Attack of the Seawolf

Ever since I picked up and literally devoured 'The Hunt For Red October' I have been craving everything submarine ever since, unfortunately for a long time there wasn't much in the way of sub novles to choose from (not that was any good anyway). Quite by accident I found the book, 'Typhoon' by Mark Joseph (another sure-fire winner, by the way) and my excitement for sub books was rekindled. But again, I just couldn't find an author who could fill my void...and again--quite by accident--I came across Michael DiMercurio and I have been pretty much satisfied ever since. DiMercurio knows what he's writing about mostly due to the fact that he WAS a submariner and writes from experience. Now Clancy is no doubt a great author, but experience on a sub was something that he couldn't draw upon, and in 'Attack of The Seawolf' the experience Mr. DiMercurio has had is what elevates his stories above your average submarine storyteller. The plot isn't half-bad either--which is a definite PLUS to be sure. How would life on a cylindrical metal tube be like trapped in China? Better yet, how would America go about a rescue if that were the 'situation'? That is what we are faced with in this highly entertaining and VERY exciting novel. The action is virtually all over the place along with insights into the mind of the naval officers manning these amazing underwater machines. An all-around thrilling read that will satisfy YOUR thirst for a sub adventure, too.

Cheers to Michael DiMercurio! 'Attack of the Seawolf' is everything a naval/sub/techno/thriller ought to be. It reads almost like an 'on scene' report from those caught in the middle of this amazing tale of action, heroism and suspense. There can be nothing at all like the feeling of being inside a sub trying to escape the enemy. DiMercurio does a fantastic job of putting us right in the middle of all the action and supreme suspense.What if an American sub was caught INSIDE Chinese waters spying? Would we distance ourselves and pretend it never happened, or play it off as a rogue sub captain acting on his own? Good question, but that is exactly what DiMercurio does with 'Seawolf' and boy does he give us a frighteningly realistic version of 'what if' here. I view Pacino as and extension of the author himself. A character that is more than 2-dimensional. Very realisitic, and one not without his problems, too. Struggling between problems at home, and duty to his country Pacino is faced with an amazing situation where he must rescue a sub in enemy territory under impossible conditions. Some of the scenes read as way too impossible to believe, but you know what? DiMercurio is doing such a good job at creating the suspense so thick you just don't care. You suspend your belief just long enough for him to pull you along for the fantastic ride that is 'Attack of the Seawolf'. I have long considered this his best book, and it was interesting to note that DiMercurio feels the same, as evidenced in his comments at the top of the page. Good stuff from a first-rate author, and heir to the crown originated by Clancy in 'Red October'. Give this a shot and enjoy, and come back for more, DiMercurio has written many other great sub novels.

The book, Attack of the Seawolf, by Michael DiMercurio is an astounding action-packed thriller that will blow you away. In the book the main characters are Michael Pacino, Sean Murphy, and Tien-Tse Mien. Michael is a very smart and cautious person who can turn into a vicious hunter in the heat of battle. Both Sean and Michael are like real United States submarine captains. In the beginning Michael is unsure of himself and by the end becomes a confident, couragous fighter and captain. Michael is the rescuer of Sean's boat and Tien-Tse Mien is the evil Chinese interrogator who wants information and the hi-tech sub. The setting is at several different places including Michael's boat, the U.S.S. Seawolf, Sean's boat, the U.S.S. Tampa, Xingang Piers, and the ships of the Chinese Northern Fleet. U.S.S. Seawolf is the main setting where the author vividly describes the boat and submarine life by saying, "the air was filled with the smell of diesel oil, lubrication oil,cooking grease, cigarette smoke,and sweat"and by later stating that there was also raw sewage. In describing the settings the author gives you the feelings of suspense, excitement and anxiety. A basic overview of the story is that a submarine (Sean's) is sent to Bo Hai Bay to spy on the Chinese and is caught. Then the Seawolf is sent to rescue it before its too late. There is plenty of tension between the two American subs and the Chinese even though they never saw or heard each other. Each side is anxious to get rid of the other but at the same time is scared, cautious, and nervous. The climax is very thrilling when the two sides clash and resolution unfolds. In the end all conflicts are resolved, both internal and external. Michael's internal conflict is that he needs to go to sea more and command his own boat. The external conflict is obviously the one between the Chinese and the American subs. The ending was believable in my opinion and fit the story perfectly. I would not changed the ending in any way. My favorite part of the book is when one if the last ships of the Chinese fleet sinks,it's name is the Shoagan. The author describes it as, "the missile hit the carrier and exploded into a one-hundred meter mushroom cloud of flame and shrapnel"and later on, "somewhere far below an explosion rumbled through the bowels of the dead ship, first a sharp roar then settling down.....". This is my favorite part because it is a great triumph for the Seawolf and the author gives a great description of it. One of the themes I discovered was that you shouldn't keep yourself from doing something you like. For example,this quote describes Michael after he'skept himself from the sea: "I've seen what happens to you when you're not at sea, you haven't been the same since-". Another theme is that you have to make wise and good decisions when you have major responsibility and pressures. This applies to the world because business people and offici

The USS Tampa, an improved Los Angeles-class attack aub is captured by Chinese naval forces. The crew are being held prisoner, what can the US Goverment and military do? The answer is here . . . recall ongoing character Michael Pacino and his superior Admiral Donchez into action on a rescue mission! And as the latest sub USS SEAWOLF closes in for the kill and a SEAL team is deployed to rescue the TAMPA crew, you're in for a treat! The naval battle scenes between US and Chinese forces are well written, the SEAL team incursion is well researched and matches the accuracy of Bob Mayer(with a little bit of artistic licence here and there but who cares?) and true-life SAS stories with its descriptions of equipment used, and the submarine scenes, as ever with DiMercurio's books are so well written that even if you've never been in the Navy you will feel you're in the thick of the action. Why isn't this a movie?! To coin a phrase! And finally, after having read all of DiMercurio's splendid novels now, I can safely say that this one is one of his best. The climax as well is not hurried, it is spread out over more than one chapter and well-paced, thrilling and effective. More so that some novels where the ending is too quick after a great build-up. THis has the great build-up as well!

"Attack of the Seawolf" is the second DiMercurio book I read, and if anything it's even better than his first, the awesome "Voyage of the Devilfish." As always, his descriptions of undersea and surface warfare carry a great deal of credibility because DiMercurio is a former USN submariner. Also, the involvment of the SEALs in the novel was excellent, Richard Marcinko providing an insider's viewpoint on SEAL operations for the book, as indicated in the Acknowledgments section at the front.