Book Review - Direct Action by John Weisman
Category Book Reviews
A friend recommended a novel to me that I probably would have overlooked without his advice... Direct Action by John Weisman. A good espionage thriller...
Tom Stafford is a former CIA officer who quit the agency when things became far too bureaucratic for his liking. The private firm he works for has uncovered an al-Qaida terrorist who has been a mystery figure to everyone who has tried to find him in the past. When they bring this to the attention of the CIA, they are inexplicitly told to back off. What makes this even more frustrating is that the terrorist is launching a suicide bombing plot involving designer backpacks and undetectable explosives. Unless this is stopped and the explosives analyzed, all the preventative measures in place around the world will be rendered moot. An unusual mix of private contractors with shadowy pasts and mixed loyalties have to come together to flush out the terrorist, find the explosives, and steer clear of whatever powers in the CIA are preventing them from doing what's right...
Weisman writes with the perspective of someone who has spent plenty of time in the world of covert actions. The plotline of the story is meshed into real CIA personalities and activities, so it's often a little difficult to draw the line between what's story and what's actual history. He also blacks out certain names and activities in the book, much like you'd see in a declassified document. It may sound a little hokey, but it works well to make the writing feel even more real.
Prior to this read, I hadn't even heard of Weisman. Now he's moved into my "so what else has he written" list... A good read to allow you to escape for a few hours...
A friend recommended a novel to me that I probably would have overlooked without his advice... Direct Action by John Weisman. A good espionage thriller...
Tom Stafford is a former CIA officer who quit the agency when things became far too bureaucratic for his liking. The private firm he works for has uncovered an al-Qaida terrorist who has been a mystery figure to everyone who has tried to find him in the past. When they bring this to the attention of the CIA, they are inexplicitly told to back off. What makes this even more frustrating is that the terrorist is launching a suicide bombing plot involving designer backpacks and undetectable explosives. Unless this is stopped and the explosives analyzed, all the preventative measures in place around the world will be rendered moot. An unusual mix of private contractors with shadowy pasts and mixed loyalties have to come together to flush out the terrorist, find the explosives, and steer clear of whatever powers in the CIA are preventing them from doing what's right...
Weisman writes with the perspective of someone who has spent plenty of time in the world of covert actions. The plotline of the story is meshed into real CIA personalities and activities, so it's often a little difficult to draw the line between what's story and what's actual history. He also blacks out certain names and activities in the book, much like you'd see in a declassified document. It may sound a little hokey, but it works well to make the writing feel even more real.
Prior to this read, I hadn't even heard of Weisman. Now he's moved into my "so what else has he written" list... A good read to allow you to escape for a few hours...
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