Seawolf

Admiral Arnold Morgan #4

by Patrick Robinson

Silent and lethal, USS Seawolf, the US Navy's most up-to-date stealth submarine, is on an ultra secret mission -- to spy on China's brandnew, hugely-improved Xia-Class submarine. When it ventures dangerously into the forbidden waters of the China Sea, Seawolf is caught in a shocking accident and is captured by the Chinese. The repercussions of the disaster could cause the biggest confrontation between Washington and Beijing in more than forty years. Knowing they are on the brink of a third world war, Admiral Arnold Morgan orders SPECWARCOM to send in the Navy SEALS to rescue the captive seamen at all costs. It becomes a desperate race against the clock as the wounded American Eagle struggles against the stirring Chinese dragon ...

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, War, Adventure, Action, Political Thriller

488 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2000

About the author

Patrick Robinson was a journalist for many years before becoming a full-time writer of books. His non-fiction books were bestsellers around the world and he was the co-author of Sandy Woodward's Falklands War memoir, One Hundred Days.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing finish to a brutal and violent carnage of a story. A generous... 3 of 10 stars

[Bernard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tom Clancy it isn't. Ethan was in the car when it came to the part where the admiral streams off profanities like "fucking gooks" and "chinks" and what-not. Problem with the book is that the author appears to think that China and US are run my the military. In the US case, he makes it appear like the admiral is running the country and the president works under him. Despite those kinds of issues - where there is no diplomacy whatsoever - its got some fun military scenes. As an audio book, it keeps me entertained on my commute.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is funny but I can remember the first time I read this book I loved it up until the end and then I completely hated it. I could say I understood others who talked about feeling 'betrayed' by how a book ended after reading this thing's ending. The second time I read it my feelings were not much better. Having picked it up for cheap and reading it a third time, I was able to enjoy it more than the first two times I read it [partly because I somewhat remembered how it was going to end].

The Seawolf is ordered to sea to study and spy on the newest Chinese missile submarine in an effort to get all of its vital statistics [most importantly: can the Chinese launch a nuclear missile that will strike the US from the other side of the world?]. The Chinese admiral [who survived the loss of six Kilo submarines in the second book] believes there is a USN submarine in Chinese waters waiting for his newest pride and glory and strives to prevent the stealthy American weapons platform from succeeding in its mission. Naturally, he fails. But he is able to track the Seawolf three different times, so he knows SOMETHING is out there tracking his missile sub. Then tragedy occurs when the XO blunders by getting the submarine's propeller entangled in a Chinese destroyer's towed sonar array. The destroyer opens fire on the boat in an effort to keep its crew from disentangling itself. The submarine is then towed back to a Chinese port and the crew taken prisoner, claiming the whole time the submarine asked for assistance which the Chinese Navy was all to happy to provide.

Arnold Morgan is not having any of this, and when he discovers the President's only son is onboard as XO, he moves as much of Earth as he can to see the President's son [and the rest of the crew] rescued. It was interesting reading the SEALs tactics as they move in to rescue the American prisoners before they disappear forever into the Chinese interior. He sets up a Special Forces 'Dream Team', the best of the best, to go in and rescue the men. The submarine has to be destroyed - there is no way China will give it back. It was [and still is] a crazy read for most of the book - still really intense. The last couple of chapters, though, are still a major let down. Horrific. I get it that life does not always have a happy ending, but it was still a crappy ending that ruined a fairly good book up to that point.

It had a good flow to it overall; it moved rather fast for me. I thought the character development was okay. I enjoyed reading the backhistory as some of the SEAL team members were introduced - I did not feel like it took away from the story. Otherwise, they would have been merely names to fill spots in the story. It was a nice attempt to have the reader care about new characters who may or may not survive the coming mission.

I also felt the author did a nice job of contrasting the Chinese view [thought process] with the American view [thought process]. We Americans are so sheltered and often find it hard to believe how poor living conditions or enforcement of what we consider to be basic 'civil rights' can be in other countries. Definitely can be considered an eye-opener.

Perhaps more diplomacy could have been used, per se, in the plot, but I think that would have taken away from the pacing and flow of the plot. It is a military technothriller and not a diplomatic snoozer; I think that is definitely plain in this story itself [especially if one has not read the authors previous books]. It would most assuredly have been a longer book if it had focused more on diplomacy, that is for certain.

[Nathan Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn’t terrible - I picked it up randomly from the library, with no prior experience with the author, but I like the military fiction genre.

The writing in this book was the most jarring for me. It seemed like the antagonists had no character development and were written cartoonishly. The protagonists were a little too over the top - no one in the military talks in ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME unless it’s in a movie. Several passages of dialogue between characters were used to explain plot points to the reader, which is unnecessary - it felt like reading a screenplay for a TV movie for a good chunk of the book.

That said, the plot and technical details were thoroughly researched, straightforward, and well explained. Pretty enjoyable to read, especially when the action picked up; even if I was mentally translating the prose into something less choppy and over-the-top. I also enjoyed the inclusion of maps and diagrams of the plot points, it added another layer of immersion and I probably would have pulled up a map myself if not included.

Overall, an easy read with deep technical detail and uncomplicated plot, but lacking in writing finesse and character development. 3 stars.

[Chauncey Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

First 1/3 is a submarine story, and then it switches over to a specforces rescue operation. Given the book's blurb, this didn't come as any surprise. It was a good story with plenty of tension, drama, and intrigue, but reader beware: strong language and racism ahead. But I suppose they don't say "Curse like a sailor" for nothing.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written naval story with expert knowledge
Of the silent service and navy seals warfare.
Here is a battle with china that still raged today.
However political corruption however wrong
Continues in our everyday lives and is highlighted in
This great book which although fiction is right
On in today’s world.

[Teri Pre]

I tried to ignore the slurs (racial, sexual and cultural) in the last book and managed to do so, but I just can't do it anymore. If real military people think and talk the way Morgan does, I despair for the US.

[Ian Birtwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit long-winded this one with an ending that was a bit far fetched although, on a certain level, the ending might be viable. Notwithstanding, the book was good with 'swash-buckling' story, maybe not quite as 'un put downable' as it's predecessors but still a 'good read'. Onto the next!

[Tomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good military novel and an excellent description of the cost of putting personal feelings above being the President.

[Rosie Hendrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

A customer brought this into my work one day and personally handed it to me to read. He is an older gentleman and had always seen me with a book so he wanted to share one of his favorite authors.

I had never read a book by Patrick Robinson before. Actually, I can't say I've ever seen his books before that day since it isn't the normal genre I browse through. I enjoyed it and have discovered a new author to read thanks to my customer.

Patrick Robinson's characters are very real and, although I don't know anything about submarines or naval warfare, he seems to know quite a bit. I'm looking forward to reading the rest he has handed me over several weeks. I just wish I had known they were in a certain order.

[Paul Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Patrick Robinson book I read. Great!

[Tony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Parts were so farfetched to make it unbelieveable.

[Chris C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book hoping to find a successor to the prime era of Tom Clancy.

Well, in a way, this out Clancies late era Clancy by being one of the most racist novels I've ever read. Clancy was racist towards Chinese people in "The Bear and The Dragon", comparing them to Klingons from "Star Trek" and has American soldiers laughing when Chinese soldiers get blown up in flames as "stir fry".

Robinson is even worse. Racial stereotypes rolled out are that Americans are "giants" compared to Chinese people, the ending has the Chinese ambassador to the US not understanding an English idiom - unlikely as any country's ambassador must be highly fluent in the language of the country to which they are posted to - and the US admiral being utterly racially condescending with his reply,

"Go figure" instead of explaining his point in another way.

Robinson also has a so called hero character of a US Admiral who is acting illegally. The US President is portrayed as a background character who is weak and the US Admiral main character apparently is running the entire defence policy of the USA because the US President gave up on it years ago.

This is utterly illegal! The US military is under civilian command at all times and there are so many layers to make sure of this: the US President, the US Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, Congress, Congress select committees.

This so called hero character should actually have been arrested for breaking the law! He has no legal authority to solely run the US defence policy whatsoever.

Not to mention that he is very sexist, condescending to his female secretary that because he happens to be a nuclear submarine commander, he is above correction on matters not related to submarines.

There is also teenage fanboy level admiration of US Navy SEALS with one sailor exclaiming to a Navy SEAL as he spots him on the ship,

"You're one of them!", the said sailor probably ejaculating in his pants given the level of fanboy admiration that is portrayed.

Needless to say, I'll not waste my time reading another Patrick Robinson novel ever again.

[Bill Shakespeare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I have recently gotten into the niche of military action and thriller books. I also enjoy the books by Rick Campbell and submarines.

I haven't read the prequel Arnold Morgan books, but I picked this one up and it turned out to be very enjoyable. Robinson is clearly well versed in the lingo of military operations and has a good sense of how our government and military works. I enjoyed the action parts, but also the political parts and how the US and China interact in this "secret" battle that they are trying to keep from the public. The dynamic between CO Judd Crocker and XO Linus Clark is sometimes amusing, as Clark is mostly inexperienced and nervous while Crocker is very seasoned and is always calm and collected, even in tense situations.

The real story gets going after the Seawolf gets trapped and the Chinese take it and its crew captive. The overall plan/scheme is so broad and widespread, even exploring the life of a Chinese repairman who has to guide a missile into the Seawolf with a laser in exchange for a better life for him and his family. Robinson does a great job of detailing the mission that the SEALs have to rescue the crew from the prison compound.

Overall, a great book by Robinson. 10/10 would recommend.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on a downstairs shelf, maybe it came from the library book sale, but I'm glad I ran across it. Though the first few pages were a little slow, it didn't take long for this book to heat up. It is not "politically correct" in reference to other nationalities, which bothered me, but the dialogue is realistic and the story, though fiction, is quite plausible. It is a book about The U.S. Navy and Navy Seals and I believe it would make an exciting, edge-of-your-seat movie. There are a number of Movies named Sea Wolf, but they are from Jack London's era (or remakes of those).

Patrick Robinson is a master story-teller. He knows when and where to add details and there is a tension to this story that continues to the last page. His knowledge of ships is very good and he has done his research. I learned things I didn't know. But his main talent is suspense.

Robinson gives you just enough information about each character. This is a military thriller that involves a clandestine altercation with another government, theft of military equipment and an attempted rescue with one very special character whose identity must remain hidden, and who, in the end, shows his true color. Note the singular of that word. I thought it was a great read.

[Chris Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have just finished the audiobook version. There is no doubt about the author's expertise on submarines, their use and procedures but, as far as the second half of the book is concerned there are errors and omissions which, for those who know about such things does reduce the authenticity of the story.
The characterisations are excellent, I really like Arnold Morgan and the examination of what motivates the officers and enlisted men in the Navy and Special Forces.
The dialogue sometimes became a little tiresome particularly between the SEALs during the reconnaissance and the rescue. The characterisations of the three SAS operators was so wide of the mark as to be comedic.
My other issue was with the narration of the audiobook version. The narrator's British accents are cringe-worthy in the extreme.
Having said that I enjoyed the story, listening to it on the way to and from work and it kept me engaged enough to listen to it at home in the evenings, especially toward the superb ending.

[Richard McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Robinson wrote a fantastic tale and very believable in this day and age. His depth of research and his technical advisor hit the nail on the head! A submarine tale that leads you into the world of global politics and the ramifications when dealing in the black ops of the modern world. Oh, how and what a tangled web we weave when we try to deceive! I must say that I read a lot of the recommendations that were slightly or more on the negative side and, I know that they are just one's opinion, to me they are only negative because the reader didn't get the ending the way they wished it to turn out! We don't get to pick the ending we want sometimes and have to face reality, as in real life with the USS Independance case. Real life, and that is what this story tries to emulate, seldom gives us what we want. A superb job Mr. Patrick Robinson for a story that is fiction but could be ripped from the headlines of any major newspaper! I congratulate you on your choice of ending and bringing to life the true consequences of the "greater good outcome" theory.

[Adrián · Rating 2 out of 5]

Primer libro de este estilo que leo. Harta un poco la insistencia en el perfilamiento de los personajes, de uno y otro bando, ya sea como "übermensch" o como la peor escoria posible (y ni que hablar de la xenofobia y el racismo constantes) al punto de llegar a situaciones ridículas.
Si bien la trama gira en torno a un submarino, la mayor parte del relato se ocupa de otro tipo de sucesos que poco se relacionan con el microcosmos que uno puede creer encontrar guiándose por el título o la portada.
Los últimos dos capítulos son los que se me hacen más creíbles, desprovistos de la apología de los estadounidenses que hace permanentemente.
Por lo demás, contento que el libro es de un amigo, y no lo pagué. Experiencia mediocre que no me incentiva a volver al género.

[Richard Forshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read from the master of naval thrillers, Patrick Robinson. This is a book that you somehow seem to become a part of the minute you start reading it. This was one of my fastest reads ever I think, which is a testament to the fact that I just kept having to find the time to continue reading it. Love the character of Admiral Morgan. I'd like to meet that guy one day. Perhaps a little more predictable than Robinson's best (so far) book "Kilo Class", but still with enough twists to keep you interested.

I read the Kindle version which interestingly contained some typo's that appeared to perhaps relate to the use of OCR to create the digital version. Either that or my Kindle doesn't like Italics.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

USS Seawolf by all means is a very specific military (Navy) action-thriller that catered to that very reader(ship) group. As the title suggests, it's about submarines. It's narrated by a Brit and that significantly detracts from the overall enjoyment. Plot and strategy are believable, but the solutions are entirely Navy...it's almost like the other services don't exist or the author did not research them enough to add into the story. I guess I ought to get over that predilection because Robinson is a Brit. That said, he portrays the US President in a vindictive and trite way. The story is very enjoyable if you can get over the Brit narrator and the single service perspective.

[Ivana Tomasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro interessante per una persona che non aveva mai letto questa tipologia di libri.
Tutti i tecnicismi sulla tipologia di armi e navi erano un po' sprecati con me ma posso capire come interessino altre persone.

Spoiler
Il mio problema con questo libro sono un paio di scelte non sensate (perché il figlio del Presidente degli USA era su quel sottomarino?) e la continua ripetizione di quello che leggevo. Pianificazione, POV americano, POV cinese. Leggevi tre volte la stessa identica cosa.

Per il resto ho trovato molto poetica la dipartita del comandante Crocker e della nave. Uno ha seguito l'altro, tutto a causa dei Clarke.
Mi è dispiaciuto perderli entrambi.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I managed to get out of sequence in this series and do the 5th book before the 4th. Came back and caught up on this (the 4th) and it was significantly better than the 5th. Tight and plausible story line. Good story development from beginning to end. Both somewhat lacking in the 5th book. Now to decide if I want to do the 6th or call it a day on the series...

[ARTHUR S WAGGOTT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling tense and dramatic read.

Enthralling all action read. Tense, dramatic and often humorous dialogue with larger than life characters. Once commenced the storyline keeps you reading to the end, with which I was a little disappointed. But only because I favour the good guys to win, and this has a twist which you may find ok.

[MMc14 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I thought there were a couple of gaps in credibility - the length of time before the Natl Security Adviser was notified of the incident seems really unlikely.

And I believe the US would have asked for direct communication with the crew whileChina was 'helping'.

[Barrie Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping story by a master author, Patrick Robinson. I've read all of his books - never disappointed.

A gripping maritime story by a master author, Patrick Robinson. I've read all of his books - never been disappointed.

[Ray A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story when I read it 20 years ago as a paperback. This was added to my Goodreads list when I downloaded it to my Kindle library.

On this re-read, the story seems a bit dated, but still enjoyable.

[Gabrielle Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so the same friend who gave me "Gideon", also, a year later, offered me this... sequel ? Damn, buddy ! I haven't read the prequels ! But he insisted. So I obliged. I'm not the usual reader of Tom Clancy's political saga. But I ended up liking this story nevertheless.

[Charles Dingman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The US Navy shines and politicos do not, for the most part, in this novel of competition with China.

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit, I couldn't put this one down!

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bracing story, with more than a few unlikely situations, but still fun, for the most part.