By Order of the President (2004)

Exciting book that was a fun listen. The characters were very well (over) developed, probably because this was the first of a series. I'll read #2. ( )

I have enjoy many of WEB Griffin's books. I loved this book and have quickly finished the series and currently waiting impatiently until the next book comes out in December. If like action adventures with military special ops thrown in you will love this book and series. This guys do what needs to be done when and how it needs done. ( )

Carlos "Charlie" Castillo is many things to many people and he sometimes has a hard time keeping them all straight. He's an Army Major, ex-Delta Force, pilot, secret Service Agent, spy, aid to the Secretary of Homeland security. as well as a mulit-linguist, is independently wealthy and is an all around nice guy. Makes Jack Ryan look like a second rate wammabe.

Someone has stolen a 727 in Angola and no one seems to no by who, why, where is going or what it is to be used for. The president decides he wants to do a little test on his intelligence corps. Our poster boy Carlos, who is working for the Homeland Security Secretary is picked to do the snooping. Carlos uncovers a few things among them a plot to crash the plane into Philadelphia. Carlos becomes the lead man in trying to stop the terrorist plot.

Overall a fun book to listen to and Griffin is a great story teller. We keep doing flashbacks with Carlos to find out how he became the man we see today. The writing decent and as long as you don't mind that Carlos seems to be near perfect and Generals seems to be common as house flies and just go along for the ride you'll have fun. ( )

An excellent book. Griffin is very detailed in his writing and provides great characters and their backgrounds. An excellent story as well. The rest of this series is on my list. ( )

W.E.B. Griffin is the prolific author of 36 novels in six series about a variety of American fighting men---military, police, secret service, counterterrorism---you name it. His novels involve military operations in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, the operation of the Philadelphia police department and NSA/CIA operations to combat terrorism. He is former military and has accumulated extensive knowledge in Special Ops, Special Forces and aviation through his military service and training. He is apparently a credible source and is known for his accuracy and attention to detail (525 pages worth).

This novel is the first in a new series entitled “The Presidential Agent” and the premise is to defeat a terrorist plot to crash a stolen 727 into the Liberty Bell. Yes, the Liberty Bell, the one that’s in Philadelphia. The bumbling incompetence of the intelligence agencies compels the President to seek out super-soldier extraordinaire Army Maj. Carlos Guillermo Castillo, known to his friends as “Charley.” Charley’s impressive credentials, not to mention his family’s fortune and good looks add to the over-the-top action-driven plot. Pacing is fast paced; there is more dialog than actual description---except when it comes to describing weapons and aircraft. Military jargon and acronyms are spewed conspicuously throughout. Conversation dialog is terse and occasionally sardonic and witty. There seems to be a cast of thousands---between the terrorists, Philadelphia police, warring intelligence agency people and the various military personnel, it is difficult to keep track of all the bodies. Characterization tends to be stereotypical; swarthy terrorists, an incredulous Philadelphia police force (remember the plot: 727 crashes into the Liberty Bell), the drop-dead gorgeous agent working the case with Charley, and the crusty and tough military top brass. The setting constantly changes. In the first 100 pages, the setting moved 13 times. Flashbacks to 1981 and 1991 complicate the setting changes and numerous characters. There’s just a lot going on---and I cared about none of it. I didn’t even have to read the ending to know that the terrorist plot is unraveled and the Liberty Bell is spared. All is well until the next installment in this series which is called “The Hostage.”

My father-in-law read this book and enjoyed it---he also reads Stephen Koonts and Daniel Silva---so he reads a lot from this genre. He agreed Griffin’s novels are fairly formulaic---the branch of the military and the war changes but the characters and situations tend to remain constant. But, that doesn’t stop him from reading his books. He likes the detail and the fast paced plot. I imagine that’s what keeps his readers coming back for more. ( )