Red Storm Rising
Fiction
By Tom Clancy
Reviewed by M. Andersen
5 out of 5 stars
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union prepares for war. A sudden crisis leads the Politburo to order their forces west. Hundreds of Soviet submarines leave port and head into the Atlantic. Special Forces prepare to attack NATO command centers. The tanks of General Mikael Alekseyev are poised to roll west. As Alekseyev’s tanks start their attack, Lieutenant Michael Edwards, an Air Force Meteorologist, is at Keflavlik, Iceland. Soviet bombers carrying cruise missiles attack the base. Everything appears clear after the raid, but is it really? Deep under the Atlantic, Captain Dan McCafferty tracks the Soviet fleet. All of a sudden he is called to perform a dangerous mission. Will he and the men of USS Chicago survive? Commander Ed Morris, captain of the USS Pharris, worries about escorting a convoy past the Soviet submarines and missile-armed bombers. Can he get the vital supplies to Europe to help stem the advance of the Red Army? In the confines of a cramped headquarters in Scotland, has Lieutenant Commander Bob Toland figured out the key to slowing the Soviet advance across Europe?
Red Storm Rising is a very twisted book and one who reads it must be able to understand the points of view of many different characters. The story is very fast paced and draws you in. Using flashback and figurative language, Clancy conveys the plot in an effective manner. Many different concepts are present in the story, the power of friendship and trust are present several time throughout the story. As this book was written when the Soviet threat was still very real, it probably presented a vivid picture of possibilities to the readers when the book was first released. Now, after the demise of the Soviet Union, the plot might seem like it is no longer realistic. I think anyone with an interest in the Cold War that can handle the twisted plot should read this awesome story.
