the minds of the people? Crimes that push millions into poverty, servitude and ignorance. Will a highly unorthodox presidential candidate and a cryptocurrency network that turns the surveillance state on its head be enough to expose and defeat them? Or do some people just need to be killed? The cronies are moving fast. Charles Knight needs to move faster.
530 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2020
47 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 17, 2022
2020-10-31 - What a book. This is sooooo appropriate for our times, and this year in particular. Great follow-on to the previous two books in the series: Speculator and Drug Lord. Continued growth and amazing adventures, difficulties and opportunities for Charles Knight the main character in all three books. Some very riveting new and continuing characters.
The themes of integrity, moral difficulties and explorations, clarity of thought, good vs. bad, legal vs. moral, love and attraction, and more are continued. Some new themes/topics are explored to great affect:
- cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies and their uses and promises
- "conditional anonymity"
- the power and corruption of government officials is continued and extended
- humor (not a new style/feature, but plenty of new instances)
- gun control - an insidious new strategy that undermines opposition is discussed - this should be considered as a major threat to overcome by 2A supporters
- so much more.
I loved the book. I recommend it super-highly. Bordering on a 5 star rating! You could start with this one, if you have not read either of the previous two in the series I believe, without having too many problems. Perhaps not the best way to do it, but this book is uncanny in its timeliness for this fall (2020 & the government's covid nightmare policies) that you might want to.
My only real issue with the book is that it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief needed about how and why the main character was not assassinated himself by the so powerful government malefactors he is dealing with.
2022-02-16 Well, after about 1.5 years of thinking about this book, I do have another significant qualm. The system that the authors suggested to deal with the obviously significant downsides to an assassination market, limited with blockchain technologies, seems to me to need more critical discussion. I just don't understand the technology well enough to know if it would operate in the way that the authors say it would. Does anyone? Love to see more reviews of this book from crypto experts.
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If you are a libertarian or objectivist, you should LOVE this book.
If you are not, you will get many very good reasons to explore why not. I truly hope anyone who reads this book will come away thinking differently about a bunch of very important topics - I know I have, for sure, and I have been thinking about many of them for a very long time.
Note on my rating scale:
1 - terrible - negative recommendation
2 - beware - not good - may have some redeeming features, but overall negative
3 - OK, some value, not bad, but not highly recommended
4 - good - excellent, but probably not a classic, or has some kind of flaw(s) that keeps it from being the highest recommendation
5 - great - classic - the best - virtually no qualms at all in recommending
2020-10-15 - Just started this yesterday - already very hard to put down. Looks like it is following in the excellent path of the two previous books of the series which I loved.
The themes of integrity, moral difficulties and explorations, clarity of thought, good vs. bad, legal vs. moral, love and attraction, and more are continued. Some new themes/topics are explored to great affect:
- cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies and their uses and promises
- "conditional anonymity"
- the power and corruption of government officials is continued and extended
- humor (not a new style/feature, but plenty of new instances)
- gun control - an insidious new strategy that undermines opposition is discussed - this should be considered as a major threat to overcome by 2A supporters
- so much more.
I loved the book. I recommend it super-highly. Bordering on a 5 star rating! You could start with this one, if you have not read either of the previous two in the series I believe, without having too many problems. Perhaps not the best way to do it, but this book is uncanny in its timeliness for this fall (2020 & the government's covid nightmare policies) that you might want to.
My only real issue with the book is that it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief needed about how and why the main character was not assassinated himself by the so powerful government malefactors he is dealing with.
2022-02-16 Well, after about 1.5 years of thinking about this book, I do have another significant qualm. The system that the authors suggested to deal with the obviously significant downsides to an assassination market, limited with blockchain technologies, seems to me to need more critical discussion. I just don't understand the technology well enough to know if it would operate in the way that the authors say it would. Does anyone? Love to see more reviews of this book from crypto experts.
------
If you are a libertarian or objectivist, you should LOVE this book.
If you are not, you will get many very good reasons to explore why not. I truly hope anyone who reads this book will come away thinking differently about a bunch of very important topics - I know I have, for sure, and I have been thinking about many of them for a very long time.
Note on my rating scale:
1 - terrible - negative recommendation
2 - beware - not good - may have some redeeming features, but overall negative
3 - OK, some value, not bad, but not highly recommended
4 - good - excellent, but probably not a classic, or has some kind of flaw(s) that keeps it from being the highest recommendation
5 - great - classic - the best - virtually no qualms at all in recommending
2020-10-15 - Just started this yesterday - already very hard to put down. Looks like it is following in the excellent path of the two previous books of the series which I loved.
October 14, 2020
Doug Casey and John Hunt have refreshed my soul with “Assassin,” the third novel in the High Ground series. Charles Knight is a modern-day hero, a paladin driven by natural law and a quest for justice. He battles life and death stakes with the fate of the country hanging in the balance. Knight navigates a web of deceit and danger in a brilliant and daring attempt to bring down bipartisan corruption and the deviant parasites who manipulate a corrupted system for personal gain. Can he rally a group of patriots and revive American exceptionalism or is it too late?
“Assassin” provides equal parts liberty, reason, and entertainment. It’s a brilliant philosophical romp through individualism and the rule of law and offers readers a libertarian fantasy for a free world devoid of economic and political slavery. Casey and Hunt shine a spotlight on expanding government power, dwindling personal freedom, and the insidious nature of the deep state. They expose the cancer of cronyism, oligarchy, gaslighting, propaganda, and the tacit complicity of those who abdicate their own freedom. Assassin is an ideological thrill ride that debunks modern monetary theory, deficit spending, and our growing debt. It is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the United States.
“Assassin” provides equal parts liberty, reason, and entertainment. It’s a brilliant philosophical romp through individualism and the rule of law and offers readers a libertarian fantasy for a free world devoid of economic and political slavery. Casey and Hunt shine a spotlight on expanding government power, dwindling personal freedom, and the insidious nature of the deep state. They expose the cancer of cronyism, oligarchy, gaslighting, propaganda, and the tacit complicity of those who abdicate their own freedom. Assassin is an ideological thrill ride that debunks modern monetary theory, deficit spending, and our growing debt. It is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the United States.
November 5, 2020
Fantastic
Man, I could not put this book down. It’s amazing with incredible ideas about how to save America’s soul. Can’t wait for the next installment!
Man, I could not put this book down. It’s amazing with incredible ideas about how to save America’s soul. Can’t wait for the next installment!
June 15, 2022
A fever dream with some libertarian ideas. Disorganized compared to previous novels. Didactic as usual. There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of mechanisms for cryptocurrency mining.
Some questions: why compound the immorality of “the bad guys” with depravity? Is the idea not that the institutions are “immoral” in and of themselves? This conflation undermines the latter. What’s the point of not finishing Paul Samuels in the beginning? That was useless. Why not make the method of producing “Naked Emperor” open source? That would have solved multiple plot points.
This book seems like a missed opportunity to include a discussion of the Department of Defense, especially given the new occupation of Charles Knight.
Not once is the concept of intellectual property discussed in this trilogy.
Prominent characters in previous books are sidelined. Little character development occurs.
The discussion of definitions was enjoyable, as was Knight’s mental fortitude in prison.
Some questions: why compound the immorality of “the bad guys” with depravity? Is the idea not that the institutions are “immoral” in and of themselves? This conflation undermines the latter. What’s the point of not finishing Paul Samuels in the beginning? That was useless. Why not make the method of producing “Naked Emperor” open source? That would have solved multiple plot points.
This book seems like a missed opportunity to include a discussion of the Department of Defense, especially given the new occupation of Charles Knight.
Not once is the concept of intellectual property discussed in this trilogy.
Prominent characters in previous books are sidelined. Little character development occurs.
The discussion of definitions was enjoyable, as was Knight’s mental fortitude in prison.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2020
Another great book by Casey And Hunt. It’s like a behind the scenes look at the local fauna and flora that inhabits the DC swamp. The predator quickly becomes the prey in this adventure, that forces you to question many preconceived and indoctrinated ideas.
Well written, has lots of pages dedicated to the writers philosophy which slows down the action at times but still a great read, especially relevant to the times we are living in!
Well written, has lots of pages dedicated to the writers philosophy which slows down the action at times but still a great read, especially relevant to the times we are living in!
February 16, 2021
Assassin, the 3rd book in the High Ground series poses interesting questions as to what is a moral and proper response to government officials who will stop at nothing to enhance their power and their wealth. The book and the series are philosophical action thrillers. Sometimes, I felt that it could use more action and less philosophical discussion, but all in all, these are books worth your time and I recommend them.
August 13, 2021
Extrapolate
After High Ground #2, which seemed to predict our 2020 year of pandemic and election upheaval, the authors predict the future. Fairly, well, I'm afraid.
While the Libertarian bias is obvious, it's certain that some will only see the myths of Q and Deplorables as the basis for the story. They will be the ones who ignore the would-be Mavericks who seek to give new life to Paladin.
Will enough readers smell the smoke and look for the fire?
After High Ground #2, which seemed to predict our 2020 year of pandemic and election upheaval, the authors predict the future. Fairly, well, I'm afraid.
While the Libertarian bias is obvious, it's certain that some will only see the myths of Q and Deplorables as the basis for the story. They will be the ones who ignore the would-be Mavericks who seek to give new life to Paladin.
Will enough readers smell the smoke and look for the fire?
May 25, 2021
Opened Eyes
Reading these three books was like taking Naked Emperor! The Deep State, the Financial System, Cronyism and more was all revealed thru the dialogue of the characters in the books. I’m looking forward to Charles finding out he has a Gold Mine in Gondwana when he gets there!
Reading these three books was like taking Naked Emperor! The Deep State, the Financial System, Cronyism and more was all revealed thru the dialogue of the characters in the books. I’m looking forward to Charles finding out he has a Gold Mine in Gondwana when he gets there!
May 3, 2023
If you're looking for a good fiction book with lots of characters, action, and wonderful philosophy, this is it. It's a bit long but so many interesting aspects, even a cryptocurrency angle and lots of truths about pandemics, government, corruption, etc. I recommend reading the first two books in the series first, but not 100% necessary.
November 22, 2024
Read this Series and You Will Never Look at Government the Same Again
Generally fast moving with a lot of information packed in that teaches truths about our government most will never hear and those in the top echelons don’t want you to know.
The author, Robert Casey a successful non-fiction writer, said in an interview the reason he went to fiction is because you can say a lot more in fiction and get away with it.
Boy did he ever. Good read. Long but worthwhile and educational in an entertaining way.
Generally fast moving with a lot of information packed in that teaches truths about our government most will never hear and those in the top echelons don’t want you to know.
The author, Robert Casey a successful non-fiction writer, said in an interview the reason he went to fiction is because you can say a lot more in fiction and get away with it.
Boy did he ever. Good read. Long but worthwhile and educational in an entertaining way.
November 26, 2020
Totally awesome
Another great book in the series. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. This series has been great and allowed me to crystallize lots of various ideas into a simplified narrative. Very refreshing every time.
Another great book in the series. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. This series has been great and allowed me to crystallize lots of various ideas into a simplified narrative. Very refreshing every time.
April 22, 2021
Great Book. Very Well Done. Clever Use of Modern Events and Tech!
Well written story. Once you get into it, it's hard to put down. Very clever use of current events in the US and the innovation of crypto. Hope there is another one.
Well written story. Once you get into it, it's hard to put down. Very clever use of current events in the US and the innovation of crypto. Hope there is another one.
December 7, 2020
Well written, thought-provoking and fascinating follow up to the previous two books. Can’t wait for no 4.
December 9, 2020
Shows the depravity of the deep state.
Too bad there is no Paladin Network to stop the current bulldozing of our constitution.
Well written and an enjoyable read.
Too bad there is no Paladin Network to stop the current bulldozing of our constitution.
Well written and an enjoyable read.
March 23, 2021
Not nearly as captivating as the first two.
December 5, 2021
Fabulous fiction of the good guys vs the bad guys - taking out people who are doing extreme harm to others. Enjoyed it.
January 22, 2025
always worth a reason
I hope to find out more about Doug Casey adventures. I know he has more in store but it’s been awhile. Maybe he can have AI assist as a ghost writer.
I hope to find out more about Doug Casey adventures. I know he has more in store but it’s been awhile. Maybe he can have AI assist as a ghost writer.
February 8, 2024
Once again, Casey does not disappoint.
January 8, 2021
Just As I Thought ..,
Well Put, & I’m NOT alone ... said just like I figured ... Thanks for saying it for me , sad to say ...
Well Put, & I’m NOT alone ... said just like I figured ... Thanks for saying it for me , sad to say ...
April 28, 2025
The main character Charles Knight represents the best aspects of James Bond, Largo Winch, and Thomas Crown, all rolled into one. I own all 3 books in this series and I've loved every one, and was ready and waiting to buy the latest one when Amazon notified me it was out ... these books are so much fun, and each one explores an intriguing line between morality and legality that most people probably never stop to consider. I hope the authors don’t stop here!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews