Book review of Entertaining War: Let the Games Begin by Col.(Ret.) Lynn Carroll ISBN 10: 0-9800103-9-X Triad Publishing Group review by ellen george

 

I started to mark passages of this book to share with you, but I ran out of notes; Then I started to dog-ear pages o share and now my copy of Entertaining War: Let the Games Begin looks like it is filled with papers!

What I mean to say is Entertaining War: Let the Games Begin is an amazing read of such scope, I cannot begin to explain to you all the twists and turns that happen in it - it is a THRILL ride - and it is very hard to believe that this is Col. Lynn Carroll's first novel. It has the flow of a seasoned writer - maybe it is because it deals with the military, but it reads easily.

Carroll's main protagonist is a strong woman - Lt. Colonel Laura "Fox" Den - a fighter pilot and the first woman to command an F-22 Raptor Squadron. The work is tough, the personnel is rough, and you never show them any weakness - because you are the head and if they have any doubts about your authority, there goes the whole ballgame!

A lot of fight simulations happen - computing different scenarios, and how to react when a split second is all you have in combat -

An American hacker with a grudge finds a way to hack into these computer programs - even gaining access to Laura's children's PlayStation which can be hooked to the Internet and they can play these games with folks all over the world...The hacker downs a Raptor, and tried to instigate war between North and South Korea and the US - even bringing in that wacky guy, Kim Jong-il.

This book reminded me of a movie I saw many years ago that was kind of like this premise - a child gets into the war simulation program of the government and creates havoc - War Games? - I cannot remember - But it doesn't hold a candle to Entertaining War -

You will feel like you are in a pinball machine and are bounced from exciting situation to the next - the characters are believable and you root for the 'good guys' and are sad when the book comes to and end.

Col. Carroll should be writing more - he has the chops for telling it like it is and has us understanding things military -

A fine read.

ellen george

Entertaining War: Let the Games Begin by Col. (Ret.) Lynn Carroll, ISBN 10: 0-9800103-9-X, Triad Publishing Group, review by ellen george