Read Shadows Of Steel (1997)

Online Book

Author

Dale Brown

Genre

Memoir & Autobiography

Series

Patrick McLanahan

Rating

3.9 of 5 Votes: 4

Your rating

ISBN

0006498469 (ISBN13: 9780006498469)

Language

English

Publisher

harpercollins

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

Free Online

Shadows Of Steel (1997) - Plot & Excerpts

I'm struggling with giving this book 2 stars... but I just can't go any higher. Patrick McLanahan is back... eventually! Following Day of the Cheetah, he's retired from the Air Force and running a bar in Sacramento. But old pal Phillip Freeman convinces him to come back and join a new organization that flies support missions for the NSA. Iran has taken control of an aircraft carrier and is wreaking havoc in the Persian Gulf. The President doesn't want a full-scale shooting war so he sends in a single plane, McLanahan and his B-2 bomber. The plot is a little convoluted and somehow when Dale Brown switches point of view from his heroes to the "bad guys" government, it isn't anywhere near the level of Tom Clancy. But I don't expect the same level of writing - that's an impossible standard.I just feel like there was way too much stuff in this book that wasn't flying action, and when Brown strays from his roots, things don't go so well. Very stereotypical characters who do exactly what you'd expect. Add in a plot that doesn't really end - that's the final straw in the 2-star rating for me.

What do You think about Shadows Of Steel (1997)?

The 5th instalment in the Patrick McLanahan storyline is a solid addition to the series.After being disbanded in 'Day of the Cheetah' Patrick is recruited to fly the B-2A stealth bomber, specifically a test airframe he helped design, against a belligerent Iran who wishes to exert control over the region.Written in 1996 is almost parallels some of the chest-beating done by Iran in recent times in regards to the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas. Lots of precision and excellent flight / engagement scenes.Really enjoyed it, although I think 'Night of the Hawk' may be the best of the series. (Hammerheads was excellent and features McLanahan but technically isn't part of the series - otherwise it would be my choice, highly enjoyable read, albeit long at 691 pages.)
—Henri Moreaux