Someone I know (an adult) enjoys the books of these authors, I want to get them a book or two from some authors they haven't yet tried. Helpful if there is a series of books, like the Jack Ryan ones. Thank you.
“OVER a span of 60 years as a journalist, covering mainly general news in a dozen countries I became intrigued by a study of how humans are actually governed.
At the optimum end is the elective parliamentary democracy, which Britain once was. At the worst end is the ruthless dictatorship into which we are slowly converting, weirdly, with the shivering consent of an apparent majority of our people. In this transformation there are always five steps.
The community taking over all the arms of government is always numerically tiny. Stage two is the creation of a nationwide campaign of fear or terror. This pan-national fear was gifted to those now ruling us in the arrival from the Orient of a disease called Covid-19.
Though little understood at first, it has now become plain that Covid, though of blisteringly fast contagion, has a very low lethality rate, but too late.
Stage Three. When people are badly frightened they're extremely gullible. They will believe whatever they are told. We have all lived through seven months of unrelenting propaganda on radio, TV, speeches from on high and placards and the press to convince us that death stalks at our side. Figures are cooked, statistics cobbled, research stultified, to endorse the death-is-everywhere message.
Out of this comes Four - the assurance from the tiny group that they and only they can save us from a horrible fate, but only if we all abide by and obey a tidal wave of rules and regulations - no matter if these destroy the nation we once knew and loved. Fear, deliberately inspired fear, rules supreme.
There will always be dissenters, who must be dealt with, as I witnessed years ago in my year in East Berlin. We have just witnessed the imposition of Stage Five - creation of a sort of secret police to spy, pounce and punish. Back then it was estimated a full third of East Germans spied on and informed on neighbours for the Stasi. This Boris Johnson has now encouraged us to adopt as a lifestyle.”
I have read The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, and The Fourth Protocol and have enjoyed all 3 very much. I am working through the rest of the list but I would like to find more books like these. Any suggestions?
Hello, guys. I am looking forward to reading a Frederick Forsyth novel but I was wondering if his books should be read in a chronological order. Are his novels related to each other and if this is the case I reckon that I have to read his first book 'The Day of the Jackal'.
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Negotiator-Audiobook/B00E4PNV6C?ref=a_hp_c8_dd&pf_rd_p=4d65ffce-e4aa-471b-9249-5d90eb962f53&pf_rd_r=WKGPFQ8Y65AE87ZK17AF
Credible plots,journalistic style of writing and superb attention to detail is what makes Frederick Forsyth's books so damn fun to read.I also like the historical context his books have and i always spend some time with the Wikipedia,reading about the real characters involved after finishing the book.
The premise is quite interesting, a ruthless businessman wants to exploit a platinum mine in a tiny African country, so he hires a team of mercenaries to stage a coup and dispose the current president and install a puppet regime.
The meat of the story is the planning for the coup and in true Forsyth style it is so damn interesting, the various geopolitics at that time, various stages of the operation. It is simply delicious.
The book has great pacing which ensures that it doesn't get boring. The execution of the coup is quick,surgical and precise but intensive nonetheless.
One thing i want to mention which usually gets overlooked with Forsyth's thrillers is his characters. They don't have real depth, introspection or anything but he paints vivid descriptions of them and makes them very humane,realistic. Cat Shannon,the protagonist is the most interesting Forsyth character I've read yet. A cold ruthless mercenary but with a secret motivations of his own that makes him a very satisfying character.
Overall The Dogs of War was a great read but it is not as good as Day of the Jackal or Odessa File mainly because of two flaws.The starting chapters are quite boring, going on about minerals and mining operations etc. The other is a Bond-esque love affair which feels out of place in a serious thriller like this one,it has no satisfying resolution and it is just a waste of time.
