Balance of Power

Ever read a law review article? Pretty dry and boring stuff. But here, James Huston takes what could be a stuffy topic and wraps it around an action/political thriller story. The result is wonderful. An American freighter is hijacked by terrorists who proceed to execute the crew members and take the captain hostage. President Manchester(a suspected pacifist) chooses to do nothing about it. As one could imagine, many are aghast at this, including the President's political nemesis, Speaker of the House Stanbridge. It appears there is little hope until Jim Dillon, a lawyer on Stanbridge's staff, discovers a dormant power in the US Constitution known as The Letter of Marque and Reprisal that gives Congress the power to direct military (or at least Naval) forces into action. Things get complicated after this. After Congress passes the Letter, the President initiates legal action. Also, its uncertain whether the Admiral commanding the Task Force will honor the Letter. For those and more questions, I direct you to read the book! The legal analysis is overall very good. Some critics note the Letter of Marque and Rerisal provision is just another enhancement to the President's war making capability. This is not correct. There is nothing in the Constitution directly tying the Executive to this power. Traditionally, Presidents did sign these Letters but Huston shows that tradition does not trump the Consitution. He deals crippling blows to other arguments against the Letter too. The action is also excellent. We get to see the full power of a carrier task force unfold before our eyes. Everything from Special Ops and Marine assaults to air attacks. Huston's naval background only enhances this aspect of the novel. An excellent work. For the thinking person who enjoys red hot action, you could do worse!

Written like this really happened and Huston was there... I found myself reading well in the the night despite having to wake early. This book will draw you in.Mr. Huston did a great job with this one. I read 'Flash Point' and liked it equally as much. Though being a pilot myself may bias me slightly, I believe anyone who reads this book will enjoy it. The pace is fast and it gets your heart pounding. I highly recommend it.Excellent work Mr. Huston. I think the Intelligence community could use your insight these days. be well.

Truly fantastic political and military thriller, one of my favorite works of fiction I have read the last few years. Author James W. Huston, drawing skillfully both upon his military background as an F-14 fighter pilot in the US Navy and his legal background as a lawyer, has crafted a tightly woven yarn about terrorism in the South Pacific - Indonesia to be exact - and what the President and the US Congress do about it. When terrorists capture the US flagged merchant ship Pacific Flyer, kill most of the crew, kidnap the captain, and then booby-trap the ship to kill potential rescuers, the world is stunned. Though the world expects President Manchester (a fictional president who serves after the President Clinton of this novel's timeline), to react, he does not order a military strike, instead announcing he is against continuing the "cycle of violence" and that while he will order a carrier battle fleet to help find the terrorist's island hideout, will not act militarily, instead seeing it as an internal Indonesian police matter. Many are outraged as his reaction, none more so than Speaker of the House John Stanbridge. Furous over what he sees as a failure to act and accusing the President of pacifism, he tries to get around the President's orders regarding the terrorists, hidden on a foritified island which the battle group centered around the carrier USS Constitution under Admrial Billings locates.Brash and brilliant aide to Standbridge, Jim Dillon, comes up with a little known provision in the US Constituion in Article I, Secton 8, relating to the power of the Congress to issues Letters of Marque and Reprisal. Researching it, he finds that the power was formerly used to grant legal authority to armed merchantmen in times of war, authorizing private ships to act as war ships. Instead, with Standbrige's support, it is proposed, voted on, and passed, the Letter instead issued to the Constitution battle group! I won't comment much more on the course of the novel, other than to say it is great political thriller to see the constitutional crisis that comes to embroil all three branches of the federal government, and the struggle of Congress and the President to get the battle group to act how they see fit. It is also a great military thriller, to see a US carrier battle group, with fighters, attack craft, helicopters, and Marines operating against terrorists, a true joy to read particularly in the wake of the tragic and horrid attacks of September 11, 2001. Highly recommend this work to all fans of military fiction, technothrillers, political thrillers, and fans of Tom Clancy. Pay close attention to the events in the novel, as there is truly excellent follow up in the riveting sequel, The Price of Power.

Very good story (followed by The Price Of Power). Wanted a book for my long flight and wasn't sure which one I would take. Then I found those 2 books from Huston and I was kept to my seat while reading BOTH of them in a row.Very fascinating to have a story where the power does not necessarily reside with the Presidency.You will just keep reading and get the next Huston book.

I found this book to be a first rate introduction to how our Constitution functions in the modern world. I was captured by the focused attention of how our three branches of government interact. This book is the best example that I have found of a fast paced and interesting analysis of the federal government. I teach a course for seniors on U.S. Government and we will be using this book in the new school year as a new way to show our students the relevance of the U.S. Constitution to our world today.