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Phoenix Force #8
Aswan Hellbox
Jeremiah Blackwell had a dream. He was going to be King of Africa. But first he had to amass the money and tactical support. That was where the Communists came in.
They were prepared to pay a fortune for an act of destruction that would plunge the Middle East into chaos. Blackwell had just such an act already planned. He would destroy Egypt's Aswan High Dam.
The mighty structure, one of the wonders of the modern world, was horrifyingly vulnerable to Blackwell's rockets and his 300 fanatical assault troops.
But the free world has shock troops of its own - Phoenix Force! Only unspeakable catastrophe can stop America's five-man army. . . Had the fire-blazing force finally met its match?
They were prepared to pay a fortune for an act of destruction that would plunge the Middle East into chaos. Blackwell had just such an act already planned. He would destroy Egypt's Aswan High Dam.
The mighty structure, one of the wonders of the modern world, was horrifyingly vulnerable to Blackwell's rockets and his 300 fanatical assault troops.
But the free world has shock troops of its own - Phoenix Force! Only unspeakable catastrophe can stop America's five-man army. . . Had the fire-blazing force finally met its match?
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1983
31 people want to read
About the author
Gar Wilson
70 books4 followersPhoenix Force is a series of action-adventure novels first published in 1982 by American Gold Eagle publishers. It is a spin-off of the Executioner series created by Don Pendleton.
Phoenix Force is one of two neutralization teams working for Stony Man, a top-secret anti-terrorist organization. As with The Executioner, the Phoenix Force novels have been written by a succession of authors under the pseudonym Gar Wilson. In 1991, Gold Eagle combined Phoenix Force with another Executioner spin-off series, Able Team, and launched the Stony Man book series, which is still being published as of 2005.
Phoenix Force is one of two neutralization teams working for Stony Man, a top-secret anti-terrorist organization. As with The Executioner, the Phoenix Force novels have been written by a succession of authors under the pseudonym Gar Wilson. In 1991, Gold Eagle combined Phoenix Force with another Executioner spin-off series, Able Team, and launched the Stony Man book series, which is still being published as of 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 19, 2016
This time around you get some romance in the desert with your killing and carnage. Our Canadian hardman finds love in a village where the only survivor was taken by the merciless leader of the Black Cobras. Who are trying to rid the white man out of Africa so it's leader can rule over the dark continent. Enter Phoenix Force. They raise the temperature of the hellbox.
Nice scenes of hard action in the vast wasteland of an African desert is a nice change of pace for the series. A quick note about the co-author, Thomas P. Ramirez. He also wrote White Hell #6 in this series. That on took place in sub zero temperatures in Alaska. One extreme to another.
Nice scenes of hard action in the vast wasteland of an African desert is a nice change of pace for the series. A quick note about the co-author, Thomas P. Ramirez. He also wrote White Hell #6 in this series. That on took place in sub zero temperatures in Alaska. One extreme to another.
July 6, 2025
It was awesome to have one of these in my hands again.
Not only that, but this book is particularly realistic for the Stony Man/Gold Eagle franchise. The scorching heat of the desert, the sand and dust that gets in everywhere and cakes everything, the flies, the subzero nights, the jagged terrain that tears away at mechanism and man, the days and days of endless road without contact on a transient spoor.
The depiction of Jeremiah Blackwell and his Black Cobra's is entirely consistent with Sgt. Yohann Douady's D'Une Guerre à l'Autre , Henri Clément's La Révolte des Mercenaires , Professor Samuel Ramani's Russia In Africa and Ambassador David H. Shinn's China's Relations With Africa .
The only criticism I have is that, in one place, the author talks about Manning and Encizo's "subguns," only to speak of Manning's G3 and Encizo's Stoner within a couple of sentences.
Otherwise, this is a thoroughly solid read.
Not only that, but this book is particularly realistic for the Stony Man/Gold Eagle franchise. The scorching heat of the desert, the sand and dust that gets in everywhere and cakes everything, the flies, the subzero nights, the jagged terrain that tears away at mechanism and man, the days and days of endless road without contact on a transient spoor.
The depiction of Jeremiah Blackwell and his Black Cobra's is entirely consistent with Sgt. Yohann Douady's D'Une Guerre à l'Autre , Henri Clément's La Révolte des Mercenaires , Professor Samuel Ramani's Russia In Africa and Ambassador David H. Shinn's China's Relations With Africa .
The only criticism I have is that, in one place, the author talks about Manning and Encizo's "subguns," only to speak of Manning's G3 and Encizo's Stoner within a couple of sentences.
Otherwise, this is a thoroughly solid read.
April 11, 2020
Great example of the men's adventure genre. The best I've read of the Executioner spin offs. Intriguing story, great settings, a great villain, and great supporting characters.
If you want to give the Executioner spinoffs a try, cant get much better then this one. Has a real gut punch in the middle, recommended.
If you want to give the Executioner spinoffs a try, cant get much better then this one. Has a real gut punch in the middle, recommended.
August 23, 2024
This was a good, action packed book. It provided something new in this book, a romantic involvement for one of the Phoenix Force team, including a short sex scene. The sex scene was not overly detailed and not graphic for the younger audiences. But, this did show more development on the personal side for Gary Manning. Previously, we only saw David McCarter waking up in bed with a woman and leaving her, but there wasn't much to hint that this was a long-term relationship.
While, this relationship was short and ended tragically, it will have lasting effects on Gary Manning, maybe.
While, this relationship was short and ended tragically, it will have lasting effects on Gary Manning, maybe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2017
This was one of my favourite Phoenix Force novels to date. I read them as a kid (starting at book 15), and came back 30 some years later on a nostalgia trip, but this time starting with the earlier books.
I thought this one had a solid story with an "engaging" - if you will - bad guy. There's a minor leap of faith required by the reader to accept that the bad guys were able to seemingly easily procure a certain piece of hardware, but at least it's explained in the book, so fair enough.
Much like Tigers of Justice, the presence of an actual villain makes things interesting and the early scenes do a good job - in fact, disturbingly good - of making you want him dead 10 times over. Having started from book one, this was the first I gave a 5 star rating, keeping in mind, it's 5 stars for this genre which is inherently cheesy at times and with plots that tend to be pretty thin.
I thought this one had a solid story with an "engaging" - if you will - bad guy. There's a minor leap of faith required by the reader to accept that the bad guys were able to seemingly easily procure a certain piece of hardware, but at least it's explained in the book, so fair enough.
Much like Tigers of Justice, the presence of an actual villain makes things interesting and the early scenes do a good job - in fact, disturbingly good - of making you want him dead 10 times over. Having started from book one, this was the first I gave a 5 star rating, keeping in mind, it's 5 stars for this genre which is inherently cheesy at times and with plots that tend to be pretty thin.
July 14, 2009
While certain parts of this book may have felt forced at times it didn't take away from the overall story. True it was mostly of the team chasing through the desert after a really, really bad guy who wanted to blow up the Aswan Dam, it had moments in between.
Some of those were rather gory but not so much by today's standards. It had a very touching scene between Manning and a local woman he met when she was killed.
The best thing about the Phoenix Force books in my opinion was that they always showed that there was more to these men than just soldiers in Bolan's war for justice.
Some of those were rather gory but not so much by today's standards. It had a very touching scene between Manning and a local woman he met when she was killed.
The best thing about the Phoenix Force books in my opinion was that they always showed that there was more to these men than just soldiers in Bolan's war for justice.
February 24, 2016
A spin off series from his Executioner books. This series follows several secondary characters that band together. Recommended
November 9, 2008
I was in high school, but these are good for high school boys
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews