|
Loading...
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  dspoon | Oct 25, 2009 |  The novel is a political thriller and successfully captures the tension between bureaucrats in DC and the operatives on the ground. The protagonist and his skilled CIA team use many technological resources to thwart the goals of the religious nazis of the Muslim states. (  ) Michaenite | Jul 7, 2009 | Mitch Rapp, CIA operative, is back in Vince Flynn's Protect and Defend. When an Israeli spy blows up an Iranian nuclear facility, the Iranian government not only blames Israel but also the US. Tensions escalate and one faction of the Iranian government - along with a leader in Hezbollah - conspire to implicate the US in several actions against Iran, including the destruction of an Iranian warship and the kidnapping of the Director of the CIA, Irene Kennedy. As per usual, Mitch Rapp is a one-man army, working to bring down terrorism with a little help from his friends. Thankfully, Protect and Defend is far better than the last Vince Flynn book I read (Act of Treason). Flynn returns to the international scene, where I think he does best, and keeps the level of action and suspense up throughout the book. I certainly have no illusions about the "literariness" of Flynn's books - they are meant as escapist literature and have little to do with the truth. But when well done, they're a good way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. And there were a few "extras" with this book, too. One is that even though the new President - Josh Alexander - and his advisors are *gasp* Democrats, Flynn actually portrays them as having some cohones. In the past, Democrats in Flynn's world have been portrayed as spineless wimps. Second, the Iranians were not portrayed as uniformly evil and/or close-minded. Perhaps Flynn is starting to see that there's a bit of gray in the world, which can only make his stores better, I think. This is the best Mitch Rapp book I've read yet. If you enjoy political thrillers with a kick-ass hero, but don't expect a lot of philosophizing, then this book is for you. (  ) Talbin | Mar 21, 2009 | Book 8 of the Mitch Rapp series In the heart of Iran, billions of dollars are spent on the development of a nuclear program. Israel is eager to stop its development and launches one of the most daring espionage operations ever conceived, the attack leaves an environmental disaster in the middle of Iran’s largest city. The Iranian government is outraged and blames both Israel and the United States for the destruction and demands retribution. CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region to meet her Iranian counterpart Azad Ashani. The meeting goes disastrously wrong resulting in total mayhem when Irene is kidnapped. Mitch Rapp, an elite counterterrorism operative, backed by the president of the United States soon finds himself on a risky mission, a collision course with Hezbolah’s master terrorist Imad Mukhtar. Mitch’s mandate is to do whatever it takes, no question asked and avert an unthinkable catastrophe at any cost. Once again, Mitch Rapp is brought into the world where conspiracies run deep, Vince Flynn descriptions of events are so tight and believable they seem to mirror world headlines. The never ending twists and turns of the plot swing back and forth on who is to blame for the disaster and what step has to be taken. The action is covered, from the Oval Office to the Supreme Council of Iran, to the gritty backstreets of Mosul in Iraq, to naval engagements in the Straight of Hormuz. Rapp our protagonist is a delightful kind of a modern day James Bond, a lethal and brutal character more suited to today's era than the 50s Bond. He never misses a beat as he decimates the bad guys. The other familiar characters are as vibrant and realistic as ever and the new ones are portrayed with a chilling and evil aspect about them. This thriller is exciting, relatively short and entertaining. The action is slow to start but once it did I had trouble putting it aside. ( ) Tigerpaw70 | Sep 8, 2008 | This is a political thriller in the style of Tom Clancy. The action and plot are enjoyable there is enough going on to keep my interest without getting too involved for me to read a few chapters at a time on the bus. My major complaint is that I disagree with the politics. I know that it is a work of fiction but when characters make assertions like (to paraphrase) "The US occupation of Iraq signals the end of religious fundamentalism as the disenchanted youth who comprise the future jihadists are lured away by conspicuous consumption," I find myself being removed from the moment and it has turned me off of what is otherwise a good book. (  ) jprutter | May 6, 2008 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 074327041X, Hardcover)New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with his most explosive political thriller yet. A tour de force of action-packed suspense, Protect and Defend delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. A true heavyweight in the political thriller arena (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Vince Flynn has created a flesh-and-blood hero that readers can cheer for and a finger-blistering page-turner they won t dare put down.In Protect and Defend, the action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches one of the most creative and daring espionage operations ever conceived. The attack leaves a radioactive tomb and environmental disaster in the middle of Iran s second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States for the attack and demands retribution. Privately, Iran s bombastic president wants much more. He wants America and Israel to pay for their aggression with blood. Enter Mitch Rapp, America s top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with Azad Ashani, her Iranian counterpart. But Rapp isn t the only one hatching plans. Iranian President Amatullah, has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy s meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe. (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:05 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
 LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumnProtect and Defend by Vince Flynn was made available through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Sign up to possibly get pre-publication copies of books. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia in English (1)
Enter Mitch Rapp, America s top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with Azad Ashani, her Iranian counterpart.
But Rapp isn t the only one hatching plans. Iranian President Amatullah, has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy s meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe. (