Liberty (Jack Grafton, Book 10)

This book was written in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, and is very much influenced by that event. The story is somewhat reminiscent of Tom Clancy's "The Sum of all Fears": terrorists are smuggling nuclear weapons into the USA in an attempt to destroy western society. I liked this book a lot. It's true that the book is colored by Sept. 11 and by the desire to have a story with real heroes doing heroic things and to paint the Islamic terrorists in as negative a way as possible. But despite this Stephen Coonts created a story that is quite thought-provoking, very scary, and featuring a fair number of "good guys" who are not as lily white as they first appear to be. Another interesting aspect of the story is the picture that is painted of the political infighting between the politicians and the various organizations such as the CIA and the FBI and the military. Everyone should be working toward the goal of combating the terrorists, but in reality many people are working on their own private agendas. The story is very complicated with a large number of characters and with several subplots. Unless you have a very good memory I'd recommend that you create a written roster of characters as you read the book, noting vital facts for each person and noting the pages they appear on. Then, when you realize that you're not sure if a character has already been presented or not, it's easy to look in your roster and see. My roster of characters for Liberty ended up covering four pages with some 45 names on it! It was very satisfying being able to cross off the names of most of the bad guys as they met with violent ends. Of course, some of the good guys also lost their lives. In all, 18 entries in my roster ended with "killed on page xxx"! In summary, a very exciting book with interesting subplots, unexpected twists in the story and good characters. My only criticism is that the lack of panic in the general population does not seem realistic - my guess is that if it became known that nuclear weapons were being smuggled into American cities that it would result in massive fleeing from the cities to the countryside. This is the 10th and (presumably) final book in the "Jake Grafton series", with Jake announcing his retirement at the end of the book. Stephen Coonts has started a new series of novels starring Tommy Carmellini, another indication that it's unlikely that we'll see any more "Jake Grafton books". So far I've read six of these 10 Jake Grafton books, have written reviews for all of the books I've read, and intend to read the remaining books if/when I get a hold of them. In other words, I recommend the series quite strongly. Rennie Petersen

The scariest thing about this book is that it could be happening.Middle Eastern terrorists, The Sword of Islam, have located a corrupt Russian general who is willing to sell nuclear warheads which he is in charge of guarding. Four are delivered which sets in motion a riveting story of their delivery to the United States and the forces which are hunting them down in order to prevent the ultimate catastrophy.Jake Grafton, a central figure in many of Coonts's book is put in charge of a secret antiterrorism task force by the Presidentand given powers to use which may be constitutionaly suspect, but necessary nonetheless. When his powers are described to him, Grafton tells the President that "If the press gets this, you'll be impeached and I'll go to prison." The President's response is that "The president has the inherant power to defend the nation. I'm using that power here and now." That pretty much sets the tone for what is to follow. An interesting melange of characters flesh out the story and set up a tense and gripping situation in New York harbor involving Fleet Week, an armed atomic device on the torch platform of the Statue of Liberty and a desperate plan to avoid disaster. When informed of how Grafton plans to subdue the terrorists, the FBI wryly comments, "You don't have a plan." Maybe not, but it makes for page turning reading. This tale is as current as tomorrows headlines and as scary as it gets. Let's hope that it never comes to that and remains fiction.

Admiral Jake Grafton is a very credible character with many human qualities and personal concerns, who makes us look at ourselves. Without spilling the details, novel describes a potential and very timely threat. In addressing the problem, Admiral Grafton makes some ethical decisions that weigh security versus ethical issues. This page-turner gave made me think about the behind-the-scenes issues our country may face today. It also made me think about the potential abuse of power or information by either well-meaning patriots or untrustworthy people. As a society, when does public protection take precedence over personal privacy? The answer is not so simple for me anymore. Very nicely done, Mr. Coonts.

Mr. Coonts continues to write about American heroes who get the job done in spite of adversity. I enjoyed this book so much that I could not put it down, so I finished it in less than 24 hours. Stephen Coonts is an outstanding writer who continues to write about the good guys versus the bad guys, and I am a sucker for this kind of book. Rear Admiral Jake Grafton is back, looking for terrorists who are out to decimate the United States, and he does the kind of superb job that we have come to expect of our American sailors and soldiers who put their lives in harm's way, while sacrificing much of their personal lives.Because Mr. Coonts was in San Diego signing copies of this book and his older ones, I had a chance to see him and hear him speak. He is a wonderful, warm human being who treats all of his fans as if they are personal friends. He comes across as a genuine person who loves flying, writing, and people. Although I'm sure he would have been a great admiral, he does not give off the same tough image as Admiral Jake Grafton. I assume that Admiral Jake Grafton is modeled after someone else he knows, even though most of us suspect that the Jake Grafton of Flight of the Intruder was modeled after Mr. Coonts.You will enjoy Liberty and all of Mr. Coonts' other books. They all rate a five. Good reading.

Coonts has done it again. Jake Grafton is back, this time as Rear Admiral Grafton working in Anti-terrorism. Coonts, as always, never fails to keep you enthralled in action as he gracefully switches back and forth between the multiple story-line threads. This book is thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just as before, Grafton seems to find a way to get out of a few pretty sticky situations. An awesome book and a great addition to the Jake Grafton Novel Series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Way to Go Coonts, keep 'em coming please!