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Black Ops #1
Black Ops: American Jihad
Accused of being a murderer by his own country, Lieutenant Colonel Art Jensen, a direct descendent of the legendary mountain man Smoke Jensen, becomes an army of one, hired to take down a billionaire Saudi prince and his terrorist cells that are determined to destroy America. Original.
- GenresFiction
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2006
72 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,055 books1,396 followersWilliam W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 1, 2022
An interesting way of looking at current events.
Mr. Johnstone has a way of mixing current day with the old West to come up with a very good action book where the good guys always win. I enjoyed this story and will continue to read his books.
Mr. Johnstone has a way of mixing current day with the old West to come up with a very good action book where the good guys always win. I enjoyed this story and will continue to read his books.
August 3, 2024
Boring
Black Ops is a boring book. The story offers nothing new and is quite predictable even if you've never read a Johnstone book before. Names of persons from current and recent news are so obviously thrown in with very poor disguises. These persons include Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, Jim Bakker and others you will immediately identify. None of these people are of any interest or credibility to this one.
I have previously loved books by this author, but this one is a dud. Just think --this is book 1 in a series. Ugh! I do hope the story greatly improved with book 2.
Black Ops is a boring book. The story offers nothing new and is quite predictable even if you've never read a Johnstone book before. Names of persons from current and recent news are so obviously thrown in with very poor disguises. These persons include Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, Jim Bakker and others you will immediately identify. None of these people are of any interest or credibility to this one.
I have previously loved books by this author, but this one is a dud. Just think --this is book 1 in a series. Ugh! I do hope the story greatly improved with book 2.
October 17, 2021
Obvious plot and still fun
The good guy always wins. But most books leave us in a little more suspense. And require a little less suspension of disbelief. Nonetheless, a fun, quick read. Nice backstory of the great great grandfather.
The good guy always wins. But most books leave us in a little more suspense. And require a little less suspension of disbelief. Nonetheless, a fun, quick read. Nice backstory of the great great grandfather.
August 27, 2019
Book sucks
The references to Jane Fonda and Ted Turner are an affront to honest authors. I wouldn't recommend this book to my parakeet.
The references to Jane Fonda and Ted Turner are an affront to honest authors. I wouldn't recommend this book to my parakeet.
April 23, 2024
Terrible Plot
This was more like reading a comic book. Totally boring, you knew exactly what was going to happen after every dramatic event.
This was more like reading a comic book. Totally boring, you knew exactly what was going to happen after every dramatic event.
July 3, 2017
A team of one
William Johnstone is a prolific writer of fiction. As a fiction writer he is very entertaining, I find myself chuckling at the things some of his characters do, and cheering others. This is not classic fiction, it’s the kind of trashy pulp fiction that many of us secretly read because it’s so entertaining. I’ve read about half of his books and I’m happy that I have.
Triggers: Lots of violence in these stories, wars, post-apocalyptic, and the good guys taking on terrorists. People get harmed or killed in these books.
Lieutenant Colonel Art Jensen finds himself a soldier without an army after he is caught on tape killing an Iraqi terrorist in a Baghdad firefight--only to have the media make him out to be a murderer. A career spent serving his beloved country now seems to be over. Until Jensen receives a new set of orders--secret orders. He is promoted to brigadier general, and placed in charge of the Special Function Unit--a new, covert "black ops" team. A team of one. The terrorists are already here. Financed and trained by a billionaire Saudi prince determined to bring the infidel America to its knees, a number of sleeper cells within the U.S. are being activated. Officially, the politically protected prince is untouchable, and his campaign of terror stands ready to begin. But Art Jensen is no longer a soldier bound by orders--he's a weapon, bound by duty and honor, and he has one mission: to destroy the enemy within.
William Johnstone is a prolific writer of fiction. As a fiction writer he is very entertaining, I find myself chuckling at the things some of his characters do, and cheering others. This is not classic fiction, it’s the kind of trashy pulp fiction that many of us secretly read because it’s so entertaining. I’ve read about half of his books and I’m happy that I have.
Triggers: Lots of violence in these stories, wars, post-apocalyptic, and the good guys taking on terrorists. People get harmed or killed in these books.
Lieutenant Colonel Art Jensen finds himself a soldier without an army after he is caught on tape killing an Iraqi terrorist in a Baghdad firefight--only to have the media make him out to be a murderer. A career spent serving his beloved country now seems to be over. Until Jensen receives a new set of orders--secret orders. He is promoted to brigadier general, and placed in charge of the Special Function Unit--a new, covert "black ops" team. A team of one. The terrorists are already here. Financed and trained by a billionaire Saudi prince determined to bring the infidel America to its knees, a number of sleeper cells within the U.S. are being activated. Officially, the politically protected prince is untouchable, and his campaign of terror stands ready to begin. But Art Jensen is no longer a soldier bound by orders--he's a weapon, bound by duty and honor, and he has one mission: to destroy the enemy within.
June 19, 2017
3.5 stars
A fun and entertaining book but it was very short at around 250 pages and the plot was that you could see what was going to happen before it did. I think this would have been a good start to a series but there has never been a second book and I cannot see one coming in the future.
A fun and entertaining book but it was very short at around 250 pages and the plot was that you could see what was going to happen before it did. I think this would have been a good start to a series but there has never been a second book and I cannot see one coming in the future.
May 7, 2019
Excellent
Excellent story. I honestly enjoy all of Mr Johnston’s books and thi was just another example of a great story in trying and terrifying times.
Excellent story. I honestly enjoy all of Mr Johnston’s books and thi was just another example of a great story in trying and terrifying times.
January 13, 2020
Loved it
Another great book by these authors. Keeps you on your toes all the way to the end. Great characters that are very believable.
Another great book by these authors. Keeps you on your toes all the way to the end. Great characters that are very believable.
February 6, 2023
great book
First reading this author but, will be reading more of them. Never a dull or boring moment while reading this one.
First reading this author but, will be reading more of them. Never a dull or boring moment while reading this one.
April 7, 2015
What I hate most about this book: There has only been one made! Apparently whatever fall out occurred between the mysterious "Fred Austin" mentioned on the cover killed off this series.
First great element of this novel is the continuation of the "Smoke" Jensen legacy to today with "smoke"'s great grandson. It's just not a mention of the relation but the weaving of the family connection into the story. It is a bit pretentious, but adds much to the story.
Another great element of the book is the handling of the story in a far more realistic light than the various super soldier novels want to reveal. The conflict of the media and layers are generally entirely absent from the typical espionage story. This book takes it all head-on and lays the ground work for a series that never happened.
The writing is typical of a Johnstone Clan book with great characters and a fun, fast moving story.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 of 10 points.
First great element of this novel is the continuation of the "Smoke" Jensen legacy to today with "smoke"'s great grandson. It's just not a mention of the relation but the weaving of the family connection into the story. It is a bit pretentious, but adds much to the story.
Another great element of the book is the handling of the story in a far more realistic light than the various super soldier novels want to reveal. The conflict of the media and layers are generally entirely absent from the typical espionage story. This book takes it all head-on and lays the ground work for a series that never happened.
The writing is typical of a Johnstone Clan book with great characters and a fun, fast moving story.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 of 10 points.
March 30, 2016
Solid, action-packed tale from William Johnstone. Decorated Army officer is railroaded by a court-martial, then is given a second chance by becoming a shadow operative in the War on Terror. Typical of a Johnstone work, it has a definite pro-America slant which I find refreshing in today's entertainment climate.
November 6, 2016
Action Hero for our time.
Having been a fan of W.W. Johnstone for many years I am always delighted to read another of his books. This gives us a hero we need and can believe in. Plenty of action and a good story line. I like tying the Smoke Jensen stories to this series. Look forward to the next book.
Having been a fan of W.W. Johnstone for many years I am always delighted to read another of his books. This gives us a hero we need and can believe in. Plenty of action and a good story line. I like tying the Smoke Jensen stories to this series. Look forward to the next book.
August 1, 2016
I enjoyed this books so much that I read it just a short time. I would like for this author to write more books in this spere. I recommend anyone that likes Military, action books to read this book.
November 4, 2021
Why the sex talk?
Don’t need sleaze to write a good book. Not a good ghost writer. I’ll move on to some older writers. I wonder what William would think...
Don’t need sleaze to write a good book. Not a good ghost writer. I’ll move on to some older writers. I wonder what William would think...
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews