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Patrick McLanahan #15
Rogue Forces
“Brown is excellent.” — San Francisco Chronicle Dale Brown, whose books live on the New York Times bestseller list—alongside the novels of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and other superstars of the military adventure genre—triumphs again with Rogue Forces. A riveting and relentlessly exciting thriller, Rogue Forces explores a timely and important question in this age of Blackwell and What would happen if the Army’s private security contractors became uncontrollably powerful? Brown’s popular character, Patrick McLanahan, is going Rogue in this chillingly plausible adventure that further solidifies Dale Brown’s reputation as “the best military writer in the country” (Clive Cussler).
321 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2009
171 people are currently reading
819 people want to read
About the author
Dale Brown
159 books1,139 followersFormer U.S. Air Force captain Dale Brown is the superstar author of 25 consecutive New York Times best-selling military-action-aviation adventure novels: FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG (1987), SILVER TOWER (1988), DAY OF THE CHEETAH (1989), HAMMERHEADS (1990), SKY MASTERS (1991), NIGHT OF THE HAWK (1992), CHAINS OF COMMAND (1993), STORMING HEAVEN (1994), SHADOWS OF STEEL (1996) and FATAL TERRAIN (1997), THE TIN MAN (1998), BATTLE BORN (1999), and WARRIOR CLASS (2001). His Fourteenth Novel AIRBATTLE FORCE will be published in late Spring 2003... Dale's novels are published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. Worldwide sales of his novels, audiobooks and computer games exceed 10 million copies.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 22, 2024
Similar to the book that comes after this one in the series…will give this a 3.75 in reality.
This was another book where the people that are tired of diplomatic “solutions” and those opposed to using “extreme measures” to resolve long on-going hostilities butt heads. Caught in the middle are the contractors that develop the solutions that can handle either option…but are just awaiting instructions on how and when to use their “tools”, from the appropriate government or the highest bidder. The fact that the tools and methods constantly flies in the “grey area” is not really an issue…just shows the “flexibility” of the contractor to change gears at a moments notice, depending on who is giving the directives 😉
This was another book where the people that are tired of diplomatic “solutions” and those opposed to using “extreme measures” to resolve long on-going hostilities butt heads. Caught in the middle are the contractors that develop the solutions that can handle either option…but are just awaiting instructions on how and when to use their “tools”, from the appropriate government or the highest bidder. The fact that the tools and methods constantly flies in the “grey area” is not really an issue…just shows the “flexibility” of the contractor to change gears at a moments notice, depending on who is giving the directives 😉
Want to read
September 5, 2011If a defense contractor faces a crisis, to whom should his loyalties lie: to his client, his country, or his company?
Patrick McLanahan is again retired from the U.S. Air Force and has joined former president Kevin Martindale in a new venture: providing high-tech aerial surveillance and other support missions for the U.S. Army in northern Iraq.
America's withdrawal from Iraq is underway, even though the Iraqi army is not yet ready, and the power vacuum has created new tensions. The Republic of Turkey is becoming much more aggressive against separatist Kurdish terrorists who are attacking targets in Turkey and then escaping to safe houses in Iraq.
As the violence escalates, the Turkish government feels it has no choice...but to invade Iraq.
The last American assistance and training brigade left in northern Iraq takes the brunt of the Turkish assault. Unwilling to have any more American casualties in Iraq, and equally unwilling to return any American troops to Iraq after ordering their withdrawal, President Joseph Gardner orders McLanahan and his contracting firm to watch the border for any more signs of trouble--after all, no one will care if a civilian contractor gets hurt.
But Patrick McLanahan has no intention of getting hurt. Instead of just watching the frontier, he blunts another Turkish assault with his XC-57 "Losers"--stealth bombers who lost the Next Generation Bomber competition and have been converted to multi-role aircraft.
His unilateral actions enrage the President and threaten to spark a war between allies America and Turkey. Patrick's contracts are canceled, and he is placed under arrest until he can return home to face prosecution.
But before he is taken into custody, Patrick receives a new contract and a new client: the Republic of Iraq. His new task: help the fledgling Iraqi army stop the Turks from taking the vital northern Iraqi cities and oil fields.
Vastly outnumbered except for the mind-numbing aerial technology at his command, Patrick and the Iraqi army must hold on long enough for Vice President Ken Phoenix's and Secretary of State Stacy Anne Barbeau's diplomatic missions to succeed. But will they be in time?
Patrick McLanahan is again retired from the U.S. Air Force and has joined former president Kevin Martindale in a new venture: providing high-tech aerial surveillance and other support missions for the U.S. Army in northern Iraq.
America's withdrawal from Iraq is underway, even though the Iraqi army is not yet ready, and the power vacuum has created new tensions. The Republic of Turkey is becoming much more aggressive against separatist Kurdish terrorists who are attacking targets in Turkey and then escaping to safe houses in Iraq.
As the violence escalates, the Turkish government feels it has no choice...but to invade Iraq.
The last American assistance and training brigade left in northern Iraq takes the brunt of the Turkish assault. Unwilling to have any more American casualties in Iraq, and equally unwilling to return any American troops to Iraq after ordering their withdrawal, President Joseph Gardner orders McLanahan and his contracting firm to watch the border for any more signs of trouble--after all, no one will care if a civilian contractor gets hurt.
But Patrick McLanahan has no intention of getting hurt. Instead of just watching the frontier, he blunts another Turkish assault with his XC-57 "Losers"--stealth bombers who lost the Next Generation Bomber competition and have been converted to multi-role aircraft.
His unilateral actions enrage the President and threaten to spark a war between allies America and Turkey. Patrick's contracts are canceled, and he is placed under arrest until he can return home to face prosecution.
But before he is taken into custody, Patrick receives a new contract and a new client: the Republic of Iraq. His new task: help the fledgling Iraqi army stop the Turks from taking the vital northern Iraqi cities and oil fields.
Vastly outnumbered except for the mind-numbing aerial technology at his command, Patrick and the Iraqi army must hold on long enough for Vice President Ken Phoenix's and Secretary of State Stacy Anne Barbeau's diplomatic missions to succeed. But will they be in time?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2014
Dale Brown seems to be the only author writing credible war thrillers, since Larry Bond has quit the genre. The PKK is demanding an independent Kurdish nation created from parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran and has been conducting guerrilla operations in Turkey. Turkey feels that none of its allies cares and stages a ground invasion as America is withdrawing its troops there. Private contractors are performing duties once the province of the military. At Allied Air Base Nahla near Mosul, Iraq, Scion International is testing the XC-57 (nicknamed, the "Loser"), a modified Stealth bomber, accompanied by retired General Patrick McLanahan and the brilliant Jon Masters.
As hostilities escalate, during Vice President Phoenix's visit to promote peace in the region, McLanahan and his cohorts deploy its fancy weaponry, including the Tin Man, CID, drones, satellites, and other technological gizmos in behalf of the Iraqi army when he is summarily fired by President Gardner. As always, the action is fast and furious, keeping readers very engaged.
As hostilities escalate, during Vice President Phoenix's visit to promote peace in the region, McLanahan and his cohorts deploy its fancy weaponry, including the Tin Man, CID, drones, satellites, and other technological gizmos in behalf of the Iraqi army when he is summarily fired by President Gardner. As always, the action is fast and furious, keeping readers very engaged.
June 25, 2012
slow plot development that led to characters I ultimately did not care about. jargon that I really did not care to learn thrown about on every page. And the basic element of ultra cool defense contractors having stuff light years ahead of the military did not seem plausible. Finally, the entire basis of the book is that the defense contractors calling the shots and not the government was not soothing to me- it was played as 'what a great thing that this group that is answerable to no one can do what it takes to solve world problems.' But that is just flat out scarey on so many levels it was frightening to see how uni-dimensionally the whole thing was portrayed. That these "shoot first and hardest" tactics might have repercussions was beyond the scope anything the book might consider.
August 7, 2009
After enjoying the earlier books in this series Rogue Forces was a let down.
The pacing seeming rushed, the story and characters forced. One of the things I liked about Brown's novels was his ability to humanise the enemy combatants and make you care about even the suporting cast of characters, something which is sadly lacking in this book.
Brown's villians are becoming 2 dimensional cartoon stereotypes and his scene building is starting to suffer. While the action was still there and enjoyable for the most part I finnished the novel feeling as if I was missing half the story.
IMO a sub par effort that reads as filler for an artist trying to reconect with his muse though a must read for fans of the series.
The pacing seeming rushed, the story and characters forced. One of the things I liked about Brown's novels was his ability to humanise the enemy combatants and make you care about even the suporting cast of characters, something which is sadly lacking in this book.
Brown's villians are becoming 2 dimensional cartoon stereotypes and his scene building is starting to suffer. While the action was still there and enjoyable for the most part I finnished the novel feeling as if I was missing half the story.
IMO a sub par effort that reads as filler for an artist trying to reconect with his muse though a must read for fans of the series.
May 12, 2017
What happens when to U.S allies decide to begin a war with each other, and a bunch of U.S. forces (including mercenaries) find themselves in the middle of it?
That's the premise of this book, where Turkish forces decide to declare war on Kurdish terrorists in Iraq, regardless of repercussions. But their plans didn't account for Scion Aviation and their super high-tech drones and other top-secret weapons. Non-stop action, with a little diplomacy thrown in.
That's the premise of this book, where Turkish forces decide to declare war on Kurdish terrorists in Iraq, regardless of repercussions. But their plans didn't account for Scion Aviation and their super high-tech drones and other top-secret weapons. Non-stop action, with a little diplomacy thrown in.
September 8, 2018
I'd gone through a spate of reading many of Dale Brown's earlier books back in the 1990's, starting with Flight of the Old Dog which came in a boxed set along with a PC flight simulator "Megafortress" that was based on the book's premise of a highly modified high-tech bomber airframe.
As with many of my reading trends, that spawned interest then to read others within the genera of military and adventure thrillers... by Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Michael DiMercurio (submarines), Patrick Robinson (more submarines), and the full canon of Tom Clancy.
My tastes have changed since that time, and this novel was satisfying but didn't achieve in my mind, for me, a level of 'greatness' to rival some of the more cerebrally challenging books, both fiction and non-fiction, that have been my principal endeavours over the past 15 years.
That stated, the setting of the primary action in the middle east area of Iraq and Turkey, along with now-familiar place names within that region, provided a whiz-bang sense of the real and potential conflict and strategies employed within the conflict that continues here in 2018 after this novel was published in 2009.
As with many of my reading trends, that spawned interest then to read others within the genera of military and adventure thrillers... by Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Michael DiMercurio (submarines), Patrick Robinson (more submarines), and the full canon of Tom Clancy.
My tastes have changed since that time, and this novel was satisfying but didn't achieve in my mind, for me, a level of 'greatness' to rival some of the more cerebrally challenging books, both fiction and non-fiction, that have been my principal endeavours over the past 15 years.
That stated, the setting of the primary action in the middle east area of Iraq and Turkey, along with now-familiar place names within that region, provided a whiz-bang sense of the real and potential conflict and strategies employed within the conflict that continues here in 2018 after this novel was published in 2009.
November 19, 2019
While this book could be based on past/current headlines. I found the premise that government contractors (basically mercs) had military hardware light years above what out military had just seemed too unbelievable to me. Furthermore they didn't seem to be answerable to anyone in command authority. The plot was slow to develop & the Turks seemed one-dimensional as the bad guys. I've read a few earlier books & feel that they were much better written.
November 9, 2023
Wow.
Turkey in real life has ethnic problems which it has yet to resolve. It still hasn't accepted its role in the Armenian genocide and now the Kurds. Thus when the country does something about its security situation, it may or may not gain the international support it craves.
The only problem with this book has to do with the pacing. The ending again is super rushed. The conflict that took 300 pages is over in 30.
Otherwise a great read.
Turkey in real life has ethnic problems which it has yet to resolve. It still hasn't accepted its role in the Armenian genocide and now the Kurds. Thus when the country does something about its security situation, it may or may not gain the international support it craves.
The only problem with this book has to do with the pacing. The ending again is super rushed. The conflict that took 300 pages is over in 30.
Otherwise a great read.
November 16, 2018
As this is a series I have probably missed a lot of back story. The book really didn't feel like it had a whole lot to it, just a lot of bravado and no point reached other than to glorify war and fighting and even that was weak. My apologies to the fans of Dale Brown but I don't think I would be reading another.
September 20, 2021
another fantastic read Mr. Brown!
OMG...what to say - this book goes Mach 2 with it”s tail on fire! Shows voters again how inept politicians are in the USA... and around the world!
Keep up the great writing about heroes... even if they hardly exist anymore; or in this case are fictional!
OMG...what to say - this book goes Mach 2 with it”s tail on fire! Shows voters again how inept politicians are in the USA... and around the world!
Keep up the great writing about heroes... even if they hardly exist anymore; or in this case are fictional!
July 9, 2019
I love a rip-roaring good war yarn, and this is one. The plot could be in the current headlines, i.e. the Middle East and crazy terrorists. Good characters, fast pace, great villains, high tech war gear - it’s all here. I mostly read for entertainment and this is the kind of book that delivers.
March 18, 2021
Good story, bad humdrum renegade miitary force, U.S. military tied up in bureaucracy, then good guys arrive with robots computers, laser, electronics technology, beat up all the bad guys, win the lady and ride back to the magic castle in the big white stallion.
December 19, 2023
Sometimes security contractors have yo make decisions that may not make their employer happy. In this story, Gen. MCclanahan uses his military experience to keep one of America’s allies from destroying another
January 10, 2018
kept my attention from beginning to end. good read.
April 1, 2018
Decent techno thriller
July 27, 2018
Great continuation of story line ,great even if you didn't read in order ,skip the preview of starfire,it tells you something that happens a few books away ,Dale Brown never disappoints
Read
September 29, 2019Trusting friend Tim that this one isn’t worth the read.
July 7, 2020
Always like Dale Brown novels. Love his characters.
December 31, 2020
Rogue Forces
Another exciting and well written story by Dale Brown. Patrick accepts a contract in Iraq, which gets canceled by the President. He then accepts one from Iraq to defend then from Turkey.
Another exciting and well written story by Dale Brown. Patrick accepts a contract in Iraq, which gets canceled by the President. He then accepts one from Iraq to defend then from Turkey.
September 2, 2021
Good read, but there are so many characters in this series that it's hard to keep up with.
January 19, 2023
I enjoyed the story and the way it built ction- setsfrom the earlier info and action.
Sets us up for more fun.
Sets us up for more fun.
Read
February 11, 2023Interesting continuation of the Mclanahan Story
February 11, 2024
I can't even say I like the protagonist but not the story
May 15, 2020
Old Dog very good
February 15, 2016
Not as over the top as some of Brown’s other works. Still, Colonel Wilhelm is basically a cartoon character, and some of them do things that just seem way out of character, with massive, inexplicable changes in behavior over the course of the plot. And McLanahan doesn’t even feel like a real protagonist.
The plot also raises questions about certain characters’ loyalty and accountability but seems to forget about them by the story’s conclusion. Also, this is a bit simplistic, but the Kurds are underdeveloped, the Turks seem too cold-blooded, the Iraqis are either cowardly or plain dumb, the US military is clueless and unable to affect the course of events, and the arms dealers and contractors are all busy interfering and making money. The plot can also get quite monotonous: characters plan their actions, participate in or witness them, and then reflect---the same twaddle over and over again.
The dialogue can get terribly clunky, and Brown often has characters state things out loud that they themselves already know and some of these just sound ridiculous (“I haven’t picked up a rifle in years since I left the peshmerga militias in Kirkuk...Perhaps I need more lessons from a former High Commune of Women commander” or “I put in my time in the Kurdistan independence movement” or the president ranting "I want some butts" or “google-eyed”) And the last sentence of the novel ends with an explosion “killing everyone within a radius of twenty feet.” Compelling, right?
A wordy, disjointed and slow-paced thriller with a few well-drawn characters but a disappointing and rushed conclusion. And, laughably, the novel includes a character list.
The plot also raises questions about certain characters’ loyalty and accountability but seems to forget about them by the story’s conclusion. Also, this is a bit simplistic, but the Kurds are underdeveloped, the Turks seem too cold-blooded, the Iraqis are either cowardly or plain dumb, the US military is clueless and unable to affect the course of events, and the arms dealers and contractors are all busy interfering and making money. The plot can also get quite monotonous: characters plan their actions, participate in or witness them, and then reflect---the same twaddle over and over again.
The dialogue can get terribly clunky, and Brown often has characters state things out loud that they themselves already know and some of these just sound ridiculous (“I haven’t picked up a rifle in years since I left the peshmerga militias in Kirkuk...Perhaps I need more lessons from a former High Commune of Women commander” or “I put in my time in the Kurdistan independence movement” or the president ranting "I want some butts" or “google-eyed”) And the last sentence of the novel ends with an explosion “killing everyone within a radius of twenty feet.” Compelling, right?
A wordy, disjointed and slow-paced thriller with a few well-drawn characters but a disappointing and rushed conclusion. And, laughably, the novel includes a character list.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2015
I’m not usually one for hyperbole, but Rogue Forces may well be the worst book of all time. It’s certainly the dullest and most ineptly written trash I’ve ever come across.
I challenge any one of you to find an uglier sentence in the history of the English language than this blood-curdling monstrosity:
Just read it out loud. How did that make it to print? We may never know.
If you want to know why this book is so unremittingly terrible, read my review here:
http://rightplacerighttim.com/2015/03...
I challenge any one of you to find an uglier sentence in the history of the English language than this blood-curdling monstrosity:
“Can we please get on with this?” Stacy Anne Barbeau suddenly blurted perturbedly.
Just read it out loud. How did that make it to print? We may never know.
If you want to know why this book is so unremittingly terrible, read my review here:
http://rightplacerighttim.com/2015/03...
June 10, 2009
Retired General McLanahan and his fellows at Scion Aviation International, get caught up in a conflict between Turkey and Iraq. Turkish military units encroach in to Iraq in an attempt to eradicate Kurdish separatists fighters and Scion is hired by Iraq to help turn them back. Plenty of nonstop military action as Scion employs its advanced weapons systems. Good story if you like this type, but not for everyone.
ISBN - 978-0-06-156087-3, Military/Thriller, Pages - 321, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.55
ISBN - 978-0-06-156087-3, Military/Thriller, Pages - 321, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.55
September 18, 2011
Another classic Brown novel filled with new and imaginative weapons systems set against a conflict that needed to be sorted quickly and quietly. It does retain interest but is a conveniently laid out and written story that is single-minded in its delivery. The wider political and military perspectives are forgotten but to be fair is carried on from an underlying story within the series Brown has created.
It can be read independently but would imagine it would be helpful to have the background from the previous novel.
It can be read independently but would imagine it would be helpful to have the background from the previous novel.
July 24, 2009
McLanahan novel torn from today's headlines...The new President Joseph Gardner pledges to start pulling U. S. forces out of Iraq...Iraq re-emerges as a hot zone...the new American president is reluctant to send U.S. forces back into harm's way...explores the possibility that the contractor/corporations fighting our battles are not necessarily a good thing or maybe they are???...all of the old characters and techie innovations emerge!!!...OK read!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews