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WW III #10
WW III Payback
Old soldiers never die. They just come back for more.
Three terrorist missiles have struck three jetliners filled with innocent people. America knows this shock all too well. But unlike 9/11, the nation is already on a war footing. The White House and Pentagon are primed. All they need now is a target and someone bold–and expendable–enough to strike it.
That someone is retired Gen. Douglas Freeman, the infamous warrior who has proved his courage, made his enemies, and built his legend from body-strewn battlegrounds to the snake pits of Washington. Using a team of “retired” Special Forces operatives and a top-secret, still-unproven stealth attack craft, Freeman sets off to obliterate the source of the missiles, a weapons stockpile in North Korea. Some desktop warriors expect Freeman to fail–especially when an unexpected foe meets his team on the Sea of Japan. But Freeman won’t turn back even as his plan explodes in his face and the Pacific Rim roils over–because this old soldier can taste his ultimate reward. . . .
Three terrorist missiles have struck three jetliners filled with innocent people. America knows this shock all too well. But unlike 9/11, the nation is already on a war footing. The White House and Pentagon are primed. All they need now is a target and someone bold–and expendable–enough to strike it.
That someone is retired Gen. Douglas Freeman, the infamous warrior who has proved his courage, made his enemies, and built his legend from body-strewn battlegrounds to the snake pits of Washington. Using a team of “retired” Special Forces operatives and a top-secret, still-unproven stealth attack craft, Freeman sets off to obliterate the source of the missiles, a weapons stockpile in North Korea. Some desktop warriors expect Freeman to fail–especially when an unexpected foe meets his team on the Sea of Japan. But Freeman won’t turn back even as his plan explodes in his face and the Pacific Rim roils over–because this old soldier can taste his ultimate reward. . . .
335 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
60 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Ian Slater
53 books22 followersIan Slater is a thriller writer based in Vancouver, Canada. He has authored twenty-three adventure thrillers, including Firespill, Sea Gold, Air Glow Red, Storm, Deep Chill, Forbidden Zone, MacArthur Must Die, Showdown, Battle Front, and Manhunt. He is also known for his World War III series, which includes eleven stand-alone books, among them WW III: DARPA Alpha.
In addition to fiction, he has written Orwell: The Road to Airstrip One, a widely praised study of George Orwell’s social and political thought. He served as editor of the academic quarterly Pacific Affairs for twelve years and has contributed book reviews to major North American newspapers. His work also extends to film and radio, having written and produced radio dramas and short stories for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as the screenplay for the National Film Board’s animated film Flash Point.
Before turning to writing, Slater held various roles, including working for the Australian navy, serving as a cipher clerk for the country’s Department of External Affairs, and acting as a defense officer for the Australian Joint Intelligence Bureau. He later worked as a marine geology technician, undertaking research voyages in the Pacific. Holding a doctorate in political science, he has taught courses in the humanities as both an author and lecturer.
In addition to fiction, he has written Orwell: The Road to Airstrip One, a widely praised study of George Orwell’s social and political thought. He served as editor of the academic quarterly Pacific Affairs for twelve years and has contributed book reviews to major North American newspapers. His work also extends to film and radio, having written and produced radio dramas and short stories for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as the screenplay for the National Film Board’s animated film Flash Point.
Before turning to writing, Slater held various roles, including working for the Australian navy, serving as a cipher clerk for the country’s Department of External Affairs, and acting as a defense officer for the Australian Joint Intelligence Bureau. He later worked as a marine geology technician, undertaking research voyages in the Pacific. Holding a doctorate in political science, he has taught courses in the humanities as both an author and lecturer.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 18, 2021
This book was released in 2005 and while I have not read it before, I have read others in the ‘WW III’ series. Either the others that I read were better, my memory is playing trips, or my reading has become more sophisticated. This book was just not up to the standards of what I like to read and enjoy. There is a standard post 9-11 plot: terrorists take down three more passenger aircraft, the perpetrator is identified, and vengeance (Payback) is taken. The difference is the person allowed to lead the vengeance, General Douglas Freeman. While expert technically and leadership wise, Freeman makes Patrick McLanahan look like a pussycat when it comes to respectfulness. He has none. Rather than explaining differences in opinion, he merely calls people idiots.
As for the story, Freeman is able to tell the difference between the missiles that hit two of the downed aircraft based on 1½” difference in diameter and minor differences in exhaust colour based on video taken by civilian machines and operators and transmitted on public TV. He also posits a third missile type. All before the official intelligence organs even view the debris field in person. From this he posits the source of the missiles. He also proposes reprisals at the missile suppliers as there are few suppliers and cutting off the source may be easier than stopping potential bombers.
Freeman gets to lead his Payback team and after far too long the book gets to the ingress to North Korea in the team’s magic submarine. In the 25 minutes they are out of the submarine, Freeman’s six men fight what seems like an entire company of defenders, losing one killed and one wounded. They find the proof they needed and destroy the storehouse of missiles. All while destroying a bunker of five equipped with a heavy machine gun, a mobile group of 15 or 20 all with automatic weapons defending around the bunker, a reinforced building of a platoon equipped with automatic weapons and as many man-fired rockets as they could use and a tank with supporting infantry.
The battle scene is intense, and I enjoyed it. However, it felt like way too much, not good enough book to get through before that one scene came up. I read one or two of the ‘WW III’ series 10 or 15 years ago and I remember them as being not unpleasant reads. Something worth keeping in my collection. I will try another shortly and if I find it the same as this, I will probably stop reading them. Two Stars
As for the story, Freeman is able to tell the difference between the missiles that hit two of the downed aircraft based on 1½” difference in diameter and minor differences in exhaust colour based on video taken by civilian machines and operators and transmitted on public TV. He also posits a third missile type. All before the official intelligence organs even view the debris field in person. From this he posits the source of the missiles. He also proposes reprisals at the missile suppliers as there are few suppliers and cutting off the source may be easier than stopping potential bombers.
Freeman gets to lead his Payback team and after far too long the book gets to the ingress to North Korea in the team’s magic submarine. In the 25 minutes they are out of the submarine, Freeman’s six men fight what seems like an entire company of defenders, losing one killed and one wounded. They find the proof they needed and destroy the storehouse of missiles. All while destroying a bunker of five equipped with a heavy machine gun, a mobile group of 15 or 20 all with automatic weapons defending around the bunker, a reinforced building of a platoon equipped with automatic weapons and as many man-fired rockets as they could use and a tank with supporting infantry.
The battle scene is intense, and I enjoyed it. However, it felt like way too much, not good enough book to get through before that one scene came up. I read one or two of the ‘WW III’ series 10 or 15 years ago and I remember them as being not unpleasant reads. Something worth keeping in my collection. I will try another shortly and if I find it the same as this, I will probably stop reading them. Two Stars
March 25, 2018
Payback continues on from Chokepoint, in what appears to be the same world, that is a different setting to books 1-7 (despite quoting some events from them). You could quite happily read this book standalone as it doesn't rely on the earlier works, and I do in fact wonder why books 8 onwards were included in the world war 3 series when they aren't in fact continuations of the same universe/story line.
It's alright, more of a terrorist retaliation story than war in the classic sense - a bunch of terrorists attack aeroplanes in America downing them on take off with shoulder launched missiles, they trace the origin of the missiles then go in to get proof of who was behind it. Pretty straight forward narrative with a handful of shallow sub plots.
Entertaining, sure, but a let down compared to the quality in books 1-7.
It's alright, more of a terrorist retaliation story than war in the classic sense - a bunch of terrorists attack aeroplanes in America downing them on take off with shoulder launched missiles, they trace the origin of the missiles then go in to get proof of who was behind it. Pretty straight forward narrative with a handful of shallow sub plots.
Entertaining, sure, but a let down compared to the quality in books 1-7.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews