The plot begins when Soviet agents sabotage a major Siberian oil refinery, creating a fuel crisis that threatens the USSR’s economic survival. Fearing collapse, the Politburo launches a conventional invasion of Western Europe to seize Persian Gulf oil fields. The narrative follows various perspectives, including Commander Bob Toland on a naval carrier, frigate captain Ed Morris, and a small team of meteorologists stranded behind enemy lines in Iceland. The conflict involves high-stakes tank battles in Germany, satellite surveillance maneuvers, and grueling anti-submarine warfare across the Atlantic shipping lanes as NATO forces attempt to hold the line.
Advocates of military history and fans of technical realism read this for the detailed descriptions of Cold War weaponry and tactical doctrine. The book attracts those interested in the logistical complexities of large-scale combat and electronic hide-and-seek. Readers finish the story with a clear understanding of how combined arms operations, sonar mechanics, and satellite intelligence would have functioned during a late-twentieth-century global conflict. It provides a granular look at the friction between political strategy and frontline execution.
Outward-looking, growth-minded, clear-cut and escapist; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1986
- Language
- EN
