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Dan Lenson #12
The Crisis
Naval Commander Dan Lenson and his Tactical Analysis Group specialize in out of the box military assign ments. Comprising sailors, Navy SEALS, and civilians, the group investigates and defuses naval threats around the world. Dan and his team are assigned to "transform" a patrol craft squadron in the Red Sea into a leaner, meaner Navy. Mean - while, in northern Africa, drought and famine have brought a nation to the brink of civil war. When the United States decides on intervention to stabilize the region, Dan and his team become the point people for the humanitarian mission. When a charismatic young jihadist coordinates a ferocious insur gency against the U.S. presence, Dan and his team must kill him in order to save thousands of lives. With exciting action, espionage, and exotic locales, The Crisis asks bigger questions about our obligations to relieve the suffering of other countries, the risk of American lives to rescue foreigners, and the role of democratic government in nations with no central leadership.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2009
50 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
David Poyer
86 books241 followersAka D.C. Poyer.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies. Most recently, he's published two craft books, WRITING IN THE AGE OF AI and WRITING YOUR MEMOIR IN THE AGE OF AI.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies. Most recently, he's published two craft books, WRITING IN THE AGE OF AI and WRITING YOUR MEMOIR IN THE AGE OF AI.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 11, 2010
The jacket describes the author as a specialist in military thrillers.
I found "The Crisis" loaded w. military acronyms, weapon descriptions, ranks, units, councils, task forces, missions, etc.
There were numerous plots, which all seemed to unwind in parallel, with a bit of overlap as to events and players. But I found little deep connection between characters.
They seemed to interact as their jobs required. But as in real life -- unlike a lot of novels, or the big screen -- the author didn't really elevate one plot as a lot more important than any of the others.
A fan of military strategy, tactics, etc. would likely have a different opinion of Poyer's "The Crisis" than I did.
At the end of the day, this novel did not satisfy my taste for afull-bodied story involving characters I've learned to care about. It felt more like a series of "case studies" of certain personality types (jock Seal under stress; single black female U.S. agent w. motherly instincts; woman research scientist who's oblivious to political reality and physical danger; etc.)
But it did present some important philosophical questions: To what extent should the U.S. expend its resources to "save" a failing nation that may not want our help, or even be salvageable.
I found "The Crisis" loaded w. military acronyms, weapon descriptions, ranks, units, councils, task forces, missions, etc.
There were numerous plots, which all seemed to unwind in parallel, with a bit of overlap as to events and players. But I found little deep connection between characters.
They seemed to interact as their jobs required. But as in real life -- unlike a lot of novels, or the big screen -- the author didn't really elevate one plot as a lot more important than any of the others.
A fan of military strategy, tactics, etc. would likely have a different opinion of Poyer's "The Crisis" than I did.
At the end of the day, this novel did not satisfy my taste for afull-bodied story involving characters I've learned to care about. It felt more like a series of "case studies" of certain personality types (jock Seal under stress; single black female U.S. agent w. motherly instincts; woman research scientist who's oblivious to political reality and physical danger; etc.)
But it did present some important philosophical questions: To what extent should the U.S. expend its resources to "save" a failing nation that may not want our help, or even be salvageable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2018
This may be my least favorite of the Lenson books. The plot is about a crisis in a fictional African country. I admit, I just didn't care. As our current President would say, it was a book about a "shithole country" and the rest of the characters trying to figure out what to do with it. In the end everything turned in to a failure (which was obvious from the beginning) as a shithole tends to stay a shithole no matter how much money people dump in to it. I'm hoping for a better story in the next one.
One other complaint, the author seems to be invested in making us care more about the secondary characters. To me none of them are really that interesting and the interesting one he killed off in the novel. Stick with the people who got you here. That's just my opinion.
One other complaint, the author seems to be invested in making us care more about the secondary characters. To me none of them are really that interesting and the interesting one he killed off in the novel. Stick with the people who got you here. That's just my opinion.
August 21, 2017
I've read and enjoyed the entire Dan Lenson series, but this is my least favorite because the story line is largely focused on the plight of an African bush family, with the Lenson and the SEALs playing a secondary role. In fairness, the action the reader does receive relating to the SEALs is extremely well done. Lenson plays a very minor role, and not an especially interesting one.
Regarding the entire series, my one request to Poyer would be to provide a glossary for the naval acronyms. If the reader doesn't know what a certain acronym represents, it detracts from the storyline.
Regarding the entire series, my one request to Poyer would be to provide a glossary for the naval acronyms. If the reader doesn't know what a certain acronym represents, it detracts from the storyline.
January 20, 2021
"The Crisis," the twelfth book in David Poyer's Dan Lenson series, is quite different from the preceding books. In this novel, Commander Daniel V. Lenson, USN, is not the focus of the narrative. Ashaara, a beleaguered and poverty-stricken East African nation, is suffering through an unseasonable drought and an unrelenting famine. Aware of the strategic importance of keeping East Africa politically and economically stable, the United States decides to send humanitarian aid to Ashaara. Dan and his Tactical Analysis Group are assigned to the military Joint Task Force working in concert with the aid mission. Complicating matters are a corrupt local government that collapses, and a growing insurgency spearheaded by a charismatic young Muslim dubbed Al-Maahdi. Senior officials, civilian and military, see Al-Maahdi as a threat to what little stability Ashaara has, and implement a plan to neutralize him... Poyer does a terrific job in showing the reader how the aid mission plays out, warts and all. If you're looking for a military thriller with a little something extra, check out "The Crisis."
December 28, 2017
Another excellent Dan Lenson series entry. Previously presented characters are creating strong recurrence of possible new standalone that may and can be presentable in their own rights. Thank you David Poyer.
February 9, 2025
Non-stop action
Poyer has Dan Lenson and the returning wider character cast involved in action from the start to finish. A very believable story with twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and thinking. Highly recommended.
Poyer has Dan Lenson and the returning wider character cast involved in action from the start to finish. A very believable story with twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and thinking. Highly recommended.
August 12, 2023
Very little about Lenson
May 7, 2012
In my last review of Poyer's Dan Lenson I had hoped that we would see Lenson get a more meaty role, and this book certainly gives the stage for it. But then Lenson disappears and we become more concerned with countless other parts of the navy that are in theater, then with Lenson himself.
There have been some other tales where Lenson's role in the drama presented here could play well, and certainly a stepping stone for further advancement. But Poyer takes a crisis that certainly evolves over a long period of time and not only takes away the calendar so we can't see how long our hero is tied to the mission, but can't judge how off camera events should be taking to unfold.
The tale, larger than Lenson and the usual events he has to deal with, is dramatic and engaging. That Poyer creates a fictitious nation and starts our Hero with an interaction with it shows that the series could easily move to having our US Navy in the Poyer/Lenson universe have other tales advancing the career of Lenson and giving us meatier engagements.
Why not Admiral Lenson bringing together the many elements of a Task Force? This is the evolution of the tales and we should see more about it. 70% of the earth is covered by water, and most of the goods we need from Oil to soybeans is transported on it.
For this tale I have mentioned that it is dramatic, that the elements covered are fully believable, even more so than in the last book, The Weapon. But Time Scale, and the fact that Lenson still hasn't advanced to be a player at the table, but one who can make a statement to a 4 star, and be heard, then ignored by many levels below that a few chapters later, sends mixed signals. It is time for Captain Lenson and the Commodore Lenson.
There have been some other tales where Lenson's role in the drama presented here could play well, and certainly a stepping stone for further advancement. But Poyer takes a crisis that certainly evolves over a long period of time and not only takes away the calendar so we can't see how long our hero is tied to the mission, but can't judge how off camera events should be taking to unfold.
The tale, larger than Lenson and the usual events he has to deal with, is dramatic and engaging. That Poyer creates a fictitious nation and starts our Hero with an interaction with it shows that the series could easily move to having our US Navy in the Poyer/Lenson universe have other tales advancing the career of Lenson and giving us meatier engagements.
Why not Admiral Lenson bringing together the many elements of a Task Force? This is the evolution of the tales and we should see more about it. 70% of the earth is covered by water, and most of the goods we need from Oil to soybeans is transported on it.
For this tale I have mentioned that it is dramatic, that the elements covered are fully believable, even more so than in the last book, The Weapon. But Time Scale, and the fact that Lenson still hasn't advanced to be a player at the table, but one who can make a statement to a 4 star, and be heard, then ignored by many levels below that a few chapters later, sends mixed signals. It is time for Captain Lenson and the Commodore Lenson.
September 9, 2016
This novel, like most thriller novels today, is indistinguishable from others, just so-so, and "OK", but not anything worth more than a single check-out at a library.
The story is told through characters that don't belong in this genre but rather belong on the Oprah show.
The modern navy is actually on very limited display. Much of the action is told from the point of view of three African children (the novel is set in an Eritrea-like fictional country). The plight of this region of Africa is a real and terrible one, but neither real not fictional children have much to offer that is new or useful.
Besides the underused Lenson, other characters from earlier Poyer novels reappear, chiefly SEAL 'Obie' Oberg, whose parts of the story are the only sections of any interest. An improbable NCIS investigator also makes a second appearance and is even less believable than she was before. In what at first looked to be a mildly interesting subplot, Lenson and a female officer who had served with him before seem to develop a mutual attraction - but this storyline never goes anywhere, much like the novel itself.
The story drags, too.
And what's up with all the foreign language that the writer doesn't bother to translate? Why not just use English throughout the book?
This book also makes a bold claim about the author that made me snort and cringe: "David Poyer's twenty-eight novels make him the most popular author of modern military fiction." Yeah, sure. Did he take a poll or something?
The story is told through characters that don't belong in this genre but rather belong on the Oprah show.
The modern navy is actually on very limited display. Much of the action is told from the point of view of three African children (the novel is set in an Eritrea-like fictional country). The plight of this region of Africa is a real and terrible one, but neither real not fictional children have much to offer that is new or useful.
Besides the underused Lenson, other characters from earlier Poyer novels reappear, chiefly SEAL 'Obie' Oberg, whose parts of the story are the only sections of any interest. An improbable NCIS investigator also makes a second appearance and is even less believable than she was before. In what at first looked to be a mildly interesting subplot, Lenson and a female officer who had served with him before seem to develop a mutual attraction - but this storyline never goes anywhere, much like the novel itself.
The story drags, too.
And what's up with all the foreign language that the writer doesn't bother to translate? Why not just use English throughout the book?
This book also makes a bold claim about the author that made me snort and cringe: "David Poyer's twenty-eight novels make him the most popular author of modern military fiction." Yeah, sure. Did he take a poll or something?
November 18, 2013
I thought this was an outstanding fictional work with a storyline of significance based on the United States' role in current events. It reflects the author's thorough grasp of our roles in international affairs to include military operations, socio-economic issues, geo-political situations, and cultural issues, just to name the biggies. The author has an excellent working knowledge of the tactical and the strategic operations planned and executed by the organizations within the U.S. Government at both the Department and Agency levels as well as the operational unit levels. He is well aware of the equipment and weapons available and the logistics associated with employing all of those in the appropriate theater of operations. His knowledge of command structures, both military and civilian is spot on.
The plot, subplots, and character development are very well done. As a veteran of over 21 years of military service to include over three years with the OJCS and over three years on a high-level planning and operational service staff, it was great to see such a well-written story, completely believable (in a fictional sense) to include some of the colossal foul-ups that can and do happen in those types of operations.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will go back for more from author David Poyer. Anyone who has been involved with plans and/or operations in the Middle East or any of the Muslim African Countries and is a fan of this type of geo-political novel should completely enjoy this book.
The plot, subplots, and character development are very well done. As a veteran of over 21 years of military service to include over three years with the OJCS and over three years on a high-level planning and operational service staff, it was great to see such a well-written story, completely believable (in a fictional sense) to include some of the colossal foul-ups that can and do happen in those types of operations.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will go back for more from author David Poyer. Anyone who has been involved with plans and/or operations in the Middle East or any of the Muslim African Countries and is a fan of this type of geo-political novel should completely enjoy this book.
July 25, 2011
WOW! This book has layers upon layers.
Want to know more about the terrible upheavals in Africa? Read this book.
Want to know more about the world's response to Africa's plight? Read this book.
Want to know how the natives regard our "help"? Read this book
Poyer is a genius writer. He writes with such sensitivity and knowledge, more people ought to know about his writing.
Want to know more about the terrible upheavals in Africa? Read this book.
Want to know more about the world's response to Africa's plight? Read this book.
Want to know how the natives regard our "help"? Read this book
Poyer is a genius writer. He writes with such sensitivity and knowledge, more people ought to know about his writing.
January 3, 2010
This is a very good military novel. It tells a story of the mideast and the people who handle the situation. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys novels about Marines and SEALS.
August 11, 2018
Couldnt get into it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews