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Shattered Trident

by Larry Bond

Series: Jerry Mitchell (4)

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754353,330 (3.5)None
"While trailing a Chinese nuclear attack sub, Jerry Mitchell, the captain of USS North Dakota, is shocked to see the Chinese boat torpedo a Vietnamese merchant ship. This blatant act of aggression is the opening gambit in a war that has blindsided the U.S. and quickly embroiled all nations in the western Pacific. These nations, bound together in the newly formed Littoral Alliance, have begun a covert submarine campaign aimed at crippling China's economy before China can set in motion its own plot to dominate the region. In a desperate attempt to buy the president enough time to resolve the crisis diplomatically, Mitchell's submarine squadron is ordered to interfere with attacks by both sides. China and the Littoral Alliance are both determined to win, no matter the cost, and as each side increases the level of violence, they approach a dangerous tipping point. In a race against time, the submarines of Mitchell's squadron must execute their mission before the world witnesses an economic catastrophe--or worse, a nuclear exchange"--… (more)
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Showing 4 of 4
Most of the time a book has a story that leads you towards an end. This book feels like it's pulling you to the end. I think the ending was the first thing Larry Bond wrote and then he had to make up a path there, or the path lead nowhere and an ending had to be shoehorned in. In previous book reviews in the Jerry Mitchell series I've said that Larry Bond is good at making up plausible scenarios, but in this one I think he's stretching it.

The book starts with Vietnam learning of a planned occupation of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The islands have been under threat of occupation for a long time since China would like to expand its power to the whole area, and the direct victims would be, among others, Vietnam, so that part is not far fetched at all. After the book was published, China built military airfields on several of the islands, to a huge cost since the islands were not naturally big enough. So that part is plausible enough.

From there, to an unlikely alliance, to a weird selection of actions, to "truth conquers all" and so on, we're lead to an ending that *is* far fetched. Somehow it seems like an attempt to go bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until reality is far behind.

Still, with that major criticism out of the way, it's still a competent military fiction novel, and if you can pretend to agree with the premises, the book can be entertaining enough.

If there had been half stars this would have been 2.5 instead of 2.
( )
  bratell | Dec 25, 2020 |
Shattered Trident by Larry Bond is a novel about a war in the near future over the Spratly Islands and other disputed lands in the South China, East China, and Yellow Seas of the coast of China. Viet Nam, Japan, India, and South Korea form the Littoral Alliance to confront China over the disputed lands.

The story starts with a US nuclear submarine trailing a Chinese sub that attacks a Viet Nam surface vessel in the South China Sea. Viet Nam had received a report from a spy in China regarding a plan to invade the Spratly Islands claimed by Viet Nam, Philippines, China, and several other nations. The ship was carrying war material to an island claimed by Viet Nam in the Spratly Islands.

A Japanese professor of Economics and History is in Viet Nam to talk to the leadership. He is the author of a book entitled Navies for Asia. This meeting is where Viet Nam passes the information on to the professor and starts the process of forming the Littoral Alliance.

The story then revolves around the naval war between the Littoral Alliance and China. The US submarines are quietly monitoring the situation in the Seas off of China. The US president is trying to broker a cease fire between the parties.

I found the story very good and the descriptions of the undersea warfare well told. ( )
  rufusraider | Jan 5, 2014 |
Shattered Trident
By Larry Bond
Publisher: Forge Books
Published In: New York City, NY, USA
Date: 2013
Pgs: 432

REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
The Litoral Alliance, a group of nations in the western Pacific who all have territorial disputes with China, has banded together following the revelation of a Chinese plan to seize disputed territory in the South China Sea. An American submarine catches a Chinese submarine torpedoing a Vietnamese freighter, leading them to their first breadcrumb in finding out what is going on.
Submarine warfare by the Litoral Alliance moves to strangle China’s dependence on foreign oil. Once China identifies the players in the Alliance, open warfare breaks out between China, on one side, and Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and India, on the other. The American president in an effort to stem casualties while attempting to get the parties involved to the diplomacy table orders a squadron of American submarines to interfere with both parties whenever they find them about to launch on each other, putting the American subs in harm’s way.

Genre:
fiction, militaria, war, china

Why this book:
I love a good submarine story. And I’m a militariophile. And in light of China’s recent extension of an air defense zone out over a Japanese claimed island chain that plays a small role in this story, the book seems prophetic, a bit.

This Story is About:
international politics, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines

Favorite Character:
The blogger Hector Alexander McMurtrie who puts the pieces of the secret war together before anybody else and reports it on his blog.

Least Favorite Character:
Dr. Konamura Sajin. He put the idea together and then when asked pushed it as the only option. True, the Chinese government in the book acted exactly as Konamura predicted in the early stages. It leaves me wondering how often academics have seen their ideas result in bloodshed and how they felt about it once the Oppenheimer moment came home to them.

Character I Most Identified With:
Lt. Cmdr Thigpen, XO of the North Dakota, the guy caught between a maverick skipper and the orders that once refined push them along a dangerous path.

The Feel:
Having a similar feel to The Ghosts of Bungo Suido, this submarine drama isn’t giving me that close, claustrophobic feel that I want in a submarine story. The story would have been better served if the Washington portions of the story had remained nameless, faceless including them as communications to the Commodore and the North Dakota.

Favorite Scene:
The scene where the crew of the North Dakota are surprised when what they think is an exercise goes hot when torpedos actually hit the water.
The small clutch of scenes where the North Dakota and the Indian submarine Chakra are stalking one another.

Settings:
the Submarine North Dakota; South China Sea; Guam; Hanoi; Beijing; Washington DC; Tokyo; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Spratly Islands; Naval bases all over the eastern Asian landmass; the Indian Submarine Chakra;

Pacing:
Short quick chapters

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The realism factor of the book takes a helluva hit when we get to the climax. The real world feel drops away when you add in the climax’s macguffin.

Last Page Sound:
Hmmm.

Author Assessment:
I’m sure that anything with Larry Bond’s name is going to get some consideration from me.

Editorial Assessment:
A bit of less is more would have been good in a submariner story. But with successful and established author’s I wonder how much an editor truly pushes for the betterment of the story.

Did the Book Cover Reflect the Story:
A destroyer taking torpedo hits and seeming to have its back broken.
Seems appropos of the story.

Hmm Moments:
The Vietnamese Navy’s counterattack on the Spratlys after the Chinese landings there. Nicely done.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
it’s alright

Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library, Irving, TX

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
Since this movie wouldn’t play well in China, I doubt it would ever get green lit by the studios.

Casting call:
I could see Kevin Costner playing Commodore Simonis.
Paul Walker would have been great as Captain Mitchell. Rest in peace.

Would recommend to:
genre fans ( )
  texascheeseman | Dec 6, 2013 |
I'm a former submariner, and I found this story so gripping that I gobbled it up in less than 24 hours. The opening scenario (merchant ships being sunk, who's doing it, turns out to be somebody's subs) is one that I have mulled-over for a long time, but (I think) Bond did a great job of turning that scenario into a hard-driving story with characters who were people -- some sympathetic some not, but all reasonable and believable. ( )
  Netherto | Oct 17, 2013 |
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"While trailing a Chinese nuclear attack sub, Jerry Mitchell, the captain of USS North Dakota, is shocked to see the Chinese boat torpedo a Vietnamese merchant ship. This blatant act of aggression is the opening gambit in a war that has blindsided the U.S. and quickly embroiled all nations in the western Pacific. These nations, bound together in the newly formed Littoral Alliance, have begun a covert submarine campaign aimed at crippling China's economy before China can set in motion its own plot to dominate the region. In a desperate attempt to buy the president enough time to resolve the crisis diplomatically, Mitchell's submarine squadron is ordered to interfere with attacks by both sides. China and the Littoral Alliance are both determined to win, no matter the cost, and as each side increases the level of violence, they approach a dangerous tipping point. In a race against time, the submarines of Mitchell's squadron must execute their mission before the world witnesses an economic catastrophe--or worse, a nuclear exchange"--

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