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Die Hard #2
58 Minutes
With minutes left for two thousand people stranded on nineteen airplanes above New York City after terrorists knock out the radar, the one man who can help discovers his daughter is aboard one of the planes
Paperback
First published December 31, 1987
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About the author
Walter Wager
55 books20 followersWager was best known as an author of mystery and spy fiction; his works included 58 Minutes (1987), whose story was used as the basis of the action film Die Hard 2 in 1990. Two of his other novels became major motion pictures in 1977: Viper Three (1972), which was released as Twilight's Last Gleaming, and Telefon (1975). Wager wrote a number of original novels in the 1960s under the pseudonym "John Tiger" that were based on the TV series I Spy and Mission: Impossible.
Born Walter Herman Wager in the Bronx, NY, he was the son of Russian immigrants, and he attended Columbia College at Columbia University. He graduated in 1944 and later earned a law degree from Harvard; the practice of law interested him less than aviation, however, and Wager subsequently entered a fellowship program at Northwestern University through which he earned a degree in aviation law. He attended the Sorbonne for a year under a Fulbright scholarship at the end of the 1940s, and then turned his attention to earning a living. Wager spent the early '50s working as an aviation law consultant to the government of Israel, and from there moved to an editorial job at the United Nations, where he oversaw the editing of that organization's myriad publications. His interest in writing got him into radio at the tail-end of that medium's era of prominence, authoring scripts, and in his spare time he wrote stories.
He was also a writer and producer for CBS Radio, CBS television, and NBC television and was editor-in-chief of Playbill from 1963 to 1966. In addition, Wager worked in public relations for ASCAP and the University of Bridgeport.
Born Walter Herman Wager in the Bronx, NY, he was the son of Russian immigrants, and he attended Columbia College at Columbia University. He graduated in 1944 and later earned a law degree from Harvard; the practice of law interested him less than aviation, however, and Wager subsequently entered a fellowship program at Northwestern University through which he earned a degree in aviation law. He attended the Sorbonne for a year under a Fulbright scholarship at the end of the 1940s, and then turned his attention to earning a living. Wager spent the early '50s working as an aviation law consultant to the government of Israel, and from there moved to an editorial job at the United Nations, where he oversaw the editing of that organization's myriad publications. His interest in writing got him into radio at the tail-end of that medium's era of prominence, authoring scripts, and in his spare time he wrote stories.
He was also a writer and producer for CBS Radio, CBS television, and NBC television and was editor-in-chief of Playbill from 1963 to 1966. In addition, Wager worked in public relations for ASCAP and the University of Bridgeport.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
December 16, 2016
My original 58 Minutes audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
If you're anything like me. You have seen all of the Die Hard movies. Specifically the first two, especially around this time of year. So I was interested in the story that served as the inspiration for one of the greatest Christmas movies made in my lifetime. Going into this listen, I am not expecting a Hollywood-style action story. I am however expecting something entertaining that is probably deeper than the movie could ever be.
IF you are expecting 58 Minutes to be as action packed, full of snowmobile chases, and political as the Die Hard 2 movie, you probably will be disappointed. Movies need all of that to stimulate you visually. Here Wager presents a fairly straightforward terrorist plot on an airport. With the tension and suspense that this line delivers: "You have 58 minutes till the 1st plane runs out of fuel". Along with the solitude of a gigantic snow storm raging down on you. With an NYPD captain, that just happens to be on the scene.
Entertaining and engaging. Wager doesn't waste time by filling the story with fluff. You will find many similarities and differences alike from the movie. However, if you want a well-crafted suspense thriller with interesting enough characters and slight plot twist. You will enjoy 58 minutes.
As always, RC Bray delivers a flawless performance. I watched a video of him talking about some poor performances he had earlier on in his audiobook career and am so glad that he found the formula. Bray does everything that is important to my specific audiobook listening tastes. Character voices, while his are not the most believable they serve their purpose of distinguishing different people speaking. Pacing, changing the speed of the text for action scenes is a key thing. Enthusiasm, if a character is excited, Bray, in turn, sounds excited and so on.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
If you're anything like me. You have seen all of the Die Hard movies. Specifically the first two, especially around this time of year. So I was interested in the story that served as the inspiration for one of the greatest Christmas movies made in my lifetime. Going into this listen, I am not expecting a Hollywood-style action story. I am however expecting something entertaining that is probably deeper than the movie could ever be.
IF you are expecting 58 Minutes to be as action packed, full of snowmobile chases, and political as the Die Hard 2 movie, you probably will be disappointed. Movies need all of that to stimulate you visually. Here Wager presents a fairly straightforward terrorist plot on an airport. With the tension and suspense that this line delivers: "You have 58 minutes till the 1st plane runs out of fuel". Along with the solitude of a gigantic snow storm raging down on you. With an NYPD captain, that just happens to be on the scene.
Entertaining and engaging. Wager doesn't waste time by filling the story with fluff. You will find many similarities and differences alike from the movie. However, if you want a well-crafted suspense thriller with interesting enough characters and slight plot twist. You will enjoy 58 minutes.
As always, RC Bray delivers a flawless performance. I watched a video of him talking about some poor performances he had earlier on in his audiobook career and am so glad that he found the formula. Bray does everything that is important to my specific audiobook listening tastes. Character voices, while his are not the most believable they serve their purpose of distinguishing different people speaking. Pacing, changing the speed of the text for action scenes is a key thing. Enthusiasm, if a character is excited, Bray, in turn, sounds excited and so on.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
December 23, 2022
Much better than I thought it was going to be. Enough differences in the book to make it a slightly better story than the movie.
February 6, 2019
A major snow storm has hit in the east coast and it affects the airports as well. JFK is still taking planes in when suddenly everything in the tower goes dark and the phone rings. Terrorist who simply calls himself "Number One" has taken control of the JFK airport and left nineteen planes circling around it's skies in a snow storm with very low fuel. If the U.S. Goverment doesn't do as he commands, the planes are doomed. But Number One hasn't taken account of a one police officer, who will try to stop him before it's too late. Can he do it in 58 minutes?
Straight-forward story with action. Lots of stuff cramped in a pretty short book, with quite a few characters in it, though you only need to remember the main ones in order to follow the story properly. Also if you've seen the movie Die Hard 2, you know what will happen, though the book has the story a bit different of course. The story itself isn't that special, but still the book was fast and entertaining enough to read. 3 stars.
Straight-forward story with action. Lots of stuff cramped in a pretty short book, with quite a few characters in it, though you only need to remember the main ones in order to follow the story properly. Also if you've seen the movie Die Hard 2, you know what will happen, though the book has the story a bit different of course. The story itself isn't that special, but still the book was fast and entertaining enough to read. 3 stars.
May 28, 2018
An awful potboiler which was the basis for the film "Die Hard 2". I've never encountered a duller thriller with slower pacing. But the worse problem afflicting this novel is those Eight Deadly Words, "I don't care what happens to these people". Go watch "Die Hard 2" instead of reading this... or literally do anything else.
0.5/5
0.5/5
December 31, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I wish Die Hard 2 had followed the story a a little more.
July 16, 2017
On of the more common reviews you will hear regarding books made into films is that "the book was better than the movie." Considering that this book was the inspiration for the weakest of the Die Hard sequels, and quite possibly one of the worst action films of the early nineties, it's a low bar to clear.
Walter Wager's 58 Minutes was published the year before Die Hard exploded onto movie screens and reshaped the action film genre for decades to come, so similarities to the book's Frank Malone and the film's John McClain - a New York cop with marital problems facing down terrorists during Christmas - was more a combination of cliche and coincidence than anything else. But it was apparently enough for Hollywood, desperate to crank out a quick sequel to their newest cash cow, to jump on for a quick story-line to build on. It's odd that the first film was based on a novel, and that the sequel immediately following was based on a novel by a completely different author (with previous adaptation screen credits, including Charles Bronson in Telefon), but that just shows how desperate they were to release a sequel.
The similarities between the source material and the abysmal film adaptation are mostly plot points and story structure: A New York cop waiting for a loved one to arrive at an airport during Christmas, when terrorists shut down all communications between planes and the tower, and the hero cop attempts to track down the source of the jamming, apprehend the terrorist, and make sure the planes - especially the one with the family member - land safely.
The only other thing familiar for someone who has seen the film is that the head terrorist is actually watching the news in a hotel when we first meet him, although not performing tai chi naked while doing so. Beyond that, the changes are bigger. The action shifts from Kennedy Airport to Dulles in Washington DC, and instead of demanding the release of seven political prisoners (which is a little too close to the subterfuge from the first Die Hard), the film has them rescuing a South American drug lord inbound for some U.S. criminal justice.
Comparisons of book to film aside for a moment, attention needs to be given to the main flaw of the book, the main character and hero, Frank Malone. Far from the flawed, wisecracking John McClain from Die Hard, Frank Malone is an idealized uber-cop right out of a pulp crime novel. The first two chapters containing Malone spend all of their time explaining how perfect he is: Voted best Ivy League quarterback two years running (and best quarterback among the Brooklyn diocese high schools, admitted to both Harvard and Columbia (graduated the head of his class, of course), the youngest captain in the NYPD, a first-class commander, Latin scholar, expert marksman, revered and respected by all... "Good-looking, amiable but disciplined and highly intelligent without a trace of arrogance, Frank Malone was popular with faculty and students of both sexes." Enough already. Even the one flaw in his background, marital issues leading to an impending annulment, is clearly illustrated to be the fault of a shallow wife who "realized that her husband really meant to stay a cop despite the danger and mediocre salary" and absconded with his young daughter to her wealthy parents' "luxurious home in the fashionable California community that Frank Malone called The Amaretto Ghetto - Malibu by the Sea." Frank Malone is perfection personified in every way possible, which leaves him completely and utterly boring to follow for 260 pages, even with the appearance of a surprise former romantic interest in chapter 9.
Another aspect of Frank Malone that might annoy fans of the film is how smoothly he gets things done. Nearly everybody he meets respects Malone and follows his instructions with minimal resistance, as he manages to command immediate actions from the FBI up through to the President himself. This is almost the exact opposite of John McClain in Die Hard 2, who earns his Underdog Hero status by struggling with resistance from every authority figure - down to and including parking attendants - as he saves the day single-handed and against all odds. But while both extremes may be equally improbable, underdog heroes are more endearing and fun to root for, so let that be the only gold star for Die Hard 2.
Besides the Doc Savage wannabe in the lead role, the novel is fairly good. People who see the film first then read the book often complain that the book is boring, but that's because they're expecting an action sequence every twenty minutes like most action films. 58 Minutes actually bears more resemblance to the older Airport movies, where multiple plot-lines and characters intertwine as professionals on the ground scramble to prevent a disaster in the air, at the airport, or both. The terrorist plot in the book also seems less exciting in comparison, but that's because it doesn't count on convoluted traps, unlikely internal conspiracies, and a ludicrous escape plane with a 2% chance of actual success. In fact, with the exception of Frank "Super Cop" Malone, the only thing that might interfere with you enjoying this tight, straightforward thriller is having seen the movie to which it is now unfortunately connected.
Walter Wager's 58 Minutes was published the year before Die Hard exploded onto movie screens and reshaped the action film genre for decades to come, so similarities to the book's Frank Malone and the film's John McClain - a New York cop with marital problems facing down terrorists during Christmas - was more a combination of cliche and coincidence than anything else. But it was apparently enough for Hollywood, desperate to crank out a quick sequel to their newest cash cow, to jump on for a quick story-line to build on. It's odd that the first film was based on a novel, and that the sequel immediately following was based on a novel by a completely different author (with previous adaptation screen credits, including Charles Bronson in Telefon), but that just shows how desperate they were to release a sequel.
The similarities between the source material and the abysmal film adaptation are mostly plot points and story structure: A New York cop waiting for a loved one to arrive at an airport during Christmas, when terrorists shut down all communications between planes and the tower, and the hero cop attempts to track down the source of the jamming, apprehend the terrorist, and make sure the planes - especially the one with the family member - land safely.
The only other thing familiar for someone who has seen the film is that the head terrorist is actually watching the news in a hotel when we first meet him, although not performing tai chi naked while doing so. Beyond that, the changes are bigger. The action shifts from Kennedy Airport to Dulles in Washington DC, and instead of demanding the release of seven political prisoners (which is a little too close to the subterfuge from the first Die Hard), the film has them rescuing a South American drug lord inbound for some U.S. criminal justice.
Comparisons of book to film aside for a moment, attention needs to be given to the main flaw of the book, the main character and hero, Frank Malone. Far from the flawed, wisecracking John McClain from Die Hard, Frank Malone is an idealized uber-cop right out of a pulp crime novel. The first two chapters containing Malone spend all of their time explaining how perfect he is: Voted best Ivy League quarterback two years running (and best quarterback among the Brooklyn diocese high schools, admitted to both Harvard and Columbia (graduated the head of his class, of course), the youngest captain in the NYPD, a first-class commander, Latin scholar, expert marksman, revered and respected by all... "Good-looking, amiable but disciplined and highly intelligent without a trace of arrogance, Frank Malone was popular with faculty and students of both sexes." Enough already. Even the one flaw in his background, marital issues leading to an impending annulment, is clearly illustrated to be the fault of a shallow wife who "realized that her husband really meant to stay a cop despite the danger and mediocre salary" and absconded with his young daughter to her wealthy parents' "luxurious home in the fashionable California community that Frank Malone called The Amaretto Ghetto - Malibu by the Sea." Frank Malone is perfection personified in every way possible, which leaves him completely and utterly boring to follow for 260 pages, even with the appearance of a surprise former romantic interest in chapter 9.
Another aspect of Frank Malone that might annoy fans of the film is how smoothly he gets things done. Nearly everybody he meets respects Malone and follows his instructions with minimal resistance, as he manages to command immediate actions from the FBI up through to the President himself. This is almost the exact opposite of John McClain in Die Hard 2, who earns his Underdog Hero status by struggling with resistance from every authority figure - down to and including parking attendants - as he saves the day single-handed and against all odds. But while both extremes may be equally improbable, underdog heroes are more endearing and fun to root for, so let that be the only gold star for Die Hard 2.
Besides the Doc Savage wannabe in the lead role, the novel is fairly good. People who see the film first then read the book often complain that the book is boring, but that's because they're expecting an action sequence every twenty minutes like most action films. 58 Minutes actually bears more resemblance to the older Airport movies, where multiple plot-lines and characters intertwine as professionals on the ground scramble to prevent a disaster in the air, at the airport, or both. The terrorist plot in the book also seems less exciting in comparison, but that's because it doesn't count on convoluted traps, unlikely internal conspiracies, and a ludicrous escape plane with a 2% chance of actual success. In fact, with the exception of Frank "Super Cop" Malone, the only thing that might interfere with you enjoying this tight, straightforward thriller is having seen the movie to which it is now unfortunately connected.
February 25, 2018
It has been a while since I watched Die Hard 2. There are may differences (daughter on flight not wife), but I did enjoy the book in its own right.
January 10, 2025
58 Minutes, Walter Wager [Edition notes: Originally published in hardcover by MacMillan, 1988. E-book: Graymalkin Media, 2012].
The basis of the film Die Hard 2. Frank Malone* (John McClane in the movie) is a Harvard graduate, a college athlete, a decorated Vietnam Veteran, and a third generation NYPD cop in charge of an anti-terrorism squad. When his nine year-old daughter comes home to visit him for Christmas, via a TWA flight from L.A., Malone is there to greet her at JFK International. A race against time ensues when an international terror cell jams the radar, radio and landing instruments of numerous flights over NYC in the middle of a severe snowstorm. If the authorities don’t meet their demands and release six terrorists and an arms dealer from state and federal custody, they will cause the planes to keep circling until they run out of fuel and crash. Featuring short chapters, 58 Minutes is a briskly paced thriller.
*John McClane was originally created by Roderick Thorpe, and appeared under the name Joseph Leland (a WW II vet) in the novels The Detective and Nothing Lasts Forever (Die Hard). 58 Minutes was not intended as a continuation of this series.
***
Walter Wager (1924-2004) was born in the Bronx, New York, and was a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law. Additionally, he studied at the Sorbonne. An author of crime fiction and thrillers, his work includes Telefon, which was adapted as a film with Charles Bronson. Additionally, Wager wrote novelizations and tie-ins of movies and television including I Spy, Mission: Impossible, and Raw Deal. #diehard2 #thriller
The basis of the film Die Hard 2. Frank Malone* (John McClane in the movie) is a Harvard graduate, a college athlete, a decorated Vietnam Veteran, and a third generation NYPD cop in charge of an anti-terrorism squad. When his nine year-old daughter comes home to visit him for Christmas, via a TWA flight from L.A., Malone is there to greet her at JFK International. A race against time ensues when an international terror cell jams the radar, radio and landing instruments of numerous flights over NYC in the middle of a severe snowstorm. If the authorities don’t meet their demands and release six terrorists and an arms dealer from state and federal custody, they will cause the planes to keep circling until they run out of fuel and crash. Featuring short chapters, 58 Minutes is a briskly paced thriller.
*John McClane was originally created by Roderick Thorpe, and appeared under the name Joseph Leland (a WW II vet) in the novels The Detective and Nothing Lasts Forever (Die Hard). 58 Minutes was not intended as a continuation of this series.
***
Walter Wager (1924-2004) was born in the Bronx, New York, and was a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law. Additionally, he studied at the Sorbonne. An author of crime fiction and thrillers, his work includes Telefon, which was adapted as a film with Charles Bronson. Additionally, Wager wrote novelizations and tie-ins of movies and television including I Spy, Mission: Impossible, and Raw Deal. #diehard2 #thriller
December 18, 2022
Sorry to say one of the most forgettable protagonists I've encountered in a long time (Frank Mallone) holds this thriller back from being decent. Not to mention how poorly a lot of the narrative choices have aged. Ultimately, NOTHING LASTS FOREVER by Roderick Thorp, despite a ton of flaws, is the better DIE HARD novel. Bring on John McClane!
My analysis on the Ink to Film podcast: https://youtu.be/YAgKKIJEuyY
My analysis on the Ink to Film podcast: https://youtu.be/YAgKKIJEuyY
November 24, 2021
Okay this and the movie are 180 degrees in the differences between them is amazing.
The place is late 1980s, there are references to place it after 1986, but hard to really draw when the story occurs in the 1980s. It is NYC and the middle of a huge snow storm. There is a terrorist who has just blown up all the radars and radios to all the major airports in NYC. There is a Police Captain who is in charge of the NYPD anti-terrorism team. His daughter is on a plane coming from the coast because of a divorce.
There is a famous terrorist who wants to get some fellow radical terrorists out of jail, but has one specific radical terrorist that needs to come out due to what said terrorist knows and how the terrorist knows it. There is a famous person that doesn't want said jail bird to talk. So he pays this famous terrorist to spring said jail bird out and well we don't know, the author didn't really explain it.
Along with those two players, there is a whole setup of other characters. Almost like the old 70s disaster movies. You know someone who will either rise to the occasion or become a death.
The whole disaster starts and it is an almost by the numbers action film played out. Some dramatic elements where the terrorist is almost killed. Questions about if there is a spy in the airport. Some drama up in the airport and some drama in trying to find the traps and red herrings that the major terrorist lays out.
Ultimately the good guys win, the bad guys lose, some innocents die and there is a huge party at the end when everyone left and important to moving the plot survives. This is a beach read or even a travel read and one of those books that if I misplaced it while traveling, that I don't feel bad about. It is a movie book with movie pacing, but not at all like Die Hard 2.
The place is late 1980s, there are references to place it after 1986, but hard to really draw when the story occurs in the 1980s. It is NYC and the middle of a huge snow storm. There is a terrorist who has just blown up all the radars and radios to all the major airports in NYC. There is a Police Captain who is in charge of the NYPD anti-terrorism team. His daughter is on a plane coming from the coast because of a divorce.
There is a famous terrorist who wants to get some fellow radical terrorists out of jail, but has one specific radical terrorist that needs to come out due to what said terrorist knows and how the terrorist knows it. There is a famous person that doesn't want said jail bird to talk. So he pays this famous terrorist to spring said jail bird out and well we don't know, the author didn't really explain it.
Along with those two players, there is a whole setup of other characters. Almost like the old 70s disaster movies. You know someone who will either rise to the occasion or become a death.
The whole disaster starts and it is an almost by the numbers action film played out. Some dramatic elements where the terrorist is almost killed. Questions about if there is a spy in the airport. Some drama up in the airport and some drama in trying to find the traps and red herrings that the major terrorist lays out.
Ultimately the good guys win, the bad guys lose, some innocents die and there is a huge party at the end when everyone left and important to moving the plot survives. This is a beach read or even a travel read and one of those books that if I misplaced it while traveling, that I don't feel bad about. It is a movie book with movie pacing, but not at all like Die Hard 2.
December 24, 2022
58 Minutes is no Die Hard 2, though it claims to be the inspiration for it. When terrorists knocks out the air traffic control systems at the Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports in the middle of a snow storm and demand the release of several prisoners, Frank Malone, the head of the NYPD’s anti-terrorist unit, has only 58 minutes to find and capture the terrorists before planes start crashing; including the one his daughter is on. Unfortunately, the writing is rather poor and full of superfluous characters and subplots that go nowhere. And although author Walter Wager uses a lot of technical jargon and gives credit to several aviation specialists for their help, it doesn’t sound like he knows what he’s talking about (especially post-9/11). An incredibly disappointing novel, 58 Minutes not only doesn’t measure up to the film, it doesn’t tell a very compelling story.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2024
I read 'Nothing Lasts Forever' not too long ago, the book that inspired the first Die Hard film.
Let's say I wasn't impressed and was a bit hesitant in reading the book that inspired the sequel to the film franchise. However, after realising it was by a different author decided to go in with an open mind.
Unlike the first book, this was genuinely thrilling, and I believe it was better than the film.
Throughout the book, there were resemblances of where Hollywood had taken inspiration, although thinking about it, they didn't always improve things by changing the storylines.
A highly recommended read for those who enjoyed the second Die Hard film.
Let's say I wasn't impressed and was a bit hesitant in reading the book that inspired the sequel to the film franchise. However, after realising it was by a different author decided to go in with an open mind.
Unlike the first book, this was genuinely thrilling, and I believe it was better than the film.
Throughout the book, there were resemblances of where Hollywood had taken inspiration, although thinking about it, they didn't always improve things by changing the storylines.
A highly recommended read for those who enjoyed the second Die Hard film.
February 6, 2017
Basis of the film Die Hard 2 (1990) starring Bruce Willis. I bought the paperback while browsing in a used bookstore and that's how the owner recommended this unknown title to me.
Thrillers - Frank Malone, NYPD captain, waiting at JFK for his young daughter to arrive from California. A mysterious man calls the control tower and says that he has cut the power to the runway lights of JFK and every airport in the vicinity and has hijacked their equipment, leaving them with 58 minutes to meet his demands before the first plane, with Frank's daughter, runs out of fuel and crashes. With a massive blizzard coming in, the planes have nowhere else to go. Frank must jump into action and save his daughter and the passengers of the other planes circling overhead, in 58 minutes.
Thrillers - Frank Malone, NYPD captain, waiting at JFK for his young daughter to arrive from California. A mysterious man calls the control tower and says that he has cut the power to the runway lights of JFK and every airport in the vicinity and has hijacked their equipment, leaving them with 58 minutes to meet his demands before the first plane, with Frank's daughter, runs out of fuel and crashes. With a massive blizzard coming in, the planes have nowhere else to go. Frank must jump into action and save his daughter and the passengers of the other planes circling overhead, in 58 minutes.
November 14, 2020
Malone just wants to see his daughter.
Well Hollywood does pick and choose. This book, in its own right, would have made a great story for John McClaine. The main antagonist is much more calculating and mysterious than General Stewart in the film. I feel Willi Staub got his day in the franchise in Jeremy Irons in the third film.
I was gripped throughout this book and was surprised at how far through the story I got. My only criticism, 58 Minutes? Having never have been to these places, I am a little doubtful that some of the travelling that Malone did would have fit in his time scale. But that's me just being pedantic.
Well Hollywood does pick and choose. This book, in its own right, would have made a great story for John McClaine. The main antagonist is much more calculating and mysterious than General Stewart in the film. I feel Willi Staub got his day in the franchise in Jeremy Irons in the third film.
I was gripped throughout this book and was surprised at how far through the story I got. My only criticism, 58 Minutes? Having never have been to these places, I am a little doubtful that some of the travelling that Malone did would have fit in his time scale. But that's me just being pedantic.
April 8, 2014
The Die Hard 2 connection is a bit tenuous - the basic premise that "terrorists stop air traffic control talking to planes" is there, but apart from that it's completely different.
That's not a bad thing though as I'd got it because I like Walter Wager books, not because of the Die Hard branding.
It's not the smartest story ever, nothing will really surprise you, and all the loose ends are tied up incredibly quickly in the last dozen pages, but... it's a fun ride on the way. It's exactly what you want for a holiday read - exciting thriller with a big scary baddie and brave police hero.
That's not a bad thing though as I'd got it because I like Walter Wager books, not because of the Die Hard branding.
It's not the smartest story ever, nothing will really surprise you, and all the loose ends are tied up incredibly quickly in the last dozen pages, but... it's a fun ride on the way. It's exactly what you want for a holiday read - exciting thriller with a big scary baddie and brave police hero.
January 23, 2021
I can see how it inspired the movie Die Hard 2. But I honestly thought that movie was better. There are too many characters here and too short a story to really develop them well, so we only get glimpses. It also felt like too much of the action played out over the phone, and too little in the field. In a novel that generally works OK, but in a movie it’s death. For my visceral mind, it left me feeling less satisfied than I would have had the author been more inventive. It’s nonetheless an interesting thriller.
December 9, 2021
As a fan of the movie was curious to see how the book that inspired the movie was, it has the tension it has the story but man there are so many characters and the point of you jumps around like crazy. Malone lacks the charm of John and being know it all kind of ruins the tension of the book. I prefer the ordinary man that John Mcclane is (at least in the first 2 movies)
Is hard not to compare it when even the damn book compars itself to the movie. But its a fast read and it has good moments.
Ps: really hate the cover of the book.
Is hard not to compare it when even the damn book compars itself to the movie. But its a fast read and it has good moments.
Ps: really hate the cover of the book.
October 15, 2025
58 Minutes, the other book on which a Die Hard movie is based, starts off as a pretty good thriller, but it packs too many characters into too few pages, so relationships and plotlines aren't given the attention they need to be satisfying. The villain is over-the-top -- he hates Christmas, America, capitalism, the West, and every religion ever -- but he's fun to root against; I just wish he and the hero had more of a rivalry built up over the book. The finale is kind of flat and not as tense as it should have been. But it's not bad, and it has some tense moments early on.
April 25, 2021
This Walter Wager novel was filmed as Die Hard 2. He provided the elaborate hijacking of the entire airport communications and radar. Coincidentally, America’s number one anti-terrorist cop is there to meet his daughter’s flight just as it all begins. And his ex-wife is on duty in the control tower!
But the novel is mostly very different from the film in terms of the action scenes, characters and dialogue. But it’s still a great page-turner with enough research to make it all credible.
But the novel is mostly very different from the film in terms of the action scenes, characters and dialogue. But it’s still a great page-turner with enough research to make it all credible.
September 16, 2018
I read this book because it was the basis for Die Hard 2, and I enjoyed Nothing Lasts Forever so much, I thought I'd give this one a go.
It was alright, but it had problems. The bad people are about the same as in the movie, but the protagonist is too, too... he's too goddamn squeaky clean. I like John McClain better.
It was alright, but it had problems. The bad people are about the same as in the movie, but the protagonist is too, too... he's too goddamn squeaky clean. I like John McClain better.
July 24, 2020
Gripping
Gripping story that had me enthralled throughout. It was interesting to see what changed when they made it into Die Hard 2. The only downside is a serious lack of editing. It’s bad. Typos and other amateurish errors abound. It didn’t stop me from enjoying it, but it might stop you.
Gripping story that had me enthralled throughout. It was interesting to see what changed when they made it into Die Hard 2. The only downside is a serious lack of editing. It’s bad. Typos and other amateurish errors abound. It didn’t stop me from enjoying it, but it might stop you.
May 8, 2017
I finished reading this great book either late last night or very early this morning. The last half of the book was impossible to put down. It was loosely the basis for the second DIE HARD move. I would love to see it made as a movie outside the die hard series.
June 15, 2020
Great
If you are looking for hard 2, quit looking. Parts of the book are very similar to the movie, but that's about it. Even though I really liked the movie, I like the book better.
If you are looking for hard 2, quit looking. Parts of the book are very similar to the movie, but that's about it. Even though I really liked the movie, I like the book better.
December 12, 2020
A very weak “Potboiler” featuring a villain who taunts his perfection but who really comes off as a bit of an idiot. No real tension from any aspect and it was completely understood why DIE HARD 2 only borrowed the basic plot and nothing else. A quick and forgettable read.
April 3, 2018
Comically hardboiled. Goofy characters. Competent writing. I enjoyed it in a very lighthearted way.
September 29, 2019
Quick read, surprisingly unenjoyable. Very different from Die Hard 2. Almost no character development or humor that makes the movies great.
August 26, 2024
Good thriller
This book is very different from the movie it inspired. I thought it was a well written, taut and exciting thriller.
This book is very different from the movie it inspired. I thought it was a well written, taut and exciting thriller.
January 28, 2020
Eehhh, not as good as the first die hard book, but better than the movie
March 6, 2020
A pretty straightforward and fun action thriller.
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