Sam 7

I read this book several years ago but it has not left my mind since. It had such an impact that I actually travelled from Canada to London, England to see the area where the book was written about and the specific train station. With everything that is happening in the world today, Cox wrote with amazing foresight and knowledge. To anyone who reads it at the least you will be entertained at the most if will keep you thinking about it for years to come.N

If you can track this novel down, then it comes highly recommended. Richard Cox has researched the subject matter well as regards technicalities, how the emergency services cope with a disaster like in this book and locations. THe story is of a fanatical group of Arab terrorists, Abu Youssouf 7, who are on the trail of Israeli diplomat Ben Maier, who is returning to the States with important documents carrying details of a proposed Middle East peace process. In order to stop him, they shoot down the plane he is travelling on, a DC-10 - as it is flying over London on its final approach to Heathrow. The terrorists use SAM-7 missile launchers, shoulder-fired, hence the book's title. The strike hits the DC10, which plummets out of control, crashing down on London's Victoria railway station, causing massive destruction and loss of life. The story focuses then on police commander Robert Thompson, fire chief Mick Melville and air crash investigator Jim Donaldson who strive to bring the disaster under control and find out the truth behind the crash before the wrong people(i.e pilots) are implicated. Although this was written in 1977 and much of Victoria station and its surroundings have slightly changed, the disaster portrayed is something that could still happen. Altogether, an exciting and highly dramatic read! I dare you to read whilst flying . . . definitely not a plane read!